At that thought, Ye Cixin could not help growing angry. Lying to a child this young? What kind of monster did that?
"Child, the Star Dou Great Forest is very dangerous. It's no place for you. If you want to hunt for a Soul Ring, you should go to the Soul Beast Breeding Forest."
"Besides, your Soul Power has to reach level ten before you can obtain your first Soul Ring. From the look of you, you've only just awakened your Martial Soul. You can't be ready to hunt for a Soul Ring yet."
Unable to bear seeing Meng Chen "deceived," Ye Cixin patiently explained the rules of Soul Masters to him.
"But the Soul Master who awakened me said I had Innate Full Soul Power, so I could get my first Soul Ring right away."
Meng Chen's startling words made the beautiful woman in white stare at him in shock. "What? You have Innate Full Soul Power?"
"Mm." Meng Chen nodded.
In an instant, the way Ye Cixin looked at him changed completely. Her eyes filled with delight.
Who could understand this kind of luck? She had found a child with Innate Full Soul Power out in the wild while traveling! If she didn't act fast, she'd lose her chance!
"Little one, it isn't safe for you out here alone. Why don't you come with Auntie?"
"The Star Dou Great Forest is much too far from here. Auntie can take you to the Sunset Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring instead. How does that sound? Are you hungry? Auntie has the best pastries in Heaven Dou City in her carriage..."
Ye Cixin had turned into the big bad wolf in grandmother's clothing. She tempted Meng Chen, hoping to lure this child with Innate Full Soul Power into her carriage.
When Ye Lingling heard that her mother intended to share her pastries with Meng Chen, she pursed her little lips, displeased.
Seeing things develop just as he had hoped, Meng Chen put on a wary look. "Auntie, you're not planning to sell me, are you?"
"Hmph! My mother is the greatest healing Soul Master in the world! She earns at least a hundred Gold Soul Coins for a single treatment. Why would she ever kidnap a child? Mother, let's go. Ignore this little brat!"
The moment her mother came under suspicion, Ye Lingling sprang to her defense. Her little face puffed up with anger as she glared fiercely at Meng Chen.
Ye Cixin could not bring herself to scold her daughter for butting in. After all, she wanted to take Meng Chen with them so he could protect Ye Lingling in the future.
"I'm sorry, little one. My daughter speaks without thinking. Please believe Auntie. On my reputation as the greatest healing Soul Master in the world, I promise I'm not a bad person."
Ye Cixin made her promise and looked at Meng Chen with complete sincerity.
Deciding he had kept up the act long enough, Meng Chen relented. "All right. I'll trust you this once, Auntie."
"Good, good. Come, climb into Auntie's carriage. I'll have a guard drive yours."
The beautiful woman in white beamed when Meng Chen agreed. Ye Cixin took his little hand in her soft, pale one and led him toward her carriage.
Ye Lingling followed behind her mother. She glanced at Meng Chen and gave a delicate snort. She hated him!
Ye Cixin's carriage was far better than the scar-faced driver's. The spacious cabin carried a faint fragrance and held a soft sofa and a small tea table laden with fruit and pastries.
"Auntie hasn't introduced herself yet. My name is Ye Cixin, and this is my daughter, Ye Lingling. She's six years older than you, so you can call her big sister."
Ye Cixin handed Meng Chen an exquisite pastry as she introduced them.
Hearing their names confirmed Meng Chen's suspicions about their identities.
The name "Ling Ling" and the girl's silver-gray hair had already made him suspect she was Ye Lingling.
But the original story had said very little about Ye Lingling, so Meng Chen did not know much about her.
She had appeared only twice in total, hadn't she? After that, she had never been seen again.
She possessed the Nine-Hearted Begonia, which could heal groups across a wide area, yet she had never appeared on the battlefield. What had become of her and her mother? It was hard not to wonder.
As for whether they had fallen at Spirit Hall's hands, none of the Spirit Hall intelligence Meng Chen knew of mentioned any operation against them.
Meng Chen ate the pastry Ye Cixin had given him and considered how to change his plans.
He had wanted to go to the Star Dou Great Forest because Soul Beasts were plentiful there.
