Chapter 132: Secret Room
Supreme Pontiff Palace.
The usual spacious and bright atmosphere was gone. The great hall, usually gleaming with divine, golden light, felt cold.
The entire Supreme Pontiff Palace's main hall seemed to be covered in a layer of invisible frost.
Inside the hall, there were only four people: the Supreme Pontiff, Qian Xunji, seated on the throne at the very top; Jin Zhong and Yin Chui, his two personal guard Titled Douluo, who protected him on his left and right; and Bibi Dong, in a light purple, simple dress, looking heroic and unyielding.
Qian Xunji's sharp, predatory gaze remained fixed on Bibi Dong. He seemed unsurprised by her arrival. Neither of them spoke first, but the oppressive atmosphere made the two personal guard Titled Douluo feel immense pressure.
Perhaps among the four people present, only Bibi Dong herself didn't know that after today, she and Qian Xunji, this 'mentor and friend' in the eyes of the world, would cease to exist.
The dead silence in the main hall lasted for a long time. After a while, Bibi Dong spoke first, her voice clear but tight. "Teacher."
Qian Xunji interrupted her, raising his hand. "Jin Zhong, Yin Chui. You two go outside and guard the door. Without my command, no one is allowed to step into this main hall."
As he spoke, something dark and possessive seemed to appear in Qian Xunji's eyes. This subtle shift caused Bibi Dong's brows to furrow slightly, and a strange, inexplicable aversion arose instinctively within her.
However, she didn't think much of it, only feeling a vague sense of unease in her heart.
"Yes!" The two personal guard Titled Douluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They responded respectfully and quickly left the main hall.
It wasn't until the massive, gilded doors closed with a heavy thud that they realized their palms were already sweating cold.
They had followed Qian Xunji for many years, even going back to his youth before he became Supreme Pontiff. They were very clear about his sordid nature and the existence of the secret room.
At the same time, they also knew exactly what Qian Xunji intended to do by sending them out.
If it were in the past, they wouldn't care what fate Bibi Dong would suffer. She was just another talented woman, and the Supreme Pontiff's desires were law.
But ever since Jingni Douluo emerged—a Level 97 monster who was publicly known as Qin Xuan's wife—a sense of panic had grown in their hearts.
And Qin Xuan was famously close to Bibi Dong.
If Bibi Dong cultivated her Twin Spirits in the future and sought revenge, she might not be able to do anything to Qian Xunji, who was the Supreme Pontiff. But she would inevitably target the two of them as accomplices.
At this moment, out of sight, out of mind, they comforted themselves. They were just following orders. In their ignorance, the Holy Maiden shouldn't 'vent her anger' on them in the future. Jin Zhong and Yin Chui, the two personal guard Titled Douluo, reassured themselves in their hearts.
While they were sighing, two figures, one gaudy and floral, the other silent as a shadow, walked over. It was Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
"Elder Jin Zhong, Elder Yin Chui! What are you two doing here, guarding the door like common sentries?" Yue Guan asked, his voice high-pitched.
"His Excellency the Supreme Pontiff is currently meeting a special guest," Jin Zhong said, putting on a professional face. "He has ordered us two to guard this place, not allowing anyone to disturb him. If you wish to see His Excellency the Supreme Pontiff, please come another day."
Jin Zhong's simple words blocked Yue Guan and Gui Mei's path.
And neither Yue Guan nor Gui Mei showed any surprise or dissatisfaction on their faces. Qin Xuan's task for them was also simple: 'Go to the Supreme Pontiff Palace. Make sure no one enters the main hall while Bibi Dong is inside.'
Jin Zhong and Yin Chui's actions, meant to protect their master's "privacy," undoubtedly coincided perfectly with Qin Xuan's plan.
To prevent the two Titled Douluo, Jin Zhong and Yin Chui, from potentially changing their minds or going back in, Yue Guan and Gui Mei started chatting with them about the Sect Competition.
With the guards gone, only Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong remained in the main hall.
Qian Xunji slowly stood up. The sound of his robes rustling was unnaturally loud in the silence. He walked towards Bibi Dong step by step, his shadow stretching long and dark across the golden floor.
"Disciple, is there something you need from your teacher?"
