Genius Beast Tamer

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Han Wuxie naturally and keenly noticed Hua Qianye's actions and the disappointment in his eyes. His desire to go to the God Realm in the future grew even stronger, and he said firmly and resolutely, "My own strength is the most important thing. I will definitely work harder to cultivate!"

Han Xingyu stepped forward, frowned, and pointed at Zi Tong, saying, "Just now, Zi Tong protected me, and Hua Qianye didn't have time to protect him with a sound-blocking barrier. I used golden needles to seal the acupoints around his ears, so he couldn't hear anything, and Wu Xie's zither music had no effect on him."

Hua Qianye frowned solemnly and said, "This is indeed something we should pay attention to. If the beasts we encounter in the future are born deaf, or if they have some understanding of acupoints and seal their hearing, Han Wuxie will be in a very dangerous position."

Han Xingyu said with some worry, "Sealing the acupoints around the ears is a very simple thing. If this flaw is discovered, Sister Wuxie will be in great danger! She's focused on playing the zither, and when the other party pretends to be in pain, she'll lower her guard. If the other party suddenly attacks, she won't have time to react!"

Bing suggested, "If we make some adjustments to the Beast Taming Melody, could we avoid such a danger?"

Xiao Bai pouted and said, "If you can't hear the sound, you naturally can't hear the music. No matter how you adjust the sheet music, it shouldn't work!"

Zhu Fengmo shook her head and recalled, "Perhaps modifying the score would be useful! Our snake clan ancestors recorded that even some beasts born without hearing could not resist the control of the Beast Taming God Clan's music. The music seems to control the soul through sound on the surface, but the real reason is not that simple. Otherwise, it wouldn't be that only the Beast Taming God Clan could play their music effectively, while the same music would not work for others!"

"The Beast Taming God Clan?" Hua Qianye narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "You know quite a lot!"

Han Wuxie frowned, worried that Hua Qianye would realize that his real purpose in leaving the Snake King behind was to learn about the affairs of the God Realm. He interjected, "If I manage to modify the score and, by some stroke of luck, overcome this weakness, then if I use the music to control or punish other beasts, wouldn't Xiaobai, Bing, Zhufengmo, and Zitong be controlled by the music just the same way? And if I punish those beasts, wouldn't they also feel pain?"

Zhu Fengmo explained, "If you can improve the score, I think many problems can be overcome. After all, the Beast Taming God Clan also has its own contracted beasts. When they control other beasts, they can selectively make the music target the object they want to control. So even if the beasts cannot hear the sound, they cannot resist their control."

Han Wuxie pondered for a moment, his eyes brightening as he smiled and said, "I think I understand somewhat. I feel that the musical scores of the Beast Taming God Clan are somewhat similar to the principle of divine sense pressure. They can selectively lock onto a target to be pressured. The target's soul is suppressed, and regardless of whether they can hear the sound or not, they cannot resist the divine sense pressure. The musical scores simply help the player amplify their own divine sense pressure, making it more powerful. For example, originally, divine sense could only suppress the target, but with the help of the musical scores, it can control the target. In fact, the musical scores are just like the chants or incantations that a practitioner of immortal arts must recite beforehand."

A satisfied smile flashed in Hua Qianye's eyes. He had known all this all along. He had kept it to himself because he wanted Han Wuxie to figure it out on his own. If many things were taught verbally, they would not achieve the desired versatility and innovation after understanding. The learner would be confined to a rigid framework.

Only what she herself perceives will not be confined by frameworks, and her thoughts will be like a bird set free, creating her own taming music scores. Because Hua Qianye does not have her talent, she cannot help her create her own scores. Everything must be created by herself and must be perceived by herself.

"Whoosh..." A gust of wind, whipped up by the speed of the vehicle, came toward Han Wuxie and his companions.

Xiao Bai looked completely bewildered. Sniffing the air, he assessed the aura of the newcomer and became even more confused. "It's a deer! The kind deer clan among our spirit beasts! Why would they come here? Could it be for Master's immortal bones? Impossible! They never eat meat, and they're not a race that craves cultivation!"

