The Auspicious Beast's Return Gift

The two honored guests, the Auspicious Beast and the Scarlet King, ate more than a thousand Overlord Drumsticks between them.

With his current Soul Power, Gao Ren naturally could not produce that many Overlord Drumsticks in one go.

Even eating an Overlord's Belly-Filling Leg until his stomach was fit to burst would not have been enough.

If Xuan Zi had not used his own Soul Power to help Gao Ren recover, the two guests might not have been able to eat their fill.

Only after confirming that neither guest wanted to order more did Gao Ren sit down on the picnic blanket to rest.

After eating her fill and resting a little, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion walked straight toward Gao Ren with graceful steps.

Her movement made everyone else present tense up.

Almost instinctively, Xuan Zi stepped across Gao Ren's path, shielding him.

The Scarlet King moved as well, blocking the Auspicious Beast from going any farther.

"Stop right there!"

"Little ancestor, don't get too close to the humans!"

The old man and the beast, who had just agreed to a truce, returned to their original standoff.

Gao Ren went numb at the sight of the situation suddenly turning so tense.

What are they doing?!

"Everything was going fine. Why are you about to fight again?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion tilted her head.

Everyone: Because of you, obviously!

Only when she found everyone staring at her did the Auspicious Beast realize what had happened.

"I only wanted to get to know this human cub who can conjure up delicious drumsticks."

"Get to know a human? Little ancestor, there isn't a good one among them..."

Hearing the Scarlet King speak ill of humans, Xuan Zi could not resist a jab. "And who was it that ate the most food prepared by humans just now?"

The Scarlet King's canine face froze.

Smiling, Xuan Zi ignored him and spoke earnestly to the Auspicious Beast:

"You may get to know my A-Ren. But don't come any closer. That's best for everyone."

For once, the Scarlet King did not object.

"That's right, little ancestor. We can stay right here. He isn't deaf. There's no need to stand so close to talk."

"Well... all right." After agreeing, the Auspicious Beast introduced herself to Gao Ren. "I'm the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Emperor Auspicious Beast of the Star Dou Great Forest."

"The Emperor Auspicious Beast...!" Xuan Zi repeated the name, his heart jolting.

He had heard of the Auspicious Beast, but in his memory, she had been nothing more than a legend.

He had never expected the legend to be real!

No wonder she could speak before reaching a hundred thousand years of age, and even had the Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, ranked eighth among the ten great Ferocious Beasts, guarding her!

If even Xuan Zi knew her only as a legend, Shrek Academy naturally had not taught its students about her, not even in the inner courtyard.

That led one inner-courtyard student to ask Xuan Zi a question:

"Xuan Zi, what is an Emperor Auspicious Beast?"

Xuan Zi did not answer. The Scarlet King did.

"An Auspicious Beast is a creature of good fortune among us Soul Beasts." The Scarlet King raised all three heads high. "In the world of Soul Beasts, the Auspicious Beast's significance is unparalleled.

"Whenever an Auspicious Beast appears, she is revered as an emperor and honored as the 'Emperor Auspicious Beast.' No matter how powerful a Soul Beast is, it must respect her and would never dare harm her."

The Scarlet King paused, then continued. "A Soul Beast she chooses as prey may flee, but it may not fight back.

"Even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts must respectfully give her a wide berth. Two Auspicious Beasts will never exist on the continent at the same time. She is one of a kind.

"In any habitat where she lives, all Soul Beasts grow twice as fast as normal. When Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts reach a bottleneck, their chances of breaking through double as well.

"Otherwise, the Star Dou Great Forest could never have become the place with the most Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts."

The Scarlet King swept his gaze over everyone present. "Since you treated the Auspicious Beast and me to a meal, I'll give you a warning.

"Tell the others at Shrek Academy that if your people encounter her in the Star Dou Great Forest, they had better go around her.

"Otherwise, if so much as a single hair falls from her body, the entire Star Dou Great Forest will go mad.

"Being hunted by Ferocious Beasts would be the least of your worries. Depending on the circumstances, your Shrek City might even face a Beast Tide unleashed by us."

His words carried such weight that only Xuan Zi dared respond.

His expression unchanged, he nodded faintly. "I understand."

After hearing the Scarlet King's words, the Auspicious Beast narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, looking rather pleased with herself.

"Human cub, tell me your name."

"My name is Gao Ren."

"Gao Ren, you're a good person." The Auspicious Beast earnestly gave Gao Ren her seal of approval. "You fed me so many delicious things. I think I ought to give you something in return."

Gao Ren blinked. "Something in return?"

"Mm!" The Auspicious Beast nodded and asked, "You came to the Star Dou Great Forest for a Soul Ring, didn't you?

"Other than that, I can't think why a human cub as weak as you would enter the Star Dou Great Forest with a group of humans so much stronger than yourself."

"Yes. I'm here for my Second Soul Ring."

"Then what kind of Soul Beast do you want? Tell me, and I can give you one."

The Scarlet King immediately grew anxious.

"Little ancestor! You can't do that!"

"Why not?" The Auspicious Beast turned toward the Scarlet King, displeasure written all over her face. "Uncle Scarlet King, don't I even have that much authority?"

"Of course you do..." The Scarlet King nodded, troubled. "But he's human! What right does a human have to receive a gift from the Auspicious Beast?"

Xuan Zi was not happy to hear that.

"Scarlet King, that's where you're wrong! Humans and Soul Beasts can only get along so happily if they're friends.

"My disciple treated the Auspicious Beast to drumsticks, and she wants to give him something in return. Isn't that perfectly normal between friends?

"As I see it, A-Ren and the Auspicious Beast are friends already."

Scarlet King: You rotten old man are full of tricks!

"Human, that's pure sophistry!"

Unlike the Scarlet King, who strongly resisted the idea, the Auspicious Beast thought it made a great deal of sense.

"Uncle Scarlet King, I think this human has a point. Humans hunt Soul Beasts, and Soul Beasts eat other Soul Beasts too.

"If Soul Beasts can be friends with other Soul Beasts, then humans and Soul Beasts should be able to become friends as well."

The Auspicious Beast's reply left the Scarlet King reeling.

He began to wonder whether he had protected her too well.

Perhaps it was precisely because he had protected her so well, because she had never experienced human malice firsthand, that she could say something so utterly on their side.

Gao Ren looked at the Scarlet King's aggrieved expression, then at the expectation in the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's eyes. He made up his mind.

"Since the Auspicious Beast herself has said so, I'll shamelessly accept this return gift.

"I want a thousand-year Soul Beast. I don't have many requirements regarding its attribute, but I'd like it to have the ability to cleanse negative conditions."