Danger lurked at every turn in the Star Dou Great Forest, and Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were everywhere. But as long as Meng Chen stayed on the outskirts and kept away from the inner regions, he would face little danger.
Besides, Ye Xishui was there to protect him. Even if the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python attacked, he had nothing to fear.
It was just...
"Little one, you still haven't told Auntie your name. I've been thinking of adopting a boy to keep Ling Ling company. Since your parents are gone, why not become my son? Auntie..."
Watching the begonia beauty chatter on, Meng Chen began to regret getting into the carriage. This was definitely not a ride to kindergarten!
And those enormous headlights of hers were making him dizzy!
"Aunt Ye, I may not have parents, but I do have a teacher. So please don't decide to adopt me on your own."
Seeing Ye Cixin grow more enthusiastic by the second, Meng Chen hurried to interrupt her.
He knew what the begonia beauty was after. Someone with Innate Full Soul Power was widely considered a future Titled Douluo. So long as he did not die along the way, he was certain to become one.
Adopting a child with Innate Full Soul Power would be like picking up a future Titled Douluo for free. To Ye Cixin, that would give her daughter the best protection she could hope for.
"I see. Auntie got ahead of herself. Since you have a teacher, perhaps I could discuss it with your teacher..."
Ye Cixin still did not want to give up. She tried to reach her goal by another route.
But the moment she mentioned Meng Chen's teacher, a sense of danger unlike anything she had ever felt seized her, as though a huge hand had closed tightly around her!
It felt as if one more word would drag the begonia beauty into an endless abyss!
An icy chill swept through Ye Cixin as though she had fallen into a frozen cavern. Her voluptuous body began to tremble against her will.
She looked at the little boy before her, her expression changing as fear rose in her heart.
Could his teacher be nearby?!
Ye Cixin's throat bobbed with a gulp as she swallowed the words she had been about to say. When she looked at Meng Chen again, there was wariness in her eyes.
Only then did she realize that a child bold enough to head for the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts just after awakening his Martial Soul could hardly be without protection.
The carriage fell silent. Ye Cixin dared not ask anything more, and she began to regret bringing Meng Chen aboard.
When the begonia beauty stopped talking, Meng Chen knew Ye Xishui had acted.
"Aunt Ye, I appreciate your kindness. Sorry for the trouble, but please let me off at the nearest city."
"All right. Of course."
Ye Cixin nodded repeatedly. After that warning from Ye Xishui in the shadows, how could she still harbor designs on him?
All she wanted now was to be rid of this ticking bomb named Meng Chen and put as much distance between them as possible.
Of course there was no such thing as a child with Innate Full Soul Power roaming wild!
A little over two hours later.
Outside Keer City, the carriage gradually came to a stop. Ye Cixin told Ye Lingling to stay inside, then stepped down with Meng Chen.
"Keer City is just ahead. It's a long way from the Star Dou Great Forest, but the Sunset Forest is much closer—only a little over four hundred li away."
"The Soul Beasts in the Sunset Forest may not be as good as those in the Star Dou Great Forest, but it's less dangerous. Auntie still recommends going there. It's safer."
Ye Cixin bent down to give Meng Chen this advice and stroked his head, a trace of regret in her lovely eyes.
What a pity. Why couldn't this child have been on his own?
Though she could not take Meng Chen home, nothing stopped her from leaving him with a good impression.
The begonia beauty then handed Meng Chen a detailed map of Tiandou, along with a Gold Soul Card.
"I'm sorry. Auntie didn't mean to bring up your parents earlier. I hope you'll forgive my thoughtless words. There are ten thousand Gold Soul Coins on this Gold Soul Card. Please accept it as an apology. If you ever have time, come visit Auntie in Heaven Dou City."
Meng Chen did not refuse the map or the Gold Soul Card. After putting them away, he smiled at Ye Cixin.
"Thank you, Aunt Ye. Oh, and my name is Meng Chen. When I'm older, I'll come see you in Heaven Dou City."
"Meng Chen... What a lovely name. Auntie won't keep you any longer. I'll see you in Heaven Dou City."
After repeating Meng Chen's name, the begonia beauty gave him a gentle smile. She said goodbye and turned back toward her carriage.
Before you continue