Three Little Ones Request Battle

Chapter 31: The Three Little Ones Request to Fight

"He's awake."

Jianbing's voice came from the Calming Bell.

Meow Meow had just lain down not long ago. Hearing this, his tail stiffened for a moment.

"Who?"

"The one tied to the stone platform."

Meow Meow opened his eyes and was silent for a beat.

Great.

Looks like he wouldn't be sleeping today either.

Qian Renxue hadn't slept yet either. Hearing the commotion, she quickly got up.

Inside the side courtyard, that young man had already awakened.

His face was pale, his eyes full of fear and shock. Seeing the unfamiliar room and the physician standing guard beside him, he instinctively tried to sit up.

But the moment he moved, pain made him grunt softly.

"Don't move recklessly."

Meow Meow jumped in from the windowsill.

The young man heard the sound and whipped his head around.

Seeing it was a white cat, he was completely stunned.

"A... a cat that talks?"

Meow Meow glanced at him.

"Don't ask useless questions first."

"What's your name?"

The young man opened his mouth, as if he still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Qian Renxue stood to the side, still in the guise of Xue Qinghe, and said gently:

"This is the Crown Prince's Mansion."

"You're safe for now."

"Last night, someone tried to use you for a bloodline experiment. We were the ones who rescued you."

Hearing the words "bloodline experiment," the young man's face paled a few shades more.

His memories seemed to slowly return.

The black-cloth carriage.

The iron cage.

The white tiger cub.

The cold stone platform.

And that pungent bottle of red-black liquid.

The young man trembled slightly and said in a low voice:

"My name is Dai Lin."

"I'm from White Rock Town on the Star Luo border."

"I'm just a collateral branch of the Dai Family, not from the main royal lineage."

Hearing the surname Dai, Meow Meow's tail gave a light flick.

So it really was the Star Luo White Tiger Lineage.

Qian Renxue continued asking:

"How did you end up in Heavenly Dou?"

Dai Lin gritted his teeth.

"I don't know clearly."

"I only remember a merchant caravan coming to town, saying they wanted to buy beast bones and medicinal herbs."

"Later, I was captured along with two of my clansmen."

"When I woke up, I was in a cage."

"What about the other two?"

Qian Renxue asked.

Fear crept into Dai Lin's eyes.

"I don't know."

"They took him away earlier than me."

The room fell silent.

Meow Meow didn't press further.

This child didn't know much.

Asking more would be useless.

He was just an unlucky wretch used as a test subject by the Black Eagle Family and the Star Luo Caravan.

Qian Renxue instructed the physician to continue tending to him and ordered her personal guards to reinforce security around the side courtyard.

After they walked out of the side courtyard, Meow Meow said in a low voice:

"There are two more."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"I'll have people investigate the Star Luo Caravan."

"But if those two have already been moved, we might not find them anytime soon."

"We have to look anyway."

Meow Meow said.

"Otherwise, the Black Eagle Family will try again sooner or later."

Inside the Calming Bell, Jianbing said nothing.

But Meow Meow could feel its tension.

The White Tiger Remnant Spirit's sensitivity to White Tiger bloodlines was far stronger than that of an ordinary Soul Master.

Ever since Dai Lin woke up, it had been restless.

When they returned to the Clear Radiance Pavilion, White Dew, Gray Ear, and Numb Tail were all there.

Numb Tail was still being punished.

He crouched in the corner, a piece of dried meat set before him.

He couldn't eat it.

This was a new training exercise Meow Meow had set for him.

"Stare at the food. Don't touch it."

"When you can hold out for an incense stick's time, then you pass."

Numb Tail's eyes had already gone glassy.

Seeing Meow Meow return, he immediately lifted his head, as if spotting a savior.

Meow Meow glanced at him.

"It's not time yet."

Numb Tail wilted again.

White Dew walked over to Meow Meow and gently rubbed against him.

Gray Ear also jumped down from the windowsill and let out a low meow.

Meow Meow looked at them.

"You want to know about the child in the side courtyard too?"

