Chapter 415: Bibi Dong's Change
The carriage rolled past, shattering the stillness of the night.
Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong sat opposite Dai Yao, looking back at Spirit City. In their beautiful eyes lay a trace of sadness.
Teacher and disciple for many years—if not family by blood, then closer than family.
Zhu Zhuqing had grown up alongside Dai Yao since childhood, relying on each other. She had never truly felt familial affection, yet Elder Gui had given her wholehearted care, making up for the love she lacked in her early years.
Feng Wutong was the same. It had been no easy feat for a soul master to awaken in her village; after she was taken to the Star Luo Royal Academy, she only saw her parents once every few years.
Because of this, she cherished even more the bond between herself and Spirit Kite Douluo and Azure Kite Douluo.
With such a sudden separation, sadness was inevitable.
The carriage jolted slightly. Seeing the sorrowful looks on the two women's faces, Dai Yao felt uneasy. Was it really worth it, forcing them to part from their loved ones for his own sake?
But the next moment, he cast the thought aside.
Continuing to stay in Spirit Hall was bad for all three of them. Bibi Dong's Papal Palace, Qian Daoliu's Hall of Offerings, and the soul beast forces hidden within Spirit Hall—undercurrents surged everywhere. One misstep could cost a life.
Dai Yao could afford to ignore those threats, but Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong could not.
Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, Hu Liena—his relationships with many people in Spirit Hall and among various factions were tangled and complex. A single lapse could harm others.
It was like being trapped in a quagmire, unable to move. The more one struggled, the deeper one sank.
Moreover, in the future, Bibi Dong was destined to become the Rakshasa God, Qian Renxue would inherit the Angel God's position, and Hu Liena would most likely become the Pope. The entire continent would be thrown into turmoil because of these three. The deeper Dai Yao became entangled with them, the more trouble he would invite upon himself.
Not to mention the soul beast faction hidden within Spirit Hall, whose motives were unknown and which was also plotting against Dai Yao…
As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Staying away from Spirit Hall meant staying away from the source of danger.
Heading to the Azure Lotus Sect, far from the chaos of the continent, watching clouds rise and fall, would instead be leisurely and carefree.
"Zhuqing, Wutong, leaving Spirit Hall doesn't mean cutting ties with our seniors. When there's a chance, we'll come back."
Dai Yao comforted them.
As his words fell, Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly, her mood low. Naturally, she sat beside Dai Yao, hooked her arm around his, rested her head on his shoulder, and said softly:
"I understand, Brother Yao. I know that's how it is, but I still feel a faint sadness…"
Dai Yao wrapped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing's fragrant shoulders and said nothing. He felt somewhat emotional—Zhu Zhuqing, who appeared silent and cold in the original work, was showing her vulnerable side before him. He understood the reason for her change, and at the same time felt an even stronger sense of responsibility to protect her better.
Opposite them, Feng Wutong snapped out of her sadness and watched Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing embracing. A feeling arose in her heart that she ought to be under the carriage.
Even though Dai Yao had done his best to give Feng Wutong equal affection, because of her background, she was always too self-conscious to accept his love.
Even after becoming most intimate, it was still the same.
"Wutong, what are you spacing out for?"
Noticing Feng Wutong standing there in a daze, envy on her face, Dai Yao helplessly extended his hand and scolded her with a smile.
"I…"
Feng Wutong was momentarily at a loss for words. She secretly glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who was looking at her from beside Dai Yao, and felt somewhat unable to accept Dai Yao's warmth.
In her heart, Zhu Zhuqing was Dai Yao's true wife, while she herself was nothing more than a concubine.
In front of the rightful wife, she, a mere concubine, had to keep to the rules.
Dai Yao exchanged a look with Zhu Zhuqing and smiled helplessly. He had told Feng Wutong this countless times, yet that stubborn mind of hers just couldn't turn the corner.
He wrapped an arm around Feng Wutong's slender waist and, amid her startled cry, pulled her into his embrace.
"Silly girl, what are you still struggling over? Why are you being so distant with me?"
Dai Yao said helplessly.
"With Zhuqing here, I feel a bit uncomfortable…"
Under Dai Yao's gaze, Feng Wutong had no choice but to speak her true thoughts.
Hearing this, Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged another helpless glance.
After joining Spirit Hall and becoming the disciples of two Titled Douluo, Feng Wutong's status had become extraordinarily noble. In Spirit Hall, she had countless admirers and had grown increasingly dignified and domineering. Yet before him, she still seemed like that ugly duckling, unable to lift her head.
After comforting Feng Wutong for a few words, a peculiar thought suddenly arose in Dai Yao's mind. Perhaps, after being completely honest, Wutong's inferiority complex might ease…
Dai Yao coughed lightly a couple of times, but that thought grew wildly in his heart like weeds…
After working so hard for so many years, it was time to relax a little. Even Emperor Liu knew the balance between work and rest—keep the music playing, keep the dancing going. Couldn't he enjoy himself a bit too?
