171 Blossoming Smile (1/2)

”His name is Hei Gou. He has been traveling with me for a long time. He has saved my life more than once, and I consider him my brother,” Xue Wei explained, introducing Hei Gou to her.

What he said came from the bottom of his heart, so he hoped that Wang Xiaoyun would not hate Hei Gou too much despite him being a Primordial Beast.

”Oh,” Wang Xiaoyun's face softened. She smiled at Hei Gou at first, but then her face turned serious the instant after, and a frown appeared on her scarred face.

”Wei, step away from him.” Wang Xiaoyun was suddenly hostile, and her voice was strained.

”I can sense a Primordial Beast,” she said seriously. ”Since the Ice Harpy attacked me, I have been able to sense what is human and what is Primordial Beast. That one is a beast!”

”I know,” Xue Wei answered soberly. He had never intended to hide the fact that Hei Gou was a Primordial Beast. And now that the cat was out of the bag, he did not try to deny it.

”You know?!” Wang Xiaoyun's face displayed her shock and discomfort. ”Is he your contracted beast? Has he been tamed by a diviner and then been given to you?”

”No,” Xue Wei shook his head.

”Then what is it? Primordial Beasts are treacherous and evil. If you get close to him, then you will end up eaten, or betrayed!”

Hei Gou's eyes flashed dangerously when he heard this, but he kept his word and said nothing. He allowed Wang Xiaoyun to degrade him straight to his face. For Xue Wei, he could handle the disgrace.

”That's enough!” Xue Wei, on the other hand, was not pleased with her. ”I saved his life, and he has saved mine. He is my brother, my best friend, and I wouldn't hesitate to put my life in his hands.”

”I understand that you have a hard time accepting him due to your experiences, but just like not all humans are the same, not all Primordial Beasts are like the Ice Harpy.”

”Hei Gou is currently being chased by the Primordial Beasts because he turned against them. The humans are chasing me because they likewise see me as a Primordial Beast. We are alone against the entire world, and I trust him unconditionally.”

”I do not ask of you to become the best of friends with him, but please respect my wishes too,” Xue Wei pleaded. Wang Xiaoyun's face turned contemplative.

She cast a few glances at Hei Gou, but said nothing. It was clear that she was wondering what to do.

Finally, she nodded her head. ”He has saved you, so I will trust your judgment, but I cannot approve of him. I lost my entire family and clan because of a Primordial Beast. Even if they are not all the same, many of them are.”

Looking at Wang Xiaoyun, Xue Wei's eyes turned soft, and a smile flitted across his lips. He reached out his hands and took hers into his before he pulled her into his embrace.

”It must have been difficult for you,” he said as he placed an arm protectively around her shoulder, and used the other hand to gently stroke her hair.

”I am sorry that I was not by your side in your time of need, but now I won't let you face the world alone any longer,” he promised. ”I'll help you get revenge against the Ice Harpy. We will kill her for all the injustice she has done and all the pain and suffering she has put us through.”

Wang Xiaoyun rested her head against Xue Wei's chest. Feeling the gentle hand caressing her hair and the soft voice praising her for having hung on up until now, even with the massive mental walls she had put up around herself, her shoulders started quivering.

A lone tear fell from the corner of her dim eye, and soon it was followed by a stream of tears pouring out from both eyes.

Wang Xiaoyun had felt hopeless for so long. She had been disfigured and lost her entire family. Chu Huiyin had tried to make her hate Xue Wei with her whole heart, and it was because she was aware of this that she could not hate him.

In fact, she found strength in every memory she shared with him. She would often dream about their time in Tiankong City, but at the same time, she also feared. She was so afraid that he would no longer look at her, that he would be disgusted with her appearance.

Although she had undergone her ritual to awaken her ancient bloodline descended from the War God, she had only managed to reach the fourth layer of the Heavenly Warrior rank so far.

It would take a few years for the bloodline to reach its full potential and bring all the benefits to her. To have moved alone from the Heping Kingdom to the Goat Mountain was in no way a simple task. She had braved many dangers and faced many perilous situations, but she had never given up. The thought that she was not alone despite her many losses was enough to make her keep moving.

She had not known where Xue Wei could have gone, so she had wandered in no specific direction, walking wherever her feet took her.

For her to actually cross paths with him here at Goat Mountain was indeed incredibly lucky. It was as if fate had brought them together.

A long time went by while Xue Wei hugged Wang Xiaoyun, who was weeping in his arms.

When she finally finished, she felt as if she had lost fifty kilos of weight from her shoulders, and the grey and dark world had regained some of its previously lost color and vibrance.

Even Hei Gou, who she did not enjoy the sight of, was less annoying than he had been before.

”I don't like him,” she said with a voice that still trembled slightly from her crying, ”but I will not say anything about it as long as he does not do something questionable that might betray us.”

She did not apologize for the words she spoke before, but Hei Gou did not follow up on it either.

Xue Wei was incredibly grateful towards Hei Gou and his decision to endure the hatred.

An awkward silence suddenly emerged, and Xue Wei was unsure of what to say to make Wang Xiaoyun and Hei Gou both feel better.