Qian Renxue's Choice

Those words instantly caused an uproar among the Titled Douluo.

Ning Fengzhi and the others were even more shocked beyond measure.

Although the Upper Three Sects were extremely wary of Spirit Hall, no one had singled out its hunting of Evil Soul Masters or its claim to be a paragon of justice to make an issue of them.

And now Jiang Nian was telling them...

The Pope of Spirit Hall, who claimed to be righteous and the leader of all Soul Masters under heaven, had raped his own disciple?

Qian Xunji raised his head and glared venomously at Jiang Nian. "Bullshit! Don't think you can turn black into white just because you're powerful!"

Yet his rebuttal sounded weak and hollow.

Bibi Dong kept her head lowered, her hands clenched so tightly that blood had seeped out, while realization dawned on the faces of Spirit Hall's higher-ups.

The Pope and the Holy Maiden had always been on good terms. The Pope taught her, and she studied diligently.

But ever since Qian Renxue appeared, anyone with eyes could see that relations between Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

The Pope, once extremely strict with the Holy Maiden, had begun trying to curry favor with her at every turn, while the gifted, lively and quick-witted Holy Maiden had become quiet and withdrawn.

That, together with Bibi Dong's attitude toward Qian Renxue, explained everything.

Qian Xunji clenched his fists and roared, "What are you looking at me for?! I am the Pope! How dare you!"

Although Qian Renxue was a child and didn't understand what rape meant, she could tell from everyone's expressions that her father had done something very bad to her mother.

The way she looked at Bibi Dong changed, and she tried to reach out and touch her.

Bibi Dong flew into a rage, her eyes reddening and filling with tears. "You bitch, take your filthy hands off me!"

Jiang Nian frowned. "Shut up! If you dare insult my disciple again, I won't mind making blood flow like a river!"

Bibi Dong's emotions burst forth. "What are you putting on that hypocritical act for?! You're no different from that beast Qian Xunji! Both your disciples are girls. How pure could your intentions possibly be?!"

She turned to Qian Xunji. "I only hate that I'm not strong enough. Otherwise, I'd kill you with my own hands, you beast!"

By this point, Qian Xunji understood that his dignity as Pope had been utterly swept away.

Since it was out in the open, there was no point hiding it.

Qian Xunji sneered. "I admit it. I did rape you. But what about you?! As Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, what did you do?!"

"Spirit Hall poured all its resources into raising you, gave you the best Soul Rings and the best cultivation conditions. You went out to train on your own once, and when you came back, you wanted to elope with a piece of trash?! And that trash was from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, no less!"

"Shut up! Xiaogang isn't trash! His wisdom and his character are a hundred times nobler than yours!"

"So you still have feelings for that trash. If I'd known you were such an ungrateful white-eyed wolf, I should have killed you as soon as you gave birth to Qian Renxue!"

Yu Xiaogang?!

Ning Fengzhi and the others raised their brows. They had heard of the man, but hadn't expected the Holy Maiden to fall for someone like him.

But putting themselves in Spirit Hall's position, they understood Qian Xunji's actions a little.

The Holy Maiden they had worked so hard to raise had been seduced into eloping by some greenhorn from a hostile faction. No faction could have accepted that.

Listening to the scene before him, which sounded like a quarrel in a marketplace, Jiang Nian frowned. "How noisy! I didn't come here to listen to you argue!"

At his rebuke, the noisy scene fell silent.

Then Jiang Nian set Qian Renxue down. "Xue'er, I've told you the whole story today. It's a pity Qian Daoliu isn't here, but this is enough."

"Your mother has her reasons for hating you, but your grandfather Qian Daoliu's feelings for you are genuine. Since they're all here today, I'll give you a choice: stay in Spirit Hall, or follow me and travel the world from now on."

That was Jiang Nian's purpose today.

No one could sever the bond between a child and her parents. If he simply took Qian Renxue away and never let her see her parents again, he would end up bearing all the blame as the villain.

That wasn't the outcome Jiang Nian wanted. Since they were all here, he would leave the choice to Qian Renxue today.

Qian Renxue's heart trembled. Her gaze passed over her parents' faces before settling on Jiang Nian. "Master... if Xue'er wants to be with her father and mother... will you stop wanting me?"

Jiang Nian shook his head. "You silly girl, I told you, as long as Xue'er wants me to be, I'll always be your master. But I don't like Spirit Hall. If you choose to return there, you'll still be my disciple, but I won't come to Spirit Hall to visit you of my own accord. If Xue'er runs into trouble, I'll still help."

