"You're the Fire Kingdom Princess?"
He looked at the girl before him, as demure as a maiden from a modest household.
Yet Shi Xiu wasn't particularly interested.
Though this girl was fresh and pretty, she was too young.
How should he put it?
She lacked the allure of a mature woman.
Perhaps in a few years, she would become the type Shi Xiu liked.
But for now, her figure still needed time to develop.
Seeing him look her over as though appraising merchandise,
Huo Ling'er immediately grew angry.
A pair of fiery wings spread behind the little girl.
She hurled two fireballs straight at his back.
"Put down Zhu Yan, and this princess won't hold it against you!"
"Tch!"
Although those fireballs were quite powerful,
Shi Xiu had already opened three Grotto-Heavens.
On top of that, he had just eaten both legs of the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow.
He was already immune to fire.
Boom!
Shi Xiu casually struck out with one palm.
The two fireballs before him instantly collapsed.
This little princess of the Fire Kingdom still lacked a little firepower.
But his action utterly infuriated Huo Ling'er.
The headstrong princess threw a punch without another word.
Yet her movements were simply too slow in Shi Xiu's eyes.
He caught her fist with ease.
However, because they were standing so close,
the fragrance of Huo Ling'er's rouge and powder immediately filled the air.
Sniff!
"Oh, that smells pretty nice!"
"You, you..."
"You're awful! Sob, sob..."
Perhaps it was her first time venturing out to gain experience.
Or perhaps it was her first time encountering a man like Shi Xiu.
Huo Ling'er actually began crying with hurt.
It was understandable, really!
In the Great Wilderness, men and women weren't supposed to touch.
Besides, she was a princess, a golden branch with jade leaves.
Shi Xiu hadn't intended to provoke her.
He had merely offered an offhand compliment about her rouge and powder.
He hadn't expected this result.
He immediately became flustered, at a complete loss.
Comforting girls had never been his forte.
Even before transmigrating, he had never had a girlfriend.
He hadn't even held a girl's hand.
How could anyone expect him to soothe Huo Ling'er?
Suddenly, Furball rolled over in his hand.
An idea immediately came to Shi Xiu.
"Um, Princess Huo Ling'er, don't cry. You can play with Furball!"
Just like in his previous life,
these young girls all seemed interested in furry animals.
When he presented the golden Furball to the princess,
Huo Ling'er immediately stopped crying.
Then she snatched Furball up, hugging and squeezing him before nuzzling him.
Her expression immediately went from overcast to cloudy, then from cloudy to sunny.
Wasn't that change of expression a little too fast?
"Hmph, that's more like it. At least you know what's good for you!"
"You're saying he's Zhu Yan? The fellow I saw earlier was taller than a mountain!"
"What do you know? He must be Zhu Yan!"
For some unknown reason,
Furball had initially quite enjoyed being squeezed and cuddled by Huo Ling'er.
But once he heard her keep calling him "Zhu Yan,"
the little creature somehow grew frightened.
When the princess wasn't paying attention, he jumped straight out of her arms.
Then he hid on Shi Xiu's shoulder in fear.
This little creature really was perceptive!
He was terrified of being taken to the Fire Kingdom and killed.
After all, the Vermilion Bird was the Fire Kingdom's Sacrificial Spirit.
While fighting over the treasure earlier, Furball had even plucked several feathers from that fiery bird.
If he went to the bird's territory in his current state,
he would surely be roasted alive!
By comparison, staying with this human was safer.
After all, this fellow could even chop off the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow's legs.
Following such a ruthless character would at least keep his little life safe.
"Hey, Furball, what are you doing?"
Seeing her beloved pet escape,
Huo Ling'er immediately jumped up.
She reached out at once to snatch him back.
But unexpectedly, Shi Xiu simply turned away.
"Don't. Looks like Furball doesn't like you. He'd better come back to Stone Village with me!"
"You, you two... hmph!"
