Chapter 38: Sharing Happiness

Bai Luxin lay on Nuobai’s back, stroking the fur on the big cat’s neck.

The gentle rise and fall beneath her felt like lying in a warm, soft, and reassuring cradle bed.

“Nuo Bai~ have we gotten lost?”

“No, I know which way to go.”

Nuobai’s tone held a hint of uncertainty. She had been carrying Bai Luxin around this stone forest for an entire day.

She was actually a bit of a directionally-challenged. Such a glaring flaw absolutely could not be a part of her. She refused to believe she couldn’t find her way out.

This stone forest wasn’t particularly large within the Secret Realm, but for some reason, Nuobai just kept going in circles.

The exit was clearly right ahead, but she would suddenly stop and turn back around, making Bai Luxin think she was doing it on purpose.

Her confused, muddled appearance melted Bai Luxin into a puddle. She nuzzled against the soft Nuobai beneath her, her eyes half-closed.

‘Well, I’ll just accompany Nuobai and play here a little longer.’

A little maze just for my sister~

While Nuobai was still struggling with the stone forest, a faint cry for help came from the distance.

Following the sound’s guidance, she smoothly navigated out of the maze.

“Beast Master, see? I told you I wasn’t lost.”

“Yes, yes, Nuobai wasn’t lost. Nuobai is the best.”

Bai Luxin humored her, then pointed in the direction of the cries for help.

A small blue figure was screaming at the top of its lungs.

“Is anyone there?! Help!”

When Nuobai got close, the figure saw that Nuobai was only at the early Second-tier stage and simply pretended not to see her, continuing to shout for help.

This person was somewhat rude.

“Miss, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t interrupt me calling for help. You can’t help.”

The figure said, continuing to shout while running.

Nuobai grabbed the back of her collar, lifted her into the air, and held her before her eyes.

‘Human, I’ll give you one chance to rephrase that.’

“Wah… my Beast Pet is about to be beaten to death, don’t stop me…”

Hearing it was a matter of life and death, Bai Luxin quickly asked her to point the way. Nuobai picked her up by the back of her collar and shot off like an arrow.

“You…”

The person was about to speak but got a mouthful of cold wind instead.

Nuobai glanced at her. ‘Want to ride on my back?’

‘Keep dreaming.’

Chasing the wind and racing lightning, they soon saw a Giant Rock Serpent King coiled around a Golden Pangolin.

“Save… save the pangolin…”

Bai Luxin patted Nuobai, agreeing to the request. Nuobai dropped the person she was carrying, used her tail to scoop up Bai Luxin, and gently placed her on the ground.

“That snake is at the peak of the Third-tier, about to advance to the Fourth-tier.”

Pulling herself out of the snow, she frantically grabbed Bai Luxin.

“Quick, stop your Beast Pet! She’s only early Second-tier. Going up there is just offering herself as a meal!”

Bai Luxin comforted her, not to worry, and said with a confident face.

“Nuobai is very strong.”

‘It’s over, it’s over. This little girl is clearly fresh out of the Academy, doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.’

“I never thought that I, Li Shuqing, would fail to save my own Beast Pet today and end up dragging others down with me.”

Li Shuqing muttered to herself. For a traveler, harming others and oneself was absolutely unacceptable.

“Little sister, you run. I… I’ll help block it for you.”

Li Shuqing stepped in front of Bai Luxin, gritting her teeth as she took step by step forward.

She felt filled with the conviction of facing death unflinchingly. The atmosphere must be very solemn and stirring right now.

She, Li Shuqing, had not disgraced her predecessors!

Bai Luxin didn’t understand what she was doing at all. In the distance, Nuobai had already joined the battle.

[Instant Kill Step] started as a sign of respect. Controlling the attack to lock onto the Serpent King, her Sharp Claws sliced in, and blood sprayed out instantly.

Seeing the crimson splash from the Serpent King’s body, Li Shuqing tripped over her own feet and face-planted into the snow.

The Serpent King, in pain, released the nearly dead Golden Pangolin and opened its bloody maw to bite Nuobai.

Blood sprayed in the air. A layer of blood-red appeared on Nuobai’s body as [Bloodthirsty Berserker] triggered. One claw swiped across the Serpent King’s face.

Li Shuqing clutched her head, feeling like she was going crazy.

An early Second-tier was beating up a peak Third-tier? Even if wild Beast Pet rankings had some water content, they shouldn’t be made of paper, right?

What about her Golden Pangolin? The Golden Pangolin she had nurtured for over a decade, was it even worse than paper?

Nuobai was concerned about the person of unknown identity next to Bai Luxin. She wasn’t at ease, so she decided not to play with this big snake anymore.

Under terrifying control, [Shadow Bolt] transformed into thousands of black silks, flying out from the ground, firmly entangling the Giant Rock Serpent King.

With various status buffs active, she instantly stepped onto the Serpent King’s head and aimed a punch at its weak point. The Serpent King was instantly struck dizzy.

Nuobai added another hit, and the Serpent King completely lost consciousness.

