Yu Luomian looked at his daughter with a strange expression. What was wrong with her? Why was she clawing and flailing at thin air?
Why did she look so abnormal now? No, could losing her mother at an early age and receiving so little care from him have caused her psychological problems?
"Daughter, w-what exactly are you doing?" Yu Luomian's voice trembled slightly. He had let his daughter down terribly. If she developed psychological problems because of him, he would never forgive himself.
"???" Liu Erlong was puzzled. Was something wrong with her father's eyes? She was clearly trying to put away the Diary Copy. Why was he asking a question he already knew the answer to?
She pointed her right hand at the illusory "Diary Copy" before her and asked, "Father, can't you see this diary? This thing called 'Zhao Ling's Diary Copy.'"
Yu Luomian followed the direction his daughter pointed, but saw nothing except the flowers and boundary wall a short distance away.
A Diary Copy? There wasn't one. It was over. His daughter either had something wrong with her eyes or had psychological problems. She was actually imagining some blasted "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy."
"Ah..." Yu Luomian heaved a heavy sigh, slowly walked up to his daughter, and raised a hand to stroke Liu Erlong's head gently.
"Erlong, I've failed you as a father. Don't worry. I'll cure your illness. Even if I have to search the heavens above and the underworld below, I'll find a way to cure you."
"I'm sick???" Liu Erlong was utterly stunned. Pointing at the illusory Diary Copy before her, she did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Father, I'm not sick. Look closely. It's this Diary Copy. It even says..."
Liu Erlong wanted to tell her father what the diary contained, but the next moment, she felt as though she had lost the ability to speak. Her mouth kept opening and closing, yet she could not reveal its contents.
Seeing her so desperate to say something yet unable to utter a word broke Yu Luomian's heart. He withdrew the hand stroking his daughter's head and slapped himself hard across the face.
Smack...
What a sin. What a terrible sin he had committed. He knew his daughter had lost her mother when she was very young, yet he had devoted himself entirely to clan affairs and given her so little care that she had even developed a speech disorder.
What right did he have to be her father? What right did he have to hear her call him "Father"?
Smack... After slapping himself once, Yu Luomian felt it was not enough to vent his anger and slapped his other cheek.
The more Yu Luomian thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. As though his hands were beyond his control, he slapped himself more than a dozen times, until both cheeks swelled. Liu Erlong trembled with distress, unable to stop him even when she tried.
Only after calming down did Yu Luomian look at his daughter with pity and speak in a sorrowful voice.
"Daughter, don't worry. I'll definitely find a way to cure you. Right, what would you like for lunch? I'll cook it myself. I'll make sure you're satisfied."
Liu Erlong pressed a hand to her forehead. Her father seemed unable to see "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy," and apparently could not hear that unfamiliar man's voice either, while she could not tell anyone what the diary contained.
Whenever she thought of telling someone its contents, a mysterious power robbed her of speech. It was downright uncanny, and the feeling left her rather stifled.
She let out a heavy breath before asking Yu Luomian, "Father, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Yu Luomian paused. Why did his daughter seem fine again? He nodded. "What is it?"
After considering for a moment, Liu Erlong asked tentatively, "Father, is there a disciple named Yu Xiaogang in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"Xiaogang?" Yu Luomian's brows knitted tightly. He thoroughly disliked this nephew of his. Already fifteen or sixteen, yet his Soul Power had not even reached rank twenty. He was an utter disgrace to the clan.
Had he not been his elder brother's second son, he would have been expelled long ago. Was trash like that even worthy of being born into the glorious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan???
Chapter 33: The first reward
Yu Luomian nodded and said solemnly, "There is indeed. He's your older cousin, your eldest uncle's second son. If you ever meet him, keep far away from him.
"He's a complete good-for-nothing. He's a year older than you, yet his Soul Power hasn't even reached rank twenty. He's the greatest disgrace of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If I could, I'd love to expel him from the sect immediately."
Yu Luomian's eyes brimmed with undisguised disgust. He truly had not the slightest fondness for this nephew, to the point that even sharing Yu Xiaogang's bloodline felt like a disgrace.
