The girl selling goods at the market had never seen money before.

Bai Jinxuan recalled her life at No. 1 High School, where she ate and drank well and made money and became stronger. It was incredibly good.

However, Yao Yao suddenly became anxious after hearing this.

"You're still lying to me!"

"I...I didn't."

"You said you wouldn't do anything dangerous! I trusted you so much... yet you secretly went to the dungeon..."

Yao Yao choked up and hugged him.

Her body was trembling, and she was trembling along with it.

Her crying left everyone unsure how to react.

"Even though you won the preliminary rounds, seeing you covered in wounds and still wanting to keep fighting really worries me... They say you go to the dungeons often, is that true?"

"..."

A strand of fragrant hair brushed against her cheek, and her question left Bai Jinxuan speechless.

Bai Jinxuan's crimson eyes flickered slightly. She immediately understood what had happened. It was the news agency. After the host's promotion, they announced their path to becoming stronger and the fact that the No. 1 Middle School students would go to the dungeon.

Naturally, Yao Yao found out about it.

The Murong family has always been very sensitive about the underground city. It took them a long time to explain the black market to Yao Yao back then, so she's bound to have a big reaction now that she knows they went to the underground city.

Damn news agency!

Anger welled up in Bai Jinxuan's heart, an anger that money could hardly erase.

However, Yao Yao's crying immediately jolted her out of this state.

"Say something... Are you lying to me? Do you often go to the dungeon? Are you covered in injuries and hiding it from me? I want to hear it from you yourself!"

"I... go to the dungeon, but I rarely get hurt. I'm not lying to you, I'm doing really well."

"No way! Do you think I'm easy to fool, like an idiot!"

Yao Yao burst into tears, her forehead pressed against her chest, her arms tightly wrapped around her waist, refusing to let go.

"Please... tell me the truth..."

Dark clouds filled the sky, and a bolt of lightning ripped across the horizon.

"Boom——!"

A thunderous roar resounded, as if warning something, exploding in Bai Jinxuan's heart.

Actually, I have five magical artifacts.

Actually, I am Bai Qianye. I am an 8-star wanted criminal. The whole city is looking for me and wants my life.

Actually, I'm a bad guy. I make money by setting up stalls on the black market, plundering the equipment of the dead and ghouls, working as an assassin, delivering bodies, stealing artifacts, and building a merchant guild...

I've killed so many people, committed so many evil deeds, I've lost count...

I...I just want to protect you...

All the words that came to my lips transformed into the power of a smile.

"Yaoyao, do you know? After my parents disappeared, I was burdened with loans, working countless jobs every day, enduring so much abuse, and in the end, all I got was a meager salary..."

“Look again, No. 5 Middle School, No. 2 Middle School, No. 1 Middle School... How many people have tried their best to squeeze in, how many have been tortured, and how many have been cruelly kicked out, all their efforts have been in vain. Yao Yao, you can see all of this. I don’t want to experience the feeling of being unable to do anything anymore.”

"After my parents disappeared, I thought every day, 'If I could have done something, would the outcome have been different? If I had chased after them that day, could I have brought them back? I... I want to become stronger...'"

Yao Yao gritted her teeth, raised her head, and looked directly at him with her blue eyes filled with tears.

"So you started secretly going to the dungeon back then, right! That's why your science grades suddenly improved by leaps and bounds, and then you went to the dungeon even more after entering No. 1 High School... Have you ever thought about how dangerous the dungeon is? Have you ever thought about what I would do if one day you were attacked by monsters like your aunt and uncle...?"

Crystalline tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto the ground.

One, two, three... a dense array of water stains covered the ground.

"Crash-"

It started raining, and a magical barrier appeared at the top of the arena. The students who had been lingering around fled back to the shelter. Only two girls remained, embracing each other in the rain.

Yao Yao did not lower her proud head; she looked at herself and continued to speak.

"You know perfectly well how high the death rate is in the dungeon, so why did you still go...?"

　"I have no talent; courage is the only thing I can offer."

"It's because you're so stubborn that it worries people... Hey, Xiaoxuan, please don't go to the dungeon anymore, okay? You're already the science champion, you've already shown a lot of courage, that's enough."

"I......"

Feeling the girl's burning body temperature, Bai Jinxuan avoided eye contact and forced a sound out of her throat.

"No. 1 High School... uses a credit system... you've seen it in competitions, haven't you... the importance of practical experience..."

"But we're different! We're not rich girls, so there's no need for us to go to the dungeon for real combat!"

Yao Yao's voice made Bai Jinxuan tremble. She looked at her in surprise.

At No. 5 Middle School, she was first in the humanities and also in the middle to upper range in the sciences. At that time, she was a genius among geniuses in the school. So genius that if you talked to her, you would be looked down upon by the people at No. 5 Middle School.

No wonder she wanted to create Mewtwo; it really is a wonderful dream.

"Xiaoxuan, let's live a peaceful life like this, without doing anything dangerous, let's live well together... okay?"

"As for money, I can earn it, so don't worry. If you're really bored, you can try being a teacher at No. 5 Middle School, or try other industries. There's no need to go to the underground city, right?"

In the end, Yao Yao almost pleaded, "Xiao Xuan, promise me you won't go to the dungeon. I don't want to see the scenes from the competition become reality, and I don't want to see you get hurt. I just want us to be okay and live a good life..."

Her words made Bai Jinxuan realize the truth.

So that's what Yao Yao thought too, then I need to go to the dungeon even more.

A good life never falls from the sky; it is something you have to fight for. The reason I work so hard to fight in the dungeon, earn money, and become stronger is to protect you all and give you a peaceful life.

