Today had been fairly productive, Su Yan thought. He had made preliminary arrangements for a supply of whale glue, possibly laid the groundwork for another source of income, and even found a few more books for Pod to read.
He only wished there had been more variety at the bookshop. Finding the Grandmaster's theories among the selection had put a slight dampener on his mood.
Putting those thoughts aside, he continued home through the throngs of people. When the familiar red gates came into view, his heart immediately lifted, his gloom scattering to the four winds as his thoughts turned to dinner.
There should still be a decent amount of meat left in the pantry. Perhaps a stew?
Then again, they had eaten that just the other day. A mixed grill might be better, and it would be quick and easy to prepare.
Still considering what to cook, Su Yan made his way through the house.
He parted ways with 2B and headed towards his room while she continued towards the garden. She seemed to enjoy the atmosphere there, spending much of her free time walking among the greenery or simply relaxing.
Once he reached his room, he took Pod out and placed it on the table, followed by the new books.
When Pod activated and spotted them, it barely spared Su Yan a wave before diving straight into reading.
Su Yan smiled at its enthusiasm.
Leaving Pod to its reading, he crossed to the window and opened it, letting a fresh breeze into the room.
He took a deep breath and slowly released it before stretching and looking out over the garden.
Resting his hands on the windowsill, he leaned out to admire the view. He really did prefer this to the crowded streets.
Even in his previous life, he had usually enjoyed keeping to himself. Having a home like this was a blessing.
As his gaze travelled across the garden, he spotted 2B approaching the island gazebo. Two other figures were already seated there.
Had Xiao Wu actually come to visit?
His first Soul Ring lit up, and a golden barrier materialised just outside the window.
"Pod, I'm heading out."
With that, he leapt through the window and landed on the barrier. Another appeared ahead of him, and he began making his way towards the island, dismissing and recreating the barriers as he went.
Once he was above the island, he judged the distance to the bridge, took a short run-up and jumped.
Twisting in midair, he aimed for the stretch of bridge just before the gazebo and activated the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Soul Bone.
A surge of power from his right leg slowed his descent. By the time his feet reached the bridge, he landed with little more than a light tap.
Nailed it.
He looked up to find three people staring at him: 2B, Nihilister and, as he had thought, Xiao Wu.
She looked thoroughly wronged, her eyes misty and her nose red.
A sharp whistle interrupted his observations.
Nihilister had an eager grin on her face.
"That was new. Why don't you pull off more cool stuff like that during our morning spars?"
Su Yan started towards them.
"Because I'm usually too busy trying to avoid getting my ass kicked by you. Doesn't leave much time to try new things."
She scoffed, but before she could reply, a blur leapt across the table towards him.
"SU YAN!"
Xiao Wu crashed into his chest, throwing her arms around him as large tears spilled down her cheeks.
"I WAS SO SCARED!"
Her legs wrapped around his waist, and Su Yan staggered back a step before managing to steady himself.
His expression turned bewildered.
"What happened?"
Between sobs, her explanation came tumbling out.
She started with her morning, complaining about the training the Grandmaster had put them through before explaining how she had finished early and crossed the city to visit him.
Then came her search through the house, the two horses she had found in the stable yard, and the young man she had encountered beside a pillar inside the main residence. He hadn't known where Su Yan was and had hurried off, saying he needed to get back to work.
That had to be the stablehand.
He had been explicitly told to stay within the stable yard. What had he been doing inside the main residence?
Su Yan caught 2B's eye and discreetly signalled towards the house. She rose and left the gazebo while Xiao Wu continued talking.
He had an unpleasant suspicion, though he hoped he was wrong.
"…And then I came here and saw her cooking and eating like that!"
Only then did Su Yan properly register Nihilister's appearance. So caught up in his own entrance and Xiao Wu's sudden arrival, he had barely given it any thought.
She had been in her full Nikke form the entire time.
He looked down at Xiao Wu. Her tears had stopped, though she was still sniffling.
"I'm sorry I found out your secret, Su Yan. I won't tell anyone she's a soul beast, so please don't let her eat me."