Zhu Fengmo squinted, seemingly able to see through the trees and discern the newcomer's appearance, and said softly, "Very young, a fawn that has just been able to transform."

Hua Qianye instructed in a low voice, "You guys, conceal your auras, don't scare it away. Let's see what its purpose is first."

Xiao Bai was the most obedient and was the first to quickly suppress his aura, including all the rabbit aura on his body. This was a method of suppressing aura that Han Wuxie had taught him. Now he was just like an ordinary mortal.

Bing hesitated for a moment, looked at Han Wuxie, and only after Han Wuxie nodded did he do as he was told.

Zi Tong looked at Han Xingyu and asked for her opinion. Han Xingyu said, "Listen to Hua Qianye." Zi Tong then did as she was told.

Zhu Fengmo originally intended to ignore Hua Qianye's orders, after all, he didn't want to call him boss, and he was just Han Wuxie's contracted beast, so why should he listen to him? But when Hua Qianye swept over with a slightly indifferent gaze, Zhu Fengmo was so frightened that he quickly concealed his aura before Hua Qianye could speak. This was because Hua Qianye had previously tried to kill him, although he hadn't succeeded in killing him, only cutting off a section of his hair. However, that fear was deeply rooted in Zhu Fengmo's heart, so he would subconsciously be afraid whenever Hua Qianye looked at him and do as Hua Qianye instructed.

A little deer stumbled over and came to Han Wuxie. He transformed into a four or five-year-old boy with bright, watery eyes like fresh longans, a round nose, and red lips. He looked very honest and cute.

Just as Han Wuxie was about to ask him his purpose, the little boy, who was actually a deer, shouted in what he thought was a very fierce tone, "Hand over your bones, or I'll kill you!"

Such fierce words should have been frightening, but his childish voice, delivered in a cutesy tone, made people feel somewhat amused and curious as to why such a little guy would do such a thing.

"Why do you want my bones?" Han Wuxie asked with a smile, not annoyed.

Seeing the beautiful woman before him, with her lovely and friendly smile, the little deer felt a pang of reluctance to take her bones. Nevertheless, he mustered his courage and shouted, "Enough with the nonsense, hand over the bones, or I'll kill you!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Han Tianci shoved the yelling little boy aside and said irritably, "You little brat, you want to kill someone? Looking at you, do you even have the ability to kill?"

Han Xingyu brandished his broadsword, a roguish look on his face, and said, "Stewed deer soup, it's incredibly delicious! Let's kill him!"

The little deer's face flushed red with anger. She pouted and said angrily, "I am a spirit beast, and you are merely mortals. You are no match for me. I only want this sister's bones. You two, get out of my way, or I'll kill you!"

"All he talks about is killing, killing, killing! He has absolutely no manners." Xiao Bai said with a wry smile, "How could the Deer Clan produce such a scoundrel? In the past, the Deer Clan was one of the kindest races among spirit beasts, never touching meat and fainting at the sight of blood!"

The fawn hesitated for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing its eyes, but ultimately raised its head and shouted, "Being a disgrace to the deer clan doesn't matter, I just want her bones!"

As he spoke, the little boy who had transformed from the deer rushed towards Han Wuxie and headbutted him.

Han Wuxie dodged the little boy's attack with ease, using his lightness skill.

Seeing that he had missed, the little boy became anxious, his eyes glistening with tears. He gritted his teeth and charged at Han Wuxie again.

Han Wuxie easily dodged again, this time stopping in front of a thick, large tree.

Without pausing, the little boy headbutted her again. Han Wuxie leaped onto a tree branch, and the little boy's head slammed solidly into the tree.

He clutched his bleeding head, panting heavily, and sat down against the old man. Tears welled up in his eyes and burst forth uncontrollably. "Waaah, Grandpa, Little Deer is useless, waaaah, Little Deer can't get the Immortal Bone, can't save Grandpa, waaaah..."

Han Wuxie jumped down from the tree and walked to Han Xingyu and the others.

Looking at the little deer with her tear-streaked face, Han Xingyu said awkwardly, "Sister Wuxie, it seems he wasn't doing it for himself, but to save someone else."

