An

"Master, the Blue Silver Grass to the east sensed something approaching." Rem spoke, interrupting Bai Xiao's daydreaming.

Rem was a product of Bai Xiao's Martial Soul combined with his mind. With the authority Bai Xiao granted her, she could assist him in controlling his Martial Soul to a certain extent and gather information about the surroundings in the background.

"Hm? Activate the emergency backup plan. Execute Plan A!" Bai Xiao's expression turned serious as he hurriedly gave the order, looking every bit the commander.

"Yes, activating Plan A!" the girl's voice rang out.

The plants in the grass beside him began to shrink, splitting open to reveal a large pit beneath them.

Bai Xiao fell backward, using the softness of the lawn to land safely on the ground.

Keeping his arms tight against his body, Bai Xiao rolled over and swiftly slipped into the pit.

Hide! Bai Xiao silently commanded.

The plants on both sides grew wildly, covering the opening in the lawn in the blink of an eye.

Bai Xiao concealed himself through the growth of the plants. Since the plants covering him grew naturally, no one could tell from outside that someone was hiding here.

In the next instant, a black figure flashed over the patch of grass where Bai Xiao was hidden.

Rustle, rustle, rustle~

Rapid footsteps trampled over fallen leaves.

A blue figure strode after it, moving at a speed that nearly matched the one ahead.

Just as the pursuer was about to catch up, the fleeing figure suddenly stopped, spun around, and flashed with black light.

The figure giving chase reacted at once, summoning a crimson figure as an orange gleam shot forth to meet the attack.

The two collided at high speed.

Bang!

With a deafening blast, both figures were sent flying backward. After steadying themselves, they began facing each other down.

Only then did Bai Xiao see clearly that the black figure from before was a Black Leopard. Silver stripes ran across its forehead and back, while blood flowed from one of its hind legs. It was clearly injured.

The crimson figure behind it was a burly man. Based on what Bai Xiao had seen while traveling the continent—wandering, really—he could tell that the man was a mercenary. After all, mercenaries were the corpses Bai Xiao looted most often. They were his most loyal customers.

For some reason, the sight of a mercenary made Bai Xiao's hands itch.

Clearly, the mercenary was hunting this Black Leopard's Soul Ring, commonly known on Douluo Continent as "soul hunting."

Brother, hurry up and get in there! One sliding tackle, and I can start my work—looting corpses. Bai Xiao silently urged.

Wait. If this mercenary can kill the Black Leopard, then the Soul Ring clearly isn't one he needs to absorb. He must have been hired to hunt it, Bai Xiao rapidly reasoned.

A plump, greasy-faced youth walked up from behind. His face still looked somewhat childish, putting him at around his teens, but there was a trace of cunning at the corners of his eyes, as though he were craving something delicious.

"Uncle Wang, slow down! You left your young master behind. If a Soul Beast eats me, who's going to absorb this Soul Ring?" the chubby youth in fine clothes shouted.

Hmph, if you weren't the city lord's bastard son, who the hell would care about you? Wang Shi cursed inwardly.

Yet his face remained respectfully smiling as he said, "Young Master, wasn't I afraid your Soul Ring would get away? Look how devoted I am!"

"Don't worry, Uncle Wang. Once I get home, I'll make sure my father rewards you handsomely." The fat youth grinned smugly as he spoke leisurely, his greedy eyes fixed on the distant Black Leopard.

"Oh, thank you very much, Young Master! Watch me catch that Soul Ring for you!" Wang Shi immediately released his Martial Soul, and one white and one yellow Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

A crimson phantom of a tiger-type Soul Beast enveloped Wang Shi as he pounced toward the Black Leopard with the force of a thousand pounds.

The once-ferocious Black Leopard was completely overwhelmed by his assault, nearly being pressed into the ground and rubbed against it.

"An..."

Bai Xiao clenched his fists tightly, his eyes fixed on the plump youth in fine clothes. If looks could kill, that fat youth would have already died at Bai Xiao's hands tens of thousands of times.

As the saying went, enemies were bound to meet. Bai Xiao had never expected to encounter his enemy at a time like this!

When Bai Xiao had first arrived on Douluo Continent and wandered alone, he had no family or friends. He survived by picking through garbage in towns and eating rotten fruit.

Back then, Bai Xiao had met a girl named An, who was also a homeless child. Her name had only one character: An.

Bai Xiao had heard from the other homeless children that her name suited her, meaning "quiet," and that she rarely spoke in daily life.

She was one or two years older than Bai Xiao. Though she was a girl, she was no weakling in a fight. For some reason, she had always taken care of Bai Xiao as if he were her younger brother.

Bai Xiao had heard her say that she loved watching him smile, just as she liked his name...

Though Bai Xiao had been poor at the time, following that skinny girl had never made him feel miserable.

On Douluo Continent, homeless children were the easiest to die, because they were like stray cats and dogs by the roadside. No one cared whether they lived, and no one cared whether they died. They were simply left to live or perish.

Sometimes, if they encountered someone malicious, that person would sprinkle poison into some food and throw it onto the ground. By the next day, a homeless child's corpse might be lying there.

Some bloodthirsty mercenaries could not defeat powerful Soul Beasts and did not dare kill ordinary civilians, so they would secretly target homeless children instead.

Bai Xiao and An had survived day after day beneath humanity's shadow. An had been Bai Xiao's final faith...

But An was only an ordinary homeless girl. How could she possibly withstand the darkness of human nature...