The Aberration of the Sea That Embraces a Hundred Rivers

Of the six children who had gone together to capture a Golden Lion cub, only three returned unscathed. Two came back in a miserable state. Fortunately, after abandoning the Golden Lion cubs, they escaped by sheer luck while the mother Golden Lion busied herself caring for her scattered young. Yet Liu Ji, who had fled first, was not only completely unharmed, but had also luckily obtained the strongest Golden Lion cub.

As for Liu Bo, he had not only lost the Golden Lion, but his life as well. Another child was barely clinging to life. Fortunately, he too had promptly abandoned the Golden Lion cub and leaped off a cliff. The mother Golden Lion had been busy tracking down the other stolen cubs and had no time to bother with him, allowing him to luckily keep his life.

At the sight of Liu Bo's corpse, his parents wailed to heaven and beat the earth in grief. Under angry questioning, Liu Ji claimed that Liu Bo had been the one who took them out to play, and that it was the playful Liu Ding who had carried the Golden Lion cub out, washing his own hands clean of all responsibility. The other children feared punishment. Though they knew Liu Ji was not telling the whole truth, how could they dare explain further? They all nodded in agreement.

Liu Yandong was frantic with worry and had no way to thoroughly investigate which children were right and wrong. But when he led the clansmen there, the Golden Lion had already taken its cubs far away. There were no children's bodies anywhere, yet Liu Ding was missing.

Liu Ding's disappearance struck his mother, Yan Hanyan, the hardest. Her madness, which had originally begun to improve, flared up again. She wandered all day, weeping without end. Her cries became murmurs, until only Ding'er's name remained in her consciousness. She was utterly lost.

Seeing his daughter-in-law like this, Liu Yandong's heart ached. Yet after three days and three nights of searching over a vast area, encountering many fierce birds and savage beasts and fighting battle after battle, the clansmen were full of complaints, but there was still not the slightest trace of Liu Ding.

Over these three days and nights, Liu Ding had gone through a journey from life to death, then from death back to life. When the wild, chaotic breath within him was finally safely drawn into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, he felt an indescribable Soulforce filling his body. There was also a clear, empty brightness within him, and his whole body felt like a great sea yearning to gather a hundred rivers into itself.

Xiao Zhi seemed to have sensed the tremendous change in Little Dot's body. So when Liu Ding once again walked toward its little storeroom, it smacked its tiny mouth a few times but ultimately did not stop him again. It even wanted to see what miracle might happen.

However, Little Dot looked at the little storeroom with a complicated expression. In the end, he still did not want to suffer again. "Forget it, Xiao Zhi. You worked so hard to find these fruits. If I eat them all, what will you do?"

Xiao Zhi curled its lips in a humanlike look of contempt. Liu Ding seemed to understand it as well. Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "Xiao Zhi, I have to go back. Grandpa will be very angry if he can't find me. Will you come back with me?"

Seeing the eager look on Little Dot's face, Xiao Zhi's heart stirred. Thinking of the strange change in his body, it hesitated for a moment, then seemed to make up its mind and rubbed against Liu Ding's side.

Liu Ding happily picked Xiao Zhi up and stroked its fur. It was silky soft and felt incredibly comfortable.

Xiao Zhi struggled slightly for only a moment. But seeing Little Dot's innocent little face, it stopped resisting. Its fluffy tail swayed gently as it accepted this relationship.

Liu Ding returned beneath the rising sun. When he appeared on the riverbank at Crescent Moon Bay, the children doing their morning training descended into chaos, their faces full of disbelief. "Heavens, Little Fool isn't dead! And he even brought back a little beast. Could it be a Golden Lion cub too?"

"Doesn't seem like it. Its fur is white, not golden." Some children noticed that the little beast in Liu Ding's arms was a different color from the Golden Lion cub Liu Ji held.

"Even if it isn't a Golden Lion, it's still such a cute little beast. That white fur is so beautiful." Some of the girls' eyes shone, envy written all over their little faces.

"Little Fool didn't just survive—he even got himself a beast pet. There's no justice in heaven." Jealousy appeared on many children's faces.

The children curiously crowded around. But when they clearly saw the little beast in Liu Ding's arms, they froze. Then someone loudly mocked, "What little beast? It's a lapdog."

"It's not a lapdog." Liu Ding felt deeply wronged on Xiao Zhi's behalf. Though Xiao Zhi did look very much like a little dog, it absolutely could not be one.

"Hahaha! You stupid Little Fool, treating a lapdog as a beast pet! I'm dying of laughter!" The children suddenly understood and immediately burst into mocking laughter.

"I'm not playing with you anymore." The mockery surged over him like a tide. Tears filled Liu Ding's eyes. He was furious, and he walked away while hugging Xiao Zhi.

Holding the Golden Lion cub, Liu Ji quietly followed and called out, "Hey, Little Fool, wait."

"What is it?" Liu Ding turned back. The tears in his eyes could no longer be held back, streaming down his little face.

"Hmph." Liu Ji wrinkled his nose and secretly threatened, "You're not allowed to talk nonsense about catching the little Golden Lions. Otherwise, I won't let you off."

