Bibi Dong Pledged Herself to Him

The Nine Heart Begonia in the Tower Spirit Space was planted by Bibi Dong herself.

The day the seeds were planted was not long after Bibi Dong was Purification. Nan Feng rummaged through a corner of the Tower Spirit Space and found a packet of Nine Heart Begonia seeds, casually tossing them to her.

"Don't just water it and loosen the soil every day; plant one yourself. You'll be all set once this begonia blooms."

Bibi Dong didn't say anything at the time. She squatted down next to the Ancient Tree of Life, holding the packet of seeds, and dug a small hole around the roots with a bamboo skewer. She then carefully placed the seeds one by one into the hole and covered them with soil.

He then scooped a ladle of water from the sacred spring and thoroughly poured it over the plants.

After she finished planting, she squatted there and looked at it for a long time, then suddenly asked a question.

When does it bloom?

"It could take as little as one year, or as long as three years."

Nan Feng was sitting cross-legged next to the Ancient Tree of Life, flipping through books on supernatural powers, without even looking up.

"If you water it more often, it will be faster."

From that day on, the first thing Bibi Dong did every morning was to water the Nine Heart Begonia.

Later, when the crabapple buds sprouted, she added another step: loosening the soil.

Later, when the crabapple tree sprouted leaves, she began to talk to the leaves.

Old Huai once poked its head out from the fairy tree to listen in, and then came back to report to Nan Feng.

"Guess what she said to Haitang?"

She said, "Grow taller quickly, and I'll pick leaves from the Ancient Tree of Life to use as fertilizer for you."

Nan Feng was deduce the supernatural power at the time, and upon hearing this, he almost messed up his hand seals.

"She picked leaves from the Ancient Tree of Life?"

"She didn't pick them," the Old Huai added before retreating back into the sacred tree. "She was just saying it."

Bibi Dong's Nine Heart Begonia is different from Ye Lingling's.

Ye Lingling's begonia is a manifestation of her Martial Soul, naturally possessing healing power; even its fallen petals can be used as medicine.

The begonia that Bibi Dong planted in the Tower Spirit Space was an ordinary Nine Heart Begonia. The soil was loosened by the roots of the Ancient Tree of Life, and the water was drawn from the spiritual spring.

Bathed in divine light and the aura of Primordial Origin, it grew several times faster than the wild crabapple trees outside. In just six months, it had grown to the height of a person.

More than a dozen flower buds swelled on the branches, greenish-blue, but they wouldn't bloom.

Nan Feng came to check on things twice, glanced at them with his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light, said "it'll be ready soon," and then was summoned to the Star Dou Great Forest by Bi Ji's letter.

Before leaving, Bibi Dong blocked the entrance to the Tower Spirit Space and asked him a question.

"How fast is 'soon'?"

"Ten days to two weeks, I guess." Nan Feng walked around her and went outside. "Just keep watering."

As a result, Nan Feng was gone for almost two months.

First came the matter of the Dark Vein in the Star Dou Great Forest, then the delivery of wine in the Far North, and then the resurrection of Ah Yin upon my return.

He squatted beside the Ancient Tree of Life for three days and three nights, reshaping his physical body, Bibi Dong stood guard beside him for three days and three nights. Neither of them paid attention to the matter of the crabapple blossoms.

Nan Feng was busy helping Ah Yin to condense her soul and gather her body. Bibi Dong was busy handing her spiritual spring water, a handkerchief, and grilled fish.

The grilled fish was grilled by Shifang. On the day Ah Yin was resurrected Shifang set up the grill rack at the entrance of the Tower Spirit Space and grilled fish batch after batch.

Bibi Dong was responsible for taking the grilled fish from Shifang and handing it to Nan Feng, and then collecting the fish bones that Nan Feng had left over.

By the time Ah Yin finished her business, Blue Silver Emperor returned to his side, and Nan Feng returned from the Star Dou Great Forest, it was already the dead of winter.

That evening, when Nan Feng entered the Tower Spirit Space, Bibi Dong was squatting next to the Nine Heart Begonia, holding a bamboo skewer in her hand, motionless.

Nan Feng thought something had happened. His Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light swept over her, Bibi Dong's Soul Power fluctuations were a bit rapid, her heartbeat was three points faster than usual, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the bamboo skewer.

"What's wrong?" Nan Feng walked over.

