"Haha..."
"Ohoo... Finally leaving this annoying Heaven Dou City!"
As the carriage sped out of the city gates, Jin Yue'er's expression finally cleared like the sky after rain. She eagerly leaned out of the window, spread her arms, and cheered.
"Yue'er, don't fall under the wheels!" Qian Renxue cautioned, also leaning out of the window.
The warm, gentle breeze stirred her golden hair. Watching the city walls recede into the distance and thinking of Bi Bi Dong back in Spirit Hall City, Qian Renxue suddenly felt an impulse to flee.
They were about to return to Spirit Hall City. Qian Renxue could no longer evade her family matters. With downcast eyes, she murmured, "Xiao Tian, who do you think will be the next Pope of the Spirit Hall?"
"Of course it will be the Saintess, Sister Xue," Jin Yue'er answered crisply before Ye Tian could even respond. Even she knew the Saintess was the rightful successor.
"Yue'er is right," Ye Tian said, leaning his head out between the two girls. He gazed casually at the scenery outside, showing no intention of avoiding their closeness.
Bound by the Soul Master system, his master-disciple relationship with Bi Bi Dong was incredibly solid. Moreover, given Bi Bi Dong's temperament, Ye Tian felt that if he dared to run away, she would genuinely turn him into a human-skin sachet. Therefore, it was better to be open and honest. This would also help Qian Renxue prepare for his upcoming role as the Spirit Hall Saint Child.
"Is that so~" Qian Renxue pouted bitterly.
That Bi Bi Dong, a murderer, could still sit high in the halls of power—how ironic. Yet, when she thought of Qian Xunji's actions, Qian Renxue found it all somewhat absurd. Was the world always this preposterous? The Spirit Hall, which prided itself on justice, had Popes who were all criminals. The self-proclaimed Sacred Angel had arrived in such a filthy manner...
"Xue Er, these matters are beyond our control for now. Getting stronger is what truly matters," Ye Tian said, feeling the breeze and looking up at Qian Renxue. He smiled and made a promise. "In the future, if you wish to become Pope, I will support you with all my strength."
As the words left his mouth, even Ye Tian himself paused in surprise. He seemed to have said something similar to Bi Bi Dong before. Thinking of this, a faint, mocking smile touched his lips... then he withdrew his head back into the carriage.
"..."
Qian Renxue noticed Ye Tian's strange smile and gently shook her head. She didn't particularly care about the position of Pope. If Bi Bi Dong was the Pope, then wouldn't the future Saint Child be Ye Tian? They were all family...
"Ah? Are we going to fight the Holy Maiden? But she's so scary!" Jin Yue'er recalled Bi Bi Dong's detestable face and felt a shiver of fear. Glancing at Qian Renxue, she said curiously, "Besides, isn't the Holy Maiden..."
"Alright, Yue'er, no one is asking you to fight that woman," Qian Renxue interrupted Jin Yue'er's unfinished sentence. She was no longer the love-starved, naive child she once was. Bi Bi Dong was no longer a necessity.
"Mmm~" Jin Yue'er tilted her head, unable to grasp the complexities of Qian Renxue's relationships. But if the opportunity arose... she'd quite like to settle that old "butt" score. Let the Holy Maiden also experience the taste of being knocked out by her Golden Iron Butt!
"Alright, have some candied hawthorns."
Ye Tian returned and leaned out again, this time holding four skewers of 'candied hawthorns' which he handed to Jin Yue'er and Qian Renxue respectively.
"Thank you, Xiao Tian."
Qian Renxue reached out to take it, but froze when she saw what was on the skewers.
Meanwhile, Jin Yue'er on the other side had already cheered excitedly.
"Wow! Ye Tian, I love you so much! It's actually elixir skewers!"
"Haha... This is too amazing!"
"As long as you like them, don't overthink things. Just follow the steps in your cultivation, and when your strength is sufficient, you'll be able to do anything you want."
