That day, Xiao Wu made the decision to flee amidst a wave of intense panic and an almost instinctive shudder.
When Salas's sinister, cold figure, bearing the unique aura of the Spirit Hall, appeared at the entrance of Shrek Academy's encampment; when the imposing aura of several Spirit Hall Soul Saints faintly pressed in; and especially when that withered old man (Bone Douluo Gu Rong), whose presence felt as heavy as a mountain and whose very essence pricked her soul, also appeared—Xiao Wu felt as if all the blood in her body was about to freeze!
She was not human. She was a Hundred Thousand Year Soft Bone Rabbit who had undergone Human Form Re-cultivation. She was extremely sensitive to powerful Soul Power, especially the aura of Titled Douluo-level experts, and to that unique Spirit Hall aura which evoked deep-seated disgust and terror from the very core of her being.
"It's the Spirit Hall! And a Titled Douluo!"
"They've come to capture me! They've discovered me!"
"No! I can't be caught! I can't let them find out!"
These thoughts exploded in her mind like thunderclaps, instantly drowning out all reason and her worry over Tang San's injuries. The deeply ingrained fear of the Spirit Hall hunting Soul Beasts, especially the shadow of her mother A Rou's tragic death at the hands of the former Spirit Hall Pope Qian Xun Ji, made her, like a frightened rabbit, instinctively want to flee from all danger.
She dared not release even a trace of Soul Power, nor even breathe heavily. Seizing the moment when the group entered the courtyard and everyone's attention was drawn away, relying on the flexibility and agility granted by her Soft Bone Rabbit Spirit, she slipped out silently like a slick, elusive fish through an inconspicuous gap at the back of the encampment. Then, without looking back, she used all her strength to sprint wildly towards the depths of the mountains and forests, away from the encampment.
She didn't know how long she had run, nor where she was headed. Only one thought remained in her mind: Escape! Escape as far as possible! Away from the Spirit Hall! Away from the Titled Douluo! Away from anyone who might recognize her true identity!
She dared not take the main roads, forced to weave through the woods. Thorns tore her clothes and left bloody scratches on her fair skin, but she paid them no mind. Tears blurred her vision, mingling with sweat as they streamed down her face. Her heart was filled with fear, helplessness, and deep worry and guilt towards Tang San.
"Third Brother… I'm sorry… Third Brother… I'm so scared…"
She ran, weeping silently in her heart. She couldn't bear to leave the severely injured, unconscious Tang San, couldn't bear to leave her Shrek companions, but she was even more terrified of being captured, terrified of that hellish fate. She didn't want to become a Soul Ring, didn't want to end up like her mother…
She didn't know how far she had run, nor how much time had passed. The sky had completely darkened. The forest was pitch black, with only the occasional chirping of insects and the mournful cries of night owls. Extreme exhaustion, fear, Soul Power depletion, and the severe mental shock finally caused her vision to darken. Her legs gave way, and she completely lost consciousness, collapsing softly onto a patch of damp fallen leaves.
…
Consciousness seemed to sink into the icy depths of the sea, surrounded by boundless darkness and silence. After an unknowable amount of time, a sliver of warmth, like sunlight filtering through ice, slowly seeped in.
Xiao Wu's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Before her eyes danced an orange-red firelight, illuminating the rough stone walls of a cave. She found herself lying on a pile of dry, soft hay, covered by a large outer robe that carried a faint scent of sweat and tobacco. In the air, there was the crackling sound of burning wood, and also... an indescribable, heavy and domineering aura.
Her heart jolted in alarm, and she tried to sit up abruptly, only to aggravate the scrapes on her body, causing her to let out a pained groan.
"Awake?"
A low, hoarse voice, as if carrying endless exhaustion and the vicissitudes of time, sounded from beside the fire.
Xiao Wu endured the pain and warily looked in the direction of the voice.
On the other side of the fire sat a tall, broad-shouldered figure. The person was draped in a tattered black cloak, its hood obscuring most of their face, revealing only a strong, weathered jawline and short, bristly beard standing up like steel needles. He sat casually on a rock, his back to Xiao Wu, silently poking at the campfire before him. The flickering firelight cast his massive, swaying shadow on the cave wall, exuding a mountain-like steadiness, yet also seemingly harboring a terrifying power that could erupt at any moment.
"You... who are you? Where... is this place?" Xiao Wu's voice trembled slightly, carrying the weakness and wariness of someone who had just survived a disaster. She could sense that this person was strong, extremely strong! His aura felt even deeper and more domineering than Dean Flender, Teacher Zhao Wuji, and even the Bone Douluo she had sensed during the day! But strangely, while this aura made her feel oppressed, it didn't carry the soul-chilling revulsion she felt from the Spirit Hall. Instead... there was a faint, peculiar, and indescribable feeling.
"You fainted on the outskirts of the Sunset Forest," the man replied without turning around, his voice still low and hoarse. "This is a cave deep in the forest. It's relatively safe."