Bibi Dong didn't turn around; she pointed the tip of the bamboo skewer at the crabapple branch.

"Look."

Nan Feng looked along the bamboo stick. On the branches of the Nine Heart Begonia, one of the dozen or so flower buds had cracked open.

The tips of pinkish-white petals peeked out from the cracks, each topped with a glistening water droplet that sparkled under the fairy lamp.

"It's open?" Nan Feng squatted down to take a look. "When did it open?"

This morning.

Bibi Dong's voice was very soft.

"It wasn't open when I watered it this morning, and it cracked when I loosened the soil at noon. The petals were fully open just before you came in."

Nan Feng then noticed that there was more than one flower blooming on the branch of the Nine Heart Begonia.

Of the dozen or so flower buds, three have fully opened, five or six are half-open, and the rest are still budding; judging by their appearance, they should open tomorrow as well.

The pink and white petals trembled on the branches, each one glistening with fine dew.

The celestial lamps in the Tower Spirit Space shone down, and the celestial dew on the petals reflected a pale blue light, falling onto Bibi Dong's sleeves in small patches.

"That's good." Nan Feng stood up and patted the dirt off his knees. "What did I tell you? You'll be fine once it blooms."

Bibi Dong didn't reply. She squatted there for a while longer, then stood up, turned around, and looked at Nan Feng.

Nan Feng then noticed that Bibi Dong was acting differently today.

She usually wore that faded old robe in the Tower Spirit Space, with frayed cuffs and a loose collar.

Just tie your hair up with a string.

Today she changed into a long, cyan-gold robe with gathered cuffs and a brooch made of Nine Heart Begonia petals at the collar. Her hair was also neatly styled and loosely tied into a bun at the back of her head.

Nan Feng paused for a moment, then remained silent.

Bibi Dong walked up to him, stopped, and looked up into his eyes.

She was about half a head shorter than Nan Feng, and usually she would tilt her head back when talking to him. But this time, she tilted her head back at a smaller angle than usual.

She straightened her back, opened her shoulders, and raised her chin, no longer hunching over and following behind others as she used to.

"The crabapple blossoms are in bloom," she said.

"Hmm." Nan Feng nodded.

Bibi Dong remained silent for a while. Her eyes were fixed on Nan Feng, and the light from the fairy lamp in the Tower Spirit Space was reflected in her pupils, remaining motionless.

Before, those eyes held hatred and obsession. After the Purification, they were filled with a blank, aimless void.

Now all of that is gone, the surface is clean, like a lake after a rain. Something has sunk to the bottom, leaving the surface flat.

"I'm all better," Bibi Dong said.

Nan Feng chuckled.

"I know. Your Soul Power has stabilized, your Martial Soul Evolution is complete, and the Nine Heart Begonia has bloomed. Everything is fine now."

Bibi Dong shook her head.

That's not what I meant.

Nan Feng stopped laughing and waited for her to continue.

Bibi Dong looked down at her hands. These hands had killed many people, held the Pope's Scepter, handed him spiritual spring water, braided hair ribbons, and watered crabapple trees.

She clenched her fist, then relaxed it, and raised her head again.

"I used to be the Pope of the Spirit Hall, a descendant of the Rakshasa God, and I almost turned the entire continent upside down."

"You rescued me, nourished me with the Three Lights Divine Water, and cleansed me for three days and three nights with the Purification Power of the tower. You purified the evil aura within my Twin Martial Souls. I remember all of this."

Nan Feng didn't interrupt her.

"I remember what I did."

Bibi Dong's voice was flat, as if she were talking about someone else.

"I remember I almost killed you, I remember I shattered your tower at Jialing Pass. I remember that one scythe of mine that cleaved half of your body away."

"I also remember that before I vanished, you stood atop the tower and took away a remnant of my soul."

She paused.

I won't forget these things. But I don't hate them anymore.

Nan Feng looked at her for a while before speaking.

"It's harder to let go of hatred than to hold onto it."

"I know," Bibi Dong said, "That's why it took me so long. When I was first resurrected, I didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to sit next to the Ancient Tree of Life, watering it and loosening the soil, and not go anywhere else."

"Later, you told me to plant a Nine Heart Begonia' myself, saying that I would be alright once it bloomed. I watered it and loosened the soil every day, watching it sprout and grow leaves, and then I understood."

