"What's there to doubt? Your Blue Silver Grass trash martial soul is also innately full of soul power, isn't it?
Xiao Yan, I didn't realize you were such a suspicious person!" Xiao Wu chuckled.
But her laugh this time lacked its usual liveliness—it was clear she was rattled.
Touching his nose, recalling his childhood experiences, Xiao Yan let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Suspicious? You could say that, and it wouldn't be wrong. Call me paranoid if you want. But unfortunately, my situation is completely different from yours."
"Different?" Xiao Wu gave Xiao Yan a strange look. Could he not be human too? But she couldn't sense any aura of a soul beast in human form.
Xiao Yan didn't explain her doubt, instead returning to his original topic.
"In the beginning, I didn't know much about martial souls. I even thought you were a twin martial soul awakener—someone with another martial soul far stronger than the rabbit one. So, back then I had two hypotheses about you:
First, you came from a powerful family and were just out traveling, hence your presence in this little Notting City.
Second, you were a soul beast in human form, with talents that couldn't be measured by common sense."
Xiao Wu stared at Xiao Yan in complete disbelief, stunned.
This Xiao Yan… was way too clever!!!
He had nearly figured out her identity after just a few minutes of interacting with her?!
Xiao Yan ignored her reaction and continued calmly,
"Even now, I can't be sure you're not a twin martial soul user. Two equally powerful martial souls could also explain innate full soul power. But that's not the point anymore. The two soul rings on you exposed your true nature—as a soul beast in human form!"
"Remember when I left the academy the second day after enrollment? When I came back, you suddenly claimed to have obtained a soul ring. That raised a red flag. When did you even have the chance to hunt a soul beast?"
"Later, I asked Wang Sheng. He said you stayed in the academy the whole time. I even asked Teacher Mo Cheng, who assigned us our duties, and he told me you performed very well during that period."
"Both their statements proved that you hadn't left the academy during that time. There was no way you could've hunted a soul beast."
"At that time, I still couldn't be sure. Maybe you had your soul ring before entering Notting Academy. But your behavior—so many little details—made me lean more and more toward the conclusion: you were a soul beast in human form."
Xiao Wu felt like she couldn't keep up with Xiao Yan's deductions anymore. His thinking was too fast, faster than a galloping carriage.
She had always been careful… and yet, he still noticed. And this terrifying guy could deduce so much from a few words.
"What confirmed it for me was your second soul ring." Xiao Yan stood and approached the stunned Xiao Wu.
"Once I suspected you, I started watching you more closely. Even though we didn't spend that much time together, I could track your whereabouts through people like Wang Sheng."
"During holidays, you never returned home and were always around me. You never left my vicinity. So how did you suddenly get a second century-level soul ring?"
"So—Xiao Wu, you're actually a soul beast in human form!"
As Xiao Yan stepped closer, his voice growing clearer and louder, Xiao Wu realized the harsh truth—she had been exposed.
Her little backstory about how she got her soul rings might've fooled others, but not Xiao Yan, who had tracked her every move!
"Second Soul Skill—Charm!"
Suddenly, Xiao Wu released her martial soul. Her second soul ring flared as her eyes turned pink. She gave Xiao Yan a bewitching look—and then turned and bolted from the room.
The gap in power between the two was vast, so Xiao Yan remained unaffected by the charm technique.
Crossing his arms, he touched his nose and shouted out,
"Run as hard as you like. I'll give you three minutes. Since I've revealed everything today, I'm absolutely confident—you can't escape!"
Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to wait patiently, a sudden scream outside changed his expression completely. He dashed out in a flash.
Outside, not far from the door, a figure in black robes appeared out of nowhere. Xiao Yan froze. If this person hadn't shown up again, he might have forgotten about him entirely.
Tang Hao!
Since their encounter in the Soul Hunting Forest, Tang Hao had left a note saying he was leaving. Xiao Yan hadn't expected to see him again here, of all places.
There was no time to wonder why Tang Hao, who was supposed to be gone, had reappeared. Seeing Xiao Wu lying on the ground, Xiao Yan rushed over.
"What did you do to her?!"
Tang Hao deliberately made his voice sound older:
"What did I do? I helped you, obviously. Didn't you already realize this little girl is a soul beast? You were planning to absorb her soul ring and soul bone, weren't you?"
Lifting Xiao Wu up, Xiao Yan heard the explanation, and his eyes turned blood-red as he roared,
"I didn't want to kill her, you brute!"
"What?!" Though he was yelled at, Tang Hao wasn't angry—in fact, he was pleased. He really is my son…
Tang Hao pressed,
"Don't tell me you've fallen for that little girl and plan to… mate with her?"
Xiao Yan was speechless. Has this guy drunk himself stupid?! What the hell is going on in that head of his?
Does he even realize how precious a soul beast in human form like Xiao Wu is?!
Seeing Xiao Wu's pale face, Xiao Yan placed a hand on her wrist—only to find her pulse so weak it was nearly undetectable. In a panic, he placed his hand on her neck.
Praying she was still savable, Xiao Yan carefully examined her condition.
He had many herbs in his storage belt. As long as the injury wasn't too extreme, there was always a sliver of hope.
Tang Hao said solemnly,
"Don't bother. That little girl took one of my palms. Her bones are all shattered, and her internal organs are severely damaged. She's hanging on by a thread. The only reason she's still alive is that her body's constitution is far above that of normal Soul Masters. But in a few more minutes, she'll die."
Xiao Yan let out a long sigh. That old dog Tang Hao wasn't wrong—and in truth, the situation was even worse.
Not only were Xiao Wu's bones shattered, but most of her meridians were torn, and two or three of her vital organs had been nearly destroyed. If it were any normal Soul Master, they would've died already.
That she was still breathing was solely due to her being a soul beast in human form.
If it were only one of these injuries, Xiao Yan might still have hope of saving her. But she was just too far gone. Whether it was mending her bones, meridians, or internal organs—each of them alone would be considered a top-tier critical injury.
Even if Hua Tuo or Bian Que were resurrected, they wouldn't be able to do anything for Xiao Wu in such a short amount of time.
...
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