Chapter 7: A Suicidal Wager
'Bind them,' Qin Xuan commanded the system internally. His outward expression remained a faint, unbothered smile, but his gaze swept over the two figures who would, from this moment, become his primary sources of income.
The fool and the future queen.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for binding to the opposing character Yu Xiaogang.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for binding to the goddess Bibi Dong.]
[Blind box rewards and emotions are within reach. Please continue your efforts, Host.]
A tense silence hung in the air, broken only by the rustling leaves of the ancient trees. Bibi Dong's hand instinctively went to her side, her Spirit Power fluctuating with suspicion.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, her voice cold and her face full of vigilance. She remained firmly in front of Yu Xiaogang, a protective gesture that was both naive and telling.
"Nothing much." Qin Xuan's smile was disarming, completely devoid of the fawning, obsequious energy his body's predecessor used to show. "There's just something I want to discuss with you alone."
He gestured with his chin towards the deeper, darker part of the jungle, a place where prying eyes—and ears—wouldn't follow.
[Yu Xiaogang's resentment +888]
"Bibi Dong, don't fall for it!" Yu Xiaogang's voice was a sharp, low command. He grabbed Bibi Dong's hand, his knuckles white.
He didn't know what Qin Xuan's purpose was, but a visceral, possessive dread flooded his heart. It felt as if he was about to lose something precious, something he had worked so hard to obtain. This 'simp' who had never been a threat was suddenly acting completely out of character, and that terrified him.
As a Spirit King, Qin Xuan's hearing was astonishing. He heard the panicked grip, the sharp intake of breath. He chuckled, a sound of pure, unadulterated disdain.
"What? Do you think I'd do something to Her Highness, the Holy Maiden? Here, right on the outskirts of Spirit City?"
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that was still loud enough for Yu Xiaogang to hear. "Or are you saying that once Her Highness isn't by your side, you'll lack a sense of security? Do you need a woman to protect you, Yu Xiaogang?"
Qin Xuan shook his head, looking theatrically disappointed. "No, that can't be right. Our future theoretical Grandmaster, the man who understands all spirits, is actually this cowardly? He's almost 30, yet he's still afraid of a 19-year-old, half-grown child like me."
These words were a volley of poisoned arrows, aimed directly at Yu Xiaogang's deepest, most fragile insecurities. The sarcasm and passive aggression were undisguised.
[Yu Xiaogang's resentment +1888]
"You…" Yu Xiaogang's face flushed crimson. The taunt hit its mark. He, a proud man, was being protected by the woman he was supposed to be guiding. His fragile, arrogant heart felt like it had been pierced.
His fingers, which had been clutching Bibi Dong's hand, slowly loosened. His face was a mask of dejection, deep unwillingness, and a hint of almost imperceptible malice. He hated Qin Xuan, but in that moment, he hated his own weakness even more.
"Don't worry, Xiao Gang." Bibi Dong, oblivious to the complex venom in the air, gently patted Yu Xiaogang's hand, giving him a reassuring look. Her beautiful eyes turned to Qin Xuan, her pupils suddenly turning cold as ice. "In Spirit City, no one dares to harm me. And he doesn't have the ability to."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's dark mood lifted slightly. He latched onto her words, comforting himself internally: That's right. Qin Xuan is merely a Spirit King. Bibi Dong is a Spirit Emperor, and her talent surpasses his. As long as Bibi Dong is unwilling, Qin Xuan cannot force her to do anything. He is no threat.
"Let's go." Qin Xuan had no interest in continuing this pathetic sideshow. He had already planted the seeds of doubt and resentment. He turned and walked into the dense jungle, his red robe disappearing between the thick trunks. He was already impatient to open his first blind box.
Bibi Dong gave Yu Xiaogang one last reassuring glance before she followed closely behind, her expression hardening, ready for a confrontation.
The two walked one after another, the silence broken only by the crunch of leaves under their boots. A moment later, they were deep enough that Yu Xiaogang could no longer see them. Qin Xuan looked around, confirmed no one was present, and then stopped, turning to face her.
"Tell me. What exactly do you want?" Bibi Dong asked impatiently, crossing her arms. Her meaning was clear: state your price.
For Yu Xiaogang's sake, she was prepared to pay to avoid trouble. Qin Xuan's family was powerful, and his teachers were Consecrated Elders. She couldn't let Xiao Gang be bullied.
Whether it was gold spirit coins, a spirit tool, or even... a Spirit Bone. With her teacher's doting, she could feign a need for it and obtain one. At that point, they would have leverage over each other, and Qin Xuan would no longer be able to threaten them.
Qin Xuan looked at her, his handsome face betraying no emotion. The calculating, impatient look in her eyes was exactly what he expected. He let the silence stretch, then he spoke, his voice perfectly calm.
"I'm about to die."
His words were quiet, yet they hit Bibi Dong like a physical blow.
"What?" Bibi Dong was startled. Her prepared speeches about compensation and threats vanished. She stared at him, trying to find a trace of a joke. "What exactly is going on?"
[Bibi Dong's favorability +10 (confused)]
This can also increase favorability? Qin Xuan's mouth twitched, almost breaking his carefully crafted mask of tragedy. This system was bizarre. He quickly suppressed his amusement and adopted a look of profound, weary sadness.
"I'm sure after so many years," he began, his voice now laced with a deep melancholy, "you know my feelings for you."
