Arrival, A Scheming Merchant

"What are you afraid of? So what if someone heard? We like each other; it's not like we're doing something shameful!"

Bibi Dong remained unbothered, but Ling Feng was incredibly nervous.

"Shh! If the Pope finds out, he'll kill me!" Ling Feng said hurriedly.

Bibi Dong didn't believe him, defending Qian Xunji, "How could that be? Teacher is such a good person, and you've made great contributions to Spirit Hall. Why would he kill you?"

Ling Feng wasn't Yu Xiaogang. With the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as his background, Qian Xunji might spare Yu Xiaogang for the sake of the bigger picture.

But if Qian Xunji found out about his affair with Bibi Dong, the outcome would be far more miserable than Yu Xiaogang's.

Bibi Dong still didn't believe him, so Ling Feng thought for a moment and could only say, "Bibi Dong, I'm not lying to you!"

"Before we set off, when the Pope granted me an audience, he hinted that if I were to have a secret affair with you, I would lose my life."

"If he weren't your teacher, I'd even suspect that he covets you himself!" Ling Feng added, sowing seeds of doubt.

"What nonsense are you spouting? How could Teacher be that kind of person?" Bibi Dong tapped Ling Feng, looking displeased.

After all, Qian Xunji had always acted with refined courtesy, treating her as if she were his own daughter.

"I'm just guessing, but if the Pope finds out I like you, he will definitely kill me!"

Bibi Dong saw the sincerity in Ling Feng's eyes and chose to believe him.

"Don't be afraid. Teacher dotes on me. Once the training ends, I'll explain everything to him," Bibi Dong said.

Ling Feng was startled and quickly replied, "Absolutely not!"

"Can we wait until I am strong enough to face the Pope before we tell him? I don't want you to bear the pressure alone."

"Alright, I'll wait for you!" Bibi Dong felt touched and was persuaded by Ling Feng.

"Good, go back to your own tent. I'm going to cultivate for a while longer, striving to make our relationship public as soon as possible," Ling Feng said.

Seeing Ling Feng so earnest, Bibi Dong felt moved. "Alright, get some rest early. We have to continue our journey tomorrow!"

Once Bibi Dong left the tent, the tension in Ling Feng's heart finally eased.

Most of what he had just said were his true thoughts; only a small portion was fabricated.

However, he hadn't slandered Qian Xunji, because Qian Xunji was exactly that kind of person.

"Qian Xunji!" Ling Feng gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing his desires to calm himself down.

"And Rakshasa Bibi Dong—does she seem to not want me to have the other her, either?"

"I'll go ask her in person and see if I can get some benefits!" Ling Feng thought to himself.

He closed his eyes, and Ling Feng appeared deep within his Sea of Consciousness, where Rakshasa Bibi Dong resided.

Bibi Dong sensed Ling Feng's arrival and immediately transformed her surroundings into a state befitting the identity of the Rakshasa God.

It was still that scarlet Blood Pool, the space permeated with desire, bloodlust, and various other evil auras, like a demon's lair.

Rakshasa Bibi Dong was reclining by the Blood Pool; seeing Ling Feng enter, her gaze flickered with evasion.

"Why have you come to see This Seat?" Rakshasa Bibi Dong asked.

"Senior, why did you stop me earlier?"

Rakshasa Bibi Dong didn't know how to explain. Was she supposed to tell Ling Feng the truth—that she was the reborn version of the future Bibi Dong?

If Ling Feng were to have a relationship with Bibi Dong, it would harm both her and himself.

Moreover, seeing Ling Feng tease the other version of herself made her feel incredibly strange.

However, Rakshasa Bibi Dong was satisfied that Ling Feng was willing to share the pressure with her younger self.

At the very least, the Yu Xiaogang of her past life had lacked that sense of responsibility toward their relationship.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Ling Feng pressed further, "Senior, I've only just realized that you look so much like Bibi Dong. Could it be that you..."

As the young Bibi Dong matured, she would only grow to look more and more like Rakshasa Bibi Dong.

By the time she reached her twenties, there would be no difference between the two.

Rakshasa Bibi Dong was startled by Ling Feng's observation and waved her hand, banishing him from the space.

If Ling Feng discovered that she was the future Bibi Dong, and the current 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 by fate; she couldn't kill him.

But if she admitted it, how would she handle her relationship with him? Was she supposed to get involved with him too?

Thus, Rakshasa Bibi Dong chose to escape.

"This Seat exhausted too much energy helping you shape your Martial Soul and must enter a deep slumber for a time. Unless there is something important, do not come looking for This Seat!"

Ling Feng opened his eyes to find himself back in his tent, the voice of Bibi Dong echoing in his mind.

"Sigh, she really can't take a joke," Ling Feng thought.

However, he had tested the limits of Rakshasa Bibi Dong's bottom line, and it seemed she truly wouldn't harm him.

Ling Feng sat cross-legged in the tent, preparing to replace sleep with cultivation for the night.

The Rakshasa Spider Emperor he now possessed had cultivation aptitude surpassing that of a genius with innate full spirit power; it would be a waste not to cultivate.

A few days later, the two finally arrived at the outskirts of the Sunset Forest, following the instructions on their map.

There was a small gathering place for spirit masters here, where merchants collected spirit beast materials and medicinal herbs.

Others were here selling various healing salves and essentials for expeditions.

There were also spirit masters working as mercenaries, helping other spirit masters enter the forest to hunt spirit beasts.

Bibi Dong and Ling Feng only intended to rest in this small town for the night before heading into the Sunset Forest the next day.

Ling Feng was quite familiar with this place, as he had once made a living here himself.

A year had passed, and much had changed; the people and things he once knew were nowhere to be seen.

"You two, would you like a map? A detailed map of the Sunset Forest!"

Just then, a man of nearly thirty appeared before them, pushing his wares.

"No need!" Ling Feng waved him off. They already had a map from Spirit Hall; why would they need this man's?

Moreover, the man's face was incredibly flat, as if it had been run over by a carriage wheel, and his chin was long, resembling the sole of a shoe.

His shrewd little eyes were surrounded by dark circles that made one uncomfortable; at a glance, he did not look like a good person.

The shrewd peddler saw that the two possessed an extraordinary air and wore high-quality clothing, which was why he had targeted these two fat sheep.

"If you don't want a map, how about a bodyguard?"

"I am a Spirit Ancestor. In the Sunset Forest, even if we encounter a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, I can lead you to safety and ensure you survive!"

As the peddler spoke, he watched their expressions closely, ready to fleece them the moment he saw a hint of interest.

But just then, he noticed the beautiful woman looking at him with a hint of disdain.

The peddler's heart skipped a beat.

He was a Spirit Ancestor, yet the other party showed such disdain; that could only mean their cultivation surpassed his own.

Oh no, I've tried to scam real geniuses!

The peddler wanted to bolt, but then he heard Ling Feng speak.

"Oh? You can escape from the jaws of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast? Are you an agility-attack spirit master?" Ling Feng asked.

Seeing that Ling Feng was interested and still reluctant to let go of these fat sheep, the peddler replied, "That's right, my spirit is the Four-Eyed Owl!"