Yu Xiaogang, the Sucker

After receiving confirmation from Qian Daoliu and Azure Luan Douluo, Ling Jing finally felt at ease enough to settle down in the palace, officially beginning his cohabitation with Bibi Dong.

Of course, while it was called cohabitation, the palace actually had many separate rooms. He simply lived very close to Bibi Dong's room.

At Qian Xunji's instruction, Bibi Dong began teaching Ling Jing—the fighting methods of the Death Spider Emperor. Even if Qian Xunji wanted to teach him, he would not have known where to begin. Only Bibi Dong was an expert in this area.

"The Death Spider Emperor's defining feature is its deadly Death Poison. It can erode flesh and Soul Power alike. Any enemy who comes into contact with it will suffer continuous bodily decay. So in battle, you must make full use of the poison's threat."

"My first Soul Skill, Death Entanglement, releases poisonous spider silk laced with venom that numbs an enemy's movements. Once an enemy is bound by the silk, the poison affects them, paralyzing them and allowing the Death Spider Emperor's venom to continuously erode their body."

Ling Jing listened to Bibi Dong's explanation and nodded seriously. This reaction greatly satisfied Bibi Dong—before this, she had always been the one receiving instruction from others. Being able to teach Ling Jing so suddenly was undoubtedly a novel experience for her.

"As for my second Soul Skill, it is called Life-Eroding Spider Mark. It uses poison to mark an enemy. Not only can it track the enemy's whereabouts, but it can also continuously erode their meridians. Releasing the first and second Soul Skills together can bind an enemy with poisonous spider silk while placing a mark on them."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "For now, explaining these two Soul Skills is enough. Once you reach a higher Soul Power Level, I'll explain the rest. Even if I taught you everything at once, you might not remember it all."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong imitated Qian Xunji from her memories and reached out to gently stroke Ling Jing's silver-white hair.

"Did you remember everything I just told you?"

Ling Jing nodded and, at Bibi Dong's request, repeated everything she had just said in full.

"Little Jing is so good~"

Just as Bibi Dong praised him, a maid outside lightly knocked on the door and explained why she had come.

"Holy Maiden, someone named Yu Xiaogang is outside Pope's Hall and wishes to see you."

Only when the maid mentioned Yu Xiaogang's name did Bibi Dong remember that, ever since entering Pope's Hall, she had completely forgotten about him.

So... had Yu Xiaogang been waiting outside Pope's Hall all this time?

Bibi Dong instinctively stood up, intending to explain the situation to Yu Xiaogang, but then she suddenly met Ling Jing's eyes.

"Is Senior Sister going out? Can I go with Senior Sister?"

Bibi Dong opened her mouth, but her heart softened and she agreed immediately. "Alright. Little Jing can come with Senior Sister."

After waiting outside Pope's Hall for a long time, Yu Xiaogang finally saw Bibi Dong again. But soon, he spotted that irritating brat as well.

Especially since that irritating brat was holding Bibi Dong's hand!

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth in anger, but he still pretended not to notice and forced a smile onto his face. "Dong'er, it's getting late. You probably haven't eaten yet, right? Let's have dinner together."

Bibi Dong did not notice the odd expression on Yu Xiaogang's face. After thinking briefly, she bent down and asked with a smile, "Little Jing, is there anything you like to eat or want to eat?"

Ling Jing's eyes brightened slightly.

He first instinctively glanced at the glimpse of fair skin revealed as Bibi Dong bent down, then turned his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang.

"Is this uncle treating us?"

Uncle?

I'm a young man who just turned seventeen, and you're calling me uncle?

Do I really look that old?

Yu Xiaogang was about to explode with rage, but he still managed a somewhat stiff smile. "Of course. We can't exactly let a lady pay, can we?"

He had thought that saying this would show off his gentlemanly manners. Yet Ling Jing did not give him any chance to keep performing, asking directly, "Then... can we eat at Spirit Tower?"

Spirit Tower?

Yu Xiaogang's expression changed slightly.

Spirit Tower was the largest restaurant in Spirit City. It had always been a place where powerful Soul Masters gathered and made friends. The cost of a single meal there was something ordinary people absolutely could not afford.

Yu Xiaogang instinctively touched his wallet. Although he had taken quite a bit of money before leaving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, most of it had already been spent along the way. Even if he still had some left, after one meal at Spirit Tower, there would not be much remaining.

He instinctively wanted to suggest another place, only to hear Ling Jing speak again.

"I always heard the teachers at the orphanage say that Spirit Tower was the biggest restaurant in all of Spirit City. Is it very expensive there? Maybe... I should choose somewhere else?"

Those words struck Bibi Dong in the softest part of her heart once more.

