Today Is a Heart-to-Heart

Xu Linjiu did not answer Xiao Wu. He only looked at her quietly.

The air seemed to freeze completely in that instant.

The smile on Xiao Wu's face gradually vanished. Even though Xu Linjiu offered no further explanation, every question had already been answered in the silence.

The next second, she abruptly turned and bolted toward the back mountain.

The most primal instinct of a transformed soul beast after its identity was exposed: run!

She had to run! The farther, the better!

But after only a few steps, her entire body was restrained by a layer of pink energy, leaving her unable to move where she stood.

Xiao Wu struggled desperately, her soul power surging wildly, yet she could not even move a finger.

Psychic controlled Xiao Wu, turning her around and floating her back before Xu Linjiu.

When the Psychic vanished, Xiao Wu fell to the ground.

This time, she did not try to flee again. She merely looked up at Xu Linjiu, her eyes filled with fear and despair.

Seeing the look in Xiao Wu's eyes, Xu Linjiu sighed. "Why are you running? Am I really such a bad person? After half a year together, you—you still can't trust me?"

"Heh! Nice words! You humans, aren't you all after the soul rings and soul bones of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts?!"

"You said that! I never said you were a transformed soul beast!"

Xiao Wu was choked up by Xu Linjiu's words and could not find a response.

"Even if you are a transformed hundred-thousand-year soul beast, you're only an ordinary soul master now."

Xu Linjiu held out his hand before Xiao Wu. "If I were really after your soul ring and soul bone, you would already be a corpse."

Xiao Wu remained silent.

Seeing her like this, Xu Linjiu helplessly straightened up. "Fine, then let me ask you something. Do you know who Tang San's father is?"

Xiao Wu froze. "Little San's father?"

"Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao."

Xu Linjiu spoke slowly.

At that title, Xiao Wu's expression changed instantly, and her pupils contracted sharply.

A Title Douluo!

She might not know Tang San's background, but how could she possibly not have heard of the name Clear Sky Douluo?

The man rumored to have run off with a transformed hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor, and who could face Er Ming head-on.

"So Little San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul...?"

Xu Linjiu nodded, then continued, "Tang San's father is a Title Douluo, and he's near Notting. If I hadn't helped conceal your aura, that Title Douluo would have noticed you on the first day of school and taken you away on the spot."

Xiao Wu's face alternated between pale and green. She suddenly recalled that on the day school began, something had indeed seemed to be protecting her invisibly the whole time.

"But how did you manage that? Little San's father is a Title Douluo, and you were only a Soul Ancestor back then!"

"How else? Of course I had help!"

"Help?"

Xu Linjiu smiled faintly. "Brother Tianmeng, come out and meet an old friend!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an illusory soul body slowly drifted out of Xu Linjiu's body.

"Long time no see, little rabbit!"

Xiao Wu looked at the soul body floating before her, her eyes full of confusion. "Uh, well, who are you?"

The soul body's writhing form suddenly stiffened.

"Don't you know perfectly well how you cultivated into a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?! You lay on top of me and sucked up the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for so many years, and now you don't recognize a silkworm in the blink of an eye!"

"Absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth..."

Xiao Wu clenched a fist and slammed it into her other palm. "Ah, you're that giant white maggot!"

"I'm not a maggot! I'm an iceworm!"

Skydream Iceworm declared, "The one and only million-year Skydream Iceworm, beneath heaven and above earth!"

"A... a million years?"

Xiao Wu stammered, even her voice changing pitch. She had never expected the owner of the wool she had been mooching off for so long to be a million-year soul beast!

"But why are you here? Weren't you always in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"You think I wanted to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Skydream Iceworm floated onto Xu Linjiu's shoulder. "Not a single decent soul beast in your Star Dou Great Forest! Every day, all of you kept mooching off me alone. If this kid hadn't helped me, you lot would have sucked me dry long ago!"

"Then your current state is...?"

"I've already sacrificed myself to this kid."

