DD Black White [271-273] (Patreon)

Chapter 271 : https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTQrrqyrwz-9TE9vki-EPbH17VEZpo2CEgabAnRw2C4-aOCFmx1SHpdGFE0HecVgFvpY4b-17o6mCrW/pub

Chapter 272: Tang Wutong and Vita

Very soon, everyone snapped out of their shock and crowded around Robin to fuss over her with great concern, practically forgetting the main culprit, Lu Jingming, off to the side.

At this moment, it seemed no one cared anymore about exactly when Lu Jingming had eaten Robin.

"Xiao Ming, you're playing favorites. I want it too!"

Xu Jiujiu's eyes were full of grievance as she stared straight at Lu Jingming. That look seemed to carry a thousand unspoken words, making Lu Jingming feel an immense pressure.

After all, he'd just spent a passionate night with Xu Jiujiu, only to leave her—exhausted from the night—at dawn to find Robin, and then accidentally got Robin pregnant. How could Xu Jiujiu not feel resentful?

"Alright, next time for sure!" With no way out, Lu Jingming could only grit his teeth and agree.

He'd originally thought there was no need to rush such matters, and Xu Jiujiu had indicated she was fine with the plan before.

But Robin's unexpected pregnancy clearly struck a nerve with Xu Jiujiu. Now she was dead set on having a child of her own with Lu Jingming.

"You said it. No take-backs. How about tonight?"

As soon as Xu Jiujiu heard him agree, her eyes lit up and she asked urgently on the spot.

Her haste seemed like she was afraid he might go back on his word.

Seeing this, the corner of Lu Jingming's mouth twitched, and he felt helpless.

Because at that moment, he noticed Zhang Lexuan was also staring at him without blinking, her look self-explanatory—she, too, had expectations.

He felt as if he had fallen into a sweet predicament. Faced with the hopes of Xu Jiujiu and Zhang Lexuan, he was at a loss for a moment.

Because of Robin's pregnancy, all the girls were like iron filings drawn to a giant magnet, clustering around her with undisguised concern.

Everyone chimed in, fussing over her attentively.

March 7 was especially enthusiastic, volunteering to take care of Robin without leaving her side.

Part of it was wariness of Lu Jingming; another part was curiosity about the new life on the way. She wanted, more than anything, to be there every moment and witness each step of this little life's growth.

Their warmth truly moved Robin, but also left her a bit helpless.

After all, she had only just gotten pregnant. There was nothing about her condition that required constant care.

Moreover, having just tasted the forbidden fruit between man and woman, Robin remembered the marvelous experience vividly—she even found herself craving more.

If she agreed to let March 7 stick to her like glue, how would Lu Jingming visit her in the future?

With that in mind, Robin smiled gently and declined March 7's kind offer.

This left little March a bit disappointed. She truly wanted to take care of Robin, but more than that, it was the curiosity about the birth of new life that drove her.

Watching Robin, now the center of attention, Lu Jingming couldn't help showing a satisfied smile.

The scene before him was so harmonious and warm—everyone genuinely cared for Robin and the child in her belly—so he felt no worries.

With Robin carrying the Lu family's bloodline, her status as mistress of Haiyuan City was now cemented.

The Golden Guards' commanders who were already Lu family elders—Lu Wu, Lu Qingluan, and others—took the initiative to stand watch outside Robin's residence in shifts, day and night.

Lu Jingming even noticed that Jingliu, who was usually hard to see, often appeared nearby.

Clearly, Jingliu was showing her concern in her own way, even if she still looked aloof on the surface.

Everyone knew this was Haiyuan City, heavily guarded, where accidents were near impossible.

Yet precisely because of their deep concern for Robin and the child, they were overly anxious—only by seeing with their own eyes could they feel at ease.

Lu Jingming, however, wasn't as jumpy as the rest.

He had absolute confidence in Haiyuan City's defenses—no danger would occur.

But he also understood that this was how others showed they cared for Robin, so he said nothing and let them express it in their own ways.

