But Bibi Dong was dissatisfied. She wanted a perfect winning record; to her, a draw was a loss, regardless of whether the Great Soul Arena had specifically arranged an opponent to stop her winning streak.
And the person responsible for her loss was that fellow named Yu Xiaogang. Right now, she wanted to teach him a harsh lesson. If she did not beat him until he could no longer take care of himself, she would write her name backward.
She searched all around but saw no sign of Yu Xiaogang. She remembered where his voice had come from earlier, so why could she not find him now?
Finally, she noticed Zhao Ling sitting on a chair with Ah Yin in his arms. Suppressing the urge to stab someone, she asked,
"Brother Zhao, where did that scoundrel Yu Xiaogang go? Do you know? That fellow distracted me and almost cost me the match. I want to teach him a lesson. Hmph."
Zhao Ling pointed in the direction Yu Xiaogang had been carried away. "That fellow took quite a tumble just now. The right side of his face swelled up like a pig's head, and he lost several teeth. They carried him away for treatment."
"..." The corner of Bibi Dong's mouth twitched. She immediately guessed that Zhao Ling must have used his Special Secret Art again to teach Yu Xiaogang a lesson, but that did nothing to soothe her displeasure.
She sneered, her eyes filled with icy coldness. Yu Xiaogang had gotten lucky this time by being carried away so early. Otherwise, she would have beaten him until even his parents could not recognize him.
Although Bibi Dong was a gentle, kind woman, she was also someone who kept her word. When beating a scumbag like Yu Xiaogang, she would show absolutely no mercy.
Next time-as soon as Yu Xiaogang appeared before her next time, she would beat him until he cried for his parents. She gave a wicked smile that sent chills through the surrounding spectators.
She was clearly such a beautiful, gentle, peerless beauty, yet her smile now gave her the air of a demon, a rakshasa, sending chills down their spines...
Chapter 43: Baseless Slander
Seeing the utterly unconcealed sneer on Bibi Dong's face, Zhao Ling could not help swallowing. He summoned the Diary Panel and began venting on it.
[Damn, look at how fiercely Bibi Dong is looking for Yu Xiaogang to settle the score. Anyone who didn't know better would think she wanted to cleave him apart alive. It's honestly pretty scary.]
[It seems that when I used the Damage Transfer Method to teach Yu Xiaogang a lesson just now, I actually protected him, in a sense.]
[I think Yu Xiaogang should hurry over and thank me. If I hadn't saved his life just now, once Bibi Dong came down from the ring, he would have lost several layers of skin, if not his life.]
[I saved his life! Would it be right for Yu Xiaogang not to repay me properly?]
[Hmm, tomorrow I'll have to give some serious thought to how much money I should make him pay me in thanks.]
[Honestly... the more I look at this Bibi Dong, the more she seems worlds apart from her younger self in the original story. Instead, she's much closer to the fallen, darkened version of herself after Qian Xunji violated her.]
[Hiss... could it be that Bibi Dong was never innocent or kind in the original story? Was it all an illusion? Was Bibi Dong always a vicious, ruthless woman?]
[Possible. Very possible. Damn, was even the young Bibi Dong this frightening?]
[Now I'm a little curious about what methods Yu Xiaogang used in the original story to make Bibi Dong fall in love with him. Otherwise, I really can't find any reason for her to fall for him.]
[If Yu Xiaogang had a way to make Bibi Dong fall in love with him in the original story, why can't he make her fall for him now? Did something go wrong somewhere? Ugh, what a headache.]
Once he finished venting, Zhao Ling clicked to upload the diary. Soon, he received a system notification awarding him another twenty years of lifespan.
Another lifespan reward-Zhao Ling still found that very appealing. Adding the previous rewards to the lifespan of his current rank-92 Titled Douluo cultivation, he should be able to live for 430 years. Absolutely wonderful.
At that thought, a smile involuntarily spread across his face, leaving Ah Yin, who was in his arms, somewhat baffled.
What's going on? Why did this fellow suddenly start smiling? Did that slap he gave himself earlier knock him stupid???
