The journey to the Sunset Forest was a blur of shadows and wind. Bibi Dong landed silently at the edge of the Poison Formation, her new Shadow Merging technique allowing her to slip through the deadly mists as if they were welcoming old friends.
She didn't waste time admiring the flora this time. The urgency of Dugu Bo's signal was etched into her mind. She moved swiftly through the sanctuary, her senses extending outward, picking up the familiar, potent aura of the Poison Douluo, but also a disturbing undercurrent of chaotic, injured energy.
When she arrived at Dugu Bo's manor, the atmosphere was suffocating. It wasn't the quiet tension of a secret meeting; it was the heavy, metallic air of a field hospital.
Yue Qing met her at the entrance. The woman looked frazzled, her usual composed demeanor frayed at the edges.
"Saintess," Yue Qing whispered, her voice tight. "Thank the heavens you are here. Please, come quickly."
She led Bibi Dong through the winding corridors to the main room. Inside, the scene was grim.
Three men were seated around a low table. Dugu Bo sat in the center, his posture rigid with fury. His hair, once a mix of grey and green from his poison, was now a healthy, striking black and white—a testament to his cure—but his eyes burned with a green fire that promised murder. Beside him sat his son, Dugu Xin, who maintained a calm exterior, though his hands were clenched into tight fists on his knees.
But it was the third man who drew Bibi Dong's immediate attention.
Ye Xiaoling, the master healer of the Nine Heart Begonia, looked like he had been through a war. His robes were torn at the shoulder, revealing a nasty, blackened bruise that pulsed with a lingering, aggressive energy. His face was pale, beads of sweat standing out on his forehead as he held his own wrist, his martial soul—the beautiful Begonia flower—hovering over his injury, shedding petals of light in a desperate attempt to stabilize his erratic heartbeat.
All three men looked up as she entered. They started to rise, a reflex of respect for her status, but Bibi Dong waved them down instantly.
"Sit," she commanded, her voice cutting through the formalities. She pulled a chair to the side, her eyes locked on Ye Xiaoling's injury. "No time for bows. Dugu Bo, your message was urgent. What has happened?"
Dugu Bo slammed his hand onto the table, the wood groaning under the force. "That bastard," he hissed, his voice trembling with rage. "That arrogant, hammer-wielding maniac. Tang Hao! Look at what he has done to my brother!"
Bibi Dong's internal radar pinged violently. Tang Hao. The name she had been waiting for. But she kept her face impassive, masking her anticipation with concern.
"Tang Hao?" she asked, her tone calm but sharp. "How? When?"
Dugu Xin, ever the voice of reason amidst his father's temper, spoke up. "Saintess, just before you arrived, Senior Ye stumbled into our sanctuary. He was fleeing for his life. He was attacked."
Ye Xiaoling coughed, a wet, rattling sound. He winced as he shifted his arm. "Bibi Dong... it is true. Earlier today, I was traveling near Blackwater City. I was on my way back to visit my daughter, intending to take a shortcut through the outskirts."
He paused, taking a shallow breath. "My luck... it seems I used it all up meeting Dugu Bo. I ran straight into him. Tang Hao. He looked like a demon, Bibi Dong. Eyes full of blood and madness. He grabbed me—didn't even ask who I was—and forcefully dragged me to a run-down inn."
Ye Xiaoling's eyes darkened at the memory. "His wife... the woman rumors say is a soul beast... she was in labor. It was a difficult birth. The energy was chaotic; her vitality was fading. He forced me to heal her. He threatened to crush my skull if I didn't save them both. He promised... he swore on his sect's honor that if I saved them, he would let me go unharmed."
Bibi Dong leaned forward, her fingers steepled. "And you saved them?"
"I did," Ye Xiaoling nodded, a flicker of professional pride cutting through his pain. "My Nine Heart Begonia is the ultimate healing spirit. I stabilized her. I helped deliver the child—a boy. Healthy. Strong."
"A child..." Dugu Xin murmured, shaking his head. "So the rumors were true. A union of man and beast."
Ye Xiaoling let out a bitter laugh. "Yes. A miracle. But the father is no saint. The moment he saw the child was safe, the moment he checked his wife's pulse... his demeanor changed. He looked at me, and I saw it. The intent to silence the witness."
"He attacked you?" Bibi Dong asked, her voice cold.
