Wuhun Hall, a secret chamber.
On a warm, soft bed sat a young girl with flowing light-golden hair. Her skin was so fair it seemed almost translucent, her delicate nose straight and elegant. Qian Renxue rested her cheek in one hand while poking curiously at a small infant on the bed with the other. The baby's body was barely half a meter long.
There were two more people in the room.
One was Qian Xunji, the Pope of Wuhun Hall, clad in radiant armor, standing in the center with an imposing presence. The other was Bibi Dong, dressed in nightclothes, leaning weakly against the bedside.
Looking down at her, Qian Xunji said coldly,
"Your soul power should already be at rank eighty-one. This infant is the remnant of a failed tribulation—a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that attempted to take human form. I captured it in the Star Dou Great Forest. It's just right to serve as your ninth spirit ring."
"Also, I found traces of the hundred-thousand-year Purple Winged Spider Emperor at the tribulation site. Xiaoxue is only three years old now. As long as you behave until she awakens her martial spirit at six, all the resources you want—I can provide them."
"But if you cause trouble again, don't blame me for discarding our old ties."
With a flick of his sleeve and a narrowed gaze toward Bibi Dong's resentful eyes, Qian Xunji turned and left.
The noise stirred Su Linfeng from his slumber. The first thing he saw was the doll-like face of Qian Renxue, flawless and exquisite.
Qian Renxue?
Damn it!
As his memories surged back, despair welled up inside.
He had crossed over into this world, reborn as a Golden Crow soul beast. With a mindset of "since I'm here, I'll accept it," he endured the millennia, finally surviving until the great tribulation of a hundred thousand years. He was just about to step into another hundred-thousand-year realm when a scarlet strike cut him down.
If not for the undying body of the three-legged Golden Crow, allowing him to suppress his aura and take human form, his fate would have been complete annihilation—body and soul alike.
Originally, he thought he could just start over. But instead, he had landed in the hands of Wuhun Hall.
This… they're going to turn me into a spirit ring!
He tried to speak, but only incoherent babbling came out.
What the—?
Transformed into a baby?!
Su Linfeng froze, horrified. Now, without even the ability to resist, he was truly nothing more than meat on a chopping board.
"Mom, he seems to be awake."
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up as she smiled faintly. She poked Su Linfeng again, curious. "And here… he seems a little different from me."
Damn!
Little Qian Renxue, what are you doing? Go easy on me!
His tiny body tensed up instinctively. He wanted to shout a warning, but instead, he cried.
Wait…
Did she just say—Mom?
Could it be… Bibi Dong?!
Sure enough, when he twisted around, his eyes landed on the familiar figure by the bed.
She wore a sheer purple nightgown embroidered with golden patterns, accentuating her slender waist and graceful figure. The open back revealed smooth, snow-white skin that contrasted starkly against the deep fabric.
Bibi Dong turned her head. Her gaze was sharp, naturally carrying pressure. The softness of her nightclothes clashed with the coldness in her eyes, combining feminine allure with hidden complexity.
At the sound of his cries, the venomous hatred in her eyes softened, becoming strangely clear.
Their gazes met.
Su Linfeng's mind raced, recalling Bibi Dong's life:
At eighteen, she met Yu Xiaogang.
At nineteen, she was violated by her master, Qian Xunji.
At twenty, she bore Qian Renxue.
At thirty, she obtained her ninth spirit ring, became a Titled Douluo, and killed Qian Xunji in revenge.
At thirty-one, she ascended as Pope of Wuhun Hall and began the Rakshasa Nine Trials.
At fifty-five, she became a god—and died that very year.
If Qian Renxue were three now, then Bibi Dong should be only twenty-three. That meant he still had at least seven years before she reached rank ninety. He wouldn't be turned into a spirit ring immediately.
Relief washed over him.
"Hmph, of course he's different."
Bibi Dong scolded Qian Renxue with a glance. "It's just a beast that happens to look human. If you want to live, stay away from it."
"Yes, mother." Qian Renxue nodded obediently, as if used to such harshness.
Wait—that's not right!
Su Linfeng's mind spun. Wasn't Bibi Dong supposed to resent Qian Renxue, even wanting to kill her at birth? Why was their interaction so… normal?
And her eyes, though cold, softened when looking at him.
Damn maternal instincts…
Maybe, once, Bibi Dong really had been an innocent girl with dreams. After all, Qian Renxue had grown up alive—that itself was her greatest kindness. Her true transformation probably began only after she killed Qian Xunji and inherited the Rakshasa God's power. At the root, Qian Xunji was the source of everything.
In truth, Bibi Dong had never met a good person in her life: Yu Xiaogang, Qian Xunji, Qian Daoliu… she was nothing but a chess piece for the Angel Clan's revival.
Her tragedy was her rebellion against fate itself—her body enslaved by Wuhun Hall, her soul shackled by the Rakshasa God, her obsession with Yu Xiaogang driving her into madness.
Her cruelty was the world's most ironic reflection of its so-called "justice."
Why did no one condemn Tang San? Didn't he kill just as many? When the protagonist was killed, it was justice. When the villain killed, it was unforgivable. Hypocrisy at its finest.
If Bibi Dong had been the protagonist instead, what would the ending have been?
Calmed down, Su Linfeng stopped crying. Instead, he smiled up at Bibi Dong, his crescent-shaped eyes radiating innocent warmth. The gloom in her heart wavered.
Indeed, the smile of a baby could be healing.
Instinctively, his tiny hand grasped one of her fingers. He could feel her body tremble, the subtle shift in her gaze.
"What a nuisance. He must be hungry."
Her brows furrowed as she muttered, "Once I reach rank ninety, you'll be the first I get rid of."
Then, raising a hand, she sent a stream of purple soul power into him.
But something strange happened.
Golden light flared from Su Linfeng's body, dissolving her soul power instantly.
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted. "This little one… His body is clearly that of a black avian soul beast. But his aura—it feels like Xiaoxue's, that same irritating holiness? Could he be of the light attribute?"
What the hell?
Su Linfeng was dumbfounded. Hungry babies drink milk, not soul power! Do you even know how to raise a child?!
"What should I do then…"
Bibi Dong frowned, muttering, "A transformed soul beast… Don't tell me I have to raise him the same way I did Xiaoxue? Don't tell me… he needs milk too?"
After hesitating for a moment, she bent down and lifted him into her arms.
Wait—what are you—
No way!
Softness enveloped him, and an inappropriate thought flashed across his mind. His eyes went wide in disbelief.
No… not possible! Renxue is already three years old. Could it be… she still…?