Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

"Xiaolong!" An Wen laughed heartily and rushed forward.

Huo Yuqing followed her gaze and immediately spotted a tall middle-aged man.

He had long silver-white hair tied into a round bun at the back of his head, secured with a sleek black hairpin, somewhat resembling An Wen's signature bun. He wore a black satin robe embroidered with dragon patterns, and his face was strikingly handsome—this man was none other than the Dark Holy Dragon, Ultimate Douluo Long Xiaoyao.

Judging from their facial features, An Wen did share some resemblance to him. However, Huo Yuqing had an inexplicable feeling that she had seen this face somewhere else before.

Long Xiaoyao bent down and opened his arms, steadily catching An Wen, who had charged at him like a soul-guided cannonball. A resounding impact echoed, enough to make anyone wince, yet neither of their expressions changed. In the next moment, An Wen nimbly climbed up onto Long Xiaoyao's shoulders.

Wang Rui, watching from the side, twitched at the corners of his mouth. This scene felt way too familiar—just like an overly energetic cat that couldn't stop itself from leaping onto a cat tree!

"This is Long Xiaoyao," he turned to introduce him to Huo Yuqing, "an elder of the Beast Clan."

Huo Yuqing didn't quite understand what this name meant in the Soul Master world, but she still greeted him politely.

Long Xiaoyao responded with a friendly nod, exuding the warmth of a typical kind-hearted elder, though there was a trace of scrutiny and curiosity in his eyes.

He was indeed curious about what kind of human had been chosen by the Emperor Auspice Beast to carry out that plan. However, Huo Yuqing was still too young to reveal any extraordinary traits just yet.

"Hey, did you miss me?" An Wen, perched on his shoulder, playfully tugged at Long Xiaoyao's hair.

"Of course." Long Xiaoyao chuckled.

Back when he was just a boy, he had formed a contract with this big feline draped over his shoulder. They had never been apart for this long before.

Any ordinary person would miss their cat after being away for a month—let alone them, who were practically halves of the same whole through their bond.

Long Xiaoyao turned his head slightly and murmured something to An Wen in a low voice. At a glance, they looked more like a pair of close father and son rather than a typical elder and junior.

Huo Yuqing wasn't entirely sure of their real relationship, but she vaguely sensed that An Wen and the middle-aged man did not interact as a traditional senior and junior would—they seemed more like equals, true partners.

Not far behind Long Xiaoyao stood a graceful middle-aged woman dressed in a pale purple cheongsam. The luxurious begonia embroidery cascaded across the hem of her dress, exuding elegance and opulence. Draped over her arm was a white fur shawl, purely for decorative purposes, and her hands were covered with deep purple silk gloves.

She wore a veiled hat with purple gauze draping down, obscuring her features. Yet, her enchanting figure and the elegance in her every movement were enough to suggest that she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

The woman smiled softly, turned toward Huo Yuqing, and said in a playful, teasing tone, "Xiao Yuhao, you didn't notice me?"

Her voice was husky yet gentle. Wasn't this Lu Mingyou?

Huo Yuqing's brows lifted in surprise and delight. "Teacher!"

The tiny bit of jealousy and unease in her heart vanished without a trace—she, too, had someone coming to pick her up!

At that moment, the white fur shawl in Lu Mingyou's arms stirred. A fluffy, snow-white creature leaped onto the ground and bolted toward Huo Yuqing.

"Mouse Auntie!" Huo Yuqing's eyes widened in delight as she crouched down and scooped up the white-furred companion that had left the Duke's mansion with her.

After a year apart, Mouse Auntie had grown significantly, now larger than a typical house cat. Her fur had transformed from milky white to pure white, and the silver-gray stripes on her back gleamed even brighter.

The little brocade rat twitched its sharp nose, sniffing Huo Yuqing all over, as if trying to confirm that she hadn't been injured.

It let out a series of "squeak, squeak" sounds. Wang Rui, listening carefully, deciphered the meaning: overwhelming joy at seeing Huo Yuqing again, mixed with worry, concern, and a touch of scolding for not bringing her along.

Mouse Auntie's emotions were far more complex than a year ago—clearly, her intelligence had grown significantly.

Beasts generally had more straightforward thought processes, a natural limitation of their kind.

Even though high-level soul beasts were much more intelligent than ordinary animals, their cognitive development was still slower. A soul beast had to cultivate for a hundred thousand years to attain intelligence equivalent to that of an average adult human.

Due to long-term human interaction, Mouse Auntie was far smarter than others of her kind at the same cultivation level. However, just a year ago, she would never have expressed such a layered range of emotions.

Wang Rui smacked his lips. Judging by the brocade rat's well-groomed, glossy coat, Lu Mingyou must have taken excellent care of her. Truly fitting for someone in the medical field!

…Not that he should be reinforcing unnecessary stereotypes.

Huo Yuqing gently placed Mouse Auntie on her shoulder, where the little creature obediently curled up like a fluffy white scarf. Then, she stepped toward Lu Mingyou and respectfully bowed.

There was a small, barely noticeable trace of anticipation in her eyes as she looked at her teacher.

Lu Mingyou, amused by her cautious expression, shook her head and chuckled. "Silly child…"

Then, she leaned down and wrapped Huo Yuqing in a warm embrace. "You've worked hard this year, my little apprentice."

Huo Yuqing's eyes reddened slightly, a lump forming in her throat. A hollow space in her heart seemed to be filled at last.

Perhaps because her teacher's embrace was so comforting, she suddenly remembered the feeling of being nestled in her mother's arms.

…The long-lost warmth of family.

In that moment, all the exhaustion she had accumulated at Shrek Academy seemed to melt away.

"Want a hug from me too?" Long Xiaoyao, with An Wen still draped over his shoulder, turned toward Wang Rui with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Rui, you're looking a bit left out."

Wang Rui's instincts screamed danger. His years of experience told him that his old friend was up to no good. Sensing imminent doom, he hastily retreated. "No, no, no, don't—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Long Xiaoyao grabbed him effortlessly—applying his full Ultimate Douluo strength. With only the power of a Soul Elder in human form, Wang Rui was utterly powerless against him. Like a kitten grabbed by the scruff, he was hoisted into the air and spun around several times.

Wang Rui had just opened his mouth to curse when a quiet voice transmitted directly into his ear.

"The one beneath the lake woke up. Just before An Wen took her human form."

Wang Rui's pupils shrank.

That explained everything.

And it meant far more than he had initially realized.

But even as a storm brewed within his mind, he landed lightly on his feet, his expression betraying nothing.

Instead, he straightened up, took three deliberate steps back, and fixed Long Xiaoyao with a sinister smile. "I have a message for you."

With the delightful intent of sharing his misery, Wang Rui smirked and said, "An old friend of yours at Shrek Academy thinks you and Di Feng had a thing. He believes An Wen is your granddaughter."

Long Xiaoyao choked violently.

"How could he and Di Feng possibly—wait! Xiaolong is NOT my grandfather!" An Wen screeched, outraged at suddenly being demoted by two generations.

Lu Mingyou, observing their antics, chuckled softly, eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh~ a tale of two men and two women~"

Before Wang Rui could refute, a lively voice rescued them from the gossip storm.

Jiang Nannan waved excitedly as she approached.

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