Chapter 34: The First Meeting with Bibi Dong
Qi Tian had only just begun chatting with Liu Erlong when someone knocked on the door from outside.
"Who could it be this early? Maybe one of Mother's friends?" Liu Erlong wondered silently.
From the kitchen, her mother called out:
"Erlong, go see who's at the door!"
Qi Tian replied naturally,
"Alright, Mother. I'll go check!"
Since Liu Erlong's mother had fully recovered and their family finances were no longer tight, Liu Erlong had recently renovated the house, adding a small courtyard around it.
Qi Tian walked to the gate, opened it—and froze.
Standing before him was a woman dressed in a long black gown, her beauty breathtaking and almost unreal.
She was slightly shorter than Liu Erlong, perhaps around 1.7 meters, but her figure was equally stunning.
The only imperfection—if it could be called that—was the icy killing intent radiating from her, a suffocating aura that made people instinctively afraid to approach.
"Bibi Dong? She came this soon?" Qi Tian was momentarily stunned.
At the same time, Liu Erlong and Bibi Dong were equally taken aback—each astonished by the other's beauty.
Qi Tian also felt a strange sense of novelty.
This was his first time seeing Bibi Dong from another person's perspective. Compared to seeing her reflection when inhabiting her body, it was a completely different experience.
'Such heavy killing intent…' Qi Tian thought silently. 'I wonder if it's starting to affect her psyche already.'
He hesitated for a moment.
'If Moon Pavilion exists at this point, maybe I could have her lie low in his area for half a year. That would help her recover a bit.'
Regaining his composure, Qi Tian greeted politely:
"Hello, may I ask who you're looking for?"
Bibi Dong consciously softened her tone—just slightly.
"Hello, I'm Bibi Dong. You must be Liu Erlong, right?"
Qi Tian hadn't even replied when Liu Erlong's heart suddenly tightened with a faint sense of danger.
She mentally spoke to Qi Tian:
"Benefactor, who is she? She's beautiful… but I feel like she is here to cause trouble."
Qi Tian responded calmly in her mind:
"She's likely someone from Spirit Hall. She's here to recruit you. Actually, this might be a perfect opportunity for you to use her help to deal with Yu Xiaogang."
Then, outwardly pretending not to know her, Qi Tian said aloud:
"Are you here for me? Do we… know each other?"
In truth, Qi Tian knew Bibi Dong far too well—but he couldn't risk exposing that.
If she realized he had prior knowledge of her, she might start to suspect things he didn't want her to.
Just then, Liu Erlong's mother called from the courtyard:
"Erlong! Don't keep your guest standing there—invite her inside!"
Qi Tian nodded obediently and "invited" Bibi Dong into the house, maintaining his façade perfectly.
Upon seeing the visitor, Liu Erlong's mother smiled warmly.
"What a lovely young lady! Erlong, entertain your friend—I'll go to the market and buy some fresh vegetables. I'll cook you both something nice!"
And with that, she cheerfully left the courtyard, closing the gate behind her.
Once they were alone, Bibi Dong spoke with her usual cold authority:
"I am Bibi Dong—the personal disciple of the current Pope of Spirit Hall… and the next Pope in line."
Her tone was calm yet commanding—leaving no room for doubt.
Then, with a directness that even Qi Tian was momentarily caught off guard by, she continued:
"I've heard you possess excellent cultivation talent. I'm here to invite you to join Spirit Hall. What do you think?"
Her words were polite, but paired with that icy voice, it sounded more like a royal decree than an invitation.
"Benefactor," Liu Erlong's voice echoed in Qi Tian's mind, "you were right—she really is from Spirit Hall! And she's the Pope's personal disciple too! Wait… do you two actually know each other?"
She didn't question how Bibi Dong knew about her talent—after all, her martial soul had been awakened at the local Spirit Hall branch.
In the records of Spirit Hall, only nineteen people had been born with full innate soul power in the last century.
So for Liu Erlong, whose innate soul power reached level eight, she was considered an impressive genius.
Qi Tian casually fabricated an explanation:
"I've heard of her by reputation, but we're not personally acquainted."
Bibi Dong's sharp violet eyes focused on Liu Erlong.
"So, what do you say? Will you consider joining the future Pope's ranks?"