A brilliant smile appeared on Ye Tian's face as he reached out with both hands to pinch Qian Renxue and Jin Yue'er's cheeks.
"Ah!"
"Haha..."
Their gains from this trip were truly substantial.
Originally an 18th-level Soul Master, Jin Yue'er's Martial Soul had evolved into the Golden Alligator King, and her cultivation had advanced to the 29th-level Soul Grandmaster.
As for Qian Renxue, she had progressed from a 34th-level Soul Venerable to a 47th-level Soul Grandmaster!
In Ye Tian's view, the one who had improved the most was himself. He had advanced from a 28th-level Soul Grandmaster to a 38th-level Soul Venerable, obtained a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring with dual skills, awakened his Talent Domain, and made significant progress in both spiritual power and physical strength.
Ye Tian laughed heartily as he bent down and hung himself by the window, gazing at the mountain ranges and resisting the urge to shout aloud.
But Ye Tian restrained himself—after all, they had only obtained some Immortal Herbs. There were still many days of hard work ahead...
After returning to Spirit Hall City, he would need to think about how to deal with Bi Bi Dong.
Meanwhile, as Ye Tian's carriage swayed its way back to Spirit Hall City, Bi Bi Dong had already brought the two Titled Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, to escort the Soul Masters captured in the war back to Spirit Hall City.
——
Three days and two nights passed in the blink of an eye.
At the break of dawn, the fish-belly white of the sky pressed down upon the city walls of Spirit Hall City.
The carriage carrying Ye Tian and the others slowly drove through the city gates and eventually came to a stop near the sandpile where they had initially departed, close to the orphanage.
"Kid, we've arrived."
Golden Crocodile Douluo's voice carried remarkable penetration, infused with subtle spiritual power enough to wake even someone in a coma.
Leaning inside the carriage, the sleeping Ye Tian quickly opened his eyes. After swiftly scanning his surroundings, a trace of drowsiness appeared in his gaze before he called out in response, "Your Excellency, please wait a moment..."
As his words fell, Ye Tian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
The faint fragrance of young women lingered at his nose, and his left shoulder had grown numb from being used as Qian Renxue's pillow. But these weren't the main issues—Ye Tian simply felt that his clothes were somewhat damp.
"Chomp, chomp..."
It wasn't until he heard the smacking sounds that Ye Tian looked down and finally understood where the moisture was coming from.
Black lines formed on his forehead as his face burned with embarrassment.
Jin Yue'er was resting her head on his lap, chewing on a corn cob in her sleep. The snowball stick she had brought into the carriage now stood bare, stripped of all its candied hawthorns, lying horizontally in the carriage.
Ye Tian stared in disbelief at Jin Yue'er's drooling appearance, unable to regain his composure for a long time.
He felt enveloped in a warm spring breeze, a sensation that made him reluctant to leave.
It wasn't until Qian Renxue's breathing on his left shoulder suddenly became unsteady, her golden eyelashes fluttering slightly as she lifted her head from his shoulder, that Ye Tian snapped out of his daze.
His expression changed dramatically.
Ye Tian urgently shook his legs, trying to dislodge Jin Yue'er while calling out, "Yue'er, wake up quickly!"
As he spoke, he swiftly pulled his leg back and shook his Taoist robe to cover the spot dampened by Jin Yue'er's drool.
"Ouch!" Jin Yue'er cried out in pain, tumbling onto the cushion below with a thud.
"Ye Tian, what are you doing?!" she exclaimed, clutching her forehead as she glared up at him, all traces of sleepiness gone.
"We've arrived!" Ye Tian frowned, deliberately leaning down to meet Jin Yue'er's gaze. His eyes bore into hers with such intensity that the corners grew warm.
"You—" Confronted by Ye Tian's stern, unblinking stare, Jin Yue'er immediately lost her defiance. She lowered her head and slowly climbed to her feet, wiping away her drool while muttering under her breath, "We're here, so we're here. No need to be so fierce."