Yao Yao's wish was too naive. Could she really live a good life if she didn't go to the dungeon?

The pressure is still there, and Mewtwo's business may not be going smoothly. What if the landscape of Star City changes again in the future? What if he accidentally touches the interests of a group like that research company from before, and they try to assassinate him?

Upper Town, auction, men in black, healing amulet...

Various images flashed through Bai Jinxuan's mind. She had personally experienced these things, so she knew that the slums could only exist because the unions and families were too lazy to deal with them.

If you want to live a good life, can you really live a good life?

No, only by being powerful enough that others dare not even think about it can there be peace. Otherwise, people like the News Agency, the Golden Dragon Chamber of Commerce, the Thousand Machines, and the Spider Web will keep appearing one after another.

Therefore, the dungeon is the only way to achieve the goal.

Bai Jinxuan gently held Yao Yao's hand. She understood Yao Yao and knew what she was thinking.

Her voice made her goals clearer, and even gave her courage.

For Yao Yao's sake, and for her own, she absolutely could not slow down.

A stable life will come.

I will not do dangerous things again.

After I've resolved everything, I'll trample all those who stand in my way under my feet, drive them all away, and kill them all. Then I'll never do anything dangerous again.

"Yao Yao."

She lowered her head and nuzzled the black-haired girl's cheek, then gently stroked her hair.

When Yao Yao was little, she would run around and fall down, scraping her knees and crying. Bai Jinxuan would always comfort her like this.

And each time this happens, she stops crying and listens quietly to herself.

This time, it's no exception.

“I’ll return your words to you in kind. You know that making money isn’t that easy, right? Developing Mewtwo, doing research, collaborating with Zhang Mengli… what’s the difference between what you’re doing now and what I do in the dungeon? I told you before, many people in my family died a few days ago. In my eyes, they are far more terrifying than the monsters in the dungeon.”

"These...these are two different things!"

Yao Yao was somewhat unconvinced, but her behavior betrayed her; it was obvious that she knew about the business world.

Seeing this, Bai Jinxuan smiled, a very relaxed smile.

She had nothing left to worry about.

At first, she thought Yao Yao created Mewtwo because she loved magic, pursued her dreams, and wanted to share her singing with everyone. But it turns out that in the end, she and she were both moving in the same direction based on their own strengths.

"I will continue to go to the dungeon to protect our home."

Her calm tone agitated Yao Yao, who asked, "Why? You're just making excuses!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jinxuan pictured Xiao Wang, a top student from No. 5 Middle School, who was also a dog at the sales office.

Following that, there were the hardworking miners in the mining area, Zhang Hu bowing and scraping before the vice principal, and the poor people selling their bodies to make a living under the moonlit flowers...

The image faded, and Yao Yao's somewhat innocent face appeared before my eyes.

She was puzzled, and despair appeared on her face.

Bai Jinxuan closed her eyes and opened her mouth.

"Because... I want to stand tall."

"what?"

"Although it's dangerous, my mother taught me that poverty doesn't diminish one's spirit. Yao Yao, the scene you described is indeed very nice, but... I want to live with my head held high. I won't accept your gift for nothing. Besides, what isn't dangerous to do in Star City?"

"..."

"Yaoyao, believe me."

She opened her eyes, cupped the other person's face in her hands, and said earnestly, "Once I become stronger, I'll go home and stay there properly, and I'll never do anything dangerous again."

"So...so despicable..." Yao Yao's eyes welled up again. She pushed her hand away and gritted her teeth, saying, "I don't agree! Tomorrow...you and I made a promise. If I beat you, you'd promise me one thing!"

She turned around and continued, "If you're weaker than me, don't think about those nonsense things. Just stay put and don't go to the dungeon. I will definitely beat you!"

After saying that, she ran away as if fleeing, her figure gradually disappearing into the heavy rain.

The noisy rain was making me feel a little annoyed.

Bai Jinxuan stared blankly down, the glistening water flowing down her skirt and onto her thighs, then gathering together and trickling into her shoes.

It's completely soaked.

She sighed helplessly. Since that was the case, there was no need to use an umbrella.

She moved slowly, her steps heavy from the water, but it was precisely because of this that Bai Jinxuan was able to see scenery she had never seen before.

She had read in a book that children without umbrellas must run hard, but after thinking about it, she felt that this was not right.

You're already soaked; no matter how fast you run, it won't change anything.

Even if someone brings you an umbrella, you're still wet. Running hard is just a way to comfort yourself.

Perhaps if we chase after her now, we can win Yao Yao back, but we can never win back Yao Yao's heart.

Since she wants to settle things with a fight, then let's fight. I also want to see how good Yao Yao's magic is.

Bai Jinxuan spread her arms, and the rain poured over her head, bringing her an unprecedented sense of comfort.

Everyone else ran away and hid.

I've arrived, and only I am still moving forward.

How ridiculous that a martial artist is afraid of rain.

The world in the rain belongs to her.

She continued walking forward, when suddenly, two red flowers in the roadside bushes caught her attention.

They swayed in the heavy rain, like candles flickering in the wind, on the verge of dying at any moment.

Look, even such a small flower dares to face the heavy rain. If I hadn't been without an umbrella, I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate this scenery.

Flowers have their own way of living, too.

Bai Jinxuan had no intention of helping the two red flowers. She thought they were very brave, daring to dance with her in the wind and rain, much more powerful than those martial artists and magicians.

After walking for quite some time, she unknowingly arrived at the dormitory room that No. 2 Middle School had arranged for her.

After changing her clothes and taking a shower, she prepared to practice her magic.