Chapter 7 Return on Investment
Just as the temperature inside the hall gradually decreased due to the man's fluctuating emotions, an elderly man dressed in the robes of a Spirit Hall elder suddenly appeared at the entrance.
The elder quickly approached the man, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said,
"Your Holiness, there is news of the Holy Maiden!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Xunji, seated on the throne, relaxed his tightly furrowed brows, the gloom in his eyes lessening considerably, and spoke up.
"What is it?"
The elder immediately stepped forward, presenting a letter with both hands.
"It was an outer steward named Chen Yao who said he encountered the Holy Maiden in the city today and instructed him to deliver this letter to His Holiness the Pope."
"A letter?"
Qian Xunji's brows furrowed again. After taking the letter from the elder, he waved the elder away. Only
after the elder left the hall did Qian Xunji open the letter and carefully read it.
[To my dear teacher:
I deeply understand your good intentions, but I still wish to bid farewell to Xiao Gang, which is why I left the Spirit Hall without permission.]
"Disciple has severed all ties with Xiao Gang and will never see him again in this life. Now I wish to be alone in the city for a while. I hope Master can forgive my willfulness.
Dong'er."
"Alone, huh? Very well. Use this time to calm down. I hope you won't disappoint your Master, otherwise, Master will have to resort to some unconventional methods..."
Qian Xunji murmured, staring at Bibi Dong's handwriting on the letter.
He then put the envelope away, looked at the shadows beside him, and said,
"Go and call back those who are searching for the Holy Maiden. Don't disturb her for the time being; let her have some peace and quiet."
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
No one appeared from the shadows, only a voice.
"What about... that Yu Xiaogang?"
"Don't worry about him for now."
Qian Xunji replied calmly.
"Yes."
After the voice faded and the aura in the shadows dissipated, Qian Xunji, who had been sitting upright, relaxed, slumped back in his seat, slowly closed his eyes, and gently massaged his brow.
The Pope, who always appeared so dignified, now showed signs of exhaustion.
"Dong'er, Yu Xiaogang is unworthy of you. I hope you can understand your teacher's good intentions, handle this matter well, and become a qualified Holy Maiden, a qualified Pope..."
With this soft murmur, the palace fell silent once more.
...
Watching the city guards slowly withdraw and disappear into the streets, Chen Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing the situation had eased, Chen Yao didn't want to stay out any longer. After asking the Spirit Hall for a few days' leave, he returned to the inn in the slums.
"Waaah!"
Pushing open the door, a sobbing sound came from inside, and a striking scene greeted Chen Yao's eyes.
Bibi Dong lay on the ground, her fair skin marked with bright red welts from the tortoise shell bindings. Tears streamed down her face, and saliva dripped uncontrollably.
Furthermore, because Chen Yao was away for quite some time this time, Bibi Dong was unable to attend to her physiological needs, resulting in a mess around her body, covered in stains and emitting a foul stench.
Bibi Dong's disgraceful state was on full display.
Struggling to lift her head, Bibi Dong met Chen Yao's mocking expression.
Her eyes were bloodshot, almost spitting fire. She could imagine how pathetic and wretched she looked in Chen Yao's eyes.
If she could, she would want to devour this instigator alive!
Ignoring Bibi Dong's furious gaze, Chen Yao smiled and stepped forward to remove the gag from her mouth.
"Cough cough!"
Bibi Dong coughed violently a few times, feeling that her jaw had completely gone numb.
She tilted her head back, no longer screaming, roaring, or cursing. She
just stared intently at Chen Yao, her eyes filled with endless resentment and hatred.
Chen Yao didn't care. He picked up Bibi Dong and headed towards the bathroom.
This time, he bought himself some breathing room. During this time, he had to come up with a solution.
However, Chen Yao couldn't easily let go of the culprit who had put him in such a predicament. Otherwise, if he really had no other choice and was caught by the Spirit Hall, wouldn't he suffer a huge loss?
Since he had already been caught, he had to get his money's worth first.
...
Several days later, the tightly closed door was opened again, and Chen Yao, dressed in a black robe, walked out of the room. Through the narrow crack, one could see that Bibi Dong was bound in a tortoise shell style again.
However, compared to last time, Bibi Dong's body was covered with wounds this time.
The tear stains on her cheeks, which had not yet dried, were very obvious. Her once bright and full cheeks were now bloodless, and there were cracks at the corners of her mouth.
Her eyes were empty, and she was barely breathing. It was hard to imagine what Bibi Dong had gone through these past few days.
"Phew! That's enough. Now I'll try to see if I can save my life."
Muttering to himself, Chen Yao slammed the door shut, leaving Bibi Dong alone in the dimly lit room.
In the darkness, Bibi Dong watched Chen Yao leave and the door close. A brightness returned to her eyes, and her lips moved, exhaling a hot, stale breath through the gap in her mouth.
Then, her body trembled, shifting awkwardly.
...
Time passed, and an indescribable anxiety rose in Bibi Dong's heart.
Because Chen Yao had placed a black barrier on the room's windows, not a single ray of light could penetrate, making it impossible for Bibi Dong to tell whether it was day or night, or how long Chen Yao had been gone.
She could only wait endlessly in this dark room, where time seemed to be frozen.
For a moment, a sense of fear even arose in her heart.
However, just then, the sound of footsteps on the stairs came from outside the door, instantly invigorating Bibi Dong and giving rise to a strange hope.
"Click!"
As the door opened, a thin figure appeared in front of it. The dim light from the inn's corridor shone into the room through the gap beside the figure.
The dim, hazy light seemed so bright to Bibi Dong at that moment, making her somewhat excited.
However, just as she was about to look up, she suddenly realized her own change. She didn't know why she was like this, but she could only hurriedly and frantically adjust her mindset, reverting to her previous bitter and resentful expression, before looking at Chen Yao.
(End of Chapter)