As they returned to Five Soul Village, dusk was already falling.
Yan Zu had been waiting at the village entrance.
Seeing his parents’ figures, he immediately hurried forward.
“Father, Mother, you’re back!” His pupils contracted slightly when he saw the unconscious little girl in Su Qing’s arms.
“A’zu, let’s go inside first. We rescued a child on the way,” Su Qing said, holding the girl as she quickly approached Yan Zu.
“She’s badly injured and has passed out.”
Yan Zu snapped back to attention and nodded hurriedly.
“Quick, let’s take her home first.”
The group returned home, and Su Qing placed the girl on the bed.
Yan Zu carefully examined her injuries.
The girl had multiple scratches and bite wounds all over her body, with the deepest gash on her back, almost revealing the bone.
Yan Zu retrieved a herb radiating dense vitality from his Storage Bracelet.
This was the “Spirit-Concentrating Herb” he had obtained from a Check-in, specifically used for healing.
Combined with the nourishing vitality of the Qilin Phantom, it should be able to stabilize the girl’s injuries.
Just as he was about to begin treatment, a cold, mechanical prompt from the System suddenly echoed in his mind:
[Ding! Triggered Key Character Check-in: Encountered Core Female Lead Xiao Wu!]
[Rare Check-in activated. Check in immediately?]
Yan Zu was stunned.
He hadn’t expected this girl to be Xiao Wu.
At the same time, Yan Zu truly confirmed the timeline of Douluo.
Xiao Wu’s Human Transformation should have occurred at age six, after which she headed to Nuoding Academy.
That meant Tang San was also six years old now—the time when the main storyline had just begun.
“Check in!” Yan Zu ordered without hesitation in his mind.
[Ding! Key Character Check-in successful!]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining Critical Hit Reward: Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman!]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining Critical Hit Reward: Wind God Leg Technique!]
But at this moment, Yan Zu had no time to savor the preciousness of the rewards.
Xiao Wu’s faint, ragged breaths tugged at his heart.
He quickly crushed the leaves of the Spirit-Concentrating Herb, carefully brought them close to Xiao Wu’s lips, and dripped the herb juice into her mouth.
Immediately after, he sat cross-legged, his hands hovering above her chest and abdomen, and began circulating the Nine Yin Manual’s cultivation method.
The gentle, enduring Nine Yin Soul Power slowly seeped out, enveloping Xiao Wu’s body like a fine spring drizzle, gently flowing and nourishing her damaged meridians.
Then, something miraculous happened.
It quietly manifested behind him, transforming into a palm-sized halo of jade-colored light.
The dense vitality emanating from the halo resonated intensely with the faint trace of spirit beast vitality within Xiao Wu’s body, as if drawn together like magnets.
The vitality from the Qilin Phantom no longer spread aimlessly.
Instead, it followed the path of the Nine Yin Soul Power, precisely surging into Xiao Wu’s body, complementing the effects of the Spirit-Concentrating Herb.
Yan Zu could clearly feel Xiao Wu’s originally weak breathing gradually becoming steady.
Her pale little face gained a faint touch of rosy color, and the rise and fall of her chest was no longer rapid, replaced instead by even breaths.
“Whew—” Yan Zu let out a long sigh, fine beads of sweat forming on his temples.
The soul power of a five-year-old body was inherently limited, and such precise control of soul power for healing was no small drain on him either.
Su Qing had been standing guard nearby the whole time, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her face filled with worry.
After settling Xiao Wu, placing her on her small bed and covering her with a quilt, Yan Zu quietly left the room and came to the old locust tree in the courtyard.
The night grew deeper, and moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows.
Yan Zu raised his hand, and the Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman floated quietly in his palm, emitting a soft glow.
He focused his mind and checked the detailed description of the reward:
[Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman: Exclusively compatible with spirit beasts that have undergone Human Transformation. Using the auspicious essence of the Qilin as a guide, it gradually conceals the spirit beast’s aura (currently capable of evading detection below the level of a Titled Douluo; effectiveness strengthens as the host’s power increases, eventually becoming immune to detection even by a Peerless Douluo). Passive Effect: Accelerates the human growth and soul power enhancement of a spirit beast that has undergone Human Transformation, compensating for the gap in the cultivation system after transformation. Simultaneously forms a Life Resonance with the host’s Qilin Martial Soul. If one party is in danger, the other can sense it instantly.]
“A good item,” Yan Zu praised sincerely.
This talisman seemed tailor-made for Xiao Wu.
Not only did it solve her biggest crisis of identity exposure, but it also assisted her cultivation, perfectly aligning with his need to protect her.
