Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night

You didn't betray me?

Bibi Dong was so angered by the maid's words that she laughed. If this wasn't betrayal, then what was!?

"Xiaoming, I've always treated you well. Though you are my maid, I never truly regarded you as one. But now, you have disappointed me too much."

Bibi Dong took a deep breath, her gaze icy. "Leave on your own. From this day forward, you are no longer my maid."

At those words, the maid named Xiaoming suddenly shuddered, fear appearing in her eyes.

"Your Highness, Holy Maiden! Please forgive me this once! I know I was wrong... I truly know I was wrong! From now on, I will never act on my own again. I beg you, please don't send me away!"

Xiaoming's body trembled uncontrollably.

Maids like her usually came from families that truly could not afford to support them. They could only sell off girls with a little Innate Soul Power, yet not enough to become Soul Masters—some nobles and great clans favored such girls as maids.

It could be said that from the moment they were sold, they would undergo strict training until they became qualified maids.

If she left this palace, she would have no ability to survive at all.

What's more... if His Holiness the Pope learned that the Holy Maiden had cast her out, she would be dead for sure!

Though Xiaoming's pleas sounded pitiful, Bibi Dong remained unmoved. Even Ling Jing felt nothing stir in his heart.

She didn't know she was wrong. She only knew she was about to die.

The weight of those words just kept rising!

Moreover, Ling Jing even felt that Bibi Dong's punishment was still too gentle.

That was only because Bibi Dong had yet to turn dark and was still a relatively gentle young girl. If it had been the darkened Bibi Dong, this maid could die a hundred times and it still would not be enough!

Bibi Dong no longer looked at Xiaoming. She merely rubbed the corner of her eyes wearily. "Little Jing, come with me to the entrance of Pope's Hall. Let's send Yu Xiaogang away."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong could not help letting out a bitter laugh—she had never expected that the beautiful love she had always longed for, the perfect lover in her heart, had actually been an illusion woven by the already-bribed maid and Yu Xiaogang!

She had even truly thought Yu Xiaogang was a good person back then, so much so that even a maid who had barely met him praised him endlessly. Thinking about it now... her judgment really had been terrible!

Even Yu Xiaogang's vaunted martial soul theories had made two massive mistakes in a row when applied to Little Jing.

Ling Jing nodded and took Bibi Dong's hand of his own accord.

Feeling Ling Jing's little hand, Bibi Dong steadied herself and strode out of the palace.

After Ling Jing and Bibi Dong left, the maid Xiaoming, who was still kneeling on the ground behind them, finally revealed an expression of utter despair.

Yu Xiaogang could not help taking a deep breath, anxiety showing on his face.

He had already been standing outside Pope's Hall for quite some time. The people passing by kept casting strange looks his way. Though Yu Xiaogang was thick-skinned, with so many people around, even he was starting to feel unable to bear it.

He had clearly had that maid inform Bibi Dong beforehand, so why had she still not come out?

Yu Xiaogang could not help looking toward the inside of Pope's Hall, countless guesses rising in his mind.

Could it be... that Bibi Dong did not want to see him?

Yu Xiaogang pursed his lips, subconsciously recalling his earlier mistakes—two consecutive errors regarding martial soul theory would indeed cost him some points in her estimation, but surely not enough to lose them all, much less make Bibi Dong refuse even to see him, right?

Besides, the very reason he had come this time was to rebuild his image.

Yu Xiaogang could not help glancing at the belt in his arms.

This was no ordinary belt, but a Soul Tool whose crafting technique had long been lost. It was even a Storage Soul Tool. If not for his discerning eye, which had spotted this belt among a pile of cheaply sold goods, he could never have afforded such a thing.

That was right. This belt had actually been picked up by Yu Xiaogang from a heap of discounted junk for a minuscule price.

The moment he acquired this Storage Soul Tool, he had impatiently come to the entrance of Pope's Hall, hoping to use this treasure to elevate his image once more.

If Bibi Dong did not show herself, what was he supposed to do?

A troubled expression appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. Just as he was at a loss, a voice suddenly rang out. "Yu Xiaogang, what do you want with me?"

Upon hearing that voice, delight immediately appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face.

As for Bibi Dong calling him Yu Xiaogang rather than Xiao Gang, Yu Xiaogang automatically ignored that detail.

In his view, Bibi Dong merely thought a little less of him now and was throwing a tiny tantrum. Girls were like that—once they received a gift, their bad mood would disappear, and everything would naturally be fine again.

Yet when Yu Xiaogang turned around, he discovered that that damned brat was still beside Bibi Dong!

Why was this brat haunting him like a ghost?

Seeing Ling Jing openly holding Bibi Dong's hand, even occasionally hooking her fingers with his own, Yu Xiaogang nearly failed to keep his expression under control.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and still forced a smile onto his face. "Little Jing is here too! I heard that Little Jing obtained his first Soul Ring some time ago and officially became a Soul Master. Congratulations, congratulations!"

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang stopped looking at Ling Jing's irritating smiling face and eagerly tried to move closer to Bibi Dong.

But Bibi Dong inconspicuously pulled Ling Jing back a step, her expression turning ice-cold as well.

At the sight, Yu Xiaogang's expression instantly froze.

Seeing this, Ling Jing was overjoyed inside, and a song unconsciously began playing in his mind.

"Ahem."

"Dong'er, I have a gift I want to give you."

Yu Xiaogang coughed twice, trying to steer the topic toward the Storage Soul Tool he had deliberately hidden in his clothes.

Although Bibi Dong paid it no mind, Ling Jing truly became a little curious—Yu Xiaogang had hidden that thing beneath his outer robe so thoroughly that, other than seeing the clothes bulging underneath, nothing else could be made out.

He was genuinely curious what Yu Xiaogang could possibly pull out.

"Dong'er, look. I worked so hard and spent a great deal of money to buy this. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's only a belt—this is actually a precious Storage Soul Tool! When I bought it, I thought that although my strength is meager and I have no use for it, you, Dong'er, would surely be able to use it."

As Yu Xiaogang spoke, he pulled the belt from his arms.

At the sight, Ling Jing was immediately a little surprised.

This so-called gift was actually the Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night that would be given to Tang San in the future?