"You just need to tell me whether you'll answer or not."
Bibi Dong's tone was cold. Qian Renxue raised a brow.
"Fine… but once you're done asking, leave. Stop coming to bother me."
Though her expression remained indifferent, Qian Renxue couldn't help but wonder—what could possibly make Bibi Dong seek her out like this?
"Alright then."
Bibi Dong nodded and got straight to the point.
"I want to ask you about that man… about you and Shi Batian. How did you two meet? How did you fall in love? What's his background? And what exactly is his martial soul?"
She fired off questions like arrows, leaving Qian Renxue completely dumbfounded.
What…?
She had assumed this would be something important to Spirit Hall. Instead, she was suddenly being interrogated like it was a matchmaking interview—by her own mother!
Frowning slightly, Qian Renxue tried to piece it together. Could that commotion outside be about Shi Batian?
"You're asking all this… why? Don't tell me something happened to him. Did you capture him?"
"It's just some routine questions related to when he deceived you. It concerns the survival of Spirit Hall. Just answer. He's doing just fine, and no, he hasn't come here."
Bibi Dong's voice remained cold.
So… he didn't come.
Qian Renxue's heart was torn. A part of her wanted Shi Batian to show up and take her away. Another part feared for his safety—Spirit Hall was far too powerful. If he came, he'd only be walking into a trap.
"What's happening outside?"
"That's not your concern. Just answer the questions."
Though Qian Renxue bore resentment toward Spirit Hall, she still had some feelings for it. After all, it was her grandfather who had guided her all this time. She wasn't a completely ungrateful person. If Spirit Hall was truly in danger, she wouldn't just stand by.
Since Shi Batian hadn't appeared, she sighed and began recounting seriously.
"He didn't deceive me. I met him in Heaven Dou City… at the time, I was dealing with some issues, and he saved me. We went through a lot together…"
Qian Renxue began narrating the past between her and Shi Batian—stories she had kept buried in her heart for so long. No one had ever cared to listen. Now that Bibi Dong asked, she took the chance to speak.
Bibi Dong sat quietly, listening with a complicated expression. She hadn't expected her daughter to have gone through so much.
According to Qian Renxue, this Shi Batian… didn't seem like a bad man at all.
"In fact, Batian treated me very well. He always talked about things we've never seen in this world—novel things. Like food: hotpot, roujiamo, fried chicken…"
"He even made them for me! I've never had food so delicious before!"
Qian Renxue's face lit up as she spoke, her voice full of fondness and nostalgia. For her, the memories of her time with Shi Batian were like sun-drenched fragments of happiness.
But as she went on, Bibi Dong's expression grew darker.
She wasn't here for fairy tales and fried chicken.
"Enough. You can ramble about that later. Tell me—what is his martial soul?"
Qian Renxue paused, then frowned.
"Didn't you already investigate him and say his martial soul is just some plant-type waste spirit? You said he wasn't even Rank 10—useless. All I know is that his martial soul is called Seven Star Gourd Vine. When he activates it, seven star-shaped buds grow—hence the name."
"Seven Star Gourd Vine…"
Bibi Dong frowned. That was a name she had never heard before. She made a mental note to investigate it thoroughly.
"Anything else? Does he have a second martial soul or any hidden abilities?"
The constant questioning made Qian Renxue snap.
"Can't you find out on your own?! You all rejected him when I said I wanted to be with him. And now you're digging into everything?!"
"I'm done talking. Get out!"
Her tone turned ice-cold. Bibi Dong's attitude made her lose all patience.
"You—!"
Bibi Dong's expression twisted. She had planned to drop some subtle hints about Shi Hao's parentage, but now? Forget it. She'd figure that out on her own.
As for Shi Batian… maybe it was time to capture him and study him personally.
With her tone turning frigid, Bibi Dong declared, "Fine. I've no interest in hearing you gush over that trash anymore. Focus on your cultivation."
Her words were like cold knives stabbing into Qian Renxue's heart.
"You were the one who asked. Now you act like I'm forcing you to listen—were you just here to mock me?!"
"Exactly."
With a cold, sharp glare, Bibi Dong vanished into the shadows.
Qian Renxue stood rooted in place, staring at the space where her mother had disappeared. A storm of emotions churned in her chest.
She knew how high Bibi Dong's expectations were—but at the same time, that pressure was suffocating.
Her fists clenched.
Someday, she would surpass Bibi Dong. She would walk out of here not in shame or rebellion—but with pride, and strength.
And she would reunite with Shi Batian openly.
"Batian… wait for me."
At that moment, Qian Daoliu suddenly appeared behind her, watching the aftermath of yet another mother-daughter clash with a sigh.
He patted Qian Renxue's shoulder gently. "Xiaoxue… just focus on your cultivation. She is the Pope. Her mind is tied to Spirit Hall's fate. Don't blame her too much."
Leaving those words, Qian Daoliu turned and chased after Bibi Dong.
Just as he caught up, he called out.
Bibi Dong turned, surprised to see him.
But before she could speak, Qian Daoliu beat her to it, his voice serious.
"That child… does he have something to do with Xiaoxue?"
Bibi Dong's eyes widened in shock, blurting out instinctively—
"You knew?!"
_
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