Well, whose little girl was crying her eyes out in the middle of the night?

"Go ahead."

"Why does Mother hate me so much?"

Qian Daoliu fell silent.

Qian Renxue pressed him. "Mother hates me because of Father, right? What exactly happened back then?"

Qian Daoliu's gaze flickered. He wanted to speak, but held back.

Qian Renxue tightened her grip on his sleeve. "Grandpa, I've already made a three-year pact with Bibi Dong. The rest of my life is riding on this wager. I have a right to know the truth."

Unable to stand firm against her, Qian Daoliu sighed, his voice dropping low.

"Your father, Qian Xunji... used the most despicable means to keep your mother in Spirit Hall back then. He defiled her in a secret chamber."

Qian Renxue shuddered.

"Your mother already had someone she loved, but your father destroyed everything in the filthiest way possible. From then on, she changed."

"Later, your father was gravely injured while pursuing Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect and his wife. He returned to Spirit Hall to recuperate. Your mother seized that opportunity and used the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor to devour the gravely wounded Qian Xunji in the secret chamber, avenging herself with her own hands."

"Publicly, she announced that the Pope had fallen ill from overwork and unfortunately died. Then she ascended to the position of Pope."

Qian Daoliu paused, his gaze filled with conflicting feelings.

"I knew all of this, but chose to remain silent. Your father was the one who did wrong first. The justice of the angel martial soul made it impossible for me to condemn your mother with a clear conscience. Besides..."

He looked at Qian Renxue. "If I had killed your mother, you would have grown up without a mama. All I could do was endure, let her serve as Pope in the public eye, and secretly protect you as you grew up."

After hearing him out, Qian Renxue said nothing for a long time.

Tears rolled down silently, soaking her skirt.

"So whenever Bibi Dong sees me, she remembers what Father did to her, because my very existence is the product of a crime, proof of it."

Qian Daoliu looked at his granddaughter, his heart aching. "Xue'er, none of this is your fault."

Qian Renxue wiped her tears and drew a deep breath. "I know, Grandpa. I'd like some time alone."

Qian Daoliu sighed, reminded Qian Renxue to rest early, and withdrew.

Night deepened.

In her room, Qian Renxue lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

She did not cry aloud.

She told herself that she knew the truth now. She no longer needed to please her mother. She no longer needed to cry.

But when the night breeze stirred the curtains gently, she remembered her childhood.

She had stood at the end of the corridor, watching Bibi Dong's retreating figure grow farther and farther away.

She had called out, "Mama."

But Bibi Dong had not turned back. The whole world held nothing but the sound of wind stirring the curtains as they rose and fell.

Qian Renxue rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Tears slipped down silently, soaking the pillowcase.

She did not want to cry. She really did not.

But fifteen years of hurt could not simply be wiped off the slate because she knew the truth.

Just as she was crying her hardest.

"Well, whose little girl is crying her eyes out in the middle of the night? Anyone who didn't know better would think this place was haunted."

Qian Renxue went rigid.

Cheng Ran's voice sounded in her mind, carrying the languor of someone who had just woken up-and sounding as punchable as ever.

Qian Renxue: You... you're awake?

Cheng Ran: Yep. Had a good sleep, and my spiritual power's fully restored. But the moment I opened my eyes, I heard someone crying, making my brain ache. I thought someone was holding a memorial service in the Worship Hall at midnight.

Qian Renxue: Lord Evil God, I have reason to suspect someone shattered your physical body because you couldn't keep your foul mouth shut.

Cheng Ran let out a wistful sigh. Yes. That person was my disciple. His name was Han Feng.

I adopted him and treated him as my own, raising him through every shitty diaper and puddle of piss.

But once that ungrateful wolf had mastered his skills, he turned around and stabbed me. He joined forces with the Empress, the person I trusted most at my side, to stab me in the back, shatter my physical body, and banish my soul into the void.

Qian Renxue became engrossed in his story, her tears stopping without her noticing. Evil God, you had it so rough.

Cheng Ran: Xiao Xue, whether I can reconstruct my physical body, return to Earth, and slay my enemies with my own hands now depends entirely on you.

Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment, then said earnestly, Lord Evil God, rest assured. If you help me defy heaven and change my fate, I, Qian Renxue, will keep my promise and help reconstruct your physical body.

Cheng Ran: That's more like it. All right, stop crying, girlie. Tell me, did it feel good to talk back to your mom just now?

Qian Renxue bit her lip.

Honestly, it had felt good.

So good!

All her life, she had never held her head high before Bibi Dong.

Every meeting brought cold scrutiny. Every word brought condescending rejection.

She cultivated diligently and desperately tried to prove herself, yet all she ever received in return was, "Still not enough."

Sometimes, she even wondered whether Bibi Dong really was her biological mother.

Today was the first time she had seen Bibi Dong rendered speechless by a retort, her composure shattered in public.

"A little," Qian Renxue said quietly.

"Just a little?" Cheng Ran scoffed. "I can see you can barely keep the corners of your mouth down. That's called secretly reveling in it. You're practically flying with pleasure."

Qian Renxue blushed. "Fine, I admit it."

The Evil God's voice continued tempting her in her mind. "Now that you've tasted the sweetness, just stick with me, the Evil God, without worry. Set aside your personal moral baggage, and enjoy a life without scruples!"

Honestly, she really did feel a sense of security she had never experienced before.

Previously, she had borne all the pressure alone, treading cautiously in Spirit Hall and disguising herself as the crown prince in the Heaven Dou Empire. Every step had been like walking on thin ice.

Sometimes, when she woke deep in the night, she would wonder whether anyone would know if one day she could no longer hold on.

Although there was now an unstable factor in her body, those words in the Pope Hall-"I, the Evil God, will never allow my believer to suffer such injustice"-had made her shed the armor she had worn for so long and touched the softness within her heart.

"Lord Evil God," Qian Renxue asked very seriously, "what do you need to reconstruct your physical body?"

Cheng Ran pondered for a moment.

Reconstructing a physical body brought the plot about Xiao Wu's resurrection to mind.

Tang San had inherited the Sea God's position and used the Sea God's power to resurrect Xiao Wu.

If even the dead could be resurrected, what was reconstructing a physical body?

"Three things are needed.

"First, saint soul grass over ten thousand years old. Second, crystal blood dragon ginseng or ten-thousand-year nine-grade ginseng king.

"Last, and most importantly, Sea God's Light."

Qian Renxue frowned slightly. She could understand the first two. Although she had never heard of them, they were presumably some kind of precious medicinal herbs.

"What is Sea God's Light? By Sea God, do you mean the deity worshipped on Sea God Island, a first-level god of the Divine Realm like the Angel God?"

Cheng Ran explained, "Exactly.

"You can think of the so-called Sea God's Light as part of the laws of the Sea God Domain. It has the ability to reconstruct life.

"So I need you to complete the Sea God Nine Trials and inherit the Sea God godhood."

Qian Renxue was puzzled. "I already bear the Angel God's inheritance mark. Can I still inherit the Sea God godhood? Besides, how could the Sea God Nine Trials be easy?"

"Heh heh heh..." Cheng Ran let out a meaningful laugh.

Qian Renxue instantly grew wary. "What are you laughing at? Every time you laugh like that, I feel like nothing good is coming."

"Hey, Xiao Xue, you really misunderstand me. Haven't you heard of dual godhood? As for the mere Sea God Nine Trials, leave them to me. I know that walkthrough inside out..."