Chapter 44: Bibi Dong Pretends to Be Crazy
"Wait, what?"
"Someone secretly took photos of me?"
Just as Su Yan finally had a moment to check the messages in the chat group, he discovered that someone had secretly snapped an embarrassing picture of him riding a horse earlier.
At that moment, he had just gotten on the horse, and his butt still wasn't used to it.
Huh?
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had already met up.
Seriously?
Su Yan felt utterly speechless. He originally thought he could maintain his hidden identity all the way until Shrek. He assumed everything would only be exposed once he met them there.
But from the current situation… judging by Ning Rongrong's intelligence, she had most likely already started suspecting him—she might have even completely locked onto his identity by now.
[Su Yan: The long night drags on, and I cannot sleep. I just finished refining a cauldron of Nine-Revolution Golden Elixir, yet somehow some of you already managed to meet up.]
[Carrot Lover: Heh.]
[Seven Treasures Little Princess: Wow! Brother Su Yan, you're amazing! What is a Nine-Revolution Golden Elixir?]
[Su Yan: Kids shouldn't ask too much. Knowing too much gets you beaten. You understand what I mean, right?]
[Seven Treasures Little Princess: Hahaha!]
[Carrot Lover: What are you laughing at?!]
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: Su Yan, we didn't see you tonight at all. We were just about to go to sleep.]
[Group Member No. 9: I bet that alchemy thing is fake. Helping people run away from home is probably the real reason.]
[Bibi Dong: Little kitty, if you're in trouble, you can always come to me. For the sake of being in the same chat group, I won't refuse.]
[I Am an Orphan: She's a normal person. How would she dare go to a lunatic like you?]
[Bibi Dong: Orphan, that's enough!]
"Teacher."
Inside the Pope's bedroom—
Hu Liena rushed in anxiously, and the moment she entered, she saw Bibi Dong raising her hand, preparing to smash her jade mirror.
Bibi Dong was truly angry!
Seriously?
One Liu Erlong is already emotionally devastated.
And now this orphan keeps picking fights with me every single day?
Do they really think Bibi Dong is some soft persimmon?
"Nana, you're back."
Bibi Dong lowered her hand and turned toward Hu Liena with a calm smile.
Hu Liena felt uneasy and asked, "Teacher, are you okay?"
"Hehe."
Bibi Dong let out a light laugh. "What could happen to me? You know everything I've gone through. Do you really think a small setback like this could actually drive me insane?"
Hu Liena was still worried. "But Teacher, why do I feel like your behavior in the chat group is… very, very strange?"
Bibi Dong felt utterly exhausted.
"Foolish girl!"
"How else am I supposed to act?"
"Should I just let them laugh at me? They've all seen my embarrassing past. How am I supposed to show my face in front of them anymore?"
"Ah!"
Hu Liena's eyes widened with joy. "So Teacher wasn't actually crazy! You've been pretending! That's wonderful!"
"Teacher, you're actually pretending to be crazy and acting stupid on purpose!"
Bibi Dong shot Hu Liena an irritated glance and said:
"What else did you think?"
"You didn't seriously believe Liu Erlong hadn't finished grieving yet, right?"
"She is still not sad—she just doesn't dare to come out. The moment she shows up, she'll be laughed at by everyone."
Hu Liena instantly understood.
Amazing.
As expected of her teacher.
[Hu Liena: Liu Erlong, hurry up and come face my teacher.]
[Hu Liena: I, Hu Liena, will protect Teacher Bibi Dong with my life!]
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: Looks like Hu Liena has already returned to the Spirit Hall.]
[Group Member No. 9: Hu Liena, if you're being threatened, blink twice!]
Tsk—
Hu Liena scoffed inwardly.
'A bunch of idiots!'
'None of you have any idea how wise and formidable my teacher truly is!'
[Bibi Dong: Liu Erlong, hurry and come out to face me.]
[The Moon of My Childhood: Your Holiness, you've said that line at least fifty times today. How about giving her a break?]
[Bibi Dong: I am a Mad Pope, not a merciful saint. If I spare her, have any of you ever spared me?]
[I Am an Orphan: Heh, lunatic.]
Bibi Dong nearly exploded in rage.
Just as she was about to retaliate against Orphan, Hu Liena quickly grabbed her arm. Bibi Dong looked at her in confusion and asked:
"What is it?"
Hu Liena shook her head, her expression complicated. "N-no, it's nothing. Teacher… just treat her like the orphan she is. Don't stoop to her level."
Bibi Dong snorted.
"Why should I give her face?"
"In this whole group, aside from Su Yan, who else deserves any face from me?"
[Bibi Dong: Heh, orphan.]
Hu Liena covered her face—she couldn't bear to watch anymore.
Go ahead and keep provoking them!
When the truth finally comes out, I'd love to see how Teacher manages to face everyone then.
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: Anyone got more gossip? If not, I'm going to sleep. It's already late.]
[Group Member No. 9: There is gossip, but I doubt you'll be able to stay awake long enough to witness it.]
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: ???]
[I Am an Orphan: No. 9, you mean the gossip about Su Yan and the kitty, right?]
[Group Member No. 9: Yes. Those two will definitely run into each other, but there's been no update all this time. My guess is the event is currently unfolding… or it hasn't started yet.]
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: That can't be! "At the pinnacle of immortality, standing above all—where there is Su Yan, there is the Heavens." How could Su Yan be this slow at saving someone?]
[Seven Treasures Little Princess: Perhaps the void-traversing journey is a little bumpy. Even divine horses might need to rest.]
[Carrot Lover: Hahahaha!!]
[Yan Zi is Not Swallow: Then we wait. Su Yan, Kitty, you two had better tell us everything later. I won't sleep until you do.]
[Group Member No. 9: Six.]
Meanwhile, in Nuoding City.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong temporarily split up, agreeing to head to Suotuo City together in the morning.
Xiao Wu honestly didn't think too deeply—her brain just wasn't built for complicated matters. She even completely forgot what Ning Rongrong's original purpose for coming was.
Ning Rongrong had come to find Su Yan!
Yet Xiao Wu was happily thinking she'd gained company for her trip to Suotuo City. Company? That wasn't a company—that was an additional future rival.
Late at night.
In a bamboo forest somewhere within the Star Luo Empire, a lone figure dashed swiftly between the trees.
That figure was Zhu Zhuqing.
After fleeing on horseback through the night, her mount had collapsed from exhaustion. She had no time to find another horse, so she abandoned it and continued escaping on foot.
Behind her, a voluptuous woman wearing a black veil over her face led several soul masters in relentless pursuit.
Whoosh!
An arrow pierced through the air.
Zhu Zhuqing instantly understood the danger. With a swift leap, she flipped over and dodged it, continuing her escape toward the direction of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Crack.
She had only run a short distance when her foot suddenly slipped—and she fell into a hunting pit hidden among the trees.
Zhu Zhuyun and her group arrived at the edge of the pit shortly after.
Before long, Zhu Zhuqing struggled her way out from the bottom. Now standing across the pit, she faced Zhu Zhuyun and the four other Soul Ancestors.
As the saying goes: don't panic when danger comes. First, take out your jade mirror and post it to your friend circle.
And Zhu Zhuqing really did just that.
She calculated that Su Yan should be arriving soon, so she took out her jade mirror, snapped a quick picture, and sent it to the chat group.
[Cat in the Shadows: Five masked assassins.jpg]
[Cat in the Shadows: Life-and-death situation.]
Immediately after—
Zhu Zhuqing opened her private messages with Su Yan.
[Cat in the Shadows: They've caught up.]
—
End of Chapter