White Dew nodded.

Gray Ear nodded too.

Numb Tail was a beat slow, but when he saw everyone nodding, he followed suit.

Meow Meow felt a bit helpless.

"That child is called Dai Lin. He's a collateral branch of the Star Luo White Tiger."

"He has a faint bloodline resonance with Jianbing."

"Last night, the Black Eagle Family used him as a test subject."

White Dew's expression shifted instantly.

Gray Ear lowered his head and sniffed, as if memorizing that scent.

Even Numb Tail, for once, wasn't looking at the dried meat.

Jianbing said quietly from inside the Calming Bell:

"They caught two more."

"Mm."

Meow Meow nodded.

"So we still have to investigate."

White Dew lifted her head.

"Meow."

Meow Meow understood.

She wanted to go.

Gray Ear also let out a cry.

Numb Tail looked at White Dew, then at Gray Ear, and finally let out a weak cry too.

Meow Meow raised an eyebrow.

"All three of you want to go?"

White Dew nodded firmly.

Gray Ear nodded too.

Numb Tail hesitated for a moment, then also nodded.

Meow Meow looked at Numb Tail.

"Pass the jerky trial first, then we'll talk."

Numb Tail: "..."

He silently averted his gaze from the jerky.

Meow Meow sighed.

"You can go if you want."

"But not now."

"The Royal Academy isn't an ordinary place."

"There are Soul Kings and Soul Ancestors everywhere, plus hidden masterminds lurking somewhere."

"If you go now, you'll only end up as sacrifices if danger strikes."

White Dew was a bit unwilling.

Gray Ear, however, caught on quickly and lowered his head.

Numb Tail looked both relieved and a little disappointed.

Meow Meow watched the three for a moment.

Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"How about this."

"If you really want to follow and help, pass a trial first."

The three cats lifted their heads at once.

Jianbing also looked over.

Meow Meow shook the Calming Bell.

"The trial isn't hard."

"If you can run out alive, you pass."

When Numb Tail heard the words "run out," he relaxed a little.

He was good at running.

White Dew, meanwhile, stared seriously at Meow Meow.

Gray Ear's eyes lit up too.

Seeing them like this, Meow Meow added one more thing.

"But there's no food inside."

Numb Tail lowered his head again.

White Dew glanced at him.

Gray Ear also glanced at him.

Sensing something, Numb Tail immediately sat up straight, pretending he hadn't been thinking anything at all.

Qian Renxue watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh.

"They're still young."

"Precisely because they're young, they need to learn the rules first."

Meow Meow said.

"From now on, the Heavenly Dou Cat Net and the Sacred Flame Spirit Cat will only grow bigger. I can't be fishing every cat out of trouble every time something happens."

Qian Renxue nodded.

That made sense.

Meow Meow raised a paw and tapped.

The Calming Bell chimed softly.

A gray Trial Ground unfolded within the bell's sound.

This time, it wasn't the White Tiger Trial prepared specifically for Jianbing.

Instead, it was the more basic Cat Net Survival Trial.

Jungle.

Wetlands.

Ruins.

And a few hidden Soul Master auras.

Meow Meow hadn't set too strong enemies.

But he had added many traps.

Bell Array.

Mist Scent Grass.

Fake Jerky.

And Black Eagle Pattern Cloth.

The moment Numb Tail saw the Fake Jerky, his whole cat went stiff.

Meow Meow said coldly:

"That's a trap."

Numb Tail immediately looked away.

White Dew entered first.

Gray Ear followed.

Numb Tail hesitated for a moment, then jumped in too.

As the three cats landed, the surrounding light dimmed at once.

Wind rustled through the leaves, whispering.

White Dew crouched low instantly, sensing the surroundings.

Gray Ear sniffed the ground.

Numb Tail glanced at the jerky hanging on a branch ahead, then forced himself to look away.

Watching from outside, Meow Meow nodded in satisfaction.

"Some improvement."

The trial began.

The first stage was scent identification.

Several strips of cloth were scattered through the forest.