She, too, had come from that orphanage. Although they had never lacked food or clothing there, everything they ate, wore, and used had been the most ordinary kind. They could never have come into contact with a high-end restaurant like Spirit Tower. Naturally, she understood Ling Jing's longing.

Now that Ling Jing had become her teacher's disciple and her junior brother, she naturally had to make up for everything he had lacked before!

"Since Little Jing wants to eat there, then of course we can."

Bibi Dong gripped Ling Jing's hand even more tightly, and her voice became increasingly gentle.

Only after agreeing to Ling Jing did Bibi Dong realize something. She raised her head and asked belatedly, "Xiao Gang, that's alright, right?"

You've already said it's fine. Could I possibly say it isn't?

Yu Xiaogang already felt that his image in Bibi Dong's eyes had suffered somewhat, and he only wanted to repair it. Naturally, he could not refuse.

So, even though Yu Xiaogang was inwardly on the verge of tears, he could only steel himself and head toward Spirit Tower.

Seeing this, the corners of Ling Jing's mouth curled up unconsciously.

In Ling Jing's eyes, the words "big sucker" were practically carved onto Yu Xiaogang's forehead.

Yu Xiaogang was spending the money. I was the one holding her hand.

Yu Xiaogang was handling the arrangements. Yet Bibi Dong did not notice any of Yu Xiaogang's poise. Instead, a few words from me touched the softest part of her heart, filling her with sympathy and affection for me.

If Yu Xiaogang wasn't a sucker, then who was?

Of course, the main reason he could so easily affect Bibi Dong's emotions and even make her feel that he was more important than Yu Xiaogang was because he and Bibi Dong had formed a contract.

Looking at the table full of exquisite dishes, Yu Xiaogang felt as though his heart were bleeding.

This was all his money!

His money!

This table of food was enough to last him an entire year if he lived frugally!

Yu Xiaogang had considered that he might spend more money than usual while pursuing Bibi Dong, but this was not how he had expected to spend it!

What was more, they had not even officially begun dating yet!

No... I have to speed things up as soon as possible!

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and tried to make his smile look warmer. "Dong'er, do you have any other plans tomorrow? If not, I would like to invite you..."

Before Yu Xiaogang could finish, Bibi Dong said, "Tomorrow won't work. Little Jing is going to obtain a Soul Ring tomorrow, and as his senior sister, I need to go with him."

Yu Xiaogang froze slightly upon hearing this, but quickly continued, "Oh? Little Jing is obtaining a Soul Ring tomorrow? That makes sense. He has Innate Full Soul Power, so he can indeed obtain a Soul Ring right away."

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang paused slightly, as though pondering something.

A moment later, he said enthusiastically, "The Mirror Beast Martial Soul is especially rare, so suitable Soul Rings must also be quite scarce. Dong'er, why don't I go with you? With me there, I can at least help Little Jing determine the right direction for his Soul Ring."

You?

What the hell could you advise on?

Advise him to hunt a ten-year Lonely Bamboo, then use it as a vaulting pole to leap into the God Realm and attain godhood?

Come to think of it, in the Twin Gods War from the original story, Tang San was missing a pole-vaulting Soul Skill. That was why he couldn't avoid Bibi Dong's killing blow and ended up dying.

Bibi Dong's face also showed a trace of hesitation. "Teacher and the Grand Worshiper will be going tomorrow. Xiao Gang, you... aren't quite suited to come along."

The Pope and the Grand Worshiper were going together?

Yu Xiaogang's face immediately fell.

Clearly, he understood that if those two were going, he had no qualifications to join them at all.

And even if he did have the qualifications, he would not dare go.

He had not yet officially become Bibi Dong's lover, and appearing before the Pope like this... was absolutely inappropriate. At the very least, he needed to wait until Bibi Dong loved him to the bone and was willing to oppose the Pope for his sake.

Since he could not go with them... then he would offer some insightful advice about this brat's Soul Ring!

As long as he could offer a truly insightful opinion, Bibi Dong would surely see him in a new light again!

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, still wearing the smile he considered especially warm. "In that case, have His Holiness the Pope and the Grand Worshiper already decided what kind of Soul Ring Little Jing will obtain? If not, I can offer some suggestions."

Fine. Since you put it that way, I really want to see what suggestions you have.

Seeing Bibi Dong and Ling Jing both look at him, Yu Xiaogang felt reassured and immediately began speaking at length. "Although the Mirror Beast Martial Soul is rare, as a beast martial soul, it has only two primary development paths. It can either become an assault-type martial soul or an agility-attack-type martial soul. Of course, a very small number of beast martial souls can also follow the control-type path."

The moment he said that, Ling Jing nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

So Yu Xiaogang was still going on about assault types and agility-attack types. He did not even know that the Mirror Beast's core ability was replication!

And he still had the nerve to call himself a master? He still had the nerve to claim that he had an exceptionally thorough understanding of martial soul theory?