Chi Xiaoye immediately found it impossible to calm down.
Suddenly, Lin Xi thought of something. He supported Chi Xiaoye and asked, “We’ll talk along the way?”
“No, you need to listen to what I say before we continue.”
Chi Xiaoye looked at this little black beast and shook her head. Despite tightly pressing against Lin Xi’s embrace, its four claws that bore into his clothes still weren’t willing to let go.
When Lin Xi saw that anger and courage already returned to Chi Xiaoye’s green eyes, he felt even more relieved. However, Chi Xiaoye’s following words instead left him feeling extremely surprised.
“In the cave barbarian legends, this type of Black Foxcat is known as the evil beast that brings misfortune, as well as the corrupted evil beast.”
“I don’t know where this legend came from, but behind Great Desolate Swamp, where we are, what follows Black Foxcats is similarly inauspiciousness and corruption.”
Chi Xiaoye did her best to calm herself down, looking at Lin Xi as she slowly explained.
“Bringer of misfortune? Corrupted?” Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly. “You don’t know why the cave barbarians have this type of saying… then what about where you’re from? Why is there this type of saying there?”
Chi Xiaoye shook her head and said, “It is rumored that following the birth of this type of beast, the father evil beast would definitely quickly die of old age, while the female evil beast, regardless of whether it was a single child or many, they would all die from birth difficulties… birth would cause the deaths of both parents… All those in the legends who wished to take these evil beasts as their pets, or even cultivators who truly took these evil beasts as their pets all suffered misfortune.”
“It is also rumored that this type of legendary evil beast isn’t indigenous to Great Desolate Swamp, but rather that a long time ago, the climate became irregular. Heaven Ascension Mountain Range to the extreme north melted, this species following a heaven reaching flood. Even within the cave barbarians, there are certain legends regarding that flood. The amount of water was too great, to the extent where it even affected this eastern side, covering a small half of Great Desolate Swamp. It was rumored that this type of evil beast was originally from behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range’s frozen tundra, its skin originally snow-white… Later on, because the ice melted, after leaving Heaven Ascension Mountain Range, following the flood down, they always remained in Great Desolate Swamp, their fur becoming black.”
“North? Heaven Ascension Mountain Range?”
When Lin Xi heard what Chi Xiaoye said, his brows furrowed even tighter. “What you are trying to say is… you are scared that it will bring me bad luck, so you want me to think clearly and decide whether or not I should bring it away?”
“Correct.”
Chi Xiaoye looked at Lin Xi and said, “Moreover, this type of evil beast is extremely hard to get close to. As long as it encounters a cultivator, they will almost always be killed by it… Even though I don’t know why it is acting so intimate with you, I have to tell you these things.”
“Turns out it was an orphan from birth… of course I have to bring it along.”
Lin Xi didn’t feel any hesitation, calmly and naturally saying to Chi Xiaoye, “I know you might not be able to understand, but I feel that this might be their special reproduction method… At the very least, I also know that there are some creatures who, for the sake of producing the next generation, might even eat their spouse. Some fish will return to their birthplace to lay eggs and then perish after laying their eggs.”
“I never believed in any sayings of natural misfortune.” Lin Xi suddenly laughed, pitifully stroking this little beast’s head. “Moreover, among all of the things you told me about related to it, there is one reason that makes me need to bring it along no matter what.”
Chi Xiaoye couldn’t understand. “What reason?”
“Because I also came from Heaven Ascension Mountain Range… our Green Luan Academy is also inside Heaven Ascension Mountain Range.” Lin Xi looked at Chi Xiaoye, saying, “So I have to bring it with me! They might have wanted to return home all this time… just that they lost the way back.”
Chi Xiaoye could also see Lin Xi’s seriousness and determination on this matter. As such, she didn’t say anything else, only nodding and saying, “Then let’s go… We are heading to Great Magnetic Swamp.”
“Alright, show me the way.”
Lin Xi nodded, carrying Chi Xiaoye on him once more.
He carried the little black beast in his arms and Chi Xiaoye on his back, walking into the distant wilderness Chi Xiaoye pointed at.
In reality, there was another reason why he had to bring back this little black beast that he didn’t speak out loud. It was because when he entered this world, he was also a completely lonesome traveler, basically an orphan. However, he encountered his parents in Deerwood Town, encountered his adorable little sis, filling his heart with warmth, changing his initial fear and confusion into being able to accept and enjoy everything of this world, enjoy this entirely different, but much more dazzling life.
This little beast had a similar fate to himself and then ran into him, so intimate with him, so he naturally felt like this was karma, so in the end, he had to protect it.
As for fate… this world only had unexpected things. When was there ever the saying of preordained fate?
…
Chi Xiaoye’s head leaned against Lin Xi’s shoulder. Because of her body’s weakness, even her lips trembled from time to time.
