Picking Up Kids by the Roadside Is Dangerous: The Frightened Begonia Beauty Mother

At this thought, Ye Cixin could not help feeling a little angry. Even such a young child had been deceived—how inhuman!

"Child, the Star Dou Great Forest is extremely dangerous. It isn't a place you can enter. If you want to obtain a Soul Ring, you should go to the Soul Beast Breeding Forest instead."

"Besides, your Soul Power must reach level ten before you can obtain your first Soul Ring. Judging by you, you must have only just awakened your martial soul. You haven't reached the level to hunt a Soul Ring yet, have you?"

Unwilling to see Meng Chen get "deceived," Ye Cixin patiently explained the rules for Soul Masters to him.

"But the Soul Master who helped me awaken said I had Innate Full Soul Power and could directly obtain my first Soul Ring."

To her surprise, Meng Chen's words were astonishing. The white-clad beautiful woman's expression changed abruptly, her eyes filled with shock as she cried, "What! You have Innate Full Soul Power?!"

"Mm." Meng Chen nodded.

In an instant, the way Ye Cixin looked at Meng Chen completely changed, her gaze brimming with delight.

Who could understand this? She had found a wild Innate Full Soul Power child while traveling! First come, first served—hesitate and you lose!

"Little friend, it isn't safe for you to be alone out here in the wilderness. Why not come with Auntie?"

"The Star Dou Great Forest is too far from here. Auntie can take you to Sunset Forest to hunt a Soul Ring, all right? Are you hungry? Auntie has the finest pastries from Heaven Dou City in her carriage..."

At that moment, Ye Cixin transformed into a wolfish grandmother, beginning to tempt Meng Chen in hopes of luring this wild Innate Full Soul Power child into her carriage.

Hearing that her mother wanted to share her pastries with Meng Chen, Ye Lingling pursed her little lips, somewhat displeased.

Seeing events develop as he had hoped, Meng Chen pretended to be wary. "Auntie, you aren't planning to sell me, are you?"

"Hmph! My mother is the greatest healing Soul Master in the world. Treating someone once costs at least a hundred Gold Soul Coins. How could she possibly abduct children? Mother, let's go. Don't bother with this little brat!"

Hearing her mother being suspected, Ye Lingling immediately stepped forward. Her little face puffed up with anger as she glared viciously at Meng Chen.

Seeing her daughter disrupt things and jump out to defend her, Ye Cixin could not bear to scold her. After all, the reason she wanted to take Meng Chen with her was so that he could protect Ye Lingling in the future.

"Sorry, little friend. My daughter speaks without thinking. Believe Auntie—Auntie guarantees on the reputation of the world's greatest healing Soul Master that I am absolutely not a bad person."

Ye Cixin assured Meng Chen, looking at him with complete sincerity.

Figuring he had acted enough, Meng Chen could not continue refusing. "All right. I'll trust Auntie this once."

"Mm-hm, come. Get into Auntie's carriage. Auntie will have the guards drive your carriage for you."

Seeing Meng Chen agree, the white-clad beautiful woman immediately beamed. Ye Cixin's fair, delicate hand took Meng Chen's little hand and led him toward her carriage.

Ye Lingling followed behind her mother. Looking at Meng Chen, she gave a soft snort through her pretty nose. She hated him!

Ye Cixin's carriage was far better than Scarface Coachman's. Not only was the compartment spacious and filled with a faint fragrance, it also had soft sofas and a small tea table covered with fruits and pastries.

"Auntie hasn't introduced herself yet. Auntie is Ye Cixin, and this is Auntie's 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 and introduced herself.

After hearing this, Meng Chen's guesses about their identities were confirmed.

When he had heard the name "Ling Ling" earlier, along with that silver-gray hair, Meng Chen had guessed that the girl might be Ye Lingling.

However, Ye Lingling had received very little description in the original work, so Meng Chen did not know much about her.

She had only appeared twice in total, perhaps, and was never seen again afterward.

She clearly possessed the Nine-Hearted Begonia, capable of area-wide group healing, yet she had never appeared on the battlefield. The fate of her and her mother was rather thought-provoking!

As for whether they had fallen at Spirit Hall's hands, at least among the Spirit Hall intelligence Meng Chen knew of, there had been no operations targeting them.

Eating the pastry Ye Cixin fed him, Meng Chen considered how he should alter his plans.

The reason he had wanted to go to the Star Dou Great Forest was because it possessed abundant Soul Beast resources.

