A Mother's Fierce Protection

The news quickly spread throughout Spirit Hall.

Before long, discussions arose within the Red-robed Cardinal Order. Many old fossils believed that as the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall and the future successor to the Pope's position, Bibi Dong bringing back a wild child of unknown origin was utterly improper and damaged Spirit Hall's reputation.

Some even jointly submitted a petition, asking His Holiness the Pope to order Bibi Dong to send the child away.

When those words reached Bibi Dong's ears, she was holding Bibi Xu in the courtyard, basking in the sun.

The little fellow had just finished drinking milk and was curled up in her arms, yawning, soft and squishy.

After hearing her subordinate's report, Bibi Dong showed no expression. She merely said calmly, "I understand. I will address it personally at tomorrow's council."

At the next day's Red-robed Cardinal meeting, when the leading elder once again righteously proposed sending Bibi Xu away, Bibi Dong struck directly. Without any warning, black spider silk instantly pierced through the elder's shoulder bone, pinning him firmly to a pillar in the hall.

Divine Slaughter's Domain erupted without restraint. Icy killing intent swept through the entire hall, turning every Red-robed Cardinal pale and silencing them in terror.

Bibi Dong stood in the center of the hall, her dark gown stirring without wind, her gaze cold as ice. "Who gave you the right to criticize my son?"

"Your Highness, he was adopted after all..." someone said bravely.

"And what if he was?" Bibi Dong sneered. Her Soul Power trembled slightly, and the Red-robed Cardinal pinned to the pillar let out a scream.

"I say he is Bibi Dong's son, then he is. From this day onward, if anyone dares gossip about him again, do not blame me for showing no mercy. Today, I merely crippled his cultivation. Next time, it will not be so simple."

She did exactly as she said. That very day, the Red-robed Cardinal who had led the troublemaking had his Soul Power crippled and was expelled from Spirit Hall.

After that, no one dared utter another word about Bibi Xu. All of Spirit Hall knew that the young master of the Holy Maiden Hall was Bibi Dong's forbidden line.

Untouchable, unmentionable—whoever touched him died.

The days passed one by one, and under Bibi Dong's care, Bibi Xu grew up day by day.

He grew quickly and was exceptionally intelligent. He could speak at ten months old. When he called out "Mama" for the first time, Bibi Dong was holding him in the garden, looking at flowers.

The moment she heard that soft, sweet "Mama," her whole body froze. Looking down at the child in her arms, his little face tilted up at her and his smile radiant, her eyes instantly reddened.

She turned away and quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. When she turned back, she was once again that gentle mother. Holding Bibi Xu, she taught him over and over, "Ah Xu, call me Mama again."

"Mama! Mama!" Bibi Xu wrapped his arms around her neck and called endlessly, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Holding him, Bibi Dong felt both warmth and ache in her heart.

She had never heard Qian Renxue call her Mama. That child's first word had been "Grandpa," taught to her hand in hand by Qian Daoliu.

Between her and Qian Renxue lay Qian Xunji, an unbearable past, and mountains and rivers beyond measure—an abyss they could never cross.

Fortunately, she still had Ah Xu.

Bibi Xu first met Qian Renxue when he was over three years old.

That day, Qian Daoliu brought Qian Renxue to the Holy Maiden Hall. Nominally, it was to let the children grow closer, but in truth, he wanted Bibi Dong to see more of her biological daughter and ease the relationship between mother and daughter.

Qian Renxue wore a snow-white little dress, like a delicate porcelain doll. She shyly hid behind Qian Daoliu, revealing half her little face as she secretly looked at Bibi Dong, then curiously at Bibi Xu standing beside her.

At the time, Bibi Xu had only just learned to walk. He waddled unsteadily like a little penguin. When he saw Qian Renxue, his eyes lit up. He ran over on his short little legs, lifted his face, and called brightly, "Hello."

Qian Renxue froze for a moment. She looked at Qian Daoliu, then at Bibi Dong. Seeing that her mother did not object, she softly answered, "Mm."

