Douluo Continent: The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? A Soul Beast Pagoda!

Qian Daoliu slowly raised his eyelids.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable weariness and vicissitude, yet with an undeniable resolve:

"This matter... concerns the future of the Spirit Hall, and also Xue'er's own fate."

"Let her...choose for herself."

Upon hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo was stunned, while Bibi Dong's eyes flashed with purple light, and a cold, ambiguous smile appeared on her lips.

"snort!"

Bibi Dong snorted coldly, said no more, and suddenly stood up.

Her gleaming gold skirt swept across the polished floor. Without even glancing at the two honored guests, she turned and walked straight out of the conference room.

Qian Daoliu remained seated, his gaze distant, his fingers unconsciously twirling his sleeve.

……

evening.

Jiang Bai finished his meditation and basic swordsmanship practice, walked out from the back mountain, and headed towards the cafeteria.

As he passed that familiar lake, his pace involuntarily slowed.

On the lakeside, a slender, golden figure sat with her knees drawn up to her chest.

A gentle evening breeze stirred her long, flowing hair and light-colored skirt, making her silhouette appear somewhat frail in the twilight.

Same time, same place, same people.

Jiang Bai's gaze swept around. The woods were silent, with only the occasional chirping of birds returning to their nests.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.

After all, she was an "acquaintance," and... judging from her expression, it was probably because of the new pope's mother.

Unbeknownst to him, at the very moment he walked toward Qian Renxue, a figure in the shadows was casting its gaze toward them.

Qian Daoliu looked at his granddaughter's lonely figure sitting by the water and sighed inwardly, hesitating whether to show himself and comfort her.

Or... should we try finding that little guy who once helped ease my granddaughter's emotions?

Unexpectedly, the thought had barely formed when he saw Jiang Bai walking towards that direction on his own.

Qian Daoliu's eyes flickered slightly as he watched quietly.

Jiang Bai approached and sat down next to Qian Renxue, imitating her by looking at the shimmering lake.

After a moment, she spoke in as calm a tone as possible: "Senior? What's wrong? Why are you sitting here alone again?"

His voice broke the silence of the lakeside.

Qian Renxue didn't turn her head. She still hugged her knees, rested her chin on her knees, and stared unfocused at the sky dyed red by the sunset. Her voice was light and airy, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.

"Why...why does she never even look at me?"

"I tried so hard, I wanted to please her more than anyone else... but she never saw me..."

Her words no longer contained the tearful breakdown of the last time, but only a deep-seated weariness, confusion, and sadness.

Those beautiful purple eyes, still swollen and red, were too dry to shed any new tears, only filled with endless confusion.

"You said..." She finally turned her head slightly to look at Jiang Bai, her eyes as fragile as easily broken glass, "Am I really useless?"

She sniffed, her voice low and nasal, as if she were talking to herself.

"I... I just wanted her approval, even just a nod or a glance... but she didn't."

"She... also wants me to carry out a very secret and dangerous mission, to go to a very far place, to live under an assumed name for ten, twenty years, or even longer..."

"You're going undercover?"

Jiang Bai asked directly, because he remembered that in the original work, Qian Renxue did indeed begin her infiltration of the Heaven Dou Empire at this age.

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue blinked blankly, her swollen eyes making the gesture look somewhat comical.

She tilted her head and looked at Jiang Bai: "How did you know you were an undercover agent? I don't think I mentioned what your specific mission was, did I?"

"..." Jiang Bai was speechless for a moment.

What a foolish child! They actually sent her to go undercover.

Looking at Qian Renxue's puzzled expression that seemed to say, "Although I'm very sad, don't try to fool me."

Jiang Bai quickly tried to cover up his mistake, saying without changing his expression.

"A secret mission, hiding one's identity for many years, going to a very far place...aren't these the typical characteristics of an undercover agent? Or is it just a study abroad trip?"

He tried to make his tone sound like he was making a reasonable conjecture.

Qian Renxue thought about it for a moment, and seemed to think it made sense. She lowered her head, mumbled an "Oh," and didn't ask any more questions.

Jiang Bai shook his head helplessly and said seriously, "It's not that it's useless."

Qian Renxue raised her eyelids and looked at him.

"Wanting recognition from others, especially from people you care about, wanting to talk to someone more, wanting someone to see your efforts and strengths... this is human nature, it's perfectly normal."

Jiang Bai's voice was calm and clear, as if he were stating a simple fact.

"Whether she sees it or not, whether she cherishes it or not, whether she is willing to give you the response you expect... that's her problem, not yours."

"You can't let her indifference and neglect negate your own value and efforts, can you?"

