Xue Beng, What Exactly Are You Trying to Do?!

The next day

Xiao Yu woke up on a wooden platform. For a Flying-type Pokémon, the breeze sweeping through the sky was the most refreshing thing.

"Mmm~ It's a little hard, but much better than a branch, and I don't have to worry about falling off if I move around." After he'd fully woken up, Xiao Yu looked at his handiwork from the night before and sighed with satisfaction.

"All right, let's see what today's task is." Xiao Yu casually opened the panel.

[Daily Task: flap wings 1,000 times (Incomplete)]

"This again, huh?" Xiao Yu was used to it by now. After seeing the task, he returned to the ground and started practicing.

Meanwhile, Xue Qinghe had finished washing up.

Remembering that Xue Beng had volunteered the day before to go with her to the Royal Soul Beast Forest, she felt a flicker of suspicion.

Xue Beng had always been a wastrel, but lately he seemed to be deliberately trying to get close to her. She couldn't afford to let her guard down.

She decided to summon Xue Beng and sound him out.

When Xue Beng heard that Xue Qinghe had summoned him, he felt both nervous and excited.

He had barely slept the night before, repeatedly going over his plan.

He knew how important Xue Qinghe was in their father's eyes, and understood that he had to seize any chance to undermine her authority.

The carriage he'd prepared so carefully was the key to his plan.

He quickly tidied himself up and headed to the Crown Prince's residence with the carriage, which was covered by a thick white cloth, and two trusted Soul Ancestor guards.

"Elder Brother." Xue Beng bowed respectfully, wearing his usual, somewhat exaggerated smile.

Xue Qinghe's gaze swept over Xue Beng before settling on the mysterious carriage.

The shape beneath the white cloth was distinct, like a huge box. A restless aura seemed to emanate from it, along with the faintest trace of blood.

It was clearly no ordinary object.

"Fourth Brother, what's this?" Xue Qinghe asked, pointing at the carriage. Her voice was gentle, but the question left no room for evasion. "We're going to the Royal Soul Beast Forest. Bringing this along could be inconvenient."

Xue Beng's heart tightened, but he forced a casual smile. "Don't blame me, Elder Brother. It's just a little secret of mine. I thought I'd surprise you. You'll see for yourself once we reach the depths of the forest."

"If we open it now, we might disturb the others, which wouldn't be good. Shall we get going?" His voice held a hint of pleading and impatience as he tried to change the subject.

Xue Qinghe sneered inwardly. A surprise? More like a shock. The more Xue Beng tried to hide it, the more obvious it was that something was wrong.

But for now, the "Xue Qinghe" she was playing had to be a kind and benevolent elder brother, one who showed his younger brother a basic level of trust—especially in front of outsiders.

If she insisted on inspecting it, she would only seem suspicious and harsh, damaging the Crown Prince's image.

Besides, how much trouble could Xue Beng really cause? In the face of absolute strength, any scheme was laughable. She suppressed her anger and suspicion, deciding to wait and see.

"Very well, we'll do as you say. Let's go." Xue Qinghe nodded faintly and set off first, but her guard was already at its highest.

The sun had climbed high in the sky, and the group had ventured deep into the Royal Soul Beast Forest. The carriage remained close behind Xue Beng, its white cloth still in place.

On the way, Xue Qinghe had repeatedly asked Xue Beng to uncover the carriage, citing safety concerns. "Fourth Brother, we're far from any people now, and Soul Beasts roam this forest. Whatever's in there has an unknown aura and could attract danger. It would be best to let me take a look."

Each time, Xue Beng hurriedly waved her off, making up one excuse after another. "Don't worry, Elder Brother. It's harmless. I just... I want to save it for the most important moment! We're almost there, just a little longer!"

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he calculated the distance, afraid Xue Qinghe would run out of patience.

The two Soul Ancestor guards beside him were also growing tense. They knew what was in the carriage, and that if it was exposed too soon, the whole plan would be ruined.

Watching Xue Beng try to look calm while clearly feeling guilty only stoked Xue Qinghe's anger.

What was Xue Beng up to? If she weren't concerned about appearances, she would have ripped off that irritating white cloth already.

She held back her urge and said coldly, "Xue Beng, we're almost at our destination. How much longer are you going to keep up this charade? Tell me right now—what's inside?"

Seeing Xue Qinghe's dark expression and stern tone, Xue Beng panicked.

He glanced at the guards beside him, then thought of the trump card he'd prepared so carefully, and regained some confidence. With a placating smile, he said, "Calm down, Elder Brother! Don't rush me. The surprise is coming right..."

Before he could finish, something went wrong!

A series of violent impacts erupted from inside the carriage, followed by a muffled, pained roar from a beast. "Clang! Roar—!" It seemed the creature inside had sensed an extreme threat and was desperately trying to break free.

The whole carriage shook violently.

"Alive?!" Xue Qinghe's gaze sharpened as her suspicion was instantly confirmed.

She moved like lightning. Before Xue Beng or the guards could react, she was beside the carriage, grabbing the white cloth!

"Elder Brother, don't!" Xue Beng cried out, his face turning deathly pale.

"Riiip!" Xue Qinghe yanked off the white cloth!

A sturdy cage forged from refined steel was revealed in the sunlight.

Inside, a massive lion covered in old and fresh wounds, its eyes wild with fear, was furiously ramming the cage walls. It was unmistakably a thousand-year Soul Beast: the Scarlet Mad Lion!

"The Scarlet Mad Lion?!" Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted as she instantly understood Xue Beng's intentions!

No wonder he'd insisted on coming along! He'd meant to use this ferocious thousand-year Soul Beast against the mysterious Soul Beast she had tamed! He planned to exploit a clash between Soul Beasts to test her—or even humiliate her in public!

If her Soul Beast was defeated, Xue Beng would surely spread the word and undermine her authority. If the Scarlet Mad Lion lost control and hurt someone, she would be held responsible as well!

"Xue Beng!" Xue Qinghe spun around, her gaze like a blade as it bore into him. Her voice brimmed with thunderous fury. "You brought a thousand-year Scarlet Mad Lion into the Royal Soul Beast Forest! What exactly are you trying to do?!"

"Are you trying to provoke the Soul Beasts into a rampage, or use it to commit some misdeed?!"

With his plan completely exposed, Xue Beng broke into a cold sweat. But he knew he couldn't admit his real intentions now.

He forced himself to stay calm and managed an innocent smile. "Calm down, Elder Brother! It's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! This Scarlet Mad Lion... it's actually my newly tamed 'pet'!" He put particular emphasis on the word "pet."

"A pet?" Xue Qinghe sneered, her gaze sweeping over the Scarlet Mad Lion's many whip marks and the blood that had yet to dry. "You certainly have a unique way of raising a 'pet'!"

Xue Beng gritted his teeth, ignoring Xue Qinghe's sarcasm as he continued to argue his case. "I heard that you also found an extraordinary Soul Beast companion here, Elder Brother. I got excited and thought... thought I'd bring mine along so it could have a friendly spar with yours. A little exchange, you know."