"She also told me she's a soul beast," Nihilister cut in, her eyes bright with anticipation.
Xiao Wu's grip immediately loosened. She dropped to her feet and stepped back from Su Yan, drawing in on herself as she looked up at him.
She suddenly looked very small and miserable.
"I…"
Her gaze dropped. For a moment, she struggled to continue, then gathered enough courage to look him in the eye.
"Su Yan, I'm a soul beast. I cultivated into a human. I'm sorry I've been tricking you all these years."
She squeezed her eyes shut, her next words barely a whisper.
"So please… please don't hate me."
Fresh tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and she trembled as she waited for his answer.
Su Yan sighed. He certainly hadn't expected to be having this conversation today.
He stepped closer. She trembled harder but stayed where she was.
Gently resting a hand on her head, he rubbed it.
"It's all right, Xiao Wu. Really, it is. You're still the Xiao Wu I grew up with. Unless you're telling me that fat, silly, gluttonous rabbit I met all those years ago wasn't you?"
He tilted his head slightly.
Her eyes opened wide. For a moment, she simply stared at him before indignation took over. She caught his hand and squeezed hard.
"I AM NOT FAT!"
"So you're silly and gluttonous?"
"I'm not silly either!"
"Still gluttonous, then?"
She turned away with a huff.
"I know what I am."
Su Yan chuckled.
"Feeling better?"
She paused, seeming to consider the question.
"Yeah, I am feeling better."
Her frown slowly softened into a smile, her eyes crinkling with happiness.
"Better than ever."
Then her expression froze, and she drew back again.
"Wait… why aren't you surprised? Did you already know?"
Su Yan paused. Perhaps he had been a little too casual.
"Since when did our Xiao Wu get so sharp?"
"I can be smart! And don't try to distract me. How did you know?"
"I've known for a while, Xiao Wu. How I know is a secret. But please don't think I've been trying to trick you or take advantage of you. I'm not interested in your soul ring or soul bone. I'd much rather keep the friend I grew up with."
He stepped closer again.
"And for a supposedly smart rabbit, you really can be dumb. You know you can't fully hide your soul beast aura yet, right? Any Titled Douluo could recognise you."
Her smile faded as he continued.
"You've come to Heaven Dou, of all places, and you're planning to enter the Continental Soul Master Tournament. Have you thought about how many Titled Douluo you might encounter?"
Her eyes widened.
"Oh…"
"Yeah. Oh."
He hesitated before continuing.
"Though someone else already knows about you."
"What?!"
She jumped.
"Tang San's father, Tang Hao, is a Titled Douluo. Though you didn't hear that from me."
She visibly relaxed.
"Oh, it's only Brother San's father. Then it'll be fine."
Su Yan stared at her brightening expression.
"Not going to lie, I was expecting a bigger reaction."
"But he's Brother San's dad. I'm sure he wouldn't hurt me. And even if he tried, Brother San swore he would protect me."
She gave him a beaming smile.
"I don't think Tang San could stop his father if he decided to hurt you. Believing he'll keep you safe doesn't mean he has the ability to do it."
"He swore he would, so I believe him. You won't convince me otherwise."
She jabbed a finger at him, then turned away, suddenly looking shy.
"If you made the same promise, I'd put my full faith in you as well, you know."
Su Yan stared at her, his reply momentarily forgotten.
When he remained silent, she glanced back at him. The finger she had jabbed towards his chest slowly lowered.
He gave a quiet chuckle and reached over to rub her head.
"Just what are you thinking about, you silly rabbit?"
She leaned into his hand, looking pleased with herself.
He let his hand rest there a moment before returning to the matter at hand.
"Anyway, what are you going to do about the competition?"
Her eyes drifted towards Nihilister.
"Can… can she teach me how to hide my aura?"
"She isn't hiding a soul beast aura, Xiao Wu. She's not a soul beast."
"But her legs, her tail, those dragon heads…"
Nihilister turned the two heads towards her and snapped their jaws shut with a sharp metallic clang.
Xiao Wu flinched.
