Sunlight spilled over Lin Xiao, warm and soothing.
Sunshine really was comfortable, so much better than that bitter cold.
Standing in the sunlight, Lin Xiao felt utterly at ease.
With third-stage Dou Qi and level-twenty soul power, Lin Xiao did not know exactly how strong he was, but he could easily defeat that three-thousand-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion from before.
Now, he still had energy to cultivate his battle qi, with plenty stored in his ring-enough to keep him cultivating for a while.
The Ice Empress appeared in miniature form and sat on Lin Xiao's shoulder, asking, "Xiao Xiaozi, have you decided what soul beast you want for your second soul ring?"
"There are plenty of soul beasts in this Star Dou Great Forest."
Lin Xiao nodded. "A dragon-type soul beast with a dark attribute will do."
Lin Xiao's goal was clear: a dragon, a powerful dragon.
"Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid Di Tian will come after you?"
The Ice Empress was a little shocked. Was this fellow looking to die? Going after a dragon-he really wasn't afraid of Di Tian.
No, wait. With Grandpa Medicine and Elder Yi around, what the hell did he have to fear?
If anyone had a problem, fight them!
"No, wait, you have Grandpa Medicine. Come on, come on, I'll take you dragon hunting."
The Ice Empress immediately found her confidence. What was there to fear? No need to chicken out.
Lin Xiao helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead. "Don't rush. Come somewhere with me first."
Was this little scorpion really so combative? She even dared to provoke Di Tian.
The Ice Empress nodded and left with Lin Xiao.
In less than half a day, Lin Xiao reached the place where he had agreed to meet the Auspicious Beast.
"Lin Xiao, be careful. There's a powerful presence here."
The moment they arrived, the Ice Empress sensed danger.
"Don't worry. They're the ones we're here to see."
As Lin Xiao finished speaking, a little golden-furred beast leaped out, baring her teeth at him:
"Lin Xiao, you lied to me! How long has it been? And you're only coming now!!!"
Lin Xiao looked toward the voice. Wasn't that the Auspicious Beast?
"Auspicious Beast, you can talk now?"
Lin Xiao was rather bewildered. Hadn't she been unable to talk before?
"I've always been able to talk! Don't change the subject, you liar! Why did you only come now?"
The Auspicious Beast bared her teeth, displeased that Lin Xiao had broken their agreement. And he had called himself her friend. Hmph, hmph, bad human.
Lin Xiao scratched his head awkwardly. "Then why didn't you talk before? You just kept going 'awoo, awoo.'"
"I didn't lie to you, either. Didn't I tell you that if I hadn't shown up after three months, we'd postpone our cooperation?"
The Auspicious Beast paused, then called toward a patch of dense woods behind her, "Is that what Lin Xiao said back then?"
The Scarlet King poked out his three heads and instinctively nodded, but quickly shook them instead. "No. This crafty brat never said that."
Lin Xiao: "??"
Fine, fine, fine. So that's how you want to play it? Scarlet King, you three-headed dog, just you wait.
The Auspicious Beast turned to look at Lin Xiao, her face full of haughty pride.
Helpless, Lin Xiao took out a medicinal pill he had refined himself and tossed it straight into the Auspicious Beast's mouth. She instinctively began chewing, and a warm current flowed into her body.
Delicious, delicious.
"Lin Xiao, do you have any more? I want more."
The Auspicious Beast's eyes lit up, and she stopped dwelling on Lin Xiao's earlier breach of their agreement.
Smiling, Lin Xiao took out five medicinal pills. They were all ungraded pills he had refined himself, so he could give them away freely.
The Auspicious Beast cradled them protectively and ate another. "You're forgiven. Hmph, hmph."
Lin Xiao fondly stroked her head. "You still haven't told me why you didn't talk back then."
"It was fun. Watching you ask the Scarlet King what I meant was fun."
The Auspicious Beast answered with a smile, happily eating the medicinal pills Lin Xiao had given her.
Lin Xiao was speechless. Fine, you're the boss. Whatever you say.
"Um, Lin Xiao, could you let me taste one of those medicinal pills too?" Seeing how happily the Auspicious Beast ate, the Scarlet King wanted to try one as well.