"What do you want to understand?"

"I've come to realize that I don't need to be Pope to survive."

Bibi Dong raised her head, her tone unchanged, but she pronounced each word clearly.

"I used to think that the only way I could live my life was to be the Pope, the successor of the Rakshasa God, and compete with Yu Xiaogang."

"Later, the Spirit Hall was gone, I died, then came back to life, and spent almost two years watering flowers in your Tower Spirit Space before I finally understood."

"I don't have to be the Pope, and I don't have to hate anyone. I'll just be someone who waters the flowers and hands you water every day, and braids your hair ribbons."

She looked at the Nan Feng.

I want to follow you.

Nan Feng looked at her. Bibi Dong didn't blush or stutter when she said this. The timidity she used to have, clutching the hem of her clothes, was gone. She simply stood in front of him and spoke her mind clearly.

Her cyan-gold robe contrasted beautifully with the blooming Nine Heart Begonia behind her. Dewdrops on the petals reflected the light of the celestial lamps, sprinkling onto her shoulders like scattered starlight.

"Are you sure?" Nan Feng asked.

"I'm sure." Bibi Dong nodded. "You have many beautiful women around you, I don't ask for any titles or positions, and I won't compete with them. I'll just follow you."

"When you go into the tower, I'll water the flowers; when you leave, I'll stay by your side. When you come back, I'll bring you water."

"If you think I'm in your way, give me a plot of land in the Tower Spirit Space, and I'll grow my own flowers and live my own life."

Looking at her earnest yet fearful expression, Nan Feng suddenly recalled the first time he met Bibi Dong in person on the battlefield of Jialing Pass.

At that moment, she was enveloped in the dark purple divine light of the Rakshasa God, and with a single swing of her scythe, she shattered half a city, her eyes burning with madness.

The person standing before him now is the same person as the Pope from back then, yet completely different.

"I don't mind it being in the way." Nan Feng reached out and gently patted her forehead.

"The Tower Spirit Space is spacious; you can plant whatever you want. But there's one rule."

"After the Nine Heart Begonia blooms, it will produce seeds. Don't pick all the seeds. Leave a few for Ye Lingling; she's waiting to breed them."

Bibi Dong paused for a moment, then smiled.

This smile was unlike any of his previous smiles.

Before, when she laughed, she would either twitch the corners of her mouth and then stop, or she would lower her head and laugh with a bitter expression.

This time, her whole face relaxed as she smiled. Her eyebrows and eyes curved, the corners of her mouth turned up, and even the lines on the bridge of her nose smoothed out.

She stood before the Nine Heart Begonia, with blossoming branches behind her and a bluish-gold celestial lamp above her head, her entire being enveloped in the shadows of the flowers and the lamplight. Her features were so pure and innocent that they were unlike those of the Pope had once killed countless people.

"Okay," she said, "Leave a few for Ye Lingling."

Nan Feng patted her shoulder again.

"Alright, the flowers are blooming, and things have been cleared up. Go do what you need to do. I'm going to check on how Ah Yin is being settled."

"Could you help me organize those spirit herbs in the Tower Spirit Space? Shifang needs to take them to Chrysanthemum Douluo's Immortal Herb Garden tomorrow."

Bibi Dong nodded, turned and walked towards the corner where the Immortal Herb were stored. After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back and called out.

"Nan Feng."

"Um?"

"Thanks."

Nan Feng waved his hand and walked towards the exit of the Tower Spirit Space.

After taking a few steps, the Old Huai poked its head out from the sacred wood and lowered its voice.

"The girl is better now."

"Alright." Nan Feng said without turning his head.

"That smile she gave just now was the first time I'd ever seen her smile like that in all the time I've known her," Old Huai clicked his tongue. "When she was Pope, her smile was laced with malice; after her resurrection, it was tinged with fear. But that smile just now was so pure and innocent—it was pure joy."

Nan Feng chuckled.

"That's why I said it would be better when her crabapple blossoms bloom."

Before the Old Huai shrank back into the fairy tree, it muttered something.

"You must have thought of this when you planted that packet of seeds, right?"

"I've got it." Nan Feng walked out of the Tower Spirit Space and headed towards the side hall where Ah Yin was temporarily staying. "Otherwise, why would I give her seeds? To grow vegetables?"