"He didn't just attack. He tried to obliterate me," Ye Xiaoling spat. "He swung that hammer without hesitation. He said I would 'spread the news.' I tried to reason with him, to tell him I keep patient confidentiality, but he wouldn't listen. I barely managed to deflect the blow with my spirit avatar, but the shockwave..." He gestured to his blackened arm. "It nearly shattered my meridians."
Dugu Bo growled low in his throat. " dishonorable scum. To attack a healer after he saves your wife and child? That is beneath even a street thug."
"How did you escape?" Bibi Dong pressed. "Tang Hao is a Titled Douluo with far greater strength. You shouldn't have been able to outrun him."
"Luck," Ye Xiaoling sighed. "Or perhaps fate. Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, a massive surge of soul power erupted outside the inn. A Spirit Hall Titled Douluo—I think it was an Elder—arrived. He must have been tracking them. Tang Hao was forced to engage him. In the chaos of their collision, the inn collapsed. I used the dust and confusion to flee. I ran straight for the Sunset Forest, knowing Dugu Bo was here."
"He tucked his tail and ran," Dugu Bo sneered. "With his wife and brat in tow. I don't know what happened to the Elder."
The room fell silent. The confirmation was heavy. Tang San was born. The timeline had solidified.
Bibi Dong sat back, her mind racing. So, it has finally happened. The chase is on. Tang Hao is cornered, desperate, and making enemies of everyone he touches. Perfect.
She looked at Ye Xiaoling, who was pale and trembling. She reached into her spatial tool. Earlier, while crossing the sanctuary's garden, she had spotted a specific herb—a Golden-Veined Mending Leaf. It wasn't an Immortal Herb, but it was a potent high-grade medicinal plant known for repairing internal trauma. She had picked it on a whim, intending to study it, but now it had a better use.
"Eat this," she said, tossing the glowing leaf to the healer. "Chew it slowly. It will knit your meridians and stabilize your heart rate within the hour."
Ye Xiaoling caught it, his eyes widening as he recognized the spiritual energy radiating from the leaf. "Saintess... this is precious. Thank you." He didn't hesitate, placing it in his mouth.
"Thank you for this information, Ye Xiaoling," Bibi Dong said, her voice dropping to a whisper that carried the weight of a decree. "I was waiting for this. Knowing he has a child changes the tactical landscape completely."
Dugu Bo looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Oh? So you had your eyes on them already? You knew?"
"I suspected," she corrected smoothly.
Dugu Bo cracked his knuckles, the green poison mist swirling around his fingers. "Bibi Dong, that man injured my brother. He insulted my friend. I want to teach that bastard a lesson. If you are hunting him, let me join. I can go now. My poison can rot him from the inside out before he even swings that hammer."
Bibi Dong looked at the Poison Douluo. His offer was genuine. He was a man of fierce loyalty and even fiercer grudges. Having a Titled Douluo like him on her side would make killing Tang Hao easy.
Too easy, she thought. If Dugu Bo kills him, or if he interferes too much, the timeline shifts too drastically. I need Qian Xunji to be the one who fights him. I need Xunji to be the one who gets hurt.
She shook her head slowly. "Thank you for the offer, Dugu Bo. Your loyalty honors me. But no."
"Why?" Dugu Bo asked, surprised. "He is an enemy of the Spirit Hall, isn't he?"
"He is," Bibi Dong agreed, standing up. Her eyes began to glow with a terrifying, cold violet light—the aura of the Death God Scythe leaking out just enough to drop the temperature in the room by ten degrees. "But I don't want you guys involved in this mess. It is... personal."
She walked to the window, looking out toward the direction of the setting sun, toward where the hunt was taking place.
"I want to handle it personally," she said, her voice devoid of all warmth. "And believe me... he will suffer later. Far more than your poison could ever make him suffer."
The three men in the room felt a collective chill run down their spines. It wasn't just confidence; it was a promise of devastation. They exchanged glances, wondering what history lay between the Saintess and the Clear Sky Douluo. Was it duty? Or was it a vendetta born of something darker?
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Haaah, guys i am not getting any reply after i submit contract form of my original.
I think i will be rejected again. Can't come up with any ideas and also semester exams getting near and also other things.
All in one package 😅😅😅. Just wish me luck🙂🙂