"To save his grandfather?" Han Tianci asked, puzzled.

Qinglang analyzed, "Perhaps his grandfather needs immortal bones to survive. Should we help him? He's crying so pitifully."

Mo Wu pinched the blue wolf's arm as punishment, frowning as she said, "What kind of illness requires immortal bones for treatment? Aren't immortal bones only for leveling up beasts? Are you suggesting we make Wu Xie cut her bone to save someone? Don't be so soft-hearted just because you see a child; there might be a trap!"

"Perhaps!" Qinglang chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his arm and saying with a hint of resentment, "Wife, you're getting fiercer and fiercer! It hurts!"

"Stop pretending. You're all muscle, I can't even pinch you, it'll hurt my hands!" Mo Wu sneered.

Qinglang quickly took Mo Wu's hand, kissed it, and said with a smile, "Let me rub it for you!"

"Ugh!" Han Xingyu feigned gagging and scolded, "Brother Qinglang, aren't you being a bit too mushy? Calling me 'wife' and 'husband' all the time—you haven't even had your wedding ceremony yet! Beautiful sister, you have other options!"

The blue wolf wrapped his arms around Mo Wu's waist, showing affection as he said, "Your sister Mo Wu would never abandon me! Right, Mo Wu?"

Mo Wu blushed, forcefully pried open Qinglang's large hand, and said angrily, "Don't corrupt Xingyu!"

The blue wolf lamented, "Does this kid need me to corrupt him? He's already bad enough!"

Han Xingyu curled his lip, walked up to the little deer who was crying louder and louder, and put on a lordly air, saying, "Little guy, stop crying. What's wrong with your grandpa? I have a famous doctor who will definitely cure you!"

The little deer rubbed its eyes hard and roared unceremoniously, "It can't be cured! Even the most skilled doctor in the deer clan can't cure it! He said that Grandpa Deer King saved me from the tiger's clutches by expending his lifespan and burning his life force. Now, Grandpa Deer King's lifespan is about to run out, and unless he levels up now, there's no other way to increase it!"

Han Wuxie took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to the little deer with red, tear-filled eyes, asking, "So, that's why you want my bone, wanting to help your Deer King grandfather level up?"

The little deer took the silk handkerchief, vigorously wiped its eyes, blew its nose, and then returned the now-dirty handkerchief to Han Wuxie.

Little White stepped forward and slapped the silk handkerchief away, saying fiercely, "Little brat, how dare you return a dirty handkerchief to my master! You should wash it clean before giving it back to her!"

Han Wuxie patted Xiaobai on the shoulder and said with a smile, "He's just a kid who's just learned to transform and doesn't understand anything yet."

Little Deer lowered her head in grievance and sobbed, "Pretty sister, I didn't want to kill you either. Actually, I only said that to scare you. You don't need many bones, just give me one of your little fingers!" Little Deer raised her head and looked at Han Wuxie with longing eyes as big as fresh longans.

Han Wuxie roughly understood why the little deer, with such low cultivation, still came to ask for his bones, threatening to kill him if he didn't give them to her.

Looking at the pitifully crying child, she thought of her own grandfather, and she felt a deep affection for filial children.

She knelt down and helped the fawn up.

Seeing her gentle demeanor, and not only did she not become quiet because of his words, but she also seemed to like him, the little deer asked timidly, "Pretty sister, would you really be willing to give me one of your little fingers?"

Han Wuxie ruffled his hair and, instead of answering, asked, "Did your head hurt from bumping into a big tree?"

The little deer, still a child, sniffled pitifully and said, "It hurts!"

Han Wuxie chuckled, "Aren't you afraid that people with immortal bones are fierce and wicked, and you can't beat them? Why are you so bold?"

With a pained expression, the little deer truthfully said, "I thought my older sister was easy to bully because she was a girl."

Han Wuxie couldn't help but chuckle, ruffled his hair, and said, "Take us to see your grandfather, I have a way to help him level up."

"Is it the pretty lady's finger?" Little Deer asked, blinking her big eyes.

