67: Chapter 67 Setting Off on a Picnic

Early in the morning, Bai Qi looked at the girls, whose faces were filled with the excitement of going on an outing. He shook his head helplessly, sighed, and then said to them,

"Hey, I say, ladies, we are going to find Spirit Beasts, not on an outing. Can we be a bit more serious?"

Hearing Bai Qi's words, Ning Rongrong spoke with an air of indifference.

"Oh, it's fine, Xiao Qi. With you around, nothing will go wrong."

Bai Qi smiled.

"Is that so? Then for this spirit ring hunt in the Sunset Forest, Sister Yin and I will not take action."

As soon as these words were spoken, the girls, who were originally happy, instantly fell silent.

Ning Rongrong, who was just enjoying herself, widened her eyes instantly. She looked at Bai Qi with a resentful expression, her face puffed up like a balloon.

Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, and Meng Yiran all covered their mouths and laughed. Although Ye Lingling and Zhu Zhuqing didn't make a sound, their faces were also filled with smiles.

Fearing that Bai Qi really wouldn't help, Ning Rongrong jogged to Bai Qi's side, grabbed his arm, and shook it. She looked at him with a blushing face and said in a high-pitched, cutesy voice,

"Oh, Brother Bai Qi, what you just said was just out of anger, right?"

After she finished, the girls behind her laughed even harder; even Ye Lingling and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hearing the laughter behind her, Ning Rongrong's face turned even redder. She simply closed her eyes and waited for Bai Qi's answer.

Standing beside Bai Qi, Ah Yin looked at Ning Rongrong's expression and her heart immediately softened. She nudged Bai Qi with her elbow.

Bai Qi understood and reached out with his other hand to rub Ning Rongrong's head.

"Since Rongrong has said so, I can't just let what I said go, but I can relax the rules."

"What rules?"

Ning Rongrong opened her eyes and looked at Bai Qi with a face full of curiosity.

"Naturally, Sister Yin and I will only take action when you are in danger!"

Bai Qi said as if it were a matter of course. After all, this trip to find Spirit Beasts was meant to test their cooperation; he couldn't just yield so easily.

Hearing this, Ning Rongrong's face fell again, and she muttered in a low voice.

"This is basically the same as not changing it at all."

At this moment, Xiao Wu, who couldn't stand to watch any longer, walked over and put her arm around Ning Rongrong's shoulder. As they walked forward, she said,

"Come on, Rongrong, let's ignore this villain. Sister Xiao Wu will protect you."

"Mhm, okay, Sister Xiao Wu."

Ning Rongrong, being led away, replied to Xiao Wu's words. She then turned her head toward Bai Qi, closed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue with a "Blehh," before turning back.

Bai Qi also chuckled. He looked back at the few people who hadn't left yet and said,

"Let's go, to the Sunset Forest."

After saying that, he nodded to Liu Erlong, who was watching them from the academy not far away, and set off with the girls.

Liu Erlong watched them walk away until their figures disappeared, then she turned and went back. As the dean, she still had many things to do, even though she was a hands-off manager most of the time.

As for Bai Qi's group, they played and walked along the way. Although they said they were going to obtain spirit rings, it was not much different from an outing. It was only in the evening that they barely entered the Sunset Forest.

As usual, Bai Qi set up the tents. Once the tents were up, he called everyone together.

"Xiao Wu, Sister Yin."

Bai Qi sat by the campfire and poked at the firewood.

"The two of you will act separately."

Xiao Wu, who was eating a carrot, was stunned for a moment. With a piece of biscuit still in her mouth, she asked indistinctly,

"Separately? Where to?"

Bai Qi looked up at her with a serious tone.

"In the Sunset Forest, you need your fifth spirit ring, and Sister Yin can go with you. It's more convenient for the two of you to act together. If you follow us, the others might encounter danger. Once you find a suitable Spirit Beast and finish absorbing the ring, just come back."

Ah Yin sat nearby and didn't speak, only nodding slightly.