Hearing that, even Ah Yin couldn't help tugging on Jiang Nian's sleeve. "Master," she whispered, "have you gone senile?"

Anyone with eyes could see that Spirit Hall was a fire pit. If Qian Renxue really went back, the road ahead of her would be full of twists and turns.

Jiang Nian didn't respond. Though he had said outright that he wouldn't take Qian Renxue as his disciple, such a clean-cut approach might not be appropriate.

But Qian Renxue was still a child, and this was forcing her to choose. That was too cruel for a child.

So Jiang Nian wouldn't be too forceful. He wanted Qian Renxue to choose the life she truly wanted for herself.

She could return to Spirit Hall and keep trying to mend her relationship with her parents, or put an end to those useless family ties and wander the world with him from then on.

Qian Xunji, too, seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. "Xue'er, come with Father," he said hastily. "I'll take you back to Spirit Hall and make you the Holy Maiden. From now on, I'll personally guide your cultivation!"

Qian Renxue looked at the man who was her father.

She saw no affection in Qian Xunji's eyes, only greed.

Qian Renxue was young, but she wasn't stupid. She understood that Qian Xunji didn't want her back out of fatherly love, but because he wanted to use her to keep her master in check.

She looked at Bibi Dong again, only to meet a resentful gaze.

Qian Renxue's hand trembled as she tried to wipe away Bibi Dong's tears, but all she received was another rebuke. "Get lost! I don't want you Qian Family people putting on a hypocritical act! None of you Qian Family people are any good!"

Qian Renxue's eyes reddened. "I understand... Sister Holy Maiden."

The little girl lowered her head and clung tightly to Jiang Nian's leg. Her choice was clear: from now on, Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji were no longer people she wanted to see.

Bibi Dong, on the other hand, watched the scene, and a moment of clarity flashed through her eyes. At that moment, she thought of her younger self.

She, too, had once regarded her teacher as her whole sky. Unlike Qian Renxue, however, both her parents had died.

And in the end, that sky had become the nightmare of her life.

Then she glanced at Jiang Nian out of the corner of her eye, and resentment surged within her once more.

It's this kind of hypocritical tenderness, just like Qian Xunji back then!

With her anger, her gaze grew clouded once more.

This man deserves to die. All hypocrites deserve to die, and he even tortured Xiaogang. He deserves death all the more!

Bibi Dong clenched her fists, her heart filled with killing intent. Whenever she thought of the terrible state Pang Dun had described Yu Xiaogang being in, she couldn't calm herself down.

Jiang Nian found Bibi Dong's resentment baffling. He bent down, picked up Qian Renxue, and turned around. "All right, let's go."

Ning Fengzhi was tempted. "Senior, aren't you going to kill these Spirit Hall lackeys?"

"No. Heaven cherishes life. For Xue'er's sake, I'll spare them today." Jiang Nian gave his orders. "Chen Xin, Gu Rong, take Ning Fengzhi and leave first. Dugu Bo, take Pang Dun and find all the Pang Family members. I'll help Xue'er gather her things, and we'll meet at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

With Jiang Nian having spoken, the Sword and Bone Douluo didn't dare act as they pleased.

On second thought, the two of them realized he was right. Even the Two Extremes Stillness Domain couldn't do a thing to Jiang Nian, so Spirit Hall posed no threat to him.

The group cupped their fists. "We obey!"

The sight sent chills down the backs of everyone from Spirit Hall. With that force gathered together, it was no exaggeration to say they could sweep across the Douluo Continent.

Fortunately, Jiang Nian seemed to have no ambition to contend for supremacy.

Ah Yin followed Jiang Nian, watching him care for Qian Renxue, and couldn't help puffing out her cheeks.

Senior Sister Xue'er has it so hard, but can't Master hold the bowl of water level for both of us?!

Bibi Dong, however, thought differently from everyone else. She stared fixedly at Jiang Nian's back, waiting for the Titled Douluo to leave.

This man just fought several battles in a row. He must have very little Soul Power left, while I'm in peak condition.

If I catch him off guard with a sneak attack, I can surely avenge Xiaogang!

She clenched her fists and secretly circulated her Soul Power. The instant Chen Xin and the others had gone far away, her Soul Rings burst into view. "Sixth Soul Skill, Eternal Wound!"

Ah Yin reacted, and an idea suddenly popped into her head. She rushed straight forward to act as a human shield. "Master, watch out!"