…

Heavenly Soul Empire, Clear Sky Sect.

On a cliff peak, Niu Tian stood in simple gray robes, gazing out at the endless mountains.

His expression was exceptionally grave, as if a great weight pressed upon his heart.

"Da Ming, the Deep Sea Devil Whale has reemerged. It wiped out the Devil Soul Great White Shark clan and grievously wounded the Sea God Clan. I reckon our Clear Sky Sect will be its target too. What exactly are you thinking?"

Tai Tan paced irritably beside him, worry and anxiety written across his face.

The Clear Sky Sect had just received word from the Sea God Clan: their patriarch had fallen in battle, and the Devil Soul Great White Shark clan had been annihilated.

For their Sea God lineage, it was a bombshell that triggered a tidal wave.

Though the Clear Sky Sect had remained hidden from the world, they never relaxed their attention to the continent's situation and always kept contact with other branches of the Sea God lineage.

Of course, the Tang Sect was an exception.

In this era, the Tang Sect had not received their recognition; in their eyes, the Tang Sect wasn't worth mentioning.

Even if the Tang Sect was founded by Sea God Tang San, those who knew, knew.

Though the Tang Sect bore the surname Tang and wielded Blue Silver Grass, in truth, they had no substantive connection to Tang San.

"The Deep Sea Devil Whale's strength is unfathomable—absolutely not something we can contend with easily. For now, we can only hope that person will step in to help."

Niu Tian shook his head helplessly, bitterness in his eyes.

He knew well that while he was an Ultimate Douluo, wasn't the Sea God Clan's patriarch one as well?

 Even a Sea God Douluo bearing a divine tool fell against the Devil Whale. He and Tai Tan had even less of a chance.

If they encountered it, even escaping would be an ordeal.

Now he could only hope the contingencies Tang San left were strong enough, and pray that Tang San in the God Realm perceived the upheaval in the lower world.

Yet with no word from Tang San, Niu Tian had a creeping suspicion.

Sea God Tang San was likely in trouble himself. Otherwise, given his habit of monitoring the Douluo Continent, he would not remain silent amidst such earth-shaking changes.

At that thought, Niu Tian's gaze drifted to Tang Wutong in the distance and the dangerous-looking woman at her side.

The gray-haired woman had crimson eyes, wore peacock-like opulent attire, and had a playful smile. She chatted intimately with Tang Wutong like a big sister with a little sister. Tang Wutong clearly trusted her and was full of goodwill.

Though the gray-haired woman by Tang Wutong seemed utterly harmless and easy to get along with, Niu Tian was intensely wary.

His instincts blared warnings—this woman was anything but kind, extremely dangerous.

And indeed, that was the truth.

Ever since this woman had been summoned as Tang Wutong's Servant, Niu Tian and Tai Tan tried to probe her strength.

But even a brief exchange made it clear to Niu Tian that neither he nor Tai Tan was her match.

Though she had shown no overtly dangerous behavior since appearing—always friendly, quickly becoming Tang Wutong's close confidante—Niu Tian's sense of wrongness would not fade.

Suddenly, the gray-haired woman teasing Tang Wutong with flamboyant, theatrical banter seemed to sense something. She slowly lifted her head and glanced at Niu Tian from afar.

A faint, hard-to-spot smile flashed in her eyes before she ignored him again and continued to banter with Tang Wutong.

"Vita-sis, what should I do? The task my dad gave me is such a hassle!"

Tang Wutong wore a delicate dress in pink and blue; her long, straight legs were wrapped in snowy-white stockings, and her heels idly tapped a pebble. Her face was full of vexation.

Tang San's task for her was to approach Lu Jingming to learn more about him.

But no matter how she tried, she had no idea where to begin.

She couldn't just march into Haiyuan City and say she was there for Lu Jingming, right?

 They had no prior relationship. Showing up unannounced would only trigger his vigilance and complicate things.