She knew Bai Qi made this arrangement because Xiao Wu's spirit rings were obtained through Fusion by herself. If she stayed with them, Xiao Wu wouldn't have the chance to perform the Fusion.

Xiao Wu swallowed the biscuit in her mouth, her eyes darted around, and she suddenly smiled.

"In other words, I can go out alone with Sister Yin and don't have to listen to your nagging?"

Bai Qi reached out and flicked her forehead.

"I'm letting you go to handle serious business."

Xiao Wu clutched her forehead, gave a 'hehe' laugh, stood up, patted the dust off her bottom, walked to Ah Yin's side, sat down, and took her arm.

"Sister Yin, let's go! We won't play with them!"

Ah Yin was pulled up by Xiao Wu. She smiled helplessly and glanced at Bai Qi. That look contained a message for him to rest assured.

Bai Qi nodded and took out a map and several detoxification pills from his storage ring to give to Ah Yin.

"After Xiao Wu finishes absorbing her spirit ring, you can follow the map to this location. Once Rongrong and Zhuqing finish absorbing their spirit rings, we will also head there."

Ah Yin nodded, took the items, put them away, and led Xiao Wu as they turned and walked into the night.

The figures of the two were quickly swallowed by the forest, leaving only the sound of footsteps and the occasional snap of a dry branch.

Ning Rongrong looked in the direction they disappeared and asked with some concern,

"Will the two of them be okay?"

Bai Qi said, "Of course there's no problem. Sister Yin is a level eighty-six Spirit Douluo; she can walk through the Sunset Forest without fear."

After saying that, he turned to look at the remaining people.

"Alright, they have their mission, and we have ours. Starting tomorrow, we'll help Rongrong and Zhuqing find their third spirit rings. As for the herbs for Yanzi and Lingling, we'll go after they find suitable spirit rings."

Zhu Zhuqing sat quietly by the fire. Hearing this, her cold purple eyes moved slightly.

Ning Rongrong was a bit nervous, holding her teacup with both hands.

"Xiao Qi, both mine and Zhuqing's are third spirit rings. They both need to be at the thousand-year level, right?"

Bai Qi nodded. "Naturally. Don't worry, a thousand-year spirit ring is just practice for you."

Dugu Yan leaned against a tree trunk and said in a lazy tone,

"Exactly. Among us, only you and Zhu Zhuqing are missing your third spirit rings, so it's quite simple."

Only then did Ning Rongrong feel at ease. Ye Lingling sat on the very edge, sitting quietly. She hadn't spoken the whole time, but she wasn't distracted either; she looked at whoever was speaking, as if listening intently, or perhaps just staring blankly.

Meanwhile, Meng Yiran was wiping some throwing knives that Bai Qi had given her.

It was late at night, and Bai Qi told them to go to sleep first while he kept watch.

During the first half of the night, he sat by the fire, poking the embers with a branch. His eyes were half-closed, and his Soul Power was released, sensing everything within a few hundred meters.

Fortunately, this area was very quiet, without even a decent Spirit Beast. He closed his eyes to doze, but his ears remained alert.

In the second half of the night, Zhu Zhuqing crawled out of the tent.

Bai Qi opened his eyes and saw her wearing a set of black tight-fitting clothes, her hair a bit messy. He asked directly,

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

Zhu Zhuqing walked to the fire and sat down, hugging her shoulders.

"I can't sleep."

She didn't explain why she couldn't sleep, and Bai Qi didn't ask.

The two sat quietly as the bonfire crackled, occasionally spitting out a spark or two.

After a long while, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly said,

"Brother Bai Qi."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Bai Qi turned his head to look at her. Zhu Zhuqing didn't look at him; her eyes were fixed on the fire, the light reflecting in her purple pupils as if they were burning.

After a moment, Zhu Zhuqing stood up and returned to the tent, her steps as light as a cat's.

Bai Qi watched the tent flap fall and smiled softly.