4: Chapter 4 Sharing Life and Death, Moving Forward Together

Confused and bewildered, Qin Ding looked at Bai Muxue and reached out to take the notebook. Just as he instinctively moved to open the notebook to see what was inside, Bai Muxue's voice stopped him.

Even her voice was not as cold as it usually was at school; instead, it carried a hint of pleading softness.

"Wait until you get back, and look at it in private."

Qin Ding's brow furrowed and then relaxed immediately. Having lived two lifetimes, and having grown up with Bai Muxue, he knew her temperament very well and was certain that this notebook could not contain anything romantic.

So, what was it? Why did she require him to wait until he returned before opening it?

Qin Ding understood Bai Muxue's words, but Zhao Min, who had just recovered from her sadness, did not react in time. Instead, she wore a thoughtful expression, her eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.

Could it be... that her daughter had finally wised up?

That would be good, knowing the background and details. Not to mention that Qin Ding was practically raised by her, so she felt at ease.

"The meal was delicious. Thank you, Aunt Zhao, and Mu Xue, for collecting the information for me. I'll be heading back now."

Curious about the contents of the notebook, Qin Ding didn't linger. After standing up and speaking, he nudged Da Hei, who still had a bone clamped in its mouth, with his foot.

Unexpectedly, even with such an obvious hint, Da Hei was still unwilling to let go of that meaty bone.

Qin Ding: ...

"Have I been abusing you? I haven't been skimping on your meat and bones, have I?"

With a helpless twitch of his mouth, Qin Ding had no choice but to grab Da Hei by the scruff of its neck and drag it along.

"Alright. Qin Ding, remember to get some rest early when you get back. Don't practice too late."

"I know, Aunt Zhao."

As the door closed, Bai Muxue returned to her cold demeanor and turned her head to look at her mother, deep in thought.

"Mom, you were just making something up to get me out of the way, weren't you?"

When she was looking for the notebook in her room earlier, Bai Muxue had realized something: she had written the contents of that notebook with her door locked. How could her mother possibly know about it?

Sure enough, Zhao Min's face stiffened for a moment when she was asked this. She didn't hide it and explained the whole situation exactly as it happened.

When Bai Muxue heard that it was her father's 'secret stash,' her expression changed, and her cheeks flushed a light pink. Without saying a word, she went straight back to her room.

But in Aunt Zhao's eyes, this scene had a completely different meaning.

...

Leaving Aunt Zhao's house, Qin Ding walked across the way, took out his key, and opened the door. With a look of slight disgust in his eyes, he tossed Da Hei inside first before entering the house himself.

"Earth Dog, when are you going to fix this habit of drooling like crazy?"

"Woof, woof."

Having let go of the bone, Da Hei barked at Qin Ding twice before carrying the bone back to its doghouse on its own.

Qin Ding didn't mind this; this kind of daily routine was just a normal part of life between him and Da Hei.

"What is this thing, acting all mysterious?"

Sitting in his chair, Qin Ding opened the notebook in his hand, and the opening lines struck him like a bolt of lightning.

[Pros and Cons of the Life and Death Contract]

The first line of text exploded in Qin Ding's mind like a thunderclap, and his entire body froze in the chair.

The further he read, the more shocked Qin Ding became. The content in this notebook was far, far more complete than anything he had found on the internet.

The drawbacks of the Life and Death Contract were not limited to the beast dying causing the human to die. There was another: humans influenced the beast, and the beast influenced the human. This point had both pros and cons.

For a normal Beast Tamer, there was undoubtedly only harm, because it would bring out the animalistic nature deep within human nature.

Besides that, the good side was that for a Breeder, it could make it much easier to get their beast to learn to help make things like nutrient solutions and evolution solutions.

"The Life and Death Contract... How does Bai Muxue know so much about it? The information on the internet is fragmented and missing pieces, but she not only filled in the gaps but also included many things not found online..."

Qin Ding was confused and puzzled.

