"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
Qian Daoliu's eyes widened in an instant.
"What did you just call me?!"
He stood up abruptly, his usually kind face now clouded with anger.
Qian Daoliu almost burst out laughing from sheer exasperation. Lin Feng had taken both girls' hands and sat down so smugly, acting all proper and formal.
Now he actually dared to call him grandpa directly?
If he's calling him grandpa today, would he just run off with his precious little girl tomorrow?
Oh wait—he already did! And he was the one who let them go on their journey in the first place!
"Aiya, grandpa~"
Qian Renxue let go of Lin Feng's hand and gently pressed Qian Daoliu back into his seat.
"Hmph!"
Reluctantly giving in, Qian Daoliu sat down with a glare at Lin Feng, his heart once again aching at the sight of Qian Renxue.
"Xue'er, you've lost your mind. How could you just give yourself away to this little brat?"
"Grandpa, this is something we both wanted."
"You—brat! I wasn't talking to you!"
Qian Daoliu scowled, furiously pointing at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng twitched. Clearly, the Grand Priest was about to call him a "bastard" before changing his wording.
Ling Yuan bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then lifted her head for the first time:
"Grand Priest, I ask for nothing else in this world but this. Please give us your blessing."
"You…"
Qian Daoliu stared at the determined look in Ling Yuan's eyes and was left speechless.
You're over thirty already, Ling Yuan. Is it really appropriate to fight over a man with my little Xue'er?
"Grandpa, please allow Sister Ling Yuan. She's a really good person."
Qian Renxue shook Qian Daoliu's arm, speaking sweetly like a child asking for candy.
"Agh—Xue'er, seriously, what is it about this brat that makes you go this far?"
As Qian Daoliu looked on in disbelief, Qian Renxue suddenly threw off his arm and spoke firmly:
"I don't care. This is my decision. I don't need you to meddle."
"You…"
Clutching his chest, Qian Daoliu looked at Ling Yuan's resolute expression and Qian Renxue's defiant attitude.
His heart felt like it was crawling with ants. He let out a cold snort.
"I'm done. Do whatever you want!"
With a dramatic sweep of his sleeve, he stirred up a strong gust of wind—
Thud!
Without a word, Lin Feng was flung dozens of meters away by the wind, crashing into a pillar of the main hall.
His head made perfect contact with the stone, letting out a sharp Duang sound.
A bit stunned. A little pain.
Strangely enough, Qian Renxue and Ling Yuan, who were closest to him, remained unaffected.
Seeing Lin Feng get blown away, the two girls rushed to him.
On the way, Qian Renxue even shot a reproachful glance back at Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu saw it and grew even more frustrated. With an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude, he vanished into thin air.
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. Without looking back again, she focused entirely on checking Lin Feng's injuries.
From the shadows, Qian Daoliu twitched at how naturally Qian Renxue turned away.
He transmitted a message to Lin Feng:
"You brat, you'd better not let Xue'er suffer. Or else… you'll see what happens!"
As Lin Feng basked in the concerned fussing of Qian Renxue and Ling Yuan, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. His sweaty back from earlier tension had also dried.
He called out loudly:
"Thank you for your blessing, Grandpa!"
In midair, Qian Daoliu stumbled in his step.
Clenching his teeth, he thought of Qian Renxue's expression and ultimately said nothing.
Only a cold snort echoed throughout the Douluo Hall.
Ling Yuan gently massaged Lin Feng's injuries and said softly:
"What kind of attitude is that from the Grand Priest?"
Qian Renxue pinched Lin Feng's cheeks on both sides.
"Grandpa didn't really get angry. That means he's given his silent approval. Even if he disagreed, so what? It's my decision to make."
Ling Yuan exhaled deeply, her ears flushed red.
She hadn't missed the strange expression in Qian Daoliu's eyes earlier.
Clearly, he was teasing her for being an older woman chasing a younger man.