"Still not a soul beast. How'd you even get that idea?"
Xiao Wu shifted until Su Yan stood between them.
"When I was little, I got really sick. I remember burning up and feeling like I was going to die. My mother took me somewhere deep in Star Dou, to a little glade. There was another soul beast there."
Her gaze grew distant.
"She had long jade-green hair, and her eyes were the same colour. She wore a flowing green dress, and her wings caught the light like they were made of gemstones. I remember how full of life everything around her felt."
She paused.
"I think she was the one who saved me. I'd been suffering for a week, but when she touched me, it felt so cool and soothing… I must have passed out. When I woke up, I was back home with Mum."
She tapped her chin.
"I think Mum said her name was Bi Ji."
Bi Ji. Wasn't that the Emerald Swan, one of the ferocious beasts from Douluo Dalu 2?
Su Yan searched his memories. Yes, he remembered her, though he hadn't expected to hear her name here.
To think she was already active in this era. He wondered whether he would ever meet her and the others.
"But that's why I thought Nihilister was one…"
"She's not."
"I know that now. But back then, I really thought she was. And I thought she was going to eat me."
Su Yan gave Nihilister an exasperated look.
"What exactly did you tell her?"
"Very little. Caught her spying and decided to give her a little scare. Then she started blurting out something about keeping my secret and being a soul beast herself. No idea where she got this eating-her nonsense from."
She crunched down on the wooden skewer in her hand.
"See? She isn't going to eat anyone. You're safe here."
He turned back to Xiao Wu.
"But you still need a solution for the competition, and for staying here safely. You've been lucky so far, but I don't know how long that will last. During the competition, you won't be able to avoid people watching you."
He paused.
"Personally, I think it would be safer to return to Star Dou and cultivate until your soul beast aura is no longer a problem."
She stayed silent.
"Xiao Wu?"
"Don't wanna."
"Xiao Wu…"
"I don't want to. I have so many friends here, and they're counting on me for the competition. If my aura is a problem, I'll just train harder to suppress it. Learn to hide it."
She looked at him hopefully.
"As long as I do that, it won't be a problem anymore, right?"
"Xiao Wu, don't be stubborn. This is your life we're talking about."
"No! I'm staying with everyone. I'll show you. I'll go back and practise right now!"
She turned and ran before he could stop her.
"Xiao Wu!"
Su Yan watched her dash away, annoyance settling in the pit of his stomach.
Why did she have to be like this? He was trying to keep her safe.
An arm settled across his shoulders.
"Aren't you going after her? Pretty sure that's what the guy's supposed to do in situations like this."
"Not sure where you got that from, but there's no point right now."
He sighed.
"When she gets like this, even bribing her with food won't work. If I chase her now, we'll just end up arguing, and neither of us will back down. I can only hope her luck holds, and that me being here hasn't made things worse."
He glanced towards the path she had taken.
"Besides, knowing her, she'll be back."
He lingered in the gazebo a while longer before heading back to his room.
The mixed grill no longer held much appeal. He wasn't particularly hungry, and the thought of preparing a meal only made him feel more tired. An early night sounded considerably better.
Pod was still reading, but it now had company. 2B sat at the table, her expression serious.
"2B, what did you find?"
"Two pearls are missing from the exterior of the main residence. Both holders were cracked open. The holder on the pillar Xiao Wu described also shows signs of tampering."
Su Yan sat down.
"So we've been robbed."
He rubbed his temples.
Today really had been a whole cavalcade of ups and downs.
"What do you suggest, 2B?"
"We confront him when he returns tomorrow."
"What makes you think he'll return?"
"Xiao Wu didn't accuse him of anything. He may believe the theft has gone unnoticed."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then we track him down."
Su Yan nodded.
"All right. Let's do that. For now, though, I think I'm going to bed. Today's been eventful enough."
2B nodded and rose to leave.
"Good night, 2B."
She paused at the door.
"Good night, Su Yan."
After she left, he remained at the table for a few more minutes before finally getting up and making his way to bed.
He sank into the soft mattress, and sleep soon claimed him.