Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 232 Mom
The heavy rain continued to pour down, and the support team from Huanglongxi Village gradually disappeared into the rain, the sound of the wooden cart wheels crushing the muddy water growing fainter and fainter.

Tuantuan squatted in the damp bamboo forest, her round eyes fixed on the swaying basket on Yang Yaya's back. The bamboo weaving pattern and the knots hanging down the edges were exactly the same as the small basket that Shen Anzhi used to carry.

“The basket…” Tuan Tuan stretched out her paws, unconsciously trying to grab it, but her fingertips only touched the cold rain.

Memories suddenly flooded back: A clear morning in Wolonggang, Shen Anzhi carrying it through the morning mist, the basket lined with soft bamboo leaves. On the stone-paved road of Huanglongxi Village, it tugged at Shen Anzhi's hair in a huff, and Shen Anzhi smiled as she fed it sweet wild berries; in the crowded Shuxiang Town, to prevent Tuantuan from getting lost, Anzhi carried it in the basket; on the bamboo forest path, when encountering a venomous snake blocking the way, Shen Anzhi immediately shielded the basket to her chest, her voice trembling but firm: "Tuantuan, don't be afraid, Mommy's here."

Warm liquid slid down its cheeks, mingling with the rain and dripping onto the muddy ground. Tuantuan raised its hand to rub its eyes, only then realizing it was crying. It turned out that those days it had deliberately forgotten were already etched into its heart. It looked down at the bear gall bladder in its paw, this relic left by its mother, now glowing faintly, as if responding to its emotions.

Suddenly, with a soft "crack," a thin crack appeared on the surface of the bear gallbladder. Immediately afterward, a pale golden light spilled out from the crack, condensing into a phantom in the rain. Tuantuan looked up sharply and saw a tall iron-eating beast sitting on a mound not far away, with silver-gray fur and gentle eyes, just like its own appearance.

"Mom...Mom?" Tuantuan's voice trembled, and the bear gall in its paw fell to the mud with a "plop," instantly turning into specks of golden light. It couldn't believe its eyes, stood frozen for a few seconds, and then suddenly burst forth, staggering towards the mound, mud splashing all over its fur: "Mom! Mom!"

The giant iron beast looked at Tuantuan rushing towards it, its eyes filled with tenderness. It gently raised its paw and pulled Tuantuan into its embrace. The familiar scent enveloped Tuantuan, similar to the faint smell of bear bile on Shen Anzhi, but warmer and more comforting. Tuantuan buried itself in its mother's fur and cried loudly, its paws tightly clutching its mother's neck, as if trying to cry out all the longing and grievances of the past years: "Mommy, I missed you so much… I thought I'd never see you again…"

"Silly child." The Great Iron Beast's voice was gentle yet powerful as it gently licked Tuantuan's head: "Mommy is always here, and will appear whenever you need her."

After speaking, the giant panda raised its head and looked in the direction of the Yellow Spring Valley. Its eyes became serious: "Now Bashu is in trouble, and demon soldiers are rampaging. The Shushan Alliance needs every living being with power to stand up. Tuantuan, you are no longer a child. It is time to shoulder this responsibility. The Vajra Armor on your body will protect you."

Tuantuan stopped crying, looked up at her mother, and nodded as if she understood.

“Shen Anzhi is a good child. She protected you and this land with her life. Your mother was right about her.” The Great Iron Beast gently stroked Tuan Tuan’s back with its claws. “Stop being willful. Go find her and fight alongside her. Remember, true strength is not about never being a slave, but about knowing how to protect the people you care about.”

"Mom..." Tuantuan's eyes were filled with tears, but the rain was too heavy and it couldn't see its mother in front of it.

Slowly, the figure of the Great Iron Beast became transparent, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating into the rain. Only Tuantuan remained, standing alone on the mound, the rain soaking its fur, but unable to extinguish the flame burning in its heart. "Mom..." Tuantuan murmured to itself, its mother's words echoing in its ears, "True strength is protecting those you care about," while Monkey Cousin's cry of "Beastmen will never be slaves" suddenly sounded jarring.

Tuantuan shook her head violently, suppressing the idea of ​​starting a business on Mount Emei. Before, she was full of thoughts about finding her cousin Monkey to conquer the world, thinking that would be impressive. But now, when she thought of her mother's gentle eyes and the way Shen Anzhi protected her in the basket against the poisonous snake, that "impressiveness" suddenly became ridiculous.

"Start a business?" Tuantuan muttered softly, its paws clenching tightly, its nails digging into the mud. It looked towards Wolonggang, where there were familiar bamboo groves and sweet potato fields, but Shen Anzhi was nowhere to be seen. Even the warmest nest had no meaning there. Yang Yaya's words, "Sister Shen will die without you," suddenly became clear to it. It shivered, as if it could see Shen Anzhi struggling in the Spirit Erosion Array again.

"I won't go back to Wolonggang, and I won't look for Brother Monkey!" Tuantuan raised its head, rain streaming down its cheeks, but its eyes were exceptionally firm. It used its paws to brush the mud off its body and gripped the bamboo ring around its neck even tighter. It was made by Shen Anzhi, and now it had become its only solace.

"Mom told me to find Anzhi, and I'll definitely find him!" Tuantuan whispered to the empty mound, as if making a promise to its mother. It took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, and turned to run in the direction where the support team had disappeared.

It didn't care that mud and water splattered all over its fur. Every step it took was more steady than before, because it knew that this time it wasn't running away, but going to protect the person who had risked their life to save it.

It strolled in the rain, thinking of what its youngest daughter, Yang Yaya, had just said: "Sister Shen would die in battle without you."

"Death?" Tuantuan's heart tightened suddenly, and countless terrifying images flashed through her mind: Shen Anzhi being struck by the Demon Lord's demonic energy and falling into a pool of blood; the Black Python General's giant tail crashing down on Shen Anzhi, but she had no time to dodge; in the Spirit-Eating Immortal-Trapping Array, Shen Anzhi's spiritual power was exhausted, and the Demon-Slaying Sword slipped from his hand...

"No!" Tuantuan was so frightened that it plopped down in the mud puddle. The cold mud soaked through its fur, but it didn't seem to notice. It just shook its head frantically, "I can't die! I have to find her!"

Tuantuan scrambled to its feet, not even bothering to brush the mud off, and ran wildly in the direction where the Huanglongxi Village support team had disappeared. Rain blurred its vision, but it ran incredibly fast, its paws leaving deep footprints in the mud. It didn't know how many dangers lay ahead, or whether it could make it in time; it only knew that it couldn't let its mother, Shen Anzhi, die, and it couldn't continue its willful escapes as before.

"Mom, wait for me!" Tuantuan's voice echoed in the rain. Her small figure quickly disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest, heading towards the direction of Huangquan Valley, towards the person who needed her, and resolutely ran towards it.

The rain was still falling, but at this moment, Tuantuan was no longer the rebellious and escapist little iron-eating beast, but a warrior about to shoulder responsibility and protect the people she cared about.