"All right. I still have a few loose ends to take care of before leaving. We'll head north to Heaven Dou City in a day."
After much deliberation, Long Qianming gave his reply.
In his plans, this trip to Heaven Dou City was not merely to befriend Dugu Bo, but also to bring about a fundamental transformation in Xiao Tian. Although Soul Ring evolution and his consumption theory could transform Xiao Tian into a Dark Sacred Dragon, the process would take far too long.
Seeing Long Qianming agree, Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er were both genuinely delighted. Su Qing'er extended another invitation.
"Little Sister Dong'er, why don't you come with us too? After all..."
Halfway through her sentence, Su Qing'er walked up to Bibi Dong and had the two men step aside, then leaned toward her ear and whispered,
"After all, this is my first visit to Brother Xin's family and my first time meeting his father. I'm bound to be a little nervous. Why don't you come with me, Dong'er? You could give me some advice."
"And you could deepen your relationship with Divine Physician Long along the way."
At those words, Bibi Dong's face flushed slightly, and she said softly,
"He and I are just friends. What relationship are you talking about?"
As she spoke, Bibi Dong kept stealing glances at Long Qianming, who was chatting with Dugu Xin. As a fellow woman and an outsider, Su Qing'er saw through Bibi Dong's feelings for Long Qianming at a glance. She said tentatively,
"Little Sister Dong'er, Divine Physician Long is a wonderful man and a very suitable match. If I hadn't met Brother Xin first, I would have wanted to marry him long ago."
"Impossible! Qianming would never agree to that. You mustn't entertain such thoughts."
A surge of jealousy suddenly welled up in Bibi Dong, and she hurriedly spoke on Long Qianming's behalf. Su Qing'er smiled at Bibi Dong, who could not take even a little teasing.
"You say you don't like him, but one little provocation from me exposed those feelings of yours. And you still say you're just ordinary friends?"
For a moment, Bibi Dong felt as though she was about to be seen through and could not find the words to explain. She grew even more bashful.
Only after a long while, once her feelings had settled, did Bibi Dong look toward Long Qianming. She had long anticipated his departure, yet she still felt a little dejected.
She suppressed her distress, put on a smile, and said cheerfully,
"Qianming, my time at the medical hall has been the happiest experience of my life so far. It's time I returned to Spirit City now, or my teacher will worry."
Bibi Dong firmly declined the invitation. She could not abandon Spirit Hall, which had raised and trained her for so many years, because of her feelings. Long Qianming was free, while she still had a responsibility to shoulder.
"Huh?"
Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er were both astonished, not only by Bibi Dong's decision, but also by the fact that she came from Spirit City and belonged to Spirit Hall.
Long Qianming, however, feigned surprise. He knew Bibi Dong could never remain at the medical hall for long and had to return to Spirit City. Though reluctant to part with her, he knew that, given the current circumstances, this was undoubtedly the best choice.
"When are you leaving?"
Long Qianming asked somewhat heavily.
"Now."
"Now? So soon?"
Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er looked at Bibi Dong in puzzlement. After a brief farewell, Bibi Dong had already begun walking away.
As the two watched Bibi Dong leave the medical hall, they shifted their eyes back to Long Qianming, who remained standing where he was, and reminded him,
"Brother Ming, hurry up and see her off. Once we part, who knows when we'll meet again?"
Although Long Qianming disdained the reluctance that accompanied farewells, he still followed her and escorted Bibi Dong all the way outside Gengxin City.
At that moment, in a relatively quiet spot outside Gengxin City, the two stood still, both finding it difficult to speak.
After two minutes of awkward silence, Bibi Dong took the initiative to approach Long Qianming, intending to hug him. Unexpectedly, Long Qianming stepped straight back three paces and handed her the reins.
"Off you go. Take care on the road."
His tone remained utterly calm, revealing no sign of sadness. If anything, there was something rather comical about him. Then he took some medicinal herbs from his Storage Soul Tool.
"Consider these herbs my parting gift. You've watched me cook more or less in our daily life. When I'm not around, you'll have to cook for yourself."
"These disgusting things again! Didn't I say I wouldn't eat them?"
Bibi Dong said angrily.
"You've been eating these disgusting things for the past four months. I only kept it from you because I was afraid you'd feel sick."
"You-"
For a moment, Bibi Dong was at a loss for words. Still, she accepted the medicinal herbs. They were a gift from Long Qianming, after all, and the ingredients for those delicious medicinal dishes.
"Come on, we're friends. We ought to hug when we say goodbye."
"All right!"
Long Qianming stepped forward of his own accord, spread his arms, and embraced Bibi Dong with great ceremony.
"Remember to cultivate diligently once you return to Spirit Hall. When we meet again, don't let your Soul Power fall too far behind mine!"
Bibi Dong was very pleased, and a blush once again rose to her face.
But upon hearing the latter half of his words, she pinched Long Qianming's waist with her right hand and said with a touch of haughtiness,
"Who's stronger than whom is still up in the air! I might be the one protecting you then, Qianming."
Bibi Dong then swung herself onto the horse. Before leaving, she glanced back and did not forget to say,
"If you have time, remember to come see me in Spirit City. I'll be waiting for you."
"All right. If I have time, I'll definitely come."
Having received his answer, Bibi Dong looked straight ahead and rode away.
As Long Qianming watched her figure gradually recede into the distance, the pressure in his heart suddenly eased. He returned to Longxing Medical Hall and began settling its affairs and saying goodbye to Lou Gao and the others.
The next day, Long Qianming set off with a fresh appearance, traveling north with Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er toward Heaven Dou City.
After a three-month journey, Long Qianming and his two companions, riding their Gale Horses, finally passed through Silves City and reached the outskirts of Sunset Forest.
Although Sunset Forest was not even a third to half the size of Star Dou Great Forest, it was home to a great variety of Soul Beasts and was the second-choice destination for Soul Masters of the Heaven Dou Empire seeking Soul Rings.
"Brother Ming, you don't seem to have reached the Soul Grandmaster bottleneck where you need to hunt a Soul Beast yet, so why have we come to Sunset Forest?"
Dugu Xin was thoroughly puzzled. According to his communications with his family, if they traveled quickly enough, they would meet Dugu Bo in another three days at most.
Yet now they had taken a detour and stopped on the outskirts of Sunset Forest at the Silves border.
"I still need to find some medicinal herbs. Those herbs only grow in Sunset Forest."
As Long Qianming continued deeper into Sunset Forest, he gave him a brief explanation. In truth, he intended to investigate the location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
After all, he now had two Soul Elders with him. As long as they were a little careful and did not encounter any powerful Soul Beasts, their lives would not be in danger. With eight or nine years of Soul Hunting experience already, he was capable of avoiding Soul Beasts and concealing himself.