"This boy is quite amusing," Qian Daoliu remarked with a light laugh as he watched Dai Mubai's antics.
"Ah, youth... it's truly wonderful!"
When someone catches your eye, everything they do seems right. But when you have a grudge against them, no matter what they do, your prejudice remains.
To Bibi Dong, Dai Mubai was an eyesore. His actions only made her dislike him more, leaving her both frustrated and helpless.
What could she do? She had no choice in the matter!
Qian Renxue liked him. Qian Daoliu was satisfied with him. Even if Bibi Dong wanted to intervene, there was no way to stop it!
"Ah—"
Bibi Dong sighed deeply, saying nothing to Qian Daoliu as she turned and walked into the Pope's Palace.
Qian Daoliu shook his head at her retreating figure.
After living for so many years, his perspective was far beyond Bibi Dong's.
Even when faced with the enemy who had killed his son, he could turn a blind eye and remain silent—for the sake of the Spirit Hall, for the sake of his granddaughter.
Yes, Qian Xunji had made mistakes, but he was still Qian Daoliu's son.
It was precisely because of his magnanimity that he had been able to cultivate a divine heir. Otherwise, with Bibi Dong's strength back then, Qian Daoliu wouldn't have even needed to act personally to snuff out the Rakshasa God's successor in the cradle.
"Bibi Dong, one day, you will accept it," Qian Daoliu murmured to himself with a shake of his head.
"Even if you don't, Xiaoxue and he will still become a divine couple."
Bibi Dong: "..."
Old man, don't think I can't hear you!
Bibi Dong knew Qian Daoliu was speaking loud enough for her to hear. With their level of strength, distance meant nothing—no matter how low the volume.
"Unless he only loves Xiaoxue, I will never accept him as my son-in-law!" Bibi Dong thought to herself.
Dai Mubai was talented, handsome, and a divine heir. He even surpassed Qian Renxue in fortune!
With such advantages, Bibi Dong might publicly appear indifferent, but deep down, she couldn't deny he was a desirable candidate for a son-in-law. However, Dai Mubai was simply too much of a playboy!
The next day was a rest day, as was customary after each round of matches.
In the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong sat high on her throne. Below her stood Ghost Douluo, Guili.
Reading the report in her hand, Bibi Dong's brows furrowed deeply, and her hand trembled slightly.
She could hardly believe what she was reading.
"Guili, can you confirm that this is all true?"
Her voice wavered. Deep down, she already knew the answer, but she didn't want to accept it. She yearned for Guili to tell her it was all false.
"Your Holiness, I, Guili, swear on my martial spirit that everything is true. To ensure the authenticity, I even captured individuals for interrogation," Gu mei replied coldly. His eerie voice carried a chill due to his martial spirit and the fact that he had essentially cheated death.
Bibi Dong: "..."
This wasn't the answer she wanted.
"Good work. You may go rest," she said dismissively.
After Guili left, Bibi Dong slumped back into her throne, visibly shaken.
"Fake... it's all fake," she muttered.
"Our relationship was fake. You, Yu Xiaogang, only ever used me. I was such a fool..."
"Teacher, I was wrong."
Originally, she had merely intended to investigate why Liu Erlong had treated Yu Xiaogang so coldly. However, Gu mei had been overly thorough, unearthing every deception Yu Xiaogang had committed—not just against Liu Erlong but against Bibi Dong as well.
The paper in her hand felt as heavy as a thousand catties, and it slipped from her grasp. At that moment, the image of her "perfect moonlight" shattered completely.
"Yu Xiaogang!"
Dark, grayish-black mist began to swirl around Bibi Dong. It was the power of the Rakshasa God!
In the original tale, Bibi Dong never became a perfect Rakshasa God. Otherwise, even with the suppression of Shura God's power, she wouldn't have been defeated so easily.
She had become a puppet of Rakshasa God's power rather than its master.
Rakshasa God didn't care what became of Bibi Dong. All it needed was an heir to pass on the divine seat. Only through this process could Rakshasa God escape the restraints of the Divine Realm and gain ultimate freedom.
"Kill... kill... traitor... kill..."
The word "kill" echoed endlessly in her mind, the temptation targeting her spirit and soul.
This was part of Rakshasa God's trial. No matter what Bibi Dong chose, she would either fully inherit the Rakshasa God's power or become its puppet.
Killing intent filled the Pope's Palace. For an unknown amount of time, it remained oppressive, until finally, a thought brought Bibi Dong back to her senses—Qian Renxue.
She couldn't leave her daughter behind, especially not while she was entangled with that insufferable blonde!
This thought became Bibi Dong's new obsession, pulling her back from the brink of being consumed by Rakshasa God's power.
Previously, it was her lingering hope in Yu Xiaogang that kept her from falling. Now that she had let that go, without this new obsession, she might have already succumbed and become a puppet of the Rakshasa power.
Unbeknownst to Dai Mubai, it was Bibi Dong's desire to prevent him and Qian Renxue from being together that saved her from losing herself entirely...
Moments later, the Pope's Palace returned to its serene state, as if nothing had happened.
Bibi Dong glanced at the scattered papers on the ground. With a flick of her hand, her spirit power shredded them into ashes.
"Yu Xiaogang, I will destroy everything you hold dear, one by one. Then, I will eternally imprison your soul..."
"The first will be the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—the obstacle to the Spirit Hall's progress!"
"Didn't you want to prove yourself to your clan? When your clan is gone, I'll see who you'll prove yourself to!"
A chilling smile appeared on Bibi Dong's beautiful face, making her look eerily sinister.
In the Hall of Elders, Qian Daoliu nodded slightly.
Though the Pope's Palace and the Hall of Elders weren't far apart, he could clearly sense the appearance of Rakshasa God's power in the Pope's Palace.
Its uncontrollable, violent nature indicated that Bibi Dong had encountered a problem. Fortunately, it had eventually subsided, allowing Qian Daoliu to breathe a sigh of relief.
He had been ready to step in if necessary—after all, he couldn't allow Bibi Dong to unleash havoc within Spirit City!
"Seventh Brother, investigate what Guili delivered to Bibi Dong or what he might have said to her," Qian Daoliu ordered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he addressed a nearby "middle-aged" man.
Though this man appeared to be in his prime, he was actually over a hundred years old.
Among the members of the Hall of Elders, they often referred to each other as brothers. The "Seventh Brother" was none other than the Seventh Consecration, Demon Subduing Douluo...
(End of Chapter)