Yu Qing's words were like the warmest sunshine, instantly melting the hearts of Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi. They never expected that even at a time like this, their husband's heart would still be full of concern for them!
[Ding! Duan Xin favorability +1, current favorability 90 (Beloved)!]
[Congratulations to the host's dao companion 'Duan Xin' for reaching 90 favorability! Rewards: 50,000 yin yang points, Affection Treasure Chest x1, soul ring age card (20,000 Years) x1!]
[Ding! Zi Ruyi favorability +1, current favorability 90 (Beloved)!]
[Congratulations to the host's dao companion 'Zi Ruyi' for reaching 90 favorability! Rewards: 50,000 yin yang points, Affection Treasure Chest x1, Purple Soul Power Crystal (increases one level of spirit power for any Spirit Master below Spirit King) x1!]
A series of pleasant system prompts rang in Yu Qing's mind, and the generous rewards made the corners of his mouth curl up uncontrollably.
A Rou looked at Yu Qing with a complex expression. Although this man was a bit of a philanderer, he truly had nothing but care for his wives, which was far better than those heartless men who only spoke sweet words.
"Mama! Er Ming doesn't have to die anymore, right?" Xiao Wu ran to A Rou's side, hugging her long legs and looking up with her small face as she asked in a crisp voice.
A Rou smiled gently and rubbed Xiao Wu's head: "Yes, he doesn't have to die."
"Yay! Mama is the best! You saved Er Ming again!" Xiao Wu jumped up happily.
"It's also because this powerhouse didn't have much malice toward us..." A Rou said, her gaze drifting toward Yu Qing as if unintentionally. For some reason, she who originally disliked this domineering human man now found him much more agreeable.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu skipped over to Yu Qing and said livelily, "Hello! My name is Xiao Wu! Thank you for letting Er Ming go today!"
"Little Rabbit, you really are... a bit heartless, aren't you?" Yu Qing's tone was teasing.
Although this little loli was very cute, he wasn't a lolicon and currently had no interest in Xiao Wu. Instead, it was the mature and charming A Rou who made his heart flutter more.
Xiao Wu tilted her head, her pink eyes full of confusion: "Heartless? But I have a heart?"
This rabbit is truly simple-minded; no wonder she was tricked into a sacrificial offering in the original story, Yu Qing complained internally.
"Little Rabbit, do you think I'm a good person or a bad person?" Yu Qing asked intentionally.
Xiao Wu blurted out almost without hesitation: "A good person!"
In her simple understanding, those who hurt her and her friends were bad people. Since Yu Qing not only let Er Ming go but also didn't attack them, he was simply a great person!
Just as Yu Qing was pondering how to continue fooling her, Xiao Wu looked up, reached out her fair and tender little hand, and gazed at him with those incredibly clear eyes: "Human, can we be friends?"
Yu Qing's eye corner twitched slightly. She's so simple it's almost foolish... she'd probably happily help count the money after being sold.
Seeing her daughter start to "act silly" again, A Rou immediately walked over quickly. She first gave Yu Qing a wary glance, then crouched down and began to instill concepts like "human men are very dangerous" and "they trick Little Rabbits" until Xiao Wu shrank behind her in fear. Only then did she stand up and say apologetically to Yu Qing, "My daughter is simple-minded; please don't take offense, Your Excellency."
Yu Qing waved his hand: "Isn't she quite cute?"
A Rou pressed: "Just cute?"
Yu Qing nodded: "Yes."
A Rou secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "I need to go retrieve the Spirit Bone. Could I trouble you to treat Er Ming's injuries first?" If they delayed any longer, the Titan Giant Ape might not last until dawn.
"Sure," Yu Qing agreed readily.
He walked to the Titan Giant Ape's massive body, released his Spirit, and said loudly, "Fifth Spirit Ability: Everlasting Blue Silver Leaf!"
A blue leaf detached from the Spirit. Its shape was similar to Blue Silver Grass, but the golden patterns flowing on it displayed its extraordinary nature. With Yu Qing's cultivation as a Titled Douluo, the healing effect was extremely startling.
After Er Ming consumed the blue silver leaf, the terrifying wounds on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, returning to normal in just a few breaths!
"This... aren't you a Power Attack System Soul Master?" A Rou rubbed her eyes in disbelief, feeling as though her decades of knowledge had been shattered.
