Quest: Bathe Together

Qian Daoliu watched her retreating figure, a quiet sigh in his heart.

He said nothing more.

Bibi Dong walked down the long corridor and stopped outside her quarters.

She took a deep breath.

She pushed the cold faces of the Elder Hall and the even colder memories from her mind.

Then she reached out and pushed open the door.

The frost on her face melted away the moment the door opened.

"Mom!"

A childish call came from the bed.

Luo Dong sat in the middle of the bed, his short little legs dangling over the edge and swinging now and then.

He was still clutching the bare stick from his candied hawthorn.

When he saw Bibi Dong come in, his little face lit up. He opened his arms, his five fingers opening and closing as he reached for her, leaning so far forward that he looked ready to fly right off the bed.

Bibi Dong hurried over, bent down, and scooped him into her arms.

Luo Dong immediately buried his head in the crook of her neck and nuzzled her. His soft hair tickled her.

His little arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Where did Mom go?"

Luo Dong lifted his head from the crook of Bibi Dong's neck and blinked his grape-black eyes. Dried bits of sugar still clung to his face.

Bibi Dong wiped his face, sat down on the edge of the bed, and settled him on her lap.

"Mom went to a meeting." She thought it over and decided there was no need to hide it from her child, so she added, "In three days, Mom has to go out and take care of a few bad people."

Luo Dong's eyes lit up. He was getting a little bored of Spirit Hall and wanted to see the outside world, too. He grabbed Bibi Dong's clothes, his voice full of urgency. "I want to go with you, Mom!"

Bibi Dong looked down at his sparkling eyes, which plainly said, "If you don't take me, I'll cry."

Her first impulse was to shake her head.

He was so little, just one year old.

Sure, he could run and talk at one, and he was already so sensible it was almost monstrous—but he was still her child. What if something happened while she was taking him out? She couldn't bear the thought.

But she had never let Luo Dong out of her sight. Even when bathing or changing his clothes, she did everything herself.

The thought of leaving him alone in Spirit Hall for three days or even longer made her feel as though a piece of her heart had gone missing.

Then another thought struck her.

The system issued quests regardless of the circumstances.

Daily Quests at home had already raised her from Level 83 to Level 90. What if she took Luo Dong out with her?

Might it trigger some different outdoor quests?

Or even... a quest for a special opportunity?

Over the past year, she had figured out the system's rules. It encouraged her to spend time with Luo Dong, and encouraged her to care for him as his mother.

Leaving the unchanging surroundings of Spirit City might be a new trigger for the system.

Besides, that Soul Douluo at Level 89... She didn't consider him the least bit threatening now.

After a moment's silence, she tousled Luo Dong's hair and smiled.

"All right. Mom will take you with her."

Luo Dong cheered and bounced in her arms, raising his little fists high.

Bibi Dong glanced at the sky. It was time to bathe Luo Dong again.

Over the past year, she had gotten used to bathing him at this time every day.

From washing him in a little basin to bathing him in a small tub, from having him lie still to watching him splash around on his own, it had all become routine.

She was about to ask a maid to bring hot water when she noticed Luo Dong staring at the large tub in the corner of the room.

It was the tub Bibi Dong used herself.

She usually hid it behind a screen, but the maids must have forgotten to put the screen back after cleaning today.

The tub was huge, nothing like the small one Luo Dong had used for the past year. It was big enough for an adult to soak in comfortably.

Luo Dong couldn't take his eyes off the large tub.

He looked down at his little tub, then up at his mother's big one.

He had used the small tub for ages and was long since bored with it.

Bibi Dong always bathed him comfortably, but soaking alone in the little tub somehow felt as though something was missing.

He wanted to bathe with Bibi Dong.

It would be so nice to soak in that big tub, warm and snug in Bibi Dong's arms.

"Mom..."

Bibi Dong had her back to him as she gathered the things they needed for his bath. She answered without thinking. "Hmm?"

"I want... I want to bathe with you, Mom." Luo Dong's voice was small, but clear.

He pointed at the large tub in the corner. "In that big tub."

Bibi Dong paused.

She turned around and saw Luo Dong gazing up at her, his eyes clear and full of innocent hope.

She was about to say something when the system panel suddenly lit up in her mind.

[Daily Quest triggered]

[Quest: A Caring, Gentle Bath Together]

[Quest details: As a thoughtful, loving mother, sharing a bath with your precious son is a wonderful way to deepen your bond. Use the same tub and gently help your precious son bathe, so he can feel his mother's warmth and care.]

[Completion reward: Special technique—God Spider Eight Kills. A perfectly matched technique for the host's Martial Soul, Death Spider Emperor. It consists of eight kills; with each one mastered, your combat strength doubles. Master all eight, and your combat strength can reach eight times its original level.]

Bibi Dong stared at the system panel, her pupils widening slightly.

Eight times.

Eight times the combat strength.

What did that even mean? At her level, the difference between each level meant a crushing advantage in total Soul Power, as well as stronger Soul Skills.

A technique that could increase one's combat strength eightfold.

This wasn't just a cultivation method. It was downright cheating.

Across the entire continent, was there anything else that could multiply one's combat strength by eight in an instant? She had never heard of it.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Then she looked down at Luo Dong.

The little fellow gazed up at her eagerly, his eyes shining with anticipation. There wasn't a trace of anything else in them.

The last of Bibi Dong's hesitation vanished.

This was her precious son.

As his mother, bathing with her precious son was perfectly normal.

Plenty of mothers across the continent did the same. She wasn't the first.

She bent down and gently pinched Luo Dong's nose.

"Okay. Mom will bathe with you."

Luo Dong's eyes lit up brighter than before. His little face scrunched into a huge smile, and he flailed his arms and legs, wriggling in Bibi Dong's arms until he nearly slipped out.

Bibi Dong laughed and held him securely, then got up and told the maids to bring hot water.

Before long, several maids came in carrying buckets of hot water and filled the large tub about three-quarters full.

Steam rose and spread through the room in a thin, white haze.

Bibi Dong tested the water temperature.

She pressed the inside of her elbow to the surface. It was gently warm, about the same temperature as her body—just right.

She dismissed the maids, closed the door, and returned to the tub.

Luo Dong had already climbed down from the bed by himself. He stood next to the tub, on tiptoe, peering inside.