Years Later – The Pope’s Hall
The vast hall of the Pope was draped in solemnity. At the center, upon the lofty throne, sat Qian Xunji, robed in resplendent white and gold. His gaze was sharp, his presence unshakable.
Before him stood his disciple, no longer a girl but a woman who had bloomed into breathtaking grace. Bibi Dong—the Saint of Spirit Hall, her every movement exuding elegance and innate pride.
But her eyes now held a firm determination that defied everything her teacher represented.
“Teacher,” she said clearly, her voice steady though her heart pounded, “I like Yu Xiaogang. I wish to leave Spirit Hall and be with him.”
The words echoed through the silent hall, like a stone cast into still water.
Qian Xunji’s fingers tightened upon the Pope’s scepter. His voice was low, grave, almost trembling with suppressed fury.
“Bibi Dong… do you understand what you are saying?”
“Yes,” she replied, lifting her chin. “I have thought about it for a long time. My mind will not waver.”
The Pope’s composure cracked. His tone rose, like a whip lashing through the chamber.
“Do you have the faintest notion of what Spirit Hall has given you? The endless resources, the teachings of the Elders? You are the Saint, the chosen successor of the Papal throne! And yet you would throw it all away—for a man?”
But Bibi Dong did not flinch. The girl who once admired her teacher now stood like steel before him.
“Spirit Hall is not my life, Teacher. I choose my own path. Even if the world calls me unfilial, even if you scorn me—I will not regret following my heart.”
The air grew suffocating. Qian Xunji’s jaw clenched, and his eyes glinted with something dangerous, something dark. For a long moment, silence stretched unbearably between them.
Then, with a wave of his hand, his voice came soft and deceptively calm.
“Go. I will give you one day to reconsider.”
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes. “There is nothing to reconsider. My decision will not change.”
She turned on her heels, her robes swaying as she walked away. Her figure, so decisive, so beautiful, receded from the Pope’s gaze.
The moment she vanished beyond the hall, Qian Xunji’s mask slipped. His body trembled, and from his form leaked a faint, sinister purple aura, curling like smoke before vanishing into nothingness.
His heart roared with contradiction.
‘It’s my mistake. I protected her too much. She’s still blind to the filth of this world. Even with her talent—even if she becomes the strongest—someone as weak as Yu Xiaogang can easily deceive her and destroy her.’
His hands dug into the throne, knuckles white.
‘No. She must know the darkness of this world. Only then will she return to me. Only then will she understand that only I, can truly protect her.’
The aura around him shivered and then receded, leaving behind only the solemn, dignified figure of the Pope. Yet within, a seed of madness deepened its roots, nourished by obsession and warped affection.
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The Next Day – Pope’s Hall
The sunlight fell cold and indifferent through the high windows of the Pope’s Hall. Once again, the teacher and disciple stood face to face. The same words hung heavy in the air.
“Teacher,” Bibi Dong said, her voice firm though her eyes showed exhaustion from a sleepless night, “I love Yu Xiaogang. I want to leave Spirit Hall to be with him. This will not change.”
Qian Xunji’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes carried a storm. He leaned forward on the Pope’s throne, his voice low and pressing.
“Dong’er… even now, after a night to reflect, you still speak this folly?”
Bibi Dong straightened her back. “It is not folly. It is my choice. Spirit Hall gave me everything, yes—but what use is power without freedom? What use is the Pope’s throne if my heart is not my own?”
Qian Xunji’s fingers dug into the gilded armrest. A crack of golden light escaped from his aura, holy and suffocating.
“Do you truly think a mere man—crippled in talent, blind in strength—can give you more than Spirit Hall?”
Bibi Dong met his gaze with unwavering eyes.
“Yes. Because he gives me something you, Spirit Hall, and even the Angel Goddess cannote. Even if he is weak, even if the world scorns him, he is the one I chose.”
The words pierced Qian Xunji’s heart. For the first time in years, a tremor of genuine rage and despair crossed his face. His breathing grew heavy, the madness in his heart surging like a tide.
“…So be it,” he whispered, though his tone was chillingly calm. “I gave you a day to reconsider. You wasted it.”
With a sharp motion, his palm struck outward—not upon her body, but upon her soul.
A golden seal flared and clamped down on her cultivation, severing the flow of soul power. The Saint of Spirit Hall collapsed to her knees, gasping as though her body had been shackled in chains.
“Teacher—!” Bibi Dong’s voice cracked, a mixture of shock and fury. “What are you doing!? Release me!”
Qian Xunji rose slowly from the throne, each step echoing like a judgment. His aura pressed down, no longer the serene dignity of a Pope, but the crushing presence of a man consumed by darkness.
“You think you can leave Spirit Hall so easily?” His voice grew harsh, distorted. “Every soul ring, every bone, every herb and treasure—you owe them all to me, to Spirit Hall. Did you think I would allow you to take my resources, my teachings, and gift them to another man?”
He grasped her by the wrist, ignoring her struggles, his face a mask of twisted conviction.
“I will take interest first.”
Bibi Dong’s eyes widened in terror, her strength sealed, her body dragged helplessly across the marble floor. Her cries rang out, but the grand hall swallowed them whole.
The doors of the secret chamber shut with a heavy finality.
And Qian Xunji dragged her into the depths—into the secret chamber, where light could not reach.
(Author Notes: After this event Qian Renxue was born. While this is not exactly the past of Qian Xunji, the reason why he r*ped Bibi Dong is same, So Readers understand the reason for Bibi Dong’s hatred for Qian Renxue)
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