With his first soul skill, Lin Feng quickly recovered.
Qian Daoliu had only meant to teach him a lesson and didn't actually use much strength. For him, it was like casually flicking his finger.
Qian Renxue grabbed Lin Feng and, under Ling Yuan's shy gaze, placed their hands together—ten fingers interlocked.
"Let's go eat. Today, Little Feng is cooking as punishment. We're not helping."
Ling Yuan smiled and nodded:
"But what about the report on Heaven Dou City? The Grand Priest left…"
Qian Renxue said casually:
"Grandpa didn't want to hear it anyway. That's his problem. If he's really curious, he'll come ask us himself.If he feels too awkward, he'll just ask Grandpa Chrysanthemum or Grandpa Ghost. It's not our concern."
"…True enough."
True, my ass!
Still lingering nearby, Qian Daoliu's face darkened, and he locked a venomous glare onto Lin Feng.
In his mind, he slapped Lin Feng, lashed him with divine judgment, and zapped him with every angelic punishment he could think of.
"Achoo!"
Lin Feng shivered. He felt like someone was cursing him.
Qian Daoliu sighed and closed his eyes.
"I don't even know if my choice back then was right or wrong…Ah—whatever. If Xue'er agrees, what else can I say?"
He couldn't act like that disgrace who sabotaged his own disciple's love. He wouldn't ruin Xue'er's choice.
Just thinking of it gave him a headache. What the hell was Qian Xunji thinking when he did that?
Shaking his head, he flew off to a mountaintop in a gloomy mood and pulled out an old, unopened bottle of fine wine.
Taking a sip, he retrieved a portrait of a stunning woman.
White hair like silk, voluptuous figure, elegant brows and eyes, graceful and noble.
"I wonder how you're doing now…"
After a moment of silence, he put the portrait away and flew toward Chrysanthemum Douluo.
He would never go back to ask Lin Feng about Heaven Dou. He might as well ask Ju and Gui—same result.
Unlike the harmonious scene of Lin Feng and the girls heading downhill together…
At the Pope's Palace, on a balcony.
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes slightly. Her daughter came back today and hadn't even come to see her?
So… was she really completely disappointed in her mother, unwilling to even meet?
Bibi Dong gave a cold chuckle, though she didn't know what she was laughing at.
After vaguely sensing that Qian Renxue's feelings toward her had grown cold, for some reason, the malice in her heart had lessened. Instead, she felt a trace of sorrow.
Her gaze pierced through space, watching Qian Renxue and the other two.
Her breath caught.
Her pupils contracted.
"Impossible. That brat is already at level 29?And Ling Yuan… level 85!?"
After focusing on their strength, Bibi Dong naturally shifted her gaze to their gestures and expressions.
Two delicate hands clasped tightly with Lin Feng's, the three chatting and smiling together.
An unbelievable guess formed in her heart.
No way, right?
Would that girl really agree to this?
How is this possible…
"Heh."
Bibi Dong sneered coldly.
Her eyes turned hostile as she looked at Lin Feng. This guy clearly had impure intentions.
Even dared to make a move on Ling Yuan—what wouldn't he dare to do?
The idea she had shelved earlier—to tempt Lin Feng with beauty—resurfaced. She didn't believe Qian Renxue could tolerate it forever. Once she was disillusioned, they'd break up.
The moment she saw how close the three were, a wave of painful malice surged again. She needed time to adjust her state.
Her gaze flickered. She didn't dwell on the rapid increase in their strength and returned to the Pope's throne.
The recent whale glue collection by Spirit Hall had gone through her. If Lin Feng discovered something shocking again, it wouldn't even be surprising.
What Bibi Dong didn't realize was that she had already placed Lin Feng on an extremely high pedestal.
Even a 10+ level jump in a few months no longer shocked her.
T/N: For up to fifteen chapters ahead on this fic and twenty on my other, become a P@tron at P@treon.com/LordHipposApostle