Xiao Xiao's Feet Were a Little Sore

Xiao Xiao timidly raised her head and said in a small voice, "H-hello. I'm Xiao Xiao. It's so beautiful. Can I pet it?"

"My name is Chen Doudou. Go ahead and pet it if you want."

Chen Doudou waved a hand generously.

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up, and she cautiously edged closer.

She reached out a small, fair hand and gently touched Zeus's mane, then snatched it back as if she'd been shocked. When Zeus merely snorted placidly, she dared to stroke its smooth coat.

She was the perfect embodiment of that saying.

What girl could resist a fluffy creature with a beautiful face?

"What a good horse. This is the first time I've ever seen such a pretty one. What's it called?"

Xiao Xiao couldn't bear to stop petting it, her little face full of bliss.

"It's a Healing Pegasus from the Pegasus clan. Its name is Zeus."

Chen Doudou introduced it.

Just then, a young woman and a middle-aged man came hurrying over from the distance.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties, with lovely features and delicate skin.

The man was burly and looked like a Soul Master who had spent years traveling far and wide.

When the woman saw her daughter petting a thousand-year Pegasus, she was startled and hurried over. "Xiao Xiao! Come back, quickly!"

She looked at the three of them, her face full of apologies. "I'm so sorry. I only took my eyes off her for a moment. Xiao Xiao hasn't bothered you, has she? I'm truly sorry."

"It's all right, Auntie. Xiao Xiao is very well-behaved."

Chen Doudou shook his head to show that he didn't mind.

Only then did the man take a careful look at the three of them.

The purple-haired boy leading the group was young, but carried himself with distinction. He clearly came from a prominent family.

The black-haired girl beside him seemed timid, but her aura was lively. She was evidently a Soul Master too.

But what made her feel most uneasy was the stunning woman standing at the back.

The woman wore a purple-black outfit, and her bearing was cold and aloof. Though she stood right there, she seemed cut off from the space around her, giving off an unfathomable aura.

Especially those violet eyes, as if they could see straight through a person's heart.

"I'm Xiao Yuanshan. This is my wife, Chen Wenwen, and our daughter, Xiao Xiao. We're going to Star Dou Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring. Judging by the look of you, are you heading there to hunt Soul Beasts as well? Why don't we go together?" Xiao Yuanshan asked tentatively.

He wasn't very strong, only a Soul Saint. He'd heard that a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had recently been spotted on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, which had him deeply worried.

But if a powerhouse with an unfathomable aura came along, their journey would surely be much safer.

"Soul hunting?"

Bibi Dong suddenly spoke, her gaze settling on Xiao Xiao. "Is this child going to hunt for a Soul Ring too?"

"Yes. Our Xiao Xiao has Innate Full Soul Power. She just turned six this year, and we're preparing to get her First Soul Ring."

Xiao Yuanshan's face showed a trace of pride.

"Innate Full Soul Power?"

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up at once.

She began sizing Xiao Xiao up, making the girl's skin crawl.

The little girl hurried behind Chen Doudou and peeked out with half her face, whispering, "Your mom is so scary. It's like she wants to eat me."

Chen Doudou couldn't help laughing helplessly. He really hadn't expected Xiao Xiao to be so timid as a child.

Was this the power of contrast?

He quickly explained, "She's not my mom. You can just call her Sister Dong."

Bibi Dong realized she'd let herself show too much. She cleared her throat and resumed her usual aloof demeanor, though the eagerness in her eyes hadn't faded in the slightest. "Since we're all going Soul Hunting, let's go together. There's safety in numbers."

"That would be wonderful!"

Xiao Yuanshan and Chen Wenwen were overjoyed. This was an unexpected stroke of luck.

So, after agreeing on a meeting place,

the next day, the two groups met up and set off toward Star Dou Forest.

The journey to Star Dou Forest was much more relaxed than they'd expected.

The Xiao Yuanshan couple had clearly taken Bibi Dong as the anchor that would keep their trip steady, and they fussed over her all the way, doing everything they could to make her feel welcome.

As for Xiao Xiao, the little tagalong had completely latched onto Chen Doudou—or, more accurately, onto Pegasus Zeus.

"Brother Doudou, don't you think it's really hot today?"

"It's fine."

"The road's so hard to walk today."

"Is it?"

Xiao Xiao stared fixedly at the Pegasus, then glanced at her little feet after walking for half a day. She pouted pitifully. "But, Brother Doudou, my feet are so sore..."