But the next moment, she saw Zhao Ling's Diary Copy suddenly appear, along with a golden exclamation mark notifying her that the diary had updated.
Her eyes immediately lit up. So he updated his diary. No wonder he's in such a good mood.
For Ah Yin now, reading Zhao Ling's daily diary updates was a very enjoyable pastime, because the contents were sometimes quite interesting.
She opened the diary copy with a thought, and a voice only she could hear sounded in her ears.
However, the newest diary entry once again contained nothing about her, which left her a little displeased. Could he stop mentioning Bibi Dong in his diary all day long?
Am I really that unimportant in this fellow's eyes? Or are men all pigs? Before he had me, he flocked to me like a duck chasing after something.
Now that he has me, he doesn't know how to cherish me anymore? H-how could he do this?
However, Ah Yin soon rejected that thought. Zhao Ling hasn't even won me over yet. Why am I getting so worked up?
Right now, Zhao Ling and I can only be considered friends at most. I-it seems I really did get too worked up.
After skimming the latest diary entry, she chose to close it. Without anything about her, she had little interest in reading it.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong, who was plotting how to give Yu Xiaogang a harsh beating the next time she saw him, suddenly noticed the diary update. Raising a slender eyebrow, she opened the diary copy with a thought.
Reading the latest entry, Bibi Dong was almost speechless. Zhao Ling really was shameless, relentlessly mocking Yu Xiaogang in his diary as useless trash.
He had even used some Damage Transfer Method to give Yu Xiaogang a vicious lesson, leaving him needing to be carried away for treatment, yet now he was claiming to have indirectly saved him.
He even said that if he had not indirectly saved Yu Xiaogang, once she came down from the ring, Yu Xiaogang would have lost several layers of skin, if not his life.
Nonsense! Am I the sort of vicious, ruthless woman who tries to kill people at the drop of a hat?
Obviously not! How dare Zhao Ling slander an innocent person with such baseless claims! Damn him, that scoundrel is utterly hateful.
Even more infuriatingly, Zhao Ling said her current self was completely at odds with the innocent, kind, gentle, and adorable girl she should have been. He even said she might never have possessed those traits at all, that everything had been false.
Right now, she wanted to rush up to Zhao Ling and give him a thorough scolding.
The reason I've changed so much is precisely because you keep ranting in your diary whenever you get the chance. You've taught this young lady bad habits! You bear the main responsibility.
Unfortunately, she knew very well that she could not speak to Zhao Ling about anything involving the diary. No matter how much resentment she held, she could only swallow it obediently.
Unable to let her anger go, she decided that sooner or later, she would lock Zhao Ling down and make him hers.
When that happened, she could find all sorts of excuses to make things difficult for him every few days and teach him the price of slandering an innocent person.
Far away in Heaven Dou Imperial City, Liu Erlong was watering flowers in a secluded courtyard when she suddenly saw the diary update. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly opened the diary copy.
After she finished reading the diary the day before yesterday, the diary copy had awarded her thirty years of lifespan and a ten-percent reduction in her aging rate, leaving her overjoyed.
For most girls who loved beauty and hoped to remain young forever, such rewards were irresistible. Naturally, eager for more rewards, she had been waiting for the diary to update.
Filled with intense curiosity, Liu Erlong finished reading the diary and frowned slightly. This older cousin of hers seemed rather unfortunate.
He appeared to have received a harsh lesson from the diary's author, yet in the author's eyes, that beating had inadvertently saved her older cousin.
It was hard to imagine how that woman named Bibi Dong would deal with her nominal cousin if she caught him, for the author to describe it as losing several layers of skin, if not his life.
Wait, wasn't that woman named Bibi Dong supposed to fall in love with my cousin? Now, not only does she not love him, he'd be lucky if she didn't slaughter him.
Could it be... Liu Erlong soon thought that perhaps the woman named Bibi Dong possessed Zhao Ling's Diary Copy just like she did. Perhaps she had even obtained it earlier and therefore knew more than Liu Erlong did.
Liu Erlong could not help growing curious. If she could see the copy of Zhao Ling's Diary Copy that belonged to Bibi Dong, perhaps she could learn even more explosive information.