Ye Tian let out a sigh of relief, though an uneasy feeling lingered in his heart.
Qian Renxue, who had been holding onto Ye Tian's arm, keenly noticed that his complexion was off, sensed his discomfort and asked with concern, "Xiao Tian, what's wrong?" Are you feeling unwell?"
"N-no, it's nothing," Ye Tian hurriedly shook his head, still bent over and covering his forehead with an awkward smile. "It's just that my leg has gone numb. Heh... I'll be fine after resting a bit."
"Then should I massage it for you?"Jin Yue'er suddenly crouched down, her expression carrying a hint of flattery."
Ye Tian's earlier glare had truly frightened her.
"No need, no need!" Ye Tian quickly refused, not daring to let Jin Yue'er remain crouched at his feet. He reached out both hands to help her up. "I'm fine, Yue'er. I'm really sorry about earlier. My leg was numb, and I wasn't fully awake, so I accidentally shook you off onto the floor."
"Is that really all?" she asked doubtfully.
"Really, now please get up."
"Alright." Jin Yue'er stood up somewhat bewildered and took a seat on the cushion beside them. She couldn't help but let out a yawn.
"Xiao Tian, then we'll stay here with you for a while," Qian Renxue said softly, patting Ye Tian's back.
"Okay~ That would be nice." Ye Tian breathed a sigh of relief, though he remained somewhat shaken. He stayed bent over, supporting his forehead as images of Jin Yue'er's adorable sleeping face flooded his mind—along with her slightly damp, glistening pink lips that had parted and closed with each breath.
After yawning, a flicker of confusion appeared in Jin Yue'er's eyes. Why had she slept so soundly this morning? In the past, Ye Tian would have woken her up forcefully. She glanced at Ye Tian, who was still hunched over adjusting himself, but couldn't discern anything unusual. "How strange..." she murmured, wiping the corner of her mouth again before raising a delicate eyebrow and lightly licking her lips.
It wasn't until dawn faded and the morning sun rose that Ye Tian finally calmed down. He straightened up, avoiding any glance toward Jin Yue'er. "Xue Er, Yue'er, I'm better now. It's time for us to each return home."
With that, he stood up.
"Mm." Qian Renxue nodded and rose as well, stepping forward to smooth out the wrinkles on Ye Tian's shoulder. "If I need to find you for anything, I'll send Yue'er to fetch you," she said leisurely.
"Understood." Ye Tian nodded. He knew that from now on, unless absolutely necessary, Qian Renxue would not set foot in Wisteria Residence again.
"Then... see you later, Yue'er." Ye Tian offered an awkward smile and ruffled Jin Yue'er's hair.
"Mm, see you." Jin Yue'er nodded quietly, her eyes fixed on Ye Tian's legs.
"..." A tightness gripped Ye Tian's heart.
Without daring to look at her, he simply took out two bottles containing fifty pills each, tossed them into her lap, and quickly stepped out of the carriage.
"Huh?"
Jin Yue'er hugged the two bottles of pills, staring at the fallen carriage curtain.
"Sister Xue, is Ye Tian really alright?"
"He might be tired from pill refining these past couple of days, but he should be fine. His body is quite sturdy," Qian Renxue softly speculated.
Hearing this, Jin Yue'er nodded slightly.
Outside the carriage, the sounds of Ye Tian bidding farewell to Golden Crocodile Douluo could be heard.
"Why is this kid in such a hurry?" Golden Crocodile Douluo watched Ye Tian's hurried departure with a strange expression.
He then turned toward the carriage and asked, "Xue Er, Yue'er, would you like to walk down or shall I escort you up?"
——
Just as Ye Tian, having nearly lost his vitality, was fleeing for his life, the grand procession led by Bi Bi Dong was already nearing Spirit Hall City.
By the time Ye Tian returned to Wisteria Residence, Bi Bi Dong had also just arrived at the gates of Spirit Hall City.