"What are you afraid of? So what if he heard us? We like each other. It's not as if we're doing something shameful!"
Bibi Dong didn't seem to care, but Ling Feng was terribly nervous.
"Shh! If His Holiness the Pope finds out, he'll kill me!" Ling Feng hurriedly said.
Bibi Dong didn't believe him and defended Qian Xunji. "How could that be? My teacher is such a good person, and you've done great service for Spirit Hall. Why would he kill you?"
Ling Feng wasn't Yu Xiaogang. With the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, Qian Xunji might let Yu Xiaogang off for the sake of the bigger picture.
But if Qian Xunji found out about his relationship with Bibi Dong, Ling Feng would meet a far worse fate than Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong didn't believe him, so Ling Feng thought for a moment before saying, "Bibi Dong, I'm not lying to you!"
"Before we set out, when His Holiness the Pope received me, he hinted that if I got involved with you, I'd lose my life."
"If he weren't your teacher, I'd suspect he was coveting you too!" Ling Feng said, planting suspicion in her mind.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could my teacher be that kind of person?" Bibi Dong slapped Ling Feng lightly, displeased.
After all, Qian Xunji had always been courteous and treated her like his own daughter.
"I was only guessing. But if the Pope found out that I like you, he'd definitely kill me!"
Bibi Dong saw the sincerity in Ling Feng's eyes and chose to believe him.
"Don't be afraid. My teacher cares about me a lot. Once our training is over, I'll explain things between us to him," Bibi Dong said.
Ling Feng was startled and hurriedly said, "Definitely not!"
"Can we tell him when I'm strong enough to face him? I don't want you to bear the pressure alone."
"All right, I'll wait for you!" Bibi Dong was moved, and Ling Feng managed to convince her.
"Mm. Go back to your own tent. I'll cultivate a little longer and try to make our relationship public as soon as possible," Ling Feng said.
Seeing how serious Ling Feng was, Bibi Dong was touched. "All right. Get some rest soon. We still have a long journey tomorrow!"
Only after Bibi Dong left the tent did the tension in Ling Feng's heart finally ease.
Most of what he'd said had been true. Only a small part had been made up.
But he hadn't slandered Qian Xunji, because Qian Xunji really was that kind of person.
"Qian Xunji!" Ling Feng gritted his teeth, forcing down his desire and calming himself.
"And Rakshasa Bibi Dong doesn't seem to want me to get together with the other her, either?"
"I should ask her face-to-face and see if I can get some benefits out of it!" Ling Feng thought.
The moment he closed his eyes, Ling Feng appeared deep in his Sea of Consciousness, where Rakshasa Bibi Dong resided.
Sensing Ling Feng's arrival, Bibi Dong immediately changed her surroundings into something befitting the Rakshasa God.
The same crimson Blood Pool lay before her. Desire, bloodlust, and all kinds of evil filled the space, making it seem like a demon's lair.
Rakshasa Bibi Dong was reclining beside the Blood Pool. When she saw Ling Feng enter, her gaze darted away.
"What do you want with me?" Rakshasa Bibi Dong asked.
"Senior, why did you stop me just now?"
Rakshasa Bibi Dong didn't know how to explain. Was she supposed to tell Ling Feng the truth—that she was the future Bibi Dong, reborn?
If Ling Feng and Bibi Dong got together, it would bring ruin to both Bibi Dong and him.
Besides, when she'd seen Ling Feng bully the other her just now, she'd felt strange inside.
Still, Rakshasa Bibi Dong was very pleased that Ling Feng was willing to share the burden with the other her.
At least Yu Xiaogang in her past life had never shown that kind of responsibility toward their relationship.
Seeing that Bibi Dong didn't answer, Ling Feng pressed her again. "Senior, I just realized how much you look like Bibi Dong. Could it be that you..."
As the young Bibi Dong slowly grew into adulthood, she would look more and more like Rakshasa Bibi Dong.
By the time Bibi Dong reached her twenties, there would be no difference between their appearances.
Rakshasa Bibi Dong was startled by Ling Feng. With a wave of her hand, she sent him out of that space.
If Ling Feng found out she was the future Bibi Dong—and that the present-day Bibi Dong was already involved with him—it would be far too awkward.
What would she do then? She and Ling Feng were bound together, so she couldn't kill him.
But if she admitted the truth, what would become of her relationship with Ling Feng? Would she have to get together with him too?
So Rakshasa Bibi Dong chose to avoid the question.
"I exhausted too much energy helping you shape your Martial Soul. I need to sleep for a while. If there's nothing important, don't come looking for me!"
When Ling Feng opened his eyes, he found himself back in the tent. Bibi Dong's voice rang in his mind.
"Honestly, she can't take a joke!" Ling Feng thought.
But he'd also tested Rakshasa Bibi Dong's limits. It seemed she truly wouldn't hurt him.
Ling Feng sat cross-legged in the tent, preparing to replace sleep with cultivation for the night.
Now that he possessed the Rakshasa Spider Emperor, his cultivation aptitude surpassed even that of geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power. It would be a waste not to cultivate.
A few days later, the two finally reached the outskirts of Sunset Forest, following the map's directions.
There was a small gathering place for Soul Masters here, where merchants bought Soul Beast materials and medicinal herbs.
Some people also sold all kinds of healing medicines and supplies needed for training.
Other Soul Masters worked as mercenaries here, helping their fellow Soul Masters enter the forest and hunt Soul Beasts.
Bibi Dong and Ling Feng only wanted to rest in the little town for the night before entering Sunset Forest the next day.
Ling Feng was fairly familiar with the place, since he'd once made a living here too.
A year had passed, and the place had changed a lot. The people and things he'd once known were nowhere to be seen.
"Would you two like a map? A detailed map of Sunset Forest!"
Just then, a man nearing thirty appeared in front of them, hawking his map.
"No need!" Ling Feng waved him off. They already had a map from Spirit Hall, so why would they need this man's?
Besides, the man had a flat face, as if a cart had run over it, and a long chin like the sole of a shoe.
His shrewd little eyes were surrounded by dark circles, making him look unpleasant. At a glance, he didn't seem like a good person.
The shrewd peddler had noticed that Ling Feng and Bibi Dong looked distinguished and wore fine clothes, so he'd set his sights on these two easy marks.
"If you don't want a map, how about a bodyguard?"
"I'm a Soul Ancestor. Even if we run into a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in Sunset Forest, I can get you away safely!"
As the peddler spoke, he watched their expressions closely. The moment either of them showed interest, he'd start fleecing them.
But just then, he noticed that the beautiful woman seemed somewhat contemptuous.
The peddler's heart skipped a beat.
He was a Soul Ancestor, yet she was looking down on him. That could only mean her cultivation was above his.
"Damn it, I've tried to swindle a real genius!"
The peddler was about to run when Ling Feng spoke.
"Oh? You can get away from a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Are you an agility-type Soul Master?" Ling Feng asked.
Seeing that Ling Feng was interested in him, the peddler was reluctant to let such an easy mark go. He replied, "That's right. My Martial Soul is the Four-Eyed Owl!"