Chapter 31 Qian Renxue’s Panic
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Qian Daoliu closed his eyes, but the scene of when Bibi Dong came to find him involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Bibi Dong had rarely taken the initiative to come to the Enshrinement Hall to find him.
She wore her formal Supreme Pontiff robes, holding her scepter, with an impeccable, ritualistic smile on her face, but deep within those purple eyes lay the cold calculation that Qian Daoliu was familiar with.
"High Priest, I wish to make a deal with you." She got straight to the point, without even a greeting.
Qian Daoliu dismissed those around him, leaving only the two of them in the vast, empty hall.
"Speak." He was concise.
Bibi Dong took two steps forward, him scepter tapping a crisp echo on the polished floor. "Regarding—Qian Renxue."
Qian Daoliu’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
"I know, all these years—I have indeed not been good to her."
Bibi Dong’s tone was as calm as if he were stating someone else’s affairs. "But Bloodline is still Bloodline. She is my daughter, and that will not change."
She paused, then looked up to meet Qian Daoliu’s gaze.
"I can change my attitude toward her. I can try—to treat her as a mother."
Qian Daoliu’s heart skipped a beat.
These were the words he had wanted to hear from Bibi Dong for years.
That child, Xue’er, appeared strong on the outside, but she had always craved her mother’s recognition and love in her heart.
Every time she was met with Bibi Dong’s cold gaze, he left a deep wound on him heart.
If Bibi Dong could truly change—
"And the conditions?" He asked in a deep voice.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this World.
The corners of Bibi Dong’s mouth curled into a cold arc: "Jiang Bai."
Two words, light as a feather, yet they made Qian Daoliu instantly understand everything.
Qian Daoliu fell silent.
His pupils contracted slightly in the light, his heart undergoing an intense struggle.
For a long time, so long that the light and shadow in the hall had shifted by an inch, Qian Daoliu finally spoke slowly, his voice dry: "—How do you intend to do this?"
He did not directly say "I agree," but this sentence was already equivalent to silent consent.
Bibi Dong smiled. That smile was beautiful and cold, like a poisoned ice flower.
"I have my own arrangements."
She turned and left.
Qian Daoliu stood where he was, watching her disappear into the light outside the hall doors, and suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold.
His thoughts returned to the present, and Qian Daoliu opened his eyes.
The rain outside the window had lightened, but the patter of rain continued.
Jiang Bai—he really was a good child.
Gifted with natural talent, mature in mind, and sincere toward Xue’er. If Xue’er were just an ordinary girl, he would be happy to see it happen.
But Xue’er was not.
Xue’er would be the heir to the Angel God, a being destined to ascend to the Divine Realm and exist eternally.
And Jiang Bai—even with his astonishing potential, he was, in the end, only a support system Spirit Master. His lifespan would be at most a century, his achievements no more than a Spirit Saint, at most a Titled Douluo.
A century later, when Xue’er was still in her youth, he would have already turned into dust.
Such a relationship, for Xue’er, was not happiness; it was a curse.
Better to endure a short pain than a long one.
"Xue’er—" He sighed softly, his voice dissipating in the sound of the rain. "One day you will understand, Grandpa did this for your own good."
"And one day—you will forgive Grandpa."
Qian Daoliu shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the weak thoughts in his heart.
He clasped his hands together, forcing himself to continue praying.
But this time, no matter how hard he tried, his mind could not truly settle.
The next day, the rain cleared.
Qian Renxue arrived at the back mountain early, as per her routine.
Usually at this time, Jiang Bai would already be warming up there; seeing her arrive, he would smile, wave, and call out "Sister Xue’er."
But today, there was no one here.
Qian Renxue frowned, not paying too much mind.
Perhaps he played too late at the lantern festival last night and overslept?
She practiced a set of sword techniques on her own, and waited for about a quarter of an hour, but still did not see Jiang Bai’s figure.
A trace of unease began to rise in her heart.
She put away her sword and walked quickly toward the academy dormitory area.
Jiang Bai’s dormitory was in the elite student area; she rarely went there directly, but she couldn’t care about that now.
She knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
"Jiang Bai? Are you there?" She raised her voice and knocked a few more times.
Still silence.
Qian Renxue’s heartbeat began to accelerate. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to push the door—it wasn’t locked, and it opened at her touch.
The room was excessively tidy.
The bed was made neatly, and the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk were arranged in order.
She backed out of the room, standing in the corridor, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.
Then, she went to Jiang Bai’s class, but his figure was not in the classroom.
She went to the library, the training ground, and even the few places they often visited.
He was nowhere.
The boy who always appeared on time and always smiled at her seemed to have evaporated into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
Panic, like cold vines, crawled up her spine bit by bit, Binding her heart.
Qian Renxue forced herself to stay calm and sent people to inquire around the academy.
The results all said they hadn’t seen him today: she asked a few teachers, but there was no news either.
Finally, a student known in the academy as a "night owl" provided a clue.
"Last night?" The student rubbed his sleepy eyes, struggling to recall. "Oh right, probably around midnight, I saw Jiang Bai heading toward the back mountain. His pace was quite hurried; I was even wondering why he would go to the back mountain so late—"
Back mountain? Why go to the back mountain so late?
