If someone else had done this, her teacher would definitely have suspected ulterior motives.
However, given the boost this Soul Bone brings, her teacher will most likely feign a moved expression.
But Xuan Ming, just look at that guy's straightforward mind!
Her teacher would never suspect him of having ulterior motives; she would just think he's a bit dim-witted!
She knew perfectly well that most of her teacher's emotions were feigned, but her anger just now was just like when she had acted foolishly before.
It's true.
Chapter 130 Feeling at Ease
Night fell.
Because Xuan Ming was truly shameful, Hu Liena didn't take him out, but instead led him back to where he used to live.
" The Pope's bedroom?"
Eight years have passed, and as Xuan Ming once again stepped into this special palace deep within the Pope's Palace, his feelings were somewhat complicated.
During that period of homelessness and being constantly moved from place to place, this was the place where he stayed the longest.
"Is this the Pope's bedroom?"
"Oh right, you didn't know?" Hu Liena tilted her head slightly, her face full of doubt.
"You lived here for several months back then."
"I... I don't know." Xuan Ming's expression was somewhat unnatural, and a hint of embarrassment was revealed in his eyes.
"When I lived here, I think... she wasn't here."
"Our teacher was very busy back then. He spent most of his time in the government affairs hall and only came back here occasionally when he had some free time," Hu Liena said.
"Furthermore, your teacher was away repairing your Martial Soul for so long, which caused a lot of things to pile up, resulting in her working overtime for the next few months and having even less time to come back."
"During that period, she would come back very late and leave very early the next day, so you basically never saw her."
"No, where do you think this is?"
"I hadn't thought about it," Xuan Ming said.
He originally came here to repair his Martial Soul problem, and spent most of his time in the Pope's private training ground, only returning during mealtimes and rest periods. In his condition at the time, he didn't have the mind to think about these things.
"Wait, why did you bring me here?" Xuan Ming finally realized what was happening and asked, frowning.
"Are you stupid?" Hu Liena looked at her strangely, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"You don't actually plan to just find any crooked tree in the Pope's Palace to sleep under, do you?"
" The Pope's Palace is so big, just find me any place," Xuan Ming said.
" The Pope's Palace is very large, but unfortunately, every palace is assigned a place, and there's no one you can just vacate anywhere. Besides, the front hall of the Pope's Palace is crowded and noisy, and you can't show your face in public, so of course you can only stay here," Hu Liena said.
" The Pope Palace is located deep within the Pope's Palace, and only a select few of the Pope's Palace's female attendants are allowed to reach it; others are not permitted to approach at will."
"Didn't you notice that almost no one walks around here when you lived here?"
"..." Xuan Ming was speechless for a moment; he had indeed never paid attention to these things.
"You're not... shy, are you?" Hu Liena couldn't help but chuckle at Xuan Ming's somewhat awkward expression.
"I just feel it's not quite right," Xuan Ming said.
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. Nana can take a break for a while and stay here." Bibi Dong walked over.
"Really?" Hu Liena's face lit up with surprise.
"He rarely comes back, and there's no rush for him to cultivate in a day or two," Bibi Dong said.
"Besides, we can't just leave him here alone. You should keep him company."
"Perfect timing, the training ground is nearby, you can exchange ideas."
"Thank you, teacher!" Hu Liena excitedly stepped forward and took Bibi Dong's hand.
Bibi Dong patted Hu Liena's head. "Stop grinning like an idiot. It's getting late. Go and call a few people to tidy up the side hall."
"Okay!" Hu Liena waved her hand, turned around and ran out to greet people.
Bibi Dong preferred tranquility, and in the Pope's palace, even the maids would not move around freely without orders.
"Are you nervous?" Bibi Dong walked to the pavilion in the courtyard and sat down, beckoning Xuan Ming to sit down as well.
"I heard that when you were in Heaven Dou City, you were surrounded by beauties, weren't you?"
As she spoke, Bibi Dong's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of teasing.
"You've been to the Moonlight Pavilion quite a few times... what are you so nervous about?"
Xuan Ming walked over and sat down opposite Bibi Dong. "I'm a little flustered."
"Panic?" Bibi Dong looked puzzled.
Why are you panicking?
"I'll stay here. When we get back to Heaven Dou City, I'll go to Qian Renxue's place..." Xuan Ming hesitated, then stopped.
Bibi Dong was slightly taken aback. "Are you afraid of her?"
"A little," Xuan Ming said.
"Sometimes I just don't understand what she's thinking. She's the one who wants me to attract attention and win people over—whether it's Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, or Ning Rongrong, it's all her doing. But if they get too close to me, she sometimes gets inexplicably angry with me."
"It's like someone has a mental illness; their left and right hemispheres are fighting each other."
"I see..." Bibi Dong's eyes were unreadable, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
"He's definitely sick."
Qian Renxue is a person who prioritizes profit and strength. She sees potential in Xuan Ming, so she has some special feelings for him. But now that Xuan Ming is weaker than her, she naturally feels that Xuan Ming should submit to her.
