That conclusion horrified her. Just who was Zhao Ling, the owner of this diary? How had he slipped through Spirit Hall's layers of guards and delivered a "Diary Copy" right before her without anyone knowing, visible only to her?
Even her teacher, who held the exalted position of Pope, could not see this "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy." That feat alone was probably beyond even that old fellow in the Worship Hall, wasn't it?
She could not help wondering what exactly was written in the "Diary Copy."
As though sensing her thoughts, the "Diary Copy" actually opened on its own, revealing densely packed writing. An unfamiliar man's voice, filled with frustration, also sounded beside her ear.
She jumped in fright. Why had a voice suddenly reached her ears? Was someone deliberately playing a trick on her?
Bibi Dong turned warily to glance at the four guards, frightening them into hastily lowering their heads to stare at their shoes, not daring to meet her eyes.
Seeing their terrified expressions, Bibi Dong decided that these four guards definitely lacked the courage to play tricks on her. She withdrew her gaze and walked on.
Without letting anything show, she listened to the unfamiliar man's frustrated voice, her beautiful eyes, bright as the luminous moon, carefully reading the contents of the "Diary Copy."
She had barely read the first few lines when her pupils contracted, shock surging through her heart.
Of course, what shocked her was not that her popularity and looks ranked higher than those of a woman named Ah Yin in some animation.
She was very confident in her looks. Back when she attended the Martial Soul Advanced Soul Master Academy, she had been its acknowledged campus beauty, admired by every male student. Was such high praise anything unusual?
What truly shocked her was that her teacher had only just told her to lead a team to Suotuo City in two days.
Yet before she had even set out, the writer of this "Diary Copy" had said he wanted to go to Suotuo City to woo her. Could he predict the future?
What followed filled her with mixed feelings. In the future, not only would she become Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden and even its Pope, but she would also advance to Titled Douluo in her thirties. For her, that was unquestionably wonderful news.
Yet the diary also said that she would fall for a man named Yu Xiaogang.
This fellow had a decent grasp of theoretical knowledge, but when it came to his Soul Power Level, he was an utter good-for-nothing who would struggle immensely to break through to level 30.
For such a good-for-nothing, she would even fall out with her own teacher, ultimately paying a devastating price and suffering the darkest moment of her life.
Yet while she suffered that darkest moment, this fellow named Yu Xiaogang would turn around and fall in love with his female cousin.
A beast! No! Worse than a beast! Bibi Dong trembled with anger. Still an innocent, kindhearted girl, she felt the urge to tear someone into pieces, rip out his tendons, and flay him alive for the first time.
For that relationship, she would risk everything, even falling out with the teacher who doted on her most. Yet this Yu Xiaogang would betray their love and fall for his own cousin. Such an animal did not deserve to live in this world.
Soon, however, she came to her senses and began questioning the diary's authenticity.
It was not as though she, Bibi Dong, lacked male admirers. Even at the Martial Soul Advanced Soul Master Academy, so many outstanding older and younger male students admired her.
If she would only say yes, the men in Spirit City wanting to court her could probably line up from the eastern end to the western end-even circle the city three times without a problem.
Had water flooded her brain, had a donkey kicked it, or had it been caught in a door? How could she fall for such an utter good-for-nothing?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Slander, this was blatant slander! She, Bibi Dong, wasn't blind.
Yet the diary's author had miraculously predicted her upcoming trip to Suotuo City, forcing Bibi Dong to believe it.
Her dark brows drew tighter and tighter. This Yu Xiaogang's surname was Yu. Could he belong to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects?
At that thought, her gaze grew colder. This could not continue. She felt she needed to investigate thoroughly.
She hurriedly summoned several relatively trustworthy subordinates and ordered them to investigate whether the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan really had a member named Yu Xiaogang.
These subordinates had no idea why Bibi Dong suddenly wanted this Yu Xiaogang investigated. They dared neither say much nor ask questions, and left to carry out her orders.
As her subordinates departed, Bibi Dong's expression turned grim. If this Yu Xiaogang did not exist, so be it. But if he did, she would make him understand the consequences of betraying her, no matter what.
