Although filled with doubts, Bibi Dong still quickly put on the set of clothes.
And after experiencing such dramatic emotional ups and downs, she had calmed considerably.
"Saintess, you should take a look at this first."
Tian Hao took out yesterday's recording soul tool from the brocade box and activated it with Spirit Power. Very soon, yesterday's footage was projected, complete with sound.
Although the overall level of technology on the Douluo Continent lagged far behind his previous life, in certain aspects it was by no means inferior.
The recording wasn't long and soon finished playing, but Bibi Dong's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Her lover's words and behavior made her feel uncomfortable inside.
"I know you truly love him, but how deep his love for you is remains unknown. As your teacher, I must vet your choice for you.
"The recording was merely a test I gave him. Unfortunately, like you, he failed.
"I know you won't easily give up this relationship. So let's make a bet. You go and take the initiative to break up with Yu Xiaogang. I've already prepared the wording for you—it'll be delivered to you later. Practice it well; this is also a test.
"I'll give you and him ten years. If within those ten years he still holds fast to his love for you and does not transfer his affection elsewhere, then I'll agree to your relationship and let him marry into Spirit Hall.
"But if he forgets you and ends up with another woman, then it proves you chose the wrong person. From then on, you'll obediently remain the Saintess."
Qian Xunji laid out the wager according to Tian Hao's proposed plan. This was the limit of what he could tolerate.
And even if it failed, ten years would serve as a buffer. By then, Dong'er's feelings for that trash would surely have faded considerably, making many matters much easier to handle.
Besides, he didn't believe Yu Xiaogang was some paragon of undying, everlasting love. If it really came down to it, he could simply arrange for an experienced woman to seduce him.
There were always more solutions than problems.
"I'll take the bet!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Bibi Dong agreed. She had absolute confidence in the feelings between herself and Xiaogang.
Just as her love for Xiaogang was engraved into her bones, unforgettable for eternity, Xiaogang must surely feel the same.
"Rest and recuperate for three days. Three days later, go find him and do exactly as I said. Don't play tricks, and don't challenge my bottom line again."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling Bibi Dong to leave. He needed some peace and quiet.
"Teacher, I'm sorry!"
After a moment of silence, Bibi Dong apologized to her teacher before turning and leaving.
She knew very well what she meant to Spirit Hall and to her teacher. Precisely because of that, she understood that her teacher would never agree to her relationship with Xiaogang, which was why she had chosen to elope with him.
But now it seemed she had underestimated her teacher's breadth of mind and bearing.
She simply wanted to be with Xiaogang forever. As for whether she married into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or brought Xiaogang in as a live-in son-in-law, there was little difference—at least to her.
Yet just as she was leaving, she suddenly seemed to realize something. She shot an annoyed glare at the young man, guessing that the exposure of her elopement with Xiaogang was likely connected to him. No wonder she had seen him several times before in the library when she was with Xiaogang.
Just you wait—I'll deal with you sooner or later.
Sensing Bibi Dong's fierce yet naive glare, Tian Hao returned it with a bright smile, which only made the girl even angrier.
He didn't take Bibi Dong's threat to heart. A person burdened with attachments and weaknesses was not worth fearing.
Moreover, he was planning to take advantage of the situation to make a move of his own. He had long wanted to study a twin-Martial Soul Spirit Master like Bibi Dong.
His spiritual sea rejected Spirit Beast Spirit Rings—perhaps this woman could serve as a breakthrough point, allowing him to overtake on a curve. If that conjecture succeeded, he might even awaken a second Martial Soul.
"Sigh!"
Qian Xunji let out a gloomy sigh, momentarily unsure what to say.
In short—what a mess!
"Your Holiness need not worry. It's normal for young people to make mistakes. Errors and pain are stepping stones to rapid growth, like whetstones—only through repeated grinding do blades grow sharper."
Tian Hao offered some comfort. Some things were simply like this.
And letting Bibi Dong experience this failed relationship wasn't entirely a bad thing. At the very least, it could help her mature mentally.
Just look at the young people from his previous life—those who had gone through a failed relationship invariably matured faster.
In the future, she might find that relationship hard to forget, but she would eventually come to terms with it, and at least it wouldn't cloud her rational judgment.
This was also the main reason he only reported the matter after obtaining solid evidence.
Of course, an even more important reason was that Bibi Dong was, after all, the Saintess of Spirit Hall. Without concrete evidence—catching them in the act—it would be hard to convince Qian Xunji. One misstep, and Bibi Dong could even turn the tables and frame him.
Furthermore, he didn't want to alert the snake prematurely. He wanted the festering abscess of love to fully erupt before lancing it, exposing everything at once and resolving the problem once and for all.
"How confident are you?"
Qian Xunji found it hard to be certain. Bibi Dong was far too important to him and to Spirit Hall. Forget marrying her into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—even bringing Yu Xiaogang in as a live-in son-in-law was something he was unwilling to accept.
"Ninety percent."
Tian Hao didn't dare speak with absolute certainty. He only hoped that the butterfly effect caused by his presence wouldn't be too great—at the very least, it shouldn't interfere with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong meeting.
As long as those two met, reaching the level depicted in the original story would only be a matter of time.
Not to mention that he had also set a ten-year limit—more than enough time for Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong's relationship to develop.
Even if the butterfly effect truly prevented them from meeting, Spirit Hall could always guide things manually.
