Chapter 8: Bared Fangs
The heavy silence in the forest clearing stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension. Bibi Dong stood frozen, her mind still reeling from the implications of the secrets Yu Xiaogang had so foolishly spilled. She was trapped. Qin Xuan held the power to destroy her lover with a single word to her teacher.
Perhaps it was this overwhelming guilt, or perhaps some other, more confusing emotion, but for the first time in her life, Bibi Dong didn't show her usual aversion to Qin Xuan's intense stare. She nodded almost imperceptibly, her gaze falling to the forest floor. "Speak," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
[Bibi Dong Affection +5]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have gained 70 Affection from Bibi Dong. You are just a little bit away from getting a blind box. Please continue your efforts, Host.]
Continue my efforts, my ass, Qin Xuan rolled his eyes inwardly, his expression carefully schooling into one of profound sadness. This system is a scam. 70 is meaningless. 71 is the real barrier, and she's not some casual woman. Getting that one extra point will be incredibly difficult.
He let out a long, shuddering sigh, projecting the image of a man defeated by fate. "Bibi Dong, I know the danger of this journey. You know it, too. This isn't a test; it's an execution. The Supreme Pontiff is sending me to the City of Slaughter to die."
He looked up, his eyes filled with a deep, feigned look of affection and despair. "It's almost certain death. I don't hold any hope for it. I just... I just don't want to leave any regrets."
He took a half-step closer, his voice dropping. "Before I go to my death, can you... can you give me a hug?"
He watched her carefully. Just a hug. Absolutely not... not doing anything. A double negative. That's the plan.
"No."
Bibi Dong's reaction was sharp, almost automatic. But just as she was about to agree—his request seemed so small compared to the life-or-death secret he held—Yu Xiaogang's face quickly appeared in her mind. Her loyalty, her love, it all snapped back into place.
She abruptly pushed Qin Xuan away, though he hadn't even touched her, and retreated several steps, creating a firm distance between them.
"Qin Xuan," she said, her voice regaining its coldness, "for the sake of our childhood acquaintance, I can help you. I can help you with anything else you want."
Her mind raced, trying to find a way to repay this debt, to ensure his silence and soothe her conscience. "I can even... I can even ask my teacher for a Spirit Bone for you! A good Spirit Bone will increase your chances of surviving the City of Slaughter. I will do that for you, but... not this."
A Spirit Bone? Qin Xuan's blood ran cold. Is she insane?
He had to physically stop himself from recoiling. Beg Qian Xunji for a Spirit Bone? For me? The man who just tried to kill me? He would see it as proof that we're plotting something! He'd think I'd corrupted his precious disciple! He might not even wait for the City of Slaughter; he'd send someone to secretly kill me on the way!
This woman, for all her genius, was a political simpleton.
"No," Qin Xuan said, his voice cracking with (feigned) emotion. He shook his head, looking down. "Don't do that. You'll only make the Supreme Pontiff angrier. It... it would only make things worse for you."
He looked up, forcing a pitiful, bitter smile. "I don't want a Spirit Bone. I don't want to cause you any more trouble."
"What?" he continued, beginning his emotional blackmail. "After all these years of acquaintance... we can't even have a simple hug? Just as friends? Before I leave to die?"
"This..." Bibi Dong hesitated, falling into a huge internal struggle.
He wasn't asking for the Spirit Bone. He was... protecting her? He seemed so desolate, so resigned to his fate. The guilt in her heart intensified. He was going to die because of her teacher, and she had just endangered her own lover by letting him see that book. Qin Xuan's silence was protecting them.
And all he wanted was a hug.
"Don't worry," Qin Xuan coaxed gently, seeing her resolve waiver. He opened his arms slightly, showing he meant no harm. "I won't lay a hand on you. It's just a simple hug, purely for a memento. A final memory of Spirit City before I go."
He looked exactly like an evil uncle luring a naive, unsuspecting little girl.
"Alright then..." Bibi Dong finally relented, her face flushing a deep crimson. She felt awkward and compromised, but also strangely relieved. It was a small price to pay.
She stepped forward stiffly, her hands clenched at her sides. "But let's be clear beforehand! It's just a simple hug. You... you can't lay a hand on me. And you definitely can't tell Xiao Gang. Also... you have to keep the matter of that book a secret for me. For us."
As soon as she finished speaking, before she could set any more rules or change her mind, Qin Xuan suddenly stepped forward and closed the distance.
He embraced her.
A strong, clean masculine scent immediately assailed her senses. It was nothing like Yu Xiaogang's dusty, bookish smell. It was vital and warm. Bibi Dong, completely inexperienced in this, felt her mind go blank and instinctively, shyly closed her eyes.
Immediately after, her lips felt wet.
Warm.
Pressing against hers.
Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes instantly snapped wide open.
Boom—!
