Bibi Dong: "You'd Rather Become a Live-in Son-in-Law Than Marry Me, You..."

"Nothing..."

Gu Qingbo fiercely scorned Shui Bing'er in her heart and snorted in displeasure, though it was unclear whether it was directed at Shui Bing'er or Chen Yue for turning around and leaving.

"Go on, go on. Let's hurry up and look around, or the family will come and drag us all back again!"

Skywater City was not far from the Extreme North Forest to the north. Mercenary groups made up of Soul Masters often stationed themselves here, and nightfall was also when those unstable foreign Soul Masters caused trouble.

Thus, under normal circumstances, once it got late enough, these young women from prominent families who had gone out would be brought back home.

Such things were very common.

In order to produce Soul Masters, some villages spent huge sums hiring people to specifically abduct noblewomen from major cities. They would cripple their martial souls and Soul Power, then use them as breeding machines for the entire village. Anyone who paid got a share—one child per person. Whether that child could become a Soul Master depended on one's own luck.

Of course, the Soul Masters causing trouble generally preferred remote places. Skywater City, for instance, was an excellent place to commit such crimes.

Chen Yue knew about such matters as well, because Bibi Dong had been born from just such circumstances... Of course, the final result had been that Evil Spirit Masters set their sights on these extraordinarily gifted little brats, leading to their destruction.

But at this moment,

Chen Yue had no idea that Gu Qingbo and the other girls had already quietly left the area. He walked up to a woman clad in a golden gown, her features noble and breathtakingly beautiful.

It was Bibi Dong!

She had changed out of her imposing, untouchable Pope's robes and into this gift Chen Yue had given her: a long golden dress, accompanied by a complete set of accessories. Altogether, she looked like a beauty made of gold.

"Why?"

Bibi Dong lightly bit her red lips and raised her head slightly, doing her best to keep her tears from falling.

She had actually arrived in Skywater City long ago, but after arriving, she realized that Chen Yue's speed had likely been much slower than hers. So... she had turned back to look for him, only to miss him by chance. It was not until news of the Gu Family's wedding banquet spread a few days ago that she hurried back to Skywater City.

"Because we're too weak."

Chen Yue had wanted to comfort her, but he was truly afraid that after a bit of consolation, this love-struck woman would get carried away. He could only explain it to her rationally. "You're Spirit Hall's hope now. If I marry you, I'll die. And if you try to avenge me, you'll die too."

Long ago, Qian Xunji had wanted to use Bibi Dong to bind Chen Yue, but Chen Yue had already seen through it as Qian Xunji's test. After all, he was the one who had brought Bibi Dong to Spirit Hall. If the two of them got together, Spirit Hall would likely have no place in the matter anymore.

"You..."

Looking at Chen Yue before her, Bibi Dong dearly wanted to slap this man who would rather become a live-in son-in-law than marry her, but she simply could not bring herself to raise her hand against him.

In the end, she could only snort softly. "I'll give you... I'll give you ten years. You... you must come find me in ten years!"

"Otherwise, otherwise I..."

Before she could finish, Chen Yue nodded in agreement and smiled faintly. "All right, I promise you!"

"Hmph, you heartless flirt!"

Only when she saw that Chen Yue's eyes still shone as they always had did she relax slightly. She snorted. "Remember what you said!"