Even if it had not happened yet, he would still pay a devastating price. Betraying her and deceiving her feelings-she, Bibi Dong, could never tolerate that!!!
Chapter 6: Just you wait
Bibi Dong waited anxiously for two days before the trusted subordinate assigned to investigate Yu Xiaogang finally hurried into her bedroom.
"Miss, according to the message sent back from the Heaven Dou Empire by carrier pigeon, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan does indeed have a direct descendant named Yu Xiaogang.
"He is the second son of Yu Yuanzhen, the clan's leader. His Martial Soul mutated, and his cultivation progresses extremely slowly. He is now fifteen or sixteen, yet his Soul Power is still below level twenty. He poses no threat whatsoever to our sacred hall."
Bibi Dong had been combing her long hair, smooth as a waterfall. Her hand stopped, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She had not expected this man named Yu Xiaogang to actually exist.
Moreover, his Martial Soul had mutated, and at fifteen or sixteen, his Soul Power was still below level 20. He matched the image of the good-for-nothing described in "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" exactly.
Bibi Dong immediately wondered whether her future self had gone blind. How could she fall for such an utter good-for-nothing? Was this Yu Xiaogang exceptionally handsome, his every feature perfectly matching her tastes?
Surely not? Had she, Bibi Dong, seen so few handsome men? How could she fall for that sort of good-for-nothing, even falling out with her teacher for him?
The more she thought about it, the more irritated Bibi Dong became. She coldly instructed her trusted subordinate.
"You may leave. Keep a tight lid on the fact that I had you investigate this man today. If word gets out and Teacher or the elders hear of it, you should understand the consequences."
Those threatening words immediately left the subordinate drenched in cold sweat. Although he knew his young mistress had always been kind and innocent, she still had her methods.
If he failed to keep his mouth shut and His Holiness the Pope or the elders found out, with her methods, he probably would not even know how he had died.
He nodded respectfully. "Miss, rest assured. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. I'll warn the others as well."
"Mm..." Bibi Dong watched coldly as her subordinate withdrew from her bedroom, the dangerous look in her eyes growing increasingly intense.
"Hmph, Yu Xiaogang... You dare deceive my feelings? You're courting death. Even if you haven't done those things yet, that is still a sin you can never erase. Just you wait."
Crack! With a crisp snap, the wooden comb in Bibi Dong's hand broke under her grip. She casually tossed it to the floor and stood.
Today was the day she and Elder Ju would lead a team to Suotuo City. After breakfast, she would bid her teacher farewell and set out.
Yet worries weighed on her mind. What exactly had happened after she fell out completely with her teacher?
Why would that fellow named Zhao Ling describe it as the darkest moment of her life, one for which she paid an extraordinarily devastating price?
She found it inconceivable. Her teacher had always loved her dearly; even calling it spoiling her would not be excessive.
Otherwise, why would her teacher appoint her Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden in the future, or even make her the next Pope?
No matter how Bibi Dong thought about it, she could not imagine what devastating price she would pay. She desperately wanted to know, but that fellow named Zhao Ling had not updated anything particularly useful over the past two days.
Instead, he wrote about boring trifles, such as these.
[How frustrating. Ever since Ah Yin finished washing the clothes and went back inside two days ago, she's hardly left the house. The few times she finally came out, she went with her neighbors. How am I supposed to arrange a chance encounter?]
[Granny Shen, what's wrong with you, you old hag? Constantly visiting Ah Yin's house is one thing. I finally saw Ah Yin come outside and wanted to strike up a conversation.]
[Then you stood in front of me with a carrying pole, looking ready to fight me to the death if I took another step. What exactly did I ever do to offend you?]
[Listen here, you old Shen hag. Once or twice is one thing, but not a third time. I'm a mighty Titled Douluo, after all. Can't you show me some respect? Do you insist on forcing me to poke you to death with one finger?]
[Damn! Again??? Fine, I'll endure it! A good man doesn't fight a dog. You want to make things difficult for me? Then don't blame me for messing with your son.]
