Farewell Again

Qian Ningshuang stepped out of the Lake of Life and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

Looking at the Lake of Life now, she felt truly refreshed, though those two soul beasts over there must be the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python from the original story.

Watching a monkey several stories tall and a soul beast with the head of a bull and the body of a python by the lakeside, Qian Ningshuang thought to herself.

"Those are merely two gatekeeping soul beasts, is something the matter? Shuang'er."

Gu Yuena watched Qian Ningshuang sizing up the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python and asked curiously.

"It's nothing, I just didn't see them when I came in earlier. Let's go find my companions first."

Shaking her head, Qian Ningshuang gave a perfunctory reply. Now that Gu Yuena had stepped out of the Star Dou Forest, the original story only held reference value at best.

"I never knew my grandfather was so cold-blooded! Throwing his own granddaughter into the hands of a fierce beast just for some incomprehensible plan."

"I'm telling you! If anything happens to Shuang'er, I, Qian Renxue, am not finished with you! Don't expect me to call you grandfather ever again!"

By the time Qian Ningshuang and Gu Yuena found Qian Renxue and her group, this was the scene they encountered.

Qian Renxue's eyes were red as she bombarded an awkward-looking Qian Daoliu with accusations, Walter wore a bitter smile, while Pullman and Tian Yao stood to the side, trembling.

"Big sister!"

Qian Ningshuang had to bite the bullet and call out. She was touched that Qian Renxue was so worried about her, but that was still her grandfather after all; was it really appropriate to scold him like that?

"Shuang'er!" Upon hearing Qian Ningshuang's voice, Qian Renxue turned around in surprise.

Then, moving at a speed even Qian Ningshuang couldn't track, she rushed over and scooped Qian Ningshuang up into her arms.

"It won't look good if you cry until you're a mess, besides, look, I'm perfectly fine."

Watching Qian Renxue, who was holding her while tears streamed down her face, Qian Ningshuang could only wipe away her tears while offering comfort.

"As long as you're fine, as long as you're fine."

She remained in that tear-streaked state, leaving Qian Ningshuang no choice but to cup Qian Renxue's cheeks.

Then, the two of them gently pressed their faces together.

Qian Renxue stopped crying abruptly, her pupils dilating.

Qian Ningshuang stared at the bewildered face held between her hands.

"Big sister, I hate crying, so please, don't cry anymore, okay?"

Qian Renxue suddenly broke into a smile through her tears, and immediately after, she gently pressed her forehead against Qian Ningshuang's.

"Since my little sister has said so, it would be unreasonable for me to keep crying."

Two pairs of eyes stared at each other, and then, both curved into crescents.

After a long while, Qian Ningshuang suddenly broke free from Qian Renxue's embrace and covered her face with both hands.

Oh my god! How embarrassing, what did she just do! Why did she get hot-headed and do something like that!

Qian Renxue didn't comment on Qian Ningshuang breaking free, simply returning to her usual calm demeanor, smiling as she looked at her sister.

Though, that tear-streaked face was a bit comical.

"Shuang'er, is everything alright?"

Seeing that the two sisters had finished, Qian Daoliu stepped forward to ask.

Beside them, Bishop Pullman and Tian Yao let out sighs of relief, still lingering in fear, while Walter wore the expression of someone relieved that the commotion was finally over.

As expected, the one who could keep Qian Renxue in check wasn't Qian Daoliu, nor was it someone like Bibi Dong, but Qian Ningshuang!

"Everything is great, Grandfather."

Qian Ningshuang gave Qian Daoliu a sweet smile. She held no resentment toward Qian Daoliu's so-called plan; through the conversation between Qian Chongling and Gu Yuena at the bottom of the Lake of Life, she had already guessed it and could understand.

"And this is?" Qian Daoliu looked toward Gu Yuena, who was standing to the side.

As for Gu Yuena, she was currently looking on with a sense of wonder. This thing called affection was something that, no matter how many times she saw it, still left a dragon reminiscing.

