Night was as dark as ink, and Five Soul Village had fallen completely silent.
Only the Yan family’s small cottage still glowed with the faint light of an oil lamp.
Xiao Wu was awakened by a faint scent of medicinal herbs.
Her eyelashes fluttered lightly a few times, as if afraid of disturbing something, before she cautiously opened her eyes.
What greeted her was an unfamiliar ceiling.
Dried herbs hung from the rafters of the thatched roof, and the air carried a mix of the fresh fragrance of plants and a faint hint of smoke.
Suddenly, the weakness from her Human Transformation, the fangs of the Wind Wolf, the desperate flight through the mountains—all the terrifying memories flooded her mind in an instant.
Xiao Wu’s body tensed sharply, like a young beast whose tail had been stepped on.
She instantly curled up, pressing her back tightly against the cold wall.
Her large, moist eyes were filled with vigilance, her pupils slightly contracted.
Unconsciously, the corners of her mouth pulled back, revealing two sharp little canine teeth, carrying a hint of youthful ferocity.
Her injuries were not yet fully healed; the wound on her back still throbbed faintly with pain, and her soul power had recovered less than thirty percent.
Yet, driven by her spirit beast instincts, she now assumed a defensive posture, as if everything before her was a potential threat.
“Awake?”
A gentle voice sounded beside her ear, carrying not a trace of malice but rather a careful, soothing tone.
Xiao Wu followed the sound and saw a young boy sitting on a small wooden stool by the bed.
He held a piece of vibrant green medicinal herb in his hand.
Seeing her awake, his eyes held no trace of covetousness or ill intent, only pure concern.
The boy looked to be only about five or six years old, with fair skin and clear black eyes.
He wore a faded, coarse cloth shirt, yet he exuded a steadiness that seemed beyond his years.
It was Yan Zu.
He had been keeping watch by the bedside.
Sensing the fluctuations of soul power within Xiao Wu’s body gradually stabilizing, he knew she was about to wake up.
Now, seeing Xiao Wu in this state of high alert, Yan Zu did not approach rashly.
He only took half a step forward slowly, leaving her ample safe distance.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s safe here. The Wind Wolf has been driven away.” Yan Zu’s voice was extremely soft, like a clear mountain spring.
“My name is Yan Zu. This is my home. My parents saved you. They are good people; they won’t hurt you.”
As he spoke, he began circulating the mental cultivation method of the Nine Yin Manual.
Yin-soft, enduring soul power flowed within his body, emitting an amiable aura.
It intertwined with the vitality emanating from the Qilin Phantom behind him, forming an invisible barrier that isolated all malice and unease.
This aura was too gentle and mellow, like the purest spring water from the depths of Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiao Wu’s taut nerves relaxed slightly without her realizing it, but the wariness in her eyes still did not fade.
For a spirit beast undergoing Human Transformation, wariness towards humans was inherent.
Moreover, she had just experienced a life-and-death crisis.
In Xiao Wu’s understanding, most humans were greedy and dangerous. This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
They hunted spirit beasts, seizing their spirit rings and spirit bones—they were the natural enemies of all spirit beasts in Star Dou Great Forest.
If this family before her hadn’t saved her, she would have already turned and fled into the mountains.
“Who are you? Why were you in the mountains?” Yan Hu’s voice came from the doorway, carrying a touch of roughness but not the slightest hint of pressure.
He and Su Qing entered, carrying a bowl of warm rice porridge.
Seeing Xiao Wu awake, they instinctively lightened their footsteps considerably.
Su Qing placed the millet porridge on the small table by the bedside, carefully observing Xiao Wu with eyes full of concern.
“Child, are you hungry? This is millet porridge, cooked until soft. Would you like to try it?”
In response to their questions, Xiao Wu merely pursed her lips and shook her head, remaining silent.
Her large eyes were fixed intently on them, as if afraid to miss any sign of danger.
Her small hands clutched tightly at the bedding beneath her, her knuckles turning white from the strain.
The wound on her back, strained by her tense posture, began to seep a faint trace of blood.
