The Wretched Daughter Qian Renxue

Seven days later.

Qian Zong opened his eyes groggily and found himself lying on a neat, soft bed. A faint scent of gardenias lingered in the air.

The fragrance cleared his head a little.

"Zong'er, you're awake."

Qian Renxue heard him stir, set down her book, and hurried to the bedside. Her eyes held both anticipation and an embarrassment she could not put into words.

After leaving the Worship Hall, she had returned to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace and spent a week collecting herself. She still had no idea how to get along with Qian Zong.

Or rather, she had no idea how to raise a child.

Qian Zong stared at her in disbelief. He rubbed his temples, and when she was still there, he ventured, "Qian Renxue?"

"You've forgotten me already?" Her tone carried a trace of displeasure, but when she thought of his condition, her gaze dimmed. "This is the room I used to live in. You'll be safe here. You're not in good shape, so stay here and recover for now."

Memories flooded Qian Zong's mind. He closed his eyes and took in everything that had happened before he fainted.

When he opened them again, he burst into tears of joy and threw himself into Qian Renxue's arms, nuzzling against her jade-white neck.

"Waaah, it's really you, Ancestor! I wasn't dreaming! Ancestor, we've all missed you so much."

During his seven days unconscious, Qian Zong's injuries had stabilized and his body had begun to recover. The emotional turmoil that had overwhelmed him was long gone.

Once his memories returned, he accepted without a moment's hesitation that Qian Renxue was his ancestor.

His nuzzling made Qian Renxue blush.

Children on the continent generally matured early, and she was now only five centimeters taller than Qian Zong.

His Angel Bloodline was pure. In a few more years, he would be taller than she was.

But Qian Renxue gave it little thought. Assuming he was seeking affection, she imitated the way ordinary mothers soothed their children. She wrapped one arm around his back and patted it gently, stroked his head with her other hand, and said softly, "Zong'er, it's all right now. I'll protect you from now on."

Even as she spoke, shame and guilt welled up inside her.

An ancestor? I'm nineteen, not even married, and I've already become someone's ancestor.

"Mm. I believe you, Ancestor."

Good days were beckoning to Qian Zong. Naturally, he had no intention of standing on ceremony with her.

"Zong'er, I have something to attend to soon. I can't stay with you much longer."

The two descendants, separated by over five hundred generations, stayed close for about fifteen minutes. Then Qian Renxue placed her hands on his shoulders and gently moved him away. She also stopped calling herself his ancestor.

"Zong'er, there are some things I want to know. You need to tell me."

She tried to keep her voice even, but regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

That was hardly a question. It sounded like an order.

Qian Zong knew her stubborn, conflicted nature. He only gave a hearty laugh. "Don't worry, Ancestor. I'll tell you everything I know."

After seven days of sleep, he felt better than ever, full of inexhaustible energy. He could even draw a little Soul Power from within himself.

Qian Renxue paused, her expression softening despite herself.

"Zong'er, a few days ago in the Worship Hall, you said there was another reason Bibi Dong didn't like me. What was it?"

She had a vague suspicion, and it had kept her tossing and turning for days.

A closer look revealed dark circles beneath her eyes.

Her father was a descendant of the Angel God. She could not believe he would do such a thing.

She had come today to find out the truth and put her mind at ease.

Qian Zong fell silent.

Qian Renxue froze. Her emotions suddenly surged, and she grabbed his arm.

"Zong'er, didn't you say you'd tell me everything?"

Whenever her relationship with Bibi Dong came up, she grew unusually sensitive.

The answer was right before her. Though anxiety gnawed at her, she did not want to turn away.

A sharp pain shot through Qian Zong's arm. He stiffened and blurted, "Ancestor, that hurts!"

"Sorry, Zong'er." Realizing she had lost control, Qian Renxue quickly let go and softened her voice. "Zong'er, this matters a great deal to me. Will you tell me?"

A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.

But Qian Zong saw fear there as well.

After another moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Ancestor, it's all in the past. You don't need to draw such a sharp line between everything.

"Everyone has their own life. You are you, and others are others. All you need is a clear conscience."

Qian Zong felt a headache coming on. He had not expected Qian Renxue to corner him and press for an answer now.

He did intend to tell her eventually. That was why he had brought it up in the Worship Hall. But he had never meant to tell her so soon.

Qian Renxue lowered her head, dejected. "Zong'er, do you think I'm a child too?"

She heard the concern in his words, but it was not what she wanted.

Whether as Spirit Hall's young mistress or the Heaven Dou Empire's crown prince, she had no friend she could confide in.

She had thought Qian Zong might be different.

"Ah!"

Qian Zong let out a heavy sigh.

He understood her temperament and circumstances well. Though this was a good opportunity, if he wanted to keep a firm hold on her, he would have to tell her the truth.

It was not that he was cold or disloyal. Qian Renxue simply had a poor head on her shoulders, just like Bibi Dong.

If she had lived ten thousand years later, she would never have survived to adulthood.

To keep her from losing her head over love in the future, he had to hold her firmly in hand, help her become a god as soon as possible, and get her off Douluo Continent.

"Ancestor, I'd planned to tell you about this later. Since you've asked now, I'll tell you some things about Bibi Dong's past."

They talked for half an hour. Qian Renxue asked most of the questions, and Qian Zong answered.

"Zong'er, from what you've told me, I destroyed Spirit Hall. I brought disaster upon our people, Grandpa Golden Crocodile, Grandpa Guang Ling, and the others. And I hurt Bi... Bibi Dong too..."

Qian Renxue did not break down as Qian Zong had imagined. She lost herself for a brief moment when she learned that she had been conceived after Qian Xunji assaulted Bibi Dong, but she took in the rest with little change in her emotions.

"Ancestor, this wasn't your doing alone." Qian Zong shifted position and sat cross-legged on the bed. "Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji, and Bibi Dong all played a part in Tang San becoming a god. At most, you struck the final blow.

"Besides, Tang San is a Child of Destiny. As long as his destiny remained with him, he would have become a god even if he hadn't deceived you. Then he would have destroyed Spirit Hall and slaughtered the Angel Lineage."

After a pause, Qian Zong changed tack and warned her:

"Ancestor, remember this. Our Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul has formidable attack power, but the sky is our domain. Hit-and-run strikes are how we should fight.

"When you face an enemy, don't try to meet them head-on. That would be terribly unwise.

"Keep moving through the air, wearing them down. Make the most of our Martial Soul's strengths."

One thing Qian Zong had never understood was why Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji, and Qian Renxue all threw away their advantages to clash head-on with strength-type Martial Souls. Their own Martial Soul was built for speed and aerial combat; raw power came second.

And then there was Light Feather Douluo, a top-tier archer who actually wanted to fight warriors at close range.

Those bad habits had to go.