Xiao Wu, I Know Your Identity

"Sword Douluo!"

Tang Hao's expression darkened as he looked at Sword Douluo, who had suddenly appeared before him. Resentment stirred in his heart. He could not understand why Sword Douluo had come with Dugu Bo.

If Dugu Bo had been alone, he might have forced him to retreat. But with Sword Douluo here as well, he gave up outright.

After all, Sword Douluo was a level ninety-six Peak Douluo, while he was only level ninety-three. With his hidden injuries on top of that, he was no match for him.

Jian Chen Xin spoke calmly. "Tang Hao, Ji Hongchen is one of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's people. If you know what's good for you, stay out of this."

"Otherwise, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will no longer lend the Clear Sky Sect a hand. Don't forget how much we've helped your sect over the years."

Tang Hao snorted coldly.

He was the mighty Clear Sky Douluo, the youngest publicly known Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent, yet now someone was threatening him. It was an unbearable humiliation.

Tang Hao took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. "Fine. But I, Tang Hao, will remember what happened today. Until we meet again."

Leaving that threat behind, Tang Hao turned and departed.

Watching Tang Hao's retreating back, Dugu Bo sneered. "Hmph. A piece of trash who obtained his ninth soul ring by absorbing his own wife dares act so arrogant before me?"

He had already learned about Tang Hao from Ji Hongchen. After discovering the origins of Tang Hao's ninth soul ring, he held him in even greater contempt.

"The Upper Three Sects are branches of the same tree, so we can't move against him yet. But once our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect rises, the Clear Sky Sect's good days will be over."

Jian Chen Xin had also noticed that, ever since Ning Fengzhi learned that the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could be passed down, his old ambitions had gradually begun to show.

As for the Upper Three Sects being branches of the same tree...

That was merely an excuse to keep Spirit Hall from picking them off one by one.

Ning Fengzhi was half a businessman, after all.

Once Ning Rongrong and Ji Hongchen became Titled Douluo, that bullshit about the Upper Three Sects being branches of the same tree would mean nothing. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect wouldn't even deserve to polish their shoes.

The hills behind Holy Soul Village.

Ji Hongchen released his mental power and instantly detected an unusual location.

Tang Hao should have been occupied by Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo by now.

That would give him enough time to act.

After all, Tang San had made a bet: if he lost, Ji Hongchen could take one item first. Ji Hongchen would never let that opportunity slip away. He would simply take Tang San's mother.

He arrived near the waterfall.

Using Sword Flight, Ji Hongchen flew straight into the cavern beyond it.

"It's so dark in here!"

Ning Rongrong cried out, looking a little frightened as she edged closer to Ji Hongchen.

Ji Hongchen smiled.

"Follow me."

With that, he found a mechanism and pressed it.

A rumble sounded.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing the cave within.

A faint smell of decay hung in the air, making the place uncomfortable. Darkness shrouded everything, without even the faintest glimmer of light.

Ji Hongchen walked inside.

Tang Hao would never have put the Blue Silver Emperor somewhere like this if his brain had been even remotely normal.

Some speculated that Tang Hao had deliberately plotted against the Blue Silver Emperor back then, all so Tang San could inherit her position without worry, avenge him, and restore the Clear Sky Sect's reputation.

But Ji Hongchen had his own conjecture.

He did not know how deeply Tang Hao loved Ah Yin, but Tang Hao being brainless was a fact beyond any doubt.

Yet even if Tang Hao had done nothing wrong, everything was far too coincidental. Ah Yin happened to be pregnant, happened to expose her aura, and happened to be discovered while giving birth. It all seemed deliberately arranged.

He approached a mound of earth.

A young Blue Silver Grass plant grew there. She spread her leaves, golden patterns flickering across them, yearning for even a thread of sunlight to fall upon her.

Ji Hongchen walked over.

He roughly pulled Ah Yin out by the roots and planted her in the flowerpot he had prepared.

"Brother Hongchen, what's this?"