Lin Xiao was not stingy and tossed one to the Scarlet King.
The Scarlet King immediately sensed the energy in the medicinal pill. To him, it was very faint, but it was simply too delicious to resist.
No wonder the Auspicious Beast liked them. Tasty and full of energy-what wonderful snacks.
The Auspicious Beast pulled out a whole heap of medicinal herbs in one go. "Take your pick. Just trade those things from earlier for them."
"They contain that energy too, so I won't need the energy inside you."
The Auspicious Beast pointed at the medicinal herbs before her and spoke happily.
The Ice Empress stared wide-eyed at the herbs before her. Good heavens, Lin Xiao even knew the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Ice Empress also caught the attention of the Auspicious Beast and the Scarlet King. The Scarlet King did not think she was particularly strong, nor did he recognize this little scorpion.
The Auspicious Beast, however, keenly sensed that the Ice Empress was unusual, but she brought it up at once; she could just ask Lin Xiao later.
Lin Xiao examined the medicinal herbs before him, then looked at the Emperor Auspicious Beast. "Auspicious Beast, this time, I want to trade for something else."
"I'll give you thirty medicinal pills and fifty energy crystals. How about it?"
The Auspicious Beast stared at Lin Xiao in surprise. Was this fellow really that generous?
But she quickly realized that whatever he wanted must be extraordinary. "Lin Xiao, what do you want to trade for?"
Looking at the Auspicious Beast, Lin Xiao slowly named what he wanted. "The spirit gold beneath the Lake of Life."
"Just a small piece."
The instant Lin Xiao finished speaking, the Scarlet King cut him off. "No. We absolutely cannot give you that."
"Choose something else."
The Auspicious Beast had yet to express her opinion, and Lin Xiao's gaze settled on her.
After thinking for a moment, the Auspicious Beast looked at Lin Xiao. "What do you need spirit gold for?"
She neither refused nor agreed.
Lin Xiao answered calmly, "To save someone!"
A very simple answer.
The Auspicious Beast began to hesitate. He wanted it to save someone, and she was his friend. Should she give it to him?
But before she could agree, Lin Xiao continued, "Auspicious Beast, even if you don't give it to me now, there's a thief beneath the Lake of Life secretly eating the spirit gold."
"Rather than letting it be stolen, why not trade with me? All I want is a small piece."
"What? Lin Kid, are you joking? How could someone possibly steal things right under our noses?"
The Scarlet King did not believe a word of it. Even he knew nothing about it, yet a human did?
"Lin Xiao, can I trust you?" The Auspicious Beast was inclined to believe Lin Xiao, and her sincere gaze settled on him.
"If what you're saying is true, I can do you a favor. Since you'll be helping us recover our losses, I can make the decision and agree to trade with you. But you'll have to double what you just offered."
The Auspicious Beast smiled slyly as well, seizing the chance to state her terms. She had been torn before, but now everything was settled: she had an excuse and something to gain. Each would get what they needed.
By doing him a favor now, she could keep working with this bad fellow later. He surely had more good things on him.
That was what the Auspicious Beast thought, hoping to use this opportunity to do him a favor so she could fleece Lin Xiao more effectively later.
Another point was that she needed a good excuse. Helping them recover their losses was an excellent one. Of course, more importantly, there was the Ice Empress on Lin Xiao's shoulder.
The Auspicious Beast could sense that she was unusual, and on that basis, she was also willing to trade with Lin Xiao.
The Scarlet King had wanted to stop her, but on second thought, if what Lin Xiao said was true, trading a little would be acceptable. After all, he would be helping them.
Humans could lack human integrity, but soul beasts could not lack beastly integrity!
He felt that although he had no brains, he did have plenty of heads.
He still knew a little about beastly social dealings.
Besides, the Auspicious Beast was not losing out, and neither were they.
Of course, that all depended on this being true.
Lin Xiao nodded. This was hardly difficult. It was only sixty medicinal pills, and he had refined quite a few lately. A hundred battle qi crystals would not be difficult either, since there was battle qi in his ring.
Trading these for spirit gold would be an absolute windfall for him.
The Auspicious Beast also felt that she had done him a favor and made a killing. She would be able to fleece this fellow even better in the future.
Before you continue