As for joining St. Freya Academy—impossible.

She was already seventeen, well past St. Freya's intake age.

Soul master academies generally recruited around eleven or twelve. St. Freya was no exception—it wasn't a place just anyone could enter on a whim.

Moreover, Tang Wutong's identity was special. As someone of the Clear Sky Sect, she would attract attention wherever she went.

Plus, she had been a Shrek Academy student. How could St. Freya easily accept her?

So she fretted over the task, unable to find a suitable approach.

Helpless, she turned to her Servant, Vita, and confided everything—her origins and purpose.

Naive and simple, Tang Wutong soon let down her guard before this seemingly understanding big sister and trusted her completely.

She even revealed the secret that she came from the God Realm and was the daughter of a God King.

In her mind, Vita was her Servant; they would fight side by side in the upcoming Holy Grail War, so mutual trust was only right.

"What's hard about it? With your devastating beauty, little Wutong, landing a man is a piece of cake."

Vita turned lightly, hooked a finger under Tang Wutong's chin, and teased with a flirtatious tone.

"Vita-sis, this is serious. Don't joke around. I really don't know what to do!"

Tang Wutong's cheeks flushed as she spoke with a hint of coy reproach.

Vita was great at everything and always helped solve problems, but she had one small flaw—she was too mischievous and loved to tease.

"I'm not joking. Little Wutong, that Lu Jingming isn't ordinary. If you can win him over, the Holy Grail War will be much easier for us. After all, I'm just a delicate, frail girl. Asking me to fight a Holy Grail War is really too much."

Vita said this while deliberately shaking her head and striking a fragile pose, as if fighting was unthinkable and she was merely a pretty girl who knew how to enjoy life.

"Vita-sis!"

Tang Wutong rolled her eyes. She knew a little of Vita's power.

Even her peak-power godfather and god-uncle of the Douluo Continent were no match for Vita.

While Tang Wutong didn't know Vita's exact limits, it was certain she was far beyond ordinary Ultimate Douluo—her true ceiling exceeded what the old Douluo Continent considered the limit.

Of course, that "limit" referred to the Douluo Continent of old. The current Douluo Continent was quietly undergoing huge changes.

Any soul master with some sensitivity could feel it.

They found their cultivation speed clearly improved, the energy in the air grew richer, and breaking bottlenecks was easier than before.

All this indicated the world's upper limit was rising; the rules of heaven and earth on Douluo were changing, no longer suppressing breakthroughs by powerful soul masters as before.

This change affected soul beasts as well.

They too cultivated faster, and even the might of tribulations had waned.

In recent years, many human soul masters had successfully become Titled Douluo, and many soul beasts had smoothly passed their tribulations, achieving qualitative leaps.

Tracing all this back led to Lu Jingming.

And the amplitude of this change continued to expand. Of course, only a very few insiders knew this key fact.

Though Vita hadn't been summoned for long, with keen insight and formidable intel-gathering, she had gathered many threads.

From the Simulated Universe, to myriad virtual games, to rapidly advancing soul tool technology, to the crucial Stigmata—she pieced together these seemingly scattered clues into one line pointing straight to Haiyuan City and to the mysterious Lu Jingming.

Those Stigmata were all too familiar—Vita sensed traces belonging to their world.

She even boldly suspected that this Holy Grail War capable of summoning her memory body was likely intertwined with Lu Jingming.

So she wasn't joking—she truly wanted Tang Wutong to deploy a honey trap and try to seduce the enigmatic Lu Jingming.

After all, if he warranted such weight from Tang Wutong's God King father, even sending his daughter to approach him, Vita had reason to suspect Lu Jingming might be the origin of all these changes.

Of course, while Vita was curious about the truth, what mattered more to her was fun.

She wasn't here in person; as for fighting some Holy Grail War or pursuing truths, she wasn't that interested.

In her view, finding amusement in this was the most interesting thing.