However, remembering that her father could neither see nor hear the diary's contents, she could not help wondering whether she would be able to see Bibi Dong's copy of Zhao Ling's Diary Copy...
Chapter 44: Don't Even Think About Driving Me Away
After reading the newest diary entry, Liu Erlong closed the Illusory Diary with a thought and quietly waited for the reward notification.
But after standing there foolishly for several minutes, she received no reward like the "lifespan +30 years, aging rate -10%" from the day before yesterday, leaving her momentarily bewildered.
She carefully recalled the voice that had sounded in her ears when she received the reward, and understanding suddenly dawned.
The reward from the day before yesterday had been unlocked because the number of diary readers had reached three.
In other words, those rewards were not granted simply for reading the diary. Rather, rewards would gradually unlock once the number of people viewing the rewards reached certain thresholds.
Because she had obtained the diary copy relatively late, Liu Erlong only now realized the truth that Bibi Dong and Ah Yin had already figured out two days earlier.
She sat down on a stone stool in disappointment, puffing out her cheeks unhappily. She had thought that simply reading the diary would earn her rewards that increased her lifespan and slowed her aging, but now it seemed she had expected too much.
However, remembering that more rewards would unlock as more lucky people read the diary in the future, Liu Erlong soon flung her displeasure beyond the ninth heaven.
Now, she had developed some interest in the author and the two lucky women who possessed Zhao Ling's Diary Copy. She very much wanted to get to know them and ask about some matters mentioned in the diary along the way.
But the two days of diary entries she could read had not revealed where they currently were. Even if she wanted to deliberately approach them, she did not know their precise location, which left her thoroughly frustrated...
The scene returned once more to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City. Since Bibi Dong had fought Zhi Lin to a draw, the arena had achieved its goal of stopping her winning streak.
After resting for two hours and recovering her soul power, Bibi Dong entered the ring again. Her fourth and fifth opponents were both Silver Soul Badge holders of the same tier as her.
Their soul power levels were somewhat higher than Bibi Dong's, but the fighting strength they could actually unleash was far inferior to hers. Thus, she smoothly won both matches.
Worried that the Great Soul Arena would play dirty again as it had earlier and arrange an opponent far above Bibi Dong's level, Zhao Ling did not continue placing bets.
After all, he now had nearly three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins and could be considered halfway to being rich. In the original story, one Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover an ordinary family of three's expenses for several months.
His nearly three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins were enough for him and Ah Yin to live without worrying about food or clothing on the Douluo Continent. There was no need to take such risks.
People who found happiness in contentment often lacked a strong drive to advance, but they also had their strengths: they could preserve what they had, were not easily tempted by great profits, and could avoid losing everything.
While Zhao Ling happily watched Bibi Dong's matches, inside a rather luxurious private room in the Great Soul Arena,
After treatment from a high-level healing-type Soul Master of the Great Soul Arena, the severe swelling in Yu Xiaogang's right cheek had finally subsided considerably.
His neck, which had nearly been snapped by that slap, no longer hurt as much either. The only thing that troubled him was that he had lost another three or four teeth this time.
Including those he had lost earlier, he was now missing almost ten teeth. Whenever he said anything, air leaked wildly through the gaps.
It was tolerable while the weather was hot, but once it grew colder, with so many teeth missing, would the cold wind not rush straight into his mouth?
At that thought, the fury in Yu Xiaogang's heart ignited once again. Remembering that detestable man's face, he involuntarily clenched both fists, his whole body trembling with anger.
Yu Xiaogang could not understand why, from the very first moment he saw Zhao Ling, he had felt an involuntary loathing toward him, as though their birth charts were incompatible.
If he could defeat Zhao Ling now, he would absolutely tear that fellow apart alive. Someone whose birth chart clashed with his like that should not be allowed to live in this world.
But Yu Xiaogang knew very well that he could not defeat Zhao Ling at all. The feeling of loathing someone yet being unable to finish him off made him want to go mad.
Just as Yu Xiaogang was going mad with anger, the door creaked, and the Great Soul Arena's manager entered uninvited. The professional false smile on his face made Yu Xiaogang very uncomfortable.
Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply and said coldly,
"What business do you have, coming in so suddenly? If there's nothing, please leave. I would like to rest a little longer..."
His words stunned the Great Soul Arena's manager, who even glanced around the room doubtfully.
He dearly wanted to ask Yu Xiaogang whether this private room belonged to their Great Soul Arena or to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
From Second Young Master Yu's tone, how had this room become the property of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Did he actually need that fellow's permission just to enter?
The Great Soul Arena's manager was somewhat displeased, but this second young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan did have powerful backing. Suppressing the urge to lose his temper, he maintained his professional false smile.
"Second Young Master Yu, as you saw, if our Great Soul Arena hadn't stepped in to treat you again today, I'm afraid you would have suffered another serious injury.
"I still advise you to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as soon as possible, lest that woman named Bibi Dong and that man surnamed Zhao join forces and get you killed."
Although the Great Soul Arena's manager was very displeased that Yu Xiaogang refused to heed his elders and suffered for it right before his eyes, he still dutifully tried to persuade him to leave, lest the fool die a horrible death inside or outside their arena one day.
As the Great Soul Arena's manager, he did not want to see something like that happen. He could only steel himself and come offer Yu Xiaogang some kind advice.
But Yu Xiaogang's personality meant he was not someone who could easily be persuaded.
In the original story, after his romance with Liu Erlong was broken up by Yu Luomian and he was expelled from the clan, Yu Xiaogang never returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Even when his nephew came running to tell him that his father missed him terribly and hoped he would return to the clan to visit, Yu Xiaogang did not go back.
Only after the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was exterminated did he return with Liu Erlong to the clan grounds, already strewn with corpses.
It was easy to imagine just how stubborn Yu Xiaogang was. Now, the Great Soul Arena's manager wanted to use his silver tongue to persuade him to leave the arena and leave the woman who had wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. How could he possibly agree?
Yu Xiaogang immediately looked furious. "What, you keep trying every possible way to persuade me to leave. Are you plotting something? I'm telling you, I absolutely won't leave just like this.
"Unless Miss Dong'er leaves with me, don't even think about driving me away. I'm making myself clear right here today: I, Yu Xiaogang, stand by my word!!!"
Chapter 45: Prescribing the Right Remedy
What the fuck? This time, the Great Soul Arena's manager was utterly speechless. He had never expected the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's second young master to be such a love-brained fool.
Come on, how many times have they already beaten your ass? If not for those healing-type Soul Saints our Great Soul Arena supports,
This fellow would probably have died from his severe injuries long ago, or suffered memory loss from a heavy blow to the head, or even become an idiot.
They were clearly urging him to leave the Great Soul Arena and Suotuo City for his own good, lest he get hurt every few days and lose his life.
Yet not only did he fail to appreciate it, he wholeheartedly defended that woman named Bibi Dong and even hoped to leave with her. Anyone who did not know better might think they were a pair of lovebirds flying wing to wing.
The Great Soul Arena's manager finally realized that persuading this second young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to leave was probably impossible.
Nor could he forcibly throw him out of the arena. Otherwise, if this fellow returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and embellished the story of his expulsion when telling Yu Yuanzhen and the elders,
The proud clansmen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might mistakenly believe their Great Soul Arena looked down on the clan. At that point, an unavoidable conflict between the two sides would be hard to escape.
Although the Great Soul Arena possessed wealth and influence, it had no Titled Douluo presiding over it. Offending the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which did have a Titled Douluo, was clearly not a wise choice.
Thus, the Great Soul Arena's manager simply stopped concerning himself with Yu Xiaogang's affairs. At worst, if the fellow asked for trouble and got beaten black and blue, their arena would step in and treat him again.
However, regardless of whether Yu Xiaogang was willing to return, he felt he still needed to inform the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan about that fellow's situation at the Great Soul Arena.
While he was at it, he would tell the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch that Yu Xiaogang had been injured several times and that their Great Soul Arena had treated him each time, extending a gesture of goodwill.
Before you continue