In a fit of anger, Huo Ling'er took a pile of treasures from her storage pouch.
She laid them out, clearly hoping to trade them for his pet.
But the perceptive Furball shook his head like a pellet drum.
The Fire Kingdom Princess was so angry that she was left speechless.
Just as the atmosphere grew rather awkward,
dozens of figures suddenly appeared around Shi Xiu.
They were all from Bei Village.
These fellows seemed to have come to pick up some easy spoils too.
Because of the earlier battle between vicious beasts here,
they hadn't dared approach.
Only after things quieted down had they selected a few dozen elites to come over.
They hadn't expected to run into Shi Xiu and Huo Ling'er as soon as they arrived.
Their leader was the village chief's son.
What was his name again?
Shi Xiu had forgotten!
In any case, to Shi Xiu, they were all insignificant nobodies.
There was no need to remember their names.
But the fellows opposite him certainly recognized Shi Xiu.
"Well, well, isn't this Shi Xiu from Stone Village?"
"Who's that pretty girl beside you?"
"How about we carry her back to the village to be this young master's wife?"
Perhaps emboldened by their numbers,
and seeing a young beauty like Huo Ling'er,
the fellows from Bei Village immediately harbored wicked intentions.
That was how this world worked.
Some liked radishes, others liked greens; everyone had their own tastes.
Shi Xiu liked the mature, older-sister type.
Women like the Ruthless Great Emperor and Fairy Yuechan.
But some people preferred petite girls.
Like the village chief's son before him.
Yet she was the Fire Kingdom Princess!
Did a toad like him really think he could feast on swan flesh?
"You people from Bei Village had better know what's good for you. She's the Fire Kingdom Princess!"
Seeing someone offend Huo Ling'er,
Shi Xiu felt obliged to explain, even though they had only just met.
But unbelievably, hearing that she was a princess only made those fellows more brazen!
"A princess? Perfect! This young master can get a taste of being a royal son-in-law! Hahaha!"
Upon hearing that,
Huo Ling'er trembled all over with rage.
Before Shi Xiu could react,
her fiery-red shoes had already struck the Bei Village young master in the face.
She kicked him more than ten meters away.
But the kick wasn't fatal.
Huo Ling'er was kindhearted and only wanted to teach these scoundrels a lesson.
Who would have thought that young master would refuse to let it go?
After clambering up from the ground, he clutched his face and immediately barked orders!
"Come on, tie this girl up! Take her back tonight so I can..."
Then his eyes shifted toward Shi Xiu.
"Kill this fellow from Stone Village! Then even the Fire Kingdom won't be able to find me!"
What an utterly foolish decision.
He actually dared to provoke Shi Xiu.
Then he had only himself to blame!
You're the ones who'll disappear today!
Bang!
Without any warning, Shi Xiu moved.
He shot forward like a cannonball fired from where he stood.
He charged straight at the Bei Village young master.
He didn't use any treasured technique.
Just a single Black Tiger Digs Out the Heart!
Though it was a physical attack,
it was an all-out strike from an expert with three Grotto-Heavens.
Coupled with the roasted Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow legs he had just eaten, his strength was even more incredible.
He sent the village chief's son flying.
The sound of bones buckling rang out in midair.
As he landed, he knocked down two towering trees in succession.
His body curled up like a shrimp.
Clearly, he wasn't going to survive!
"He, he just..."
"Kill him! Wipe out this brat from Stone Village! We must avenge our young master!"
What a bunch of fools who didn't know what was good for them.
Hadn't they seen the gulf between them in that last punch?
There was a road to heaven, yet they wouldn't take it?
Hell had no gate, yet they insisted on barging in!
"Your Highness, cover your eyes. What comes next probably won't be pretty!"
He gave that instruction to Huo Ling'er, who was already trembling with fright beside him.
Shi Xiu instantly transformed into a terrifying beast in human form!
Soon, wretched screams like the howls of ghosts and wolves rose from the people facing him...
Before you continue