The feeling of unease struck again, stronger this time. Bibi Dong gathered her courage and knelt on one knee, lowering her head.
"Disciple has sinned and failed to live up to Teacher's heavy trust."
"What sin?" Qian Xunji stopped about a meter from Bibi Dong, looking down at the top of her head. He was somewhat surprised, but he didn't intend to let her get up.
Had his good disciple changed her ways? She was admitting her mistake and softening up before revealing her relationship with Yu Xiaogang?
With her temperament, shouldn't she be threatening to leave Spirit Hall? Shouldn't she be forcing him, her teacher, to agree to their relationship?
That was what he had prepared for. He had expected her to erupt in defiance, and then he would erupt in thunderous anger and lead her into the secret room to 'execute justice on the spot'.
Hmm. As Bibi Dong's teacher, Qian Xunji understood his disciple's nature very well.
But what he didn't know was that, influenced by Qin Xuan's pragmatic and brutal deconstruction of Yu Xiaogang's character, Bibi Dong was no longer the 'ungrateful wolf' who only knew how to blindly pursue love. She was conflicted.
"Disciple... has fallen in love with Yu Xiaogang."
Bibi Dong spoke the words that had been buried in her heart for many years, words she had always wanted to say to Qian Xunji but never had the courage to.
But when she actually said them, she realized that she didn't seem as resolute and decisive as she had imagined.
Yes. She wavered.
The moment she spoke, the man she thought of was not Yu Xiaogang. The image that flashed in her mind was of Qin Xuan, standing in the grove, calmly listing Yu Xiaogang's plagiarism and his disregard for human life.
She thought of Qin Xuan's strength, his 100,000-year Spirit Ring, and his cold, clear wisdom that had saved her from the Sea God Island disaster.
Perhaps, at this moment, Yu Xiaogang was just an obsession in her heart. A dream she refused to let go of.
She didn't want to admit it, nor did she want to be a woman who fell in love with someone else while proclaiming her love for another.
Even if she knew that everything about Yu Xiaogang was fake, as long as he hadn't done anything to betray her personally and his feelings for her were real, that was enough.
The reason she lied to herself was only to be worthy of herself. She shouldn't betray their feelings.
Bibi Dong admonished herself in her heart, pushing Qin Xuan's image away. Even at this moment, she was still that innocent and kind young girl, trying to force her heart to do what she thought was "right."
"And then?" Qian Xunji's voice was cold. "You should know that as the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, it's impossible for the two of you to be together. That good-for-nothing does not deserve you."
"Moreover, even if I agree, the Elders and Priests of the Elder Hall will not agree."
At the same time, he added in his heart, 'You are destined to be mine. Only I am worthy of possessing you.'
"Disciple knows Xiao Gang has no talent... and also knows that everything I have was given by Spirit Hall, which I can never repay even with my entire life." Tears blurred her eyes, dripping onto the cold floor.
Bibi Dong said firmly, "But at the same time, disciple is unwilling to let Xiao Gang down. I humbly request Teacher to allow disciple to resign from the position of Holy Maiden... and let Qin Xuan assume the position of Holy Son."
"You plan to give up the position of Holy Maiden... for that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang?"
Qian Xunji was somewhat relieved, somewhat shocked, and mostly furious.
He was relieved that Bibi Dong remembered the good of Spirit Hall and never forgot her original intention.
He was shocked that Bibi Dong would actually be willing to voluntarily give up the position of Holy Maiden. One must know that although his disciple seemed harmless and naive, deep down, she harbored an ambition that perhaps even she herself hadn't discovered.
Otherwise, when she was competing for the first successor to the Supreme Pontiff, she wouldn't have been so merciless, defeating challenger after challenger until they were terrified and no one dared to challenge her.
As for the anger... it was undoubtedly because of Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong's possessiveness in the original work could be said to be inherited from Qian Xunji, inseparable from the influence of her teacher. Both belonged to the type who would destroy what they couldn't obtain.
Now, seeing Bibi Dong willing to give up the position of Holy Maiden for Yu Xiaogang... and even planning to give the position of Supreme Pontiff's successor to Qin Xuan... another man with whom she had an ambiguous relationship... how could Qian Xunji not be furious?
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