Although Zhen Len felt a little disappointed, he let it go. At least now he had a more reliable source of information.
"[Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Follow me, I'll take you to my shelter. It would be annoying if some soul beasts came to bother us. You can ask me any questions you want, but in exchange, you must answer mine. By the way, what's your name? You can call me Zhen Len.]"
Zhou Linlan's mother's expression began to relax. She seemed to trust Zhen Len more now, because if he had wanted to harm them, he could have done so without them being able to resist.
Like her daughter, she was curious about Zhen Len.
"I'm Xi Zexi, Zhou Linlan's mother, a level 26 Grand Master, and my Martial Soul is a Multicolored Cat. Forgive me if my question is out of line, but… are you a legendary 100,000-year-old Soul Beast?"
Zhen Len hesitated for a moment before answering, but he knew that lie would be discovered soon enough. So, he came up with a story to win their sympathy. He still wanted to maintain contact with humans. He wasn't interested in founding an academy, but he did want to create a sect similar to the Body Sect.
That would be after he surpassed 10,000 years of cultivation, to have the strength to turn human. For now, he just wanted to establish a good relationship with the only humans he had interacted with and see if he could trade the items he made for materials or resources. To do that, he needed to build Zhou Linlan's strength and loyalty, though he wished for someone more talented and sharp-minded. For now, he had to settle for what he had.
"[Actually, I'm human.]"
The statement left Zhou Linlan and her mother in shock. They couldn't comprehend what they had just heard.
"[I had reached level 90, and when I was absorbing my ninth Soul Ring to become a Titled Douluo, I was ambushed and interrupted by a despicable and evil Soul Master. He prevented me from absorbing the Soul Ring, and as a result, I suffered a backlash that left me crippled.
That Soul Master was conducting experiments, he wanted to extend his life by transferring his soul into a Soul Beast, since they can live for over 100,000 years. He used more than 1,000 humans in his experiments, but absolutely all of them died. I watched as each person suffered a horrible death, and I could only harbor resentment in my heart because I had no strength to defend myself or save them.
In the end, I was the only one who survived, and I ended up possessing this fox body. Not long after, Spirit Hall found the place and destroyed it, killing the evil Soul Master. Fortunately, I managed to survive and moved to the Star Dou Forest to avoid being hunted or killed by humans, since I know they would do so out of greed.
But you are the exception. I felt the kindness in Zhou Linlan's heart and, for the first time in years, wanted to take the initiative to interact with a human.]"
Zhen Len noticed how they started looking at him with admiration and pity. He could see the emotions in both of them fluctuating, though they seemed mostly positive. Only Xi Zexi still harbored some doubt or unease. For a moment, he felt guilty for having told so many lies but he quickly brushed that thought aside.
"Zhou Len, you must have been through so much… I'm sorry I wasn't by your side during that time…"
Zhou Linlan began to cry as she hugged him. He could only roll his eyes.
"[Don't worry, that's all in the past. I'm more interested in knowing what has happened in the world since I became a Soul Beast. I had a friend named Dugu Bo, whose Martial Soul was the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. He was dying, so he needed to become a Titled Douluo to live longer. I want to know if he managed to survive.]"
Xi Zexi felt a little uncomfortable hearing this. She hesitated to speak the little she knew about Dugu Bo, worried Zhen Len might be saddened by the news. But even so, she began to explain what she knew.
"Dugu Bo died 25 years ago. His granddaughter met the same fate 30 years ago. But Dugu Yan had twin children. A son who inherited the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and a daughter who inherited the Jade Phosphor Serpent."
Since Dugu Bo was one of the Seven Gods' companions, information about them was easy to find. Everything they did quickly spread among sects, academies, nobles, and commoners through gossip.
"[That's unfortunate. I guess I won't see him again in this life.]"
He felt some pity for Dugu Bo. In the end, the Jade Phosphor Serpent lineage was destined to die out, and despite once having the resources to prevent it, ignorance led him to give away such a treasure and loyalty for a mere temporary cure. But it's not like Zhen Len had known him personally, so that pity was short-lived.
"[But I suppose it can't be helped. I'll go prepare a few things. Just head straight ahead and you'll reach my territory. There are no Soul Beasts nearby, so don't worry about being attacked.]"
Zhen Len quickly left for his shelter to give mother and daughter time to talk alone.
As he walked away, Xi Zexi looked at her daughter and asked, somewhat uncertain.
"Are you sure we can trust him?"
She wanted to trust, but ever since she was a child, she had seen how unjust the world was. It was hard to believe someone would give so much without asking for anything in return. Even if he had asked for their bodies, at least she'd know what he desired. But not knowing what he wanted made her uneasy. She just wanted to confirm her daughter's feelings and ease her worries.
"Yes, Mom. I trust him a lot. Not only did he not harm me, but he also helped me get my first Soul Ring, and even gave me gifts. I want to find a way to repay him for everything he's done."
