Once Qian Xunji gave the order, the matter was personally handled by two powerful Titled Douluo—Dragon Scale and Iron Wall.
Neither man questioned the Pope's command.
They simply carried it out.
Soon afterward, the peaceful days that Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang had been enjoying together came to an abrupt end.
Every time the two of them appeared in public, trouble followed.
Sometimes a group of rough-looking men would suddenly step out from the streets, sneering at Yu Xiaogang and loudly declaring that a beauty like Bibi Dong should not be wasted on a weakling.
Other times, the provocations were even more direct.
A well-dressed young master would stride forward confidently, point at Bibi Dong, and announce that he had taken a liking to her. He would then challenge Yu Xiaogang to a duel on the spot, demanding that the loser give up the right to stand beside her.
The methods varied.
The insults did not.
Again and again, strangers came to challenge him.
Again and again, Bibi Dong was forced to drive them away herself.
At first, Bibi Dong only found the situation irritating.
She was angry that someone dared disturb her peace.
But Yu Xiaogang's emotions were far more complicated.
Because every one of those challengers always said the same thing in the end.
"Beauty belongs to the strong."
And when they were inevitably beaten back by Bibi Dong, they would leave one final remark before retreating.
"You're just a coward hiding behind a woman."
That sentence struck Yu Xiaogang like a blade every single time.
Because it was true.
Or at least, it was the truth he feared most.
Bibi Dong was the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall.
She possessed twin martial spirits.
She had full innate soul power.
She was praised as an unmatched genius whose future was limitless.
Standing beside her, Yu Xiaogang had always felt small.
He came from the prestigious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, yet his own talent had been judged mediocre. His martial spirit had mutated badly, and his cultivation prospects were dim.
Compared to Bibi Dong, he was nothing.
The repeated provocations only deepened the inferiority hidden in his heart.
So Yu Xiaogang buried himself in the Spirit Hall library.
He searched frantically through countless records, hoping to find some forgotten method, some ancient theory, some hidden path that could change his destiny.
Day after day, he flipped through dusty archives and ancient manuscripts.
But no matter how many books he read, he never found what he wanted.
No miraculous cultivation method.
No solution to his martial spirit defect.
No path to stand proudly beside Bibi Dong.
Then, just as his anxiety was reaching its peak—
Bibi Dong suddenly disappeared.
She stopped visiting him.
She stopped appearing in the library.
She stopped sending messages.
For more than ten consecutive days, Yu Xiaogang searched everywhere in Spirit City.
He checked the academy grounds.
The gardens.
Training halls.
Libraries.
Even streets where they had once walked together.
But she was nowhere to be found.
A dark thought gradually formed in his mind.
Could it be…
Could it be that even she now thinks I'm pathetic?
Has she decided I'm not worth seeing anymore?
The thought nearly crushed him.
Then, just as despair was swallowing him, several Spirit Hall members appeared before him.
"The Pope requests your presence."
Yu Xiaogang's heart skipped a beat.
Without daring to resist, he followed them.
They led him through the towering halls of Spirit City, past solemn guards and marble corridors, until they arrived before the magnificent Supreme Pontiff Palace.
The massive doors opened.
Inside, the atmosphere was cold and oppressive.
At the highest platform stood Qian Xunji.
He wore papal robes of pure white and gold.
A scepter rested in his hand.
The Pope's crown gleamed above his stern face.
On either side below him stood Dragon Scale Douluo and Iron Wall Douluo like two unmoving mountains.
Seeing such a scene, Yu Xiaogang's throat went dry.
His legs began trembling uncontrollably.
The Spirit Hall member beside him glanced over with open contempt.
With this courage, he dares pursue our Holy Maiden?
Ridiculous.
"Move."
Under the man's urging, Yu Xiaogang stumbled forward until he stood below the platform.
Qian Xunji looked down at him as though observing an insect.
"So."
"You are the Yu Xiaogang our Holy Maiden keeps mentioning?"
As his words fell, a terrifying pressure descended upon Yu Xiaogang.
It was the aura of a true powerhouse.
Yu Xiaogang collapsed to his knees almost instantly.
His face flushed red as he desperately tried to stand, but his body refused to move.
Dragon Scale Douluo frowned slightly from the side.
He was an old friend of Yu Yuanzhen and should have felt some responsibility toward his friend's son.
