Xiao Wu Became a Meal!

Looking at Xiao Wu before him, Lou Xu frowned and withdrew his martial soul.

By rights, Xiao Wu should have been heading into a village near Nuoding City to secure a work-study student quota. Why had she followed him instead?

Just then, Xiong Jun's nose twitched. Having already seen through Xiao Wu's true form, he gave a displeased snort.

"Little rabbit, you've followed Bear Lord all this way. Afraid I'd go hungry, so you delivered yourself to my door?"

Xiao Wu was so frightened by Xiong Jun's words that her voice trembled.

"I really mean no harm... I don't know the way. I just wanted to follow you to a nearby town."

"My lord... my mother said there were ferocious beasts sleeping beneath the Lake of Life..."

She raised her head and stole a cautious glance at Xiong Jun.

"Are you a ferocious beast?"

"I am Xiong Jun."

As Xiong Jun spoke, the sight of Xiao Wu's rabbit ears suddenly reminded him of something, and his gaze turned cold.

"You know of our lord... I seem to recall a rabbit who didn't know what was good for him barging in and offending our lord. Are you his offspring?"

"He was my father."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly pressed him.

"My lord, is he still alive?"

"He's dead!"

Xiong Jun answered bluntly, his gaze icy and brimming with contempt.

"He trespassed into forbidden ground and spoke insolently. What, was Bear Lord supposed to politely escort him out?"

"A whole nest of stupid rabbits, all so eager to take this path."

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast could choose to continue cultivating or transform into a human.

Those who chose the former and reached two hundred thousand years of cultivation were called ferocious beasts. Beings like Xiong Jun could already assume human form, and that transformation did not alter their bloodline or species.

But choosing the latter was equivalent to casting aside their soul beast bodies and becoming human. Most of their source essence dissipated, and they needed regular exposure to human auras to advance to level seventy. They were unwelcome among soul beasts, too.

Survival of the fittest; the strong devoured the weak.

That law was etched into the very genes of soul beasts.

It held even more true for ferocious beasts.

They maintained the overall order of soul beast habitats, but in their eyes, the Soul Beast Clan consisted of only four kinds of soul beasts: their lord, ferocious beasts, their own kin, and other soul beasts.

Xiao Wu's family belonged to a fifth category, accepted by neither side.

His vicious tone made Xiao Wu shrink back and tremble. Tears pooled in her eyes, and her voice took on a sobbing edge.

"I haven't forgotten what I am. I only wanted to sneak into the human world to avenge my mother... she... she was killed by humans..."

"Whether you've forgotten or not is none of Bear Lord's damn business."

"You chose this path, so get the hell out of this forest and stay out. As for revenge..."

He sneered.

"You?"

"You'd probably help count the money after someone sold you!"

Unlike her father, who had disappeared before she developed intelligence, the shadow of her mother's death remained painfully vivid.

Under Xiong Jun's undisguised dismissal, Xiao Wu's face filled with hurt. She bit her lip and held on for a moment, before her eyes suddenly reddened and tears spilled out.

"Crying?"

Her sobs shattered what remained of Xiong Jun's patience.

Now, he no longer looked at Xiao Wu as an amusing spectacle, but as a predator regarded a plate of food.

"Rather than let you become a human's soul ring, you might as well end up in Bear Lord's belly. Then you'll be settled for good!"

He seized the vulnerable nape of her neck and lifted her up, his eyes gleaming viciously as he stared at the Soft Bone Rabbit, practically drooling.

He was just about to act.

Then he caught sight of the grandfather and grandson nearby. His eyes darted about, and he strode toward them with Xiao Wu dangling from his hand.

"..."

"Old man, it's exactly as you guessed."

"So, Big Bear... I mean, Xiong Jun, is a soul beast? And this little girl is a soul beast too?"

Xiong Jun had made no effort to lower his voice while speaking to Xiao Wu.

Lou Gao had never imagined his grandson had been abducted by soul beasts. Still less had he imagined that those soul beasts had not harmed Lou Xu, and had even sent a powerful ferocious beast specifically to protect him.

He felt a pang of melancholy. The empire coveted Lou Xu's talent and wanted him on his knees like a dog, yet it was the soul beasts, humanity's enemies, who valued him and spared nothing to protect him.

