Chapter 147: A Benevolent Mother and a Dutiful Daughter

The Papal Palace.

Adorned in luxurious papal robes, Bibi Dong sat high upon the main throne, her fierce eyes glaring intently at Qian Renxue, who had now resumed her female attire and bore a striking three-tenth resemblance to her own face.

Qian Renxue showed not the slightest sign of weakness. With her delicate eyebrows slanted upward and her phoenix eyes wide open, she glared back at Bibi Dong with an equally hateful gaze.

"Was the matter regarding Yu Xiaogang your doing?"

Bibi Dong's cold voice echoed through the grand hall, the turbulent murderous intent unmistakable in her tone.

Bibi Dong had not known that Yu Xiaogang had once come to seek her out, but from the roster of teachers and students from various academies submitted by Salas, she had already learned that Yu Xiaogang had become the leading instructor for the Shrek Academy team.

After the Heaven Dou Empire's participating team arrived in Wuhun City, the heart of the young maiden within Bibi Dong, dormant for twenty years, had suddenly reawakened. On a dark and windy night, she had secretly sneaked into the hotel where Shrek Academy was resting, thinking that even just a single glance at Yu Xiaogang would be enough.

As a result, the moment she slipped into the room, she was greeted by the horrifying, gruesome state of Yu Xiaogang.

Through the conversation between Flander, Liu Erlong, and Yu Xiaogang, she finally learned that Yu Xiaogang had arrived early in Wuhun City intending to request an audience with her, only to be driven away and brutally beaten by the palace guards.

In a fit of fury, Bibi Dong immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the matter, which quickly yielded results.

Learning that the instigators were Jin Cang and Qiangu XX, Bibi Dong no longer had any doubts. These two individuals were staunch, dyed-in-the-wool direct descendants of the Elder Palace, and the matter had undoubtedly been orchestrated behind the scenes by Qian Renxue.

At the mere thought of Yu Xiaogang, whose limbs had been broken, forced to lie groaning on a bed and relying on Liu Erlong even to feed him, a trace of agony flashed across Bibi Dong's face, and her gaze toward Qian Renxue grew even more furious.

Qian Renxue acutely captured the heartache Bibi Dong had concealed beneath her anger. The corners of her lips curved upward, revealing a smile of triumph.

It seemed that what Xiao Yu said was true. Bibi Dong, so this was your Achilles' heel after all!

Instead of directly answering Bibi Dong's question, Qian Renxue countered with a question of her own: "If I remember correctly, during that ambush on the road as the Heaven Dou Empire's team traveled to Wuhun City, the target should have been Tang San, the son of that sinner Tang Hao. But why did all the Titled Douluo elders direct their focus toward the Nine Stars Academy instead?"

Bibi Dong's expression shifted slightly as she argued, "The Nine Stars Palace is brimming with powerful experts. I was merely worried that experts behind the scenes would intervene and disrupt our assassination of the target!"

Qian Renxue offered a playful smile and said, "There are only the two of us here, sister~ dear~. Why bother putting on such a hypocritical act?"

She deliberately drew out the final address, allowing anyone to hear the biting mockery in her tone.

Bibi Dong was instantly enraged and sprang to her feet. "That's right! My target was Xiao Yu! This failure has only solidified my conviction. The strength of the Nine Stars Palace is unfathomable and mysterious; it is very likely not inferior to our Spirit Hall. If such a force is not eradicated, it will inevitably become a grave threat to our Spirit Hall sooner or later."

"Just because of your mere conjecture, you are now willing to provoke a formidable enemy for our Spirit Hall?"

Qian Renxue's imposing aura was no less formidable than Bibi Dong's, and her voice rang out just as sharply: "Not only did Xiao Yu help me conceal my identity in front of the Clear Sky School—no, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—but he also helped me consolidate my position within the Heaven Dou Empire. Such sincerity has been met with your suspicion. Bibi Dong, you are driving the ten-thousand-year foundation of our Spirit Hall into utter ruin!"

Looking at the daughter arguing passionately before her, Bibi Dong for a fleeting moment felt as though she were looking at herself from twenty years ago. The softest part deep within her heart was touched, though it lasted for merely a split second.

Toward this daughter sharing her own blood, resentment and bitterness would always outweigh maternal love. "You trust him so much—could it be that you've taken a fancy to him? But how is it I've heard that this young man already has two confidantes by his side: one is the contemporary successor of the Nine Heart Begonia clan, and the other is the pampered daughter of the Blazing Flame Academy!"

"That is none of your business!"

Whether out of stubborn defiance or genuine feeling, Qian Renxue openly admitted to Bibi Dong's face, "I have indeed taken a fancy to him! This Spirit Master competition is my test for him. If he can defeat me and win the championship, I will accept his pursuit!"

"No, impossible! I absolutely refuse to agree!"

Upon hearing this, the mentally unstable Bibi Dong went into a frenzy once more. God only knew how many sedatives would be required to calm her down.

Qian Renxue watched Bibi Dong's crazed state with cold eyes and said indifferently, "What qualifications do you have to disagree? The only one who can make decisions for me is Grandfather, and he is the only family I have left!"

Having said this, Qian Renxue turned and walked away as if she had lost all patience.

Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned and wanted to call out to her, but no matter how the words reached her lips, she could not manage to produce a sound.

"Oh, by the way!"

Just as she reached the palace doors, Qian Renxue paused and spoke without looking back, "This matter with Yu Xiaogang was merely a warning. If you ever dare to make a move against Xiao Yu again, I will make sure Yu Xiaogang vanishes completely from this world. I'd like to see whether it's easier for you to kill Xiao Yu, or easier for me to snuff out a twenty-ninth-rank good-for-nothing!"

"You dare!"

Hearing Qian Renxue use Yu Xiaogang to threaten her, the only emotion left on Bibi Dong's face was sheer fury, eclipsing the complexity of her previous expression. After all, in her heart, nothing held more importance than Yu Xiaogang.

"See if I dare or not."

With that final chilling remark, Qian Renxue pushed open the heavy doors and strode away.

"Guards!"

Once Qian Renxue had gone far away, Bibi Dong slammed her palm down heavily upon the armrest of the papal throne and roared toward the outside.

She had remained stationed outside...