Holding Hands on a Walk

"It was spider silk."

"And not ordinary spider silk, but Bone-Eroding Poison Silk carrying both paralytic and corrosive toxins."

"He could shoot it from his fingertips. It was exceptionally tough and could be controlled with great flexibility."

"So if you sensed for the aura of a spider-type martial soul, naturally you wouldn't be able to find him."

Who would have thought that with both parents possessing spider-type martial souls, their son would mutate into a battlefield control expert specializing in threads?

Qian Xunji suddenly understood. "So that's how it was! No wonder I couldn't find him no matter how hard I searched. I'd been looking in the wrong direction."

This martial soul mutation was rather unusual. It specialized in control and poison attributes, with considerable potential.

"There's also his name," Bibi Dong continued, her gaze softening. "When he was little, our parents named him 'Bixi,' the xi from east, south, west, and north."

"But later, after we were separated, he secretly changed his name to Xi—the xi of hope."

"He said that calling himself by that name made him feel as though there was still hope of finding me."

Qian Xunji was moved. Setting down his chopsticks, he said gently, "So it was that Xi. That was a very meaningful change."

He had indeed assumed it was the xi from east, west, south, and north. He had not expected such a persistent hope to lie behind it.

"Mm. It used to be Bixi. Now it's Bibi Xi."

After talking about her younger brother, Bibi Dong's emotions calmed slightly. She poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks and said softly, "Teacher... in a couple of days, we'll be going to see my parents."

"I... I'm a little nervous."

The closer she came to home, the more timid she felt. After more than a decade apart, she longed to see them, yet feared seeing how age and suffering had weathered them. Even more, she feared that unfamiliarity might have grown between them.

Qian Xunji reached across the table and covered the back of her hand resting at its edge.

"Don't be nervous, Dong'er."

"I'm here."

It was only a simple sentence, yet it felt like a calming pill.

Bibi Dong raised her head and met his golden eyes.

That was right. Teacher was here.

Teacher was so capable; he could handle anything.

With him by her side, even the hardest things did not seem so frightening anymore.

She gently clasped his hand in return and nodded. "Mm!"

"Let's keep eating."

"Alright."

Halfway through the meal, Qian Xunji remembered something else and asked, "Dong'er, have you thought about what you want for the future?"

"For example, have you ever considered taking the position of Pope?"

He wanted to hear her truest thoughts now, rather than the obsession twisted by hatred in the original story.

"Pfft—cough, cough!"

Bibi Dong immediately choked on her rice. She hurriedly covered her mouth and coughed, her face turning red.

After finally catching her breath, she stared at Qian Xunji in disbelief.

"T-Teacher, what kind of joke is that?"

"The position of Pope is yours. How could I possibly want it? Besides, I've never really wanted such a high position."

"Is that so?"

"Mm. I used to think that if I could find my family and live safely and peacefully with them, that would be enough."

"Now... now that I've become the Saintess, I still feel that being with the people important to me and living an ordinary, peaceful life is the greatest happiness."

As she said this, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Qian Xunji, and the tips of her ears reddened slightly.

People important to her...

Qian Xunji understood at once. Just as he had expected.

In the original story, Bibi Dong's desire for power had been rooted in pain and revenge.

But now, she had been well protected, and the family affection she had lost for more than a decade had been regained.

Therefore, she had no interest whatsoever in the position of Pope. She only wanted to protect her own little happiness.

"That's good too."

Qian Xunji nodded and did not continue the topic.

As long as she was by his side, what did it matter whether she was the Saintess or an ordinary person?

"After we finish eating, shall we take a walk? The moonlight should be nice tonight."

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded. "Sure! I don't have anything to do anyway."

Just thinking about taking a walk alone with Teacher made her happy.

Dinner ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

The maid who cleared the dishes quietly withdrew.

After finishing their meal, the two left the Pope Palace.

Moonlight flowed like water as Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong strolled slowly along the bluestone paths of Spirit City, their shadows overlapping.

Their hands had naturally been linked from the moment their walk began, and they had not let go since. From time to time, they spoke softly to each other.

Not far away, two pairs of bright eyes watched the scene intently.

Bibi Xi hid behind them and lowered his voice as he said to Ling Yuan beside him, "Miss Ling Yuan, my sister and the Pope really are together. They're holding hands so tightly!"

Though he had seen his sister's intimacy with the Pope during the day, witnessing the two naturally holding hands like this in an empty place was still quite a shock.

Ling Yuan crossed her arms, looking completely calm. "Of course they are. How many times did I tell you? You just refused to believe it, insisting that your sister was only pining after him alone."

"Now you've seen it with your own eyes, haven't you?"

"I believe it, I believe it!" Bibi Xi nodded repeatedly, his gaze still following the pair of receding figures.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned toward Ling Yuan with burning eyes and asked, "Then... Miss Ling Yuan, what about you?"

"You're so beautiful and capable. You must be very popular in Spirit Hall, right? Do you have... a boyfriend?"

After asking, he scratched his head awkwardly.

Ling Yuan froze at the sudden question, then raised an eyebrow and snorted. "What? Conducting a background check?"

"No, I was just asking."

"This young lady is currently a proud single woman, carefree and unrestrained! What, do you look down on single people?"

She deliberately thrust out her chest, putting on an expression of being proud to be single.

"No, no, absolutely not."

Bibi Xi hurriedly waved his hands, though an oddly foolish smile appeared on his face. "Being single is good, being single is good..."

Ling Yuan felt uncomfortable all over at his strange smile. Something about the way this brat looked at her felt odd.

She lightly cleared her throat. "Alright, alright. We're done watching the gossip. Time to go back and sleep."

With that, she turned and left without waiting for Bibi Xi's response.

Watching Ling Yuan's retreating figure, Bibi Xi remained where he was, the smile on his face growing wider and wider until he nearly laughed aloud.

He clenched his fist and silently shouted in excitement, Great! She's single—I have a chance!

Then he looked around. Seeing no one nearby, he actually dropped to the ground and did thirty one-finger push-ups in one breath, huffing and puffing.

The teacher and student returned from Spirit City to the Saintess Hall where Bibi Dong lived.

They stopped before the hall's entrance.

Qian Xunji released her hand and said, "Over the next couple of days, I'll make the other receiving end of the Soul-Guided Communicator."

"With the experience from last time, this should go much more smoothly."

"Once it's finished, I'll need your help testing the communication quality to see what the maximum range and clarity are like."

At the mention of her teacher's miraculous research, Bibi Dong's eyes brightened. "Alright, Teacher. I'll make sure to test it properly."

"Mm. Then get some rest early."

"You should rest early too, Teacher. Good night."

Bibi Dong said goodbye and turned, preparing to push open the hall doors.

"Dong'er." Qian Xunji suddenly called out to her again.

"Mm?" Bibi Dong turned back and looked at him in confusion. "What is it, Teacher?"