Hearing this, Liu Erlong was utterly confused. What was wrong with her taste that she would fall for trash like that?
That made no sense. At present, her standards for a partner were definitely someone reasonably handsome whose strength could not be too poor.
Otherwise, if her future husband could not even protect her and needed her to protect him instead, she would be better off alone.
Could she have fallen for that cousin not because he was strong, but simply because he was handsome?
After some thought, Liu Erlong considered what this cousin she had acquired, Yu Xiaogang, looked like. A trace of anticipation crept into her eyes, and even her heartbeat quickened. She looked eagerly at her father and asked what she considered a very important question.
"Then... Father, what does Cousin Xiaogang look like? Is he very handsome?"
"Handsome? Handsome, my ass. His mouth is crooked and his eyes are askew. How handsome could he possibly be?" Yu Luomian sneered in disgust and spat on the ground.
In truth, his description was extremely biased. Yu Xiaogang's looks were certainly not outstanding and could only be described as ordinary. The original text also described him as ordinary-looking, though he possessed a distinctive, attractive bearing.
But since Yu Luomian had no fondness for this nephew to begin with, and indeed deeply loathed him, through that lens Yu Xiaogang was practically the embodiment of ugliness.
His daughter had actually asked whether that fellow was handsome. It was already good enough that he had not thrown up on the spot.
Yu Luomian's reaction was far beyond Liu Erlong's expectations. It seemed Yu Xiaogang was neither handsome nor remotely strong.
Then what exactly had she fallen for? Liu Erlong understood her future self's thoughts less and less.
After Yu Luomian left, Liu Erlong tentatively closed the diary she had finished reading. The instant it shut, she saw a passage appear on its cover.
[The number of readers of this Diary Copy has reached three. First reward unlocked. All fortunate individuals who can see this Diary Copy receive lifespan +30 years, aging speed -10%.]
A moment later, a stream of golden light spilled out of "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy," entered between Liu Erlong's brows, and swiftly surged throughout her body.
At once, she felt comfortably warm all over, as though her entire body were soaking in a hot spring, leaving her intoxicated.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong and Ah Yin, who were eating at the restaurant, saw their respective copies of "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" appear before them almost simultaneously, and a stream of golden light slipped between their brows.
As though their hearts were connected, the two women exchanged a glance and saw the delight in each other's eyes. Both had already guessed that the third fortunate reader of the "Diary Copy" must be that woman named Liu Erlong...
What they had never expected was that simply reading the "Diary Copy" could unlock rewards. The very first reward had instantly added thirty years to all three women's lifespans and even slowed their aging by ten percent. To them, this was wonderful news beyond measure.
What normal person did not wish to live longer? What normal woman did not wish to remain forever young?
Thirty extra years of life and a ten-percent reduction in aging speed had originally been things they could only yearn for but never attain. Now that they had obtained them so easily, how could they not be wild with joy?
The three women closed their eyes almost simultaneously, enjoying the pleasurable sensations coming from the organs throughout their bodies.
Zhao Ling glanced at Ah Yin in confusion, then at Bibi Dong a short distance away. He could not understand why these two women had suddenly stopped eating and closed their eyes when they had been enjoying their meal perfectly well. It was utterly baffling.
When the three women recovered from that pleasurable state, their beautiful eyes were filled with joy.
In her courtyard in Heaven Dou Imperial City, Liu Erlong murmured thoughtfully to herself.
"Who exactly is this man named Zhao Ling? This 'Diary Copy' he gave me is far too miraculous, isn't it? Thirty years of life. It added a whole thirty years to my lifespan! And that's not all. It even reduced my aging speed by ten percent.
"I was planning to have a proper argument with him for saying I'd fall for trash like Yu Xiaogang and mocking me for picking up someone's worn-out shoe. But since he's given me such a huge gift, I won't hold it against him. This feels wonderful."
After recovering, Ah Yin and Bibi Dong both watched Zhao Ling with shining eyes as they absentmindedly picked at their food.