Listening to the sounds inside the carriage, the three maids exchanged smiles, holding back their laughter.
The Feng Wutong who was so noble and domineering before them, making them tremble with fear, actually had such a fragile side. This was the first time they had ever seen it—truly unbelievable.
In the darkness of night, the carriage sped along and soon vanished at the end of the official road.
...
Spirit City, Papal Palace.
The resplendent and solemn Papal Palace stood empty, giving off a somewhat eerie feeling. Upon the throne, there was no fluctuation of soul power when a purple figure suddenly appeared.
It was Bibi Dong.
"He's gone…"
Bibi Dong swept her gaze around, her eyes hollow, murmuring absentmindedly.
A heart-rending pain tore incessantly at her already scarred heart.
On this continent, only Dai Yao knew of her hellish past and was willing to give her care—yet she had personally pushed him away.
She found it hard to breathe. Even though she had already opened the path to becoming the Rakshasa God, with the road to godhood unobstructed, she felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
Even when she had once been trapped in the secret chamber by Qian Xunji, she had never felt this powerless.
She collapsed weakly onto the throne. The scepter fell to the ground, letting out a soft chime.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Dai Yao's departure was certainly heartbreaking, but the gift he left behind before leaving was the true blade that pierced through her final defenses.
The soul power of a level ninety-nine peerless Titled Douluo had opened the door for her to become a god.
This meant her hands no longer needed to be stained with slaughter, that she no longer had to sink deeper into darkness. It gave her a chance to embrace once more the kind person she had been in the past.
This vast soul power reminded her at every moment that it was her mistake that had made Dai Yao choose to leave.
Everything was the result of her own actions.
Thus, she found it even harder to forgive herself.
Yet in truth, she had not been entirely wrong.
Because of what happened in the secret chamber, she had lived in pain for many years, treating Hu Liena as her reverse scale, making up for the regret-filled self of the past.
That was why, when Dai Yao became entangled with Hu Liena, she had been so furious. And because of those past experiences, she could no longer trust anyone—after all, if even the teacher she respected above all else could do such a thing to her, how could she dare trust others?
Thus, she gave Dai Yao not even a shred of trust, nor did she give him a chance to explain, leading to a chain of misunderstandings.
Tears fell, shattering into crystalline droplets upon the floor. Since walking out of the secret chamber, this was the first time she had cried.
At that moment, outside the Papal Palace, a blazing aura rushed toward her at high speed. That bright, detestable presence made her instantly recognize who it was.
The expression on her face immediately returned to normal, cold and detached from all life.
Only the jade hand gripping the scepter, trembling slightly, betrayed her true emotions. She knew why Qian Renxue had come.
The palace doors burst open, and in an instant, the aura of light filled the entire hall.
Qian Renxue wore battle attire, golden hair flowing, her nobility so overwhelming it was hard to look at directly. The sound of her high heels striking the floor was extremely hurried.
Her sharp gaze swept across the empty Papal Palace before locking onto Bibi Dong. She asked coldly:
"Where is Dai Yao?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong fell silent, momentarily unsure how to answer.
On one hand, she knew very well that Qian Renxue harbored feelings for Dai Yao—yet she had driven him away. On the other hand, because of Qian Xunji, she had transferred her resentment onto Qian Renxue, despising this child who carried angelic blood.
But now, between the two of them, because of the same man, there was yet another kind of connection…
Her feelings toward Qian Renxue were extremely complex. After a moment, she spoke with difficulty, her cold voice echoing through the vast Papal Palace:
"Dai Yao has left. He has left Spirit Hall."
Qian Renxue froze. Moments later, soul power surged, and a golden sword appeared in her jade-like hand.
The sharp tip of the blade pointed straight at Bibi Dong.
Golden ripples surged incessantly from Qian Renxue's body as she stared intently at Bibi Dong. A trace of killing intent appeared in her beautiful eyes as she demanded coldly:
"Why? Why did he leave?"
The price of Dai Yao leaving Spirit Hall was far too great. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never leave. Therefore, the only possibility was that Bibi Dong had forced him out.
Faced with her own daughter pointing a blade at her, Bibi Dong did not grow angry. After a moment of silence, leaning on the Papal scepter, she said indifferently:
"Is Dai Yao that important to you? Do you not know that the women around him already number more than five? Moreover, his identity as the 'Shura Emperor' is closely tied to Nana as well. Do you still want to sink deeper?"
Qian Renxue did not waver in the slightest and replied coldly:
"That doesn't matter. I only know that he is very important to me!"
After her birth, she had been abandoned by Bibi Dong. At a young age, she entered the Heaven Dou Empire to lie low. Growing up, she stubbornly matured, learning to endure the loneliness of infiltration on her own.
When the palace coup failed, she fell from the clouds into the abyss. Even after becoming a Soul Saint, even with two Titled Douluo protecting her, she thought she had grown up—but in reality, she was still that little girl abandoned by Bibi Dong, powerless and despairing.
It was Dai Yao who accompanied her, who took her away from the Heaven Dou Empire, who led her out of that cold past.
