The Evening Banquet

After Qian Yun and Hu Liena stood up, Bibi Dong flipped her hand, and a treasure box appeared in it as if by magic.

She handed the box to Qian Yun and said gently, "Xiao Yun, open it. There are two Soul Tools for storing things inside. They're nothing particularly valuable."

Qian Yun understood. The items in the box probably served the same purpose as Tang San's Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

He opened the elegant, antique-looking box. Two pieces of jewelry lay on the black satin inside. One was a bracelet shaped like two pink foxes facing each other, and the other was a golden gemstone that looked like a Cat's Eye Stone.

One glance was enough to leave Qian Yun stunned by Bibi Dong's generosity. The items looked priceless, even without their ability to store things in a pocket dimension.

Seeing their delighted expressions, Bibi Dong smiled. "Consider these my welcome gifts to you. I hope that from now on, you'll both work hard at your cultivation and make the most of your talents, so you can serve Spirit Hall as soon as possible!"

Qian Yun stood up straight and declared, "I won't let you down, Teacher."

"Good." A hint of satisfaction showed in Bibi Dong's eyes. Whatever their talents, Qian Yun and Hu Liena were clearly both clever. They were sure to go far.

"You've both reached Soul Power Rank 10, which means you can hunt Spirit Beasts and obtain your First Soul Ring. Have you thought about what you'd like to do?" Bibi Dong asked.

Hu Liena glanced at Qian Yun, then ventured, "My Martial Soul is a Demon Fox, which is naturally strong in spiritual power. So I plan to hunt a Spirit Beast of the same kind. That should give me the best chance of getting a Spirit Ring compatible with my attributes."

Bibi Dong nodded approvingly. "Good. The fact that you can explain your reasoning so clearly proves you've given it serious thought."

Hu Liena smiled sheepishly. She didn't know anything about this stuff. Elder Li had told her what kind of Spirit Ring to choose for her first one.

Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes shifted to Qian Yun, filled with expectation. "And what about you, Xiao Yun?"

Under her gaze, Qian Yun felt a little embarrassed. "My Martial Soul is rather unusual, so I haven't settled on anything specific. I can only narrow it down to a Spirit Ring with spiritual attributes, like Nana's."

Bibi Dong didn't seem disappointed by his answer. Instead, she praised him. "You're right. Your Crown Martial Soul is the first of its kind, but there's no denying its immense power. You shouldn't restrict yourself to a single field."

Qian Yun hadn't given it that much thought. When he'd asked Elder Li about it, the man had been just as clueless.

Having heard them out, Bibi Dong didn't waste any more of their time. "All right, Yue Guan, take them to their residence. Have them come back for dinner."

"Yes." Yue Guan accepted with a smile. He laid a hand on Qian Yun's shoulder, the sharp nail of his thumb brushing against the boy's chin.

Qian Yun's relaxed body went rigid. He cursed inwardly, but didn't dare make a fuss.

Yue Guan led them out of Pope Hall. The knights no longer watched them with the same cold stares as before.

Once outside, Qian Yun realized that from here, he could see the whole of Spirit City. As far as the eye could reach, everything belonged to Spirit City. Its buildings, orderly despite their sheer number, filled the horizon. He'd never seen the capitals of the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Cloud Empire, but in terms of prosperity, they probably couldn't compare to this colossal city sprawling across the territory of two empires.

This place was far more prosperous than Muyi City, which he'd only glimpsed in passing. It could even rival the megacities of his previous life.

They rode in a carriage some distance from Pope Hall and stopped in front of a large residence. At last, Qian Yun had reached his destination.

"Here we are. Do you little ones like the house I picked out for you?" Yue Guan turned around, wearing his signature bewitching smile.

To be honest, Qian Yun didn't like his voice. If he had a choice, he'd stay as far away from the man as possible. Still, he had to admit that Yue Guan had good taste. There was nothing wrong with the residence.

The spacious courtyard was tastefully laid out. Over the wall, Qian Yun could see a towering tree covered in golden leaves. Autumn had arrived, and as the breeze rustled through the branches, golden leaves drifted down. It was a beautiful sight.

Having delivered them, Yue Guan didn't linger. As Bibi Dong's secretary, he had to be ready to answer her summons at any time.

"This will be your home from now on. The servants will take care of your meals, clothes, and everything else. Just tell them what you need." Yue Guan gave them a few more instructions, then left.

"Phew." Qian Yun could finally relax. Yue Guan's smile never reached his eyes. He really didn't want to spend any more time with him.

"Oh, right." Qian Yun took out the box Bibi Dong had given him and held it out to Hu Liena. "Which one do you like? You can pick first."

Hu Liena didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up the pink fox bracelet and slipped it onto her fair wrist.

Night fell.

