After leaving the hotel, Su Cheng and Qian Renxue wandered outside for a long time before returning to the outskirts of Spirit City.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived, they saw Bibi Dong standing not far from the city gate with Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena.
The Spirit Hall soul masters who usually patrolled the city walls were nowhere to be seen.
Seeing the stern-faced Bibi Dong and the three silent young people standing behind her, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.
Judging by their appearance, it seemed they had been waiting there for quite some time.
According to his original calculations, the calming potion should have had effects lasting most of the day. Even accounting for some discrepancies, the other party shouldn't have woken up this early.
Bibi Dong, staring coldly at the couple returning hand in hand, asked, "Where did you go last night?"
As she spoke, her hands behind her back clenched tightly, a spasm of emotion flickering in her heart.
"We—"
Just as Su Cheng was about to speak, Qian Renxue beside him interrupted, saying to Bibi Dong, "That's none of your business."
Though not as uninhibited as her alternate personality, she was still extremely assertive and would never bow her head to Bibi Dong.
With these cold and blunt words, their eyes locked, and a similarly oppressive and domineering gaze collided in mid-air.
In that moment, it seemed as if the surrounding air froze, and the already biting winter wind grew even colder.
Within the tense atmosphere created by the two, Xie Yue and the others were silent and stiff, inwardly groaning.
Over the past few years, they had often witnessed such public confrontations between the two, and while they were used to it, it didn't lessen their fear and worry.
Seeing Qian Renxue's defiant stance, Bibi Dong's suppressed anger flared up instantly. She gritted her teeth, about to scold her.
Seeing this, Su Cheng quickly intervened, "Your Majesty, since everyone is here, shall we prepare to depart soon?"
As he spoke, he subtly infused a slight, almost undetectable amount of soul power into his voice, easing the tension in the air.
With the topic shifted, the heavy atmosphere slightly relaxed.
The intense gaze between the mother and daughter wavered, and both fell silent.
Xie Yue and the others breathed a sigh of relief and glanced gratefully at Su Cheng.
At least they hadn't started fighting.
If the two did fight, they would likely be the first to suffer.
Unaware of Su Cheng's true strength, they admired his courage for speaking up at such a tense moment, believing he had helped them greatly.
Everyone in Spirit Hall knew about Su Cheng's relationship with Qian Renxue, but Bibi Dong was notoriously difficult to deal with.
Even Hu Liena, who was closest to her, was always cautious, never daring to provoke her when she was angry.
Su Cheng, however, didn't overthink it. He nodded lightly to Bibi Dong and then accompanied Qian Renxue towards the city gate.
Their arguments had become routine.
Since Qian Renxue returned from the Heaven Dou Empire years ago, she and Bibi Dong had been at odds.
Back then, one was busy preparing for the Soul Master Competition, while the other was making plans for the competition and the continent. They often ignored each other's presence, considering the other mad.
It wasn't until after the Soul Master Competition concluded that they began confronting each other directly.
On the surface, Qian Renxue seemed completely disappointed in Bibi Dong and the others.
However, Su Cheng felt that deep down, she hadn't entirely let go of their blood ties.
Watching the man and woman walk side by side back into Spirit City, Bibi Dong opened her mouth but found herself unable to say anything more.
It was only natural for them to spend some time together before parting, and she had no reason to stop them.
Walking towards the Elder Hall within the city, Su Cheng glanced at the slightly gloomy-faced Qian Renxue beside him. His voice was calm and gentle as he spoke.
"If you have something to say, there's no need to keep it inside. Just speak out.
"Bibi Dong has changed a lot over the past year.
"If you can't bring yourself to speak to her, you can tell me your thoughts. I can pass them on or talk to your grandfather."
Su Cheng knew that her thoughts differed from the other consciousness within her.
That one had no feelings for Bibi Dong.
But the Qian Renxue before him had a much more complex and delicate mind.