"You'll take full responsibility for this matter. I'll have Ling Yuan cooperate with you."
Qian Xunji was very satisfied. He knew this was a cautious young man—if he said ninety percent, then it was basically a sure thing.
"This matter definitely wasn't planned by Yu Xiaogang alone. Behind him must have been Yu Yuanzhen's instructions. Fortunately, we discovered it in time and intercepted the letter Yu Xiaogang wrote requesting someone to come pick him up—that's ironclad evidence. We must make Yu Yuanzhen and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan pay a price."
Tian Hao wore an indignant expression, as though he harbored a deep-seated hatred toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Everything had two sides. Although Yu Xiaogang's affair was extremely disgusting for Spirit Hall, they could just as well turn around and disgust the other side.
As adults, one should understand that every action comes with a price. If Yu Xiaogang dared to elope with their Saintess, he had to be prepared to bear the consequences.
Besides, Tian Hao had already given him chances before—but that guy had rejected them again and again, to the point where it made his teeth and liver ache.
As for the letter Yu Xiaogang had written to his father requesting assistance, Tian Hao had long intercepted it and preserved it, even submitting it earlier as evidence to the Pope.
Qian Xunji grasped the implication immediately, and his thoughts raced. There was indeed plenty of room to operate.
They had to hold the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan accountable and make them bleed. Using the sect to apply pressure on Yu Xiaogang would deepen his hatred. That way, even if he met Dong'er again ten years later, all that would remain would be resentment.
They could also take the opportunity to shake Yu Yuanzhen's authority within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, destabilizing it internally—killing multiple birds with one stone.
"Should we give Dong'er a bit more punishment?"
Thinking of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Qian Xunji couldn't help but think of that silly, naive disciple. Perhaps some punishment might help her calm down.
"If the Saintess had committed some other mistake, punishment would be appropriate. But matters of the heart can't be forced. And for her, being separated from Yu Xiaogang and unable to see him is already the cruelest punishment in the world. If Yu Xiaogang later transfers his affection elsewhere, the torment on her heart will be even greater.
"At the same time, by refraining from imposing tangible punishment, we instead highlight Spirit Hall's benevolence. With that contrast, the Saintess will eventually understand who truly treats her well and who does not."
Tian Hao analyzed calmly. He didn't recommend further tangible punishment for Bibi Dong—pushing too hard might truly blacken her heart and drive her mad. This balance had to be handled carefully; haste would be disastrous.
"Catch!"
Qian Xunji thought it over and agreed. He then took out a box from his storage soul tool and tossed it over. This was the reward he had selected for this incident.
Since the boy had rendered meritorious service, he naturally deserved a reward.
What's more, the youth was truly loyal, one of their own, with his family having served under Spirit Hall for several generations—absolutely clean and orthodox.
"A Spirit Bone!"
Opening the box, Tian Hao saw a black Spirit Bone wrapped in a thin layer of black mist inside. His grin almost reached his ears. All those years of keeping an eye on Yu Xiaogang had not been in vain.
This was another major reason he had delayed reporting the matter until now. You had to fatten the sheep before slaughtering it to get more meat—and this Spirit Bone was the proof.
"That's a five-thousand-year leg Spirit Bone. It's incomplete, covering only the lower leg, but its Spirit Bone Skill is extremely effective for survival and consumes very little Spirit Power—perfect for you."
Qian Xunji gave a brief explanation. He had put considerable thought into selecting this reward for the young man.
Though the Spirit Bone was only five thousand years old and incomplete, its Spirit Bone Skill was excellent, especially for preserving one's life.
He didn't need this youngster to possess great combat strength. Spirit Hall lacked many things, but top-tier combat power was certainly not one of them. What he valued was the boy's mind. As long as he stayed alive, he might one day come up with another method like the instinct-stimulation cultivation technique—and then Spirit Hall would truly profit.
Moreover, he felt most at ease with subordinates who were intelligent but lacked overwhelming strength. Even if they harbored ulterior motives in the future, they could be crushed with a single slap—no threat at all, and certainly not another pitfall like that silly, naive disciple.
"Thank you for the reward, Your Holiness!"
Tian Hao expressed his thanks, then after a moment of thought, asked, "Your Holiness, can incomplete Spirit Bones be pieced together? For example, if I later obtain a defective Spirit Bone that covers the thigh, could it be combined with this one?"
This had always puzzled him. Spirit Bones differed from one another and had a concept of completeness. For instance, a complete arm Spirit Bone could cover both the upper arm and the forearm.
Such complete Spirit Bones were extremely precious and exceedingly rare—far rarer than incomplete ones, making up less than ten percent.
In the original story, the three Spirit Bones Spirit Hall offered as prizes in the Spirit Master Tournament were all complete Spirit Bones. That was precisely why they qualified as rewards. Even with Spirit Hall's deep foundations, losing three complete Spirit Bones at once was painful.
Lower-year Spirit Bones rarely developed fully, often resulting in defects that covered only part of a limb.
Like the one he had just obtained—it covered only the lower leg, leaving the thigh uncovered.
A great pity indeed. But if incomplete Spirit Bones could be pieced together, that would change everything. It might even be possible to assemble a complete set of Spirit Bones.
After all, the chance of obtaining incomplete Spirit Bones in the Spirit Master world was far higher than that of acquiring complete ones.