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"Nana, why? Why? Tell your teacher. Tell me those things aren't true!" Bibi Dong was also in tears, her heart nearly shattered. Hu Liena was the last light left in her soul. But Hu Liena's sobbing apologies made it clear—what she had heard was true. Still, she desperately didn't want to believe it.
Hu Liena choked through her tears, "Teacher, I've fallen in love with Tang Yin. I've fallen in love with Tang Yin. I don't want him to die!"
"Tang Yin?"
"Tang Yin is actually Tang San. I met him in the City of Slaughter. His appearance had changed so much that I didn't recognize him at all. I only learned his true identity from a Spirit Hall wanted notice. He was the one who led me out of the City of Slaughter—he saved my life. His strength in that city, his self-restraint, his appearance… everything about him captivated me. I've never met a man like him."
"And by the time I realized who he really was, I had already fallen deeply in love with him. I couldn't raise a hand against him, and I couldn't watch him die either. I'm truly sorry, Teacher!" Hu Liena sobbed uncontrollably.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's nearly broken spirit was somewhat soothed. She asked again, "Why did you have to fall for him? Spirit Hall has so many outstanding young talents. With your looks and talent, if you chose to pursue any of them, wouldn't you easily find someone?"
"Teacher, I looked down on them all. None of them can compare to Tang Yin. The only one who might have, His Holiness the current Pope—I once admired him deeply. But he never gave me a second glance, never even looked at me. So I settled for someone else instead, Teacher."
"After I learned Tang Yin's real identity, I never intended to help him fight Spirit Hall. I only hoped he could live—that would be enough for me." Hu Liena sobbed from her knees on the floor.
"Nana, I'll plead for you. I'll plead for you. I swear, I'll get you out of this," Bibi Dong said.
From Hu Liena, Bibi Dong saw the reflection of her younger self—madly in love. Back then, she had foolishly given her heart to the wrong man. But Hu Liena's judgment wasn't wrong, so her choice couldn't be called a mistake. If Bibi Dong had survived her past, then so should her disciple.
The Worship Hall
"Mother, is something wrong?"
Qian Renxue stepped out and looked at Bibi Dong, who was utterly haggard, her face streaked with tears. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion. Even if someone in Spirit Hall didn't respect Bibi Dong, they would at least respect her title. Even her brother would likely treat her as if she were invisible rather than confront her.
"Xue'er, I beg you—please save Nana. I'm begging you as your mother, please save her!"
Bibi Dong sobbed. If she still had arms, she would've been gripping Qian Renxue's arms tightly and shaking her.
"Hu Liena? What happened to her?" Qian Renxue asked suspiciously. She had been locked away in her cultivation room lately, focused on preparing for the divine trials, and knew little about what was happening outside.
Bibi Dong glossed over the details but explained that Hu Liena had been misled by Tang San and made a foolish mistake. She stressed that Hu Liena had no intention of betraying Spirit Hall and didn't deserve the death penalty.
Qian Renxue looked at the tear-stained face of Bibi Dong and was silent for a moment. She was no longer the obedient little girl who followed everything her parents said. She turned to a knight of the palace guard and beckoned, "Go and gather every detail about Hu Liena's case—completely."
"As you command, Holy Maiden."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's anxiety eased a little, and she quickly added, "But that will take time. The prison where Nana is held is in terrible condition. Can't you move her to a better one?"
Qian Renxue replied coolly, "Time is not the issue. Prison levels correspond to the severity of one's crimes. I believe the Spirit Hall interrogation team wouldn't unjustly condemn her. If their judgment is truly excessive, I will make the proper arrangements."
After a brief moment, the palace guard knight knelt on one knee and handed Hu Liena's file to Qian Renxue. At the side, Bibi Dong's heart hadn't slowed below a racing beat of two hundred the entire time.
As Qian Renxue flipped through the documents, her elegant brows furrowed deeper and deeper. When she reached the end, a flame of golden and black light ignited in her hand, burning the entire file to ashes. She spoke coldly, "Mother, Hu Liena's crimes are clearly recorded. The punishment is justified. I will not plead for her."
Bibi Dong's eyes turned red again. "Why? Why? Once a teacher, forever a mother. Nana is my disciple—by that logic, she's practically your sister. Can you really stand by and watch your own sister die without lifting a finger?"
Qian Renxue shook her head and replied indifferently, "I don't have a sister, nor do I need one. Even if I did, if she dies, then she dies. I don't care."
"I have cultivation to return to. Please leave."
"Ungrateful daughter! You unfilial girl!" Bibi Dong cried out in anguish, watching Qian Renxue's back as she walked away. "You unfilial daughter!"
At that, Qian Renxue paused, turned around, and gave Bibi Dong—whose bloodshot eyes were filled with desperation—a cold glance. She said calmly, "If you cannot repay kindness with gratitude, how can you repay virtue with loyalty? When it comes to Spirit Hall's principles, I will never compromise."
"Since you are my biological mother, I will give you one piece of advice: do not go to plead with the Pope. You will only bring even greater despair upon yourself."
With that, Qian Renxue entered the Worship Hall and shut the door behind her.
"Take me to the Pope! The Pope!" Bibi Dong turned to the maid beside her. "Push me to the Pope's Hall!" Whether there was a chance or not—no matter how slim—she had to fight for it.
Pope's Hall
The divine avatar of the Pope continued processing documents with a spiritual imprint and a set of three seals: Approved, Needs Revision, and Rejected.
"Needs Revision" meant there were issues to be corrected. "Rejected" meant the matter was not worth considering.
The divine imprint had limited divine power. Any action, even speaking, would consume energy. Although Qian Renhan could replenish it at will, one minute in the divine realm equaled six hours in the mortal realm. He still had to fully gain control over the Evil God King and prepare to slay the Golden Dragon King. How could he possibly spare time to worry about the lower realm? This divine imprint would have to make do.
As the grand doors to the Pope's Hall opened, the divine imprint raised its head and glanced at the woman being wheeled in—an old, crippled woman with no limbs and no soul power. A flicker of confusion crossed its eyes. Who is this?
"Xiao Han! Xiao Han, I beg you! Spare Nana! Yes, she has committed a crime, and she deserves to be punished—but not to die! She was merely blinded by love!"
Bibi Dong's tone had shifted entirely from how she spoke to Qian Renxue. Now, she started by admitting Hu Liena's guilt, then used love as the justification—doing everything she could to preserve Hu Liena's life. After all, for the Pope, it would only take one word.
Hearing this, the divine imprint finally recognized who this old woman was. Inwardly, it muttered, She's still alive? She came back to Spirit Hall again?
"The verdict I passed is indisputable. Hu Liena must die," the divine imprint stated tersely, each word carrying finality.
"If you really insist on killing Nana, then I'll kill myself right here in the Pope's Hall!" Bibi Dong cried out, using the ultimate of the Thirty-Six Stratagems—self-sacrifice.
"Push her further away. Don't dirty the Pope's Hall," the divine imprint said, glancing at the maid before resuming his work, sealing the next file.
(End of Chapter)