An Unforeseen Variable

On the other side of the battlefield, in a thicket to the southwest.

Zhou You concealed his presence completely. Even the light faded from his eyes as he entered a state resembling feigned death.

It was a method of concealing his presence that he had learned from a friend who came from the Tang Sect. It was nothing like a core secret art, just a small trick for suppressing his own vital signs.

But it was perfect for this moment.

Everyone on the battlefield had been drawn to the group that had intruded from another direction, leaving him unnoticed.

As a result, he could take in everything happening on the battlefield.

As he had expected, this battle was a Soul Hunting Operation launched by Bibi Dong. Spirit Hall's side consisted of Bibi Dong, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei.

One Super Douluo and two Titled Douluo—an extravagant lineup.

Facing them was a young woman who looked to be under thirty. She wore simple clothes, had above-average looks, and wore her hair in a married woman's bun.

She was leaning slightly forward, staring warily at the enemies ahead.

But a trace of anxiety could just be seen in her eyes.

The reason lay in her hand: she was cradling a white rabbit in her left palm. It was Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu had no actual combat experience, and in her beast form, she had no combat advantage against Titled Douluo either.

Close-combat skills like Waist Bow and Explosive Kill Eight-Stage Throw worked better in human form. After all, how was a rabbit supposed to throw someone?

So although Xiao Wu had made it to the scene, not only had she failed to help, she had added to her mother's troubles, making her even more constrained in battle.

If things continued this way, her mother would sooner or later be distracted by protecting her and be killed under the combined assault of the three Douluo.

But things were different now. The arrival of Wei Lin and his group had subtly changed the situation.

Bibi Dong's face darkened, and she forced the words through clenched teeth. "Are the newcomers human?"

Yue Guan immediately turned his head. His gaze seemed almost tangible as he took a clear look at the newcomers, and his expression grew a little strange.

"Your Holiness, it's Wei Lin. He's brought students from Spirit Hall Academy; they should be here for Soul Hunting."

Yue Guan glanced over there again, his eyebrows arching slightly, an expression like a sneer appearing on his alluring face.

"Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan are here too."

Bibi Dong immediately found the situation troublesome and inwardly cursed Wei Lin for showing up at such an inopportune time. They had clearly been close to capturing the Soul Beast mother and daughter, but the arrival of Wei Lin and his group had introduced an unforeseen variable.

She had been delighted when Xiao Wu appeared earlier. After all, one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit was already a rare opportunity; she had never expected to buy one and get one free.

Although she currently needed only one Soul Ring, she could easily capture a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit and keep it under control until she needed to kill it later.

Bibi Dong had even made her plans. Soft Bone Rabbits had a Charm-type innate ability that was perfectly suited to becoming Hu Liena's sixth or seventh Soul Ring—it was simply a perfect match.

As Hu Liena was the future disciple Bibi Dong had personally chosen, she paid close attention to her development.

Even if something went wrong and she accidentally killed both mother and daughter, she could still collect their Soul Bones. Either way, Spirit Hall wouldn't lose out.

But things were different now. Bibi Dong put herself in the Soul Beast's place: if she were the one facing them, she would certainly make use of Wei Lin and the others. That made her wary of smashing the vase while trying to catch the rat.

When it came to protecting their young, Soul Beasts, even herbivores, would bare their fangs at a critical moment.

Thus, Bibi Dong could only order Yue Guan and Gui Mei not to act rashly for the time being. If the Soul Beast tried to harm Wei Lin and the others, they were to prioritize protecting Hu Liena and her companions.

They could find another way to hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the future. There was no need to stake Spirit Hall's future on it.

Bibi Dong had long since reached Level 98. She had come Soul Hunting to add a Soul Ring to her Second Martial Soul, so strictly speaking, she wasn't in urgent need of one. It was simply a rare opportunity she didn't want to miss.

If the price of obtaining this Soul Ring was too high, she could choose to give up for now. There was plenty of time ahead, and she already had her eye on her target. As long as the other party remained in the Star Dou Great Forest, she couldn't escape the palm of Bibi Dong's hand.

Her thoughts were exactly what Zhou You had calculated.

Zhou You knew very well that Bibi Dong's need for a Soul Ring was not urgent at present. As long as Xiao Wu's mother seized this hard-won opportunity, she could retreat safely with her daughter.

It was just like eagles catching chicks: the more burdens someone had behind them, the more they had to worry about, and the more cautious they would be when making decisions.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Wu's mother was thinking something entirely different from the two of them.

Seeing Bibi Dong and the others hesitate because of the newly arrived humans, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Xiao Wu finally had a chance to escape danger.

She actually intended to let Xiao Wu leave alone while she stayed behind to cover her retreat.

"Xiao Wu, I'm going to put you down in a moment. You must leave immediately and go to Da Ming and Er Ming. Don't look back. Do you hear me?"

[No! Xiao Wu wants to stay with Mommy!]

"If you stay here, you'll only hold me back. Only one of us can live." Xiao Wu's mother looked grief-stricken, as though she had already given up hope of surviving.

Zhou You couldn't hear what they were saying, but his eyesight was excellent, and he could clearly read Xiao Wu's mother's lips. His brows furrowed slightly, and his heart sank a little.

What's going on?

Things didn't seem to be going as he had expected. They could clearly both survive, so why did she insist on staying behind to cover the retreat?

Could it be...

"Mommy's badly injured right now. I can't run far." Sure enough, Xiao Wu's mother told her the truth.

Before Xiao Wu arrived, she had fought alone against three Titled Douluo attacking her at once. It had been hard enough for her to hold out until now.

She looked at Xiao Wu with a loving expression. "Be good, Xiao Wu. Don't be afraid. As long as you keep running and don't look back, they won't catch you."

"From now on, from now on, stay in the forest with Da Ming and Er Ming. Don't go anywhere, and don't trust any humans. Run away as soon as you see them. Promise Mommy, all right?"

Xiao Wu was already crying too hard to speak. She could only sob in her mother's palm, tears streaming down.

After her mother pressed her again and again, she could only nod with difficulty. Enormous grief engulfed her body and mind. For the first time in her life, Xiao Wu faced such a cruel reality.

But the price was the life of someone dearest to her.

Amid her grief, hatred flared deep in her heart. Her reddened eyes stared fixedly at the three people opposite her, committing their faces, bearing, and clothes to memory...

Wait, their clothes?

Xiao Wu's pupils contracted, as though she had noticed something.

Bibi Dong and the others naturally wore Spirit Hall's emblem on their clothes, a kind of "corporate culture" in a sense, but that wasn't the important part.

The important part was that Xiao Wu remembered Zhou You seemed to have had a similar emblem on him before.

Was he with them too? Was he a bad person?

Xiao Wu's mind immediately fell into confusion.

Just then, a familiar strand of Mental Power reached out and connected with her with practiced ease.

She heard that voice again.

[Xiao Wu, calm down for now and listen carefully to me...]