The next second, as if struck by divine lightning, her mind went completely, utterly blank. She was so shocked, so stunned by the sheer audacity of the action, that she forgot to breathe, forgot to move, forgot to even summon her spirit power.
Meanwhile, Qin Xuan's mind was recalling Bear Grylls' wilderness survival from his past life.
This is it, he thought, his mind crystal clear even as he kissed the future Supreme Pontiff. This is survival in the extreme. You find yourself in an impossible situation, facing certain death in the City of Slaughter. To survive, you have to do the unthinkable. You have to take the ultimate risk to get the rewards you need.
Bibi Dong, who had been protected too well by Qian Xunji, had never experienced this kind of "wilderness survival." She was naive, sheltered. Even holding hands with Yu Xiaogang while walking on flat ground would make her blush and tire her out.
How could she be a match for Qin Xuan, who had admired countless episodes of a man drinking his own piss to survive?
The superiority of one survival expert over the other was clear at a glance.
[Bibi Dong Affection +10]
[Ding! Bibi Dong's Affection has reached over 70. Congratulations, Host, you have received one Silver Blind Box.]
By the time Bibi Dong's brain rebooted, everything was already over. Qin Xuan had already completed most of the "wilderness survival journey," pushing past her lips, claiming his prize. He was just one step away from the finish line.
[Bibi Dong Affection +10]
[Ding! Bibi Dong's Affection has reached over 80. Congratulations, Host, you have received one Gold Blind Box.]
[Bibi Dong Affection +5]
[Ding! Bibi Dong's Affection has reached over 90. Congratulations, Host, you have received one Gold Blind Box.]
He deepened the kiss for one final, audacious moment, then pulled back, breaking the contact.
A string of saliva connected them for a brief second before snapping.
He licked his lips. "A memento."
Bibi Dong's mind, which had been blank, was now filled with a white-hot, screaming static.
[Bibi Dong Affection -45, Affection dropped to 50 (Angry). Please continue your efforts, Host.]
"Ah—!"
Bibi Dong cried out, a shriek that was purely, incandescently, from anger. She had never encountered such a thing. Qin Xuan was truly, despicably, detestable.
She had only agreed to a hug! A simple, platonic gesture of comfort! Not... not this! This violation!
Even if nothing truly happened between them, Qin Xuan's action—the kiss, the audacity, the saliva—was enough to make anyone blush, furious, and want to kill him.
From past to present, Bibi Dong had walked the Douluo Continent hailed as the Spirit Hall's number one genius, incredibly talented and stunningly beautiful. Throughout the entire Douluo Continent, there was no one with superior talent, not even the so-called Clear Sky Sect's greatest genius in a hundred years.
It was just that for safety, she needed to conceal her twin spirits talent.
Yet, this heaven-blessed genius, this pinnacle of talent and noble status, was just taken advantage of by Qin Xuan. And not in a small way. He had defiled her.
An uncle could tolerate it, an aunt could tolerate it, but a sister could not.
Today, she had to teach this scoundrel a good, painful lesson.
She covered her now-disheveled collar with her left hand, her chest heaving. She raised her right hand. Her bare arm was fair and beautiful, shimmering with power. Spirit power surged from her palm, creating a dense, terrifying purple mist that struck towards Qin Xuan like a viper.
"Bang!"
Qin Xuan, anticipating the explosion, narrowly dodged by throwing his body to the side. A tree as thick as a human head behind him was instantly enveloped by the mist. It didn't break; it dissolved, hissing and smoking as it was corroded into nothing.
Bibi Dong hadn't even summoned her Spirit, and her spirit power alone carried the terrifying attribute of her Death Spider.
Qin Xuan naturally wouldn't summon his, nor would he foolishly try to take her Spirit Emperor-level palm strike.
Whether he could even take it was one thing. He had achieved his goal. He had the blind boxes. His mission was complete. Fighting a woman he had just intentionally enraged was both crazy and foolish.
Qin Xuan considered himself a smart person. Since this wasn't a fight to the death, he wouldn't be a fool. He just had to escape.
However, Bibi Dong was incredibly arrogant. She was always spotless, with a terrible fastidiousness—an obsession with her own personal purity—allowing no one to defile her.
Even her beloved Yu Xiaogang only went as far as holding hands.
This... this was unforgivable.
With a dazzling purple light erupting from her right palm, Bibi Dong struck at Qin Xuan again. Her speed was so fast that it left trails of purple light, like a swarm of venomous snakes, lashing through the air, aimed directly at his life.
[Inorin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep translating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/InorinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
This translation is my full-time passion, and your support is what makes it possible for me to dedicate myself completely to bringing you this story. Thank you for reading!
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" (normally $25), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 60% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 40% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Founding Pillars": $19.99 (Save 20% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
Grab your slot before they run out! Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]