Nuoding City, the market near the city gate.
The Heaven Dou Royal Knights had just finished replenishing their supplies and were lining up to leave the city.
A huge caravan ahead was undergoing an inspection by the city guards, so the knights had no choice but to wait by the bustling street.
The civilians nearby, intimidated by the knights' imposing presence, hurriedly gave them a wide berth.
Inside the purple-gold carriage.
Xue Yao had been resting with his eyes closed, keeping his perception of the wind element at a very low level of consumption while remaining alert for the pressure of a Titled Douluo that might appear at any moment.
Suddenly.
A breeze flowing through the air carried a faint, yet unmistakably unusual fluctuation.
It wasn't the Soul Power aura of a human Soul Master.
It was a pure, wild scent, with a faint fragrance of grass and trees.
Though it was hidden extremely well, as if concealed by some strange rule, Xue Yao had absorbed the crystal core of the Dark Gold Wind God Dragon. His sensitivity to all kinds of auras in the world had long surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Master.
"Hm?"
Xue Yao's eyes snapped open, a glint flashing through their depths.
"This aura... is it a Soul Beast?"
"And this level of purity—it's definitely not some low-level beast that's only a hundred or a thousand years old. It's practically a walking mass of origin energy!"
How could such a pure Soul Beast aura be found deep in a human city?
Xue Yao gently lifted the carriage curtain and looked toward the noisy market.
Amid the bustling crowd, a petite figure immediately caught his eye.
She was a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old.
She wore a pink top and a pair of tight shorts.
Most striking were the fluffy rabbit-ear ornaments on her head and the glossy black scorpion braid that hung down behind her to her calves.
At that moment, the little girl stood in front of a vegetable stall, clutching two fresh, dewy carrots as she haggled fiercely with the plump stall owner.
"Auntie, these carrots aren't even fresh anymore. How can you still charge so much? Give me a discount! I'll take them all!"
The little girl's voice was clear and sweet, with a hint of her own particular childish charm.
Inside the carriage, Xue Yao's pupils contracted slightly, and a playful, cold smile curled his lips.
"Xiao Wu."
No wonder her aura was so pure.
A transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Charm Rabbit—a top-tier "humanoid treasure of heaven and earth" on the Douluo Continent. A walking Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, plus a guaranteed Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Xue Yao leaned by the window and watched her silently.
As if sensing a certain frank and piercing gaze, Xiao Wu suddenly stopped chewing her carrot and turned around, alert.
Her eyes passed through the crowd and landed squarely on the luxurious purple-gold carriage.
Their eyes met.
Xiao Wu's big, watery eyes lit up at once.
Xiao Wu had always been a sucker for good looks, and as a transformed Soul Beast, she had that naturally outgoing, fearless wildness of a "Rogue Rabbit" in her bones.
She stopped chewing her carrot and simply tossed the money to the stall owner.
Then, under the wary gazes of the knights, she bounced across the street and headed straight for the carriage.
"Clang—"
Two of the Royal Knights on the outside instantly drew their swords and stepped in front of Xiao Wu, their faces cold.
"Outrageous! This is a restricted area for the Knights. Unauthorized persons, stand back!"
Startled by the gleaming swords, Xiao Wu took half a step back.
But she wasn't afraid. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and glared right back at them.
"Why are you being so fierce? It's not like you own the road!"
Then she rose onto her tiptoes, peered over the knight's shoulder, and waved the half-eaten carrot at Xue Yao through the carriage window, smiling brightly.
"Hey, handsome! You're so good-looking—ten thousand times better-looking than the boys at my academy!"
"Are you a noble from a big city? Your carriage is so pretty, even grander than the city lord's!"
Inside the carriage, Xue Yao looked at the "Hundred-Thousand-Year Rogue Rabbit" who had delivered herself right to his doorstep, his expression utterly unchanged.
Anyone else, faced with the temptation of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, would probably have already been unable to resist making a move.
But Xue Yao was perfectly clearheaded.
His first thought wasn't how to catch the rabbit, but—where was Tang Hao?!
He abruptly closed his eyes and unhesitatingly pushed his perception to its limit.
An invisible wave of green swept out from the carriage, instantly covering an area two miles in every direction.
The taverns, the blacksmith shops, the street corners, even the underground sewers...
Like someone sweeping for mines, Xue Yao meticulously searched every inch of space.
"Nothing."
"Not even a trace of that terrifying pressure, like a mountain bearing down."
Only after confirming that there were no high-level Soul Master auras within two miles that could threaten him did Xue Yao slowly open his eyes.
It seemed that today, the rabbit had come out to wander the streets alone.
That drunken Tang Hao, who carried a hammer around all day, wasn't anywhere nearby.
And that brat Tang San was probably sweating over his hammer in the academy's blacksmith shop.
Since Tang Hao wasn't here...
Xue Yao's gaze turned unfathomable.
You walked right into my hands.
"Stand down."
Xue Yao's cool voice came from inside the carriage.
The two knights blocking the way immediately sheathed their swords and respectfully moved aside.
Xue Yao pushed open the carriage door, stepped down onto the running board, and gracefully climbed out.
He was more than a head taller than Xiao Wu, and looked down at the curious little girl before him, her face as delicate as a doll's.
Up close, the tempting aura of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was even stronger.
"What's your name?" Xue Yao asked mildly. His voice was gentle, yet carried an authority that brooked no refusal.
Xiao Wu didn't notice any danger at all. She grinned and took a bite of her carrot, then answered around a mouthful.
"My name's Xiao Wu. Wu, as in dance! What's your name, handsome?"
"Xue Yao."
"Xue Yao? What a strange name. But you sure are good-looking."
Xiao Wu eyed Xue Yao's clothes, a sly glint in her eyes. "You look really rich. I didn't have enough money for the carrots I just bought. You're so handsome—could you treat me to a big meal?"
The knights around them frowned at the Rogue Rabbit's shameless words. The little girl was practically asking for trouble.
Yet Xue Yao wasn't angry.
Instead, he gave a soft laugh.
"You want a big meal? Sure."
Xue Yao glanced at the growing crowd in the street and the caravan gathering nearby.
This place was too conspicuous.
"But there are too many people here, and it's too noisy."
Xue Yao casually pointed to a dark, quiet dead-end alley beside the street.
"The carrots you just bought looked poor quality. There's an old shop in that alley that sells the finest, crispiest carrots. Want to come take a look?"
At the words "finest, crispiest carrots," Xiao Wu's eyes instantly turned starry, and she was practically drooling.
"Really? You're not lying to me?"
"I never lie to little rabbits." Xue Yao's smile deepened.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Xiao Wu eagerly grabbed Xue Yao's splendid sleeve. Not only was she not the least bit wary, she even urged him toward the alley.
Xue Yao turned his head and gave the knight captain an exceedingly subtle look.
The captain understood at once and immediately signaled.
Four elite knights silently scattered into the crowd, discreetly sealing off every exit from the alley.
"Let's go."
Xue Yao let Xiao Wu tug at his sleeve.
With unhurried steps, he led the innocent, carefree Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast farther and farther into the shadowy corner of the alley, where no sunlight reached.
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