These words may be somewhat cliché, but to Qian Renxue at this moment, they were like a clear spring flowing through her parched and aching heart.

No one had ever said that to her before.

Although her grandfather loved her, he mostly protected and indulged her, rarely touching on these delicate emotional entanglements.

Jiang Bai's words were simple, direct, and even somewhat "unreasonable," taking her side.

Qian Renxue lowered her head and slowly, somewhat clumsily, wiped the remaining moisture from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand. She neither refuted nor agreed, but suddenly said...

"You don't seem to care much about what other people think, nor do you seem particularly interested in climbing the ladder?"

"Everyone wants different things," Jiang Bai said, gazing at the approaching night.

"For me, being able to do what I want to do well and being able to control my own power and destiny is more important and more reassuring than gaining someone's approval or climbing to a predetermined position."

He paused, turned his head, and his gaze fell on Qian Renxue's exquisite profile. His tone became more serious, even with a hint of inquiry.

"So what about you, Senior Qian? Do you... still want to take on that long and dangerous undercover mission just to gain that 'recognition' that you may never get?"

"I...I..."

Qian Renxue was stumped by the question. She opened her mouth, but found that she could not give an answer immediately.

Before, she might have thought defiantly, "Fine, I'll go and prove it to you!" or resentfully, "Will you accept me once I've succeeded?"

But now, being questioned so directly by Jiang Bai, she suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment she had never felt before.

It wasn't the fear of the mission's danger, but the fear of "giving everything only to end up in vain."

Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Bai spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but like a heavy hammer striking Qian Renxue's heart.

"Gambling your pride, talent, and youth in a completely unfamiliar and hostile place, pretending to be someone else for half your life... is the 'recognition' you get in return really what you truly want deep down?"

"Going undercover, if you succeed, you might get a 'good job'; if you fail, you might be doomed."

"But regardless of success or failure, the final interpretation, the standards of judgment, whether to grant 'recognition,' and how much to grant... are all firmly in her hands."

Jiang Bai's tone carried a calmness and insight beyond his years.

"It's like a game where she sets all the rules, and you have to bet your entire life on it. Even if you win, that 'approval' is likely just a light, condescending 'You were meant to be this way,' or 'At least my plans weren't in vain.'"

"At that time, you will find that what you have risked everything for may not be a warm hug or a sincere praise, but a cold, pre-set 'qualified' label."

"What you've lost is the vibrant life that should have been yours, which you can never get back."

As Jiang Bai spoke, Qian Renxue's body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

She had thought about these things, but she was overwhelmed by intense desire and resentment and didn't want to think about them deeply.

Now that Jiang Bai had laid bare her naked truth, the cold reality sent a chill down her spine.

Even Qian Daoliu, who was hiding in the shadows, was startled and looked at Jiang Bai with astonishment.

This kid... how could he, at only six years old, see through the power struggles and emotions so clearly?

These remarks sound nothing like those of a child; they sound more like those of a wise man who has experienced the vicissitudes of life and seen through the ways of the world!

He originally just wanted Qian Renxue to choose for herself, believing that regardless of whether she stayed or left, with the resources of the Spirit Hall and the Angel God, Qian Renxue had every right to try and fail.

Even if the undercover operation fails and delays cultivation, it can be made up for through the divine test.

Seeing Qian Renxue's pale face and trembling shoulders, Jiang Bai knew his words had worked. He changed the subject, his tone becoming slightly more relaxed.

"Senior, would you like to hear a story?"

"???"

Qian Renxue raised her head in disbelief, her swollen eyes staring at Jiang Bai.

That look seemed to say: What time is it? I'm heartbroken and facing a major life decision! And you want to tell me a story?! I'm practically crying my eyes out!

But for some reason, perhaps it was the impact of Jiang Bai's words that was too great, or perhaps it was because she subconsciously wanted to escape from this suffocating reality.

Her little mouth, involuntarily purring with a thick nasal tone, honestly asked:

"Wh...what story?"

Looking at her awkward expression—clearly aggrieved and angry, yet unable to suppress her curiosity—Jiang Bai couldn't help but smile, revealing a somewhat mysterious smile.

"The death of Fusu, Crown Prince Liu Ju, the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the Jingnan Campaign... Which would you like to hear about first, senior?"

Qian Renxue was a little confused, her beautiful purple eyes filled with big question marks.

Fusu? Liu Ju? Xuanwu Gate Incident? Jingnan Campaign?

What is all this?

She blinked blankly, looking at Jiang Bai's expression that said "I have many stories to tell," hesitated for a moment, but in the end, curiosity prevailed, and she whispered.

"You...you say them one by one."