"If love is meant to last, then must it cling to day and night…"
Inside a luxuriously decorated carriage, Lin Xiao looked helplessly at Shui Bing'er.
"Bing'er, you've heard this story dozens of times already. Want to hear something new?"
Lin Xiao was sick of telling it, yet Shui Bing'er never got tired of listening.
She had heard it so often that she could probably recite it herself, and still, she insisted on hearing it from him over and over again.
It was pure torture.
But what could he do? The girl was simply too endearing.
Besides, he was freeloading in her carriage right now.
Ahem. Since he wasn't paying for the ride, telling stories as payment didn't seem too unreasonable.
Still, Lin Xiao couldn't understand—
Why was Shui Bing'er so obsessed with The Immortal's Match?
"Bing'er, why do you like this story so much?" he asked curiously. "Is there a special reason?"
Her cheeks flushed, and she stammered:
"No special reason…"
"I just think it sounds nice."
Lin Xiao: "…"
He was on the verge of breaking.
Come on, little lady—even if it's a good story, you've heard it over a dozen times! Doesn't it get old?
Thankfully, Shui Bing'er was kind enough to show mercy.
"Alright, you've told it so many times already, Brother Lin Xiao. You must be tired."
"How about this time—I tell you a story?"
Lin Xiao finally got a chance to rest.
He nodded with relief. "Sure."
And then—
There was no "then."
As Shui Bing'er began retelling The Immortal's Match in her own voice, Lin Xiao wore the expression of a man who had lost the will to live.
He lifted the carriage curtain to gaze out the window, hoping to escape mentally.
That's when Shui Bing'er leaned close, her soft voice whispering the story's final line:
"If love is meant to last, then must it cling to day and night…"
Her warm breath tickled his ear.
Lin Xiao quickly turned back and realized she was now sitting very close.
"Bing'er, why are you so close?" he asked.
She returned to her seat, looking completely justified.
"Well, you weren't listening," she huffed. "So I had to lean close and say it in your ear."
Lin Xiao was speechless.
Then, Shui Bing'er pulled back the curtain and murmured,
"Brother Lin Xiao, we're almost at Heaven Dou City."
"It's time to say goodbye."
Lin Xiao fell silent as he looked toward the magnificent city ahead.
They had arrived far quicker and easier than he expected—but why did he feel this strange emptiness inside?
A line of poetry drifted into his mind—
"Our paths now diverge—yours to Xiang, mine to Qin."
From here, they would part ways.
Shui Bing'er would head south back to Tianshui City.
He would stay alone in Heaven Dou.
The air between them turned still and chilly.
Lin Xiao broke the silence with a laugh. "Bing'er, the address you gave me—don't let it be fake. If I go looking for you and you're not there…"
His words shattered the awkward tension.
Shui Bing'er smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry, Brother Lin Xiao."
"I'll miss you, okay?"
Clip-clop.
The carriage entered Heaven Dou City and came to a stop.
Lin Xiao stepped down and waved goodbye.
He walked forward without looking back, his figure growing smaller in the distance.
Even after he disappeared from view, Shui Bing'er remained frozen, staring in his direction.
"Bing'er, time to go," Granny Shuiyuehua's voice snapped her back to reality.
After a pause, Shui Bing'er said softly,
"Granny Shui, let me tell you a story."
Clip-clop…
"If love is meant to last, then must it cling to day and night…"
Shui Bing'er had made Lin Xiao repeat that story over and over again, just to hear that final line.
To hear him say those words to her.
And in the end, she used the story as an excuse to say it to him too.
Granny Shuiyuehua may have been old, but she had once been young and in love.
She looked at the girl with a mixture of envy and wistful fondness.
"You'll see him again," she said.
"No need to rush."
With a flick of the reins, they headed back the way they came.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao walked through the city streets, searching for an inn.
But the prices in Heaven Dou were… outrageous.
He reached into his pocket.
Wait, what the—?
He quickly pulled out a small coin pouch filled with a few scattered gold and silver soul coins…
And a ring?
A Soul Tool?
A storage-type soul tool?
His heart trembled.
Luckily, he had a strong mental constitution.
He quietly performed the soul recognition and slid the ring onto his left middle finger.
Then he sent his soul power inside to inspect it.
Whoa!
That coin pouch had only been the change!
Lin Xiao couldn't hold back a mutter.
"So… does this count as being sponsored?"
"Or more like… being let loose with an allowance?"
To think—his very first benefactor in this world… was a rich little girl!
He chuckled to himself.
And silently etched her kindness into his heart.
Good girl, Bing'er. You've got guts.
As long as Brother Lin Xiao has food, you'll never go hungry!
Now feeling more secure with money in his pocket, Lin Xiao didn't rush to check in at the first inn.
Instead, he visited a clothing store to buy a finer set of clothes.
Looking well-dressed made you less of a target—and helped avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, in this world, appearances often meant more than substance.
He finally settled into a decent mid-range inn.
Taking out pen and paper, he began to make a plan.
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."
Planning was a good habit!
"Okay, I've arrived at Heaven Dou City. Next step—find Dugu Bo."
"For someone so famous, his address should be easy to learn, but getting an audience? That's another story. Getting chased away with sticks would be the least of my problems."
"Go straight to Dugu Bo? Please. Most people never even see a Title Douluo in their lifetime. He's like a dragon—always hiding, never showing himself."
Finally, Lin Xiao underlined one name on the paper—
Dugu Yan.
"She's more approachable. After all, she goes to school."
"It won't be hard to find out where Dugu Bo's precious granddaughter goes. It must be the best school."
"She's thirteen now, which means she should be studying at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
"Now the question is… how do I get close to her?"
His stomach growled. Lin Xiao ordered some food.
While eating, he continued planning.
"I have to impress Dugu Yan. Only then will she believe me. If I just walk up and say 'let's be friends,' I'll probably get chased off."
"Then, I'll need to demonstrate my problem-solving skills."
"And most importantly…"
"I have to survive Dugu Bo's temper and earn his trust!"
"Let's do this!"
He wolfed down his steamed buns and beef.
Then stared intently at the three characters on his page—Dugu Yan.
If I fail…
Well, I'll try again.