[Hmph, Auntie Shen, you'd never guess I was the one who knocked your son out, tied him to a tree, whipped him, and left him in the sun for hours, would you? That'll teach you to ruin my plans. Hmph.]
These boring trifles left Bibi Dong quite speechless, but she also realized that this man named Zhao Ling was someone who wore his heart on his sleeve.
A mighty Titled Douluo had been stopped by an ordinary woman, yet he had not flown into a rage and slaughtered her.
He had merely tied her son to a tree, whipped him, and left him in the sun for several hours, then happily boasted about it in his diary.
Had it been one of those bloodthirsty Titled Douluos, Auntie Shen and her family would probably have been slaughtered already.
While Bibi Dong was speechless, Ah Yin had also been left unsure whether to laugh or cry by Zhao Ling's diary updates over these two days. He actually wanted to use borrowing something as an excuse to approach her.
Yet Auntie Shen had spotted him several times in a row and stopped him. Fortunately, this fellow was not too hot-tempered, or Auntie Shen would not even have known how she died.
As for Auntie Shen's son being tied to a tree and left in the sun for hours, Ah Yin truly had not expected that. No wonder Auntie Shen and some of the village's able-bodied young men had carried her son back yesterday afternoon.
She understood that she could not keep turning a blind eye. She was not surprised by his claim to be a Titled Douluo. Since he could so easily recognize her identity as the Blue Silver Emperor, was possessing such strength not only natural?
If a Titled Douluo wanted to get to know her, or even had romantic intentions toward her, she simply had no way to refuse.
Whether she agreed or not, if he used force to compel her to submit, she would have no ability to resist whatsoever.
What made him particularly commendable was that he had never used force against her. Even Auntie Shen, with nothing but a carrying pole in her hands, had managed to stop him.
Even when he stamped his feet in anger, he had never attacked Auntie Shen. He had merely knocked her son unconscious, tied him to a tree, and left him in the sun for several hours as revenge. Such a disposition was far better than that of most humans she knew.
Most importantly, Zhao Ling had never shown her any ill intent from beginning to end. All he coveted was her beauty; he had never mentioned her Soul Ring or Soul Bone.
Clearly, he was genuinely interested in her and simply wanted to court her, with no intention of taking her Soul Ring or Soul Bone. This greatly comforted Ah Yin.
For all these reasons, although she had never met this fellow named Zhao Ling, she could not help developing a trace of affection for him.
Perhaps that trace of affection was pitifully small, but who knew whether it might herald passionate love...
Chapter 7: Soul-Sealing Seal
Even after two days, Zhao Ling had not managed to approach Ah Yin's home once. This left him deeply displeased, especially with that old woman surnamed Shen, who kept ruining his plans time and again.
So he found an opportunity to knock Granny Shen's son unconscious, blindfold him, tie him to a tree, and viciously whip him with a vine, then leave him in the sun for several hours.
The poor fool never even saw who had attacked him before being whipped black and blue.
Late one night, Zhao Ling also threw a wild boar into the old woman's chicken pen, where it charged wildly about.
It threw her household into utter turmoil, killing most of her chickens and ducks and leaving her trembling with heartache.
Although these were not particularly severe punishments, they still taught the old woman a lesson.
After two days of getting nowhere, Zhao Ling calculated the time. In about five more days, Bibi Dong would meet Yu Xiaogang.
Zhao Ling remembered the original story mentioning that the journey from the Star Dou Great Forest to Suotuo City was roughly 500 kilometers.
For ordinary people or low-level Soul Masters traveling without a carriage, that was indeed quite a distance. But for Zhao Ling, a level 92 Titled Douluo, it was nothing much.
Thus, Zhao Ling planned to stay in this village for another two days, giving himself and Ah Yin more opportunities.
If he stayed in this village for four days and still failed to find a single opportunity to get acquainted with Ah Yin, he would really have to wonder whether they were fated to meet.
Having made up his mind, he summoned the diary panel and briefly vented his frustrations.
[Two days. I'll stay another two days at most. If I still can't make an initial acquaintance with Ah Yin in that time, there's nothing I can do.]