He secretly waved his little fist at Liu Ding. But Liu Ding thought of the little storeroom in Xiao Zhi's cave. If he told anyone, Xiao Zhi would have no food left. He recognized several of the spirit plants inside; he had seen how ecstatic the clansmen were whenever they brought such plants back after gathering them. He nervously glanced around, then said in a low voice, "I won't say anything. I'll just say I don't remember."

"At least you know what's good for you." Liu Ji was relieved. Many of this Little Fool's memories always vanished for no reason, but he still needed to warn him and make him remember his place. He reached for Xiao Zhi. "Little Fool, treating a lapdog like a beast pet is so embarrassing. Throw it away."

Before his hand could touch Xiao Zhi, Xiao Zhi suddenly raised its head and let out a fierce squeak, baring its fangs. A wave of terrifying aura surged forth.

"Ah!" Liu Ji staggered back in terror and fell hard onto his backside. He was still just a child, and he was frightened out of his wits.

"Xiao Zhi, don't be naughty." Liu Ding was startled too. He hurriedly stroked Xiao Zhi's head and rushed away.

Xiao Zhi gave a low huff, its crystal-like eyes glaring at Little Dot in dissatisfaction. Looking closely, the furry Xiao Zhi truly did resemble a lapdog somewhat, but those eyes were as beautiful as crystal. Liu Ding said softly, "Xiao Zhi, even if you really are a lapdog, I still won't abandon you."

Xiao Zhi froze. The displeasure in its eyes gradually softened. It gazed thoughtfully at Little Dot and saw nothing but sincerity in those equally pitch-black eyes.

Liu Yandong hurried over after hearing the news, only to discover that when his daughter-in-law Yan Hanyan saw Liu Ding again, she no longer recognized him. His final hope—that this foolish child could keep his daughter-in-law company—was shattered as well. His heart turned to ashes.

"Grandpa, this is my Xiao Zhi. Can I keep it as a beast pet?" Seeing Liu Yandong arrive, Liu Ding was reluctant, but he still held out the little civet cat in his arms. At the same time, he soothed Xiao Zhi's head. "Xiao Zhi, don't move around. Let Grandpa touch you."

Xiao Zhi did not move, though its little body trembled slightly. Its crystal-like eyes stared at Liu Yandong, as though it was still somewhat afraid.

Liu Yandong's mouth twitched. Treating a lapdog as a beast pet—this foolish child was still foolish after all. Looking at Liu Ding's silly, smiling face, he felt he could no longer bear to look. He closed his eyes, shook his head, then turned and left.

"Grandpa, aren't you going to hug Ding'er?" Liu Ding grabbed Liu Yandong's sleeve. Every time Liu Yandong came, he would hug him, stroke his hair, and repeat encouraging words in his ear that he could not understand.

Liu Yandong's body stiffened. Then he gritted his teeth, shook his sleeve, flung Liu Ding away, and quickly left.

"Grandpa, don't go! Grandpa, I won't be naughty anymore!" Liu Ding stretched out his helpless little hand. He did not know what he had done wrong. Grandpa was very angry.

Zhu'er, the maid watching nearby, finally stepped forward and helped Liu Ding up. Liu Ding asked in confusion, "Sister Zhu'er, why doesn't Grandpa want Ding'er anymore?"

For no reason at all, Zhu'er's eyes instantly brimmed with tears as well. She helped Liu Ding aside and faced him, wanting to say something.

But Liu Ding was terrified. He suddenly hugged Zhu'er tightly and said fearfully, "Sister Zhu'er, Ding'er knows he was wrong. Don't ignore Ding'er too."

At last, her tears fell in strings like pearls. Zhu'er pulled Liu Ding into a tight embrace and choked out, "Don't worry. Sister Zhu'er won't leave you."

The little civet cat beside them blinked its large eyes, thoughtfully watching the pair crying into a tangled mess.

The next morning during training, Liu Ding woke up as usual and came to Crescent Moon Bay holding Xiao Zhi. From far away, he saw someone point at him and shout, "Oh my, Little Fool and his beast pet are here to show off again."

He deliberately stressed the words "beast pet," drawing an explosion of laughter. Some clutched their bellies, some clapped their hands, and some rolled about on the riverbank.

Little Dot was angry, and even more upset for Xiao Zhi's sake. He turned and left. Liu Chengwu, who was in charge of the morning training, knew that Liu Yandong had also abandoned this foolish child. He merely frowned and did not bother with Liu Ding leaving the group.

No clansman showed any signs of making a breakthrough today, and the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons stood in the ancestral hall. Liu Ding wandered in without purpose. Xiao Zhi, nestled in his arms, had its crystal-like eyes light up. With a squeak, it jumped out and circled the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons, looking here, sniffing there, even reaching out its little paws to touch them.

"Xiao Zhi, don't be naughty. If the adults see, we'll be punished." Liu Ding chased after Xiao Zhi in panic. Normally, no one was allowed to touch the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons. Naughty children had been harshly punished before. He was terribly worried, so he grabbed Xiao Zhi and fled the ancestral hall, nervously looking around.

Xiao Zhi did not make another fuss, but its crystal-like eyes never left the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons. Unless one looked closely, one would not notice the blazing light radiating from its eyes.