Stepping on its head, Nuobai used its scales to wipe her claws, leaving clear claw marks on its face.

‘The Beast Master said not to kill it, so I’ll just leave a mark. Otherwise, I would have sliced its head off with one claw just now.’

‘My master is merciful. Be grateful, little snake.’

“Your cat… is hiding her rank, right?”

“She’s actually Fourth-tier, entering her prime, isn’t she?”

Li Shuqing pointed at the majestic Nuobai, hoping to get the answer she desired.

“Nuobai has just entered her youth period.”

Bai Luxin, like a proud wife, prepared to welcome her victorious general returning in triumph.

Li Shuqing also hurriedly recalled her own Beast Pet into the Beast Taming Space to recover from its injuries.

Nuobai didn’t want to carry her while walking. Carrying her Beast Master in her mouth would probably be embarrassing, so she simply shrank in size and jumped onto Bai Luxin’s shoulder.

Li Shuqing was shocked for the ten-thousandth time. That powerful, handsome cat could actually shrink and become so adorable.

“Li Shuqing, miss!”

He pervert-like gaze made Bai Luxin somewhat dissatisfied. She grabbed Nuobai into her arms to declare sovereignty.

Nuobai symbolically pawed a couple of times before giving up. She was almost used to it.

The gold content) of the land of tenderness was still rising.

“Wait for me!”

Li Shuqing searched around, found a pool of Centennial Spirit Stone Milk, collected it, and brought it to Bai Luxin, saying sneakily.

“Let’s go quickly, before it wakes up.”

Through conversation along the way, the two quickly became familiar.

Bai Luxin was curious about her identity as a traveler, while she admired Bai Luxin immensely.

“Little Sister Bai, the title of ‘traveler’ is just others’ excessive praise.”

“Actually, we’re just going around trying our luck, searching for an uncertain future—a bunch of pitiful wanderers.”

Her tone was full of self-mockery, mixed with a bit of unwilling resignation.

She looked at Nuobai, her eyes filled with longing.

Not all Beast Pets could smoothly advance to the Fourth stage. The racial upper limit for most Beast Pets was at the Third-tier.

Her main Beast Pet, the Golden Pangolin, was like that. It had been stuck at the peak of the Third-tier for eight years.

Now its physical condition was starting to decline; it might never have the chance to advance in this lifetime.

Bai Luxin thought of Nuobai. Sister Qin seemed to have said that the Snow Joy Cat’s racial upper limit was also Third-tier.

“Growth Five Stages.”

“Yes, Growth Five Stages.”

Li Shuqing laughed heartily. “Growth Five Stages corresponds to Beast Pets, from hatching to peak.”

“But that’s just a textbook saying. All Beast Pets can reach adulthood, but not all Beast Pets have a peak period.”

“Infant, Juvenile, Youth, Adult, Prime.”

Here, she paused, her expression desolate and full of regret.

“Adulthood is easy to find, but the Prime… that’s hard to come by…”

Nuobai raised a paw and pressed it against Bai Luxin’s face, telling her not to empathize so easily.

‘Little crybaby.’

Then, her eyes filled with killing intent as she glared at Li Shuqing.

“Hahaha, sorry.”

“For a moment, seeing a peerless genius, I couldn’t help but be moved.”

Li Shuqing took a sip of wine to warm herself up.

Having traveled north and south for so many years, this was the first time she had seen a Beast Pet as exaggerated as Nuobai.

Able to grow large and shrink small, easily challenge across tiers. She probably wasn’t inferior to the direct lineage cultivated in the Core City anymore.

What was even more precious was that they also came from a border town, making her, also originating from a border town, feel honored.

“Little Sister Bai, let me show you something good.”

Li Shuqing said, pulling out a sketchbook. This was their traveler’s tradition—to show off their experiences to fellow travelers and also share the happiness encountered along the way.

The sketchbook contained various beautiful scenes, delicious food, interesting people, and encountered Beast Pets she had seen.

After showing it, Li Shuqing rubbing her hands and asked Bai Luxin.

“Little Sister Bai, can I draw a picture of you?”

“Sure. Beast Master, I want to stand on your shoulder.”

Nuobai jumped onto her shoulder, indicating agreement. This person’s drawings were quite good; the Beast Master would most likely agree.

‘Better to strike first and gain the advantage, to avoid being held in her arms for the drawing. That would be a huge loss of face for a big cat.’

Holding her usually was fine, but for photos or drawings, she had to be on the shoulder.

Bai Luxin actually wanted her to draw Nuobai in her cat-girl form more, but she didn’t need to think to know that Nuobai would absolutely refuse.

On Li Shuqing’s sketchbook, Bai Luxin smiled serenely, with a white cat lounging completely relaxed on her shoulder, its tail hooked in front of her chest.

“Done. Would you two like to sign it?”

After Nuobai stamped her paw print, Bai Luxin signed her name below the cat’s paw.

Afterwards, this sketchbook, worthy of being called legendary, became the only physical object recording the true form of the Rebellious Sorceress.

…