Bibi Dong's steps paused, and she suddenly found the question rather interesting.
There weren't many people who could make the little rascal eat humble pie. So far, it seemed she was the only one who could keep him in line.
Which raised the question: what sort of girl would bring Deng Tianxin to heel in the future?
A scene appeared in Bibi Dong's mind before she could stop it.
It was a young woman whose face she couldn't make out, one hand gripping Deng Tianxin by the back of his collar, the other planted on her hip.
Meanwhile, grown-up Deng Tianxin hunched his shoulders and wore a fawning smile as he begged, "Honey, I was wrong. I shouldn't have run my mouth. I'll kneel on the washboard tonight, okay?"
Bibi Dong's shoulders shook as the scene she'd imagined made her laugh. When she'd finished, she felt wonderfully refreshed.
So the little rascal would have his day, too?
His wife would grab him by the ear and give him a dressing-down, make him kneel on a washboard and sleep on the floor. Then he'd get a taste of what it was like to be at someone else's mercy.
Just thinking about it was cathartic.
But she soon shook her head.
With the way that little rascal behaved, if he ever wanted to find a wife, he'd probably need a tigress to keep him in line.
Then again, his God of Love Martial Soul was no pushover.
He could sense emotions and read people's hearts. He knew perfectly well who liked him and who didn't.
In the face of that ability, every trick—playing hard to get, saying one thing and meaning another—would be transparent.
Maybe he really would manage to charm a gentle, virtuous girl?
Bibi Dong pictured Deng Tianxin holding hands with a gentle, shy girl and earnestly introducing her: "Teacher, this is my wife." She couldn't help shivering.
Forget it. He'd be better off finding someone formidable, preferably someone who could keep that mouth of his under control. It would be a public service.
She smiled and shook her head, driving the silly thoughts from her mind.
Meanwhile, in Saintess Palace, Deng Tianxin was lying on a deck chair when he sneezed twice.
He rubbed his nose and eyed the entrance suspiciously, feeling as if someone was talking about him behind his back.
In the blink of an eye, a year passed.
A lot happened that year: Bibi Dong sent Deng Tianxin to school, Qian Xunji got married, and so on.
Deng Tianxin had heard that Qian Xunji's wife was already pregnant and was supposedly due in a few months.
That surprised him. He knew that it was extremely difficult for a Titled Douluo to have a child.
Could it be that Qian Renxue really was the reincarnation of the Angel God?
Before he crossed over, he'd seen plenty of things about the Angel God.
Many people believed Qian Renxue was the Angel God reincarnated, though he didn't know where that idea came from.
"Teacher, you're leaving for a while?" Deng Tianxin asked, looking surprised when he learned Bibi Dong was going away.
Bibi Dong gave a slight nod. "That's right. I'm going to the Slaughter City for some training. I'll probably be gone for two or three years."
When he learned she wouldn't be back for two or three years, Deng Tianxin hurriedly forced down the corners of his mouth and put on a reluctant expression. "Teacher, you'll be gone for so long. I'll miss you."
"Is that so?" Bibi Dong looked down at Deng Tianxin, the corners of her mouth curving in a half-smile. "Then could you say that again after you've managed to get those corners of your mouth down?"
Deng Tianxin hurriedly pressed a hand to his traitorous mouth and tugged the corners down, doing his best to look utterly heartbroken. "Teacher, I really can't bear to see you go. After you leave, I won't be able to eat or sleep, and I won't have any motivation to train."
"Won't be able to eat or sleep?" Bibi Dong arched a brow. "Last night, you ate three bowls of rice, two chicken legs, a plate of braised pork, two plates of vegetables, and a bowl of soup. The cook at Saintess Palace told me the kitchen budget will be blown if you keep this up."
Deng Tianxin's expression stiffened for a moment, then he retorted righteously, "That's because I'm turning my sorrow into an appetite! The thought of you leaving has left me heartbroken. I can only fill the emptiness inside me with food!"
Bibi Dong couldn't help laughing. She reached out and flicked Deng Tianxin on the forehead. Over the past year, she'd figured out all the little rascal's tricks. The more grandiose his words, the more he was scheming in his heart. When he said he couldn't bear to see her go, what he really meant was, Great, the old witch is finally leaving. No one will be keeping tabs on me! That look of reluctance on his face was clearly the result of all his effort to keep from laughing out loud.
But she was in a good mood today, so she couldn't be bothered to argue with him.
"Enough. Do you think I don't know what you're up to?" Bibi Dong withdrew her hand and took a thick booklet from her Soul Tool, placing it in Deng Tianxin's hands. "This is the training plan you'll have to follow while I'm away. I've written down your goals for each week. When I get back, I'll check them one by one. If you don't finish..."
She gave Deng Tianxin's backside a meaningful glance.
Deng Tianxin took the booklet and flipped through it. His little face visibly fell. This wasn't a training plan; it was an encyclopedia of torture.
From what time he had to get up each day to what he had to do each week, every detail was laid out clearly. Even his rest time had been cut to the bare minimum.
"Teacher, this amount of training..." Deng Tianxin looked up, trying to make his voice sound as pitiful as possible.
"What's wrong?" Bibi Dong asked with a warm smile.
"...Nothing. I think it's perfectly reasonable," Deng Tianxin said through gritted teeth.
He cursed the old witch to himself. He really couldn't understand why those transmigrators liked Bibi Dong after taking her as their teacher.
Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction, bent down, and pinched Deng Tianxin's chubby cheek. For once, her tone grew a little serious. "While I'm away, train properly and don't slack off. I've already spoken with the principal at your school. Every class you skip will be recorded, and when I get back, we'll settle the whole account."
"Don't worry, Teacher," Deng Tianxin promised, patting his little chest. "I'll study hard, make progress every day, and never bring shame on you."
Bibi Dong stared at his sincere little face for several seconds, then finally shook her head helplessly.
Forget it. The little rascal might run his mouth nonstop, but he'd never dropped the ball when it mattered.
She'd watched his progress over the past year. His mouth was still asking to be smacked, but he really hadn't slacked off in his training.
"Then I'm off." Bibi Dong straightened and turned toward the exit.
Deng Tianxin followed her all the way to the entrance of Saintess Palace.
As he watched Bibi Dong's back recede into the distance, Deng Tianxin couldn't help feeling happy.
That year had been a truly miserable time for him. Bibi Dong wouldn't let him sleep alone in his own room; she hugged him to sleep every night.
Whenever he bathed, she insisted on bathing with him, claiming she was worried he wouldn't get clean enough. So she bathed with him.
Every time Bibi Dong got upset with him, she spanked him.
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