Trouble Before Leaving

However, the anticipated attack did not come.

That aura merely enveloped her without taking any further action.

Yet she could feel that she had been whisked away and was no longer in the dormitory.

As expected.

When Xiao Wu mustered the courage to open her eyes, she discovered to her surprise that she had arrived at a vast, open clearing without even realizing it.

Her heart sank once more; was she not even allowed to die by Lin Yi's side?

But upon closer inspection, the place looked familiar—it was the back mountain of the academy.

And the person standing before her.

He was currently facing away from her, clad in a simple gray robe, his figure appearing tall and upright.

Though she could not see his face, Xiao Wu could sense that this person possessed a temperament as steady as a mountain.

What shocked her most was that the fluctuations of soul power radiating from him gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

She just couldn't recall where she had seen him before.

"S-Senior..." Xiao Wu suppressed the panic in her heart, her voice trembling slightly, "Is there a reason you brought me here?"

The gray-robed man did not answer immediately.

A moment later, he slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu looked up and saw a face with well-defined features; he appeared to be nearly forty years old, yet his eyes held a depth that seemed to have seen through all the world's affairs.

Looking closely, his eyes were actually somewhat similar to Lin Yi's—no, it should be said that Lin Yi's were similar to his.

"Are you... Lin Yi's father?" Xiao Wu blurted out.

The gray-robed man smiled and nodded: "That's right, my name is Lin Yuan. You can call me Uncle Lin."

Xiao Wu gasped, her entire being stunned.

Lin Yi's father?

The father who was mocked in Lin Yi's inner voice as a common villager, unreliable, and someone who had abandoned his son and run off?

Yet the person before her was clearly an unfathomably powerful expert.

How could an existence of this level be a mere common villager?

"Surprised?" Lin Yuan seemed to see through Xiao Wu's thoughts, his tone indifferent, "I know you have many questions, but I don't have much time, so I will keep this brief."

He took two steps forward, his gaze landing on Xiao Wu, "You are a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit who has taken human form, right?"

Xiao Wu shuddered, instinctively wanting to retreat, only to find that her legs felt as if they had been glued to the spot.

"Don't be nervous." Lin Yuan waved his hand, "If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't have lived until today."

The words were spoken lightly, yet they sent a chill through Xiao Wu's heart.

Indeed, with this person's strength, killing her would be as easy as turning over his hand; there was no need to bring her here just to waste breath.

"Then... why did you seek me out, Senior?" Xiao Wu tried her best to steady herself.

Lin Yuan did not answer directly, instead looking up at the bright moon in the night sky. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly: "Over these years, I have been secretly watching over Xiao Yi, including his every move in the academy and those inner voices of his."

Xiao Wu was slightly shocked, but she quickly recovered.

She could hear Lin Yi's inner voice.

As Lin Yi's father, how could he not hear it?

But before she could speak, Lin Yi's father, Lin Yuan, continued: "So I know that you have been by Xiao Yi's side all these years, and I know that you have heard many things from those inner voices that you shouldn't have, including your own future..."

Xiao Wu's face turned paler and paler.

So all her actions had been seen through long ago.

"I know you want to change your fate." Lin Yuan's tone remained flat, "There is nothing wrong with that. Any intelligent life form would be unwilling to accept a predetermined, tragic ending. But the question is, is the method you chose truly correct?"

Xiao Wu bit her lip: "I just wanted to survive, and then..."

And then take revenge, though she never said it out loud.

Lin Yuan looked at her and shook his head slightly, "There are many ways to survive. Relying on the strong is one, and becoming strong yourself is another."

He paused, then continued: "You chose to follow Xiao Yi—is it because you think he can help you change your fate? Or do you think he is safer than Tang San?"

This question struck at the core, leaving Xiao Wu speechless for a moment.

She had indeed thought about these things.

When she first heard Lin Yi's inner voice, she was merely shocked by her own tragic future and wanted to escape.

Later, she discovered that Lin Yi seemed to know many secrets and harbored no malice toward her, which was why she decided to follow him.

But as for what she was specifically after... she hadn't even figured that out herself.

"I... I don't know." Xiao Wu lowered her head, her voice very soft, "I just felt that by following Lin Yi, there might be a glimmer of hope, and besides..."

And besides, I am very happy when I am with him.

Yet she knew her identity was that of a soul beast in human form, and felt she shouldn't be dwelling on such things.

Lin Yuan did not dwell on the latter part of Xiao Wu's words.

He smiled, though his smile carried a hint of helplessness, "Do you know what the biggest problem with that child, Lin Yi, is?"

Xiao Wu nodded blankly, then shook her head.

"He just wants to slack off." Lin Yuan sighed, his tone filled with the frustration of someone watching a loved one fail to live up to their potential, "You can hear it from his inner thoughts, can't you? He clearly has the talent and the potential, yet he only wants to live a peaceful life, far away from all trouble and strife."

"But in this world, without strength, where is there any peace?"

Xiao Wu was stunned.

Recalling Lin Yi's behavior over these years, it was indeed true.

Despite possessing Twin Martial Souls, one of which was a high-quality assault-type tool martial soul, he had stubbornly disguised himself as an ordinary support-type soul master.

Even when he had the opportunity to obtain better resources, he always chose the most low-key path.

Of course, the most crucial point was that Lin Yi did not know others could hear his inner thoughts, nor did he know he had such an earth-shattering background, which was why he wanted to slack off.

"You... what do you want me to do?" Xiao Wu vaguely guessed this senior's intentions.

Lin Yuan looked at her, his gaze becoming serious: "I need you to do two things for me."

"First, motivate Lin Yi. Make him understand that avoidance cannot solve problems; only by becoming stronger can he control his own destiny."

"Second, supervise him. Watch over him and don't let him continue to drift through life like this. When necessary... you can put some pressure on him."

After listening, Xiao Wu felt a complex mix of emotions.

She could understand a father's expectations for his son, but the problem was...

"Senior, why would Lin Yi listen to me?" Xiao Wu smiled bitterly, "Although he has been good to me over the years, he has also been trying every possible way to shake me off. Will he listen to my words? And... you also know my identity."

"This is what I am going to give you." Lin Yuan took a palm-sized jade box from his robes and handed it to Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu took the jade box in confusion and opened it to look inside.

Lying in the box was a thumb-sized red crystal. Inside the crystal, it seemed as if liquid was flowing, emitting a warm, gentle luster.

The most magical thing was that as soon as this crystal appeared in the air, Xiao Wu could clearly feel that the aura of a soul beast on her body was completely masked.

"This is..." Xiao Wu's breathing quickened.

"A Breath-Hiding Stone." Lin Yuan explained, "Wearing it on your person can completely hide your soul beast aura. Even a powerhouse at the level of a Title Douluo would not be able to discover your true identity without careful investigation."

Xiao Wu's hands were trembling.

This... wasn't this exactly what she had dreamed of?

With this Breath-Hiding Stone, she would no longer have to live in constant fear, worrying about being discovered by human powerhouses.

She could walk freely across the continent like a truly ordinary human soul master.

"Senior, this is too precious." Xiao Wu wanted to decline, yet she could not bear to let it go.

"Accept it." Lin Yuan waved his hand, "It is nothing to me, but it is very important to you. Moreover, there are conditions for me giving this to you."

Xiao Wu took a deep breath and gripped the jade box tightly in her hand: "Please speak, Senior."