The Little Rabbit He Picked Up

By the time they returned to Five Souls Village, dusk had fallen. Yan Zu had long been waiting at the village entrance, and the moment he saw his parents, he hurried over. "Dad, Mom, you're back!" When he saw the unconscious little girl in Su Qing's arms, his pupils narrowed slightly.

"A-Zu, let's get inside first. We saved a child on the way." Su Qing strode up to Yan Zu with the girl in her arms. "She's badly hurt and has passed out."

Yan Zu came to his senses and nodded quickly. "Quick, let's take her home first."

The group returned home, and Su Qing laid the girl on the bed. Yan Zu examined her injuries carefully. She had numerous scratches and bite wounds, and the deepest wound, on her back, was almost deep enough to expose bone.

Yan Zu took an herb radiating abundant vitality from his storage bracelet. It was the "Calming Spirit Grass" he had obtained from signing in, specifically used for healing. Combined with the nourishing vitality of the Qilin phantom, it should stabilize the girl's injuries.

Just as he was about to begin treating her, the system's cold, mechanical notification suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Key character sign-in triggered: encountered the central female lead, Xiao Wu!]

[Rare sign-in activated. Sign in now?]

Yan Zu froze. He had not expected this girl to be Xiao Wu.

At the same time, Yan Zu finally confirmed the Douluo timeline. Xiao Wu should have been six when she took human form, after which she went to Nuoding Academy. That meant Tang San was also six now, and the main story had only just begun.

Sign in! Yan Zu commanded inwardly without hesitation.

[Ding! Key character sign-in successful!]

[Congratulations, host! Critical reward obtained: Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman!]

[Congratulations, host! Critical reward obtained: Wind God Legs!]

But Yan Zu had no time to savor how precious the rewards were. Xiao Wu's faint gasps tugged at his heart. He quickly crushed the leaves of the Calming Spirit Grass, carefully brought them close to Xiao Wu's lips, and dripped the juice into her mouth.

Then he sat down cross-legged, held his hands above her chest and abdomen without touching her, and circulated the Nine Yin Manual's cultivation method. Soft, lingering Nine Yin Soul Power slowly flowed out, enveloping Xiao Wu's body like a fine spring rain. It flowed gently through her damaged meridians, nourishing them.

Just then, something wondrous happened.

In Yan Zu's dantian, the Auspicious Beast Qilin phantom, which had long been unlocked but had yet to awaken, seemed to sense something. It quietly appeared behind him, taking the form of a palm-sized halo of jade-colored light.

The abundant vitality radiating from the halo and the faint trace of Soul Beast vitality within Xiao Wu were drawn together like magnets, instantly producing a powerful resonance.

The Qilin phantom's vitality no longer spread aimlessly. Instead, it followed the path of the Nine Yin Soul Power and flowed precisely into Xiao Wu's body, complementing the medicinal effects of the Calming Spirit Grass.

Yan Zu could clearly feel Xiao Wu's once-feeble breathing gradually steady. A faint blush returned to her pale little face, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest gave way to even breaths.

"Whew-" Yan Zu let out a long breath, fine beads of sweat appearing at his temples. His five-year-old body had limited Soul Power to begin with, and controlling it so precisely to treat her injuries had taken a considerable toll on him.

Su Qing had remained at his side the whole time, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, her face full of worry.

After settling Xiao Wu on his own little bed and tucking the bedding around her, Yan Zu quietly slipped out of the room and went beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard.

The night deepened, and moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow. Yan Zu raised his hand, and the Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman floated silently above his palm, emitting a soft glow. He concentrated and examined the reward's detailed description:

[Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman: exclusively suited to transformed Soul Beasts. Using the Qilin's auspicious origin as a guide, it conceals Soul Beast presence layer by layer (currently capable of evading detection by those below the Titled Douluo level; gradually strengthens as the host's strength increases, ultimately becoming immune to a Peerless Douluo's detection);

Passive effect: accelerates a transformed Soul Beast's growth in human form and improvement in Soul Power, making up for the shortcomings caused by the break in its cultivation system after Soul Beast Transformation. It also forms a life resonance with the host's Qilin Martial Soul, allowing either party to instantly sense when the other is in danger.]

"Good stuff." Yan Zu praised it from the heart. This talisman was practically tailor-made for Xiao Wu. It not only resolved the greatest danger of her identity being exposed, but could also help her cultivate, perfectly fitting his need to protect her.

The other reward, "Wind God Legs," had an ingenious mnemonic and moves that were fierce yet agile, with particular emphasis on speed and leg techniques. If Xiao Wu could learn it, it would undoubtedly greatly improve her ability to protect herself.