"Who says a Support System Soul Master has to be weaker than a Power Attack System one?" Yu Qing curled his lip disdainfully.
"Aunt Rou... he... he really didn't use his Spirit before..." the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming confirmed in a muffled voice, his eyes still carrying a hint of lingering fear as he looked at Yu Qing.
"Alright..." A Rou lightly stroked her chest, her charming face showing clear alarm, "It seems the human world is becoming more and more dangerous."
"Don't worry, a Support System Soul Master like me is unique in the entire continent," Yu Qing comforted her quickly. He didn't want to scare A Rou away, as he was still hoping to "abduct" her out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Really?" A Rou was skeptical.
Yu Qing nodded firmly: "Absolutely!"
Afterward, A Rou set off to retrieve the Spirit Bone. To be safe, Yu Qing kept the Titan Giant Ape and Xiao Wu by his side.
Perhaps because she had just been lectured by her mother, Xiao Wu no longer approached but merely observed Yu Qing curiously with her bright eyes, seemingly trying to find the so-called "danger" on him.
Ignoring the Little Rabbit's scrutiny, Yu Qing started chatting with the Titan Giant Ape instead.
"I heard from the Little Rabbit that this isn't the first time they've saved you? What happened?" Yu Qing asked, looking up.
The Titan Giant Ape scratched his large head and answered in a muffled voice, "I previously encountered a very special Blue Silver Emperor. I wanted to eat her to increase my success rate in crossing the tribulation, but I was defeated by a human Spirit Master and almost killed!"
"Oh?" Yu Qing raised an eyebrow. "What was that human Spirit Master's Spirit? Was he also a Titled Douluo?"
The Titan Giant Ape shook his massive head, his bright yellow giant eyes full of frustration: "His Spirit was a very large hammer. Even though he only had eight spirit rings, his strength was incredibly high; he actually managed to suppress me!"
Yu Qing's heart stirred: "Was his name Tang Hao?"
The Titan Giant Ape recalled for a moment: "It seems... that was his name."
"When did this happen?"
"About half a year ago."
Hearing this, Yu Qing fell into deep thought. It seemed Ah Yin had already met Tang Hao and they were traveling together... he wondered how far they had progressed. Had they developed feelings for each other?
As far as he knew, Tang Hao became a Titled Douluo at the age of forty-four. Calculating based on that, the current Tang Hao should have just turned forty.
"Four more years..." Yu Qing sighed softly.
"What four years?" Zi Ruyi asked curiously from the side.
"Nothing." Yu Qing shook his head and looked up at the sky, his gaze deep as if trying to see the trajectory of the future through the clouds.
Should he stop Ah Yin's sacrifice? Should he reveal news of Ah Yin to the Spirit Hall in advance? If Tang San wasn't born, would there be no Tang God-King in the future?
But without Tang San, there was still that crazy woman Bibi Dong! Before Yu Qing obtained a God Position inheritance, Bibi Dong would always be a massive threat.
After thinking for a long time, Yu Qing temporarily suppressed these thoughts. Whatever, let come what may; with the dao companion system in hand, he had plenty of time to grow.
What made him between laughter and tears was that in just a short while, Xiao Wu was already chatting warmly with Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi. A lively and cute energetic Little Rabbit was indeed very likable. Then, she once again threw her mother's warnings to the back of her mind and approached Yu Qing.
Since he was free anyway, Yu Qing decided to tease this Little Rabbit to pass the time.
"Little Rabbit, your mama said I'm very dangerous. Aren't you afraid?" Yu Qing asked with a smile.
Xiao Wu shook her head: "But those two big sisters said you're a very good person!"
"What if they're lying to you? What if I'm actually a super big villain?"
Xiao Wu still shook her head and said seriously, "I saw it very clearly! When Mama used the sisters to threaten you just now, the anxiety in your eyes wasn't fake."
Well, this Little Rabbit has completely categorized him as a "harmless good person."
"Little Rabbit, look, I not only let the Titan Giant Ape go but also helped heal its injuries. As its friend, shouldn't you show some appreciation?" Yu Qing began to lead her on.
Xiao Wu tilted her head and thought about it, finding it very reasonable. She fumbled in the small pouch at her waist for a while and pulled out that ninety thousand year Spirit Bone again.
