Friendship

Xu Huanhuan turned to the other three. "Are you guys weird?"

Gu Xiaoman adjusted her glasses, her tone as calm as ever. "It's not my fault, I've analyzed it rationally."

"Xiao Xue isn't trying to intimidate us with her identity as a member of the Spirit Hall; quite the opposite, she doesn't want to use that identity to get to know us."

"If she wanted to show off, she should have revealed the Eight-Winged Angel on day one, but she didn't."

"She was willing to pretend to be Lin Xue just so she could be our ordinary friend."

Chu Xuan nodded. "I agree."

"Me too," Su Jin raised her hand.

Xu Huanhuan turned back to look at Qian Renxue and shrugged. "See, they don't blame her."

She paused, her playful expression fading. "Besides, Xiao Xue, we weren't there for you when you were going through the toughest time."

"We weren't there for you when your father had that accident."

"If anyone should say sorry, it should be us."

When Qian Xunji died, everyone in Spirit City saw it.

Everyone knows who Qian Xunji's daughter is.

Qian Renxue shook her head. "It's better that you're not here. At least everyone is safe now that you're not here."

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

The girls exchanged glances.

Xu Huanhuan spoke first, explaining rapidly.

When the Black Mist arrived, Flender and Liu Erlong sensed something was wrong. They then received a city-wide warning from the Spirit Hall and immediately decided to take all the students to hide in the academy's underground safe area.

That basement was built with funds from the Spirit Hall, and it's finally come in handy.

They stayed underground for a whole day; the explosions outside could be heard even underground, and the whole earth was shaking.

They were unaware that Lin Xue had been taken to the Worship Hall by Flender; they only knew that Lin Xue had disappeared.

Chu Xuan was the first to panic and ran to find the homeroom teacher and Flender to ask them to go out and look for her.

Flender refused to reveal Lin Xue's whereabouts or let them out.

"Xuanxuan had an argument with the Dean at the time."

"Xuanxuan said, 'There's a war going on outside, and we're hiding here waiting for others to protect us. What kind of Soul Master are we?' So I went up and said the same thing."

Xu Huanhuan said, a hint of smugness on her face, "I mean, are we just supposed to sit here and do nothing, waiting for others to risk their lives to protect us? Would we still be considered Soul Master then?" This remark resonated with many of her classmates.

"Yes, Dean Flender thought about it for a long time before finally agreeing to let us students, excluding freshmen, go out to assist Spirit City in defending the West Gate."

After thinking for a moment, Qian Renxue said, "I think that in addition to being moved by you, the Dean also clearly realizes that students will have to face real battles and even wars sooner or later. Rather than letting everyone tremble in the basement, it is better to let everyone experience a real trial within a controllable range."

"The important thing is that you're all alright."

"Yes, the Dean is very nice."

"Xiao Xue, how old are you?"

They looked at the girl who was half a head shorter than them; she could never be their age.

I'm three years younger than you.

Su Jin said, "Three years old, looks like I'll have to call you 'little sister' now."

"You can call me whatever you want."

Chu Xuan sighed, "What makes me even more jealous is that Xiao Xue is younger than us, yet stronger."

Gu Xiaoman patted her on the shoulder, "No need to compare yourself to Xiao Xue, she's a monster."

Upon hearing this, the girls laughed.

At this moment, Qian Renxue's mood improved somewhat.

At this moment, Xu Huanhuan asked softly, "Are you going back with your mother? You have to stay with your father, right?"

"But you..."

Chu Xuan interrupted her, "We still have work to do."

"The wounded haven't all been transferred from the East Gate area yet, and the medical team is short-staffed. We're here to help."

"Go back and look after your dad. Don't worry about things here. We'll come find you after we're done."

Xu Huanhuan patted Qian Renxue on the shoulder and grinned, "Alright, go on. When your dad wakes up, remember to tell him that his daughter's friends are no pushovers."

"Yes, we're still friends, right?"

The four people looked at each other and said in unison, "Of course."

Bibi Dong carried Qian Xunji through the corridor of the Pope Palace.

The Asura God Armor peeled off her body piece by piece, turning into blood-red specks of light with each step she took.

The door to the bedchamber was pushed open, and the room remained exactly as it had been when they left.

On the bedside table lay the unfinished blueprints for the Soul Tool that Qian Xunji hadn't finished reading. The tea in the teacup had long since gone cold, and the curtains were half-drawn, allowing sunlight to filter in through the gaps.

Bibi Dong gently placed Qian Xunji on the bed and reached out to untie his blood-soaked Pope Robe.

The robe was stiff, with scabs stuck to the fabric, and she carefully peeled it off bit by bit.

Her hand stopped when the robe had slipped down to her chest.

The hole piercing through the heart was horrifying, but the edges of the wound were emitting a golden glow.

The healing effects of the Light Torso Bone are gradually repairing the damaged heart.

Bibi Dong got up, fetched some warm water, wrung out a towel, and began to wipe Qian Xunji's body.

She wiped very carefully, starting from her face and wiping down her collarbone, even cleaning away the dried blood between her fingers bit by bit.

"Do you remember?"

"Ten years ago, you wiped my body like this too."

I had just given birth to Xiao Xue then, and it wasn't convenient for me to take a bath. I was quite embarrassed at the time.

While talking to Qian Xunji, Bibi Dong finished wiping his body, then found some clean gauze and wrapped it around the wound on his chest.

"You're always like this."

She tucked the end of the gauze in and continued, "Even when there was danger, she rushed to the front."

"You promised Xiao Xue you'd come back safely, but you lied to her again."

"You said you'd put down your work and take us on a tour of the entire continent once the Dark Turmoil were over. If you dare break your promise, Xue'er and I will not let you get away with it."

As she spoke, she lowered her head and buried her face in his palm.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open.

Qian Renxue stood at the door, looked at Qian Xunji was unconscious on the bed, and then at Bibi Dong who was sitting by the bed.

"Mom, can Dad come back to life?"

"The Divine Light Power within him has not dissipated; it is currently repairing his heart. Once he is fully repaired, he may be able to revive through the Divine Position of the God of Light."

Qian Renxue sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to hold Qian Xunji's fingers.

The mother and daughter stood guard on either side of each other.

Bibi Dong stood up, took a sip of water, and then turned to look at Qian Renxue.

"Xiao Xue." Bibi Dong reached out and pulled Qian Renxue into her arms. "Were you frightened?"

Qian Renxue leaned against her mother's chest and shook her head. "No."

"I was terrified when my dad was stabbed through."

"But I wasn't afraid anymore after Mom came."