"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!" This was Tang San's first thought.
How could his Xiao Wu be a transformed soul beast? If that were true, hadn't he been sleeping beside a beast for the past six years? At this stage, Tang San didn't yet realize he was a hybrid himself. Coupled with the innate hostility between humans and soul beasts, he naturally refused to believe this truth.
However, a Titled Douluo and a high-level Soul Douluo wouldn't conspire to play such a prank. Aside from Xiao Wu truly being a transformed soul beast, there was no other reason for a Titled Douluo to act this way. It wasn't as if he craved her beauty or her wealth. Only a 100,000-year soul ring and soul bone could drive a veteran like Gu Rong to strike so decisively.
Even Gu Rong hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He had been tailing the Titan Giant Ape, assuming it would take the rabbit back to the core region. To his surprise, once the rabbit condensed her third soul ring, the ape simply let her go. Gu Rong waited for the ape to leave before swooping in to snatch her up.
By now, Xiao Wu had long since fainted, blissfully unaware of how she had been captured. On his way back, Gu Rong sensed two figures approaching, one with decent strength. He decided to reveal himself.
When Meng Shu saw Gu Rong and felt the aura that far eclipsed his own, he immediately produced the token Gu Xuan had given him. Once they recognized each other as allies, they returned together. Throughout the journey, Meng Shu kept a greedy eye on Xiao Wu. With his rank, it wasn't hard to see her true form now.
However, he lacked the courage to snatch anything from Gu Rong. He could only flatter the elder respectfully, using Gu Xuan's token to stay in Gu Rong's good graces. 'If the Bone Douluo eats the meat, perhaps he'll leave me a sip of the soup,' he thought. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was so wealthy that even their scraps would be enough for him to live on for a lifetime.
Back at the camp, the Shrek Academy students stared in disbelief at Xiao Wu, who was dangling from Gu Rong's hand like a helpless chick. Had they really been living with a soul beast for months?
Gu Xuan wore a look of profound shock. He took a deep breath and turned to Tang San, his voice carrying an unquestionable weight. "Young brother, did you know your sister's true identity?" His tone was cold, as if all his previous concern and kindness had been wasted on a stray dog.
Tang San felt the shift in attitude directly. He was speechless. He truly hadn't known she was a soul beast, even if a part of him still fought to deny it.
The rest of the Shrek group felt the same sting. Gu Xuan had done so much to help Tang San find her, even enlisting the Dragon-Serpent couple, only to find out Xiao Wu was likely in league with the very monster that attacked them.
Dai Mubai, in particular, saw red. He was severely injured and hadn't even received a bit of comfort from Zhu Zhuqing. Knowing that Xiao Wu and the ape were "together" infuriated him. With his experience, he realized that soul beasts didn't need to hunt for rings. Xiao Wu had likely orchestrated the ape's attack just so she could be "carried off" to safely condense her third ring.
Tang San found it difficult to face Gu Xuan. This man had been a saint to him. "I... I..." He couldn't muster a single logical explanation.
Now that he thought about it, Xiao Wu's behavior over the years did differ from that of a normal human. No matter how silly a six-year-old was, how could they not know what a Gold Soul Coin was? Her Soft-Boned Rabbit Martial Soul was born with full soul power, yet the Spirit Hall hadn't taken her. That meant they hadn't been the ones to awaken her. While the rabbit wasn't top-tier, it was far more desirable than Blue Silver Grass.
"Heh! How could you be so foolish?" Gu Xuan's expression was no longer warm, only indifferent. "To take a soul beast as a sister? Do you not know that humans and soul beasts are natural enemies? Do you think she'll be grateful just because you're nice to her?"
"I suspect this rabbit has known that Titan Giant Ape for a long time," Gu Xuan continued. "If any of you were caught by that ape, a single squeeze would have crushed your bones. Yet this rabbit has returned completely unharmed? I wouldn't be surprised if she planned that attack herself."
Tang San's face paled, then turned ashen. He remained silent, lost in thought. The rest of Shrek's team looked equally grim. Humans and soul beasts were on opposite sides of a blood feud. Thinking back on Xiao Wu's more grating habits, they suddenly made sense—it was the fundamental difference between their species. 'No wonder she said such sickening things sometimes; she's a rabbit!'
Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai were the most resentful. Zhao Wuji had pushed his Martial Soul Avatar to the limit and still hadn't recovered. 'I nearly died for a rabbit's stage play!' he thought angrily.
"Xiao San, did you know about this?" Zhao Wuji asked, his voice low and heavy.
Tang San looked up blankly at the dangling Xiao Wu. He pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, but his cultivation was too low to see through her. He still couldn't accept that the girl he'd shared a bed with for six years was a soul beast. "Teacher Zhao, I didn't know," he said with difficulty.
"But I don't believe it," Tang San cried out, his voice cracking with desperation. "Six years! If she were a soul beast, how could I not have noticed in six years?"
Gu Xuan looked at him, feeling a wave of amusement. 'Are you really this naive?' he thought. 'Or are you just blinded by lust?' Tang San had been fantasizing about her since she kissed him at age six; back then, she was just a child.
As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Once Tang San's heart was set, every strange quirk of hers became "normal" to him. Gu Xuan spoke again, his voice cold. "I have only one question. You've been together for six years, starting from when you awakened your Martial Souls."
"In those six years, have you ever seen her hunt a soul beast for a ring? Do you actually know where her rings came from?"
The question hit Tang San like a physical blow. He had the body of a twelve-year-old, but the mind of a thirty-year-old. When he stopped ignoring the red flags, the truth became inescapable.
Tang San collapsed to his knees, clutching his head as tears and snot ran down his face. "Xiao Wu... how could my Xiao Wu be a soul beast?"
(End of Chapter)
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