Neither had expected that rewards could be unlocked as the number of Diary Copy readers increased.
The first reward had already given them thirty years of life and reduced their aging speed by ten percent. If the number of readers kept increasing, could they unlock a second and third reward?
The thought that they might gain more years of life, continue aging more slowly, and perhaps even have a chance to remain forever young left them too excited to contain themselves.
Now they wished more and more people could see this "Diary Copy." Clearly, however, there could not be too many fortunate people capable of seeing it, nor could just anyone qualify.
Considering the three fortunate individuals currently able to see the diary, the two women guessed that the first requirement for seeing this "Diary Copy" was being a woman, and a very beautiful woman at that.
Second, they probably had to be prominent figures in the "original work" Zhao Ling often mentioned. If Zhao Ling had never even heard their names, they surely would not qualify to read this "Diary Copy."
Originally, neither Ah Yin nor Bibi Dong had wanted Zhao Ling to flirt with more and more women, believing that if he did, the attention he gave the two of them would shift to others.
But now that they knew having more women read this "Diary Copy" could unlock second and third rewards, grant them longer lives, and slow their aging, they instead felt Zhao Ling was far too slow at picking up beauties.
The two women even wished Zhao Ling would search all across the Douluo Continent for those fortunate individuals qualified to receive a "Diary Copy," so they could hurry up and unlock the subsequent rewards.
Naturally, Zhao Ling knew nothing of their thoughts. He merely found them very strange. Why were they looking at him like hungry wolves spotting meat?
Their completely undisguised, ravenous gazes made his hair stand on end, and he even felt chilly all over. Could someone tell him what exactly had happened? He was really scared now...
Chapter 34: Would rather die than give in
Fortunately, after lunch, Bibi Dong returned to the Great Soul Arena with the Spirit Hall party.
Ah Yin wanted Zhao Ling to accompany her to buy dresses, and naturally, Zhao Ling could not wait to leave with her.
After all, how could he remain calm with two women staring at him like hungry wolves?
Of course, Zhao Ling would not assume that Ah Yin and Bibi Dong had suddenly fallen for him or were lusting after his body.
Even after being enhanced by the system's reward, his looks only scored eighty-eight. Perhaps Ah Yin had rarely seen anyone better-looking than him back in that village.
But Bibi Dong must have seen men scoring over ninety in Spirit City. According to modern medical research and its theory that a daughter's looks depended on her father,
since Qian Xunji could father a peerless beauty like Qian Renxue, his own looks certainly could not be poor. A score above ninety was a certainty.
Bibi Dong was unmoved even by Qian Xunji's looks. How could Zhao Ling dare hope she would lust after his body when they had known each other for only a few days? He had that much self-awareness.
Precisely because he could not figure out why these two girls were looking at him so strangely, no matter how he thought about it, Zhao Ling grew increasingly uneasy. He might as well hurry off to buy clothes with Ah Yin.
Ah Yin also noticed that Zhao Ling was frightened and somewhat restless, and could not help secretly laughing. A mighty Titled Douluo getting chills down his spine from two girls' gazes was rather funny...
Over roughly two hours, Zhao Ling accompanied Ah Yin around the shopping street. She bought four sets of dresses and shoes, two blue-and-gold and two silvery-white.
When it came time to pay, Zhao Ling eagerly tried to foot the bill for the beauty. Now that he had tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins, he could be considered halfway wealthy.
Since he wanted to court her, he could not be too stingy. He had to be willing to spend where spending was needed.
Unexpectedly, Ah Yin firmly refused his offer and took out her own money to pay.
As Ah Yin explained it, they were only friends who had known each other for less than a week. She could not spend his money carelessly, or she would feel like a kept woman.
Zhao Ling actually wanted to say that he did want to keep Ah Yin-for an entire lifetime. But the resolute look in her eyes left him uneasy.
Based on his previous life's experience, when a woman refused to let a man spend even money on her, there were generally only two explanations.
One was that the woman truly was frugal and strongly independent. The other was that she simply did not want to give him a chance to court her.
