I'd never give up!
I had to stand at the very top of the world!
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and pushed herself up from the ground again and again. Enduring the ache and weakness in her limbs, she practiced the moves Ye Tian had taught her over and over.
I can keep going!
I still have to see Brother Ye Tian again in the future. I won't let a little hardship bring me down!
Who knew how much time had passed? After she finished the entire routine one last time, Bibi Dong's mind relaxed all at once, and she fainted on the spot.
"Brother Ye Tian, I did it."
Hearing Bibi Dong's murmur, Ye Tian sighed and caught her. Aches throbbed all over his body; even moving a finger felt like too much effort.
Ye Tian called for the maids waiting outside and had them carry him back to his room.
He took out the Whale Rubber he'd bought that day, refined a thousand-year piece with Soul Power, and swallowed it whole. As he felt a faint warmth welling up inside him, his expression stayed blank.
A short while later, he had finished digesting all the Whale Rubber. Ye Tian continued repeating the process, refining and swallowing. After three rounds, he sensed that Dong'er's body had reached its limit, so he stopped. He called in the maids and asked them to help Bibi Dong wash up and change.
The moment the maids came in, he returned to the Mental Space.
The next day, when Bibi Dong woke from her sleep and felt how unfamiliar her body seemed, she hurriedly called out to Ye Tian.
"Brother Ye Tian, I feel like my body's gotten a little stronger."
"After you'd exhausted yourself yesterday, I gave you a few pieces of Whale Rubber."
"Then what about the clothes I'm wearing?" Bibi Dong's eyes shifted, and a faint blush crept over her face.
Ye Tian lightly tapped her forehead. Bibi Dong covered it and cried, "Ow!"
"Don't be silly. Your maids changed your clothes."
"Starting today, keep practicing. Five hundred repetitions a day."
"Ah~"
"Weren't you the one who said your body had gotten stronger? Of course you should practice more."
Bibi Dong looked at Ye Tian with tearful eyes, hoping to bargain. Ye Tian didn't so much as blink, and in the end, Bibi Dong was the first to cave.
Five hundred repetitions—Bibi Dong calculated that it would take her at least three hours to finish. To save time, she handed the Whale Rubber purchasing over to the steward. As long as it was high in age, he was to buy every last piece.
The steward carried out Bibi Dong's instructions perfectly. In just three days, even coastal regions tens of millions of miles away knew that someone was buying Whale Rubber in bulk.
Whale Rubber, which people had once scorned, had actually gone up in value.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei returned from a mission. All along the way, they heard the city's commoners gossiping about Spirit City's latest rumors.
"Who do you think that young master is? He's been buying Whale Rubber for almost ten days straight."
"All I can say is that young master must've been starved half to death."
"My second uncle's third wife's uncle works in the guard corps. He told me the people buying Whale Rubber are from the estate beside Spirit Hall."
Listening to the gossip, Yue Guan cheerfully chatted about it with Gui Mei.
"Old Ghost, only important figures from Spirit Hall live beside the hall. Which family's good-for-nothing do you think has made this such a public spectacle?"
"No idea."
"When we get back, I'll ask the steward. He'll definitely know. I want to get in on the gossip, too."
Yue Guan hurried back, eager to hear the details. For the first time, he didn't go straight to see his precious disciple. He searched the estate, but couldn't find the steward anywhere.
Yue Guan summoned a maid and asked, "Where did the steward go?"
"My lord, the steward went out to buy the things Miss Dong'er needs. He should be back in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
He could wait that long.
While he was at it, he'd ask Dong'er what she'd wanted him to buy. He'd also found some good medicinal herbs during his trip.
Before long, the steward returned.
Yue Guan beckoned him over and said eagerly, "Have you heard the latest gossip around Spirit City?"
"Which family's young master stirred it up?"
Yue Guan's face was alight with curiosity, and he didn't notice the odd expression on the steward's face at all.
The steward coughed a few times. Only then did Yue Guan notice his expression and ask, puzzled, "What's with that look?"
The steward figured his master was a Soul Douluo, so he must have a strong constitution. Without a word, he took a box from his storage device.
A strong, fishy stench wafted from the box.
One sniff was enough for Yue Guan to recognize the Whale Rubber inside—and there was a lot of it.
In an instant, he guessed what had happened. Clenching his fist, he glared at the steward.
"You're the one who's been buying all that Whale Rubber?"
Even Gui Mei looked at the steward in surprise. He hadn't expected a man of fifty to be able to rekindle his youthful vigor. His gaze drifted down to the steward's waist.
He wondered how strong the old fellow's kidneys were to digest so much Whale Rubber.
Yue Guan's fist was just about to land when the steward shouted at the top of his lungs, faster than he'd ever spoken in his life, "Miss Dong'er asked me to buy it!"
The force of Yue Guan's punch pressed the steward's clothes tight against his body. He waited a moment, feeling no pain, then cautiously opened his eyes. Seeing the fist only a few hairs' breadth away, he let out a long breath.
Yue Guan turned his fist into a grab and made the steward look him in the eye.
"Tell me everything that's happened at home lately, from beginning to end!"
"My lord, before you left a few days ago, you told me to accompany Miss Dong'er while she went shopping."
"Miss Dong'er went specifically to buy Whale Rubber that time. On the way back, she ran into three bandits. She fought all three Soul Elders alone and captured them without a scratch!"
At the second half of the steward's report, Yue Guan's furrowed brow immediately relaxed. He shot Gui Mei a look.
See? My disciple's amazing, right?
"Go on."
The steward told him the rest. Yue Guan's anger faded, and a thoughtful look came over his face.
Could Whale Rubber have some use I don't know about?
Other people must buy the stuff to indulge in wine and women, but my precious disciple surely has her own reasons.
As soon as the academy let out, Yue Guan called Dong'er back at once.
"Dong'er, you can play around with that Whale Rubber if you like, but don't eat it."
Bibi Dong stayed silent as she quietly asked Ye Tian, "Brother Ye Tian, can I tell my two masters the truth?"
"You can," Ye Tian replied without hesitation.
In the original story, the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos were Bibi Dong's only confidants. Even later, when she lost her mind, the two of them stayed by her side without wavering. Their character had stood the test.
In this world, their relationship was even closer: they had become her masters. It was all right to let them in on some secrets.
Watching Bibi Dong's silence, Yue Guan had an ominous feeling.
Could some Yellow Hair from another family have set his sights on my sweet disciple?
"Tell me, who is he?" I'll beat to death the bastard who's trying to run off with my precious cabbage!
Before you continue