Han Wuxie smiled wryly, "Why do you want my little finger so badly? No, I have another way!"

"But everyone in the tribe says there's no other way besides the Immortal Bone," the little deer said, somewhat troubled. "Originally, I wanted a little finger bone from the pretty sister, and I secretly put it in Grandpa Deer King's food. If you come with me to the Deer Clan, everyone will know I came out for the Immortal Bone. Actually, all the deer know the Immortal Bone can save Grandpa Deer King, but Grandpa Deer King forbids us from harming humans. He says we can't kill others to save him. If he finds out I tried to kill you before, he'll definitely be angry and kick me out of the Deer Clan!"

Looking at the little deer's pitiful appearance, Han Wuxie smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell your grandfather, the Deer King, what happened before. I'll say that you, little deer, came to ask me for help, is that alright?"

The little deer looked up, her eyes filled with gratitude, and wrapped her arms tightly around Han Wuxie's neck. She jumped up and planted a sweet kiss on Han Wuxie's face, laughing, "Pretty sister is so nice!"

Little White hurriedly stepped forward and pulled the little deer away, angrily saying, "I didn't even have a chance to kiss my master, and you little lecherous deer, how dare you take advantage of him!"

Zhu Fengmo's face darkened. She stepped forward, grabbed the deer's ear, and said sarcastically, "Your mouth, besides eating grass, actually dares to be disrespectful to a young lady. It seems I underestimated you!" At the same time, Zhu Fengmo released the pressure of a Saint-level demon beast.

The little deer trembled with fear and reached out to Han Wuxie for help, crying, "Pretty sister, it's so scary! This snake is so scary! Waaaaah..."

He glanced coldly at the little deer, exuding the aura of a top-grade demon beast, and said in a chilling voice, "What else can you do besides cry?"

The little deer wiped away its tears in fright, wailing, "It's a fox! It's an Ice Fox demon! How terrifying!"

Seeing that Bing and Zhu Fengmo were both releasing their auras, Xiao Bai wasn't about to be outdone. It also unleashed the aura of a top-grade spirit beast, saying in a sinister tone, "Hehe, this little rabbit master occasionally enjoys a little meat!"

The fawn darted around in fright. Han Wuxie glared at the three of them. Zhu Fengmo looked into the distance, her face expressionless and icy. Xiaobai lowered her head and remained silent.

Han Wuxie stopped the frantic little deer and comforted it, "It's alright, it's alright. They were just teasing you because you're cute. Don't be afraid. Let's go save your Deer King grandpa, shall we?"

Little Deer mustered her courage and peeked at Xiaobai, Bing, and Zhufengmo. Seeing that they were no longer scaring her, she patted her chest and nodded, saying, "Pretty sisters, come with me."

The group followed a pebbly path through a desolate forest, winding their way through tangled vines and overgrown trees until they reached a lake. The sunlight was blocked by towering trees, and a thin layer of mist hung over the lake and the surrounding forest, making the scenery somewhat hazy and indistinct. Looking up at the lush green forest on the opposite bank, they saw vines tightly entwining the towering trees. Rows and bunches of thick vines, resembling tree roots, hung down from the trees, draping and wrapping around the surrounding trees, sometimes cascading down like a waterfall in a cave, and sometimes forming arches.

The dense thickets of thorns made the already lush forest even more impenetrable, suggesting that the place was rarely visited by humans. From a distance, it seemed shrouded in an eternal, boundless darkness, an infinite and profound mystery, where the trees and the creatures within them were all deeply lost in their own dreams.

Passing through a path strewn with vines and thorns, they entered the depths of another ancient forest. The trees here were incredibly old and magnificent, their species clearly more precious than those outside. The leaves even emitted a faint, invigorating fragrance. The combination of their ancient age and robust strength exuded a solemn aura. Densely packed and towering, the trees were covered with many strange insects. Their skins were brightly colored, and Han Xingyu explained that they were highly poisonous insects, and their excrement was the antidote for the toxins in their bodies. Although Han Xingyu possessed a talent for both medicine and poison, he clearly preferred poisonous creatures. He looked at them with burning eyes, as if they were his beloved, and quickly collected the insects while wearing gloves.