Chen Doudou looked down at Xiao Xiao's dainty little boots, then at where her eyes were fixed, and immediately understood what the little girl was up to.

Her feet weren't sore at all. She was the kind of person who'd get drunk at a feast only to make a point of the wine—in this case, she had her eyes on the Pegasus's back!

He deliberately teased her. "Sore? I don't believe you. Unless you take them off and let me smell them."

Xiao Xiao's face instantly turned bright red, but to prove it, she still said softly, "Then, Brother Doudou... don't tell anyone."

As she spoke, she really started to take off her little boots, revealing the edge of her white socks.

"Wait, you're actually taking them off?"

Chen Doudou had only been joking offhandedly. He hadn't expected the little girl to take him seriously.

Startled, he hurried over and grabbed her hands.

Xiao Xiao looked up at him, her big eyes full of hurt and confusion. She said earnestly, "Didn't you say you wanted to smell them?"

"I meant... I meant your shoes must be poor quality. They're probably rubbing your feet. Who knew you'd actually take them off?"

Chen Doudou looked utterly defeated, feeling as if he'd dug a pit and buried himself in it. "You just want to ride the Pegasus, right? Go ahead. I never said you couldn't."

"That's great! Thanks, Brother Doudou!"

Xiao Xiao's hurt expression vanished in an instant. She clapped her hands in delight, tied her laces, and nimbly started climbing onto the Pegasus.

Watching that outrageous change of expression, Chen Doudou shook his head and grumbled, "Honestly, are we really less appealing than a Pegasus?"

Perhaps because they'd spent so much time together, Jiang Nannan had even learned to joke around. "Have a little confidence. In Xiao Xiao's eyes, we really might be less appealing than the Pegasus."

Chen Doudou's face fell. He clutched his chest and pretended to be wounded. "Come on, Sister Nannan. Is that any way to crush a person?"

Jiang Nannan gently patted his head and said warmly, "But don't worry. Even if you're not as appealing as the Pegasus, at least you still have me."

Chen Doudou: "..."

That was worse than no comfort at all.

Bibi Dong walked behind them, watching the boy try to tease the little girl only to get outplayed. Her lips were pressed together to keep from smiling.

She rather liked this sort of atmosphere. It was far better than all the scheming and infighting among those old fossils in the Divine Realm.

The search for a Soul Beast was long and tedious. Even with Bibi Dong leading the group, there was no avoiding that.

They searched for the better part of the day.

It wasn't until the sun sank and the sky began to darken that they spotted a group of Lightning Rabbits foraging behind a patch of bushes.

The setting sun's afterglow fell across the bushes, gilding the heads of the Lightning Rabbits as they fed.

But the tranquil scene lasted only a moment.

"Squeee!"

A sharp shriek rang out. For some unknown reason, the Lightning Rabbits, who had been docilely foraging, suddenly went berserk.

Perhaps they'd sensed the humans. Hundreds of Lightning Rabbits, their eyes red and electricity crackling around them, surged toward the group like a tide.

"Oh no, the rabbits are going wild! You kids, get behind me. I'll kill them!" Xiao Yuanshan cried in alarm, rushing to shield his wife and daughter as the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron appeared at once.

Xiao Xiao gripped Chen Doudou's clothes tightly, her little face tense. "Brother Doudou, they're so small. Do we really have to kill them?"

"Who said we have to kill them?"

Chen Doudou patted her little head and summoned the Life Rakshasa Holy Scythe with a grin. "Sister Nannan, Xiao Xiao, step back a little and watch me."

Holding the scythe, he flashed forward and charged into the rabbit horde.

"Second Soul Skill, All-Encompassing Forest!"

At his quiet command, the ground instantly stirred.

Countless vines burst from the earth and wrapped around every Lightning Rabbit's neck.

They lifted the rabbits into the air, restraining their movements without hurting them in the slightest.

The Lightning Rabbits struggled frantically, but they had nothing to push off against and could only squeak.

With the scythe in hand, Chen Doudou darted through the horde. Each time he swung, he avoided their vital spots and gently struck the frenzied rabbits with the back of the blade, knocking them unconscious.

Before long, every frenzied Lightning Rabbit was dangling from the vines, neatly suspended in midair like strings of wind chimes.

"Wow... that's amazing!"

Xiao Xiao stared, wide-eyed.