"Human, is this okay?" She held the Spirit Bone out to Yu Qing.
Yu Qing took the Spirit Bone without hesitation and weighed it in his hand: "Didn't your mama tell you how precious this thing is?"
Xiao Wu looked confused: "Mama said Spirit Bones are treasures for human Spirit Masters, but they're useless for us Spirit Beasts in Human Form. Da Ming and Er Ming have many in their nests; they all use them to grind their teeth."
Yu Qing's mouth twitched: "The energy in Spirit Bones is so massive; didn't you ever think of absorbing them?"
Xiao Wu looked at Yu Qing as if he were an idiot for the first time: "Human, you're thinking too simply! Da Ming and Er Ming are both Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beasts. Absorbing Spirit Bone energy would stimulate their cultivation growth and make the Heavenly Tribulation arrive early. They aren't confident in surviving the Heavenly Tribulation yet, so these Spirit Bones can only be used for grinding teeth!"
So that's how it is! Yu Qing realized, not caring at all about Xiao Wu's "looking at a retard" gaze. He was more concerned about something else.
"Why did you and your mama choose to transform?"
"Mama chose to transform because her lifespan limit was approaching and she couldn't survive the Heavenly Tribulation." When Xiao Wu spoke of herself, her expression became somewhat confused. "Mama said I was born looking half-human and half-beast. Although I have a hundred thousand years of cultivation, it only works intermittently, so Mama had me completely transform into a human."
Yu Qing nodded: "After your mama transformed, did she become a little girl?"
Xiao Wu shook her head: "No, Mama has always looked like this since she transformed."
Just as Yu Qing wanted to fish for more information, A Rou returned. Seeing Xiao Wu chatting happily with Yu Qing again, her expression changed drastically, and she immediately rushed over to pull Xiao Wu behind her.
"Xiao Wu! Didn't I tell you? Human men are like the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, extremely dangerous!" A Rou lectured with a serious expression.
Yu Qing couldn't help but roll his eyes. Please! Can you not say such things right in front of the person involved? It's one thing for the Little Rabbit to be thoughtless, but how can you, a big rabbit, be so tactless too?
"Mama, Human didn't bully me; he just asked me a few questions. And I feel like he's not dangerous!" Xiao Wu pouted aggrievedly.
"Xiao Wu, you're still young and don't understand. Human men are the best at lying. They will use so-called 'love' to bind you, and once you fall for it, you'll lose your freedom forever!" A Rou said earnestly.
"Oh... Xiao Wu understands." Xiao Wu lowered her head and drew circles on the ground with her little foot, clearly not really taking it to heart.
"Hey, are you pretending I don't exist?" Yu Qing interrupted this "anti-wolf education" with a dark face.
Only then did A Rou realize her slip of the tongue. She smiled sheepishly and took out four Head Spirit Bones from her storage spirit tool: "I've brought the Spirit Bones. Here."
Yu Qing's face cleared slightly as he accepted the Spirit Bones. He beckoned to Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi: "Xiner, Ruyi, come here."
The Two Women stepped forward obediently. Yu Qing handed the two eighty thousand year Head Spirit Bones with the strongest energy fluctuations to each of them.
"Can we leave now?" A Rou's cautious inquiry came from behind him.
"The Little Rabbit and the Titan Giant Ape can leave," Yu Qing said without turning his head.
"Then I... when should I perform the sacrifice?" A Rou remembered her promise, her expression sorrowful. It wasn't that she didn't want to resist, but the power gap was too large. Xiao Wu was still in her Transformation Stage and had almost zero strength; Er Ming couldn't even take two hits from the opponent; she herself could barely hold her own against an ordinary Titled Douluo with her special Spirit Abilitys like Paragon Golden Body and Teleportation, but against this monster who could heavily injure Er Ming with two punches, she had no chance of winning. Since she couldn't win, she could only accept her fate.
Yu Qing gave her a speechless look: "Who said I wanted you to sacrifice?"
A Rou froze: "Don't you want my spirit ring and Spirit Bone?"
Yu Qing sighed, his eyes burning as he looked at her: "Rather than having you sacrifice yourself, I want you."
As soon as these words were spoken, A Rou was like a startled rabbit, instantly leaping back dozens of meters. Her pretty face flushed bright red, and her eyes were filled with wariness and panic.