At that moment, Lin Jie, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. He had sensed a familiar presence entering his perception range.
Could it be her? Lin Jie wasn't entirely sure. But whether it was her or not, he'd know soon enough.
He quickly rose to his feet and extended his Mind Net perception. That approaching figure was drawing closer—and more importantly, the aura felt more and more like Xiao Wu.
Moments later, the figure appeared not far from him.
Sharp shoulders, a slender waist, and a full, well-proportioned figure, dressed in a soft pink long dress. The dress cinched tightly at the waist, perfectly outlining her graceful curves. Her once-braided hair now flowed freely over her shoulders.
It was none other than Xiao Wu—the very same Xiao Wu who had been taken away by Tang Hao in front of the Supreme Pontiff's Hall. After only a little over a month apart, Lin Jie found that she had grown even more beautiful.
"Lin Jie… it really is you!"
"Xiao Wu… it really is you!"
They spoke in unison, voices tinged with disbelief and joy.
The moment he laid eyes on her, Lin Jie felt something strange in his heart. He had known that Tang Hao wouldn't harm Xiao Wu, and she would most likely return to Star Dou Forest. But he had only just entered the forest—how did Xiao Wu find him so quickly?
Before he could think further, Xiao Wu ran straight up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Lin Jie was momentarily stunned. While he had known that Xiao Wu missed him, he hadn't expected such an enthusiastic embrace. After confirming several times that this wasn't some illusion, he was finally sure—it really was her.
"Xiao Wu, you're hugging me a bit too tight. I can barely breathe," Lin Jie said with a wry smile.
Hearing his words, Xiao Wu quickly loosened her grip, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she realized just how tightly she had been clinging to him.
"I'm just so happy to see you again, Lin Jie. You have no idea how much I missed you… all of you."
"I'm happy too, Xiao Wu. I never thought I'd see you again so soon. By the way, what happened after you were taken that day?"
Lin Jie glanced around and felt the environment wasn't suitable for a long conversation, so he suggested:
"Let's talk up ahead. I've set up a tent there for rest."
"Alright," Xiao Wu nodded.
They soon arrived at Lin Jie's campsite.
The setup was simple—a single tent, similar to what one might use for wilderness camping, and just large enough to accommodate two people.
Although it had been dark earlier and Lin Jie could already see her clearly, once inside the tent under the lantern's warm glow, he saw Xiao Wu even more distinctly.
Noticing the way Lin Jie was looking at her, Xiao Wu chuckled softly.
"Lin Jie, what brings you to Star Dou Forest? Don't tell me… you came looking for me?"
Lin Jie nodded. Since he already knew Xiao Wu's identity as a transformed soul beast, and she had told him that her home was in Star Dou Forest, he didn't hesitate to tell her the truth.
"After you were taken that day, I was really worried. But we didn't know where you'd been taken. You once mentioned your home was here, so I came hoping to find you. I can't believe I actually did. Seeing that you're safe, I finally feel at ease."
He had actually had a different reason for entering the forest, but upon seeing Xiao Wu, that idea was quickly shelved. How could he tell her he came here to hunt soul beasts?
Xiao Wu was genuinely touched by his words. She hadn't expected Lin Jie to come all this way alone to find her. Of all people, she knew just how dangerous the Star Dou Forest was. Lin Jie was only at the Spirit Ancestor level. If he encountered a powerful soul beast, he wouldn't even have the chance to escape.
Her heart warmed.
From the time Lin Jie had stolen a kiss from her as a child, Xiao Wu had never forgotten him. After spending more time together at Shrek Academy, she realized how kind-hearted he truly was. And after that incident involving Zhu Zhuqing… well, it had left a lasting impression on her.
But what had truly earned Lin Jie a place in her heart was the moment he found out she was a transformed soul beast—and he hadn't outed her. He didn't treat her any differently, never once showed her disgust or fear. Instead, he helped her, cared for her.
By the time the advancement tournament ended, and he helped conceal her identity one more time, his place in her heart had already grown—second only to Tang San.
But then came the final match… her identity was exposed.
Xiao Wu realized that, apart from Lin Jie, everyone else looked at her with unfamiliar, even unsettling eyes. She had thought she could bear it—after all, she was a soul beast. She knew there would be doubt and rejection.