Further in, the scenery became increasingly beautiful, with endless, verdant primeval forests. The dense pine trees resembled giant umbrellas reaching for the sky, their overlapping branches letting in only dappled sunlight. Occasionally, birdsong could be heard, and nimble figures leaped about in the trees—a few clever monkeys. These monkeys couldn't yet transform into human form, but after cultivating here for a long time, they had gained some intelligence. They recognized the deer and greeted it. They seemed to really like pretty girls, holding their harvested fruits and insisting on giving them to Han Wuxie and Mo Wu. If they refused, they would frown and feign pitifulness. When the soft-hearted Mo Wu accepted the peaches and bananas, the monkey that had so eagerly offered the gifts jumped and danced with joy.

Having finally escaped the monkeys' enthusiastic hospitality, the little deer cheerfully exclaimed, "Once we leave the monkeys' territory, that's our deer's territory! It's beautiful there!"

About half an incense stick's time later, we walked out of the area surrounded by big trees and came to a green meadow and a clear stream. Fish in the stream would occasionally jump out of the water, as if performing a water ballet.

The little deer transformed into a sika deer and ran around on the green grass, speaking in human language: "Pretty ladies, come with me, the cave where Grandpa Deer King lives is not far ahead!"

Three deer came running from across the stream. After they reached the little deer, they transformed into an old man and two young men.

The old man frowned and said, "Little Deer, who are these people? Why did you bring humans here? Over the years, martial artists traveling through the desolate forest to the martial arts continent have always treated us as prey, killing countless of our kind. Why did you bring these humans into our territory?"

"They are good people, they've come to save Grandpa Deer King. You can hear it, this beautiful lady has divine bones; she's not an ordinary human. She says she has a way, it must be true!"

"Humans cannot be trusted! Have you forgotten that three hundred years ago, a deer in the Deer Clan also trusted a human and carried an injured human into our territory? What was the result in the end? Do you remember?"

The little deer lowered its head and said weakly, "I remember, after that human recovered from his injuries, he killed her and roasted her as a tonic. Later, he brought his companions into our territory and slaughtered us, skinning the deer and digging out the demon cores of their own kind. Our deer clan suffered heavy casualties that time and almost faced the crisis of extinction. Fortunately, Grandpa Deer King came out of seclusion in time and killed those humans."

Han Tianci interrupted somewhat displeasedly, "When you're discussing whether we're bad people, can't you at least do it quietly in private? I've never seen anyone speak ill of someone to their face!"

Han Xingyu curled her lip and said, "We came all this way to rescue people, and instead of treating us well, you keep saying that humans can't be trusted and what kind of people humans are. Don't you have any manners?"

Xiao Bai scolded, "That's right, he's already so old, he should be considered an elder in the Deer Clan, yet he doesn't know any manners at all. He's really wasted his long life!"

"You!" The old man glared angrily, his beard bristling. Two young men stepped forward to block him, stammering, "Elder, that...that..."

"What the hell!" the old man exclaimed in exasperation.

The young man pointed at Zhu Fengmo, trembling, and said, "It's the same oppressive aura as the Deer King!"

"Pressure?" the old man asked in confusion, as a divine sense pressure descended upon him. He trembled, exclaiming in disbelief, "It's a Saint-level Fifth Grade! It's a demonic beast!"

Zhu Fengmo revealed the aura of a snake, coldly saying, "That's right, Zhu Fengmo, who just dismissed the Snake King, has brought out your Deer King. We're genuinely here to save him, so you little minions shouldn't get in the way!"

"The Serpent King?" the old man frowned. "The serpent clan from the Misty Swamp?"

"Exactly!" Zhu Fengmo nodded.

The old man's hostile gaze softened, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked solemnly, "Do you really have a way to save the Deer King?"

Han Wuxie stepped forward with a polite smile and said, "If we can't save him, I'll cut off my little finger and take my immortal bone. That should give him a few more years of lifespan."

A hopeful glint appeared in the old man's eyes as he pleaded, "Are you really willing? Won't you regret it?"