If Bai Muxue had guessed his intentions, he wouldn't have been this surprised, because Bai Muxue had been very smart and quick-witted since she was a child.

But the fact that Bai Muxue knew everything about the Life and Death Contract was somewhat inconceivable.

Suddenly, Qin Ding thought of Bai Muxue's liberal arts scores, and he instantly understood, a smile appearing on his face.

"It seems Mu Xue has her own opportunities too. That's great."

"However, even knowing this second side effect, my choice remains the Life and Death Contract."

Qin Ding was naturally aware that even the level 90 The Twelve Councilors did not have the ability to bring deceased acquaintances back to the present world, so he could only strive to become stronger with all his might.

He had to bet everything on reaching the level 91 realm, and hope that having Tier 10 Mental Energy would offer a completely different possibility. Before that, he had to have enough strength to get started.

His confidence naturally stemmed from the Life Records in his mind, because this thing described how to improve a spirit beast's potential and how to raise and evolve it so clearly that it could save him a massive amount of time and financial costs.

Undoubtedly, with all these factors combined, the Life and Death Contract became his only option. Da Hei was the only gift and legacy left behind by his parents; it was worth him using the Life and Death Contract.

Taking one last look at the Life and Death Contract oath at the end of the notebook, Qin Ding closed it, picked up a small knife, and walked toward Da Hei, his eyes fixed intently on it.

Da Hei, who was chewing on the last little bit of bone, seemed to see something and its body instantly stiffened, its eyes not even moving.

It looked exactly like a dog that had been scared to death.

This was because a cold, sharp knife was being held right in front of its dog face, and at the same time, it heard Qin Ding's soft voice, which carried a hint of a coaxing tone.

What he was doing and saying was completely unlike something a righteous person would do or say.

"Come on, stick out your paw and let me make a cut."

Before Da Hei could react, Qin Ding, having finished speaking, beat it to the punch by directly slicing a small cut into his own palm, a line of blood immediately seeping out.

Da Hei didn't understand, but those dog eyes, which dared not move, were filled with fear and grievance.

Qin Ding: ...

Seeing that the Earth Dog still didn't move, Qin Ding took a deep breath, veins even bulging on his forehead.

"Earth Dog, are you deaf?!"

"Woof!"

In an instant, as if some sort of seal had been broken, Da Hei's stiff body relaxed immediately, and it decisively extended its paw, the grievance in its eyes gone, replaced only by a firm trust.

This situation made Qin Ding doubt life even more.

Was it that he... hadn't raised it well in the past?

But he couldn't be blamed for that. He raised it with good food and drink, yet it still tried to snatch the meat from his own bowl. How could he resist not scolding it?

"Close your eyes."

At this point, Qin Ding simply slashed a cut into Da Hei's paw. Seeing the dark red blood seep out, he immediately pressed his own palm against it, while the Life and Death Contract in his mind began to emit a faint white light at that very moment.

He also chanted under his breath.

"With the soul as the contract, with life as the alliance."

"With this body, I become your sheath; bearing your sharpness, accepting your wounds."

"With this soul, I become your guide; illuminating your lost path, sharing your dark nights."

"My strength is your blade; my fury is your thunder."

"My eyes are your vision; my heart is your direction."

"This contract is immortal; this oath lasts forever."

Da Hei, who had felt only pitch blackness after closing its eyes, suddenly discovered a white ball of light appearing 'before its eyes,' inscribed with characters it couldn't understand but which somewhat resembled human writing.

Without hesitation, it raised its paw and pressed down on it.

Instantly, within their mental spaces, the contract document shone brilliantly, then rapidly collapsed, splitting into two streams of light that rushed into the mental spaces within the minds of the human and the dog.

It sank straight into their souls.

A strong sense of connection was born from this. Both Qin Ding and Da Hei felt a bit strange, as if they were somewhat unaccustomed to it, yet also as if... their wishes had been fulfilled?

Qin Ding took a deep breath and spoke the final closing oath.

"In this life, we shall not live alone; in this death, we shall not perish alone."