“Don’t push her,” Yan Zu said softly, stopping Yan Hu, who was about to press further.
“She just narrowly escaped death. She must be terrified.”
He turned to Xiao Wu and quietly retrieved something from his Storage Soul Tool—a pack of spicy strips he had obtained from a previous Check-in.
The red packaging stood out starkly under the dim, yellowish light.
This item was an anomaly on the Douluo Continent.
Its spicy and savory aroma held a powerful allure for those who had never encountered it before.
Yan Zu tore open the packaging, and a rich, spicy fragrance instantly filled the air.
Xiao Wu’s nose twitched instinctively, and a flicker of curiosity flashed in her eyes.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, she had only ever eaten wild fruits and plants.
She had never smelled such a unique scent before.
The bold, enticing aroma instantly stirred the hunger in her stomach.
“This is a spicy strip. It’s delicious,” Yan Zu said, picking up one of the strips and offering it to Xiao Wu, his tone gently coaxing.
“Would you like to try it? Eating it might make your wound hurt less.”
A faint aura of Qilin vitality lingered around his fingertips, its gentle warmth instinctively easing some of Xiao Wu’s defenses.
She hesitated for a moment, looking into Yan Zu’s clear eyes, then at the spicy strip emitting its peculiar aroma.
In the end, unable to resist the temptation, she cautiously extended her small hand, quickly snatched the strip from Yan Zu’s fingers, and retreated to the corner, stuffing it into her mouth.
“Hiss… so spicy…” She gasped from the heat but couldn’t bring herself to stop, her eyes even reddening.
Su Qing watched with a pang of sympathy and handed her the bowl of porridge.
“Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”
Xiao Wu took the porridge and gulped it down in one go, finally catching her breath.
She stole a glance at Yan Zu and found the boy smiling at her, his eyes clear and without malice.
She then looked at Su Qing.
The gentle woman was using her sleeve to wipe the oil from the corner of Xiao Wu’s mouth, her movements as tender as if she were caring for her own child.
Finally, her gaze settled on Yan Hu.
sympathy?
“You…” she began, her voice still hoarse but with less hostility.
“Why did you save me?”
Yan Hu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
“We couldn’t just stand by and watch that beast eat you, could we?”
“But I’m…” Xiao Wu bit her lip.
“I’m a burden.”
“Who said that?” Yan Hu strode into the room, crouching by the bedside so his eyes were level with the girl’s.
“I, Yan Hu, have always despised those who bully the weak. That Wind Wolf was hunting you. We saw it, so we couldn’t just ignore it.”
“But…” Xiao Wu lowered her head.
“I have nothing to repay you with.”
“Who asked for repayment?” Yan Hu waved his hand dismissively, his tone hearty.
“When I save someone, it’s for peace of mind, not for rewards.”
Su Qing also spoke gently, “Child, don’t be afraid. This is Five Soul Village, our home. Rest and recover from your injuries first. We can talk about everything else once you’re better.”
Xiao Wu’s eyes reddened.
She recalled her days in the Star Dou Great Forest, when her mother, protecting her, had drawn the greedy gazes of hunting Soul Masters, ultimately…
She didn’t want to think about it anymore.
“My name is Xiao Wu,” she suddenly said, her voice soft yet firm.
“Wu as in dance.”
“Xiao Wu, a lovely name,” Yan Zu smiled.
“I’m Yan Zu. You can call me A’zu.”
He pointed to Yan Hu and his wife.
“This is my father, Yan Hu, and that’s my mother, Su Qing.”
“Yan… Hu…” Xiao Wu repeated the name, then looked at Su Qing.
“Su… Qing…”
“That’s right,” Su Qing replied with a smile.
“How old are you this year?”
“Six.”
“Oh, you’re a year older than our A’zu then,” Su Qing said, glancing at her son.
“A’zu is only five.”
Xiao Wu looked up at Yan Zu and said seriously, “I’m older than you, so you have to call me Sister Xiao Wu.”
Her eyes held a hint of anticipation mixed with a touch of nervousness, as if declaring her “older sister” status.
Yan Zu couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, Sister Xiao Wu.”