But what she hadn't expected… was how deeply Tang San's expression that day would hurt her. The pain went deeper than she'd imagined. Even though he said later that it didn't matter to him, the wound had already been made.
Only Lin Jie had treated her the same as always.
In that moment, she realized—perhaps the human world wasn't meant for her. And she might never have the chance to avenge her mother… she was likely to be hunted down and killed.
She still remembered, before they set off for Spirit Hall, Lin Jie had asked if she had any regrets.
That day, she had.
Because her presence had brought trouble to Lin Jie and the others.
Later, when Tang Hao, a Titled Douluo, appeared and took her away, she finally felt some relief, knowing at least that the others were safe.
And now, with Lin Jie having entered Star Dou Forest alone just to find her—her heart was overwhelmed.
"Thank you, Lin Jie. Thank you for always treating me so well." Xiao Wu's voice was soft and tender.
"Xiao Wu, we're friends, aren't we? Besides, if I don't help you, who will? No need to be polite with me. Now, tell me—what happened after you were taken?"
"Mm, alright." Xiao Wu smiled sweetly.
She then began recounting everything that had happened since Tang Hao had taken her.
"So you're saying Tang Hao just let you go afterward?" Lin Jie asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I thought he was going to imprison me or something."
"What about Tang San? Didn't he come looking for you?"
At the mention of Tang San, Xiao Wu's eyes dimmed. She shook her head without saying a word.
Her silence said everything. Tang Hao must have taken Tang San with him—there was no way he would've come looking for her.
Sensing that Xiao Wu didn't want to talk about Tang San, Lin Jie changed the subject.
"By the way, how are Zhuqing and Rongrong doing?"
Lin Jie filled her in on everything that had happened after she left.
Then, he finally voiced a question that had been bothering him.
"Xiao Wu, how did you know I was here?"
Xiao Wu giggled as though she had been waiting for that question.
Once she answered, everything clicked for Lin Jie. Xiao Wu's original form was a 100,000-year Soft-Boned Rabbit, and Da Ming and Er Ming were both overlords of Star Dou Forest. Anyone who entered the inner forest could hardly escape Xiao Wu's surveillance.
This forest was her home. She could go anywhere she pleased.
With that mystery solved, a new idea popped into Lin Jie's mind—Xiao Wu must know the soul beasts here very well. If he could get her help finding his fifth Spirit Ring, wouldn't that save him a lot of trouble?
Still, now wasn't the time to bring it up. Better to wait a few days.
Just then, Xiao Wu said brightly:
"Lin Jie, do you want to visit my home tomorrow?"
"Huh? Your home? Wouldn't that be dangerous? Star Dou Forest isn't exactly… safe."
"What's there to be afraid of? There's barely anything here that could hurt me. And I'll protect you."
"But Xiao Wu, there are 100,000-year soul beasts in there. I'm human—won't they be suspicious?"
"Don't worry, Lin Jie. Da Ming and Er Ming are both really nice. They listen to me. You'll be fine."
"Well, in that case… I'll go with you. I've always been curious about your home."
In truth, Lin Jie did want to meet the legendary Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape. As long as he didn't do anything stupid, and with Xiao Wu by his side, safety wasn't a concern.
He vaguely remembered that five years later, Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall would locate and hunt Da Ming and Er Ming. Lin Jie had thoughts about that… so perhaps this visit wasn't just curiosity.
"Xiao Wu, it's already really late. Traveling at night would be difficult. Let's rest here and go tomorrow."
Xiao Wu nodded. Nighttime wasn't ideal for moving around anyway.
But as she looked around the cramped tent, and then at Lin Jie, she suddenly realized—they had already been alone in this little tent for quite some time.
For some reason, she thought back to the time she had caught Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing in that compromising moment…
Sensing her hesitation, Lin Jie chuckled and teased:
"Xiao Wu, aren't you afraid? Just the two of us, alone here… what if I decided to eat you up?"
Xiao Wu, lost in thought, snapped back and huffed:
"Hmph~! I'm not afraid at all. Besides, do you even dare?"
She could tell Lin Jie was just messing with her.
"Haha. You're Sister Xiao Wu—I wouldn't dare. I've been on edge these past few days, haven't had a good night's sleep. Now that you're here, I can finally rest easy."
With that, Lin Jie lay down and closed his eyes.