"With those words from you, saving you for nothing wasn't a wasted effort. Come on, return to Gengxin City with us."
Long Qianming led the four of them back along their original route, and they soon left the forest. Although Dugu Xin's poisoning had eased by then, he was still somewhat weak and could not travel on horseback.
For that reason, Long Qianming found a carriage. He sat at the front with Bibi Dong, holding the reins, leaving Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er alone inside.
"Hyah!"
With a tug on the reins and a loud call to the horse, the carriage headed toward Gengxin City at an unhurried pace.
At that moment, Long Qianming turned his head and stared intently at Bibi Dong. As time passed, a trace of greed actually crept into his gaze.
"Qianming, why are you looking at me like that? Am I, am I really that pretty?"
Seeing this, Bibi Dong blushed and unconsciously lowered her head, while her heart filled with delight.
If you want to look, just look openly. Why act so sleazy about it? Besides, I've already spent four months with you. Why are you still so timid?
Just as Bibi Dong imagined what Long Qianming would do next and cautiously reached her delicate hand toward his left hand, he swiftly withdrew it as though something urgent had suddenly come up. Then he spoke with some concern.
"Dong'er, your Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul is also a poisonous spider-type Soul Beast. Will absorbing the Seven Poison Demon Spider harm your body?"
Only now did Long Qianming think of this. Bibi Dong's Martial Souls were both spiders, and both were highly venomous. Although a Spider Emperor was a higher-quality, top-tier Beast Martial Soul with greater control over toxins than ordinary spiders, there was no guarantee that something unexpected would not happen.
After all, he had never examined Bibi Dong's body before. If any toxins remained inside her, they could very well endanger her life later.
Bibi Dong felt a little dejected by Long Qianming's sudden withdrawal, but seeing that he was concerned about her made her quite happy again.
"No. My first three Soul Rings came from a Cave Demon Spider, a Purple-Gold Poison Mantis, and a Man Faced Demon Spider, respectively. According to your theory, I haven't absorbed three spider-type Soul Rings, so-"
"I see. Looks like I was worrying too much."
Long Qianming felt much better now. Fortunately, having her absorb the Seven Poison Demon Spider's Soul Ring had not led to a tragedy of poisoning. Otherwise, his own little life might have been forfeit!
Yet a trace of shame showed in Bibi Dong's delighted eyes. In truth, back when she had broken through to rank 30 at the age of twelve, her teacher had given her a twenty-thousand-year right leg bone, obtained from a rare Soul Beast in the Frozen Forest-the Image Beast.
This was also why, throughout these four months, she had never taken the initiative to ask Long Qianming to examine her body. Soul Bones were supreme treasures in the Soul Master World, let alone a twenty-thousand-year Image Right Leg Bone.
As she sat there in a daze, Long Qianming asked curiously,
"Dong'er, I helped you kill the Seven Poison Demon Spider. What's your Fourth Soul Ring's skill?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong finally remembered her Fourth Soul Ring's skill. For a moment, she was at a loss for words and found it even harder to speak about the skill.
"It's fine. As your friend, I won't be jealous, no matter how powerful your Soul Skill is."
"I helped you hunt the Soul Beast and obtain its Soul Ring. Surely you can at least tell me about one Soul Skill!"
Long Qianming used a relatively relaxed tone, allowing Bibi Dong to lower the somewhat heavy guard around her heart.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong looked at Long Qianming a little nervously and slowly began,
"My Fourth Soul Skill is called Thorn Spider Armor. It's a single-target defensive skill that gives me a 60% defensive effect. On my body, it forms, forms..."
The more Bibi Dong explained, the more nervous she became. She loved beauty. If her Soul Ring's skill made her ugly, how could she have the face to see Long Qianming?
"It forms a suit of black-and-purple spider armor on my body, protecting me from harm and reflecting highly poisonous damage back at enemies."
In the end, Bibi Dong revealed every unfavorable aspect of her Soul Ring's skill. She sat quietly and properly beside him, watching Long Qianming's reaction.
Long Qianming, however, knitted his brows tightly, as though he greatly disliked the skill's effect. This left Bibi Dong restless and even more nervous, terrified that he would ignore her because of it.
But what happened next proved beyond doubt that Bibi Dong had worried too much. Long Qianming, who was driving the carriage, felt happy for her and said,
"That single-target defensive skill is really good! Your first two Soul Skills are offensive, your third focuses on control, and your fourth focuses on defense. That's already very good."
"Dong'er, I know what you're worried about. Aren't you just afraid you'll look ugly after using the Soul Skill and covering yourself in armor? That's not a problem! Soul Ring skills are for fighting, not beauty contests."
Long Qianming had frowned because he had never expected absorbing the Seven Poison Demon Spider's Soul Ring to produce Thorn Spider Armor. This was one of Bibi Dong's go-to Soul Skills.
Whether she was hunting the Soft Bone Rabbit in the future or dealing with Tang San and the two hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, Bibi Dong used the Death Spider Emperor's Fourth Soul Skill-Thorn Spider Armor. It could be called an all-purpose Soul Skill.
After his words of reassurance, Bibi Dong grew even happier and kept shifting toward Long Qianming, wanting to get closer to him.
Seeing Bibi Dong gradually approaching, Long Qianming immediately grew nervous. He repeatedly shifted toward the outer edge of the carriage's front seat and said rather seriously,
"Dong'er, sit properly. If you keep squeezing over toward me, sooner or later you'll push me off the carriage."
"With the carriage moving this fast, I'll definitely get hurt if you push me off. Dong'er, you don't want me to get hurt either, do you? Otherwise..."
Long Qianming's behavior completely ruined Bibi Dong's previously good mood. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned her waist against the railing behind her, looking adorably sulky.
Why did this Long Qianming always maintain such a sense of boundaries? And the more I take the initiative to approach him, the stronger those boundaries become. Just why is that?
Didn't he say we were the best of friends?
Two double-hours later, when the sun on the horizon had disappeared behind the distant mountain forests and its last lingering rays spilled over the earth, Long Qianming and the other three finally returned to Longxing Medical Hall.
"Dong'er, take Qing'er and prepare some medicinal ingredients. I intend to use this opportunity today to completely alleviate the poison from Brother Dugu's Martial Soul."
Long Qianming handed Bibi Dong a prescription and nodded to her.
"All right!"
Still sulking, Bibi Dong led Su Qing'er into the courtyard. As she selected medicinal ingredients, she said,
"Qing'er, once we've finished selecting the ingredients, I'll leave brewing the medicine to you. Can you manage?"
"I can, little sister Dong'er."
Su Qing'er's gaze was unwavering. Wasn't it just brewing medicine? She had done similar things before.