However, she suddenly recalled an important thing she forgot about, her body suddenly becoming nervous.
Lin Xi was just about to tell her about his breakthrough into the Soul Master level, but he immediately sensed this mysterious reaction from her, so he immediately turned around and asked, “What is it?”
“It has three tails.” Chi Xiaoye said.
Lin Xi was a bit stunned. “Three-Tailed Black Foxcat… shouldn’t it have three tails?”
“No… only those with three tails are called Three-Tailed Black Foxcats.”
Everything was extremely clear in Chi Xiaoye’s head, but she momentarily found it hard to form words. “Black Foxcats all only have a single tail, there has never been any Three-Tailed Black Foxcats… the reason I said it was a three-tailed Black Foxcat is only out of shock that it has three tails.”
“…” Lin Xi finally understood, his face becoming bitter. “Then is it possible that it isn’t a Black Foxcat, but rather a different beast of similar appearance?”
Chi Xiaoye nodded in a strained but very certain manner. “There is no chance… there is no other beast like this in Great Desolate Swamp. Moreover, there are no other creatures with three tails either. This can only be some type of evil transformation.”
Lin Xi couldn’t help but mutter, “Genetic mutation?”
Chi Xiaoyi asked, “What is this genetic mutation?”
Lin Xi said, “This is really hard to explain… perhaps it is the same meaning as the evil transformation you are talking about. The evil transformation you refer to, is it this type of entirely different species that is even more formidable than the normal species?”
“Some will become stronger, some might become extremely weak, there are all types.” Chi Xiaoye said.
“Then what about this fella?” Lin Xi stroked the head of this little black beast who rubbed against his chest from time to time, asking, “Do you feel like it will be a creature weaker or more formidable than normal?”
Chi Xiaoye seriously said, “It’s aura makes me feel rather nervous… it should be much more formidable than others of its kind.”
Lin Xi randomly asked, “Previously, you said that all cultivators who met Black Foxcats would be killed instead, then are normal Black Foxcats extremely formidable?”
Chi Xiaoye nodded. “Indeed… equivalent to State Knight level cultivators.”
“What?!”
Lin Xi’s entire body shivered, almost stumbling, falling into a pool of mud on the side.
“You aren’t messing around with me?”
“Of course not.”
…
“Then aren’t you even more formidable than a State Knight level cultivator?”
Lin Xi who received another affirmative reply was a bit speechless, unable to help but lower his head towards the seemingly harmless little fella in his arms, this little beast still covered in mud.
Then, his expression became bitter.
“It’s hungry, what does it eat?”
He turned around to ask Chi Xiaoye.
It was because the little black beast in his arms who didn’t have half the air of a formidable expert began to suck on his finger.
This was something he understood. It really was hungry, really needing to eat something.
Chi Xiaoye looked at Lin Xi and said, “The reason why Black Foxcats were associated with the corrupted is because it is rumored that they eat anything, regardless of whether it is rotten meat, rotten plants or fruits. That is why as far as I know… as long as you teach it to eat, it should be able to eat anything.”
“Truly a pitiful little fella… as well as an affectionate and loyal little fella. I will do my best to let you suffer less from today on.”
Lin Xi said with a light sigh.
The knowledge he possessed was much greater than almost anyone in this world, his way of thinking also fundamentally different from all people in this world.
The people of this world believed that it ate anything, that it was dirty, that it was corrupted, but Lin Xi instead thought about how without any parents, in order to survive in this type of world, it had no choice. Moreover, he could sense the hunger within this young beast, knowing that since it ate anything, his finger should also be a great delicacy. However, it instead only sucked on it, not biting him, thinking that he was putting something on his finger to feed it, so he immediately felt a bit of warmth surging within him.
…
Lin Xi made his way through the extremely wide riverbed, entering the wilderness behind it. He found some medicinal herbs that were useful for Chi Xiaoye and then also found some plants that could replenish some nutrients, wild sugar cane-like plants, as well as some stem tubers.
He began to squeeze out the wild sugar cane-like plant’s liquid, dripping it into this little black beast’s mouth.
When the little black beast tasted the sweet liquid, it released a low cry of excitement, its body moving even closer to Lin Xi’s.
While looking at its increasingly excited swallowing appearance, Lin Xi smiled in satisfaction.
“Regardless, it needs a name right? What is a good name for it?” He couldn’t help but probingly ask Chi Xiaoye.
“Why not just call it Shoushou?”[1]
“Uh… it’s so dark… moreover calling it Shoushou… that’s too sinister.”
“Sinister?”
“… let’s just change to another name.”
“It has three tails, so how about Little Three?”
“…” Lin Xi broke out into sweat.
1. Shou = beast
