Little Spider

The sun hung high over Spirit Hall.

Halfway up the path to the Pope's Hall.

Bibi Dong, a delicate little girl dressed in plain pink and white, curiously examined a river built to run from the top all the way to the bottom.

"Teacher, why is there a river here?" Bibi Dong pointed at the river with a little finger and looked at Qian Xunji, her small face puzzled.

The corner of Qian Xunji's mouth twitched, and veins bulged on his forehead. "My disciple, this river is only for decoration. It makes Spirit Hall look a little more welcoming."

"I see. Mm-hmm." Happiness lit up Bibi Dong's little face. Spirit Hall really was just as she had imagined it-a very, very good place.

"Huh? Teacher, I think there's someone in the river." Bibi Dong spotted a flesh-colored figure swimming through the crystal-clear water, seemingly without a stitch of clothing.

Qian Xunji's eyes widened. Sensing trouble, he raised his sleeve to block Bibi Dong's view. "My disciple, close your eyes."

A handsome young man with fair skin, golden hair, and a tall, slender figure leaped out of the water in a perfectly executed dive that could even be called graceful, then slowly landed without a thing on.

Qian Xunling shook the droplets from his long golden hair and swept his bangs aside. His golden eyes fell on Qian Xunji, and he clicked his tongue in exasperation. "What are you doing here?" he asked impatiently.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Hurry up and put some clothes on, hey!" Qian Xunji's chest heaved as he nearly shouted, "You've made Spirit Hall lose all its face!"

"What are you yelling for? Is this your first day knowing I bathe in the river? Couldn't you get out of the way when you saw me?" Qian Xunling rolled his eyes at Qian Xunji and dug in his ear before noticing a little girl hidden behind Qian Xunji's sleeve.

The young Bibi Dong's purple eyes were wide as saucers, and her tender little face had turned scarlet. She wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She probably wouldn't forget the thing she'd seen for the rest of her life.

Qian Xunling looked at Qian Xunji with contempt. "Disgusting. You won't even spare a child this young. You're really something."

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Qian Xunji roared, his still-handsome face turning red with anger despite his forty-some years. He glanced back at the young Bibi Dong and only then noticed that she had taken an almost imperceptible step backward.

The image he'd built as a good teacher!

"Xunling, stop talking nonsense. She's the disciple I just took in. I'm her teacher, and I don't have those filthy thoughts of yours." Qian Xunji forced himself to calm down, then turned back with a kind expression and whispered to Bibi Dong, "My disciple, don't believe him. He's my younger brother, and he and I don't get along, so that's why he said that."

"Uh... mm-hmm." Bibi Dong nodded nervously.

Qian Xunling chuckled. "It was just a joke. Why are you getting so worked up? Your face has turned red. Could it be you really do have those thoughts?"

At that, Qian Xunji nearly summoned his Martial Soul.

Mindful of the good image he wanted to build for his disciple, Qian Xunji ultimately held back. I absolutely can't keep following my brother's lead.

Otherwise, he'd never be able to wash himself clean.

"Get lost," Qian Xunji snapped. "I don't want to beat you today."

"Haha." Qian Xunling was so speechless he laughed. "Can you beat me?"

"My disciple, let's go." Qian Xunji took Bibi Dong's little hand and blocked her view, shielding her as he prepared to leave.

"Wait." Qian Xunling raised a hand, and just then, a deep, weighty voice suddenly sounded behind him. Golden Crocodile Douluo coughed. "Xunling, that's enough. Xunji took in a disciple today, so it's a wonderful occasion. Don't cause trouble. Do Uncle Golden Crocodile this favor."

"Uncle Golden Crocodile." Qian Xunji turned around in delight.

The burly Golden Crocodile gave a kindly smile.

Qian Xunling, however, said speechlessly, "Uncle Golden Crocodile, that's an awfully fixed impression you have of me. I never said I was going to cause trouble. I only raised my hand because I wanted to borrow some clothes from this brother of mine. Do you really expect me to run back like this?"

Golden Crocodile's kindly smile froze.