Bibi Xu generously held out his little hand to take Qian Renxue's. "I have candy. I'll give you some." He pulled out a milk candy from his pocket. Bibi Dong had given it to him yesterday, but he had been reluctant to eat it and had kept it in his pocket.

Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand. Their two tiny hands clasped together, and both of them smiled.

Bibi Dong stood not far away, watching the scene with mixed emotions.

She wanted to walk over, to stroke Qian Renxue's head, to say something to her.

But whenever she saw the contours of Qian Xunji's face in Qian Renxue's features, those unbearable memories surged up and lodged in her throat, leaving her unable to speak a single word.

In the end, she merely walked over, picked Bibi Xu up, and said flatly to Qian Daoliu, "If the Grand Enshrined has no further business, please leave. Ah Xu should be taking his nap."

Qian Daoliu looked at her, then at the somewhat disappointed Qian Renxue, and sighed. "Xue'er misses you very much."

Bibi Dong lowered her eyes, avoiding Qian Renxue's expectant gaze. Her tone remained calm. "With the Grand Enshrined taking care of her, I am at ease."

Qian Daoliu said nothing more and left with Qian Renxue. Before leaving, Qian Renxue looked back several times at Bibi Xu in Bibi Dong's arms, her eyes full of envy.

After they left, Bibi Xu lay on Bibi Dong's shoulder and asked softly, "Mama, why didn't she stay?"

Bibi Dong stroked his head but said nothing.

She wanted to know too. Why had things become this way? Why did she clearly have two children, yet could only openly love one of them?

At three years old, Bibi Xu was adorable as carved jade and snow, clever and lively, the source of joy for the entire Holy Maiden Hall.

Unlike other noble children, he was neither spoiled nor overbearing. Instead, he was sensible and polite. If the maids accidentally broke something, he would say, "Big Sister, don't be scared. I won't tell Mama." If the nannies grew tired from bending over, he would toddle over on his short little legs to fetch them a small stool.

Everyone in the Holy Maiden Hall sincerely adored the young master.

Only when facing Qian Xunji and Qian Daoliu did Bibi Xu become especially vigilant.

Whenever Qian Xunji came to the Holy Maiden Hall, Bibi Xu would tightly hold his mother's hand and stand in front of her like a little man, looking up at Qian Xunji with guarded eyes.

Whenever Qian Xunji saw him like that, he found it both amusing and helpless.

He actually wanted to treat the child better, since Bibi Xu was the person Bibi Dong treasured most. But Bibi Dong guarded against him closely and never allowed him to touch Bibi Xu even once.

Once, Qian Xunji brought many children's toys to give Bibi Xu. Bibi Dong directly had the maids return them untouched, coldly relaying, "I will prepare Ah Xu's things myself. There is no need for His Holiness the Pope to trouble himself."

Qian Xunji stared at the returned toys and smiled bitterly for a long time. He knew that this debt was likely one he could never repay in his lifetime.

When Bibi Xu was three, something happened that made Qian Daoliu truly take notice of him for the first time.

That day, a Soul Master from Spirit Hall was cultivating near the Holy Maiden Hall and accidentally lost control, releasing killing intent. That bloody, violent aura frightened the little maid watering flowers nearby until her face turned pale and she collapsed to the ground.

At the time, Bibi Xu was playing in the garden not far away. By all reason, a three-year-old child sensing such heavy killing intent should have been crying in terror already.

Yet Bibi Xu not only did not cry, he instead stood where he was and frowned slightly.

Then, a faint layer of nearly invisible mist spread from his body. The killing intent rushing toward him touched that mist and instantly dissolved completely, absorbed without leaving a trace.

And Qian Daoliu, who happened to be passing by, saw the entire scene.

Qian Daoliu's pupils contracted slightly, and his footsteps halted.

Absorbing killing intent?

Could this child's physique actually be so special?

He had seen countless gifted Soul Masters, but he had never seen one who could absorb killing intent from birth without suffering even the slightest backlash.

