Chapter 9: 9. Blood-soaked Smile
Watching Qian Renjue and Qian Renxue leave one after the other, Golden Crocodile Douluo, standing under the eaves of the Worship Hall, reminded Qian Daoliu beside him:
"Brother, Xiao Xue and Xiao Jue are gone again." (I'll use xiao from now instead of 'little'. To make them appear closer)
"Let them be. After all, she is still their mother," Qian Daoliu sighed. He wished that Bibi Dong would let go of her grudge. The mistakes of his son were things he hoped Xiao Jue and Xiao Xue could make right.
Golden Crocodile Douluo was a bit worried. "But last time—"
"Don't worry. Feather is following them secretly this time. There won't be any accidents like last time." Qian Daoliu watched the streak of light passing through the air. It was Glowing Feather Douluo, who was silently following Qian Renxue and her brother.
---
Halfway up the mountain, near the Pope's Palace, Qian Renjue suddenly sprinted and dove into the bushes, struggling in the tangled grass like an overturned turtle.
"Jue!" Qian Renxue followed and took a lot of effort to pull Qian Renjue out.
"Why don't you listen to your sister?"
"Sister, what kind of flowers do you like? I'll pick them for you next time." Qian Renjue seemed not to have heard Qian Renxue's words. He grabbed her sleeve, looked up at her, and smiled, holding a pink carnation flower in his hand.
"Jue..." Qian Renxue was slightly stunned.
Looking at Qian Renjue's dusty appearance, the words she had intended to say got stuck in her throat. She raised her hand and brushed some dirt off Qian Renjue's head. She whispered, "Sister doesn't like flowers, so there's no need to pick them."
"Then I must find flowers that my sister likes and give them to her," Qian Renjue promised. Various magical herbs in the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire flashed through his mind. There must be something Qian Renxue would like!
"Well, sister will wait," Qian Renxue smiled and nodded slightly. She held her sword tightly in one hand, took Qian Renjue's hand with the other, and whispered, "Come on, sister will go with you."
"Very good!" Qian Renjue jumped with excitement, hugged Qian Renxue's arm, and asked happily, "Would you like to pick a flower too, sister?"
"No," Qian Renxue shook her head gently, smelling the fragrance of the flowers. She had a sword in one hand and was holding her brother's hand with the other, so he couldn't and didn't need to take anything else.
"Well, let's hurry. If we don't get a cup of water, the flowers will wilt in the sun."
"Jue, slow down!"
---
Not far from the Pope's Palace, in an antique courtyard, a rockery stood tall and majestic, with rugged and well-proportioned rocks and verdant mosses. A clear spring gurgled through and around the pavilions. In the water outside the pavilion, lotus flowers swayed, and fish swam around the lotus stems.
This was the residence of Bibi Dong, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall.
Since giving birth to Qian Renxue and her brother, Bibi Dong had regained her freedom.
At this moment, she was sitting with her back against a pavilion pillar. She was wearing a purple casual long skirt that wrapped around her well-developed figure. Her hair was smooth, and her skin was fair.
In her early twenties, she already had a nearly perfect face.
Just sitting in the pavilion, her elegance and tranquility made even the lotus in the water seem like a mere background.
She was holding a copy of Ten Theories in her hand, flipping through the pages randomly, but her mind was not on them at all. Her purple eyes were slightly dim.
She glanced at the gate of the courtyard and saw broken transparent glass next to the withered flowers and branches lying on the ground.
The flowers, which had already turned dark purple, were still covered with mottled bloodstains, clearly visible.
Even after several days, those scenes still lingered in her mind. That childish, blood-soaked smiling face made her heart palpitate.
She dared not face it, unable to look directly at it. Even just thinking about it made her heart ache.
What had happened to the child she had slapped and sent flying?
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth, and the book in her hand wrinkled. Swish! The book was almost crumpled into a ball.
Bibi Dong looked at the glaring drops of blood and couldn't resist; she flew forward and stood beside the withered flower.
