The massive palace doors cut off the outside world's clamor and bloodshed. Qian Renxue stood regal in her simple golden court attire, golden hair streaming down her back; her beauty was truly breathtaking. She walked to the window and stood beside Chen Yi, but her gaze lingered on his calm profile.
"Why did you stop me, just now?"
Had she not received Chen Yi's telepathic message in the grand hall, that useless fool would already be a corpse in front of everyone, thrown outside the palace gates, left as dog food.
Upon hearing her, Chen Yi turned slowly, but rather than answer directly, he met Qian Renxue's probing gaze and spoke quietly, "He might die, but not by your hands."
Qian Renxue frowned slightly, golden eyes shining with incomprehension, almost accused. "Yu Xiaogang is nothing but trash. Why shouldn't I be allowed to kill him?"
In her view, Yu Xiaogang's words and deeds today warranted his death ten times over.
Chen Yi shook his head. "Things aren't like before. Now, Qian Daoliu's Worship Hall has already eroded most of Bibi Dong's faction. If they truly make their move, Bibi Dong won't be able to stir up trouble."
"But as I said before, Yu Xiaogang could still die. He might die by anyone's hands, but he must never die by yours."
"If you wish to understand why, go and ask your grandfather. He knows more details than I do."
"I can only tell you—this involves your mother."
"My grandfather…?" Qian Renxue's brow deepened, a spark of suspicion flashing in her golden eyes.
What could be so serious as to warrant drawing her grandfather's attention? Judging from Chen Yi's tone, it seemed even her grandfather could not speak of it lightly.
The moment "mother" left Chen Yi's lips, Qian Renxue's eyes froze. Instinctive resistance replaced her confusion, and she blurted out, "I have no mother!"
There was a truth Qian Renxue never spoke: this was Bibi Dong's existence—her everything. From childhood to adulthood, her grandfather Qian Daoliu had only mentioned her a handful of times, each time so vague and superficial. Whenever Qian Renxue pressed for answers, her grandfather always brushed her off: "When you're older," "Focus on your cultivation."
Over time, at least outwardly, she had learned not to touch that invisible scar.
Chen Yi saw the mental walls she instinctively constructed and, behind her eyes, a stubbornness she could not fully hide. He gently shook his head. Beneath her fierce denial, he clearly saw the knot of tangled emotions and unresolved conflict. This was her final defense mechanism—and also, ultimately, her most fragile mask.
"This issue," Chen Yi shifted his tone, speaking solemnly, "Will affect your state of mind when you undergo the Angel Trials. Pass this message to the Grand Worship. Then, everything you want to know will be told to you."
Qian Daoliu's lifelong hope was the succession of the Angel Godhood. He would not sit by and allow any danger, hidden or otherwise, to threaten the selection. As long as Qian Renxue mentioned this topic, Qian Daoliu, however reluctant, would have to admit the truth about that time.
Qian Renxue gazed intently at Chen Yi and, for the first time, she realized: this young man seemed to know her better than she herself did.
After a moment's silence, she suppressed all her turbulent questions, nodded, and replied with calm, "Alright. Once things here are settled, I'll return to the Worship Hall and ask my grandfather directly."
…
In the back courtyard of Heaven Dou Pharmacy, a quiet room reeked of strong medicine.
Liu Erlong's face was deathly pale. Unconsciously, her fists clenched so tightly her nails nearly drew blood. Fixing her gaze on the healing-type soul master who had just finished treating Yu Xiaogang, her voice trembled with hope and fear.
"Dr. Zhang, how… is Xiaogang?"
Dr. Zhang was well-known in Heaven Dou City, possessing cultivation on par with a Soul Emperor. He slowly exhaled, met Liu Erlong's worried eyes, and shook his head heavily.
"Dean Liu, he still has his life. I used my soul power to protect his heart meridian, stopped the bleeding with the best medicines, and promoted tissue regeneration. But…"
He paused, unable to meet her wide, desperate gaze, and spoke in a low voice. "His kneecap is completely gone, and the surrounding principal meridians are destroyed. The chance of reconnecting them… is minuscule."
"And… due to the injury, some vital structures below the waist have also been lost. Even if the wounds heal—for function to return… is nearly impossible."
"How… how could it be…? Dr. Zhang, surely, there must be some method?" Liu Erlong's vision spun. Staggering, she gripped the table for balance, her voice choked with sobs.
"Xiaogang… he's such a proud man, but to be left unable to stand—and disabled—how is he ever supposed to accept that?"
She could not imagine Yu Xiaogang's reaction upon learning the truth. It might be more cruel than simply dying.
Flender echoed her distress, stepping forward anxiously. "Dr. Zhang, isn't there any other way? What medicine do you need—no matter how precious, Shrek Academy would sell everything to obtain it!"
Dr. Zhang gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Dean Flender, this isn't a matter of medicine. His knees were destroyed by someone using unimaginable force—you could say they were torn out. The lingering soul power there is fearfully destructive. No ordinary soul healing can repair it."
"Even if there were a way… only a body-regeneration technique beyond the norm could possibly help."
He gave up, shaking his head, and fell silent. It was the rarest and worst injury of his career—especially the ravages of that soul power. In theory, the world's strongest support-type soul master, the Undying Douluo Ye Cien, might be able to try, but with Yu Xiaogang's well-known history with the Body Sect, why would they be willing to help him?
Dr. Zhang respected Liu Erlong, knowing she was hot-tempered but also deeply loyal, never forgetting kindness nor hatred. He truly did not want to see her risk herself in vain.
Despair overtook Liu Erlong as she collapsed into a chair, staring blankly at the bandaged Yu Xiaogang, unconscious on the bed in the adjoining room.
Suddenly, Flender's expression shifted as a thought struck him. He signaled Dr. Zhang, and the two men stepped out into the hallway.
Rubbing his hands, Flender—with rare embarrassment on his face—spoke in a low, hesitant voice. "Er… Dr. Zhang, may I ask… uh… in the future, will he still… be able to function… down there?"
Although his question was vague, concern and anxiety were clear in his eyes. He didn't want Liu Erlong to remain in suffering with a disabled, impotent partner for the rest of her life.
Dr. Zhang, understanding immediately, chose his words carefully, looking a bit awkward. "After adjustment, there shouldn't be any issue with his elimination functions. But structurally, nearly everything remains as-is. From now on, cleansing needs to be careful to avoid side-leakage."
"No, that's not what I mean," Flender hurriedly clarified, face reddening as, for Liu Erlong's sake, he gestured meaningfully with his hands. "I mean… is it still… operational?"
Dr. Zhang gazed at him and, slowly but definitively, shook his head. "Impossible."
"What?!" Flender was truly stunned. "But… I checked the wounds—while severe, doesn't the cross-section look… intact?"
Dr. Zhang sighed. "Dean Flender, as you noticed, that's just the outside. Structurally, the major part remains, yes. But at least half the crucial internals are simply gone. With such extensive and deep destruction, normal function is out of the question."
"Even if, by some miracle, he could manage to do something, it would always be… half-empty. How could that possibly work?"
At this, Flender's face turned ashen. Looking through the curtain at Yu Xiaogang, still unconscious, his face pale, Flender was overcome by grief and anger and could only scold through clenched teeth, "Yu Xiaogang, oh, Yu Xiaogang! Why did you have to be so stubborn? Is this the place to show your pride? Now, look at the result…"
Through the long hallway, only Flender's deep sighs and Dr. Zhang's helpless headshakes echoed, with Liu Erlong's muffled sobs barely audible from the room inside.
…
PS: Bonus chapter at 100 PS