NOVEL WEB Chapter 171: Chapter 173: The Rabbit Mother and Daughter (Part 2)
Chapter 173: The Rabbit Mother and Daughter (Part 2)
A lesson learned from the harshness of the world was exactly what this reckless young girl needed. Ye Wen gently patted Xiao Wu's soft hair before lifting her into his arms.
"Let me go! Let me go, or my mom will come back and beat you up!" Xiao Wu tried her best to scare him into releasing her.
"Heh, your mother... she's the beauty who's just been fighting that Titled Douluo outside the city, isn't she?" Ye Wen replied calmly.
The fight had been too high level for ordinary people to sense. Xiao Wu froze, realizing that someone who could observe such a battle so clearly was definitely no ordinary person. Her heart sank, and the carefree confidence that had defined her melted into silent despair. Since she was young, Ah Rou had told her countless times of what awaited 100,000 year soul beasts that fell into the hands of humans.
Tears started streaming down her cheeks. Xiao Wu's fear got the best of her, and she broke down crying. Though she had dared to take on human form and venture into the human world, her boldness was rooted in a desire to escape the thousand year thunder tribulation she was due to face. As a pureblood spirit beast, her defensive capabilities were weak, and her short cultivation period meant her foundation wasn't secure. Despite this, she had refused to wait for death, and with Ah Rou's protection, she had decided to take a gamble by transforming into a human. While she may never reach divinity, reaching Titled Douluo as a human would let her live a few hundred more years and enjoy the human experience she had always wondered about.
Meanwhile, Ah Rou had followed her, unwilling to leave her daughter alone in the human world. As a spirit beast with such a high cultivation level, Ah Rou had entered the human world before and knew its dangers well. She knew that a spirit beast wandering around cluelessly would be hunted almost immediately. But just as she feared, Xiao Wu encountered a Titled Douluo as soon as she arrived to enroll in school.
Ye Wen tried to reassure Xiao Wu. "Alright, little one. No need to cry. If I truly had ill intentions, do you think I would've told you so much? Now, let's go see how your mother's faring in her battle."
Without waiting for her response, Ye Wen moved them to a safer vantage point outside the combat zone with a flash step. Ah Rou and Tang Hao had sensibly moved their battle into the mountains, away from nearby villages. Ye Wen approved of their choice. While they were strong, endangering defenseless villagers in the crossfire would have been excessive.
From his vantage point, Ye Wen noted that Ah Rou had chosen to maintain her human form rather than transform into her rabbit form, which was ill suited to combat. Although her combat strength wasn't great, Ah Rou's species was known for its speed and escape tactics, which had allowed her to thrive even in the dangerous Star Dou Forest. As a 150,000 year old Soft Boned Jade Rabbit, her evolution had given her extraordinary agility and mental strength, enough to match a Level 96 Super Douluo.
Yet against Tang Hao, Ah Rou was at a disadvantage. With eyes cold as ice, Tang Hao muttered, "I had hoped to secure another 100,000 year soul ring for Little San, but it looks like you won't be surrendering easily. No matter. I'll take your soul bone, and that little one can be disabled and saved for later when Little San needs her." Killing intent flared within Tang Hao as he prepared to finish the fight quickly, not wanting to attract other soul masters.
"Explode argh!" Tang Hao was abruptly interrupted as a quiet voice called out from a short distance away.
Distracted, Tang Hao instinctively leaped back, his attack halted. Ah Rou also noticed Ye Wen's presence and her heart sank further as she saw her beloved Xiao Wu in Ye Wen's grasp. She wanted to rush to her daughter, but Ye Wen held Xiao Wu firmly by her braids, his expression pleasant but unyielding. "Hold on, little miss. It's dangerous out there. Best to stay put."
Though shaken, Xiao Wu held still, terrified. Ye Wen may not have shown intent to harm her, but his demeanor held a quiet menace that made her tremble. Ah Rou, looking on, felt her heart wrench with worry. Despite the familiarity of Ye Wen's face, she knew that trying to appeal to him as an ally was risky. In the human world, family meant little when power and soul treasures were involved.
Tang Hao growled, "Who are you?"
Ye Wen's eyes flashed with an amused glint. "My, my, how the mighty have fallen, Clear Sky Douluo. You've really let yourself go. And here I was, expecting a legendary figure. Disappointing."
Tang Hao stiffened, the mocking familiarity in Ye Wen's tone making him uneasy. How many people have I offended over the years? he wondered. "Who the hell are you? If you don't speak, I won't hesitate to attack."
Ye Wen chuckled inwardly at Tang Hao's impatience but continued. "Clear Sky Douluo, your memory must be failing. I am Ye Wen, Headmaster of the Tianxing Academy."
Tang Hao's eyes widened as he remembered. The same Ye Wen I thought was gone all these years? An old dread stirred within him as memories of the beatings and humiliations from long ago resurfaced. With no hesitation, Tang Hao surged forward, intending to crush Ye Wen in one strike. In his mind, he calculated that even if Ye Wen had reached Titled Douluo level in the years since, he wouldn't be able to withstand a full powered attack.
But the moment he attacked, Ye Wen's figure blurred, allowing Tang Hao's hammer to pass harmlessly through him as if he were a mere shadow. "Really, now, there's no need to be so hasty," Ye Wen commented calmly, reappearing several paces away. He watched with mild amusement as Tang Hao, now fully alert, began to recognize the depth of his mistake.
Ye Wen's presence was not simply that of a typical Titled Douluo. His strength, his very being, overwhelmed Tang Hao in a way that spoke of something far beyond what any ordinary Douluo possessed.
"Now," Ye Wen said, his tone calm but firm, "can we have a proper conversation, Tang Hao?"
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