It was still a few minutes before the sun began to rise on the horizon.
Standing in the back yard of Shangguan Bing Xue's villa, the sound of the wind accompanied by the sound of the water of the 10-meter-long pool was the melody that accompanied Bai Zemin as he observed the sky that began to become clearer and clearer with each passing second.
More than an hour had passed since Bai Zemin learned the reason behind Zhong De's death, but for him, that time had not passed at all as his mind was still in a kind of trance. In fact, he sent everyone to sleep and promised to tell them about his experiences in Eventide World in the near future.
How could he be in the mood for such things? It was already a miracle that Bai Zemin did not rush north and cause an indiscriminate massacre for fear of leaving one of the culprits alive.
He still needed to visit Zhong De's mother.... Even if she had already been informed of her son's demise, Bai Zemin felt the obligation of paying his respects to her.
At the end of the day, Zhong De was not just another subordinate.
The sound of footsteps behind him did not alarm him. His eyes stayed fixed on the distance and the distinctive scent of jasmine announced Shangguan Bing Xue's arrival without her saying a word.
It wasn't until about five minutes of silence later that Bai Zemin opened his mouth to take the initiative to say something.
"Eventide World is a world with two moons and two suns, but the stars are the same and the sky is no different from the one we see here... I wonder if all worlds under the rule of the Soul Record are under the same law of time since even the length of day and night did not differ from that of our world."
"... Were the nights of that world colder than the nights on our Earth?"
"Several times colder, but the people there had higher levels on average, so the night market is busy. Well, unlike our world and us, Eventide World and its inhabitants have had thousands of years to prepare themselves between a world evolution and the next while we are in the second stage even though it hasn't even been a year since the Soul Record broke through the door of our homes to enter our lives."
Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue after saying these words.
She was looking at the sky, her eyes were steady as was her posture. Her white summer dress was definitely not to be worn considering the current temperature, but thanks to her ice and frost skills it was unlikely that this kind of weather could affect her.
At least that was what others would surely see and think from seeing her at this time.
However, when Bai Zemin looked at her what he saw was something completely different.
As she looked up at the sky, her pupils were slightly dilated and her eyes were trembling slightly. Her gorgeous figure looked extremely fragile, and the slight trembling of her body did not go unnoticed from his sharp eyes.
Was this trembling from the cold? Was this trembling because of something that was bothering her? Bai Zemin did not know. All he knew was that the woman next to him was probably having her own existential problems.
He looked up at the sky again and said softly, "Bing Xue, thank you for everything."
"What are you thanking me for?" She looked at him in confusion.
"No, as I said, thank you for everything." Bai Zemin said in a serious voice. His voice was low but sincere as he slowly remarked, "Back at the university, it was you who saved my life after I collapsed following my battle against that First Order beetle. You have been the one who has helped me the most so far in terms of physical actions, especially during this last half year that I was away from home. Regardless of whether at the beginning our relationship was a bit tense or whether we each had our own reasons for supporting the other, it is undeniable that you have worked very hard."
Shangguan Bing Xue said nothing and simply looked at him silently as he continued to gaze up at the now slightly orange-reddish sky on the horizon.
"I will be leaving for the north in a few days after spending some time with my family. You don't need to come, I think you deserve a good rest."
"But, I-"
"Bing Xue."
Shangguan Bing Xue jumped slightly in surprise when Bai Zemin interrupted her this time in a slightly raised voice.
He sighed and looked at her calmly as he said gently, "I don't think I was the only one to notice but, you don't need to pretend to be strong in front of me... We are friends, aren't we? We haven't seen each other for many months, so I'd like to remind you of something... Bing Xue, remember that you don't need to wear your mask at all times. I'm sure your mom, Chen He, Wu Yijun, and probably a few others are just like me and want to be of help to you."
Shangguan Bing Xue was powerful, so terrifyingly powerful that she could annihilate entire armies by burying her enemies in eternal ice statues. The number of existences capable of facing her in the entire world was definitely very low and her confidence, as well as certainty in every step she took, had portrayed Shangguan Bing Xue as a practically omnipotent being.
In fact, Bai Zemin had no doubt that given the time he was away from Earth and considering that most of the upper echelons of the newly conquered bases did not know him, it was natural to think that in the minds of most of them the true leader was Shangguan Bing Xue even if his name was mentioned by her and the rest quite often. Were it not for the fact that she was loyal to him to the point of the absolute, Bai Zemin was certain that the Soul Record would have removed his titles and his subclass long ago.