From an angle Tang Wutong didn't catch, Vita smiled with a sly, villainess air—light-red pupils glinting with a connoisseur-of-chaos gleam.

In her eyes, Tang Wutong hid many interesting bits of fun.

Still, she might have to let down her Master; she wasn't the dutiful, by-the-book type.

 She preferred to follow her own whims, seeking whatever entertained her in this otherworldly journey.

Tang Wutong knew none of this. She only hoped her good sister would offer ideas so she could complete her task.

It was her father's mission. She wanted to help, prove she wasn't a child anymore, and earn recognition, so she took it seriously.

Chapter 273: Qingque and Jeanne

"Don't worry, little Wutong. Let's go to Mingdu. Think about it—the stage for the Holy Grail War has already been set. The Lu Jingming you want to see will definitely go."

Vita narrowed her eyes with interest, as if she could already see the spectacular play about to unfold in Mingdu.

She saw the current situation on the Douluo Continent with great clarity.

She knew that the soul master tournament in a few months was essentially the opening ceremony of the Holy Grail War.

In such a major, pivotal event, if Lu Jingming was as important as she imagined—at the center of everything—he would absolutely be in Mingdu.

If not, then Tang Wutong's father had misjudged, and so had she.

So the answers lay in Mingdu. Vita was eager to see this mysterious Lu Jingming—just what kind of figure could stir the continent into upheaval?

After all, she didn't believe the Douluo Continent or its so-called God Realm alone could summon her memory body across universes.

To observe a foreign universe—one not parallel but a wholly different cosmos—was staggering.

In Vita's understanding, even an End-level being could not do that.

"Alright, I'll talk with my godfather and god-uncle and assemble a team to enter the tournament under the Clear Sky Sect's banner."

Tang Wutong thought for a moment and nodded. Vita made sense.

If Lu Jingming was that important, he might become a Master and join the Holy Grail War.

And St. Freya Academy, a two-time champion soul master academy, would certainly enter. That would make Lu Jingming's appearance likely.

…

"Hee-hee, mahjong!"

On Shrek Academy's scenic Sea God Island, at the lakeside pavilion where inner court disciples usually relaxed, a stone table lay scattered with jade tiles that looked like mahjong.

A petite, lazy-aura girl in dark teal-black attire tossed a tile down with a triumphant smile.

"Ah! Qingque, how is your luck so good?"

Xiao Xiao looked glumly at her hand. She had lost several rounds in a row, each time to Qingque's winning hand.

"Luck is one factor, but calculation matters more. Qingque is really amazing—not surprising for a Servant."

Ning Tian, cross-dressing with short golden hair, looked full of admiration.

The game—Imperial Jade of the Grand Terrace—was brought by Xiao Xiao's Servant, the girl named Qingque.

Unexpectedly, the game had swept through Shrek Academy in no time.

Ning Tian had studied it deeply. Though it relied a lot on luck, powerful calculation was equally critical.

As the young lady of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian was adept at multitasking and no slouch at calculations. But compared to Qingque, she still fell far short—hence more losses than wins.

"Oh, it's just luck, luck! Let's keep going." Qingque chuckled and deftly started shuffling again.

She thought this otherworld was fantastic—no work, no fear of being caught slacking by Lord Diviner, and as a memory body, no need to explain anything to parents or discuss headache-inducing future plans. She'd never had any plans anyway.

This was her dream life: play tiles and loaf every day, carefree and at ease.

"Is this really okay for us?" Xiao Xiao looked worriedly at Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

Ever since summoning Qingque, she'd been dragged into long sessions of Imperial Jade by her, feeling like her cultivation time had dropped a lot.

"It's fine, Master. Work-life balance! Life can't be only cultivation!"

Sensing Xiao Xiao's hesitation, Qingque hurried to reassure her—she didn't want to lose a tile buddy.

She wasn't entirely wrong. With her powerful calculation, she had already computed Xiao Xiao's optimal cultivation schedule and kept it under control—without slowing her growth or making her so tense that she'd get diminishing returns.