What had that innocent child done wrong?
Standing by, there was a struggle in Bibi Dong's eyes, and her expression became a little ferocious.
The hand that was bending over to pick up the dead branch slowly stopped. Her eyes turned red. It was all that beast's fault!
They were all that beast's children!
Bibi Dong was immersed in resentment when a little head suddenly popped out from the gate.
"Who is it?!" Bibi Dong shouted loudly, bending her body and turning her head to look.
There was a fierce look in her eyes, and the soul power in her body surged. Her hair and skirt moved without wind.
"Jue!" Qian Renxue, who was following behind, immediately pulled Qian Renjue behind her and backed off a few steps.
Hearing Qian Renxue's voice, Bibi Dong looked a little dazed. She looked closely.
What came into view were the Qian Renxue siblings who had visited a few days ago.
Bibi Dong ignored Qian Renxue, who was holding a wooden sword and guarding against her. She straightened up and stared closely at the little boy behind her.
"Sister?" Qian Renjue stuck his head out, somewhat confused, to check the situation.
Bibi Dong looked at the still-lively childish face and felt relieved.
"Jue!" Feeling suddenly empty behind her, Qian Renxue hurriedly tried to grab Qian Renjue, who was running over. She quickly followed.
"Good morning, Mom!" Qian Renjue smiled and ran toward Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong watched with a frown, and seeing that Qian Renjue was fine, she turned and left without saying a word.
"Mom, Jue is here to bring you flowers again." Qian Renjue quickly reached the gate of the courtyard and shouted to Bibi Dong.
"Shut up!" Bibi Dong looked back and shouted, disgust already in her eyes. But she was dazzled by the bright pink color of the flower.
Qian Renxue followed behind, looking at Bibi Dong quietly, hope filling her heart.
Qian Renjue stood still, not daring to move forward. He asked carefully, "Mom, can we come in?"
"Don't call me mom!" Bibi Dong hated this title deeply! It always reminded her of the abuse she had suffered.
Disappointment flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes. This scene was very similar to her experience in her previous life.
Qian Renjue was slightly stunned. Just as Qian Renxue was about to pull him away, a smile returned to his face. He asked again, "Beautiful elder sister, can Jue and Sister come in?"
Bibi Dong looked at the smiling face and felt panicked, as if her blood was surging all over her body, like a blunt knife cutting her flesh.
She gritted her teeth and said delicately, "Get out! Get out! Get as far away as you can!"
After saying that, she turned and left without looking back.
The loud response from behind made her pause slightly.
"Good!" Qian Renjue agreed loudly. Then he stepped into the yard, bent down, and picked up the withered flowers.
"Jue! Come back," Qian Renxue called out in horror. At this time, Bibi Dong would show no mercy. It was too late to stop him.
Hearing Qian Renxue's call, Bibi Dong quickly turned around. She saw Qian Renjue running toward her, and her face suddenly turned gloomy. Qian Renxue had also stepped into the courtyard.
Bibi Dong stared at Qian Renjue.
Unexpectedly, Qian Renjue ignored her and just looked at the corner where the flowers had withered and died, leaving only the stone flowerbed filled with soil.
He reached out, dug through the hard, caked-on soil, buried the withered flowers in his hand, and inserted the pink carnation into the loosened soil. Then he turned and ran toward the gate to leave.
Bibi Dong's eyes were slightly dazed, and Qian Renxue also stopped chasing him.
Qian Renjue ran past Bibi Dong with a smile, then stopped. He raised his eyes and stared at her quietly. The identical purple eyes stared at each other.
After training, Qian Renjue looked untidy from crawling through the bushes, even a little more dirty because of planting. But the scar at the corner of his left eyebrow was still noticeable.
The pure light in his smiling eyes made Bibi Dong unable to look directly at him.
Her fingertips turned white, and the book in her hands was almost torn apart by her grip.
Dry words escaped from her lips and teeth: "Get out!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone