Xiao Yu's Feast

"Let's go, let's go. Time to finish the mission and level up. I want to see what Leo's Memory is all about." After resting for a while, Xiao Yu beat his wings and left the tree.

Not long after he left, the bushes nearby suddenly rustled. Xue Qinghe arrived with the two soldiers from yesterday.

They just missed each other.

"Your Highness, it doesn't seem to be here." The soldier first went forward to check for danger, then turned and reported to Xue Qinghe.

"Mm, it's fine. Since this is its home, it probably hasn't gone far. Let's wait here."

Xue Qinghe nodded, unconcerned. As the saying went, one shouldn't travel far while one's parents were alive. It wasn't quite applicable here, but the meaning was similar.

"Bring over the things we brought," Xue Qinghe said to the soldier beside him, who was carrying several large bags.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The soldier set down the bags. They were filled with fresh fruit and meat. Xue Qinghe had come well prepared this time. If even all this couldn't attract Xiao Yu, he'd have no choice but to take him by force.

Xiao Yu, out hunting Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, soon found his target.

It was a pair of Gale Leopards, both a hundred years old. That saved Xiao Yu the time and trouble of finding another Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

"Perfect. This'll give me a chance to try out my new skill."

Xiao Yu hovered in the air, his eyes fixed on his targets as he began to channel the energy inside him.

A pale blue glow enveloped him, and blue light suddenly flared in his eyes.

"Vmmm—"

Xiao Yu shot forward. The air behind him exploded with a sharp sonic boom!

The Gale Leopard couple below had no time to react. A flash of blue light struck one of them squarely in the back.

"Crack!" With a sharp snap, the Gale Leopard's spine broke. Blood splattered across its body, and the impact site was a mangled mess of flesh, with white bone clearly visible.

In an instant, it fell silent and died on the spot.

"Whoa! That strike is really hard to control." Xiao Yu quickly beat his wings and shot upward, giving the other Gale Leopard no time to react. A gale wrapped around his body.

The other Gale Leopard watched as its mate died right before its eyes. Its eyes instantly turned bloodshot as it glared furiously up at Xiao Yu.

"Rrr!" The Gale Leopard let out a low growl, then leaped high into the air and hurtled toward Xiao Yu at incredible speed.

"Just what I wanted!" Xiao Yu wasn't the least bit afraid. He was already prepared.

The instant the Gale Leopard reached him, the air around him rapidly gathered over his wings, forming a pair of enormous, phantom wings that swirled with currents of air.

"Vacuum Slash!"

At Xiao Yu's command, the wings of air slashed toward the Gale Leopard.

The rapidly moving air cut with tremendous force. The moment it struck the Gale Leopard, it easily sliced through its hide. In the blink of an eye, both of its forepaws were severed.

Xiao Yu didn't slow down. The Gale Leopard had no time to cry out in pain before the wings swept across its neck.

"Boom! Boom!" Several muffled thuds rang out as the headless body of the Gale Leopard crashed to the ground.

At the same time, a clear notification sounded in Xiao Yu's ears.

[Congratulations, Host. You have completed the weekly mission "Defeat two Hundred-Year Soul Beasts."]

[Rewards: Cocoa Fruit *5, Tornado Skill Stone *1, Leo's Memory *1]

"Are all the rewards besides the skill always the same? System, you're way too stingy." After landing, Xiao Yu looked at the rewards in his inventory and couldn't help grumbling.

As usual, the system didn't respond. Xiao Yu took out the Cocoa Fruit. He'd trained for so long that morning, and now he'd used two skills on top of that. He was starving.

Looking at the sweet, juicy Cocoa Fruit in front of him, Xiao Yu sighed. He was honestly sick of them. When could he eat something else?

Turning his frustration into an appetite, Xiao Yu wolfed down the Cocoa Fruit.

His level reached lv18 (120/180).

"Just a few more days and I'll be level twenty. By then, I should be about ready, right?" Xiao Yu guessed, flapped his wings, and headed back the way he had come.

"Your Highness, it's noon already, and that Soul Beast still hasn't come back. Could it have left?" The soldier glanced at Xue Qinghe as the sun blazed overhead.

Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, then shook his head. "Let's wait a little longer. If it doesn't come back today, it most likely has left."

At that thought, Xue Qinghe felt a pang of disappointment. If Xiao Yu had really left, all their efforts would have been for nothing.

He truly liked that Soul Beast. If he lost it now, he'd be upset for quite a while.

"Your Highness, look! That's the Soul Beast!" another soldier suddenly shouted, pointing at the sky ahead.

At that, Xue Qinghe hurriedly looked over. Sure enough, he saw the Soul Beast in the sky ahead.

"It's him. Looks like he hasn't left." Xue Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, though he still worried that the things he'd prepared might not tempt him.

"Hm? Them again? Why won't they leave me alone?" Xiao Yu, flying toward home, spotted Xue Qinghe and the others at his place.

But the moment he glanced away, his eyes were instantly drawn to the brightly colored pile of fruit.

"Fruit?" Though they looked a little different from the fruit he remembered from his previous life, he could tell that was what they were.

"Now that's thoughtful. They even brought me food," Xiao Yu thought.

They'd gone to all this trouble, so Xiao Yu wasn't about to snub them. He was already sick of Cocoa Fruit, and this was the perfect chance to try something different.

When Xue Qinghe saw Xiao Yu change course and fly toward them, the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.

"Looks like he likes the fruit."

Xiao Yu landed right in the pile and, paying no heed to the eyes fixed on him, grabbed a piece of fruit and began eating.

"Mmm..."

When Xue Qinghe saw Xiao Yu freeze after taking a bite, he thought the fruit might not suit his taste and immediately grew worried again.

He didn't know why he felt this way. Xiao Yu was only a Soul Beast, yet he cared so much about him.

But that wasn't what had happened. Xiao Yu's eyes lit up as he savored the juicy flesh, a smile spreading across his little face.

"So good! It's so delicious!" Xiao Yu took one bite after another, looking utterly blissful, as if he were in heaven.

"Phew... This Soul Beast really knows how to keep me on edge." Seeing Xiao Yu devour the fruit, Xue Qinghe breathed another sigh of relief, feeling a little helpless.

As he watched Xiao Yu nestled in the pile of fruit, something deep in Xue Qinghe's heart stirred.

Without quite knowing why, he took a few steps forward.