A Pitiful Little Girl! Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan Awakening Ceremony

Brother?

Yu Xiaoheng was slightly taken aback when he heard that.

He had investigated before. Bibi Dong should have been a year older than both Yu Xiaogang and himself.

Still, it did not matter.

That one word, "Brother," instead brought them closer.

Seeing the lingering timidity in Bibi Dong's eyes, he softened his tone.

"Where are you from? Why are you alone here in the Back Mountain?"

He paused, then added,

"It's so late. Do you want me to take you back and find your parents?"

Parents?

At those two words, Bibi Dong's body suddenly trembled. A Trace of Light that had just appeared in her eyes was swallowed by fear.

Yu Xiaoheng understood when he saw her reaction.

On the surface, he was comforting her gently.

In reality, it was still a tactic.

But when dealing with a little girl who had never seen much of the world and was even somewhat pitiful, elaborate rhetoric was unnecessary.

A piece of candy and a gentle greeting were worth far more than a thousand words.

First, max out her favorability and build trust.

As for what came later, he could take it slowly.

Yu Xiaoheng buried his calculations in his heart.

He took the initiative to speak, breaking the girl's tension.

"My name is Yu Xiaoheng. What about you?"

The girl raised her head. Her purple eyes looked at him timidly, her lips moving before she finally made a faint sound after a long while.

"I... I'm Bibi Dong."

"Bibi Dong?" Yu Xiaoheng nodded, as though committing the name to memory. "That's a lovely name."

He asked again, "Where is your home? Why did you come here alone?"

At the mention of "home," Bibi Dong's gaze dimmed again.

She stammered, "I... I came from Teacher's place... the Qian Family..."

The instant she said the words "Qian Family," she seemed to recall something terrifying and violently shook her head.

"I don't want to go back!"

Her voice was soft, yet filled with resolve.

But after saying it, she fell into a new dilemma.

Her Small Face was full of distress as her two index fingers unconsciously poked against each other.

"But... I heard the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was holding a Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony today. It's supposed to be lively... I wanted to have a look..."

She secretly glanced at Yu Xiaoheng, lowering her voice even further.

"But I'm scared... scared that Teacher's people will find me."

She wanted to see the excitement, yet feared being caught.

A little girl's thoughts were simple and obvious at a glance.

Seeing her caught between hesitation and desire, Yu Xiaoheng's heart stirred.

Well, there was his opportunity.

"I'm from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," he said.

Bibi Dong's eyes flew wide open.

Yu Xiaoheng then offered up the irresistible temptation.

"I know a secret passage that can bypass everyone and lead straight to the back of the Martial Arts Arena stands."

"From there, no one will notice you."

"!!!"

Delight instantly bloomed across Bibi Dong's face. She looked as though she had received the most precious treasure in the world.

"Really, Brother Xiaoheng?"

She excitedly stepped forward, nearly jumping up.

"Of course." Yu Xiaoheng turned around. "Follow me."

One after the other, they passed through a dense bamboo grove and arrived before an unremarkable cliff face.

Yu Xiaoheng pushed aside the Entanglement of vines, revealing a pitch-black opening only wide enough for one person to pass through.

The tunnel was dark and damp. Wind blew out from within, carrying the earthy stench of soil.

Without the slightest hesitation, Bibi Dong followed closely behind Yu Xiaoheng and crawled inside.

The passage was very dark, with only their footsteps echoing through the empty space.

Bibi Dong had been nervous at first, but unprecedented novelty and excitement quickly filled her heart.

She could not help letting out a tiny cheer.

"Wow! This place is amazing!"

"Shh." Yu Xiaoheng looked back, pressing his index finger to his lips. "Keep your voice down, or someone will hear us."

His voice was not loud, but Bibi Dong's entire body stiffened.

She immediately covered her mouth with both hands, her large eyes filled with apology and panic.

"S-Sorry, Brother."

She lowered her head, looking like an obedient child waiting to be punished for making a mistake.

Yu Xiaoheng was stunned.

That reaction was a little too much.

He had only reminded her. Why did she act as if he were about to hit her?

When Bibi Dong saw that he said nothing, she secretly looked up to gauge his expression. Her body was tense, as though she feared he might suddenly get angry, hit her, or scold her.

Yu Xiaoheng's heart stirred, and he could not help asking,

"Why... are you so afraid?"

Bibi Dong answered softly, her voice carrying a trace of grievance.

"I... I've never gone out to play before."

"Teacher taught me that I must always remain demure and quiet. I can't make loud noises or lose my manners..."

Her words came haltingly, yet they allowed Yu Xiaoheng to piece together a rough picture.

From the moment Bibi Dong had been adopted by the Qian Family, she had been locked in an invisible cage.

Her world contained only tedious etiquette lessons and endless cultivation.

There was no reward for doing things right. If she did something wrong, she faced harsh punishment.

She was like a carefully raised canary, her feathers beautiful, yet she had never seen the real sky.

Yu Xiaoheng fell silent.

Indeed, the future Bibi Dong would be ruthless and vicious, an enemy of the entire continent.

But the one standing before him now was only a little girl who had never known warmth, who would feel afraid even laughing loudly.

Just like Yu Xiaogang. No matter how horribly fanfiction from his previous life portrayed him, after truly getting along with him as his elder brother, Yu Xiaoheng felt that their brotherly bond was not false.

People could change.

The Bibi Dong before him was still far from the future Pope.

She was only an uncut jade, carved by Qian Xunji through the most extreme and twisted methods.

The aversion Yu Xiaoheng had felt because of memories from his previous life dissipated considerably at that moment.

He stopped walking and turned around.

In the dim tunnel light, he looked at the girl before him, who was slightly taller than him yet as thin and frail as a bean sprout.

He reached out and gently placed his hand atop her head again.

"It's alright."

Yu Xiaoheng's voice was gentle.

"Here, you can laugh if you want to laugh, and shout if you want to shout."

"With me here, no one will punish you."

Bibi Dong suddenly raised her head.

Her eyes gradually reddened.

Yet her eyes slowly began to brighten.

At the end of the tunnel was a blinding expanse of light.

A wave of clamorous noise rushed toward them.

They had arrived at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Martial Arts Arena.

The two of them were hidden in the shadows behind the stands. Through gaps in the wooden structure, they could see everything below.

At the center of the Martial Arts Arena, beneath the enormous Dragon Pattern Stone Tablet, Sect Disciples stood in a long line and stepped forward one by one.

"Next, Yu Chengxin!"

At the Deacon Elder's loud shout, a young man with an arrogant expression stepped forward and placed his hand on the stone tablet.

Bzzzz—!

The stone tablet blazed with light. A lifelike phantom of a blue lightning dragon shot into the sky, and a Dragon Roar resounded in every direction.