Eyes in the Forest

The Star Dou Great Forest was quieter than anyone had imagined.

It was not that there were no sounds.

Quite the opposite: sound was everywhere. Insects chirped, birds called, leaves brushed together, and Soul Beasts growled in the distance. The noises were faint and dense, like an invisible net draped over everyone.

But all that bustle brought no comfort.

Because you never knew whether the next sound came from the wind or a predator.

Zhao Wuji walked in front, his voice low.

"Once we enter the forest, everyone keeps formation. Mubai, lead the way. Tang San, control the field. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, watch the flanks. Oscar and Rongrong, stay in the middle. Fatty, watch the sky."

Bai Jin followed at the rear, taking his time.

"What about me?"

Zhao Wuji did not look back. "You shut up."

Bai Jin nodded.

"A sensible arrangement."

Ma Hongjun nearly burst out laughing, then forced it back down.

He was afraid Teacher Zhao and Bai Jin would beat him up together.

The group continued forward.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass occasionally poked out of the ground, sensing subtle changes around them. Xiao Wu seemed much quieter than usual, her eyes sweeping toward the depths of the forest now and then.

Bai Jin noticed.

But he said nothing.

Everyone had secrets.

Secrets were not a crime.

The real trouble came from people determined to cut open someone else's secrets and trade them for profit.

After half a day's travel, they encountered the first Soul Beast suitable for Oscar.

A thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

The serpent was incredibly fast. Its crest was vivid, and its body flashed between the trees like a painted arrow blown sideways by the wind.

Oscar's eyes lit up.

"Teacher Zhao!"

Zhao Wuji saw it too.

"Not bad. The age is right."

Before his words had faded, Tang San was already moving.

Blue Silver Grass shot up from the ground, trying to block the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's path. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing closed in from either side. Dai Mubai activated Martial Soul Possession, and a tiger's roar cowed the lower-level Soul Beasts nearby.

Ning Rongrong immediately summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

"Seven Treasures Have Names: first, speed!"

Light fell over Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing's speed surged, and her fingertips almost brushed the serpent's tail.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent twisted sharply, its tail whipping toward her shoulder.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass caught Zhu Zhuqing around the waist in time and pulled her half a step away.

A hair's breadth.

Bai Jin sat on a branch, chewing candy. "Not bad coordination."

Zhao Wuji stood below the tree. "You're not helping?"

"Didn't you tell me to shut up?"

Zhao Wuji: "..."

He understood now.

Bai Jin could get on his nerves even with his mouth shut.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was too fast. Several times, the others tried to hem it in, only to miss by a little. Tang San quickly changed tactics. Instead of chasing it, he spread his Blue Silver Grass into several loose loops across the ground.

A serpent would avoid an obvious trap.

But fleeing at full speed, it might not spot every loop.

Xiao Wu leaped onto a tree trunk and kicked off, dropping toward it.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was forced to turn.

At that instant, the Blue Silver Grass tightened.

The serpent was bound.

Dai Mubai gave a low shout. His White Tiger Fierce Light Wave exploded just ahead of the serpent, forcing it to stop. Zhu Zhuqing swept out of the shadows and pinned it beneath its crest with one claw.

Zhao Wuji finally acted, bringing his palm down.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was stunned unconscious.

Oscar was so excited he nearly jumped.

"We got it!"

Bai Jin jumped down from the tree.

"Not so fast."

Everyone looked at him.

Bai Jin crouched beside the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent and tapped its crest with a fingertip.

"Someone was chasing it."

Tang San's gaze sharpened slightly.

He had noticed it too. There was a small wound on the serpent's belly, still fresh and clearly not caused by them.

Zhao Wuji frowned.

"Trouble."

Disputes over Soul Rings were common in the forest. If someone else had found and badly wounded a Soul Beast first, catching it afterward did not mean they had an unquestionable claim.

Sure enough, footsteps sounded in the distance before long.

An old woman and a young girl emerged from the trees.

The old woman was stooped, with a Serpent Cane in her hand and a chilling aura around her. The girl was young, her face anxious. The moment her eyes landed on the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, she spoke.

"That's our Soul Beast!"

Zhao Wuji's face darkened.

But Bai Jin smiled.

Here came the plot.

Of course he knew who they were.

Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran.

If events followed their original course, Shrek would clash with them over the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, then settle the matter with a contest. Bai Jin did not dislike that solution.

Matters settled openly with fists and rules were cleaner than a knife in the back.

Chao Tianxiang looked at Zhao Wuji, and her expression shifted.

"The Immovable Wisdom King?"

Zhao Wuji cupped his fists. "Senior Snake Granny."

After a brief exchange between the two sides, the atmosphere remained tense.

Meng Yiran looked at Oscar and gritted her teeth. "We were the ones who wounded it first."

Oscar looked a little awkward.

Ning Rongrong said softly, "It does have a wound."

Dai Mubai frowned but did not argue.

Bai Jin, standing to one side, suddenly spoke.

"Have a match."

Everyone looked at him.

Chao Tianxiang narrowed her eyes. "And you are?"

"Just passing by."

The corner of Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched.

You've come a remarkably long way for someone passing by.

Bai Jin smiled. "For Soul Masters, a fight is the quickest way to settle things. If you win, the serpent is yours. If we win, it goes to Oscar."

Meng Yiran immediately said, "I'll fight him!"

She pointed at Oscar.

Oscar went pale.

Bai Jin shook his head. "It wouldn't be right for a food-type Soul Master to bully you."

Meng Yiran froze.

Oscar froze too.

It sounded like praise, but also like Bai Jin was setting him up for trouble.

Bai Jin looked at Tang San.

"You do it."

Tang San nodded.

He knew Bai Jin was not trying to snatch the Soul Beast.

This was a lesson.

One about rules, and strength.

Meng Yiran was plainly unconvinced.

She could see that Tang San was close to her age, and his Soul Power might not be much higher than hers. She could accept losing to a powerful fighter like Zhao Wuji. But if she could not even beat someone her own age, that would be far too humiliating.

Tang San did not underestimate her either.

She came from a distinguished family and dared to pursue Soul Beasts through the Star Dou Great Forest. She would not be all talk. He turned his palm slightly, Blue Silver Grass hanging between his fingers. He stood as still as a vine hidden in the grass.

Bai Jin watched, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly.

Sometimes children fighting were more interesting to watch than Titled Douluo crossing blows.

Because children made mistakes.

And mistakes helped them grow.

Zhao Wuji did not stop them either.

He knew Bai Jin might seem to be fooling around, but he judged the limits carefully. If real danger arose, he would move faster than anyone. In that case, letting Tang San fight would do more good than arguing over who was right.

Oscar stood at the back, so nervous he forgot even the chant for his sausage.

His face was paler than the sausage.

Meng Yiran flicked the Serpent Cane in her hand. Her Soul Rings lit up, and she closed in swiftly.

Tang San stood his ground as Blue Silver Grass spread silently.

Bai Jin stepped aside and looked toward the depths of the forest.

For an instant, the wind stopped.

Far away, something enormous rolled over.

The smile on Bai Jin's face faded a little.

There was more than one problem.

But for now, the children were still in class.

He lowered his gaze and turned his attention back to the fight.

Tang San had already raised his hand.

Blue Silver Grass crept along the ground like a net opening in silence.