The setting sun turned the white clouds fiery red. Once it dipped below the horizon, the evening breeze turned cool. Insects and birds sang all around them, welcoming the hour that belonged to them.

At last, Hu Liena came out. After waiting for a long time, Qian Yun knew better than to say anything but, "You look pretty good."

Though he wasn't sure what looked pretty about her.

"Of course. I dressed up for the Pope." Hu Liena said, then glanced at Qian Yun. "Why are you still wearing what you had on this morning?"

Qian Yun shrugged. "What's wrong with it? I think it looks formal enough."

Golden light fell across Qian Yun's face, lending his fair skin a radiant glow. A warm breeze stirred his flowing black hair. His eyes were like spring water, or perhaps the calm surface of the sea. His striking features and golden eyes gave him an ethereal air.

Hu Liena looked away but didn't argue. "Hmph. Suit yourself."

With that, she climbed into the carriage waiting to take them to the banquet.

The two of them rode past many knights, but didn't enter Pope Hall. Instead, the carriage stopped in front of a small side hall.

Qian Yun looked up at the building and saw that it was also a long way from Pope Hall. Didn't Bibi Dong find it inconvenient to eat so far away?

Then again, it made sense. Pope Hall was where she handled official business. Even as a Titled Douluo, she couldn't be on duty twenty-four hours a day. She had to have a private life.

Led by a servant, Qian Yun and Hu Liena entered through a large door and saw that Bibi Dong had already arrived.

As soon as Qian Yun entered, he saw Bibi Dong at the head of the table, illuminated by bright candlelight. She had changed out of her formal clothes and was wearing a pale purple dress. She no longer looked like the imposing female Pope from the daytime, but rather like a beautiful, ordinary noblewoman.

Her pale purple hair was swept up high, revealing the snowy white nape of her neck. Her left hand rested lightly against her slightly rounded abdomen, and a glimpse of white showed at her chest. Her slender fingers gently swirled a glass of wine. As her red lips parted and the rich liquid passed between them, it left a glistening trace, like an apple in a witch's hand—more and more enticing in the dim candlelight.

She seemed to have been waiting for a while. When she saw them, she smiled.

Qian Yun and Hu Liena walked up with their heads bowed and apologized, "Teacher, sorry we're late."

Bibi Dong shook her head. "Don't worry. I only just arrived myself. Take your seats."

"Yes."

A servant pulled out the chairs on the right, and Qian Yun and Hu Liena sat down.

Once they were seated, Bibi Dong spoke first. "I'm glad you like the gifts I gave you. That bracelet suits you, Xiao Na."

Hu Liena was so delighted by Bibi Dong's praise that she was practically floating. "Not at all. I'm just adding a little to what was already there. You're the one who's truly beautiful by nature, Teacher."

Hu Liena had no idea what had gotten into her to make her say that. After she did, all three of them froze.

"Hehe, our Nana certainly knows how to flatter people. All right, let's have the food brought out." Bibi Dong covered her mouth as she chuckled, her bright, captivating eyes brimming with amusement.

"Hehe." Qian Yun laughed along, while inwardly sighing. These two women are both masters at this sort of thing. I'm in for a hard time dealing with them from now on.

After the food was served, Bibi Dong closed her eyes and began to pray. Qian Yun and Hu Liena followed suit. Qian Yun peeked at Bibi Dong's calm expression and found it a little amusing.

Of the three people at the table, Qian Yun was one thing, but Bibi Dong was praying to the Angel God too? She probably wanted nothing more than to grind the god's bones to dust. From the looks of it, she was just going through the motions.

A dinner hosted by Bibi Dong was bound to be lavish. The meal ended in a relaxed, cheerful atmosphere.

The servants cleared away the last plate. At last, it was time to discuss business.

Perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps the candlelight, but a faint blush had risen on Bibi Dong's cheeks.

"After you left this afternoon, I gave it some careful thought. I support Xiao Na's choice. Demon Fox Spirit Beasts are hard to find, but luckily, we received word about one just last week. I've already sent people to keep an eye on it." Bibi Dong got straight to the point.

Then she turned her gaze to Qian Yun. "As for your Martial Soul, Xiao Yun, I have to say it's very unusual. It seems that absorbing almost any kind of Spirit Ring would give it a good boost, but none would be especially outstanding. And unlike Xiao Na's Beast Martial Soul, yours can't simply absorb a Spirit Beast of the same kind."

Qian Yun nodded. His Martial Soul was a spiritual-type tool Martial Soul, so he seemed to have a wide range of choices. Yet none of them seemed like the best fit.

Bibi Dong pondered for a moment, then continued, "Taking everything into account, I'd recommend that you choose a Star-Chasing Deer. What do you think?"

"A Star-Chasing Deer?" Qian Yun repeated, somewhat bewildered. That was a name he'd never seen mentioned in the original story.