[After all, Bibi Dong is about to meet Yu Xiaogang in Suotuo City. If I don't hurry, I'm afraid the two of them will meet, get to know each other, and fall in love just as they did in the original story, descending step by step into an endless abyss.]
[No, absolutely not. I can't stand by and watch Bibi Dong fall into an endless abyss. She's still so pure and innocent right now. I absolutely won't allow her to repeat those mistakes.]
[If I know what tragic fate awaits her yet do nothing to stop it, I feel I'll blame myself for the rest of my life. After all, I simply can't bear to watch such a pure, innocent girl turn completely dark.]
[As for Ah Yin, I can only come back for her after resolving Bibi Dong's problem. I just hope she'll still be in this little village then. Sigh...]
After successfully uploading the short diary entry, he saw the system panel read, [Diary uploaded successfully. Rating: B. Obtained secret art: Soul-Sealing Seal. Please keep up your efforts, host.]
Zhao Ling raised a sharp brow. Could this secret art called the Soul-Sealing Seal specifically target souls or primordial spirits? If it really was that kind of secret art, it would count as another trump card.
At that thought, he hurriedly opened the description of the Soul-Sealing Seal.
[Soul-Sealing Seal: The user may apply this to someone whose Soul Power Level is lower than their own. Once applied, the target with lower Soul Power will temporarily lose their Soul Power, becoming an ordinary person with no Soul Power whatsoever. This state cannot be removed by the target, nor can others discern the target's Soul Power condition.]
A trace of disappointment flashed through Zhao Ling's eyes as he read the description. He had originally thought it would be some secret art specifically targeting souls or primordial spirits.
He had not expected the Soul-Sealing Seal to merely seal targets whose Soul Power was lower than his, temporarily stripping them of Soul Power and turning them into ordinary people with none. What damn use was that?
If he encountered an enemy weaker than himself, would it not be simpler to slap them dead? Even for targets he could not kill outright, was tying them up with rope and depriving them of the ability to resist so difficult?
People always said that anything produced by the system was guaranteed to be top quality, yet this secret art of unclear purpose left Zhao Ling utterly speechless.
But he soon reconsidered. Wait, that wasn't right. The system had no reason to give him a useless secret art. Could it have some other use?
For instance, if he used this secret art on Ah Yin or Xiao Wu, would others still be able to tell they were transformed Soul Beasts after their Soul Power was sealed?
At that thought, Zhao Ling's eyes lit up. It seemed he could try it when he had the chance. Perhaps this secret art would prove unexpectedly effective.
Just as Zhao Ling finished uploading his diary, Ah Yin, who was sitting idly in her room, saw that it had updated.
Filled with anticipation, she opened "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" with her mind. Its contents made her clench her delicate fists in displeasure, her cheeks puffing with anger.
Only two days had passed, and that fellow already couldn't wait any longer? He would wait another two days at most, and if he still couldn't meet her, he would give up on her and leave?
H-he couldn't do that! So what if that woman named Bibi Dong was a little prettier and a little more popular than her?
He couldn't just stir her up and run away, could he? How humiliating would that be for her?
Yet despite her displeasure, when she saw that this woman named Bibi Dong would be betrayed after falling in love with that man named Yu Xiaogang, ultimately turning dark and descending into an endless abyss, kindhearted as she was, she could not help feeling sympathy.
Compared with her own circumstances, what awaited this woman named Bibi Dong was clearly more urgent. So Zhao Ling's eagerness to leave seemed not entirely unacceptable.
At this point, Ah Yin was filled with mixed feelings. She understood that perhaps it was time for her to take the initiative and get to know him.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong, who had already departed Spirit City for Suotuo City, saw the illusory diary appear again, along with a constantly bouncing exclamation mark shining with golden light.
She knew "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" must have updated again. With nothing to do while sitting in the carriage, she opened the Diary Copy with her mind.
Seeing that the update contained fewer than 300 characters, she pursed her lips in displeasure. Wasn't this fellow named Zhao Ling far too lazy? Who was supposed to be satisfied with a few hundred characters a day?
Without updating a few thousand or even ten thousand a day, how did you have the nerve to say you were keeping a diary?
Before you continue