One carried the scent of the Black Eagle Family, one the Star Luo Caravan, and one was just an old rag left by an ordinary hunter.

Gray Ear quickly found the Black Eagle cloth.

White Dew found the Star Luo Caravan one.

Numb Tail found the jerky.

Meow Meow: "..."

When Numb Tail ran back with the Fake Jerky in his mouth, he looked quite pleased.

But suddenly, a Bell Array sprang from the jerky.

Clang-clang-clang.

The whole forest rang out.

White Dew and Gray Ear both looked at him.

Numb Tail froze.

The next moment, low beastly growls sounded from the woods.

Several low-rank Shadow Spirit Beasts crawled out of the grass.

Not strong.

But plenty in number.

Numb Tail turned and fled in terror.

Gray Ear reacted quickly, circling to the side to lure two away.

White Dew's Holy Fire glowed faintly, its calming aura settling over the panicked Numb Tail, steadying him slightly.

"Meow!"

White Dew called out.

Numb Tail seemed to understand.

He didn't run wild anymore, instead following White Dew as she burrowed toward a low stone cave.

Gray Ear quickly followed.

The three cats squeezed into the stone cave.

Outside, the Shadow Spirit Beasts circled a few times but didn't crawl in.

The first wave was over.

Meow Meow watched and felt a little amused.

"Not bad."

"Even though Numb Tail still made a mistake, at least he knew to run."

Qian Renxue said:

"They coordinated pretty quickly."

"Cats naturally huddle together."

Meow Meow said.

"It's just that no one taught them how to huddle before."

Inside the Trial Ground, the second round began.

This time it was stealth.

The three cats had to start from the stone cave and cross a ruin covered in Ringing Bell Wires.

White Dew was light-bodied and walked the steadiest.

Gray Ear sniffed the wind, able to avoid places with soul master auras in advance.

Numb Tail wasn't looking at food this time.

But he was too fat.

When squeezing through a broken wooden frame, his butt got stuck.

Meow Meow: "..."

Gray Ear turned back to tug him.

White Dew pushed with her paws.

Numb Tail mewed anxiously in a low voice.

Outside, the patrolling Shadow Spirit masters were already getting close.

Just then, Numb Tail suddenly sucked in his belly, and with a "puff," the whole cat rolled out.

He rolled too fast, nearly bumping into the bell wires nearby.

Gray Ear bit his tail in one go and dragged him to a stop.

White Dew lifted a paw and pressed down on the bell wire.

It barely didn't ring.

Numb Tail lay on the ground, eyes wide and dazed.

Meow Meow watched for a long while, then finally commented:

"At least he knew to suck in his belly."

Qian Renxue pressed her forehead.

The three cats continued forward.

The third round was retreat.

This time, Meow Meow didn't give them much buffer.

He directly released a Soul King-level pressure at the edge of the Trial Ground.

Gray Ear's fur stood on end instantly.

White Dew's expression also tensed.

Numb Tail's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed.

But he didn't yowl.

That was very important.

After the powerful soul master aura appeared, the three cats didn't think about fighting back. Instead, following the method Meow Meow had taught them before, they first scattered, then regrouped, and finally retreated toward the safe exit.

Midway, White Dew was blocked by a Shadow Spirit Beast.

Gray Ear had already almost reached the exit, but he turned back, circled around, and lured the shadow away.

Numb Tail stood by the exit, pacing anxiously on the spot.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he charged back, slamming his round body into the shadowy figure.

Thud.

The shadowy figure was fine.

Numb Tail, on the other hand, bounced right off.

But that one collision gave White Dew the chance to pull back.

The three cats finally burst out of the exit together.

The Calming Bell rang once.

The trial was over.

The three cats tumbled out of the bell.

Gray Ear landed steadily.

White Dew was only slightly out of breath.

Numb Tail, however, sprawled out flat like a cat pancake.

"Mew..."

It sounded like he was saying he never wanted to go in again.

Meow Meow watched the three little ones, his gaze softening a little.