Qian Renxue’s heart sank.
She immediately sent people to turn the entire back mountain area upside down.
Forest, open ground, stream—nothing.
It was as if Jiang Bai had walked to the back mountain last night and then vanished into thin air.
Impossible—this is impossible—
Qian Renxue landed on the open ground beside the waterfall; her legs went soft, and she could barely stand.
This kind of disappearance without a trace only meant one possibility.
Someone with strength far exceeding Jiang Bai’s had made a move.
And they had acted cleanly and decisively, leaving not even a trace of a clue.
A name struck her mind like lightning.
Bibi Dong.
Qian Renxue’s breathing suddenly stopped, her pupils contracting sharply.
If it really was Bibi Dong—
No—he couldn’t be—no matter how much she hates me, she wouldn’t go as far as to lay a hand on Jiang Bai—right?
But another voice in her heart coldly retorted: Why wouldn’t she? She could ignore, use, and hurt her own daughter; what would prevent her from laying a hand on an irrelevant outsider?
Qian Renxue clenched her fists, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, not even noticing the blood seeping out.
She forced herself to stand up and stumbled out of the academy.
Her mind was in chaos; fear, anger, worry, and despair intertwined, almost tearing her apart.
She had to go find Bibi Dong and ask clearly.
She had to ask clearly.
Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Empty, cold, magnificent, and oppressive.
Qian Renxue walked step by step into the main hall in her high heels.
The sound of her heels tapping against the marble floor echoed in the vast hall.
She walked to the center of the hall, stopped, and looked up at the Supreme Pontiff’s throne.
Bibi Dong sat there, resting with him eyes closed, one hand supporting her head, the other resting on the armrest, her fingertips tapping rhythmically.
Hearing the footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes.
Qian Renxue’s figure was reflected in those purple eyes.
Her long golden hair was somewhat messy, her eyes slightly red, and her face showed undisguised anxiety and anger.
The corners of Bibi Dong’s mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc.
"Bibi Dong."
Qian Renxue spoke, her voice trembling due to suppressed emotions.
"Jiang Bai is missing. Last night someone saw him go to the back mountain, and he never came back."
She paused, looked directly into Bibi Dong’s eyes, and asked, word for word: "Did you take him?"
Bibi Dong did not answer immediately.
She slowly sat up straight, examining Qian Renxue with a scrutinizing gaze. After a long while, she let out a soft laugh.
"Watch your attitude toward the Supreme Pontiff, Saintess of the Enshrinement Hall."
"I’m asking you!" Qian Renxue’s voice rose sharply, her suppressed anger finally exploding. "Did you take Jiang Bai!"
This time, Bibi Dong smiled.
That smile was beautiful and cold, carrying a kind of cruel pleasure.
"Take him?" She shook her head, her voice as soft as if she were whispering sweet nothings. "No, I don’t have the leisure time to catch him."
Qian Renxue’s tense nerves relaxed for a moment.
She didn’t take him? Then perhaps Jiang Bai just had something to do and left, perhaps—
But Bibi Dong’s next words completely crushed the hope that had just risen.
"I simply killed him."
Eight words.
Lightly spoken, they ruthlessly entered her ears.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Qian Renxue widened her eyes, her pretty face turning deathly pale.
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. Her ears were buzzing, her vision began to sway and spin, and the whole World was collapsing.
Impossible—impossible—
Jiang Bai—dead?
Killed—by the woman in front of her?
"No—impossible—" She muttered, her voice shattered and unrecognizable. "You are lying to me—you must be lying to me—"
Bibi Dong admired him appearance of collapse, a twisted pleasure surging in her heart.
Look, this is the end result of possessing happiness. This is the price for daring to show off sweetness in front of her.
"He is already dead." She repeated calmly, as if stating the most ordinary fact. "The body was disposed of last night. If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."
Withdraw?
These two words were like a spark, igniting the fuse of the last shred of reason in Qian Renxue’s heart.
"Bibi Dong!!!!!"
A shrill scream tore through the silence of the hall!
Qian Renxue’s eyes were instantly covered in bloodshot veins, her long golden hair moved without wind, and the Seraphim Spirit erupted behind her!
The Angel Sword condensed in her hand!
"I will kill you—!!!"
She was like a beast that had completely lost its reason, charging desperately toward the Supreme Pontiff’s throne!
The Angel Sword raised high above her head, carrying her anger and despair, and slashed fiercely toward Bibi Dong!
This strike was without any technique, full of openings, but the killing intent and power contained within it made even Bibi Dong slightly moved.
She hadn’t expected that Qian Renxue’s feelings for that boy would be this deep.
But the feeling of being moved was only for a moment.
The next second, Bibi Dong’s eyes turned cold, and the Slaughter God Domain instantly expanded!
A scarlet light exploded, centered on her!
A cold, violent aura, filled with endless killing intent, flooded the entire hall!
Qian Renxue’s body, leaping in mid-air, suddenly stalled, as if she had collided with an invisible wall, her movements instantly becoming sluggish!
It was in this moment of stalling that Bibi Dong moved.
She did not stand up, but simply raised her right hand and pressed down into the Void Realm toward Qian Renxue.