...
"Your mouth is even more powerful than your martial spirit."
Bibi Dong snorted coldly, the dangerous glint in her eyes not diminishing but intensifying, "Since you think you're so right, then you..."
However, before she could even utter the words "Go to the punishment hall to receive your punishment,"...
Xuan Hao, who had been closely observing Bibi Dong's micro-expressions, felt his alarm bells ring again.
He knew that this woman was unyielding; he had reasoned with her, but she was still upset.
If he didn't give her a way out, she wouldn't escape punishment.
Since that's the case...
"Thump!"
Xuan Hao knelt down again with great efficiency and perfect form.
This time, instead of the casual kneeling posture of before, he stood with his back straight, his hands hanging at his sides, and his head bowed deeply, looking as if he were ready to die at any moment.
His small frame stood as straight as a gun, but his face showed a heartbreaking mix of determination and grievance.
Bibi Dong's harsh words, which were just about to come out, were abruptly cut off.
She looked at Xuan Hao, whose expression had suddenly changed, somewhat bewildered:
"What... are you up to now?"
"Sister is still angry." Xuanhao lowered his head, his voice muffled:
"Since sister doesn't want to punish me and won't calm down, it means that I haven't done well enough and my attitude in admitting my mistakes wasn't sincere enough."
"So I punished myself."
"I'll get up when my sister calms down. If she doesn't calm down, I'll keep kneeling here, even if I die."
"As long as my sister can be a little happier."
Bibi Dong: "..."
Looking at Xuan Hao kneeling upright, she felt her head throbbing.
This "retreat to advance" tactic completely blocked her path.
Punish him?
They've already adopted this "take it or leave it" attitude, and they've even started "punishing" themselves by kneeling for a long time.
If she were to lay a hand on them or issue a harsh order, wouldn't it make her, as a teacher, seem too petty and intolerant?
No punishment?
Watching this brat kneeling there, clearly being punished, why did she feel like she was the one being led by the nose?
Why did it feel like this kid was forcing her way into a position of power?
A suffocating silence fell over the hall.
Xuan Hao knelt motionless, like a statue. Bibi Dong sat on the soft couch, watching him with an unpredictable expression.
One second, two seconds... one minute...
Xuan Hao remained in the same posture, even his breathing was extremely steady, as if he really intended to kneel until the end of time.
Finally, after a full three minutes of silence...
"well..."
A long sigh filled with helplessness and frustration echoed softly within the palace.
Bibi Dong rubbed her temples, and the imposing aura she possessed as the Pope finally dissipated completely, replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness.
She was completely convinced.
Using both soft and hard tactics, feigning distress, and employing sophistry, this kid has used every trick in the book.
He's a real tough nut to crack, making it impossible for you to find a way to take advantage of him.
Arguing with this kind of person will only make you angry and hurt yourself in the end.
"Alright, stop playing the victim."
Bibi Dong glared at him irritably and waved her hand, "Get up."
Xuan Hao didn't move, but slightly raised his head, blinking his big eyes tentatively, "Sister, you're not angry anymore?"
"I told you to get up!" Bibi Dong raised her voice several octaves.
"Okay!"
Xuan Hao instantly lost his composure, his previous expression of fearlessness vanished, and he nimbly scrambled to his feet, even brushing off non-existent dust from his knees, his face once again displaying that ingratiating smile.
Seeing his ever-changing expression, faster than flipping through a book, Bibi Dong was both annoyed and amused.
"Please sit down."
Bibi Dong pointed to the chair next to her and shook her head helplessly.
"What happened at the academy, although it caused quite a stir, is ultimately just a bunch of kids playing tricks, and I don't care. But I'm very curious..."
She leaned forward slightly, scrutinizing Xuan Hao with her gaze:
"You're just a kid, you have no worries about food or clothing in the Papal Palace, you have resources and status wherever you want.
Why would you suddenly think of collecting protection money?
And go to such lengths to create a peace and mutual aid association?"
"They're even willing to offend the entire academy, all for a few thousand gold soul coins?"
This was utterly incomprehensible to Bibi Dong.
Even commoner Soul Masters, once they gained talent and entered the Spirit Hall, mostly only thought about how to cultivate and become stronger.
How could anyone be so obsessed with money as him?
They're just like those old foxes who've been in the Spirit Hall for years!
They'll make as much money as they can!
Xuan Hao paused for a moment, then looked down and fiddled with his fingers, muttering softly, "I was terrified of being poor before."
"Are you terrified of poverty?"
"That's right." Xuan Hao looked up.
"Sister, you don't know how expensive things are until you're in charge of the household.
When I was out there, you had no idea how outrageous the prices were!"
"That day in town, I went into that run-down restaurant for a meal, and that heartless owner actually charged me three gold soul coins! Three!"
"At the time, all I had were thirteen gold soul coins, and a quarter of them were gone in one meal.
You can't understand the fear of being penniless, sister."
"Now that I have the opportunity, of course I have to take advantage of the chance to make... cough, make as much money as possible."
Bibi Dong was somewhat speechless: "You are now my personal disciple, and you have the best of everything.
The Spirit Hall also reimburses you when you go out. What are you saving that money for?"
"That's not necessarily true." Xuan Hao pursed his lips, his voice lowering slightly.
"There's reimbursement now, but what if one day... my sister doesn't want me anymore?"
Bibi Dong frowned: "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"How is that nonsense?" Xuan Hao said seriously, counting on his fingers.
"My sister likes me now and thinks I have good talent, so she treats me well.
But what if one day I become disobedient, or my sister finds a better disciple, or even if you just don't like me anymore and want to kick me out?"
"Then what should I do?"
"If I were kicked out of the Spirit Hall and left penniless, I'd have to beg for food and have to depend on people for a meal. I might even have to starve to death."
"Saving money now is being prepared for a rainy day.
As long as I have money in my hands, even if I get kicked out of the house one day, at least I won't starve to death on the streets."
Bibi Dong's temples throbbed with pain.
She looked at the disciple in front of her, whose little brain seemed to be filled with some kind of mush, and felt it was utterly absurd.
"What kind of things are you thinking about all day long?"
Bibi Dong was a little exasperated.
"Since I took you in and made you a promise, how could I possibly kick you out over such a trivial matter?"
"Promises are just words; take them with a grain of salt."
Xuan Hao lowered his head, his voice low and menacing, yet it pierced Bibi Dong's heart like a thorn.
"Even my own parents abandoned me, deeming me a burden and leaving me to fend for myself in the village.
In this world, who can I rely on?"
"If I can't even rely on my blood relatives, who else in this world can I count on?"
"I dare not rely on anyone."
"Bang!"
Bibi Dong slammed her hand on the armrest, a flash of anger in her eyes, her voice turning icy: "Xuan Hao! Are you questioning me?
Saying such things to my face, are you comparing me to those who abandoned you?"
However, faced with Bibi Dong's anger, Xuan Hao did not immediately kneel down and admit his mistake as he had done before.
He sat in the chair with his feet dangling in mid-air, but his eyes stubbornly refused to avoid Bibi Dong's gaze.
"Sister, this is not a question. I have understood a principle since I was very young: in this world, the only person I can rely on is myself."
"Mountains may crumble, and people may run away."
"If I place all my hopes on others and rely on their kindness and goodwill to get by, what if... even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, they don't want me anymore?"
"What if one day you really don't want me anymore, or something happens to you and you can't protect me anymore... does that mean I have to give up on life?"
"I don't want to be the kind of useless person who can't live without someone.
Is it wrong to have a backup plan for myself?"
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