Zhao Ling did not know what exactly Ah Yin meant. That morning, she had clearly taken his arm herself and called him Brother Ling so affectionately.
Had all of that been false? Had he simply been flattering himself???
As Zhao Ling questioned his life, the corners of Ah Yin's lips curled slightly, and she looked at him with an inscrutable meaning in her eyes...
In a secluded private room at the Great Soul Arena, Yu Xiaogang, whom Bibi Dong had knocked unconscious with a club at noon, slowly awoke.
Fortunately, several healing-type Soul Masters retained by the Great Soul Arena had helped treat him. Otherwise, Bibi Dong's blow at noon would have left him bedridden for days.
Feeling the pain in his neck, he twisted it with a grimace and even tapped it with his hand.
Huh, what happened? Where am I? It hurts so much. As he thought, Yu Xiaogang recalled the scene at noon, when he had waited at the Great Soul Arena's entrance for a certain despicable, shameless fellow to come out...
He remembered that he had been unleashing a verbal barrage at that man when some sneaky bastard attacked him from behind and knocked him unconscious.
Damn it. Absolutely damnable. A gentleman would not leave such a grudge unavenged. No matter what, I have to find that sneaky bastard who ambushed me and settle the score.
With a creak, the door to the private room suddenly opened. A man dressed as a guard entered. Seeing Yu Xiaogang awake, his expression brightened, but without saying anything more, he hurriedly turned and left.
Yu Xiaogang looked at the man in puzzlement and wanted to ask something, but the man turned and left, forcing him to swallow his questions.
Soon, however, someone else came in. By the light inside the private room, Yu Xiaogang recognized him. Was that not the manager of the Great Soul Arena?
Wearing a professional, artificial smile, the Great Soul Arena's manager addressed Yu Xiaogang.
"You're finally awake, Second Young Master Yu. If you hadn't woken up, I was thinking of simply renting a carriage to send you back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Yu Xiaogang knew the Great Soul Arena's manager was smiling so brightly at him not because he was particularly warm or hospitable. How could anyone in charge of the Great Soul Arena be warm and hospitable? Even calling this man a smiling tiger would not be an exaggeration.
Yet Yu Xiaogang remained quite composed before this smiling tiger, because he had the backing of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects. His standing was no lower than that of the Great Soul Arena's manager before him.
"Thank you to the Great Soul Arena for helping me time and again. Please accept my thanks..."
Yu Xiaogang gave the Great Soul Arena's manager a slight nod to express his gratitude.
But the Great Soul Arena's manager shook his head and spoke as gently as he could. "Second Young Master Yu, I have a presumptuous request. You've only been at our Great Soul Arena for a little over a week, yet you've already been injured three or four times.
"I'd like to ask you to leave the Great Soul Arena. After all, you're a person of distinguished standing. If anything serious happened to you here, I'm afraid I couldn't bear the responsibility if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan came knocking."
Yu Xiaogang had not expected the man to order him out so directly and want him to leave the Great Soul Arena as soon as possible. Anger instantly blazed within him.
Why should I? I haven't done anything heinous in the Great Soul Arena, have I?
He had indeed been injured three or four times, but that was not his fault, much less something he wanted.
Apart from the normal incident in the ring, when had he not been injured by those sneaky bastards' ambushes?
Instead of catching the person who had ambushed him and bringing them before him to apologize, the Great Soul Arena actually wanted him to leave. Why was it so unfair?
He had been injured by those sneaky bastards' ambushes inside the Great Soul Arena. Treating his injuries was its duty, and naturally, catching the culprit and bringing them before him to apologize was only right as well.
Why should he, the victim, have to slink away from the Great Soul Arena? Did they really think the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was easy to bully?
Of course, the main reason was that the woman of peerless grace was in the Great Soul Arena. He could not leave, no matter what. He had a vague feeling that he and that girl, beautiful as an angel, were meant to share an unforgettable love etched into their bones and hearts.
If he left just like this, he feared he would miss her and regret it for the rest of his life.
Before you continue