"The premise is that I can't save him." Han Wuxie smiled calmly.

The old man nodded and said, "Alright, follow me!"

The two young men, still somewhat shaken, said, "Elder..."

"Shut up!" the old man frowned. "With the former Snake King of the Snake Clan as our guarantee and the immortal bones as compensation, what more could we possibly want?"

"But didn't you say that humans can't be trusted?"

The old man sighed, "I believe in the young immortal with immortal bones, and the former Snake King of the beasts. There's no other way now. Do you really want the Deer King to die?"

The two young men hung their heads and remained silent.

Standing before a rock covered in ivy, the old man tapped its surface, producing a strange sound that resembled both a deer's call and a monkey's cry.

"What is it?" a faint voice came from inside.

"Deer King, the little deer has brought back someone from outside who can heal you."

"Heal me?" The faint voice became wary, and said in a low voice, "Are you human?"

The old man turned to look at Han Wuxie and his group and answered truthfully: "There is the former Snake King, a top-grade spirit beast rabbit, a top-grade level four demon beast ice fox, a top-grade demon beast mutated race purple dog, four humans, none of whom have high martial arts cultivation, another girl who is the source of the immortal aura in the forest, and the other two boys who both have immortal aura, so they should not be ordinary people."

"The source of immortal bones?" The faint voice remained calm, revealing neither joy nor any other emotion.

The old man said, "Deer King, may we let them in?"

A long silence fell over the cave before a faint voice finally rang out: "Let the girl from the source of the immortal bones, along with the other beasts, come in."

The old man responded and turned to look at Han Wuxie and the others.

Han Wuxie frowned slightly. The voice inside the cave sounded very young. She asked疑惑地问道, "Little Deer, is your Deer King grandfather very young?"

The little deer shook its head and said, "Grandpa Deer King seems to be over ten thousand years old!"

"Why does his voice sound so young?" Han Wuxie asked, puzzled.

Zhu Fengmo narrowed her incredibly venomous and alluring eyes, and said with a seductive smile, "Wu Xie, I'm already over ten thousand years old. Am I an old man too?"

Han Wuxie then seemed to realize something and awkwardly laughed, "Because Xiaolu kept calling me Grandpa Deer King, I had formed an illusion of an old man in my mind. When I suddenly heard a young man's voice, I didn't react for a moment."

Led by the old man, Han Wuxie, Xiaobai, Bing, Zhufengmo, and Zitong entered the depths of the cave.

Deep inside the cave was a stone door. The old man knocked on the door, and it opened automatically. He stopped at the entrance and said politely with a smile, "Please go in. I'll stay here and guard the place."

Xiao Bai insisted on standing in front of Han Wuxie, indicating that there was danger and he could protect him in time.

Xiao Bai led the way, with Bing and Zhu Fengmo acting as his left and right protectors. Zi Tong followed behind Han Wuxie. Before entering this place, Han Xingyu had earnestly instructed him to protect Han Wuxie.

Han Wuxie looked at the four people surrounding him and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Hua Qianye followed them inside, watching the four beasts protect Han Wuxie like mother hens protecting their chicks. She rubbed her temples helplessly, sighing inwardly: If they always protect the little girl like this, what's the point of her coming to the mortal realm? It would be better if she stayed in the Han family and was protected by those two old men! (Referring to Old Man Han and Wanlicang.)

Inside the room, on the stone bed, lay a handsome man. His eyebrows were not like Xiaobai's curved eyebrows, nor Bing's sword-like eyebrows, nor Zhufengmo's charming eyebrows, nor Zitong's sharp eyebrows.

Han Wuxie looked back at Hua Qianye, pursed his lips, and thought to himself: "His eyebrows are somewhat similar to Hua Qianye's, but why is it that other people look gentle and elegant, while Hua Qianye looks a bit more like a demon?"

Upon seeing the visitor, the man on the bed slightly sat up, but then lay back down wearily, saying with a wry smile, "I'm afraid I only have seven days left to live."