Sunset Forest? Xiao Wu's heart tightened. Had she unknowingly run all the way to the Sunset Forest near Heaven Dou City? This was far from the Heavenly Dou Royal Hunting Ground.
"Did you save me?" Xiao Wu asked hesitantly.
"Mhm," the man simply acknowledged with a grunt, continuing to tend the fire and falling silent again. The cave grew quiet, save for the crackling of burning wood.
Xiao Wu stared at the tall, broad back, her mind filled with doubts. Who was this person? Why was he in the Sunset Forest? And why did he save her? He didn't seem like a bad person, but his unfathomable strength and aloof attitude made her wary of letting her guard down.
She struggled to sit up, leaning against the cold stone wall and hugging her knees. The fire was warm, but it couldn't dispel the chill and confusion in her heart. She remembered the fear before she lost consciousness, the severely injured Tang San, her Shrek companions, Ning Rongrong being taken away by her father, her own panicked escape... Tears welled up uncontrollably again, shimmering in her eyes.
"What... what should I do?" she whispered, sobbing as if asking the man, or perhaps asking herself. "Third Brother is so badly injured... Shrek Academy is also... I... can I even go back?"
The man's hand, which had been tending the fire, paused slightly. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a detached indifference that seemed to see through worldly affairs. "Go back? Return to the center of that vortex? Go back before the eyes of those who would gladly devour you alive?"
Xiao Wu trembled all over, her head snapping up, her eyes filled with shock and horror. "You... you know?!"
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast taking human form..." The man finally turned around slowly. Beneath his hood, a pair of eyes as sharp as a beast's, yet filled with endless weariness and the vicissitudes of time, calmly looked at Xiao Wu. "Your identity, your situation... I understand it better than you do."
Xiao Wu felt as if struck by lightning, her face instantly turning as pale as paper! He knew! He knew everything! He had indeed seen through her identity! Fear, like a cold venomous snake, instantly seized her heart! Who was he? Someone from Spirit Hall? Or... a powerful expert who specialized in hunting high-level Soul Beasts?
However, the expected attack and capture did not come. The man just looked at her quietly. There was no greed in that gaze, no killing intent, only a complex, almost sorrowful calmness.
"Returning to Shrek will only implicate more people." He turned back around, facing the fire again, his voice low. "Shrek... you cannot go back. At least, not now."
Xiao Wu sat there dumbly, tears silently sliding down her cheeks. She knew this person spoke the truth. Shrek Academy had now become the eye of the storm. Tang San's identity was exposed, and her own identity could be discovered at any moment. Going back would not only endanger herself but would also implicate Brother San and everyone at Shrek.
"Then... where can I go?" she murmured, her voice filled with helplessness.
The man remained silent for a long time. Just as Xiao Wu thought he wouldn't answer, he slowly uttered a name. "Star Dou Great Forest."
Star Dou Great Forest? Xiao Wu jolted violently! That was the paradise of Soul Beasts, her former home! There, she would find familiar scents, powerful Soul Beast companions, and a natural sanctuary! But... it was also filled with danger. And leaving Heaven Dou City, leaving Brother San...
"That place is perhaps the safest for you right now," the man said plainly. "At least, safer than remaining in the human world."
Xiao Wu bit her lower lip hard, tears falling like broken strings of pearls. She looked out of the cave into the boundless darkness, as if she could pierce through these layers of obstruction and see the direction of Heaven Dou City, see that blue-clothed youth lying on a sickbed, his life hanging in the balance.
Brother San... I'm sorry... I'm so scared... I want so much to stay by your side... But I can't bring you more danger...
She silently poured out her heart, feeling as if it were being torn in two. On one side was the deep-seated longing and worry for Tang San and her companions; on the other was the fear of her own fate and a clear-eyed recognition of reality.
After a long while, she raised her hand and forcefully wiped the tears from her face, a flash of resolve appearing in her eyes. She slowly stood up and bowed deeply towards that tall, broad back.
"Thank you, senior, for saving my life and for your guidance." Her voice was still choked with sobs but no longer trembled. "This junior... knows what she must do."
After saying this, she hesitated no longer, casting one last deep, lingering glance toward the direction of Heaven Dou City, as if to etch that figure forever in her heart. Then, she resolutely turned around and, with somewhat unsteady yet exceptionally determined steps, walked out of the cave, plunging into the vast darkness of the night outside. Without looking back, she headed south, toward the kingdom of Soul Beasts—the direction of Star Dou Great Forest.
She knew that this parting might very well be a final farewell. But she also knew that only by staying alive could there be hope of reunion. For Third Brother, and for herself, she had to survive, she had to become stronger!
Inside the cave, the campfire continued to crackle. The tall figure sat motionless by the fire, like an ancient, unchanging statue. Only when Xiao Wu's presence had completely vanished from his perception did he slowly raise his head and gaze out at the night sky beyond the cave. In those weathered eyes, a flicker of indescribable complexity passed.
"A Yin… it seems our son has also met a girl as foolish as you were…" A low voice echoed within the cave, carrying endless bitterness and a sigh, before fading away into the night wind.