Although the Star Dou Great Forest was fraught with danger and ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts were everywhere, as long as he did not approach the inner region and only moved around the outer region, it would not pose much danger to Meng Chen.

Moreover, Ye Xishui was protecting him. Even if the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python attacked him, he had nothing to fear.

However...

"Little friend, you still haven't told Auntie your name. Auntie happens to want to adopt a boy to keep Ling Ling company. Since your parents are no longer around, why don't you become Auntie's adopted son? Auntie..."

Looking at the Begonia beauty mother chattering away, Meng Chen suddenly regretted getting into the carriage. This was not a ride to kindergarten at all!

And those enormous headlights had already made him a little dizzy!

"Auntie Ye, although I don't have parents, I have a teacher. So please don't make the decision to adopt me on your own."

Seeing Ye Cixin grow more and more animated, Meng Chen hurriedly interrupted her.

He knew what this Begonia beauty mother was planning. Innate Full Soul Power was universally recognized as the seed of a Titled Douluo. As long as one did not die midway, one would certainly become a Titled Douluo in the future.

Being able to adopt a child with Innate Full Soul Power as her adopted son was equivalent to gaining a future Titled Douluo for free. To Ye Cixin, that would be the best protection she could give her daughter.

"Is that so? Auntie was overthinking it. Since you have a teacher, why don't I discuss it with your teacher..."

Ye Cixin still did not want to give up and tried to take an indirect route.

Yet the moment she mentioned Meng Chen's teacher, she felt an unprecedented sense of danger, as though a giant hand had tightly enveloped her!

It was as though if the Begonia beauty mother said one more word, she would be dragged into an endless abyss!

Ye Cixin instantly felt as though she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her mature, voluptuous body began trembling uncontrollably.

She looked at the little boy before her, her expression changing slightly as a trace of fear rose in her heart.

Could his teacher be nearby?!

Ye Cixin's throat bobbed softly with a gulp, as though she had swallowed the words she was about to say. At the same time, the way she looked at Meng Chen changed, revealing a hint of wariness.

Only then did she realize that how could a child who dared head alone to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts immediately after awakening his martial soul possibly be without anyone protecting him?

For a moment, the carriage fell silent. Ye Cixin did not dare ask any further questions and even regretted bringing Meng Chen into the carriage.

Seeing that the Begonia beauty mother had stopped talking endlessly, Meng Chen knew Ye Xishui had made her move.

"Auntie Ye, I appreciate your kindness. Please let me off directly when we reach the nearest city."

"All right, all right."

Ye Cixin nodded repeatedly. After Ye Xishui's unseen intimidation, how could she still dare set her sights on him?

Now, she only wanted to get away from Meng Chen, this ticking time bomb, and stay as far away as possible.

Sure enough, how could there be such a thing as wild Innate Full Soul Power in this world?

More than two hours later.

Outside Keer City, the carriage gradually came to a stop. Ye Cixin had Ye Lingling remain in the carriage while she and Meng Chen stepped down.

"Keer City is not far ahead. It is far from the Star Dou Great Forest, but much closer to Sunset Forest, only a little over four hundred li away."

"Although the Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest are not as high-quality as those in the Star Dou Great Forest, it is not as dangerous. Auntie still recommends that you go to Sunset Forest. It is safer there."

Ye Cixin bent down to advise Meng Chen, reaching out to pat his head. A trace of regret surfaced in her beautiful eyes.

What a pity. Why wasn't this child wild?

Though she had failed to bring Meng Chen home, that did not prevent her from forming a good connection with him.

Afterward, the Begonia beauty mother gave Meng Chen a detailed map of Heaven Dou and a Gold Soul Card.

"Sorry, Auntie did not mean to ask about your parents earlier. I hope you can forgive Auntie for misspeaking. There are ten thousand Gold Soul Coins in this Gold Soul Card; consider it Auntie's apology. If you have time in the future, you can come find Auntie in Heaven Dou City."

Looking at the Heaven Dou map and Gold Soul Card, Meng Chen did not refuse. After putting them away, he smiled at Ye Cixin and said:

"Thank you, Auntie Ye. Oh, right, my name is Meng Chen. Once I grow up, I'll go to Heaven Dou City to find you."

"Meng Chen... a good name. Auntie won't delay you any longer. We'll meet again in Heaven Dou City."

After murmuring Meng Chen's name, the Begonia beauty mother revealed a gentle smile. After bidding him farewell, she turned and walked back into the carriage.