But looking at Yu Xiaogang now, he could not summon even the slightest desire to help him.
"Answer me."
"Are you Yu Xiaogang?"
Qian Xunji's voice turned colder.
The pressure intensified.
"…Y-yes."
"It is me."
Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled badly.
Qian Xunji snorted.
"Quite bold for a son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect."
"You come to Spirit City, enjoy the protection of Spirit Hall, and then use our Holy Maiden to access our archives."
"You steal our knowledge."
"What punishment should such a crime receive?"
Bang!
He struck the ground with his scepter.
Yu Xiaogang shuddered violently.
Under both spiritual pressure and verbal intimidation, his mind nearly went blank.
For the first time in his life, he truly felt he might die.
Instinct for survival overcame all pride.
"I—I am the son of a Titled Douluo!"
"You cannot kill me!"
"And I didn't steal anything!"
"Those books… those books were given to me by Bibi Dong!"
"She admired my theories and willingly let me read them!"
His words came out in panic.
Qian Xunji's expression darkened.
"She gave them to you, and you simply accepted?"
"She is the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall."
"And what are you?"
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
His body shook harder than before.
Qian Xunji continued coldly.
"I have also heard rumors."
"Rumors that you harbor improper feelings toward our Holy Maiden."
He smiled faintly.
"Tell me."
"Are those rumors true?"
Yu Xiaogang's heart froze.
He understood immediately.
If he answered yes, he might die today.
Even if his father was Yu Yuanzhen, Qian Xunji could still cripple him—or simply make him disappear.
A cruel choice stood before him.
Should he risk everything and confess his love?
Or deny it all to survive?
For a moment, Bibi Dong's radiant smile appeared in his mind.
Then came other faces.
Those who mocked him.
Those who laughed at his weakness.
Those who dismissed him as worthless.
No…
I cannot die here.
I have not yet proven myself.
I have not made those who humiliated me regret it.
I have not made Father regret ignoring me.
I have not made the sect elders regret looking down on me.
How can I die now?
Bibi Dong's smiling face gradually faded.
Yu Xiaogang clenched his teeth.
"Reporting to His Holiness…"
"Those are merely rumors."
"The Holy Maiden and I only discussed martial spirit theory."
Silence.
Then Qian Xunji burst into laughter.
"Good!"
"Very good!"
Though he still disliked Yu Xiaogang, at least the man knew when to bow his head.
Dragon Scale Douluo closed his eyes in disappointment.
He no longer wished to watch.
He felt sorry for his old friend, Yu Yuanzhen.
How had such a son been raised?
Qian Xunji's smile faded.
"Even if they are rumors, they still damage the reputation of Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden."
"And you have already read many of Spirit Hall's confidential archives."
"By our laws, such crimes warrant the destruction of one's cultivation."
Yu Xiaogang nearly collapsed.
"No!"
"Please, Your Holiness!"
"You cannot do this!"
"I beg you!"
Disgust flashed openly in Qian Xunji's eyes.
Pathetic.
Spineless.
This was the man who dared dream of Bibi Dong?
Then Qian Xunji spoke again.
"However…"
"For the sake of Yu Yuanzhen's face, I will spare you this once."
Yu Xiaogang looked up in disbelief.
"Before sunset today, I do not wish to hear that you remain in Spirit City."
"If I learn that you are still here…"
"Then your father's name will not save you a second time."
With that, Qian Xunji withdrew his aura.
The pressure vanished instantly.
Yu Xiaogang slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
When he tried to stand, his legs had no strength left.
Qian Xunji glanced at him one final time as though looking at filth.
"Throw him out."
Several guards stepped forward immediately.
Without ceremony, they dragged Yu Xiaogang out of the Supreme Pontiff Palace and tossed him onto the crowded street below.
Passersby stopped and stared.
Some whispered.
Some laughed.
Yu Xiaogang's face burned with humiliation.
He wanted to flee immediately.
But his legs were still weak, and he could not rise for a long while.
He could only endure the gazes of strangers as though he were some roadside beggar.
Eventually, strength returned little by little.
Yu Xiaogang staggered upright.
He did not return to his lodgings.
He did not collect his belongings.
He did not leave any message.
Without looking back once, he fled Spirit City in disgrace.
His miserable figure resembled nothing more than a stray dog driven from the streets.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)