"Don't you know I don't like bringing anything with me when I bathe?" Qian Xunling waved a hand and said with a touch of sadness, "Sigh, looks like I'll always be that fellow who does nothing but cause trouble in Uncle Golden Crocodile's eyes."

"No... no, I don't think that." Golden Crocodile Douluo was somewhat at a loss. Qian Xunji, who had long been used to this little trick of Qian Xunling's, said to Golden Crocodile, "Uncle Golden Crocodile, he's saying that on purpose."

Qian Xunji raised his storage ring, but Qian Xunling waved him off. "Wait, you're a little short. I'd better borrow something from Uncle Golden Crocodile instead."

The veins on Qian Xunji's forehead bulged again. He lowered his hand and said coldly, "I wasn't willing to lend you anything anyway."

Golden Crocodile handed Qian Xunling a white robe.

Qian Xunling was nearly two meters tall, probably 198 centimeters. Qian Xunji was only 190 centimeters, while Golden Crocodile was a little taller and much more muscular than Qian Xunling.

Golden Crocodile's white robe hung a little loose on Qian Xunling, revealing a broad expanse of snowy skin across his collarbones and chest, but it was comfortable enough. After Qian Xunling tied the sash, Qian Xunji had to admit, however unwillingly, that his younger brother really was much more handsome than he was.

They clearly had the same father and mother, so how could the difference be so great?

If Qian Xunling didn't have the golden hair and golden eyes standard to the Angel Clan, Qian Xunji would have suspected he was their father's illegitimate son.

Qian Xunling looked at Qian Xunji speechlessly. "Don't look at me like some lovestruck fool, and don't tell me you like men."

"Filth comes out every time you open your mouth," Qian Xunji said coldly, clenching his fists.

Qian Xunling laughed in exasperation and rolled his eyes at him. Ignoring him, he turned his gaze to the little figure hidden behind his sleeve, standing stock-still with only her little arms and legs showing.

"Oi, little one, let your martial uncle have a look at you."

"What, do I have to come over there myself?" Qian Xunling teased, his interest piqued. He had finally met the great villain the protagonist's group would have to face, though unfortunately she was still just a little thing.

Bibi Dong trembled behind the sleeve, terrified and too nervous to know what to do. She could only look at Qian Xunji, who knew he couldn't stop his brother once something caught his interest.

So Qian Xunji lowered his sleeve and said kindly, "My disciple, say hello to your martial uncle."

"Oh... mm-hmm." Bibi Dong raised her head slightly and saw the incomparably handsome man before her, clad in a white robe, his golden hair flowing down. For a moment, she was taken by his looks. She opened her mouth, somewhat incoherent. "M-Martial Uncle, hello."

Qian Xunling stroked his chin, narrowed his eyes slightly, and chuckled. "Interesting. Twin Martial Souls, and both spiders. How about this? I won't call you my martial niece from now on; it sounds too distant. I'll call you Little Spider instead."

"Little Spider?" Before Bibi Dong could recover her senses,

Qian Xunji asked in puzzlement, "How could you tell what her Martial Souls are?"

"You think I'm a useless waste like you? Not only is your Soul Power slow to improve, you don't even have a single skill worth showing off. If I were you, I'd have found a pillar and dashed my head against it long ago."

The corners of Qian Xunling's mouth rose. Of course, it was the omniscient perspective that came with being a transmigrator, but that didn't stop him from showing off in front of these natives.

Golden Crocodile was actually quite surprised as well, but seeing how thoroughly Qian Xunji had been berated, he tucked his chin in slightly.

Bibi Dong didn't much like the nickname and wanted to ask her martial uncle not to call her that, but then she saw Qian Xunling reveal a smile so righteous it looked evil.

In a flash, immense fear welled up in her young heart. Her skin turned icy, and every hair stood on end. She suddenly felt that perhaps not everything in Spirit Hall was so good after all. This martial uncle frightened her terribly. Boo-hoo.

Qian Xunji's face darkened, and he took Bibi Dong's hand. "My disciple, we should go. Pay him no mind."

Qian Xunling's smile made Qian Xunji feel a little uncomfortable too.

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