To her, no matter how many women stood beside Dai Yao, he was unique and irreplaceable.
She didn't know what this feeling was, but she knew that Dai Yao was important to her. Thus, the moment she received news that Dai Yao had returned to Spirit City, she came straight to the Papal Palace.
Bibi Dong's breath caught. Pain surged like a breached flood, engulfing her. In merely a few months of interaction, Qian Renxue could trust Dai Yao so deeply, yet she herself…
She took a deep breath. The cold air stabbed painfully into her lungs. Moments later, she explained expressionlessly:
"Dai Yao left because I entrusted him with a special mission. He won't be back for a long time."
The true reason for Dai Yao's departure had to be concealed.
First, because the secret relationship between her and Dai Yao—once exposed—would shock the entire world. Second, because Dai Yao had released soul power at the level of a ninety-nine peerless Titled Douluo; there had to be a tremendous secret hidden within it. She had to keep this secret. She had already made too many mistakes and could not err again.
Hearing Bibi Dong's explanation, Qian Renxue felt somewhat awkward. Although she sensed something was off, there were too few clues for her to refute it.
She withdrew the light sword, her gaze flickering briefly, and said:
"Sorry, I was too anxious."
"It's fine."
Bibi Dong turned away indifferently, presenting her back to Qian Renxue—just as she had treated Qian Renxue for all these years, completely ignoring her.
Qian Renxue glanced at Bibi Dong, hesitated for a moment after turning around, then left the Papal Palace.
She did not hurry back. Instead, she wanted to go take a look at the valley where Dai Yao lived. But at that moment, a transmission entered her ears.
She was startled and looked toward the source of the message—it was an attendant from the Hall of Offerings.
As the words ended, she suddenly turned back, staring intently at the Papal Palace. In her gaze, there was now a hint of icy coldness.
It was Dai Yao's request before leaving—asking her to look after the families of the three maids.
Dai Yao asking her to protect the maids' families clearly meant that someone intended to harm them. Within Spirit Hall, only with her protection could their safety be ensured. The source of the threat was self-evident.
"So it really was you who did it… sis… ter…"
In the cold wind, Qian Renxue stood among the trees, coldly watching the Papal Palace. Moments later, she vanished into the forest. She needed to immediately give orders to look after those families.
...
After Qian Renxue left, the disguise on Bibi Dong's face vanished at once. A sense of powerlessness swept over her body. Leaning on the Papal scepter, she barely avoided collapsing onto the throne as before.
"I was trapped in the Rakshasa God Realm for half an hour. Dai Yao couldn't have gone far—there might be clues in the valley where he lived."
With this thought, a bit of calm returned to Bibi Dong's exquisitely beautiful face. Soul power surged, and in just a few breaths, she appeared within the valley.
In the valley, the waterfall cascaded tirelessly. Yet inside the small wooden cabin by the lake, things were in disarray.
Many important items had been cleared out, like ruins left behind after a hurricane.
Bibi Dong's heart clenched violently, a dull pain spreading within.
Suddenly, she noticed a letter placed on the table inside the cabin.
Before leaving, Dai Yao had said he would write to her and tell her the truth.
With that thought, she instantly moved to the table. Trembling, she picked up the letter and carefully opened it:
Bibi Dong, to be opened personally:
Time is tight, and I don't know where to begin.
Let me start with the matter you care about most.
I never leaked my identity to Nana. The one who did was someone else. At the beginning, I feared their retaliation and couldn't tell you.
But now, it no longer matters.
...
Bibi Dong's eyes moved continuously across the page. When her gaze stopped at the end of the letter, she could no longer suppress her trembling. Her entire body radiated a chilling killing intent.
Killing intent erupted. The hundred-meter waterfall froze instantly, and the entire valley was enveloped in bitter cold.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she forced out a few words through clenched teeth:
"What a soul beast clan… what a… Fourth Offering!"
After reading the letter, she finally understood who had been fanning the flames behind the scenes. Though the matter was unbelievable, she did not hesitate for a moment to believe Dai Yao.
Being trapped within the situation, she might have been misled, but now that things had reached this point, upon reflection, she also realized there had been many inconsistencies.
With Dai Yao's guidance, the fog instantly cleared, revealing the truth.
She swore she would give the soul beast clan a punishment beyond imagination.
She breathed in deeply, savoring the scent on the letter, nearly obsessed as she gently traced Dai Yao's handwriting, as if she were caressing him himself.
A trace of madness appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face. A cut appeared on her wrist, blood flowing out.
Pain surged continuously, yet Bibi Dong let out a comfortable moan. She used bodily pain to atone for her mistakes—only this way did she seem able to find peace.
"Rest assured, I will make those soul beasts pay in blood. I will stop at nothing to make you forgive me…"
In the original work, after surviving the secret chamber, Bibi Dong's mental state was already unstable.
Dai Yao would never have imagined that a single misstep on his part would drive Bibi Dong even further into madness…
(End of Chapter)
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