The man's gaze was somewhat bitter, his bright eyes revealing a sorrow that evoked pity in one's heart. His long black hair cascaded down his shoulders, making his face appear exceptionally fair. His lips were slightly chapped due to weakness, yet this did not detract from their beautiful shape. Although he looked frail, it only enhanced his scholarly air, exuding elegance and refinement.

Han Wuxie politely said, "My name is Han Wuxie. I wanted to go to the Martial World Continent, so I passed through the Desolate Forest and met Xiao Lu. He told me about you. Because you were trying to save him, you were seriously injured and even faced life-threatening danger. He felt very guilty. I like Xiao Lu very much. He is a very cute and innocent child, so I want to help him, which is to say, help you."

"Help me?" The man smiled gently, asking, "You should know that there's no other way to help me besides your immortal bones. Do you intend to cut off your immortal bones and give them to me?"

Looking at his gentle smile, Han Wuxie felt a surge of affection for him.

"I have other ways." Han Wuxie smiled confidently and reached out his hand.

Without waiting for Han Wuxie to say anything, Zhu Fengmo took out a guqin from her sleeve and handed it to Han Wuxie.

Han Wuxie held the guqin, sat down at the stone table, placed the guqin on the table, and gently tested the sound.

Xiao Bai, Bing, Zhu Fengmo, and Zi Tong all seized this opportunity and immediately sat down cross-legged.

The man on the bed looked at the four of them with some surprise.

—The little girl was just going to play the piano, so why are they all acting like they're about to take some kind of tonic, all excited?

After Han Wuxie finished testing the sound, just as she began to play the piece, the Deer King man finally understood!

The melodious sound of the zither, like the tinkling of a spring, is very soothing to the ear.

The Deer King man slowly closed his eyes, and his whole body relaxed.

Half-asleep, he couldn't tell whether the music of the zither had shown him the beauty of the celestial realm or whether he was dreaming of it. His original form was a nine-colored deer. Nine-colored deer were a very noble species among deer, and most of them would become celestial beasts. In the celestial realm, they were a precious species that immortals would fight over. Such a bloodline destined them to be noble no matter where they were.

What cultivator doesn't yearn for the unknown immortal realm?

He was the same. Although he seemed gentle and indifferent, he had a passionate heart and yearned for the immortal realm, no less than any deer.

If it weren't for this, it wouldn't have become a Saint-level 5 spirit beast, much less the king of its race.

However, as a king, he naturally could not allow his deer clan members to be harmed. Before going to rescue the fawn, he knew that the tiger was the true overlord of the desolate forest, possessing the super strength of a Saint-level level nine. If he did not burn his life force, even if he rescued the fawn, he would not be able to safely escape from the tiger's den with it.

He had only just upgraded to Saint Level 5, gaining an extra thousand years of lifespan. He thought that burning five hundred years of his lifespan would be enough to rescue the deer, and with a little effort, he would surely be able to break through to Saint Level 6 before his lifespan ran out and gain new lifespan. However, what he never expected was that the tiger and a Saint Level 6 jackal cooperated to capture the deer in order to lure him out and capture him together.

The flesh and blood of the deer clan are the most nourishing among beasts. Both humans and demon beasts want to eat the flesh and blood of high-level deer to help improve their cultivation. He burned his remaining 1,320 years of lifespan and escaped with only half a month of lifespan left.

But he knew better than anyone else that the tigers and jackals had joined forces. Although the deer clan's dwelling was hidden, the jackals' noses must have already found out where the deer clan lived. Once his lifespan was over, they would bring a large number of tiger cubs and jackals to massacre the deer clan.

He didn't really trust the girl, because he knew in his heart that there was no other way but to take the immortal bone.

There's a deeper reason why he only allowed beasts and little girls into his dwelling: his cave contained many traps that were only effective against beasts. Beasts below the ninth level of the Saint rank couldn't escape. This is why the tiger demon, knowing he was seriously injured, didn't chase him into the deer clan's dwelling but waited until his lifespan was exhausted before coming.

He had planned to trap the four beasts with a trap, and with his last bit of strength, subdue the little girl and consume her immortal bone. In a short time, the four beasts would be unable to break free of the trap, while he could use the power of the immortal bone to level up and gain more lifespan. At that time, he would at least level up to Saint Level 7.

