Would You Do Me a Favor and Have a Meal Together?

"This was all thanks to your excellent teaching."

Xia Tianling added a bit of flattery, making Bibi Dong cover her mouth and laugh.

"You little rascal, you certainly know how to talk. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a gift." Bibi Dong sat up and rummaged through her Storage Soul Tool. "Go on, what do you want? A spirit bone? A Soul Tool? Precious metals?"

Xia Tianling scratched his head and clenched a fist inwardly.

Heh, I was just wondering how to bring it up. What perfect timing.

"Teacher, I'll say it, but you have to promise not to get angry."

"Angry? Why would I be angry? I promise. Hurry up and tell me." Clearly, Bibi Dong had yet to realize that whenever someone made such a request, she would definitely be angry afterward.

"I want... you to have a meal with Sister Xue. The day after tomorrow is her birthday." Xia Tianling took a deep breath and said it, already prepared to weather a storm.

Crack, crack!

The exquisite crystal glass was crushed to pieces, and ruby-red wine continuously ran down the white tablecloth.

Bibi Dong, who had just been somewhat pleased, immediately darkened and snapped in a low voice.

"No!"

"Teacher, Teacher! You just promised me you wouldn't get angry!" Xia Tianling hurriedly said as he activated Mind Interference. "Why exactly do you dislike Sister Xue?"

If he was putting on an act, he had to see it through. In theory, he should not have known about this yet—at least, Bibi Dong believed he did not.

"I said no means no! Pick something else!"

Bibi Dong's expression was as cold as frost. The crystal glass in her hand had completely turned to powder, scattering across the table with a patter.

At that moment, she forcibly restrained the urge to explode, her voice filled with unquestionable authority.

"To earn your approval, Sister Xue went to the Heavenly Dou Empire's royal family at the age of six to carry out an undercover mission. After the crown prince died, she personally took his place, treading on thin ice every day, as though walking along a blade's edge. If she were discovered, she would face utter catastrophe."

"She has always believed that you dislike her because she isn't working hard enough, isn't—"

"Enough! Shut up!" Bibi Dong could no longer suppress the fury in her heart and smashed the table before her to pieces with one palm.

Yet Xia Tianling acted as though he had not seen it at all. He immediately invested several times more Fate Power, pushing Mind Interference to full power.

"To be honest, I really envy Sister Xue. I envy her for having a mother and a grandfather. Even if you don't like her that much, she still has them."

"And me, I have nothing. Although Grandpa Jack treats me like his own grandson, how could that compare to having blood-related parents?"

What he said was half true, half false. In his previous life, he had been an orphan and truly had never experienced the companionship of family. However, he had friends and Division Commanders.

In this life, he had Old Jack as a grandfather. He had long since come to terms with the absence of parental affection.

Still, supported by his actor-level performance skills—obtained by making a wish to the system—two streams of tears rolled down his face. Even Bibi Dong was slightly moved by the sight, and her emotions eased somewhat.

That settled it. No matter how powerful a woman was, she was still emotional.

"Little Xue... she... I'm not..."

Bibi Dong found herself unable to speak. Her feelings toward Qian Renxue were immensely complicated. On one hand, this was her biological daughter. On the other hand, whenever she saw her daughter, she was reminded of that beast Qian Xunji.

It would be a lie to say she could not empathize. Bibi Dong had also lost both parents at a young age, so how could she fail to understand what Xia Tianling was saying?

"I know you must have your own difficulties, something you can't bring yourself to say. If there weren't some reason, what mother wouldn't love her own child?" Xia Tianling struck while the iron was hot and invested a little more Fate Power.

Having read the plot, he naturally knew what Bibi Dong was conflicted over. She resented Qian Xunji and Qian Daoliu, father and son, and consequently felt deeply conflicted over Qian Renxue, the "bitter fruit." At the same time, the pride in her heart would not allow her to lower her head.

"But at the very least, you can show her through your actions that you are her mother, that you acknowledge her."

Bibi Dong's attitude had already softened somewhat. His companionship and guidance over the past year, combined with the effects of Mind Interference, had indeed worked.

