Madness!

Qian Daoliu smiled and stroked Qian Renxue's head. "There, Xiao Xue. She's your mother. How could she not like you?"

"She just can't make peace with her past self. Xiao Xue, time will wash everything away. One day, she'll accept you!"

"Grandpa, how long will it take for her to accept me? I'm her daughter!"

"She'd rather care about those two children she doesn't even know than care about me!"

"Xiao Xue, Grandpa doesn't know how long it will take either. But I believe you'll live to see that day!"

"Yes! Grandpa, I believe it too!"

By the time night settled in, Qian Renxue was fast asleep on her bed.

Qian Daoliu tucked her blanket around her, his fingertips brushing the still-damp tear tracks at the corners of his granddaughter's eyes, then turned and headed toward the Pope Hall.

Inside the Pope Hall, candle flames flickered with golden-red light.

Bibi Dong sat upright on the towering papal throne, her amber eyes like gems steeped in frost, fixed unblinkingly on the carved doors.

Creeeak-

The doors were pushed open from outside, letting in the cold night air.

Qian Daoliu strode inside, the draft he brought with him making the candle flames leap several times. The moment he stopped, his voice crashed down, heavy with anger.

"Bibi Dong!"

Bibi Dong did not even lift her eyelids. Her fingertips idly traced the exquisite scrolling foliage carved into the armrest, her tone edged with shards of ice.

"A late-night visit from the Great Enshrined. What a rare guest. I wonder what wind has blown you from the Worship Hall to my Pope Hall?"

"Bibi Dong, you know why I've come. You went too far today!"

"Too far?"

Bibi Dong finally raised her eyes, her gaze clashing with his.

"Could it possibly compare to what that fine son of yours did to me?"

"If you've come to demand justice for her or lecture me, Great Enshrined, then please leave. I'm tired. I need to rest!"

"Bibi Dong! Xiao Xue is the daughter you carried for ten months and gave birth to. Is your heart truly made of iron and stone?"

"Enough!" Bibi Dong slammed her hand against the armrest, fury churning in her violet eyes.

"You'd better keep your granddaughter in line. Don't let her set so much as half a foot inside my Pope Hall again!"

"Otherwise, if she offends me and my disciples again someday, she won't get off with just a slap!"

"Bibi Dong!" Qian Daoliu trembled all over with anger, his aged face filled with anguish.

"You're a mother! Xiao Xue is the child you carried for ten months and gave birth to. How could you say such a thing?"

"Shut up!"

Bibi Dong cut him off sharply, her voice trembling slightly with agitation. Soul power surged uncontrollably around her, violet-black mist coiling at her sides.

"Don't talk to me about being a mother! If not for your Qian Family, if not for that beast of a son of yours, I should have had a life of my own, the right to make my own choices!"

"You destroyed my life! What right do you have to stand here and point your fingers at me?"

Stunned by the almost crazed hatred in her eyes, Qian Daoliu's aged body shuddered slightly. A barely perceptible trace of weariness entered his voice.

"I know Ji'er wronged you. The Qian Family wronged you too..."

"You killed Ji'er, yet I still let you hold the position of Pope and control the Spirit Hall. What is there that you still can't let go of?"

"Can't let go of?"

As though she had heard the greatest joke in the world, Bibi Dong let out a shrill, bitter laugh.

Her laughter echoed through the empty hall, carrying a bone-deep chill.

"Qian Daoliu, try being imprisoned in a secret chamber where you never see the light of day, enduring inhuman torment day after day!"

"Try watching everything you cherish being crushed, without even the strength to fight back!"

She abruptly advanced a step, violet-black soul power surging around her, almost taking solid form.

"What your Qian Family owes me could never be canceled out by the position of Pope!"

"It was my ruined life, the past I can never return to!"

"Even with that beast dead, even if you handed me the Spirit Hall with both hands, my pain and my hatred wouldn't diminish in the slightest!"

"You..."

The despair and venom in her words stabbed Qian Daoliu into speechlessness.

He looked at the woman before him, devoured by hatred, as though he were truly seeing her for the first time.

The girl whose eyes and brows had once held such stubbornness and spirit had long since been worn down by the years and steeped in hatred until she was unrecognizable.

"You... you're utterly unreasonable!" Her words stabbed Qian Daoliu's heart with pain.

"Yes, I'm unreasonable." Bibi Dong gave a cold laugh, her gaze as icy as a blade.

"But all of this is thanks to your Qian Family! Now take your reasoning and get out of my Pope Hall! Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Seeing the undisguised killing intent in her eyes, Qian Daoliu knew that continuing would only intensify their conflict.

He heaved a deep sigh, his eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow.

"Fine, Bibi Dong... you'd best look out for yourself."

With that, he turned and staggered out of the Pope Hall, his figure disappearing into the night.

Bibi Dong slowly sank back onto her throne and raised a hand to press her aching temple. The hatred faded from her eyes, leaving only endless exhaustion and emptiness.

She gazed at the deserted hall, as though she had returned to those days and nights of imprisonment, her ears filled with nothing but desperate screams.

Only after a long while did she murmur, her voice as faint as sleep talk.

"I want to, too... but I can't..."

The candle flames flickered, stretching her shadow long, lonely and desolate.

Inside his room, Su Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, forming hand seals to mobilize the chakra within his body.

Before long, a length of blue-green wood appeared behind him, gathering into a human shape.

It already had a human outline, yet it simply would not finish taking shape.

Indeed, Su Yu was practicing the Wood Clone Technique. Once he successfully mastered this technique, the speed of his future cultivation would increase dramatically.

Strangely, however, this wood clone never seemed able to take complete form.

"System! Are you there?"

"Ding, I'm here. What do you need, host?"

"System, why can't I use the Wood Clone Technique?"

"Ding, the Wood Clone Technique, Wood Dragon, and Wood Human Technique are three special Wood Release ninjutsu!"

"Wood Release possesses life. These three ninjutsu are manifestations of life, and they also consume enormous amounts of soul power."

"According to the system's assessment, the host currently lacks sufficient soul power to use the Wood Clone Technique."

"What? Then when can I use it?"

"Ding, according to the system's assessment, you will be able to use the Wood Clone Technique after your soul power level breaks through to level twenty-five."

"Ding, no. But since you're so eager to grow stronger, host, I'll issue you a mission!"

"Ding, the host's strong desire to grow stronger has been detected. Mission issued!"

"Mission requirement: become friends with Qian Renxue. Mission reward: Mind's Eye of the Kagura!"

Novel Home provides readers with free online access to the full text of entertaining webnovels. If you like this site, please share it with more readers!

If you think "Awakened Hokage System, but I Transmigrated to Douluo!" is an excellent novel, please copy and share the following URL with your friends. Thank you for your support!