[Speaking of which, Erming was hot-tempered and fiercely protective. If it sensed Xiao Wu's aura, it definitely wouldn't sit idly by.]
[But in the original story, Erming had charged out recklessly because Zhao Wuji was there and it thought someone was harming Little Rabbit.]
[But now, among the three of us, Little Rabbit has the highest level. Erming might just be watching.]
[But that doesn't make sense. Is it going to show up or not?]
[If you're going to show up, then just come already. I'll pretend to be terrified and take the chance to slip away.]
[If you're not coming out, at least make a sound so I can think of something else.]
[Sigh, this is really difficult.]
Hearing this Heart Voice, Erming was once again speechless.
Pretend to be afraid?
Did this human brat really have so little regard for it?
And he even knew what its personality was like.
Then again, it really had wanted to charge out just now.
But when it saw that the others posed no threat to Sister Xiao Wu, it suppressed the impulse.
And what had this human brat meant by "the original story"?
What was that?
Still, none of that was the important part. The most important thing was that this human brat clearly knew Sister Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had undergone Soul Beast Transformation, yet all he could think about was shaking her off?
Why?
Sister Xiao Wu was so cute and lovable. Was something wrong with this human brat's head?
Erming scratched its head and decided to continue watching.
It wanted to see exactly what this human brat was up to.
Meanwhile, inside the rock cave.
Xiao Wu lay on her side atop a bed of dry grass, her eyes closed and her breathing steady, looking as though she were fast asleep.
But in truth, she was completely awake.
She heard Lin Yi's Heart Voice perfectly clearly, and she could also distinctly sense that aura several miles away.
That fellow Erming really had come.
It was just that it still hadn't shown itself, which surprised her somewhat.
By rights, with that fellow's temperament, the moment it sensed her return, it should have rushed over long ago.
Could it really be as Lin Yi said, that it saw she wasn't in any danger and was merely watching??
At that thought, the corners of Xiao Wu's lips curled up slightly before she quickly suppressed the smile.
She turned over to face the stone wall and continued pretending to sleep.
Zhu Zhuqing, seated on the other side of the cave, was awake as well.
With her back against the stone wall and her eyes slightly narrowed, she appeared to be resting with her eyes closed, but her attention had remained fixed on Lin Yi.
Four days.
She had traveled through this forest with Lin Yi and Xiao Wu for four days. The Heart Voices she heard had grown increasingly numerous, and so had the things she learned.
Erming.
This name had appeared many times in Lin Yi's Heart Voice.
From those scattered fragments of information, she had pieced together a rough picture.
Erming was an extraordinarily terrifying Soul Beast, perhaps an overlord-level existence in this Star Dou Forest.
And it seemed to share some special connection with Xiao Wu.
This connection was certainly not something ordinary human Soul Masters and Soul Beasts would have.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze shifted to Xiao Wu's back.
Was this lively, cheerful girl—
This talkative, smiling girl—really as simple as she appeared?
She recalled Lin Yi's Heart Voice from their first day of camping.
Send Little Rabbit back to the Star Dou Forest...
Little Rabbit?
At the time, she had thought it was merely Lin Yi's nickname for Xiao Wu, since Xiao Wu's martial soul was the Soft Bone Rabbit.
But now, it seemed that perhaps... it was more than just a nickname.
Still, she didn't want to investigate further.
She truly didn't.
After all, she already had more than enough troubles of her own. There was no need to get caught up in someone else's secrets.
What she needed to do now was grow stronger, then face the fate she was destined to face.
But...
But was changing one's fate really so easy?
After leaving the Star Dou Forest, she didn't know whether she should continue following Lin Yi or go to Suotuo City to find her fiancé, whom she had never met and who was also a notorious playboy.
But after these past few days together, she vaguely felt—
It seemed that following the boy before her was far better than seeking out that fiancé she had never met.
Just then, a crisp voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Lin Yi?"
Hearing the voice, Zhu Zhuqing looked up and saw that Xiao Wu had somehow sat up and was rubbing her eyes as she looked at Lin Yi.
She continued, "Go get some sleep. I'll take the second half of the night watch."
Lin Yi turned back to look at her, somewhat surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, looking as though it were only natural. "You've been keeping watch for several days now. It's time to switch. Besides, I'm about to break through level thirty. I've got plenty of energy."
Lin Yi stared at her silently for two seconds, then stood up and dusted off his clothes. "All right. Be careful. Call me if anything happens."
[Little Rabbit is being so sensible today? Don't tell me she's plotting something?]
[But whatever. Having someone take over is perfect. I've really been exhausted these past few days.]
"Got it, got it." Xiao Wu waved her hand and sat down at the cave entrance.
She really was plotting something, but not to leave Lin Yi. She wanted to use her night watch as an opportunity to find Erming.
For one thing, she was close to breaking through. For another, because she had undergone Soul Beast Transformation, her Soul Rings condensed on their own.
If Lin Yi and Zhu Zhuqing saw it, she wouldn't be able to explain.
Lin Yi walked into the cave and lay down where Xiao Wu had been, but his thoughts did not stop.
[Little Rabbit volunteered for night watch. Something about this feels strange...]
[Could she be planning to sneak out in the middle of the night to see Erming?]
[If that's the case, then it makes sense.]
[Then should I slip away after she leaves?]
[But if I leave like that, what about Zhu Zhuqing?]
[No, no, why am I thinking so much? As long as I can shake them off, that's enough...]
Lin Yi turned over, and his consciousness gradually blurred.
Xiao Wu sat with her back to the bonfire, her gaze fixed on the darkness outside the cave.
After sitting for a while, she suddenly turned her head and looked toward Zhu Zhuqing on the other side of the cave.
Their gazes met in the darkness.
"Zhuqing." Xiao Wu lowered her voice. "You should sleep too. It'll be fine with me keeping watch."
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment, then nodded lightly and closed her eyes again.
But she did not sleep.
She merely shifted into a more comfortable position and remained alert.
Time passed second by second.
About half an hour later, Xiao Wu suddenly moved.
She stood up and glanced back into the depths of the cave.
Zhu Zhuqing lay on her side, seemingly asleep.
On the other side, Lin Yi's brow had relaxed. He was sleeping deeply, clearly exhausted.
"Lin Yi, Zhuqing..."
After softly calling out several times and receiving no response, Xiao Wu silently vanished into the darkness beyond the cave entrance.
Almost the instant she left, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes.
She neither made a sound nor showed any intention of following her.
After all, from Lin Yi's Heart Voice during their past few days together, she had long known that Xiao Wu shared some special connection with this forest.
That being called Erming should be nearby.
It was perfectly normal for Xiao Wu to secretly slip away to see it.
What was abnormal was the other person.
Before you continue