With Bibi Dong's attitude changing, this matter was basically settled. As the saying went, the beginning was always the hardest. Once the biggest hurdle had been cleared, everything afterward would be easier.

"Teacher, you really don't need to do or say anything. You just need to show up, and the three of us can sit down and have a meal. Is that alright?" Xia Tianling delivered the final blow.

"I guarantee that meal will only be you, me, and Sister Xue. I'll arrange everything myself, and no one else will know."

Isn't it because you have your pride? Because you can't save face in front of others?

Fine, that's no problem.

I'll arrange a private 'gathering.'

There will be no one else, not even Qian Daoliu. You won't have to say or do anything, and I'm not asking you to accept Qian Renxue as your daughter right away. It'll simply be a birthday dinner together.

"..."

Bibi Dong fell silent, staring blankly at the mess she had just smashed apart.

Xia Tianling only felt a tremendous force press in from all sides, pushing him out of the dining hall as the two doors slammed shut.

He hesitated outside the tightly closed doors for a moment, wondering whether he should push them open and try persuading Bibi Dong once more.

This opportunity was especially rare. Who knew when he would find another such opening in the future?

"The day after tomorrow, at seven in the evening. I'll only eat one meal and won't do anything else. If anyone else is there, don't blame me for turning hostile."

"Got it, Teacher!"

Xia Tianling was overjoyed. He had thought the whole matter had fallen through, only for things to suddenly take a turn.

A woman as tsundere as a cat.

Having settled an important matter, Xia Tianling felt much more at ease as he wandered leisurely along.

When he returned to his residence, Ma Hongjun had already gone home. Oscar was the only one in the room, meditating.

It was currently the academy's holiday, and Little Fatty could no longer wait to show off his cultivation achievements to the people in his village.

How did that saying go again? If wealth and status were not displayed back home, it was like walking through the night in splendid clothes.

With Little Fatty's personality, he naturally had to go back and flaunt himself.

Compared to the lazy Oscar from the Original Work, the current Oscar cultivated extremely diligently, desperately tempering his body every day.

He had now broken through to Rank 21 and obtained a second spirit ring nearly a thousand years old.

His spirit skill was still the familiar Detoxifying Small Sausage. However, due to the powerful spirit ring lifespan, the Detoxifying Great Sausage produced by it was far more effective than in the Original Work!

Oscar had been a slacker in the Original Work because no matter how hard he cultivated, he would only ever be a support-type Spirit Master. But now, cultivation could genuinely make him stronger!

After the Continental Elite Spirit Master Tournament in the original timeline, Oscar had cultivated desperately in order to gain Ning Fengzhi's approval and marry Ning Rongrong. His cultivation shot upward at a tremendous pace.

Now, with the assistance of the Martial Golden Body, his cultivation rose even faster!

One had to know that among the Shrek Seven Devils, Oscar had originally possessed the greatest talent. Even Tang San, the protagonist, was far inferior to him and had needed to personally seek out a god's inheritance.

But Oscar was incredible. The moment he broke through to become a Titled Douluo, a divine position came looking for him by following his aura. It even gave his wife a divine position along with his own.

What the hell was called genius?

Tactical lean-back.jpg

Oscar now had a well-proportioned body of toned muscles, with explosive strength hidden beneath his simple cloth clothes. Having nearly cultivated the Martial Golden Body to its first stage—the Immaculate Body—even when facing a Beast Spirit Battle Spirit Master of the same rank, Oscar could still defeat them through the sheer power of his body.

With such a powerful physique supporting him, even the martial techniques and movement techniques that came with the Martial Golden Body could unleash tremendous power.

Ahem, though the included martial techniques were not weak either.

Vajra Tiger Subduing Fist, Great Strength Vajra Leg, Buddha's Palm, Flying Catkins Movement Technique, and other familiar martial arts moves from his previous life were all included within the Martial Golden Body.

In a civilization where martial arts flourished, these techniques were merely used to lay foundations and train the body. But in the Douluo world... sorry, that was simply a Dimensional Strike.

Wasn't the Mysterious Heaven Skill still usable even after cultivating it to God King level? The Martial Golden Body was an existence even stronger than the Mysterious Heaven Skill!