"But aren't we supposed to prepare for the Holy Grail War?" Xiao Xiao still hesitated.

She knew the academy had invested heavily in the Masters—offering rare treasures and soul bones unconditionally—to boost their strength and win the Grail.

But looking at her Servant Qingque, who didn't seem good at fighting and just wanted to loaf, she felt guilty. The academy had given them so much.

"Ah, Master, I'm not good at fighting. You're not seriously sending me against those scary Servants, are you? The academy has other Masters and Servants. Let them worry about the Holy Grail War. We'll cheer from the sidelines!"

Qingque quickly derailed Xiao Xiao's urge to train hard.

Fight in the Holy Grail War? No way.

 She knew those Servants were monstrous. With her small arms and legs, she'd barely make a splash.

She'd cast the lots for herself and Xiao Xiao: as long as they held to the principle of not initiating, not refusing, not taking responsibility, they'd be safe.

If they got dragged into the core battles, they wouldn't even know how they died—that was a dire omen!

 Just from what she could divine, her heart thumped with fear, not to mention dangers she couldn't foresee.

"Xiao Xiao, some Servants really aren't fighters. Don't push Qingque too hard. Let's do our support role well. I think the academy will understand."

Ning Tian liked Qingque and quickly spoke up for her.

"Alright."

Xiao Xiao hesitated but nodded.

She recalled Bei Bei and others—their Servants were very strong. Thinking it through, there was no need to force Qingque into battle.

The academy was full of experts, and there were many Masters, plenty with powerful Servants.

Together, they held a great advantage in this Holy Grail War; there was no need to worry too much.

One Qingque more or less wouldn't change much.

Take Ning Tian here—she was also a Master. Her summoned Servant—the Saint—had a very special ability: she could see Servants' data and receive Revelations, making optimal choices by intuition. The academy valued her highly.

Ning Tian was already outstanding, and her Servant excelled in combat, command, support, and defense—well-rounded and brilliant.

By contrast, Qingque seemed much weaker—quite mediocre—leading to some disappointment at the academy.

But Xiao Xiao always felt her Servant was putting on an act. The loafing was real, but that mediocre ability deserved a big question mark.

As if sensing Xiao Xiao's suspicious glance, the corner of Qingque's mouth twitched.

She griped inwardly—why was her Master like Lord Diviner, always thinking she was capable and trying to increase her workload?

She was a pitiful, weak, helpless little diviner!

She really had no great skills; fighting was too much trouble to even consider.

More than the Holy Grail War, she just wanted to sneak in some leisure time and play Imperial Jade. She wanted to treat this experience as a dream, with no desire to dig deeper.

"Sigh, I wonder what will happen at this soul master tournament. My eyelids keep twitching."

Xiao Xiao sighed helplessly.

Even she sensed something out of the ordinary.

Shrek Academy had been acting strangely—on high alert. They'd formed soul master legions, and the Soul Tool Department was all-in on equipment. That proved the severity.

Coupled with the imminent Holy Grail War, it wasn't hard to guess that this tournament in the Sun-Moon Empire would be different from any before.

"This tournament will be very different and very dangerous. The academy will deploy many strong people. All we Masters must go."

Ning Tian's expression grew solemn.

Her Servant had told her that the Revelations showed the Sun-Moon Empire had prepared a big gift for everyone.

Though the specifics were unclear, the Revelation read great misfortune.

Of course, even dire omens weren't absolute—there could be a way through. And Revelations weren't always perfectly accurate, so Shrek wouldn't abandon the event.

"Damn, if only I could become a Master too—I could protect Ning Tian!"

Wu Feng clenched her fists tightly, full of frustration.

She hadn't been chosen as a Master. After seeing the power of Ning Tian's Servant, she knew she had no place in the Holy Grail War and couldn't protect Ning Tian—how could she not feel disheartened?

"Wu Feng, you can't force this. Look around—many inner-court seniors stronger than me weren't chosen as Masters. Even the Sea God Pavilion Elders—none of them were chosen. So don't blame yourself."

