The feeling of shock lasted only for a moment.
The Sea Witch quickly regained her usual composure and smiled. "I've returned the heavenly materials and earthly treasures to you, but I still need another carriage."
"Are you planning to store something else?"
"To carry her." The Sea Witch pointed with a playful smile toward Xiao Bai, who was hiding behind a small pine tree in the distance.
"Xiao Bai can't stay exposed to air for too long, so she needs a carriage with a water tank filled with seawater."
"Shouldn't Xiao Bai return to the ocean?" Ye Tian asked in confusion.
Now it was the Sea Witch's turn to sigh. "She's grown accustomed to the prosperity of the mainland. How could she be willing to stay in the dull and boring ocean?"
"These days, she's been pestering me endlessly."
"Since we won't be in Spirit City for long, let's just take her along."
The Sea Witch chuckled. "Xiao Bai's strength is on par with a Titled Douluo. With two Titled Douluo bodyguards by your side, your safety will be significantly increased."
"Having a soul beast around doesn't make me feel any safer," Ye Tian muttered.
He was telling the truth.
Spirit City was the heart of the continent's soul masters.
Countless Soul Douluos dreamed of advancing to the Titled Douluo realm, and capturing a hundred-thousand-year soul beast would be their golden opportunity to do so.
Ye Tian raised a finger and looked at Xiao Bai behind the small pine tree. "Let's be clear—you'll have to follow my arrangements on the journey."
Xiao Bai, standing far away, nodded fervently.
Seeing her agreement, Ye Tian felt reassured.
Given Xiao Bai's personality, she wouldn't act recklessly.
With that settled, Ye Tian turned his attention to the carriage again.
He guessed that all the food inside was prepared for Xiao Bai.
After all, he remembered that the Sea Witch wasn't a big eater.
"It's getting late. We should set off now."
From within the small courtyard of the farm, Bibi Dong's voice rang out.
Wearing a noble, tight-fitting purple dress, Bibi Dong stepped out, holding Hu Liena's hand.
Today, Bibi Dong had lightly applied makeup between her delicate brows, giving her an air of majesty.
Ye Tian knew that from today onward, Bibi Dong would once again wear the mask of authority.
After all, even a pope had an image to uphold.
As soon as she saw Ye Tian, Hu Liena threw herself into his arms with a warm smile.
"When we arrive in Spirit City, husband, you'll finally meet your brother-in-law."
"Come to think of it, Xie Yue probably doesn't know that I'm already married," Hu Liena reminded him in advance.
"Xie Yue has a fiery temper. If he finds out that you married me, he'll probably give you trouble."
Ye Tian wrapped his arm around Hu Liena's waist and chuckled.
"Well, I still have to meet my brother-in-law eventually."
Since Xie Yue was Hu Liena's biological brother, avoiding him wasn't an option.
Ye Tian could understand—it was only natural for an older brother to be upset upon suddenly learning that his sister had gotten married.
…
With Chen Jian and the others seeing them off, Ye Tian, Bibi Dong, and the group finally left the farm.
The carriage steadily made its way out of the East Sea region, following the official road toward Spirit City.
Due to years of neglect, the road was uneven, making the carriage ride bumpy and uncomfortable.
Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, accustomed to traveling by carriage, remained unfazed.
However, Ye Tian, who was riding in a carriage for the first time on a long journey, felt nauseous.
"My head is spinning… Wife, let me rest on your lap for a bit."
Ye Tian, feeling dizzy, rubbed his forehead and lay down, resting his head on Bibi Dong's smooth, snow-white thighs.
Seeing this, Hu Liena's mouth fell open in shock.
Clearly, Ye Tian had mistaken the person!
And not just anyone—he had the audacity to rest on their teacher's lap!
He's doomed!
Hu Liena's heart pounded wildly.
Even though Ye Tian was incredibly important to the Martial Spirit Hall, such disrespect toward their teacher wouldn't go unpunished.
At this moment, Hu Liena didn't even dare to look at Bibi Dong's expression. She quickly patted Ye Tian's shoulder.
"Ye Tian, wake up! I'm over here!"
"Forget it. Let him sleep."
Bibi Dong calmly waved her hand, her tone indifferent, as if she didn't mind at all.
Hearing her teacher's unruffled voice, Hu Liena finally dared to lift her gaze.
She realized that Bibi Dong showed no signs of displeasure at all.
This made Hu Liena feel both relieved and guilty.
Deep down, she marveled at how their teacher truly didn't treat them as outsiders but rather as family.
"Teacher, this isn't appropriate…"
Hu Liena hesitated. "If word gets out about Ye Tian resting on your lap, the consequences would be severe."
Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "We're the only three in the carriage. Who would spread the news?"
"You're right."
Hu Liena nodded thoughtfully and stopped urging Ye Tian to move.
However, she still felt that something was off.
…
"Young Master, ahead lies the capital of the Balak Kingdom. We need to change to a new set of horses to continue our journey to Spirit City at the fastest speed."
A guard driving the carriage spoke to Ye Tian, who was riding beside them on horseback.
After two days of bumpy travel, Ye Tian had spent those two days resting on Bibi Dong's lap.
Of course, he had done so on purpose.
While he did get motion sickness, it wasn't bad enough to make him lose consciousness.
If he didn't take advantage of this moment, he wouldn't get another chance once they reached Spirit City.
Since he couldn't handle driving a carriage, he simply chose to ride a horse instead.
He waved a hand at the guard and said, "No need to rush to Spirit City. We'll stop in the capital for two days to rest and set off afterward."
"We're staying in Balak's capital?"
Hu Liena lifted the carriage curtain, surprised.
"There's not much to do here."
"Spirit City is only 400 li (about 200 km) away."
"We could reach it in two more days."
Seeing how eager Hu Liena was to return, Ye Tian chuckled. "Resting is just part of the reason."
"Did you forget about the Martial Spirit Hall's 'Plaza Project'?"
"Balak's capital is an excellent location for a plaza. This will be a good opportunity for us to conduct some preliminary research."
"Oh, so that's what you were thinking! You're so considerate, husband."
Hu Liena suddenly understood, then hopped off the carriage and onto Ye Tian's horse.
She hugged his waist and said, "Let's go investigate together."
As they approached the city gates, Hu Liena noticed a massive crowd gathered around the announcement board.
She couldn't help but marvel, "This place is really bustling. Even the notice board is packed with people."
Ye Tian chuckled. "City gate announcements usually contain major news. Of course, people would gather."
"Husband, let's go take a look too," Hu Liena suggested.
"Sure."
Ye Tian nodded slightly and rode forward.
But when they reached the board and saw the announcement, they were both stunned.
A bold headline stood out:
"Martial Spirit Hall Plaza—Opening Soon!"
(End of Chapter)
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