The Truth Was a Blade

[Heavenly King Covers Earth Fox: I don't believe it! This is all forged! You're insulting Teacher's feelings!]

Hu Liena grew emotional too. She couldn't accept this fact either. In her eyes, Teacher was sacred!

(Emotion Points +150 from Heavenly King Covers Earth Fox for intense emotions)

[Fire-Breathing Dragon: What nonsense! This video is definitely forged! Xiao Gang's talent is beyond question; he researched all his theories with painstaking effort. How could he have plagiarized them? Don't even think about slandering him!]

When Liu Erlong saw the messages in the group doubting Yu Xiaogang, she panicked at once.

In her heart, Yu Xiaogang was the most talented person in the Soul Master World. Those groundbreaking theories had to be the fruits of his painstaking labor.

She would never allow anyone to slander the man she loved so deeply. Even with the evidence right before her, she would only believe that the Group Owner had maliciously fabricated a lie.

[6G Sky Wing: Overflowing with talent? Heh.]

Qian Renxue let out a cold laugh.

[6G Sky Wing: He's nothing but a despicable man who rose to prominence by stealing a woman's work. And he's worthy of being called "Grandmaster"?]

Looking at the images on the screen, Qian Renxue was filled with intense disdain and hatred.

She had seen Yu Xiaogang's so-called theories long ago. They were riddled with flaws and utterly worthless. Now it was confirmed that they were all stolen goods.

What she hated even more was that if this man hadn't upended that woman's life, perhaps she wouldn't have become so cold and heartless. Then Qian Renxue might not have had to grow up in the icy absence of a mother's love, unable even to call her "Mother" like a normal child.

This man was not only despicable—he had also destroyed any chance she had of a normal family!

[6G Sky Wing: When all is said and done, this is all thanks to that useless, despicable man. If not for him, where would all this entanglement have come from? And yet you still argue over someone like him.]

[Pagoda Suppresses River Demon: +1]

[No Petting Cats: +1]

[First Cute Bunny: +2]

[Begonia Blossoms: +10086]

Most of the women in the group agreed with Qian Renxue.

They all thought Yu Xiaogang was a piece of trash.

[Fire-Breathing Dragon: What do you know! Xiao Gang isn't that kind of person! This is all the Group Owner's scheme, a forged video meant to drive a wedge between us!]

Forged? They weren't about to believe this juicy gossip was fabricated.

And judging by how those two women were reacting, getting so worked up, this gossip looked absolutely genuine.

The Group Owner was amazing.

[Most Beautiful Pope: Stop pretending to be so righteous. And our affairs are none of your business. You don't get to sit here and criticize us or stir up trouble!]

Bibi Dong had always resented other people meddling in her past with Yu Xiaogang. Now, hearing Liu Erlong call him "Xiao Gang" over and over while trying to tell her what to do made her anger flare even hotter.

[Fire-Breathing Dragon: Pretending? Bibi Dong, wake up! This video is obviously forged, meant to ruin your reputation and slander Xiao Gang while they're at it! How can you not even see that?]

Liu Erlong was getting angry too. She thought she'd been trying to warn Bibi Dong out of concern, only to be met with her sharp words. Old grievances and her current fury tangled together.

[Most Beautiful Pope: I don't need an outsider like you to judge whether I'm clear-headed! You keep calling him Xiao Gang and defending him. What are you to him?]

Though Bibi Dong had guessed who Liu Erlong was, her words seemed to strike a sore spot, and Bibi Dong's own tone turned sharp.

Liu Erlong stubbornly insisted that the video was fake and desperately defended Yu Xiaogang. Their argument over the video's contents grew increasingly heated, charged with hostility.

Everyone in the group fell silent, watching the confrontation between the two "powerhouses."

This gossip was just too explosive. The one called Fire-Breathing Dragon also seemed like a lovesick fool Yu Xiaogang had ruined.

They were so curious about her story.

Inside the Crown Prince Residence, Qian Renxue watched the argument on the screen, the corner of her mouth curling into a cold smile.

When dogs fought, they tore each other to shreds. Wonderful—truly wonderful.

Seeing Bibi Dong lose her composure actually filled her with a hint of satisfaction!

At Aedes Elysiae, Ye Qiong watched the Emotion Points keep climbing and grinned from ear to ear. "Argue! Go on, argue harder!"

[Face-Tanking Ultimate: Stop arguing, all of you. What's there to argue about?]

Ye Qiong leisurely interrupted their quarrel.

[Face-Tanking Ultimate: Is it really worth all this over a man? Besides, it seems you've all gotten one thing wrong.]

Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong both froze at those words.

[Most Beautiful Pope: What do you mean?]

[Fire-Breathing Dragon: ...]

[Face-Tanking Ultimate: Don't rush. The best part is still coming.]

[System notification: Group Owner "Face-Tanking Ultimate" uploaded the video file Biography of Bibi Dong: Part Two]

Everyone, including Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong, who were still fuming, inexplicably clicked on the second video.

The scene was dark. It seemed to be set in a secret chamber.

Young Bibi Dong knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with the tall figure before her.

The figure was shrouded in shadow, but his ornate clothes and powerful aura made it clear that he was the Pope at the time, Qian Xunji.

"Teacher, please, let Xiao Gang and me be together! I love him. I can't live without him!"

The man in the shadows let out a cold laugh, his voice filled with contempt and cruelty.

"Love? How laughable. You are my most outstanding disciple, the future hope of Spirit Hall. Your destiny is to stand at the pinnacle of this continent, not to waste your talent on a good-for-nothing who can't even advance his own Martial Soul."

"No! He's different! He's talented!" Bibi Dong cried out in protest.

"Talented? Just a few plagiarized tricks, stolen by fair means or foul. Did you really think I didn't know?"

Qian Xunji's voice was full of mockery.

"I'll give you one last chance. Leave him, forget that good-for-nothing, and you'll still be my good disciple."

"No! I'll never leave him!" The girl's gaze was utterly resolute.

Qian Xunji seemed to have run out of patience. He slowly stepped forward and seized Bibi Dong by the chin, his voice icy.

"Since your thoughts have become so impure, let your teacher help you 'purify' them."

"Everything you have was given to you by Spirit Hall. So everything you have can only belong to Spirit Hall."

The scene abruptly went black.

Next came the girl's despairing sobs and heart-rending screams, but they soon faded.

When the scene lit up again, Bibi Dong was alone in the secret chamber.

Her clothes were disheveled as she curled up in a corner. Her once-clear eyes held nothing but emptiness and deathly stillness.

At the end of the video, a voice-over spoke.

"That day, Spirit Hall's Saintess died. Not long afterward, she discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to a daughter."

"To protect this secret, and to take revenge, she trained desperately from then on. In the end, she took that man's life with her own hands and became Spirit Hall's new Pope."

The video ended. The entire group chat fell into deathly silence.

(Emotion Points +150 from First Cute Bunny for fear)

(Emotion Points +180 from Pagoda Suppresses River Demon for shock)

(Emotion Points +160 from Begonia Blossoms for sadness)

(Emotion Points +100 from No Petting Cats for anger)

(Emotion Points +250 from Heavenly King Covers Earth Fox for grief)

...