There Was a Crooked Neck Tree in the Back Mountain Secret Chamber

His heart was filled with a tumult of emotions.

After more than four years as her disciple, only now did he truly recognize the wisdom of this teacher. So this had always been my strength...

Having lived two lives and been loaded with cheats, I still underestimated the heroes of the world. I always thought you... My respects, truly, my respects!

Lin Hai sighed inwardly and set aside the last trace of his pride.

Bibi Dong continued her analysis:

"Of the remaining three rings, two are life-saving divine skills, and one is the Healing Saint Art."

"If you intended to remain peacefully in Spirit City, Flame Water Jade's healing power would undoubtedly be your first choice, solely to keep those around you safe from misfortune."

"But you—" Her gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing straight into Lin Hai's heart.

"—chose the life-saving Floating and Sinking Pearls instead... Isn't that enough to explain it?"

The faint melancholy Lin Hai felt over the impending parting was diluted somewhat by his teacher's astonishing insight, replaced instead by growing interest.

"Since Teacher has already guessed so much."

A smile curled across his lips, and his eyes shone brightly.

"Then why not guess why I chose the Floating and Sinking Pearls rather than the Inkstone of No Return?"

The corners of Bibi Dong's lips rose slightly, tracing an arc of knowing confidence.

"You never slack off in cultivation, but neither are you one to train yourself to the bitter extreme."

"You act with moderation, never scrambling for temporary gains."

"Rather than expend a great deal of Soul Power to rush from place to place, you would prefer to plan ahead, ride in a carriage, and leisurely take in the scenery along the way."

"Compared with the Inkstone of No Return's advantage in speed, its practicality falls somewhat short before the vast profundity of the Floating and Sinking Pearls' 'all things follow nature, Heaven and Earth lend their strength.'"

The smile in Lin Hai's eyes deepened, and he said no more.

He stepped forward and opened his arms. With an unprecedented impulse and attachment, he hugged Bibi Dong tightly.

Not yet eleven, the boy's bare height reached only her slender neck. And Bibi Dong wore those Sky-High Heels that "enhanced her oppressive presence" all year round.

At that moment, Lin Hai's embrace was like a bird returning to the forest. With her delicate body in his arms, Bibi Dong instinctively bent down.

His cheek lightly pressed against the hollow of her neck, and that familiar, soothing fragrance instantly wrapped around him with gentle warmth.

He rested quietly against her, his forehead pressed to her shoulder, as though a drifting boat had finally found a tranquil harbor. Time seemed to stretch endlessly in that moment.

Bibi Dong's body suddenly stiffened.

After her initial shock, as his warm breath brushed against the skin of her neck and the boy's unmistakably dependent posture reached her...

An indescribable rush of heat surged up her cheeks, like boiling water, instantly flushing her face red and spreading all the way to the roots of her delicate ears.

Her breathing quickened involuntarily. It was as if something soft had lightly struck her heart, sending ripples through it. She could not tell whether it was sudden helplessness, a trace of panic, or some deeper, stranger fluttering.

She wanted to sternly rebuke this "rebellious disciple" and reclaim the Pope's inviolable majesty, but the words of reprimand rose to her tongue several times before silently dissipating. Not even half a syllable escaped.

Within the vast and solemn Pope's Palace, time passed second by second.

This master and disciple, bound by such unusual identities, maintained this special first embrace for a full ten minutes.

The air seemed frozen, leaving only their disorderly heartbeats and restrained breathing.

At last, Lin Hai's muffled voice sounded, carrying a strange solemnity beyond his years.

"Bibi Dong..."

The mere call of her name made Bibi Dong's heart skip a beat!

He... he actually called me by my name?! How dare he?! Intense shock mixed with indescribably complicated emotions swept over her.

"...All these years," Lin Hai's voice became clear, carrying unquestionable sincerity, "you have been the one who understands me best."

Those words were like a heavy hammer crashing viciously into Bibi Dong's heart.

The first half instantly stirred an indescribable sense of loss within her, along with a grievance she could neither name nor explain—he had actually called her by name!

But the second half, those words, "the one who understands me best," were like a warm current that instantly washed away that loss. They brought a trembling sense of being acknowledged, making the tip of her heart quiver.

These two utterly opposing emotions clashed fiercely within her, leaving her almost unable to think.

Flustered, she turned her head, trying to escape the overly scorching atmosphere, only for her gaze to unexpectedly collide with Lin Hai's raised eyes.

That look again!

Just like more than two years ago, remorse, regret, and that heart-wrenching... longing for something unattainable churned within those deep eyes!

No, that was not right! Bibi Dong's heart clenched sharply.

This time, the confusion and hesitation of the past were gone from his eyes. In their place was a rock-solid determination unlike anything she had ever seen!

It seemed to proclaim an unwavering resolve, one that she dared not ponder too deeply, nor dared continue looking at.

Today's Lin Hai felt so unfamiliar that it alarmed her, and tormented her all the more.

He seemed to truly no longer be that little disciple who needed her constant care...

Lin Hai keenly caught Bibi Dong's unease. Had he been too direct?

Everything he had said came straight from his heart. Bibi Dong truly was the person who understood him best across the cycles of his two lives.

Before setting out on his journey, he merely wanted to break through the established barrier between master and disciple and leave a different kind of mark in her heart.

Once he departed, his return date would be uncertain. By the time they met again, he would surely be a different person.

It would be good to prepare her mentally first...

When the day came for his return, it would be the day the rebellious disciple claimed his master.

With that thought, he gently released his arms and stepped back half a pace.

The uniquely youthful, slightly cunning smile returned to his face, dispersing the overly grave mood from before.

"Teacher, your guess was 'completely right.' I really do plan to go out and see the world beyond Spirit City. When I come back, I'll bring you a gift, all right?"

Bibi Dong stared intently at him, her deep violet eyes seeming to want to see through his entire being and brand him into the depths of her soul.

She was not scrutinizing him. She was trying with all her might to calm the turbulent chaos within her heart.

Without exaggeration, she had never heard words like these in her life.

That tone did not sound like a disciple making a promise to his teacher. It sounded more like a man coaxing the girl he loved, even... with the indulgent affection of coaxing his own little daughter.

Countless emotions clogged her chest, ultimately transforming only with difficulty into a threatening yet utterly unthreatening sentence.

"If... if I don't like the gift you bring back..."

Her voice was a little tight as she forced herself to maintain the Pope's bearing.

"I'll hang you from that Crooked Neck Tree in the Back Mountain Secret Chamber... no, the Back Mountain, and give you a proper 'welcoming'!"

Lin Hai froze for a moment, then could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

Bibi Dong's reaction was far too different from her usual self—awkward yet adorable. In that instant, he caught a glimpse of the vivid person she had been before Destiny had completely twisted her.

Yu Xiaogang, Yu Xiaogang, just you wait...