What Adults Do Is Beyond Children

Night had washed over the ancient trees of Demon Spider Canyon, staining the damp mist a thick, inky black.

A natural stone cave sheltered from the wind along the mountainside had been reinforced with Bibi Dong's soul power. Three layers of concealment and defensive barriers covered the entrance, while a transparent web-like shield kept out the poisonous insects and toxic mist from the forest. The cave was dry and warm.

A Moonlight Stone the size of a goose egg was embedded in the cave wall, casting a soft white glow that illuminated the thick velvet carpet spread across the ground.

Bibi Xu leaned against Bibi Dong's chest, his back pressed to her warm clothes. He could smell the faint scent of cold plum blossoms on her, mixed with a barely perceptible crispness of soul power.

A natural crack in the cave ceiling perfectly framed the river of stars outside. Diamond-like stars dotted the black velvet night sky, shining with startling brilliance.

The chirping of insects rose and fell through the forest, accompanied by the occasional roar of a soul beast in the distance. It only made the cave feel all the quieter and warmer.

"Mom," Bibi Xu suddenly said softly, his voice carrying a childlike tenderness, "do you think Xiaoxue is looking at the stars right now too?"

Bibi Dong had been lowering her head to smooth the sweat-dampened strands of hair from his forehead. At his words, her hand paused, and the softness in her eyes dimmed slightly.

She lifted her gaze toward the starry sky beyond the cave, her tone giving nothing away. "Who knows? Qian Daoliu treasures her like a jewel. Naturally, she won't lack company."

"But she seems to miss you very much." Bibi Xu tilted his head up and met her deep eyes.

"Every time she comes to see me, she asks about you more than anything else. She always says she wants you to see her martial soul and praise her."

After a brief pause, he finally asked the question he had kept buried for a long time. "Mom, why do you... seem to dislike Xiaoxue a little?"

The moment the words fell, the cave went silent.

Bibi Dong's body visibly stiffened. The fingers hanging at her side abruptly curled tight, her knuckles turning pale.

The gentleness on her face gradually faded, while complicated emotions churned in her eyes—hatred, pain, humiliation, and a trace of guilt so faint that even she refused to acknowledge it.

The memory she had desperately buried in the depths of her heart, one she refused to touch even in her midnight dreams, had been gently pried open by her son's innocent question.

The darkness of the secret chamber, the man's twisted face, the soul-rending pain, and the humiliation of carrying a child for ten months... those filthy images surged over her like a tide, tightening around her throat until even breathing ached dully.

She lowered her head and met Bibi Xu's clear yet puzzled eyes. The words "bastard child" reached her lips, but she could not force them out.

Yes, what had the child done wrong?

Qian Renxue was innocent.

But her pain was real too.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes. When she opened them again, every emotion had been pressed back into the depths, leaving only indifference.

She stroked Bibi Xu's head. Her voice was soft, yet distant in a way that brooked no argument. "What happens between adults is beyond you. You're still young and don't understand. When you grow up, you'll understand naturally."

With that, she turned to look out into the night beyond the cave and refused to say another word. Clearly, she did not wish to discuss the matter any further.

Bibi Xu looked at her tense profile and sighed inwardly.

He had known this would be the answer.

How could she tell such unbearable memories to a six-year-old child? Tell him that she had been violated by her own teacher and borne that child? Tell him that seeing Qian Renxue reminded her of the greatest humiliation of her life?

It was too cruel. Cruel to Bibi Dong, and cruel to Qian Renxue as well.

He did not press her further. Instead, he snuggled deeper into Bibi Dong's arms, wrapped his little arms around her waist, and spoke in a soft but resolute voice. "I know Mom must have her own difficulties. It's okay, I won't ask anymore. No matter what, I'll stand by Mom's side. If Mom doesn't want to see her, then we won't see her. If Mom hates her, then I'll also..."

"Don't." Bibi Dong interrupted him, her voice a little hoarse.

"You don't need to hate her because of me. You two are siblings, after all. You grew up together, and your bond belongs to you. What happens between adults has nothing to do with you." She paused, then added quietly.

"She is, after all, a member of the Qian Clan and the inheritor of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. Getting along well with her won't do you any harm."

Warmth rose in Bibi Xu's heart.

Tough words, soft heart. She clearly cared, yet she had to make it sound so practical.

He did not expose her. He merely nodded obediently. "Mm, I understand."

The cave fell quiet again, with only their soft breathing audible. Bibi Xu rested in Bibi Dong's embrace, listening to her steady heartbeat while thoughts spun through his mind.

The matter between Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong could not be rushed. That wound ran too deep, carved into Bibi Dong's bones and blood. It could not be smoothed away overnight.

Getting Bibi Dong to accept Qian Renxue and reconciling the mother and daughter would be a long and arduous task.

In truth, he could have ignored it entirely. He was Bibi Dong's adopted son, while Qian Renxue was the former Pope's daughter. There was no necessary connection between them.

He only needed to walk his own path steadily and protect Bibi Dong. There was no need to involve himself in the grievances between that mother and daughter.

But people were made of flesh and blood.

Over the past six years, Qian Renxue had always secretly run over to play with him. Whenever she had something delicious, she thought of him, and whenever she suffered a grievance, she would come running to tell him about it.

The little girl was somewhat spoiled, but she was incredibly pure-hearted. She had laid her heart bare before him, treating him as her closest friend—and her only friend.

And Bibi Dong was the person closest to him across both his lives. She had given him all the love of a mother. Seeing her stare blankly at the moon alone at night, seeing the pain and struggle in her eyes whenever she saw Qian Renxue, made him feel miserable too.

Perhaps he could do something.

There was no need to hurry. He could take it slowly. Once they were both a little older, once the matter of Qian Xunji had been settled, once Bibi Dong had avenged herself and cast off the shackles in her heart... perhaps someday, they would reconcile.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Bibi Dong pinched his little cheek, her usual gentleness returning to her voice. "You absorbed a Millennium Soul Ring today. Aren't you tired? Go to sleep early. Tomorrow, we still have to look for the Thousand-Thread Demon Spider."

"Not tired." Bibi Xu smiled, closed his eyes, and nestled deeper into her arms. "With Mom here, I sleep well."

Bibi Dong laughed softly and gently patted his back as though soothing an infant. The Moonlight Stone's soft glow fell over them. The cave was quiet and warm, and even the wind through the forest seemed to have turned gentle.

Meanwhile, at the camp in the northern Angel Hunting Grounds, things were much livelier.

The central tent of the hunting grounds was brightly lit. Qian Daoliu sat in the seat of honor, watching his little granddaughter practice her swordsmanship, his face full of smiles.

Qian Renxue wore a fitted snow-white outfit and held a golden shortsword in her hand. Every stance and strike looked proper and convincing. Two purple soul rings rose and fell around her feet. Though she still retained some childishness, she already carried the bearing of a soul master.

That very day, she had successfully absorbed two soul rings and become a genuine Great Soul Master.