Chapter 84: Since We’re Already Here—The Great Art of Bluffs and Persuasion
"Good morning, Jiang Li’er."
Jiang Bai picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and mumbled through a full mouth: "They had some private matters to attend to, so they headed out ahead of us. They’ll catch up with us later."
Bi Ji’s eyes flickered slightly; understanding dawned in her heart, and she asked no further questions.
Jiang Li’er, however, curled her lip and muttered under her breath: "So secretive..."
— After the meal, the trio resumed their journey.
Upon leaving Haagen-Dazs City and heading south, the main road gradually narrowed, and signs of human habitation began to grow scarce.
The scenery on both sides shifted from farmland and villages to dense jungles and rolling mountains.
As they walked, Jiang Li’er suddenly seemed to recall something. She turned her head to look at Jiang Bai, her crimson eyes filled with curiosity: "Jiang Bai, you broke through to Level 50 yesterday, so you’re heading off to acquire your fifth Soul Ring now, right?"
"Mm." Jiang Bai nodded; there was no point in hiding it.
Beside them, the corners of Bi Ji’s mouth curved upward slightly, as if she had already guessed what was coming.
Jiang Li’er blinked and continued her questioning: "So... which Soul Beast habitat are we heading toward right now? The Sunset Forest? Or the Star Dou Great Forest? Or are we going to the seaside?"
Her tone was light and casual, yet deep within her eyes lay a trace of unease that was difficult to detect.
Watching her—acting so nonchalant despite clearly caring deeply—Jiang Bai deliberately drew out his words and smiled.
"Naturally, it is... the Star Dou Great Forest!"
"What?!"
Jiang Li’er reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on; she nearly leaped into the air, her crimson eyes widening into perfect circles.
"No! Absolutely not!"
She grabbed Jiang Bai’s arm and shook it vigorously.
"I barely managed to escape from there! I haven’t had nearly enough fun yet! If I go back now, Uncle Di Tian will definitely catch me and lock me up! Let’s go somewhere else! The Star Dou Great Forest is really dangerous! It’s full of 100,000-year Soul Beasts—plus terrifying monsters like Uncle Di Tian!"
"Oh, come on. We’re already here."
Watching her panic-stricken reaction, Jiang Bai chuckled inwardly, though his expression remained dead serious.
"Besides, you two know the Star Dou Great Forest better than anyone! With you leading the way, we’ll surely find a suitable target in no time—it’ll be twice the results with half the effort!"
"Us leading the way?!"
Jiang Li’er and Bi Ji simultaneously came to a halt.
Jiang Li’er stared at Jiang Bai in utter disbelief, her voice rising several octaves.
"You... you actually want us to guide you so you can hunt Soul Beasts?! Are you out of your mind?! I’m a Soul Beast myself! So is Sister Bi Ji! You want us to help you kill our own kind?!"
Although Bi Ji remained silent, a look of disapproval also appeared on her gentle face.
"That’s not exactly the right way to look at it, little Li’er."
Jiang Bai patted Jiang Li’er’s shoulder with a tone of profound earnestness.
"Who are you calling ’little Li’er’?! Don’t call me that!"
Jiang Li’er stomped her foot in frustration and shook off his hand.
Jiang Bai remained unperturbed and continued his masterful spiel.
"Is what I do really ’hunting Soul Beasts’? No! I’m giving them a chance to change their destiny—a chance to become powerful in a flash! Haven’t you seen how the Soul Beasts who’ve joined my crew are all skyrocketing through the ranks?"
"..."
Jiang Li’er and Bi Ji fell silent in unison.
Is... is that really the case?
"Look," Jiang Bai pressed his advantage while the iron was hot, ticking off points on his fingers.
"Just look—I already have a 100,000-year Soul Beast by my side now. Not long ago, she was merely an 8,000-year Soul Beast. Yet, I possess the means to help them rapidly cultivate to the 100,000-year level—and without any of the drawbacks, such as a shaky foundation!"
He turned his gaze toward Jiang Li’er, his expression earnest.
"Besides, now that you’ve taken on a human form, hasn’t that aura—the one that accelerates Soul Beast cultivation—either weakened significantly or vanished entirely? This has caused the pace of breakthroughs to slow down for our fellow Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, leading to a decline in the rate at which 100,000-year Soul Beasts are produced. It weighs heavily on my conscience!"
"So, I’ve come to help you rescue a few Soul Beasts with exceptional talent—to put them on the fast track to rapid development. What’s wrong with that? It’s a win-win! It’s doing a good deed!"
"You... I..."
Jiang Li’er was left somewhat dazed by this barrage of "twisted logic."
She felt as though something was off, yet she couldn’t quite articulate exactly what was wrong.
It actually... seemed to make a little sense?
She shook her head, attempting to pinpoint the logical flaws.
"Well... I’ve been tagging along with you for over a month now, so why haven’t I gotten any stronger? My cultivation level is still stuck at the Soul Sect rank!"
Jiang Bai didn’t bat an eye; the words flowed effortlessly from his lips.