In Xuan Ming's view, those seemingly irrational actions were simply due to the contradictory thoughts and feelings in Qian Renxue's mind.
If Xuan Ming could make a slight concession, Qian Renxue might actually lower her stance, but unfortunately, that's unlikely.
"You were almost the same just now," Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong's expression froze, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Are you asking for a beating?"
"I'm just telling the truth. Who told you to get angry with me for no reason?" Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong laughed in exasperation, "You... never mind."
"Can you tell me how you could do something like that?"
"Removing Soul Bone will have a significant impact on oneself. Even if it's External Soul Bone that's not fully fused, you only lost one level, which is considered good luck. If something unexpected had happened during the removal process, I don't know what would have happened."
She had never seen anyone do such a thing before, and she had never even heard of anyone doing it before! After fusing a portion of the External Soul Bone to understand its effects, she peeled it off and gave it away.
Even traditional storytelling wouldn't dare to write something like this!
If someone else had done something like this, she would definitely have suspected a ruse or ulterior motives, but Xuan Ming...
"Didn't you help me back then?" Xuan Ming said.
"I said I would repay it, if I'm still alive, if I have the chance."
Bibi Dong was taken aback. "Is it because of what happened back then?"
"Otherwise what?" Xuan Ming asked, puzzled.
"..."
"And now?" Bibi Dong lowered her head, picked up the teapot, and poured two cups of tea.
"You're not here to settle old scores with me, are you?"
"Not really, I just don't like owing people," Xuan Ming said.
"You could say I don't want to give others a handle against me; at the very least, I need to be able to live with myself in peace, otherwise I'll feel very uncomfortable."
I know you'll think I'm childish, but that's just how I am.
"Naive..." Bibi Dong was silent for a moment, then lowered her head, her slender fingers gently fiddling with the exquisite tea set on the table, as if she was pondering something.
What do you think of Nana?
"Her? What happened to her?" Xuan Ming asked, puzzled.
"What do you think of her?" Bibi Dong asked.
"For example, compared to those girls in Heaven Dou City, what do you... think of her?"
Xuan Ming looked at Bibi Dong, unsure how to answer her question.
"Okay, I'll get straight to the point, do you... like Nana?" Bibi Dong asked seriously.
Xuan Ming frowned slightly, unsure how to answer the question.
"Do you like Qian Renxue?" Bibi Dong asked.
"I don't like it," Xuan Ming blurted out.
Bibi Dong couldn't help but laugh, "So decisive?"
"You must see her all the time. She's so beautiful, honestly, she's even prettier Nana. You..."
"What does this have to do with me?" Xuan Ming asked, puzzled.
"I don't have a masochistic streak; only someone with a brain full of water would like a woman like her."
"..."
Bibi Dong looked puzzled and shook her head. "It seems that after all these years, you haven't changed at all."
Stubborn, inflexible, and only thinks and acts according to their own rules.
Even after all these years, it's still the same. Even though it looks more mature, its heart remains the same.
No wonder Qian Renxue has made no progress for so long.
This is a person who cannot be changed.
When two strong individuals clash, it's a battle of wits; in the end, either a victor emerges or both are severely injured.
Chapter 131 Honesty
At midnight, the Pope's Palace was quiet, and the moonlight shone through the windows onto the floor, as cold and clear as frost and snow.
Hu Liena, dressed in a form-fitting black gauze dress, tiptoed to Bibi Dong's room. After pausing for a moment, she took a deep breath, gently pushed open the door, and slipped inside.
Inside the room, Bibi Dong was sitting on the edge of the bed, a gorgeous purple nightgown flowing smoothly down her back, outlining her graceful figure, and her long hair casually draped over her shoulders.
She looked at Hu Liena, who walked in dejectedly with dragging steps, with a half-smile, and asked softly, "The sneak attack failed?"
"Hmm..." Hu Liena lowered her head slightly, a blush rising on her cheeks, her voice barely audible, tinged with a hint of guilt.
She was planning to sneak into Xuan Ming's room and surprise him, but she was blocked by the Colorless Wall as soon as she entered!
They really aren't giving us even the slightest chance!
"I let you do it a few years ago, but you said it wasn't suitable, that he was too young. Now look, he's not young anymore, and you can't beat him." Bibi Dong patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Hu Liena to come and sit down.
Hu Liena blushed, hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down, leaning gently against Bibi Dong. Pouting, she said with a wronged expression, "I never expected him to grow up so fast, even though he's four years younger than me..."
"Regretted it?" Bibi Dong couldn't help but chuckle at Hu Liena's adorable appearance.
Hu Liena nodded. "I do have some regrets."
If it had been a few years ago, Xuan Ming wouldn't have been able to defeat her, and the success rate would have been quite high, but now...
"You must seize the opportunity when it arises; hesitation will only lead to missed opportunities," Bibi Dong said earnestly.
"He's not against you, and given his temper, if you had been forceful before, it definitely would have worked out."
"But what about you? I've had Yue Guan take you to Heaven Dou City so many times, and you still haven't seized the opportunity."
Bibi Dong frowned, her expression conveying a sense of disappointment and frustration.