All this coupled with her cold and aloof personality had made everyone, perhaps even her closest friends, forget that Shangguan Bing Xue was, at the end of the day, a young girl who months ago was just a college student.
It might be presumptuous of Bai Zemin and perhaps sexist to think that it was a man's duty to carry the heaviest burdens, yet he was that kind of person and it was so ingrained in his records that he would never change... Even he was on the verge of collapsing on numerous occasions due to the responsibilities he carried, and the only reason he kept standing apart from Lilith was because Bai Zemin always kept his eyes fixed straight ahead not daring to stop to look back for fear of realizing what he was giving up in exchange for an unknown future; this was also what helped him to move forward on the Staircase to Heaven.
If even Bai Zemin was about to collapse, then what about Shangguan Bing Xue whose shoulders were thinner and whose figure was more fragile than his?
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him with such a gentle expression that the ice itself would probably melt. Any man would feel his legs trembling if he was looked at by such a pair of beautiful and expressive eyes, but the man who was receiving that kind of gaze could not appreciate it as his emotional state was not right and his eyes were in the north sky.
She looked at the profile of the man in front of her for several seconds before closing her eyes and letting out a giggle.
Bai Zemin felt every bone in his body weaken as he felt that giggle, it was so low that it was not unlike a whisper in his ears.
He looked at her and was slightly stunned for a second or two before closing his eyes tightly and calming down.
Shangguan Bing Xue's charm had reached such a high degree that even Bai Zemin was not immune to it. The most frightening thing was that she didn't even seem to notice that there was anything strange about it, or maybe this was the real Shangguan Bing Xue that was hiding under so many fake masks.... The only thing Bai Zemin knew was that Shangguan Bing Xue's charm didn't seem to be very far below Lilith's although the latter was obviously holding back.
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him with kind eyes and said in a soft voice, "Friends, uh?"
Under Bai Zemin's confused eyes, she closed the distance between them. To his surprise and disbelief, Shangguan Bing Xue took the initiative to cling to him and hug him in a way that for a moment he stood frozen.
After a few seconds, he subconsciously put up his hands with the intention of gently pushing her away when her voice stopped him.
"In the west, hugs between friends are not very uncommon, or are they?"
"... But, we're in the east... and our customs are different."
"Screw the customs."
"Wh-"
Bai Zemin was dumbfounded and what he wanted to say stuck in his throat as he looked at the top of Shangguan Bing Xue's head.
This was the first time he had heard her curse like this and Bai Zemin was willing to bet his virginity that very probably not even Wu Yijun or Chen He had heard her say something like this.
"Bing Xue, you..." He finally took his hands off her shoulders and let her do whatever she wanted while forcing a smile and shaking his head.
Bai Zemin did not realize it at first, but the more he chatted with the woman in front of him the more obvious it became that although his anger, sadness, and thirst for vengeance were far from disappearing, the truth was that his madness was calming down a lot faster than usual. It was as if the raging volcano of fire inside him was being pacified by a fierce but gentle snowstorm.
Shangguan Bing Xue raised her head, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and a giggle not unlike that of an innocent little kid came out of her as she saw the expression on Bai Zemin's face.
"Hehe, what's wrong? Didn't you say I should stop wearing masks at least in front of you? Well, there you go. We women can also curse when something bothers us, you know? Even if it's a beautiful one just how I am."
"... For you yourself to say that you're beautiful.... Bing Xue, I didn't know you were such a narcissist."
"Narcissistic? I don't think so. I'm beautiful, that's the truth, and telling the truth can't be considered narcissism, can it?"
"This..."
Bai Zemin was speechless.
Looking back over the first few days of the apocalypse, Bai Zemin felt it was unbelievable how much Shangguan Bing Xue had changed. However, looking at the beautiful woman looking back at him with bright eyes and a spring-like smile, Bai Zemin thought that maybe and just maybe, Shangguan Bing Xue had always been like this but maybe and just maybe, no one had been able to bring out this side of her.... At least not until now.
Bai Zemin had been speechless, but Shangguan Bing Xue had no intention of letting him go. It was as if she was releasing her frustrations on him as while hugging him like a little girl she spoke softly, "Am I not beautiful?"