Ning Rongrong curiously examined the Blue Silver Grass in her hands and asked in confusion.

She was rather curious.

Brother Hongchen went to all this trouble just for an ordinary Blue Silver Grass plant?

"I'll tell you once we get back."

Ji Hongchen gave a mysterious smile, then noticed a hidden compartment in the stone wall. He opened it, and a wooden box fell out.

"All right, let's get out of here!"

Before leaving, Ji Hongchen casually picked up another Blue Silver Grass plant and planted it in the same spot, lest Tang Hao lash out like a cornered dog and destroy the place.

Soon, the three of them left.

After traveling at full speed for half a day, the three finally stopped in Suotuo City.

Ji Hongchen felt that he was close to breaking through to level forty, so he decided to rest in Suotuo City for a few days.

They returned to their room.

Ji Hongchen casually set Ah Yin on the table.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu gathered around Ah Yin curiously. They examined her thoroughly with their wide eyes but found nothing unusual.

"Brother Hongchen, aside from looking a little prettier, this Blue Silver Grass doesn't seem special at all."

As Ning Rongrong spoke, she curiously poked Ah Yin's leaves.

Ah Yin was a little frightened.

Her spread leaves slowly curled inward, wrapping around her.

"She can move, too."

Ji Hongchen walked over and said with a smile, "Remember how I told you Tang Hao's wife was a Blue Silver Emperor?"

Ning Rongrong nodded.

Then, as though something had clicked, her eyes widened. Pointing at Ah Yin, she said, "No way! Don't tell me this Blue Silver Grass is Ah Yin? How could Tang Hao bring himself to do it?"

She's just a blade of grass!

"Heh, you might not know this, but a hundred-thousand-year soul beast can reincarnate and cultivate anew as a human. This Blue Silver Emperor only reverted to her original form because she lost her origin."

After his explanation...

Ning Rongrong finally understood and looked at the Blue Silver Emperor with pity.

"Tsk, she's so pitiful."

Xiao Wu, however, had mixed feelings. She fell silent for a while, then turned toward Ji Hongchen beside her and spoke dejectedly.

"Brother Hongchen, do soul beasts really deserve to die?"

Ji Hongchen paused, then reached out and stroked Xiao Wu's head.

"Of course not. I only kill soul beasts that deserve to die. If a soul beast is my friend, I would never hurt them. The same goes the other way around."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu felt much better, though she still had many concerns. She opened her mouth, then hesitated.

Seeing this, Ji Hongchen led Xiao Wu into the small room.

Looking into Xiao Wu's hesitant eyes, Ji Hongchen said directly, "Xiao Wu, I know your true identity, but I don't care."

Xiao Wu trembled all over.

She had never expected Ji Hongchen to know her identity, and a flicker of panic rose within her.

"No, Brother Hongchen, but I'm a soul beast!"

She spoke softly, her voice trembling.

Ji Hongchen did not care in the slightest. He couldn't be bothered with whether she was a soul beast or not. He was a transmigrator; everyone else was like an NPC in his eyes. If Xiao Wu refused, he would imprison her.

Besides, he was a sucker for good looks.

Xiao Wu really was adorable and suited his tastes perfectly. Coupled with his compulsion to collect, he naturally would not let her slip away. There was also the fact that hundred thousand year soul rings were far too hard to find.

Only a few hundred-thousand-year soul beasts appeared during the Douluo I era. Moreover, securing Xiao Wu would bring her two little followers right to his doorstep.

"Xiao Wu, you're my little sister!"

"I won't hurt you just because you're a soul beast reborn. I'll protect you. Do you trust me?"

His feelings were genuine.

But Ji Hongchen's need for hundred thousand year soul rings was equally real. At least if he coaxed her into performing Sacrifice, she could be resurrected later. If he hunted and killed her, she would truly be gone.

Xiao Wu hesitated. Looking into Ji Hongchen's "pure as ice and jade" eyes, she gently pressed her cherry lips together, then finally threw herself into his arms and cried for a while.

"Thank you, Brother Hongchen."