This child's affinity for darkness and killing intent was horrifyingly high. Even... Bibi Dong's Divine Slaughter's Domain would unconsciously become gentler around him.

Standing behind a tree, Qian Daoliu gave Bibi Xu a long, deep look. After absorbing the killing intent, the little fellow tilted his head, as if he found it comfortable, then happily skipped away to pick flowers as though nothing had happened.

After returning, Qian Daoliu immediately sent people to investigate Bibi Xu's origins. Yet after half a month of searching, they found nothing.

The child seemed to have appeared out of thin air outside Killing City. There was no history, no clue, no trace of his parents or his birth.

Qian Daoliu's doubts grew heavier and heavier.

He deliberately found an opportunity to visit the Holy Maiden Hall and subtly brought it up to Bibi Dong. "Ah Xu is already three, and his physique is special. Why not find a time to test him, so we can begin cultivating him early?"

Bibi Dong rejected him without a moment's thought, her tone firm. "No need. My son does not need to have his potential tested. What path he wishes to take in the future will be his own choice. No one should even think of setting their sights on him."

Her Ah Xu did not need to bear any mission or sacrifice anything for Spirit Hall. All he needed was to grow up happily and safely.

Qian Daoliu watched Bibi Dong's fiercely protective manner, frowned, and said no more. He knew her temperament. Pressing her too hard would only backfire.

For now, I'll observe him. Qian Daoliu thought. As long as this child did not affect Qian Renxue's Angel Legacy or threaten Spirit Hall's foundations, he would let Bibi Dong do as she pleased.

But if he dared harbor other intentions... then when the time came, even Bibi Dong's protection would be useless.

What Qian Daoliu did not know was that Bibi Dong had long since discovered Bibi Xu's uniqueness.

She had noticed it when Bibi Xu was still an infant. The child was not afraid of her killing intent or the cold, sinister aura of the Rakshasa God. Instead, he was especially close to them.

Sometimes, when she cultivated Rakshasa Divine Power and its aura grew restless, difficult to calm, all she needed to do was hold Bibi Xu. The faint aura around the little fellow would soothe her turbulent divine power and quickly settle her down.

The Rakshasa Divine Will had said more than once that this child was a genius with limitless potential.

She herself had embarked upon the path of Rakshasa because she had been forced to. It was for revenge, for control over her own fate.

That path was too bitter and lonely. Her hands would have to be stained with blood, and her soul would have to fall into darkness. She did not want Ah Xu to walk that path as well.

She only wanted him to be an ordinary child, safe and joyful, free of worries for his entire life.

At night, Bibi Dong sat beside the bed, watching the sleeping Bibi Xu. The little fellow slept deeply, his little face rosy, a smile still on his lips as though he were dreaming of something fun.

Bibi Dong gently stroked his hair, her eyes tender.

Her revenge plan was still progressing steadily. Divine Slaughter's Domain had stabilized, Rakshasa Divine Power was continuously accumulating, and she was growing stronger and stronger. The day she would devour Qian Xunji and begin the formal inheritance was drawing closer.

Once she had avenged herself, once she controlled Spirit Hall, she would give Ah Xu the very best of everything. She would protect him, indulge him, and let him live without a care for the rest of his life.

Moonlight flowed like water outside the window, spilling across the sill. Bibi Dong lowered her head and gently pressed a kiss to Bibi Xu's forehead.

"Ah Xu, Mama will protect you."

"Always."

In the darkness, the sleeping Bibi Xu seemed to hear her, and the smile on his lips deepened. Within his tiny body, a faint purplish-black aura intertwined with a cyan glimmer, vanishing in an instant without anyone noticing.

From the moment Bibi Dong picked up that infant, the gears of fate had quietly deviated from their original course.

Within Rakshasa's shadow, a ray of rising sunlight emerged. That light would illuminate Bibi Dong's dark life, and in the future Douluo Continent, it would stir up storms no one could foresee.