This question really caught him off guard.
Shangguan Bing Xue was asking him if she was beautiful? Bai Zemin would stomp to death if someone said that she wasn't since that would mean that there were no beauties in the universe.
Don't say it... It's a trick... Bai Zemin could practically hear his father Bai Delan whispering those words in his ear.
"My almighty second in command? Why are you asking me such a question?"
"It was you who said I am being narcissistic, no? If you say I'm not beautiful then I guess I'm a narcissistic woman, that's just the way it is. So, you tell me if I am beautiful or not. It's an existential doubt that needs to be answered very soon or I will die."
"... You're messing with me aren't you?"
"I'm messing with you, and what can you do about it? Quickly answer my question. I deserve it, don't I? I've taken care of your house while you were visiting other lands." Shangguan Bing Xue snorted as she looked at him like a little pig who was not afraid of boiling water while staying almost completely glued to him.
Bai Zemin could feel the corner of his mouth tremble several times. It took everything from him not to raise his right hand and spank her butt while repeating to himself that it was not right to do such a thing.
However, it was becoming difficult to resist that impulse. Especially since Shangguan Bing Xue was being naughty as if....
Suddenly, Bai Zemin's eyes flashed slightly and as he looked at Shangguan Bing Xue's blue eyes he was not slow to notice something peculiar around the edges.
"... Bing Xue, you're at level 100 now, aren't you?"
"Mm? That's right, for months now."
"... Just out of curiosity, you don't have to answer if you don't want to but.... Can you tell me what's the name of your third class?"
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him for a few seconds and for some reason her charm grew considerably as her lips pursed softly.
"I don't know why I chose this class among the ones I could have chosen.... But I guess you'll soon have two Succubus shadowing you."
"You..."
Shangguan Bing Xue chuckled as she saw the shocked expression on Bai Zemin's face while she whispered in his ear, "My Third Order class is called Frozen Sacrilege Succubus."
* * * * * * *
A/N: Everyone, before more war and action I will take some peaceful chapters. It's been at least 200-300 chapters of non-stop action, and I think it's time to develop the relationships a little more.
Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up
It was still a few minutes before the sun began to rise on the horizon.
Standing in the back yard of Shangguan Bing Xue's villa, the sound of the wind accompanied by the sound of the water of the 10-meter-long pool was the melody that accompanied Bai Zemin as he observed the sky that began to become clearer and clearer with each passing second.
More than an hour had passed since Bai Zemin learned the reason behind Zhong De's death, but for him, that time had not passed at all as his mind was still in a kind of trance. In fact, he sent everyone to sleep and promised to tell them about his experiences in Eventide World in the near future.
How could he be in the mood for such things? It was already a miracle that Bai Zemin did not rush north and cause an indiscriminate massacre for fear of leaving one of the culprits alive.
He still needed to visit Zhong De's mother.... Even if she had already been informed of her son's demise, Bai Zemin felt the obligation of paying his respects to her.
At the end of the day, Zhong De was not just another subordinate.
The sound of footsteps behind him did not alarm him. His eyes stayed fixed on the distance and the distinctive scent of jasmine announced Shangguan Bing Xue's arrival without her saying a word.
It wasn't until about five minutes of silence later that Bai Zemin opened his mouth to take the initiative to say something.
"Eventide World is a world with two moons and two suns, but the stars are the same and the sky is no different from the one we see here... I wonder if all worlds under the rule of the Soul Record are under the same law of time since even the length of day and night did not differ from that of our world."
"... Were the nights of that world colder than the nights on our Earth?"
"Several times colder, but the people there had higher levels on average, so the night market is busy. Well, unlike our world and us, Eventide World and its inhabitants have had thousands of years to prepare themselves between a world evolution and the next while we are in the second stage even though it hasn't even been a year since the Soul Record broke through the door of our homes to enter our lives."
Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue after saying these words.
She was looking at the sky, her eyes were steady as was her posture. Her white summer dress was definitely not to be worn considering the current temperature, but thanks to her ice and frost skills it was unlikely that this kind of weather could affect her.
At least that was what others would surely see and think from seeing her at this time.
However, when Bai Zemin looked at her what he saw was something completely different.