"Not bad for a first run."

"Especially you, Numb Tail."

Numb Tail froze, lifting his head with difficulty.

Meow Meow continued:

"Even though you still fell for the food bait."

"Even though you got stuck."

"Even though your charge didn't budge anyone."

Numb Tail's head sank lower and lower.

"But you turned back to save White Dew in the end."

"That was good."

Numb Tail's eyes lit up.

White Dew walked over and gently nudged him.

Gray Ear swept his tail across him.

Numb Tail immediately perked up again.

Meow Meow found it amusing.

"Alright, don't get cocky."

"Starting today, you three will enter the trial once every day."

"In seven days, whoever can pass it consistently will be allowed to participate in the Heavenly Dou Cat Net's formal operations."

The three cats nodded in unison.

This time, even Numb Tail didn't hesitate.

Qian Renxue watched them and suddenly said:

"They're growing fast."

"Mm."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Ordinary cats don't have to be useless."

"Give them a chance, and they can learn too."

With that, he remembered something and looked back at Numb Tail.

"But the jerky confiscation still stands."

Numb Tail: "..."

The surge of heroic spirit from moments ago instantly deflated.

White Dew's tail swayed gently.

Gray Ear lowered his head to lick his paw.

The atmosphere in the Clear Radiance Pavilion was unusually relaxed.

But soon, footsteps sounded from outside the door.

The guard outside reported:

"Your Highness, the young man in the side courtyard has fully awakened."

"He says he has something important to report."

Qian Renxue looked at Meow Meow.

Meow Meow's smile faded.

"Let's go."

In the side courtyard, Dai Lin had already sat up.

His face was still pale, but his eyes were much clearer than the night before.

Seeing Qian Renxue enter, he hurriedly tried to bow, but was stopped.

"Speak while lying down," Qian Renxue said.

Dai Lin nodded, his voice still weak.

"Your Highness, the group that saved me wasn't just the Black Eagle Family."

"I heard a name while I was being escorted."

Meow Meow's ears perked up.

"What name?"

Dai Lin looked at the talking white cat, still not quite used to it.

But he knew he had been saved by this cat.

So he lowered his voice:

"Dugu."

The air in the room stilled for a moment.

Qian Renxue's expression shifted.

"Dugu?"

Meow Meow was also stunned.

Dugu Bo?

No.

Given Dugu Bo's temperament, he probably wouldn't team up with the Black Eagle Family for this kind of experiment.

And this Black Water contamination and White Tiger bloodline experiment didn't seem like his style at all.

Afraid they might misunderstand, Dai Lin quickly added:

"I only heard them say, 'Dugu's poison formation over there isn't easy to bypass.'"

"They also said if they could use the Black Water to wear down the poison formation, they could get close to a medicinal garden."

Medicinal garden.

Poison formation.

Dugu.

Those words linked together, and a place instantly popped into Meow Meow's mind.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

Sunset Forest.

Dugu Bo's lair.

One of Tang San's greatest opportunities in the original story.

Meow Meow's tail froze.

The Black Eagle Family's goal might not just be the White Tiger Sample.

They were also eyeing Dugu Bo's medicinal garden.

Qian Renxue had clearly thought of Dugu Bo too.

She said quietly, "Poison Douluo Dugu Bo."

Meow Meow looked at her.

"You know him?"

"I've heard of him," Qian Renxue said.

"One of the Title Douluo. Eccentric temperament. Specializes in poison."

"In and out of the Sunset Forest all year round."

Meow Meow's heart sank.

This thread had finally collided with the original story's main line.

The Sunset Forest.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

A place Tang San would go to later.

If the Black Eagle Family got involved ahead of time, who knew how badly they'd mess up the timeline.

But that was fine.

This place wasn't something Tang San should take all for himself anyway.

Meow Meow narrowed his eyes.

"Qinghe."

"Hm?"

"Investigate the outskirts of the Sunset Forest."

"Especially the areas where Dugu Bo has been active."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"I'll look into it."