"I know..." Bibi Dong's gaze softened. She glanced sideways, back in the direction of Yu Xiaogang, and a faint blush appeared on her pretty face. She said with some guilt, "But you should have also realized... I like Xiao Gang."
[Bibi Dong's favorability +10 (guilty)]
A memory surfaced—a younger Qin Xuan, clumsy and shy, offering her a rare spirit flower he'd spent a week trying to find, only for her to brush past him to meet Yu Xiaogang. He had always been there, a silent, unremarkable shadow.
[Bibi Dong's favorability +10 (guilty)]
Recalling the countless small moments of his devotion before she met Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong's favorability continued to increase, but it stopped when it reached 60. A solid "friend" zone.
[Favorability 60-70: Friend. 70-80: More than friends, less than lovers. 80-90: Admiration. 90-100: Marriage and children. 100: Undying loyalty.]
The Douluo Continent was like this; almost all female Spirit Masters were very devoted. Once they recognized someone, they would not fall in love with a second person. Their eyes would only be on him.
This also led to almost all female Spirit Masters in the Douluo Continent being, frankly, love-struck.
And Bibi Dong's current favorability towards Yu Xiaogang was, unfortunately, at least 80 or above.
"I know." Qin Xuan's voice was flat, acknowledging his defeat. "So, I asked the Supreme Pontiff for a marriage proposal."
He threw out the next bombshell, his gaze fixed on the forest floor.
"What?!" Bibi Dong's guilt vanished, replaced by panic and anger. "How could you do that, Qin Xuan? I'm telling you, I will absolutely not agree! I will never like you. Besides Xiao Gang, my heart can't hold anyone else!"
She became visibly anxious. Given Qin Xuan's background and talent, among the younger generation of Spirit Hall, there was probably no one more suitable than him. Her teacher might actually agree!
Of course, this was all based on the premise that her teacher, Qian Xunji, was a normal, reasonable person.
But the core issue remained: she didn't like Qin Xuan. She only liked Yu Xiaogang.
[Bibi Dong's favorability -60 (absolute disgust, even hostility)]
"Don't worry." Qin Xuan finally looked up, his eyes empty. "The Supreme Pontiff refused me on the spot."
He was speechless inside. This woman's change of face was ridiculously fast. A 60-point drop in one second.
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong gently patted her chest, the tension leaving her body. She let out a long sigh of relief. However, before she could even rejoice, Qin Xuan's next words plunged her back into silence.
"So... I made a request to His Holiness, the Supreme Pontiff." Qin Xuan stopped beating around the bush and began to seriously, beautifully spout nonsense.
"I plan to go to Slaughter City. I told him... as long as I can emerge from it and obtain the Slaughter God Domain, His Holiness, the Supreme Pontiff, will agree to our marriage."
Bibi Dong's eyes widened, this time not in anger, but in pure shock. She lowered her gaze, her eyes complex. After a long, heavy silence, she finally looked up and sighed, "Slaughter City? Qin Xuan... is what you're doing worth it?"
Like Qian Xunji, Bibi Dong also didn't believe Qin Xuan had the ability to emerge from Slaughter City. It wasn't a place one could conquer with talent alone; it required power, experience, and ruthless will.
Let alone him, even she wasn't confident.
The last person to emerge from Slaughter City was Tang Hao, the genius hailed as the Clear Sky Sect's once-in-a-century prodigy, some years ago. Moreover, he was 26 years old, already a Spirit Douluo, possessed several Spirit Bones, and his spirit power was far beyond hers at the time.
In contrast, Qin Xuan. His spirit power was only at level 54. He had no Spirit Bones. How could he possibly emerge from Slaughter City?
This trip wasn't a wager. It was a death sentence.
"There's nothing to be 'worth it' or 'not worth it'." Qin Xuan, possessed by the spirit of an actor, gave a broken laugh. He looked at Bibi Dong, his eyes suddenly 'deep' and swimming with unshed tears.
"If I can't have your love, then what's the point of me continuing to live?"
He turned his head away, and a single, perfect tear, which he had been brewing for a long time, finally rolled down his cheek. It seems I truly have the potential to be a film emperor.
[Bibi Dong's favorability +65]
At this time, Bibi Dong was still innocent. She was romantic, pure, and fundamentally kind.
She wasn't the crazy, vengeful Supreme Pontiff who would later be violated by Qian Xunji and corrupted by the Rakshasa God, consumed by the thought of destroying Spirit Hall.
Watching Qin Xuan, who had always silently liked her, 'reveal his true feelings' and now face impending death because of his devotion, Bibi Dong's heart immediately softened. The guilt was overwhelming.
And at this moment, after such a long buildup, Qin Xuan finally revealed his fangs.
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He placed his right hand on her shoulder, a gesture that was both gentle and trapping.
"Before I go to Slaughter City," he whispered, his voice hoarse with 'emotion', "can you promise me one thing?"
The two stood face to face. Qin Xuan, at nearly 1.9 meters tall, was quite a bit taller than Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong had to look up at his face—a face that was somewhat demonic and impossibly handsome due to the influence of his Spirit.
At such close proximity, she could feel the warmth radiating from him, smell the faint, clean scent of his robes. An ambiguous atmosphere quietly permeated the air.
Even Bibi Dong, whose heart supposedly belonged to someone else, was briefly lost in a daze. Unbeknownst to her, the annoying, simpering tag-along who used to follow her around had already grown up.
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