As she looked up at the sky, her pupils were slightly dilated and her eyes were trembling slightly. Her gorgeous figure looked extremely fragile, and the slight trembling of her body did not go unnoticed from his sharp eyes.
Was this trembling from the cold? Was this trembling because of something that was bothering her? Bai Zemin did not know. All he knew was that the woman next to him was probably having her own existential problems.
He looked up at the sky again and said softly, "Bing Xue, thank you for everything."
"What are you thanking me for?" She looked at him in confusion.
"No, as I said, thank you for everything." Bai Zemin said in a serious voice. His voice was low but sincere as he slowly remarked, "Back at the university, it was you who saved my life after I collapsed following my battle against that First Order beetle. You have been the one who has helped me the most so far in terms of physical actions, especially during this last half year that I was away from home. Regardless of whether at the beginning our relationship was a bit tense or whether we each had our own reasons for supporting the other, it is undeniable that you have worked very hard."
Shangguan Bing Xue said nothing and simply looked at him silently as he continued to gaze up at the now slightly orange-reddish sky on the horizon.
"I will be leaving for the north in a few days after spending some time with my family. You don't need to come, I think you deserve a good rest."
"But, I-"
"Bing Xue."
Shangguan Bing Xue jumped slightly in surprise when Bai Zemin interrupted her this time in a slightly raised voice.
He sighed and looked at her calmly as he said gently, "I don't think I was the only one to notice but, you don't need to pretend to be strong in front of me... We are friends, aren't we? We haven't seen each other for many months, so I'd like to remind you of something... Bing Xue, remember that you don't need to wear your mask at all times. I'm sure your mom, Chen He, Wu Yijun, and probably a few others are just like me and want to be of help to you."
Shangguan Bing Xue was powerful, so terrifyingly powerful that she could annihilate entire armies by burying her enemies in eternal ice statues. The number of existences capable of facing her in the entire world was definitely very low and her confidence, as well as certainty in every step she took, had portrayed Shangguan Bing Xue as a practically omnipotent being.
In fact, Bai Zemin had no doubt that given the time he was away from Earth and considering that most of the upper echelons of the newly conquered bases did not know him, it was natural to think that in the minds of most of them the true leader was Shangguan Bing Xue even if his name was mentioned by her and the rest quite often. Were it not for the fact that she was loyal to him to the point of the absolute, Bai Zemin was certain that the Soul Record would have removed his titles and his subclass long ago.
All this coupled with her cold and aloof personality had made everyone, perhaps even her closest friends, forget that Shangguan Bing Xue was, at the end of the day, a young girl who months ago was just a college student.
It might be presumptuous of Bai Zemin and perhaps sexist to think that it was a man's duty to carry the heaviest burdens, yet he was that kind of person and it was so ingrained in his records that he would never change... Even he was on the verge of collapsing on numerous occasions due to the responsibilities he carried, and the only reason he kept standing apart from Lilith was because Bai Zemin always kept his eyes fixed straight ahead not daring to stop to look back for fear of realizing what he was giving up in exchange for an unknown future; this was also what helped him to move forward on the Staircase to Heaven.
If even Bai Zemin was about to collapse, then what about Shangguan Bing Xue whose shoulders were thinner and whose figure was more fragile than his?
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him with such a gentle expression that the ice itself would probably melt. Any man would feel his legs trembling if he was looked at by such a pair of beautiful and expressive eyes, but the man who was receiving that kind of gaze could not appreciate it as his emotional state was not right and his eyes were in the north sky.
She looked at the profile of the man in front of her for several seconds before closing her eyes and letting out a giggle.
Bai Zemin felt every bone in his body weaken as he felt that giggle, it was so low that it was not unlike a whisper in his ears.
He looked at her and was slightly stunned for a second or two before closing his eyes tightly and calming down.
Shangguan Bing Xue's charm had reached such a high degree that even Bai Zemin was not immune to it. The most frightening thing was that she didn't even seem to notice that there was anything strange about it, or maybe this was the real Shangguan Bing Xue that was hiding under so many fake masks.... The only thing Bai Zemin knew was that Shangguan Bing Xue's charm didn't seem to be very far below Lilith's although the latter was obviously holding back.
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him with kind eyes and said in a soft voice, "Friends, uh?"
Under Bai Zemin's confused eyes, she closed the distance between them. To his surprise and disbelief, Shangguan Bing Xue took the initiative to cling to him and hug him in a way that for a moment he stood frozen.