Ning Tian shook her head gently, comforting her.

She understood Wu Feng felt bad, but it wasn't something anyone could decide.

"Okay, okay, let's not think about unhappy things. Let's keep playing!"

Qingque, seeing the topic drifting away from tiles, grew anxious and quickly spoke up.

She didn't want the game to break up—the tiles-and-loaf life was her joy in this world.

But right then, motes of strange light flickered in the air, and a girl in silver-blue armor appeared behind Ning Tian.

She had long legs wrapped in black stockings, held a holy standard in her hands, her golden hair braided neatly down her back, and the majestic ample chest upon drew the eye.

One glance, and Qingque wailed inwardly—there goes our Imperial Jade session.

"Master, the academy has summoned all Masters to convene at the Sea God Pavilion."

Her voice was crisp and pleasant like an oriole's, gentle yet firm.

As she spoke, her blue eyes glanced, unintentionally, at Qingque.

Her ability was special—she could see a Servant's true name.

But in this otherworld, it wasn't very useful; this world didn't have their myths, so what if she knew a name?

However, with that ability she could roughly gauge a Servant's strength.

For example, that languid Mr. Jing Yuan gave her a sense of power greater than gods.

As for Qingque, while she didn't feel very strong, the Revelation warned her not to underestimate her.

"Jeanne, I told you—don't call me Master. Call me Ning Tian!"

Ning Tian turned to her Servant with a hint of exasperation.

Jeanne was an impeccable Servant—a kind saint, gentle and easygoing, able to charge in battle, support allies, and excel at defense.

She also had outstanding leadership and could command armies—a paragon.

Her one small flaw was being too literal—too rigid about rules and not very flexible.

Ning Tian sometimes thought that if her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had a guardian like Jeanne, it would be ideal.

Too bad she was a Servant. Still, no one said a Servant must vanish after the Holy Grail War.

As long as they weren't destroyed, Servants could continue to exist—provided the negative energy that sustained them didn't run out.

Qingque had long planned exactly that—loaf around playing Imperial Jade every day, and when she got bored, bow out on her own terms.

"Alright, Ning Tian."

Jeanne smiled helplessly. She kept forgetting this was another world, and Ning Tian wasn't like the traditional magi of her own.

She found this world peculiar. What sustained her wasn't mana, but a seemingly dangerous energy.

It was somewhat like the Angra mainyu she knew, yet bound by some mighty force so it didn't corrupt their minds, serving only as fuel for existence.

And although this world lacked mana particles, her abilities worked fine—even Revelations functioned.

But she could clearly feel that the one responding to her Revelations was not the being she devoutly worshiped, but a higher consciousness of this world.

Thinking carefully, everything about being summoned here for a Holy Grail War was strange. There were no familiar class divisions, and most Servants summoned were unknown to her.

Everything felt unfamiliar and odd. But as a saint, Jeanne had no special wish to realize via the Grail and no intent to claim it.

She simply wanted to protect Ning Tian and other innocents in this bizarre Grail War.

So she was happy to cooperate with Shrek Academy. From what she learned, Shrek had always upheld continental peace and formed supervisory teams to punish evil.

Though the academy had its problems, Jeanne approved of its ideals.

She hadn't fully understood this world, so she didn't fully trust Shrek yet.

But one thing was clear: the Sun-Moon Empire intended to stir up war. Jeanne would unhesitatingly stand with Shrek.

She knew well how horrific war's consequences were—the ones to suffer in the end were innocent commoners.

Though limited, she wanted to do her part.

"Well, looks like the game's off. I knew nothing good would happen when you showed up."

Qingque spread her hands helplessly, full of regret.

Since the academy had summoned the Masters, Servants had to follow, and Xiao Xiao certainly couldn't be absent.

"Sorry!"

Jeanne looked apologetic. She, too, felt bad that her arrival had interrupted their game.