As for the other reward, the Wind God Leg Technique, its incantation was exquisite, its moves fierce yet agile, with a particular emphasis on speed and leg techniques.
If Xiao Wu could learn it, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance her self-preservation abilities.
But looking at the talisman in his hand and the movement technique incantation in his mind, Yan Zu didn’t immediately decide to hand them over to Xiao Wu.
His brow furrowed slightly as deep contemplation arose in his heart.
In his previous life, when reading the original work, netizens’ evaluations of Xiao Wu had always been mixed.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, that pink “Rogue Rabbit” had vowed to avenge her mother.
But after undergoing Human Transformation and entering the human world, it was as if she had become a different rabbit—every day, aside from eating, drinking, playing, and acting cute, she revolved around Tang San.
As for revenge?
It was never mentioned again.
In the end, her identity was exposed, and she performed a Sacrifice to become a Sword Sheath, living her entire life in dependence and pursuit.
No wonder netizens gave her four words: “Disgrace of the Spirit Beasts.”
But in Yan Zu’s view, this wasn’t Xiao Wu’s fault.
Or rather, she shouldn’t bear the blame alone.
After her transformation, she didn’t understand human rules, the cruelty of the world, how to harbor hatred, or how to cultivate strength.
She was like a newborn child, suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar human world.
And in the original work, the person who took her hand gave her shelter, tenderness, and a sense of security, but he never gave her “growth.”
He doted on her but didn’t teach her independence.
He protected her but didn’t teach her self-reliance.
He shielded her from all storms but never told her how to face them.
He satisfied all her emotions but never guided her beliefs, responsibilities, or original intentions.
Xiao Wu’s sharp tongue, willfulness, and stubbornness were all protective colors “spoiled” into her by Tang San.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t be gentle; it was that no one had taught her what moderation meant.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to grow up; it was that someone protected her too well, making her think she could remain a child forever.
(Most people don’t want to grow up; they just can’t continue being a child anymore—Xiao Lin-chan. PS: Does anyone know who Xiao Lin-chan is?)
And so, Xiao Wu became the version netizens criticized—
Innocent yet reckless, dependent yet weak, lively yet lacking propriety, close yet lacking reverence.
She would be willful regardless of the occasion, act on her emotions, speak without restraint, mistake recklessness for straightforwardness, and mistake willfulness for innocence, becoming a “brat” in a certain sense;
At the age when she most needed to establish rules, understand reason, and shape her character, no one told her “how to be a person.”
Xiao Wu’s talent was exceptional, possessing Innate Full Soul Power after her Human Transformation.
But whether this potential could truly be realized depended on the environment in which she grew up and whether someone could provide her with proper guidance.
He could not, like in the original story, simply indulge and protect her, letting her lose vigilance in a greenhouse; but he also could not be too harsh, extinguishing the liveliness and innocence she should have had.
He needed to plant both sunshine and storms in her world; give her embraces, and also give her armor.
Not to shield her from everything, but to teach her how to stand up on her own amidst thorns.
Not to raise her as a flower in a greenhouse, but to cultivate her into a tree that can withstand wind and snow.
Not to let her live as someone else’s shadow, but to let her live as—Xiao Wu.
A Xiao Wu with flesh and blood, capable of love and hate, with principles, responsibility, and dignity.
“The Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman can be bound first, after all, concealing her aura is an immediate necessity.” Yan Zu had already made a decision in his heart.
“But the Wind God Leg Technique cannot be taught to her hastily; I must first see her character after she wakes up. If she can be sensible, understand danger, and be willing to cultivate diligently, I will naturally teach her everything I know and plan the most suitable growth path for her; but if she remains as playful and willful as in the early stages of the original story, unaware of the seriousness of things, then I must first temper her nature, making her understand that a stable life is never taken for granted, but must be protected with strength.”
He raised his hand and gently pressed the Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman onto Xiao Wu’s forehead.
The Talisman transformed into a stream of light, instantly merging into her body without causing the slightest disturbance.
Yan Zu could clearly feel that the spirit beast aura on Xiao Wu was completely concealed, as if wrapped by an invisible barrier.
Even if a Titled Douluo were to investigate now, they would only sense that she was an ordinary human girl.
After completing this, Yan Zu returned to the bedside, quietly watching Xiao Wu’s sleeping face.
Under the moonlight, the girl’s face, free from vigilance and pain, appeared exceptionally pure.
“Xiao Wu,” Yan Zu silently whispered in his heart, “in this life, you have met me. I will not let you repeat the same mistakes, nor will I let you lose your way. But the path of growth, after all, must be walked by yourself. I can give you shelter, resources, and guidance, but what kind of person you ultimately become depends on your own choices.”