Hearing her daughter speak so seriously began to ease Xi Zexi's doubts.
Meanwhile, Zhen Len, who had arrived ahead of them, was preparing meat. He was uncertain whether he should train Zhou Linlan. He really wanted someone to help him acquire materials. While he was sure he could obtain them in the forest, it would take too much time and effort. Another problem was the short lifespan of humans. Though they lived less, they developed very quickly, and eventually, she might surpass him in strength if he helped her too much.
But Zhen Len was distrustful of most people and only opened up on rare occasions. Who could blame him? In the world of Soul Land, relationships became very complicated, and he didn't want to train someone who would end up betraying him out of greed, or worse, out of love. That last one was what he feared most the lovestruck disciple syndrome was common between masters and students.
But after thinking it over, Zhen Len almost slapped himself. Instead of drowning in doubts, he should take advantage of the opportunity. If he developed her properly and earned her loyalty, she could handle hunting useful Soul Beasts for crafting items.
He could trade with humans through her, sell useless but interesting soul tools, and earn capital to buy whale glue, rare metals, exotic herbs, or find people with useful Martial Souls like the Nine Heart Begonia. He wanted someone like that to train Body Sect techniques and test the second awakening as a Soul Beast.
Zhen Len abandoned his fantasies when he saw Zhou Linlan and her mother arrive.
"[Zhou Linlan and Xi Zexi, sit and enjoy the barbecue.]"
As he said this, a delicious aroma filled the air. It came from a grill next to a round table and wooden chairs with exquisite fox designs, as if crafted by a master carpenter. They wondered how a Soul Beast could have more luxuries than they did.
Zhen Len noticed the hungry gazes of his fox siblings, but kept them at bay.
The two sat down. Xi Zexi hesitated before tasting the meat, but her doubts vanished when she saw Zhou Linlan eating voraciously, something she planned to correct later. When she tasted it, she was amazed.
"This is delicious…" she murmured.
"[Naturally. I used wild seasonings, and besides, spiritual Soul Masters or those with good perception can cook perfectly because they sense every detail.]"
"Spiritual power?" Xi Zexi asked, intrigued.
"Yes. Spiritual, or mental power, enhances awareness of the environment and the use of soul skills. It has other uses too, but I don't think you'd understand them quickly."
"But leaving that aside, I want to make a proposal. I want Zhou Linlan to be my student. If…"
"Yes! I'll be your student!" Zhou Linlan suddenly exclaimed, still savoring the meat moments earlier.
"[Let me finish explaining. I want you to understand what that would entail.]"
They waited while Xi Zexi grew more nervous. But seeing her daughter so excited, she could only accept whatever came next.
"[By becoming my student, if you work hard and follow me, you could become at least a Soul King (5 rings). Not only that, but you'd be able to face a Soul Saint (7 rings) on equal footing. I'll give you resources, such as a technique that accelerates your cultivation speed, but you must not teach it or use it in public.
I'll help you acquire suitable Soul Rings for your Martial Soul until you reach the Soul King realm, give you Soul Tools to boost your combat power, and once you become a Soul Emperor (6 rings), I'll craft armor for you that could give you a chance against newly ascended Titled Douluos.
But once you reach Soul King, you'll work for me in return for all this. You'll owe me loyalty, though I won't overwork you just tasks like buying and selling items at auctions or shops, hunting Soul Beasts, and so on. Your salary will depend on your results, but I guarantee a minimum of 100 gold coins once you start working for me.]"
Zhou Linlan immediately replied with excitement, "Yes, I'll be your student. You don't have to give me all that just teaching me a few things is enough."
She didn't pay much attention to the details Zhen Len mentioned. She had already decided to accept.
But her mother thought differently. The conditions were too good. She even considered they might be lies, as she had never heard of such miraculous techniques or powerful armor.
However, she knew he had nothing to gain by lying. He only asked her to cultivate before working for him. That cultivation technique and the acquisition of Soul Rings were already enough to ensure her loyalty. Even if he paid only a few silver coins, it would be more than enough.
At that moment, Xi Zexi felt foolish for having doubted Zhen Len. She didn't know how to feel, knowing her daughter had secured such a great opportunity on her own, and began to fear Zhen Len might change his mind. So she resolved to offer him her body when they were alone. Since he had said he used to be human, she was sure her appearance would appeal to him, and she wanted to repay him for what he had done for her daughter.
Though she felt uncomfortable offering her body to a Soul Beast, she then remembered that the Sea God had married one, which made the idea more tolerable.
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Author's note: The power will go out tomorrow where I live. They say it'll be out for 12 hours, but knowing my country, it'll probably be 16. So it's very likely there won't be a chapter tomorrow, since I won't be able to write on my PC, and it's uncomfortable to write on my phone because the touchscreen goes crazy from time to time.