Seeing the grave expressions on their faces, Dai Lin lowered his voice.

"I also heard them say the goods from Star Luo were just the first step."

"If they can get their hands on the Immortal Herbs in that medicine garden, they can stabilize the White Tiger Sample."

Meow Meow said nothing.

Immortal Herbs.

Those two words had finally surfaced.

Good.

The original Douluo mainline was starting to crowd in on him.

Meow Meow felt a complicated stir in his heart.

Tang San was still at Notting Academy.

But the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was already in the Black Eagle Family's sights.

If he let this slide, not only Tang San but even Dugu Bo might get dragged in early.

"Get some rest first."

Meow Meow looked at Dai Lin.

"What you've told me is very important."

Dai Lin nodded.

"Thank you... Lord Cat."

Meow Meow: "..."

Lord Cat?

Fine.

Better than Cat Master.

Once they left the side courtyard, Qian Renxue asked, "You want to go to the Sunset Forest?"

"Sooner or later."

Meow Meow said.

"If the Black Eagle Family has their eyes on it, their next move won't be small."

"And if Dugu Bo gets pulled in, things will get even messier."

Qian Renxue pondered for a moment.

"A Title Douluo isn't someone we can easily touch right now."

"I know."

Meow Meow nodded.

"So I'm not going to touch him."

"First, I need to confirm what the Black Eagle Family is really after."

"And also..."

He paused.

"If that medicinal garden really is Dugu Bo's territory, then the things inside must not be taken by the Black Eagle Family first."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"Do you know what's in there?"

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"Not sure."

"But a garden that the Black Eagle Family covets and is also tied to Poison Douluo."

"It's definitely no ordinary place."

Qian Renxue didn't press further.

She was already used to Meow Meow occasionally knowing strange things.

When Meow Meow returned to Clear Radiance Pavilion, the three little cats were already resting off to the side.

White Dew was still very well-behaved.

Gray Ear slept alertly.

Numb Tail, even in his dreams, stretched a paw to grab at the air, as if catching dried meat.

Meow Meow looked at them and suddenly felt his earlier arrangements weren't enough.

The Heavenly Dou Cat Net had to take shape as soon as possible.

Once the Sunset Forest line opened, eyes would be needed both inside and outside the city.

He opened his system panel.

[Current Main Quest Links: Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Black Eagle Family, Star Luo White Tiger, Sunset Forest, Dugu Poison Array.]

[Tip: The predetermined Opportunity Thread has deviated.]

Meow Meow's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the three words "Opportunity Thread."

Sure enough.

Tang San's opportunities were already being triggered early.

This was both bad and good.

The bad part was the situation was more chaotic.

The good part was he could intervene ahead of time.

He closed the panel and looked out the window.

"Tang San, Tang San."

"You're still studying in Notting."

"Someone's already got their eyes on your cheat zone."

Meow Meow shook his head lightly.

If Yu Xiaogang found out about this, he'd probably write three theoretical analyses.

But it wasn't their turn yet.

Meow Meow raised a paw and gently tapped the Calming Bell.

"Jianbing."

"I'm here."

"Rest up well."

"We might need to head to Sunset Forest soon."

Jianbing lifted his head.

"Is the White Tiger Sample there?"

"Maybe."

Meow Meow said.

"But more likely, there's a bunch of poison."

Jianbing was silent for a moment.

"Then I'll rest up first."

"Smart."

Meow Meow nodded in satisfaction.

He looked again at Numb Tail, curled up in sleep.

"And you three."

"The little trio."

"Seven days from now, if you still fall for that Fake Jerky trick, don't even think about leaving Heavenly Dou City."

Numb Tail twitched in his sleep.

No telling if he heard or not.

Outside the Clear Radiance Pavilion, the sky had already brightened.

A new wind blew into Heavenly Dou City.

And deep within the Sunset Forest, in a valley shrouded in poisonous mist, springs of ice and fire flowed quietly.

Several Immortal Herbs swayed gently in the haze.

No one yet knew that they had already caught the eyes of several parties.