dmims Chapter 11 Xiao Wu Awakens, Feeling at Ease
Chapter 11 Xiao Wu Awakens, Feeling at Ease
The night was as dark as ink, and Wuhun Village fell into complete silence, with only a dim oil lamp still lit in the Yan family's hut.
Xiao Wu was awakened by a faint herbal scent.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if afraid of disturbing something, and she cautiously opened her eyes.
What came into view was an unfamiliar rooftop, with a string of dried herbs hanging from the thatched beams, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, and a faint smell of smoke.
Suddenly, the weakness of transforming into human form, the fangs of the wind wolf, the escape through the mountains and forests—all the memories of fear flooded back to him.
Xiao Wu's body tensed up suddenly, like a young animal whose tail had been stepped on. She curled up instantly, her back pressed tightly against the cold wall. Her big, wet eyes were full of vigilance, her pupils slightly contracted, and her mouth involuntarily grinned, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth, with a touch of childish ferocity.
Her injuries had not fully healed; the wound on her back still ached faintly, and her soul power had only recovered to less than 30%. But at this moment, she adopted a defensive stance based on her soul beast instincts, as if everything in front of her was a potential threat.
"woke up?"
A gentle voice sounded in my ear, without any malice, but rather with a touch of careful reassurance.
Xiao Wu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little boy sitting on a small wooden stool by the bed, holding a piece of bright green herb in his hand. When he saw her wake up, there was no covetousness or malice in his eyes, only pure concern.
The boy looked to be only five or six years old, with fair skin, clear black eyes, and wearing a faded coarse cloth shirt, yet he exuded a composure beyond his years.
It was Yan Zu.
He stayed by her bedside and, sensing that the fluctuations of Xiao Wu's soul power were stabilizing, knew that she was about to wake up.
Seeing Xiao Wu's tense and wary expression, Yan Zu did not approach rashly. Instead, he took a half-step forward to give her a safe distance.
"Don't be afraid, it's safe here. The wind wolves have been driven away." Yan Zu's voice was extremely gentle, like a clear mountain spring. "My name is Yan Zu, this is my home. You were rescued by my parents, they are good people and won't hurt you."
As he spoke, he began to circulate the inner power of the Nine Yin Manual. The gentle and continuous spiritual energy flowed within his body, emanating an aura of harmony that intertwined with the vitality of the Qilin phantom behind him, forming an invisible barrier that isolated all malice and unease.
The aura was so gentle, like the purest spring water deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, that it unconsciously relaxed Xiao Wu's tense nerves a little, but the vigilance in her eyes still did not dissipate.
Soul beasts, having taken human form, are inherently wary of humans, especially after she had just survived a life-or-death crisis. In Xiao Wu's mind, humans are mostly greedy and dangerous; they hunt soul beasts and seize their soul rings and soul bones, making them the natural enemies of all soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.
If it weren't for this family saving her, she would have already turned around and fled into the mountains.
"Who are you? Why are you in the mountains?" Yan Hu's voice came from the doorway, somewhat rough but without any sense of oppression. He and Su Qing carried in a bowl of warm rice porridge. Seeing that Xiao Wu was awake, they subconsciously softened their steps.
Su Qing placed the rice porridge on the small table by the bedside, carefully looking at Xiao Wu with eyes full of heartache: "Child, are you hungry? This is millet porridge, cooked until very soft, would you like to try some?"
Faced with their questions, Xiao Wu simply pursed her lips, shook her head, and remained silent, her large eyes fixed on them, as if afraid of missing any sign of danger.
Her small hands gripped the bedding tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, and a trace of blood seeped from the wound on her back due to the tension in her body.
"Don't pressure her," Yan Zu said softly, stopping Yan Hu who wanted to ask more questions. "She just had a brush with death; she must be terrified."
He turned to look at Xiao Wu and quietly took out a package from his storage soul tool—it was the spicy strips he had received from signing in earlier; the red packaging was particularly eye-catching under the dim light.
This thing is considered an anomaly in the Douluo Continent; its spicy and savory flavor is extremely attractive to those who have never tasted it before.
Yan Zu tore open the packaging, and a rich, spicy aroma instantly filled the air.
Xiao Wu's nose twitched involuntarily, and a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes. In the Star Dou Great Forest, she ate wild fruits and herbs, and had never smelled such a special aroma before. That domineering yet tempting fragrance instantly awakened the hunger in her stomach.
"This is a spicy snack, it's really delicious." Yan Zu picked up a spicy snack and handed it to Xiao Wu, his tone somewhat coaxing, "Why don't you try it? If you eat it, your wound won't hurt so much."
His fingertips were shrouded in a faint Qilin vitality, and that warm aura made Xiao Wu instinctively lower her guard a little.
She hesitated for a moment, looked into Yan Zu's clear eyes, and then at the spicy strip that emitted a unique aroma. In the end, she couldn't resist the temptation. She carefully reached out her small hand, quickly snatched the spicy strip from Yan Zu's fingertips, and then shrank back into the corner, quickly stuffing it into her mouth.
"Ouch... It's so spicy..." She gasped for breath from the spiciness, but couldn't bear to stop, her eyes reddening.
Su Qing felt sorry for her and handed her the bowl of porridge, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke."
Xiao Wu took the porridge and gulped it down, finally recovering. She secretly glanced at Yan Zu and saw the boy smiling at her, his eyes clear and without malice.
She looked at Su Qing again, this gentle woman was wiping the oil stains from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, her movements as gentle as if she were treating her own child.
Finally, her gaze fell on Yan Hu.
The burly man stood at the door, not approaching, but quietly watching her with his tiger-like eyes, his gaze filled with...heartache.
"You..." she began, her voice still hoarse, but less hostile, "Why did you save me?"
Yan Hu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "We can't just watch that beast eat you, can we?"
"But I am..." Xiao Wu bit her lip, "I'm a burden."
"Who said that?" Yan Hu strode in, squatted down beside the bed, and leveled his gaze with the girl's. "I, Yan Hu, despise bullying the weak more than anything in my life. We saw the Wind Wolf chasing you, and we couldn't just ignore it."
"But..." Xiao Wu lowered her head, "I have nothing to repay you with."
"Who wants your repayment?" Yan Hu waved his hand dismissively, "I save people for peace of mind, not for anything in return."
Su Qing spoke gently, "Child, don't be afraid. This is Five Souls Village, our home. Focus on recovering first; we can talk about other things once you've healed."
Xiao Wu's eyes reddened.
She recalled her days in the Star Dou Great Forest, how her mother, in order to protect her, was targeted by the greedy eyes of hunting Soul Masters, and ultimately...
She didn't want to think about it anymore.
"My name is Xiao Wu," she suddenly said, her voice soft yet firm, "the 'Wu' of 'dancing'."
"Xiao Wu, what a nice name." Yan Zu smiled. "My name is Yan Zu, you can call me A-Zu."
He pointed to Yan Hu and his wife: "This is my father, Yan Hu, and that's my mother, Su Qing."
"Yan...Hu..." Xiao Wu chewed on the name, then looked at Su Qing, "Su...Qing..."
"Yes," Su Qing replied with a smile. "How old are you this year?"
Six years old.
"That's a year older than our great-grandfather," Su Qing said, looking at her son. "Great-grandfather is only five years old."
Xiao Wu raised her head, looked at Yan Zu, and said seriously, "I'm older than you, so you should call me Sister Xiao Wu."
Her eyes held a hint of anticipation mixed with a touch of trepidation, as if she were announcing her status as the "older sister."
Yan Zu couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, Sister Xiao Wu."