Thinking of the Clear Sky Douluo, whom Spirit Hall had declared wanted for consorting with a soul beast and betraying humanity, he hunched further, the hand holding his pipe trembling slightly.

He could scarcely imagine it. If Lou Xu were branded with the same crime one day, where could he go in this vast world?

Lou Gao felt lost. Unable to see a way forward, he simply told Lou Xu his thoughts and discussed them with him.

Lou Xu paused at his words, then smiled and reassured him:

"Old man, don't worry. We don't need to hide, either."

"Big Bear is at least a level ninety-seven Peak Douluo, and his combat strength is comparable to a Limit Douluo's. In this whole world, there are no more than three people who could see through his identity."

Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi, the two divine servants.

Plus Bibi Dong, who was undergoing her divine trials.

Even they might not be able to tell.

After all, although the Silver Dragon King's cultivation had fallen and had yet to recover, she had once been a God King. With her personally concealing his aura, how could anyone beneath a God King see through it so easily?

Still, to be safe, he had no intention of taking Xiong Jun for a casual stroll around Spirit City.

He wasn't an idiot like Tang Hao, who had insisted on taking the level sixty-nine Ah Yin wandering right under their noses.

Only after disaster struck had he shouted about love and unleashed his power, then taken his son off to Holy Soul Village to drink himself into a stupor and pretend to be poor.

Wouldn't hiding somewhere far away beforehand have solved it?

"We'll go back to Gengxin City, back home. With Big Bear here, no one can do anything to us."

Listening to his confident words, Lou Gao felt something stir gently within his heart.

He remained silent for a long time. Swirling smoke obscured his expression as the glow in his pipe went out, flared, and went out again.

He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he looked at Xiong Jun's back and let out a soft breath.

"Good! We're going home! Even if the heavens collapse, Grandpa will stand in front of you!"

Lou Gao reached out with his broad hand and clapped Lou Xu firmly on the shoulder. Their eyes met, and Lou Xu chuckled softly.

"Good. You're the mighty pillar I'll lean on, old man!"

"..."

Just then, Xiong Jun walked up to Lou Xu with the tearful Xiao Wu dangling from his hand, a wicked grin on his face and temptation in his voice.

"Lou boy, want a soul ring? A hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast-you can raise her yourself!"

The boy would need seven more soul rings in the future. Rather than using those high-level soul beasts with extraordinary potential, this transformed little rabbit could finally be put to good use!

"Say yes, Xu!"

Lou Gao looked excited as he hurriedly urged Lou Xu.

A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and soul bone were dreams countless soul masters could never reach in their entire lives, yet here they were, right before his eyes!

Glancing at the terrified Xiao Wu, Lou Xu curled his lip.

"No. Her attributes don't match my martial soul. I don't want to waste a precious soul ring slot."

Intangibility? Invincible Golden Body? Their effects might be decent, but how could they compare to my tank engine and divine artifact?

Becoming the Ottoman Heavenly Emperor was his ultimate goal!

As for raising her? Lou Xu looked her over and rubbed his chin. Hmm... do you mean a rabbit-eared maid?

That does sound rather tempting.

"Boohoo... don't eat me..."

Xiao Wu sobbed out the words in broken fragments.

At that moment, she was consumed by regret. If she escaped Xiong Jun's jaws alive this time, she swore she would keep her curiosity in check from then on.

She strongly suspected that her father had also been eaten by Xiong Jun and the others.

But after feeling the terrifying pressure of Xiong Jun's soul power, the anger that briefly flashed through her eyes quickly dissipated.

I'm sorry, Dad. I'm useless. All I can do is feed myself to a bear and return my bones to you. Just pretend you never had a daughter like me.

But... I still haven't avenged Mom...

Da Ming, Er Ming... you have to live well...

Her heart reduced to dead ashes, Xiao Wu gazed through tear-blurred eyes. Xiong Jun held her suspended in the air, her feet dangling, and she dared not move a muscle.

"What a shame. Looks like she'll just be an extra meal for Bear Lord. But don't worry, I'll save the soul bone for you."

Seeing Lou Xu shake his head in refusal, Xiong Jun spoke regretfully, then raised his sharp claws toward Xiao Wu's neck.

His claws pierced her skin, drawing tiny beads of scarlet blood.

"No..."

The chill against her neck grew ever clearer. Never before had the breath of death drawn so close, and tears poured from Xiao Wu's eyes.