Grandmaster

Qian Xunji hurried to Douluo Palace, still looking back repeatedly to see whether Bibi Dong was chasing him.

When he turned his head, he realized the atmosphere seemed off. Why did everything look so bleak?

It felt as though a lonely old man was comforting his bullied granddaughter, but was powerless to do anything about it.

Xiao Xue hadn't cried even in last night's situation. At most, her eyes had reddened with anger.

He had thought he'd find Xiao Xue at Douluo Palace acting spoiled and scolding him, asking her grandfather to stand up for her.

Then Qian Daoliu would soothe Xiao Xue and say something like, "I'll make sure to teach your dad a good lesson."

But this didn't seem to be going the way he'd imagined.

Qian Xunji hesitated in place for a while, unsure what to do. Should he go comfort Xiao Xue? He was afraid that the more he tried, the harder she'd cry.

A straight-talking man in his fifties was at a loss.

Forget it. He'd better slip away and comfort her once she'd calmed down a little.

But the moment he turned around, an incredibly vast and powerful presence locked onto him, leaving him almost unable to move.

Qian Daoliu raised his eyes slightly and stared at Qian Xunji with displeasure and scrutiny.

Though he didn't know exactly what had happened, he was certain that something must have gone wrong between his dear son and dear daughter-in-law, leaving his precious Xiao Xue so hurt and frightened.

Qian Daoliu's violent Soul Power locked onto Qian Xunji, but Qian Renxue, crying in his arms, didn't notice at all. She hadn't even realized her father had entered Douluo Palace.

After a long while, Qian Renxue's sobbing gradually subsided.

"Xiao Xue, are you still upset?" Qian Daoliu gently stroked her hair.

"I'm much better." Qian Renxue pouted.

"Then can you tell Grandpa what happened?"

"Mm... I don't want to talk about it, Grandpa." Qian Renxue shook her head slightly.

"All right, all right. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. Then how about Grandpa takes you to see your dad?"

"No! Dad's mean!" Qian Renxue shook her head like a little rattle drum and refused angrily.

Qian Daoliu glanced at Qian Xunji again. Qian Xunji awkwardly shook his head.

"Then how about Grandpa takes you to see your mom?"

Qian Renxue hesitated, then nodded. A moment later, she shook her head.

She really wanted to go back and comfort her mother. At the same time, she was worried that her father might bully her mother. She wanted to go back and protect her.

She was even more worried that her mother might never forgive her father.

At the thought of that, she could barely hold back her tears again.

"Xiao Xue? Why don't you want to see your mom?"

A gentle woman's voice came from behind Qian Renxue. At the same time, a fair, delicate hand gently rested on her head.

Qian Renxue froze and looked back.

She saw Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong standing behind her, holding hands and looking at her tenderly.

"Mom? Dad?" Qian Renxue looked confused.

"Xiao Xue, why have you been crying so hard? You look like a little kitten, and you're not pretty anymore." Bibi Dong crouched down to wipe away Qian Renxue's tears. Qian Xunji crouched beside her and gently comforted her too.

Qian Renxue simply sat there in a daze, accepting her parents' affection.

"Mom? Have you... forgiven Dad?" Qian Renxue hesitated, her gaze shifting between them.

"Last night, we were just playing around. We were... role-playing! Yes, that's it, role-playing." Bibi Dong's beautiful face flushed red, and she lowered her head as she spoke.

"Role-playing?" Qian Renxue repeated softly, thinking about what the words meant.

"Mm, that's right. We were both acting last night. It was all fake."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Qian Renxue scrutinized the two of them, trying to spot a clue.

Unfortunately, she wasn't very good at it yet and didn't notice a thing.

At that moment, Qian Daoliu gave her a gentle nudge from behind.

Qian Renxue turned and saw Qian Daoliu encouraging her with a nod.

At last, Qian Renxue couldn't hold back any longer. She burst into tears again and threw herself into her parents' arms.

Qian Daoliu, who had been tense the whole time, finally let out a long sigh...

Northeast Academy

In an office, a young man with a crew cut sat rigidly in his chair, staring at the newspaper in disbelief.

"How is this possible! This is the Number One Sect Under Heaven! Fake news! Fake news! Clear Sky Douluo had only just become a Titled Douluo when he beat Qian Xunji to a pulp. How could the dignified Clear Sky Sect have been defeated so easily by Spirit Hall?!"

He slapped the desk angrily, then instinctively picked up his water cup to drink. But he accidentally choked, and in his panic, he toppled backward, crashing to the floor. The cup of boiling water hit his face, and a pig-like scream rang out.

"Hahahaha! Look, the Grandmaster fell!"

"And he calls himself a Grandmaster! He's just like his martial soul—a pig!"

A group of children's mocking laughter suddenly rang out from beyond the window.

"Get lost, you little brats! You'll never become my disciples!" Yu Xiaogang hurriedly pushed himself up with the table, drew the curtains, and tidied up the mess.

"These brats are just trying to get my attention so I'll take them as disciples. But with their pathetic abilities and Innate Soul Power of only two or three levels, do they really think they're worthy of being my disciples? They should take a look in the mirror! I'm the Grandmaster, recognized by the entire continent!

"Only true geniuses are worthy of becoming my disciples!"

Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, but he felt much better.

Although he was hailed as the foremost authority on theory and had proposed that there were no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters, that didn't mean just any good-for-nothing could become his disciple! His disciple had to be a genius!

"This so-called newspaper was printed by Spirit Hall. It must be fake news! But the Clear Sky Douluo killing Qian Xunji is probably true. How could puny Spirit Hall possibly stand against the Clear Sky Hammer?"

As Yu Xiaogang read the news, he couldn't help thinking back to those days. The despicable Qian Xunji and Spirit Hall had torn him and Dong'er apart!

Although Dong'er had been the one to end things between them, he believed Qian Xunji must have forced her to say it!

And the people from Spirit Hall had even mocked him, calling him a good-for-nothing with Innate Soul Power of only half a level and a Pig martial soul! They'd said he wasn't worthy of Bibi Dong!

They'd left him so dejected that he could only wander the continent. Fortunately, he'd met Big Brother Fu and Er Long, who'd given him some comfort. He'd even begun a passionate romance with Er Long, only to learn later that she was his cousin...

It was all Spirit Hall's fault! If Spirit Hall hadn't torn him and Dong'er apart, how could he have ended up so dejected?

But now, he was the continent's foremost theoretical master! One day, he would cultivate a disciple invincible beneath the heavens, prove his theories, and make Spirit Hall regret everything! He would exact his revenge on Spirit Hall!

As he thought this, he picked up the newspaper again and read it carefully, checking for anything he'd missed—or for a flaw in Spirit Hall's propaganda that he could expose.

"Huh? Dong'er led Spirit Hall in its campaign against the Clear Sky Sect? That makes sense. Dong'er is actually Spirit Hall's pope now. If Qian Xunji hadn't torn us apart back then, Dong'er, with her Twin Martial Souls, would have become the strongest person on the continent under the tutelage of the continent's foremost theoretical authority—me. Then the two of us would have joined forces and led the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall to new heights..."

"The strongest person on the continent and the wisest person on the continent—what a beautiful story..." Yu Xiaogang gazed up, lost in his daydream.