But looking at the talisman in his hand and the movement technique's mnemonic in his mind, Yan Zu had no intention of immediately deciding to give them to Xiao Wu. His brows drew together slightly as he fell into thought.

When he had read the original work in his previous life, netizens' opinions of Xiao Wu had always been mixed.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, that pink "hooligan rabbit" had sworn up and down to avenge her mother. But after taking human form and entering the human world, she seemed like a different rabbit. Every day, aside from eating, drinking, having fun, acting spoiled, and playing cute, she revolved around Tang San. As for revenge? She never mentioned it again.

In the end, her identity was exposed, and she sacrificed herself to become a sword sheath. She lived her entire life depending on and following someone else. No wonder netizens gave her four words: "disgrace of Soul Beasts."

But in Yan Zu's view, this was not Xiao Wu's fault. Or rather, she should not have been the only one left holding the blame.

After taking human form, she did not understand human rules, the cruelty of the world, where to put her hatred, or how to cultivate to become strong.

She was like a newborn child, suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar human world. Whoever took her hand, she followed; whoever gave her warmth became her whole world.

And the person who took her hand in the original work gave her shelter, tenderness, and a sense of security, but the one thing he did not give her was "growth."

He doted on her, but never taught her independence;

He protected her, but never taught her to become strong in her own right;

He shielded her from every storm, but never told her how to face one;

He catered to all her emotions, but never guided her beliefs, sense of responsibility, or original intentions.

Xiao Wu's foul mouth, willfulness, and domineering behavior were all protective coloring that Tang San had "spoiled" into her.

It was not that she was incapable of tenderness; no one had taught her what it meant to know her limits. It was not that she did not want to grow up; someone had protected her so well that she thought she could remain a child forever. (Most people don't want to grow up; they just can't keep being children anymore-Xiao Lin-chan. PS: Does anyone know who Xiao Lin-chan is?)

And so Xiao Wu became what netizens criticized-

Innocent but rash, dependent and weak, lively but lacking restraint, affectionate but lacking reverence.

She could be willful regardless of the occasion, act on her emotions, and speak without a filter, mistaking rashness for frankness and spoiled behavior for innocence. In a sense, she became a "brat";

At the age when she most needed rules, an understanding of reason, and the shaping of her character, no one told her "how to conduct herself."

Xiao Wu was exceptionally gifted, possessing Innate Full Soul Power after taking human form.

But whether that potential could truly be realized depended on the environment in which she grew up, and on whether someone could give her the right guidance.

He could not simply dote on and protect her as in the original work, letting her lose her vigilance in a greenhouse. But neither could he be too harsh and wear away the liveliness and innocence she was meant to have.

In her world, he would plant sunshine, but also wind and rain; he would give her embraces, but also armor.

He would not shield her from everything, but teach her how to stand up on her own amid the thorns.

He would not raise her as a flower in a greenhouse, but nurture her into a tree that could withstand wind and snow.

He would not let her live as someone else's shadow, but let her live as-Xiao Wu.

A Xiao Wu of flesh and blood, who dared to love and hate, who had boundaries, a sense of responsibility, and dignity.

I can bind the Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman to her first. Concealing her presence is an immediate necessity, after all. Yan Zu had already made up his mind. But I can't rush to teach her Wind God Legs. I need to see what her character is like when she wakes up. If she can be sensible, understand the danger, and be willing to cultivate hard, I'll naturally teach her everything I know and plan the growth path best suited to her. But if she's still as playful and willful as she was early in the original work, with no sense of what matters, then I'll have to temper her character first and make her understand that a peaceful life is never something to be taken for granted. It takes strength to protect it.

He raised his hand and gently pressed the Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman between Xiao Wu's brows.

The talisman transformed into a streak of light and instantly entered her body without causing the slightest disturbance. Yan Zu could clearly feel Xiao Wu's Soul Beast presence being wrapped in an invisible barrier and completely concealed. Even if a Titled Douluo examined her now, they would only think she was an ordinary human girl.

After doing all this, Yan Zu returned to the bedside and quietly watched Xiao Wu's sleeping face. In the moonlight, the vigilance and pain had faded from the girl's face, leaving her looking especially pure.

Xiao Wu, Yan Zu murmured softly in his heart, in this life, the one you met was me. I won't let you repeat the same mistakes, and I won't let you lose your way. But in the end, you have to walk the road of growth yourself. I can give you shelter, resources, and guidance, but what kind of person you ultimately become still depends on your own choices.