"S-sacrificed yourself?!"

Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "You're a million-year soul beast, and you voluntarily sacrificed yourself to a human? Are you insane?!"

"I'm perfectly clear-headed."

Skydream Iceworm snorted. "Even if I hadn't sacrificed myself, I wouldn't have lived more than a few years. I might as well take a gamble for a way out. And the facts proved I bet right. This kid's mouth is a little foul, but he's not bad at heart, and his talent is top-notch too."

Xiao Wu fell somewhat silent. As a Soul King, he had gone head-to-head with a Soul Sage and won with ease.

That kind of talent could likely only be matched by soul beasts with some of the most powerful bloodlines.

After a long silence, Xiao Wu turned to look at Xu Linjiu again. "I understand all that, but why are you helping me? I'm a soul beast, and you're a human. We were never on the same path."

"Who says we aren't?"

Xu Linjiu crouched down and met her gaze. "For the past half year, you trained and ate with Little San. To me, you're a student I've taught for half a year, not some hundred-thousand-year soul beast."

Xiao Wu turned her head away, though her voice softened. "You humans always want something when you do things. You can't be helping me for nothing."

"What would I want from you?"

Xu Linjiu raised an eyebrow. "Can't I just want you to call me uncle a few times less in the future? You're an old rabbit who's lived for a hundred thousand years, pretending to be young and calling me uncle every day. I'm the one getting the short end of the stick."

Xiao Wu stamped her foot in anger. "I'm talking seriously!"

Xu Linjiu's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "I do have some selfish motives. My martial soul possesses a special contract. Once you sign it, the soul beast aura on your body will be completely sealed away. Even if a Title Douluo stood right in front of you, they wouldn't detect the slightest trace of it."

"At the same time, the contract will speed up your cultivation and can teach you certain special soul skills that do not rely on soul rings."

Xiao Wu's heart skipped a beat. For someone starting over from scratch, this was simply the stuff of dreams. Yet she still spoke stubbornly. "Who needs your protection? Does Sister Xiao Wu need anyone else to protect her?"

"Yes, yes, you're amazing."

Xu Linjiu smiled, then changed the subject. "What about Tang San? He has already signed it. He's my disciple and knows better than anyone whether this contract is worthwhile."

Xiao Wu fell silent.

She recalled Tang San's cultivation soaring over the past half year, and the occasional unfamiliar methods he used. So those had all come from the contract.

Xiao Wu lowered her head and thought for a long while. Finally, she raised her head, her voice firm. "All right. I'll sign."

A trace of gentleness flashed through Xu Linjiu's eyes. He raised his right hand, and the Pokédex Martial Soul emerged in his palm as a pale-blue screen unfolded.

"Relax your mind. Don't resist."

Xiao Wu took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Three crimson beams shot from the top of the Pokédex, intertwining in the air to form a red-and-white Poké Ball.

Xu Linjiu guided her. "Reach out and touch the button in its center."

Xiao Wu raised her hand as instructed. The moment her fingertip touched it, a crimson beam landed on the back of her hand. The Poké Ball rapidly shrank, becoming a mark that sank into her skin.

Xiao Wu opened her eyes and looked at the smooth back of her hand. "That's it?"

Xu Linjiu looked toward the Pokédex screen, where new information had already appeared:

[Xiao Wu (Named)]

[Type: Fighting, Fairy]

[Level: Lv.14]

[Abilities: Limber, Scrappy]

[Skills: Low Kick, Circle Throw, Charm, Captivate]

More information continued to appear:

[Trainer has captured a Fighting-type Pokémon for the first time. Received Random Fighting-type TM ×1, Experience Candy M ×3]

[Trainer has captured a Fairy-type Pokémon for the first time. Received Random Fairy-type TM ×1, Experience Candy M ×3]

[Trainer has captured a third Pokémon. Trainer level has advanced to Great Ball Rank. Reward: Random TM ×1, Experience Candy M ×5]