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Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was thick with a playful tension. Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling turned toward Su Yan, their eyes twinkling with half-smiles. Dugu Yan leaned forward and asked him directly if he thought Hu Liena was beautiful.
She remarked that it was no wonder the girl was called a Little Fox before, as she truly acted like a seductress with that pitiful photo. Su Yan, however, did not take the bait. He looked at them with an earnest expression and asked if they really thought he was such a shallow person. He questioned how she could even think to use her beauty to gain sympathy from him.
Su Yan then turned his attention back to the group chat, typing with a tone of mock indignation. He called the situation preposterous and asked Hu Liena how she could use such a tactic to test a dedicated person like him. He joked by asking which man could actually withstand such a test of character.
Then, with a digital sigh, he gave in. He told the group that since Hu Liena had pleaded so hard, he would give her face. He announced that he would lift the confinement early this time, but he warned that there would be no leniency if there was a next time.
A notification flashed across everyone's screen, stating that Su Yan had lifted Bibi Dong's confinement in the small dark room. Ning Rongrong, the Seven Treasures Little Princess, burst out laughing in the chat. Xiao Wu, using the name Loves Eating Carrots, teased Su Yan, asking if he could be a little more resolute and strong-willed. The member known as I Am an Orphan laughed as well, telling Hu Liena that she was a very good judge of character for knowing exactly how to sway Su Yan.
Liu Erlong sent a message welcoming the Old Woman back to the conversation. Hu Liena quickly sent a message of thanks to Su Yan, promising that she would thank him properly the next time they met in person. Dugu Yan, as Yanzi is not a Swallow, joked that Hu Liena was trying to have her cake and eat it too.
At the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the mood was much more relieved. Bibi Dong looked at her jade mirror as the screen regained its vibrant color. she let out a long, heavy sigh. She whispered to herself that she had never been inferior to anyone in her entire life.
She felt frustrated that even after becoming the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, she was still being restricted and controlled by others in this group chat. Hu Liena looked at her teacher with a helpless expression and advised her to be more careful in the future.
She reminded Bibi Dong that she had already used up her favors by pleading with Zhu Zhuqing and now Su Yan. She warned her teacher that if there was a next time, she might not have any face or influence left to help. Bibi Dong's expression turned strange at that. She wondered if Hu Liena should just work harder to become a group administrator herself so she could cover for her teacher more effectively.
With Bibi Dong back in the chat, the focus shifted. It was now Bo Saixi's turn to feel unhappy. She knew that the dreaded gossip session was about to begin. She tried to deflect the attention by sending a message as Group Member Number Thirteen. She claimed that she was actually a Divinity from the God Realm who had heard of Sea God Island. She argued that since it was just a legacy site left by the Sea God, there was nothing interesting to talk about.
Bibi Dong was quick to counter her. She agreed that there might be nothing special about the island itself, but she pointed out that what everyone really wanted to hear was not about the geography. Liu Erlong jumped in to agree, and Dugu Yan finished the thought by saying they wanted to hear about the love triangle. Ning Rongrong specified the details, saying they wanted the story of the three legendary powerhouses: Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, and Bo Saixi. Member Number Nine cheered, saying that great minds think alike.
When the member I Am an Orphan sent only an ellipsis, Tang Yuehua teased them. She asked why the orphan was being so unsociable and jokingly asked if they might actually be Bo Saixi. Bibi Dong joined in, asking Number Thirteen to confirm if she was the Great Priestess herself. On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi was incredibly annoyed. She felt like she was being cornered. She wondered if these people had any real work to do or if they just spent all their time waiting for gossip. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her resolve. She reminded herself that as the Great Priestess, she had seen everything in the last hundred years and would never break down or reveal her identity.
However, Su Yan soon sent a message that shattered her calm. He noted that since everyone was thinking the same thing, they should go ahead and talk about Sea God Island and Bo Saixi's story. Dugu Yan and the others immediately started spamming the word gossip in the chat. Only Bo Saixi, as Number Thirteen, stayed silent. This silence was immediately noticed. Member Number Nine asked why she wasn't joining in, and Xiao Wu suggested that something was definitely wrong. Liu Erlong even suggested that she might be Bo Saixi herself.
Bo Saixi felt like she was being pushed to the edge. She was furious that they were eating up her gossip and then demanding she participate in it. In a fit of rage and frustration, she spammed the word gossip nine times in a row. Ah Yin immediately pointed out that this reaction seemed like it came from a place of shame and anger.
Tang Yuehua and Bibi Dong both agreed with Ah Yin's intuition. Bo Saixi felt like she wanted to vomit. She couldn't win. If she didn't spam, there was a problem; if she did, there was still a problem. She wondered how Ah Yin, the supposedly kind Blue Silver Emperor, could be so rude to her.
Zhu Zhuqing, the Cat in the Shadows, then provided a logical analysis. She stated that based on the psychological resistance and previous behavior of Number Thirteen, she was ninety percent certain that the member was Bo Saixi. Bibi Dong, feeling empowered after reviewing the chat history, decided to step in and finish the job of exposing her.
She listed three points of evidence. First, Number Thirteen was clearly not on the mainland. Second, she was extremely resistant to talking about Sea God Island, which proved she was from there. Third, if she weren't Bo Saixi, she would be curious about the gossip rather than trying to stop it.
Tang Yuehua added that if someone from Spirit Hall were in the group, they would naturally be curious about gossip regarding Bibi Dong. Dugu Yan was amazed that they were conducting this gossip session right in front of the person it was about. Ning Rongrong admitted she was a step slow in reacting but praised the Supreme Pontiff for being clever. The Orphan member even gave Bibi Dong a backhanded compliment, saying that while she was love-struck and blind in some ways, she was still an enlightened ruler with a sharp mind. Bibi Dong didn't know whether to be angry or thankful for the comment.
Liu Erlong laughed and told Senior Bo Saixi not to rush to change her name until the gossip was finished. Tang Yuehua and Ah Yin both agreed. Xiao Wu joked that the three of them—who had all suffered in love—wouldn't even let Bo Saixi hold an umbrella for protection. On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi was completely frozen. She felt exposed and humiliated. She couldn't believe her identity had been found out so easily when she felt she hadn't even said anything incriminating.
In a final, desperate attempt to hide, Bo Saixi messaged the group. She told them they had guessed wrong and claimed she was actually a friend of Bo Saixi. She then lied and said her name was the Sea Maiden Douluo. One by one, Hu Liena, Liu Erlong, Tang Yuehua, and Ah Yin all sent messages saying they believed her, but the tone was clearly sarcastic. Zhu Zhuqing ended the conversation by telling Senior Bo Saixi that she was afraid the excuse of having a friend had already been used up by everyone else. The group chat erupted into a final round of laughter.