"Her name is Gu Yuena, and she is the Silver Dragon King, the sovereign of all soul beasts."

Hiss, Bishop Pullman gasped. The sovereign of all soul beasts—that sounded like no small matter.

"Hello everyone."

Gu Yuena greeted them generously. She seemed quite easy to get along with, the people present thought.

"And by the way, from now on, I'll be following Shuang'er, so I'll have to trouble you all at Wuhun Hall."

"So there's no need to treat me as the sovereign of soul beasts; just treat me like a little girl."

The ancestor only mentioned an alliance, he didn't say anything about kidnapping her to Wuhun Hall! Qian Daoliu was inwardly shocked.

"If you are willing to condescend to come to my Wuhun Hall, I would naturally be more than happy to have you."

Shock was shock, but the necessary etiquette had to be maintained.

"Since everyone is acquainted now, Big Sister Gu Yuena, could you do me a favor?"

Ignoring the shock of the others, Qian Ningshuang went straight to making a request of Gu Yuena.

"Speak."

"My friend here needs a rather difficult-to-find soul beast. Can sister Gu Yuena help?"

Qian Ningshuang pointed toward Tian Yao. Since the Master of all soul beasts was right here, there was no need to waste effort searching for one. This was the kind of treatment many transmigrator predecessors received, so she had to enjoy it at least once.

"That isn't difficult. What soul beast do you need? And roughly what age?"

Gu Yuena didn't look troubled at all. The Star Dou Forest had so many soul beasts that she couldn't be bothered to count them. Aside from the hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, whose numbers she would keep track of, she really didn't care about the lower-level ones.

"A Golden Scaled Crocodile Turtle, around eight hundred years old."

Tian Yao stepped forward and spoke. Since Qian Ningshuang had already helped her this much, there was no point in being shy.

"Di Tian! Did you hear that? Go catch it!"

Gu Yuena made use of her all-purpose tool, Di Tian.

Watching Di Tian vanish into the distance, Qian Ningshuang asked Gu Yuena curiously, "I thought you would be troubled, sister Gu Yuena. Is it really okay to do this?"

"Why would I be troubled?" Gu Yuena looked at Qian Ningshuang with a curious expression instead.

"Aren't you all soul beasts? And you are the Master of all soul beasts, aren't you? I thought you might feel conflicted or sad."

Hearing Qian Ningshuang say this, Gu Yuena retorted.

"Shuang'er, have you misunderstood something? Although you humans call us soul beasts as if we were all one race, none of us inside actually care about that."

"There are so many different species within the soul beasts that I can't even remember them all. How could we possibly live in harmony? For example, do you think a Soft Bone Charm Rabbit would live in harmony with a carnivorous soul beast like a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear? When they meet, it's only a relationship of predator and prey. How could they live in harmony?"

"Every day, hundreds, if not thousands, of soul beasts perish in the Star Dou Forest due to fighting. There's really no need to care about one or two."

While the two were talking, Di Tian had already tossed a Golden Scaled Crocodile Turtle onto the ground.

"Sister Tian Yao, do it. Once you've finished absorbing it, we'll head back to Wuhun City." Since Gu Yuena, the Master of all soul beasts, didn't care, why should they, as humans, be so sentimental?

"Got it." Tian Yao plunged a blade directly into the head of the Golden Scaled Crocodile Turtle, then sat cross-legged to absorb the soul ring.

Watching Tian Yao absorb the soul ring, Gu Yuena seemed to recall something. She turned to Qian Ningshuang and said, "When you return to Wuhun Hall, let old mister Qian Chongling and me teach you how to restrain the life energy of your martial soul. Otherwise, you'll cause a huge commotion every time you release it."

"Sounds great." Qian Ningshuang readily agreed.

By evening, Tian Yao had finally finished absorbing the soul ring, gaining a defensive skill that provided a one-hundred-percent boost.