Though the bond wasn't deep, there was still some lingering attachment.
"I have nothing to say to her," Qian Renxue shook her head.
Seeing this, Su Cheng didn't press further.
Such matters are best left to those involved; others should not interfere. Given their deep understanding of each other, saying this much was already pushing the limit.
How to deal with these emotional knots ultimately depends on her own thoughts.
The weight and consequences of these issues are something only she can judge clearly.
"Teacher, thank you," Qian Renxue turned to Su Cheng, her face brightening with a radiant smile.
The rift with Bibi Dong, whether it could be mended or whether there were other misunderstandings, was a minor concern.
Compared to the person beside her, those issues were truly insignificant.
"You don't need to say that to me," Su Cheng smiled, gently stroking her golden hair.
"Don't think too much; you've done more than enough."
"Xue'er, come over here," said a warm, rich male voice as Qian Renxue entered the Elder Hall. She had just passed the large golden statue of the Angel God in the main hall.
Hearing the voice, she was not surprised and calmly walked to the end of the hall to a room, then pushed the door open and entered.
As usual, Qian Daoliu stood by the window in his gray robe, his neatly combed black hair draped over his shoulders, his handsome face serene and gentle.
"Grandfather."
"Has Su Cheng left?" Qian Daoliu asked, looking at Qian Renxue in her white dress, his emotions complex.
To be honest, although he had been trying to treat both versions of Qian Renxue equally since his conversation with Su Cheng, he still preferred the granddaughter in front of him.
The other personality was too aggressive.
Not only were her actions and demeanor sharp and sinister, but her gaze was cold and indifferent, completely different from the Xue'er he knew, which made him very uncomfortable.
Although the Qian Renxue before him had also changed a lot from before.
She was more reserved, more serene, and rarely showed too much emotion in front of him.
But her eyes at least still held some warmth, unlike the other personality's heartlessness.
"They left," Qian Renxue nodded in response to Qian Daoliu's question, "She went with Bibi Dong to that place called the 'City of Slaughter.'"
Qian Daoliu didn't pay much attention to this.
In fact, he didn't care much about these things.
Or rather, apart from Qian Renxue and Spirit Hall, he didn't care about anything else now.
As long as Bibi Dong's control of Spirit Hall didn't cause major problems, he never interfered much.
However, when it came to matters concerning Qian Renxue, he was obviously very concerned.
Observing his granddaughter's expression, Qian Daoliu probed, "Did you argue with your mother again?"
She had returned with Su Cheng, yet her mood seemed somewhat sour.
Apart from Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu couldn't think of anyone else in Spirit City who would dare provoke her.
"Not really," Qian Renxue glanced at her grandfather, her expression turning a bit impatient. She said coldly, "Please don't mention that person anymore."
"Sigh," Qian Daoliu sighed helplessly.
The relationship between these two had always troubled him.
Because he knew the deeper truths, he found it even harder to resolve the various conflicts and entanglements between them.
However, he had other ways to try to lift Qian Renxue's spirits.
Immediately changing the topic, he asked, "How was your outing with Su Cheng last night?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's fair face instantly flushed a deep red.
Even though she tried to keep her emotions in check, the scenes from last night still replayed vividly in her mind, unbidden and unstoppable.
She stammered softly, "It was... fine."
"Have you considered having a child?"
Such a straightforward question left Qian Renxue completely flustered, her face burning like it was about to drip blood.
She even felt like there was a significant amount of heat rising from the top of her head.
"Grandfather!"
"Hehe."
Qian Daoliu felt a great sense of relief.
It had been many years since his granddaughter spoke in such a coquettish tone.
Although her current emotions likely had little to do with him, he still felt a strong sense of closeness.
"Alright, I won't meddle in your affairs. But..." Qian Daoliu's expression turned more serious.
Fixing his gaze on Qian Renxue, he asked, "Are you truly determined not to attempt the Angel God's inheritance?"