Tianyu took a deep breath, wiping the sweat mixed with dust and blood from his forehead. The battle had drained much of his strength, but he was satisfied—at the very least, he now understood the limits of his abilities better. With heavy but steady steps, he turned away from the corpse of the Mountain Crush Bear, its body slowly losing the last remnants of warmth.
The forest around him returned to silence, as if holding its breath after the chaos that had just unfolded. Tianyu glanced up at the sky; the sun was already leaning westward, signaling the day was nearing its end. "Sister Xue must be waiting for me."
With the last of his energy, he leapt onto a nearby tree branch, then began moving swiftly from limb to limb like a shadow in motion. The evening breeze whispered through the leaves, carrying the scent of wet earth and the remnants of battle he had left behind.
Inside the main tent, Xu Jiujiu and 'Tianyu'—who was actually Qian Renxue in disguise—were sitting face to face. Suddenly, Qian Renxue, still in her disguise, frowned slightly, as if sensing something.
"I want to go play in the forest again," said 'Tianyu' suddenly, his voice innocent like that of a child.
Xu Jiujiu sighed. "Alright, but take one of the guards with you like before. No more running off!"
'Tianyu' nodded obediently before rushing out, followed closely by a guard whose face was already grim. "This young master really loves causing trouble," the guard grumbled inwardly.
As expected, the moment they reached the edge of the forest, 'Tianyu' suddenly dashed into the underbrush and vanished from sight. The guard gasped and immediately chased after him, shouting, "Young master, wait!"
Hidden within the dense trees, Qian Renxue shed her disguise. Her long golden hair flowed freely once more, and the image of the young 'Tianyu' vanished like mist. Before her stood the real Tianyu, his body now taller—matching that of a ten-year-old boy after his second physical transformation.
Qian Renxue crossed her arms. "How do you plan to explain this to Xu Jiujiu?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.
Tianyu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I... haven't thought that far ahead."
Qian Renxue let out a long sigh. "You're really—" Without another word, she pressed her index finger to Tianyu's forehead. Energy flowed from her finger into him. "This is an illusion technique. You can use it to temporarily alter your appearance."
Tianyu frowned slightly as he felt the foreign energy merging with his body. When he opened his eyes again, the reflection in a nearby puddle once more showed the image of an eight-year-old child.
"Just what I'd expect from Sister Xue," he said with a wide grin. "Always reliable."
Qian Renxue rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to bending the rules. Now get back before Xu Jiujiu grows suspicious."
Tianyu nodded, then turned to head back to the camp—this time with a 'normal' appearance. Qian Renxue watched him go, then vanished in silence, leaving the forest once again in peace.
Tianyu slipped back into the camp area with light steps, making sure no one saw his return. From a distance, he spotted the guard still frantically searching for him among the bushes. With a small smile, he pretended to have just emerged from behind a large tree.
"Young master!" the guard cried, both relieved and exasperated. "Don't do that again! Lady Xu will be furious if she finds out you—"
"Sorry, sorry," Tianyu interrupted with an innocent expression, raising both hands. "I just saw a really interesting bird earlier."
The guard let out a long sigh. "Alright, let's go back now. It's getting dark."
When they arrived at the main tent, Xu Jiujiu was busy giving orders to several guards. She turned as she heard their approaching footsteps.
Xu Jiujiu crossed her arms, eyeing Tianyu with a half-annoyed look. "Back already, you little troublemaker?" she said, scanning him from head to toe to ensure there were no new injuries. "You really are an expert at making me worry."
Tianyu blinked innocently, playing the role of a guilty child to perfection. "I promise I won't do it again, Sister Jiujiu," he said in a high-pitched voice.
Xu Jiujiu let out a long sigh before turning to the guards. "Tighten the security around the camp perimeter. Don't let any soul beasts get close. You may return to your posts."
The guards quickly dispersed, leaving the two of them alone in the main tent.
"It's dinner time," said Xu Jiujiu, pointing to the dining table. "Come and eat before everything gets cold."
Tianyu immediately rushed to his seat. His hands moved like a machine, scooping rice and side dishes into his mouth that never stopped chewing. After undergoing his physical transformation and two intense battles against the Cyan Wolf and the Mountain Crush Bear, his body desperately needed energy. Grains of rice flew everywhere as he devoured the food like someone who hadn't eaten in days.
Xu Jiujiu sat quietly across from him, resting her hands on the table as she stared at Tianyu with an unreadable expression. Her constant gaze made Tianyu increasingly uncomfortable.
"Is something wrong, Sister Jiujiu?" Tianyu finally asked, pausing his eating. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"
Xu Jiujiu gave him a sweet smile. "Am I not allowed to watch my future husband while he eats?"
"Isn't that just a temporary status?" Tianyu protested, his face flushing red. "No need to keep bringing it up."
Tianyu quickly changed the topic. "By the way, why haven't you gone to the eastern forest yet, Sister Jiujiu? I thought the soul beast you wanted was over there?"
"There's been a change of plans," Xu Jiujiu said, her expression turning serious. "Master Li reported something strange happening in the forest. Many soul beasts suddenly knelt toward a specific direction. Even some of our guards felt a strange urge to bow in the same direction."
Tianyu suddenly dropped his spoon. Clang! The sound of metal rang out against the tent floor.
"Sorry," he mumbled hastily, grabbing a replacement spoon. His hand trembled slightly.
Xu Jiujiu continued, "What's odd is that all the soul beasts and affected guards felt drawn toward the same location — southeast of here, near where the soul beast I want is said to be."
She pointed in a specific direction outside the tent. Tianyu followed her finger with a blank stare, sweat starting to soak his back.
"Haha, that's really interesting," Tianyu said, his voice suddenly high-pitched. "I'm curious about the cause, too."
—Sister Jiujiu, the truth is... I was the cause of it all, Tianyu thought anxiously.
Silently, he reached out to Qian Renxue through their soul link. [Sister Xue, they won't find out it was me, right?]
Qian Renxue's calm voice immediately responded in his mind. [Relax, you left the area before they arrived.]
[How did you know where I was at that moment?] Tianyu asked, curious.
[We're linked by our souls,] Qian Renxue replied. [I can sense your presence and communicate with you no matter where you are.]
[If I knew that, I wouldn't have bothered carrying this communication sword around,] Tianyu complained. [But why couldn't we do this before?]
There was a slight pause before Qian Renxue answered, her voice a bit hesitant. [Because... I actually absorbed a bit of your energy without telling you. I'm sorry.]
Tianyu smiled inwardly. [It's alright, Sister Xue. If it helps you recover, take as much as you need. Even if you have to take all my cultivation. You are my teacher and my ally against the gods. It's only right that I support you.]
Somewhere engulfed in darkness, Qian Renxue closed her eyes, a warm feeling spreading in her chest. But when she opened them again, her expression had returned to its usual calm.