"Little girl of the Ye family, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. You saw my Martial Soul, didn't you? Mine is also the Holy Angel Martial Soul, but I've already reached Soul Douluo, so it changed from a two-winged angel to a four-winged angel," Qian Chen patiently explained to Ye Guyi.
Ye Guyi looked at the Holy Angel behind Qian Chen, sobbing inwardly without answering. Qian Chen gently set down her mother's body, slowly walked over to Ye Guyi, and crouched in front of her. "What's your name?" he asked gently.
"Ye Guyi."
"All right, Guyi. First, I need to tell you that I'm a member of your clan. We have the same Holy Angel Martial Soul, so don't be afraid. Your father and I joined forces and defeated all the bad people outside. You're safe now," Qian Chen slowly explained to Ye Guyi.
Ye Guyi glanced at the Holy Angel Martial Soul behind Qian Chen before finally nodding.
"Guyi, I'll take you and your mother away from here now. Come with me," Qian Chen said.
"All right." Only then did Ye Guyi make up her mind to trust Qian Chen for the time being and go outside to take a look.
When they emerged from the limestone cave, Ye Guyi, who had hidden inside for half a month, could barely open her eyes against the glaring sunlight. Still, she stubbornly kept them open and looked around, trying to find her father.
Qian Chen naturally saw what Ye Guyi was thinking. "Guyi, there's something I need to tell you. In the battle just now, your father perished together with the Evil Soul Masters surrounding him. Your father was a hero."
This time, Ye Guyi did not sob. Silent tears merely streamed from the corners of her eyes as she clenched her teeth and fists. Word by word, she said, "Evil Soul Masters, either you die or I do."
"Yes, Guyi. Well done. You have resolve. Look over there." Qian Chen pointed at Bishop Tang.
"Ah!" Ye Guyi immediately recognized Bishop Tang's clothing. It was the same black attire worn by those who had attacked her Ye family. The destruction of her family remained vivid before her eyes, as though it had happened yesterday.
Ye Guyi picked up a loose stone from the ground and hurled it at Bishop Tang, shouting as she threw, "I'll kill you!"
After throwing stones for a long time, Ye Guyi had lost some of her strength and could barely stay on her feet. Only then did Qian Chen take a dagger from his Storage Soul Tool and hold it out to her. "Guyi, kill him."
At his words, Ye Guyi could not help trembling. Killing a person was not like killing a chicken or a Soul Beast. After trembling for only a moment, she took the dagger from Qian Chen's hand.
Bishop Tang knew his death was certain. Death would be a release for him instead, so he did not resist. Ye Guyi walked up to him with the dagger. Just as she had killed a Soul Beast to obtain a Soul Ring the previous year, she drove the dagger precisely through Bishop Tang's head. His body twitched twice, then went still.
Ye Guyi knelt nearby and cried toward the sky, "Dad, Mom, Grandpa, I've avenged you!"
Then she burst into loud sobs. Qian Chen stood beside Ye Guyi and watched her cry. She cried for a long time, finally passing out after both her mind and body reached their limits.
Seeing Ye Guyi fall unconscious, Qian Chen took camping equipment from his Storage Soul Tool, laid out a simple bedroll, and carried her onto it to rest. He then disposed of the surrounding Evil Soul Masters' bodies and collected their Storage Soul Tools. Unexpectedly, inside Bishop Tang's Storage Soul Tool, he found the Clear Sky Nine Techniques, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, and the Ring Detonation developed independently by Blazing Sun Douluo's lineage, along with a large quantity of Gold Soul Coins and precious medicinal herbs.
Qian Chen sighed inwardly. It seems this Bishop Tang was a lone wolf in the Holy Spirit Cult, with no wife, children, or elders. Wherever he went was his home. If he were killed, the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't fare well either-all its secret manuals would be exposed.
Night had grown deep. Beside the warm campfire, Ye Guyi slowly came to and saw Qian Chen's young, handsome face turned toward the flames.
"You're awake? Come have something to eat." Seeing that Ye Guyi had awakened, Qian Chen immediately called her over to eat. She was indeed terribly hungry. In the half month since fleeing into the strange-rock valley with her parents, they had survived entirely on roots and moss.
Now, the hot, appetizing dishes and rice smelled wonderful to Ye Guyi, and she hurriedly began eating. But Qian Chen had prepared too little for her. Just as her stomach began to feel less hungry, the food was gone.
Blushing, Ye Guyi asked, "Big brother, is there any more food? I-I'm still not full."
Hearing Ye Guyi call him big brother felt awkward to Qian Chen no matter how he listened to it. "Guyi, you've just endured a long period of starvation. You absolutely mustn't gorge yourself once you have food again. The amount I prepared was just right."
"Mm."
Qian Chen continued, "Guyi, don't call me big brother from now on."
"Why?" Ye Guyi asked in confusion.
"My seniority in the Qian Family of the Angel Clan is a little high. Every member of the Angel Clan I might meet belongs to a younger generation than me. I won't have you address me by any other seniority either-that would make me sound too old. After all, I'm only sixteen. Just call me uncle."
Ye Guyi nodded. "All right, Uncle."
Looking at Ye Guyi's obedient expression, Qian Chen suddenly said, "Guyi, your surname is Ye now. Did your parents ever tell you about your family's origins?"
Ye Guyi shook her head. "Uncle, I don't know. Dad and Mom might not have known either."
"All right, then I'll tell you the history of our Angel Clan. Twenty thousand years ago, the entire world was filled with evil, sickness, and calamity. Then our Angel Clan's ancestral god, Qian Yuhan, burst onto the scene..."
Qian Chen spent more than two hours telling Ye Guyi the story, from Qian Yuhan saving the world's people, founding Spirit Hall, and ascending to the Divine Realm, to Spirit Hall's flourishing, and then its decline from the height of its power after falling victim to the Asura God's schemes. Tang San had burst onto the scene, destroyed Slaughter City, and wiped out Spirit Hall, which had kept Evil Soul Masters in check. From then on, the Angel Clan had never recovered, and was instead suppressed by Evil Soul Masters.
However, Qian Chen concealed matters such as Bibi Dong's defilement and the early conflict between Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue. After all, Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue would later be resurrected. How would they face Ye Guyi if she knew what had happened? After resurrection, both would have new, unsullied bodies. Let those past tragedies remain buried forever.
Seeing Ye Guyi's silence, Qian Chen said, "Guyi, your branch must have adopted the surname Ye to escape persecution by Evil Soul Masters. Reclaim our original surname. Tell those Evil Soul Masters that our Qian Family isn't afraid of them! Ten thousand years ago, we could suppress them and protect the continent. In this era, our Qian Family will suppress them once again!"
Ye Guyi thought for a moment. "You're right, Uncle. From now on, I'll reclaim our family's original surname. From now on, my name will be Qian Guyi."
"Yes. Congratulations, Qian Guyi," Qian Chen congratulated her.
"I hope you'll give me more guidance in my cultivation from now on, Uncle. I want to cultivate to Titled Douluo, and even Peerless Douluo. I'll revive the Angel Clan and rebuild Spirit Hall. When that time comes, you'll be the Pope!" Qian Guyi said firmly.
Qian Chen had not expected Qian Guyi to say this. He affectionately ruffled her hair. "All right. Then I'll appoint you as Spirit Hall's new Holy Maiden."
The following day, Qian Chen accompanied Qian Guyi as she buried her mother's body and her father's belongings. Qian Guyi knelt before her parents' grave and began crying again.
Just then, Qian Chen suddenly patted Qian Guyi's shoulder, signaling her to be quiet. A group of people had been drawn over by her cries.