Liu Erlong hesitated. When she first awakened her martial soul, a Spirit Hall deacon had already invited her once, but her mother had refused, citing her late husband's pride as a powerful free soul master.
Now, faced with the invitation of the future Pope herself, things were far more complicated.
Liu Erlong no longer held any affection for her biological father, so the stance of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan didn't concern her in the slightest.
"Benefactor, should I accept her offer and join Spirit Hall?" she asked softly in Qi Tian's mind.
Qi Tian replied calmly,
"You can join—but don't get too involved. Never pledge your life to her."
He knew all too well the fates of those who once served closely under Bibi Dong.
Every single titled Douluo who stood at her side in the end had perished—completely erased.
Still, Liu Erlong held strategic value for Bibi Dong. With her martial soul and background, she wouldn't be treated like those unfortunate subordinates.
Letting her throw her life away for Spirit Hall was pointless. It would be far better if Liu Erlong could eventually bring the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan under control—a move that would benefit Spirit Hall far more.
"Alright," Liu Erlong said decisively. "I'll do as you say, Benefactor."
Qi Tian smiled faintly. With her agreement, he turned to face Bibi Dong and spoke aloud:
"Your Holiness, may I ask… if I were to join Spirit Hall, what benefits would I receive?"
"Benefits?" Bibi Dong blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Even after she became Pope in the future, she was known for being rather frugal.
After all, even Chrysanthemum Douluo, her personal guard, hadn't managed to obtain a single soul bone under her.
Qi Tian's question, however, gave him the perfect chance to subtly influence her mindset.
Bibi Dong thought for a moment, and something came to mind.
Liu Erlong possessed the Fire Dragon Martial Soul, and Bibi Dong happened to have in her possession the inner core of a Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, a powerful ancient beast.
She herself was immune to all poisons and not attuned to the fire element, so the core was useless to her. Originally, she had intended to gift it to Ling Yuan, but who knew when she would return to Spirit Hall?
By that time, Ling Yuan might already have reached the Soul Douluo level—rendering the core ineffective.
With that thought, Bibi Dong retrieved the fiery-red core from her soul tool and handed it to Liu Erlong.
"This will serve as my token of sincerity," she said. "This is the inner core of an ancient Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent. You can refine it into your next soul ring."
Liu Erlong's eyes widened in joy.
She was already at level 48, and by next year, she would reach level 50.
This inner core came at the perfect time.
Noticing that Liu Erlong lacked a storage-type soul tool, Bibi Dong took out a delicate bracelet and handed it to her as well.
"I see you don't have a storage soul tool. This bracelet will serve that purpose—and there are also some gold soul coins inside to assist with your cultivation."
Generous doesn't even begin to describe it.
Bibi Dong had just left the City of Slaughter, and although the fallen there were imprisoned within its boundaries, many still carried valuable possessions.
She had collected several storage soul tools from them—and plenty of money besides. After all, even the damned needed food, clothing, and supplies.
That was one of the unspoken reasons Spirit Hall continued to supply the City of Slaughter with resources—there was profit to be made.
The wealth those fallen ones plundered from the outside world eventually flowed right back into Spirit Hall's hands.
Having personally slain over a thousand fallen soul masters during her time there, Bibi Dong had amassed quite a fortune.
Qi Tian accepted the bracelet and extended his soul power into it—his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Inside were ten thousand gold soul coins—enough to purchase several blocks of precious whale rubber!
"Many thanks, Your Holiness. I am honored to serve under you and pledge my loyalty to your cause," Qi Tian said, bowing respectfully.
Of course, it was all an act.
Inside his mind, even Liu Erlong was dumbfounded by Bibi Dong's generosity.
At first, she had agreed to join Spirit Hall only because Qi Tian had advised her.
But now—after receiving so much—she couldn't help feeling moved.
"Benefactor… is it really alright to accept all this from her?" Liu Erlong asked uneasily.
Qi Tian chuckled softly in her mind.
"It's fine. You're worth far more than this. Just remember—always protect yourself."
After reassuring her, Qi Tian turned back to Bibi Dong, deliberately mentioning his "difficult circumstances" and the troubles he faced with Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong, without hesitation, promised to help resolve the issue for him, using the opportunity to deepen their connection.
And thus, their fates became intertwined in ways none of them yet realized.
—
End of Chapter