After a few seconds, he subconsciously put up his hands with the intention of gently pushing her away when her voice stopped him.
"In the west, hugs between friends are not very uncommon, or are they?"
"... But, we're in the east... and our customs are different."
"Screw the customs."
"Wh-"
Bai Zemin was dumbfounded and what he wanted to say stuck in his throat as he looked at the top of Shangguan Bing Xue's head.
This was the first time he had heard her curse like this and Bai Zemin was willing to bet his virginity that very probably not even Wu Yijun or Chen He had heard her say something like this.
"Bing Xue, you..." He finally took his hands off her shoulders and let her do whatever she wanted while forcing a smile and shaking his head.
Bai Zemin did not realize it at first, but the more he chatted with the woman in front of him the more obvious it became that although his anger, sadness, and thirst for vengeance were far from disappearing, the truth was that his madness was calming down a lot faster than usual. It was as if the raging volcano of fire inside him was being pacified by a fierce but gentle snowstorm.
Shangguan Bing Xue raised her head, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and a giggle not unlike that of an innocent little kid came out of her as she saw the expression on Bai Zemin's face.
"Hehe, what's wrong? Didn't you say I should stop wearing masks at least in front of you? Well, there you go. We women can also curse when something bothers us, you know? Even if it's a beautiful one just how I am."
"... For you yourself to say that you're beautiful.... Bing Xue, I didn't know you were such a narcissist."
"Narcissistic? I don't think so. I'm beautiful, that's the truth, and telling the truth can't be considered narcissism, can it?"
"This..."
Bai Zemin was speechless.
Looking back over the first few days of the apocalypse, Bai Zemin felt it was unbelievable how much Shangguan Bing Xue had changed. However, looking at the beautiful woman looking back at him with bright eyes and a spring-like smile, Bai Zemin thought that maybe and just maybe, Shangguan Bing Xue had always been like this but maybe and just maybe, no one had been able to bring out this side of her.... At least not until now.
Bai Zemin had been speechless, but Shangguan Bing Xue had no intention of letting him go. It was as if she was releasing her frustrations on him as while hugging him like a little girl she spoke softly, "Am I not beautiful?"
This question really caught him off guard.
Shangguan Bing Xue was asking him if she was beautiful? Bai Zemin would stomp to death if someone said that she wasn't since that would mean that there were no beauties in the universe.
Don't say it... It's a trick... Bai Zemin could practically hear his father Bai Delan whispering those words in his ear.
"My almighty second in command? Why are you asking me such a question?"
"It was you who said I am being narcissistic, no? If you say I'm not beautiful then I guess I'm a narcissistic woman, that's just the way it is. So, you tell me if I am beautiful or not. It's an existential doubt that needs to be answered very soon or I will die."
"... You're messing with me aren't you?"
"I'm messing with you, and what can you do about it? Quickly answer my question. I deserve it, don't I? I've taken care of your house while you were visiting other lands." Shangguan Bing Xue snorted as she looked at him like a little pig who was not afraid of boiling water while staying almost completely glued to him.
Bai Zemin could feel the corner of his mouth tremble several times. It took everything from him not to raise his right hand and spank her butt while repeating to himself that it was not right to do such a thing.
However, it was becoming difficult to resist that impulse. Especially since Shangguan Bing Xue was being naughty as if....
Suddenly, Bai Zemin's eyes flashed slightly and as he looked at Shangguan Bing Xue's blue eyes he was not slow to notice something peculiar around the edges.
"... Bing Xue, you're at level 100 now, aren't you?"
"Mm? That's right, for months now."
"... Just out of curiosity, you don't have to answer if you don't want to but.... Can you tell me what's the name of your third class?"
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him for a few seconds and for some reason her charm grew considerably as her lips pursed softly.
"I don't know why I chose this class among the ones I could have chosen.... But I guess you'll soon have two Succubus shadowing you."
"You..."
Shangguan Bing Xue chuckled as she saw the shocked expression on Bai Zemin's face while she whispered in his ear, "My Third Order class is called Frozen Sacrilege Succubus."
* * * * * * *
A/N: Everyone, before more war and action I will take some peaceful chapters. It's been at least 200-300 chapters of non-stop action, and I think it's time to develop the relationships a little more.
Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up