Of the four beasts, the strongest is the snake demon. When I reached the seventh level of Saint rank, it was no match for me and I could kill them. I don't like killing, but when faced with the choice between protecting my people and killing, I still choose the responsibility that I, as the Deer King, should bear.

Now he could feel a strange power flowing through his body from the little girl's music, his lifespan was slowly increasing, and there were even signs of an upgrade.

Therefore, he felt guilty from the bottom of his heart, a deep sense of remorse.

The girl wasn't lying to him; she genuinely had the ability to help him. Her music was so powerful, and she had come to help him sincerely. However, he had previously distrusted her and even harbored murderous intentions towards her.

He felt despicable and shameful, and the guilt made him unable to control his emotions.

With her eyes closed, her eyelashes were already wet, and tears slid down her cheeks.

This is the nature of the deer clan: kind and averse to killing. However, when the Deer King, with his status, had thoughts of killing, the guilt and the condemnation from his heart when he regretted it made him unable to find peace.

Han Wuxie was focused on playing the zither and didn't notice that the Deer King was crying. Xiaobai, Bing, Zitong, and Zhufengmo were also focused on appreciating the music and had no time to pay attention to the Deer King.

The person with the most free time right now is Hua Qianye. Hua Qianye noticed that tears were occasionally streaming down the Deer King's face, and she frowned in confusion.

He slowly walked to the Deer King's bedside, making sure his voice was heard only by the Deer King.

He asked, "Why are you crying?"

Half-asleep, the Deer King was immersed in the beautiful scene created by the music, thinking it was a dream or an illusion. When someone asked him a question, he, unable to vent his emotions due to inner torment, slowly said, "I feel... guilty."

Hua Qianye set up a small sound-silencing array around his mouth to prevent his voice from disturbing Han Wuxie and the others.

"Guilt? Guilt about what?"

"I never trusted humans. Even if someone possessed immortal bones, in my eyes they were still just cunning humans."

"Because she didn't lie to you, she feels guilty about her previous distrust?"

"That's not the case. Actually... I initially harbored murderous intent because of distrust."

Murderous intent? Hua Qianye was taken aback. She had been paying attention to the Deer King ever since she entered, and even she thought he was a refined and cultured gentleman, never suspecting any murderous intent! Was he hiding it too well? Indeed, a kind race would never expect them to do something so heinous; they are truly hard to guard against!

Why would someone want to kill someone?

"Actually, the capture of the little deer was a trap. The tiger demon and the jackal colluded to lure me there. I thought that rescuing the little deer from the tiger demon would at most cost me five hundred years of lifespan. But I didn't expect the jackal to ambush me from the side, leaving me with only half a month to live. The jackal must have already found the location of our deer clan's dwelling. Because there are many traps here, they dare not come rashly while I am alive. They know that I only have half a month left to live. Once my lifespan is exhausted, they will storm into our dwelling and use my people as food and nourishment. The only way to change all this and save my people is to eat this little girl's immortal bones. At first, I believed that there was another way to level up besides eating her, so I wanted to use the traps to trap the snake demon, rabbit, ice fox, and purple dog, and then have the little girl's immortal bones consumed. After leveling up, I would kill the four beasts and wait for the tiger demon and the jackal to come. I would pretend to be dead and then suddenly launch a sneak attack to eliminate everything that is dangerous to our deer clan."

Hua Qianye narrowed her dangerous eyes and said coldly, "Regret it now? Feel guilty?"

Tears welled up in the Deer King's eyes as he said bitterly, "I shouldn't have doubted her. I feel so guilty. We deer are kind spirit beasts who never touch meat. I am a nine-colored deer, and a member of a noble lineage. Yet I was so despicable as to hurt such a kind girl who genuinely helped me! I truly don't know how to atone for my sins or quell the guilt in my heart!"

"I can give you some ideas!"

"What idea!"

"One option is to atone with death, and the other is to become her slave, a contracted servant, a guardian beast, to protect her forever!"

---Aside---

One more update~

Tomorrow's update time: 19:30