"Your durability has improved significantly! You used to crumple after just three of my punches, but now you can withstand ten! That, my friend, is progress!"
"..."
A vein throbbed on Jiang Li’er’s forehead. How on earth did that count as getting stronger?!
"Then what about Sister Bi Ji?"
She pointed indignantly at Bi Ji, who had been watching silently from the sidelines.
"Sister Bi Ji isn’t exactly a stranger to you either, is she? So why haven’t we seen her cultivation level skyrocket?"
Jiang Bai’s gaze shifted toward Bi Ji. The latter was watching him with a smile, a hint of playful amusement dancing in her azure eyes—as if waiting to see what other tall tales he could spin.
Jiang Bai gave a light cough, his expression utterly unperturbed: "Well... perhaps it’s because Sister Bi Ji and I aren’t quite close enough yet—not yet at the stage where we can bare our hearts and engage in deep, intimate conversation. The time isn’t right yet; the time simply isn’t right..."
"..."
Jiang Li’er raised her eyebrows sky-high and scoffed, "Sister Bi Ji? Who gives you the right to call her ’Sister’? You have absolutely no sense of propriety!"
"This is grown-up business; little kids shouldn’t go sticking their noses where they don’t belong!" Jiang Bai replied with an air of supreme composure.
"Agh! You rotten Jiang Bai! I’m going to kill you! I swear I’m going to pummel you to death today!"
Jiang Li’er completely exploded in fury, pouncing at him with flailing arms and bared teeth.
Jiang Bai laughed heartily and effortlessly dodged out of the way.
One chasing, one fleeing—the pair turned the little path into a chaotic scene of playful brawling.
Bi Ji followed behind them, watching their antics; a faint blush rose to her gentle, lovely face, while the smile playing on her lips deepened ever so slightly.
She shook her head gently, her gaze filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Naturally, she had taken Jiang Bai’s smooth-talking spiel with a grain of salt—believing perhaps only three or four parts of it.
She believed that Jiang Bai’s Martial Soul Space was indeed miraculous—capable of accelerating the growth of Soul Beasts.
She also believed that Jiang Bai wasn’t merely "hunting" Soul Beasts in the traditional sense, but rather using his Martial Soul to allow them to survive and grow stronger in an entirely different form.
However... as for all that talk of "saving Soul Beasts" and creating a "win-win situation"...
Bi Ji suspected that these were mostly just pretty words Jiang Bai had used to persuade Jiang Li’er—and perhaps herself as well.
His primary objective, she feared, was likely still to acquire powerful Soul Rings and bolster his own strength.
As for his mention of the missing "Auspicious Beast Aura"—and how its absence had slowed the rate of advancement for the Soul Beasts within the Star Dou Great Forest...
Bi Ji’s heart stirred slightly; that, at least, was an undeniable fact.
The fact that the "Emperor-level Auspicious Beast" had undergone Human Transformation did indeed have a tangible impact on the overall destiny of the Star Dou Great Forest, as well as the cultivation speed of its resident Soul Beasts.
If Jiang Bai truly could "lure away" a few Soul Beasts—enabling them to grow rapidly to the level of a hundred-thousand-year beast, or even higher, through this alternative method—it might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Soul Beast race as a whole.
In fact, it could even prove to be...
A new path forward...
Of course, the premise is that Jiang Bai’s method is truly safe and harmless—and, crucially, that the Soul Beasts are willing participants.
Bi Ji gazed at the figure of the youth ahead—agile in his movements, and forever finding ways to make Jiang Li’er stomp her feet in exasperation—and a flicker of profound depth flashed within her emerald eyes.
The secrets surrounding this youth were multiplying...
Given the precedent set by the Ice Dragon, Bi Ji was inclined to believe that Jiang Bai indeed possessed the means to help Soul Beasts rapidly ascend to the 100,000-year cultivation rank.
But what of the Heavenly Tribulation?
Jiang Bai had claimed that, with the absence of the Auspicious Beast’s aura, the probability of a 100,000-year Soul Beast successfully breaking through had diminished; in that case, what means could he—a mere human Soul Master—possibly possess to ensure a Soul Beast could safely weather the celestial ordeal?
She sensed that this must, somehow, be connected to the Snow Emperor’s own breakthrough.
Was his arrival, ultimately... a blessing or a curse?
If Di Tian were to discover that Li’er had been running around with this boy—and, worse yet, had been hoodwinked into returning to the Star Dou Great Forest to help him "abduct" Soul Beasts... would he not be so enraged that his very dragon scales would flare outward in fury?
Picturing the expression that might appear upon the face of that awe-inspiring Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Bi Ji could not suppress a smile; she covered her lips with her hand, letting out a faint, low chuckle of amusement.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, dappling the winding official road below.
Ahead, the youth and maiden continued their playful banter, their joyful laughter startling the birds into flight amidst the trees.
Beyond the towering mountain range that loomed ahead lay that vast, boundless expanse—the Star Dou Great Forest—brimming with ancient history and profound mystery.