Morning mist still lingered on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. A pink figure hurried across the dewy grass toward the heart of Douluo Continent. Xiao Wu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her rabbit-eared Martial Soul flickering above her head. The previous night, she had sensed a familiar trace of Lovesick Heartbreak Red deep in the forest. Following it, she discovered that it led to the Otherworld Auction House, which had recently become the talk of the continent.
"I can clearly sense it's somewhere around here. Why can't I find the exact location?" Xiao Wu stopped and frowned at the plain before her. In the distance, the auction house, built entirely of black jade, was enveloped in a pale golden Light Screen. The Energy Fluctuation rippling across it stirred a faint resonance in the Soul Beast blood within her. After hesitating for a moment, she could no longer resist her fixation on Lovesick Heartbreak Red. Gathering her skirt, she hurried toward the auction house.
As soon as she reached the entrance, two Silver Armored Guards came forward. Unlike their cold manner toward Yu Xiaogang, they softened their tone when they saw that Xiao Wu was a young girl. "Miss, you'll need a Point Voucher to enter the auction house, or you can exchange for Points first."
"Point Voucher?" Xiao Wu froze. She had just come from the Star Dou Great Forest, and aside from a few scales taken from Soul Beasts, all she had was the bracelet woven from Blue Silver Grass that Tang San had given her. She bit her lip and asked quietly, "I... I'm here to find someone, and I also wanted to ask if you have any information about Lovesick Heartbreak Red. Can I go in without Points?"
Before the guard could answer, a warm voice came from inside the auction house. "Let her in."
Xiao Wu looked up. A young man in a moon-white robe stood at the entrance to the hall. He had handsome features and deep eyes. It was Lin Yue, the auction house's owner. For some reason, the moment she saw him, the restless Soul Beast blood within her suddenly calmed, as if he had some power that could soothe Soul Beasts.
"You know about Lovesick Heartbreak Red?" Lin Yue looked at Xiao Wu, his gaze lingering for an instant on the rabbit-eared Martial Soul flickering above her head. He already understood her identity: a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit who had transformed into human form. He did not call her out, merely smiled and stepped aside. "Come in. The auction house may have a clue about what you're looking for."
Xiao Wu hesitated, then followed Lin Yue into the auction house. The moment she entered the hall, the sight before her caught her attention. The display cases lining both sides were filled with treasures she had never seen before: some were faintly glowing ores, others were medicinal herbs sealed in transparent jade boxes, and still others were beast bones carrying faint traces of Soul Power.
What drew her attention most was a display case near the corner. Inside lay several palm-sized scales. They were pale pink, with silver glimmering along their edges, and traces of Soul Beast aura still clung to them.
"Are these... Heart Protection Scales from a Hundred-Year Soft Bone Rabbit?" Xiao Wu hurried to the case, her voice tinged with surprise. She had seen similar Heart Protection Scales in the Star Dou Great Forest. These scales were a precious means of survival for the Soft Bone Rabbit Clan. She could hardly believe they had ended up in a human auction house.
Lin Yue came to stand beside her and nodded. "That's right. They were pledged as Hundred-Year Soul Beast materials by a Soul Master who recently exchanged Points for resources. Besides the Soft Bone Rabbit Heart Protection Scales, the case holds other low-grade Soul Beast treasures, such as a Hundred-Year Titan Giant Ape's nail and the fangs of a Hundred-Year Jade Phosphorus Purple Mist Snake."
Xiao Wu followed Lin Yue's gaze and spotted the other Soul Beast materials in the case. Complicated feelings welled up in her heart. To human Soul Masters, these materials might be nothing more than cultivation resources, but to Soul Beasts, they were the remains of their kind. She could not help asking, "Why... why do you collect these Soul Beast materials? Is it so you can sell them to human Soul Masters and encourage them to hunt even more Soul Beasts?"
Lin Yue saw the wariness in Xiao Wu's eyes and spoke softly. "The auction house doesn't collect these materials to encourage Soul Beast hunting. On the contrary, we hope to establish a balance between Soul Beasts and humans. Soul Beasts can exchange surplus materials for resources they need to survive, while human Soul Masters can obtain what they need to cultivate through proper channels instead of fighting over it through slaughter."
Xiao Wu was stunned. She had lived for a hundred thousand years, seen countless members of her kind killed by hunters, and witnessed far too many human Soul Masters treat Soul Beasts as worthless. This was the first time she had heard anyone propose a "balance between Soul Beasts and humans." She studied Lin Yue, curiosity entering her eyes. "Are you telling the truth? Would human Soul Masters really trade with Soul Beasts instead of hunting them outright?"
"Whether they're willing depends on whether there's enough incentive," Lin Yue said with a smile. "Take the Lovesick Heartbreak Red you're looking for. This Immortal Herb has a powerful nourishing effect on Soul Beasts, and it's also immensely valuable to human Soul Masters. If a Soul Beast can provide a clue to its whereabouts—or even cultivate one—the auction house can offer resources that would let it live in peace. For example, talismans that conceal a Soul Beast's aura, pills that speed up cultivation, or even safe zones to protect them from human Soul Masters hunting them."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at once. She was searching for Lovesick Heartbreak Red not only to improve her own cultivation, but also to protect her kind in the Star Dou Great Forest. If the auction house could truly provide those resources, perhaps the Soul Beasts there would face less risk of being hunted.
"Then... do you really have any information about Lovesick Heartbreak Red?" Xiao Wu asked urgently.
Lin Yue did not answer directly. Instead, he said, "Lovesick Heartbreak Red is extremely rare, and the auction house has no concrete leads on its whereabouts yet. However, we're preparing a Soul Beast Resource Exchange section. We need someone familiar with Soul Beast habits who can communicate with them to handle related inquiries—for example, answering human Soul Masters' questions about Soul Beast materials, conveying the needs of the Soul Beast Clan, and helping both sides trade."
He looked at Xiao Wu, his tone sincere. "You clearly know a great deal about Soul Beasts, and you have a good heart. So I'd like to invite you to become a clerk at the auction house. In return, we can provide information related to Soul Beast protection, including clues about the Lovesick Heartbreak Red you're seeking. We'll also give you 10,000 Points each month as a stipend. You can exchange them for the low-grade Soul Beast resources in the display cases, such as Soft Bone Rabbit Heart Protection Scales, talismans that conceal your aura, and even low-grade pills that can increase your Soul Power."
Xiao Wu was utterly stunned. She had never imagined that coming to search for clues about Lovesick Heartbreak Red would lead to an offer like this. Becoming a clerk would give her access to clues about the herb and let her help secure more resources for the Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest. It was, without a doubt, an incredibly tempting proposal.
But she was also hesitant. She was a transformed Soul Beast, after all. If her identity were exposed, human Soul Masters might hunt her down, and she could bring trouble to her kind in the Star Dou Great Forest. Besides, she still had Tang San to think about. He was at Nuoding Academy, and she did not know when she would see him again.
"I... I need to think about it." Xiao Wu bit her lip and answered honestly. "There are still some things I need to take care of, and... I'm not sure I'd be able to do a good job as a clerk."
Before you continue