Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

"Hey, how are you guys!" The boy squeezed himself between Wang Rui and Huo Yuqing, casually throwing an arm around each of their shoulders. Smiling brightly, he introduced himself, "I'm Lang Xingying. You probably heard earlier. I also heard your names from over there. You're Huo Yuhao, and you're Rui Rui… Your name is so cute!"

Wang Rui's mouth twitched slightly. "It's Wang Rui, thank you."

"Okay, okay, Wang Rui, Wang Rui." Lang Xingying nodded absentmindedly. "We're friends now since we've met. I know you're the same generation as my aunt, but let's keep things separate, shall we? You look about two years younger than me, right? So I won't call you Little Uncle."

Not far away, Zhang Lexuan slapped a hand over her face. She'd only thought that Lang Xingying and Wang Rui's chosen contractee were of similar ages, so they might have something to talk about. She had completely forgotten that this kid was a complete extrovert chatterbox and…

Little wolf cub, do you realize you're putting your arm around a senior who's thousands of years old and treating him as your equal?

Hopefully, the Sacred Beast is magnanimous enough not to mind a brat's antics.

At her feet, the dark blue giant wolf let out a low laugh, lazily wagging his tail. "Relax. The Sacred Beast won't do anything to that kid. At most, he'll give him a good smack, but he definitely won't go too hard on him."

"Where are you guys from?" Lang Xingying, utterly oblivious to his aunt's concerns about him getting beaten up, asked with the enthusiastic curiosity of a husky. "Hey, let me take a sniff…"

He leaned in, sniffing the air vigorously, and then started rambling to himself, "Hmm, a brocade rat… Is that your partner? Oh, and silver-spot trout from the southern stream, right? Right? Hey, let me tell you, they're delicious. You're a pretty good cook; the aroma is amazing. But what did you use for grilling? There's no scent of charcoal—so strange. Hmm… And there's rabbit and roast chicken too."

Lang Xingying sniffed again and wrinkled his nose. "Huh? Why do I smell rotten Blue Silver Grass? Where have you guys been? And there's also a scent… probably left behind by a really powerful soul beast. I don't recognize this soul beast, but the smell is a bit like my dad's keepsake. He said it's a hair from the Emperor Sacred Beast, but I'm not sure if he was scammed… If it's real, it's our family heirloom. Sigh, both my parents have met the Sacred Beast, but I've never seen it. They won't even tell me what it looks like."

The actual Sacred Beast, Wang Rui: …

Huo Yuqing, who had just cuddled with the Emperor Sacred Beast: …

This chatty wolf kid wasn't just extroverted—he was a walking social disaster!

Lang Xingying alone could rival a thousand ducks in sheer chatter!

"Uh… I'm from the Star Luo City area," Huo Yuqing, sensing the situation spiraling out of control, quickly changed the topic.

Lang Xingying's eyes widened in surprise. "Yuhao, you're from the Star Luo Empire?" He grabbed Huo Yuqing's hand excitedly and shook it. "Wow, we're from the same hometown! I'm half Star Luo too! My dad's from Star Luo. He wasn't in great health, so he lost his inheritance and was sent to Emerald City for treatment. That's where he met my mom. Apparently—"

A shadow loomed over his head.

Lang Xingying's voice came to an abrupt halt as he turned around, trembling.

A beautiful white giant wolf crouched behind him, staring coldly. Her smooth, snow-white fur billowed gently, though there was no wind.

"Haha, Mom, you're here…" The previously chatterbox boy now laughed awkwardly as he stood up, inching away little by little.

"You're running laps later," the white wolf said coldly.

"Haha, got it…" Lang Xingying lowered his head, his ears drooping like a scolded puppy, tail metaphorically between his legs.

Wang Rui didn't hold back and smirked with schadenfreude—what was the saying again? The wicked always get their comeuppance.

"Apologies for this brat rambling nonsense to you all," the white wolf said, lowering her head toward Wang Rui.

"It's fine, it's fine," Wang Rui waved his hand.

The white wolf looked curiously at Huo Yuqing. All the well-informed soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest knew that the Sacred Beast had taken human form to find a human contractee. This young human must be the one.

"Young man, would you like to pet my fur?" The white wolf bared her teeth in a friendly, slightly goofy smile, reminiscent of a giant Samoyed.

"Huh? Can I?" Huo Yuqing hesitated, feeling a little shy.

She naturally wanted to touch the giant wolf before her, as fluffy as a cloud. No human could resist the allure of such fluff. However, she also knew the white wolf was no ordinary animal; it was a sentient being. Such a thought seemed a bit rude.

"It's okay; you can touch me. Consider it an apology gift," the white wolf said gently.

"Thank you," Huo Yuqing replied softly. She tentatively reached out and touched the smooth fur, but soon found herself unable to resist the attack of its softness, burying her whole face in the wolf's back.

"My mom treats other people's kids so much better than me," Lang Xingying muttered sourly to Wang Rui.

[T/N: Average Asian Kid treatment]

The white wolf clearly heard this remark and shot him a glare.

"Young man, are you interested in settling in Moonshadow City?" The white wolf, noticing Huo Yuqing's fondness for the fur, swayed her tail slowly as she teased, "If you join, see those wolves over there? You can pet any of them. If that's not enough, we have plenty of wolf pups in the city—you can pet anyone you like."

The corners of Wang Rui's mouth twitched. The white wolf's words made it sound suspiciously like the boss of a pet café advertising to customers.

"Sure, sure!" Huo Yuqing nodded enthusiastically, completely captivated by the fluffy allure as she buried herself further into the wolf's fur.

Wang Rui began to feel a bit sour himself. The white wolf's fur was nice, but wasn't his golden crystal fur just as charming?

"By the way, Auntie White Wolf, can I ask you a question?" Huo Yuqing hesitated. "I'm really curious. If it's a secret, just pretend I didn't ask."

"Go ahead," the white wolf said gently.

"Is Sister Lexuan a Titled Douluo? I heard her title is 'Moon,' so is her martial soul the moon? But I also heard about the story of the 'Pack Wolf Douluo,' and wasn't their martial soul a Moonshadow Wolf?" Huo Yuqing asked hesitantly.

"Oh, that's no secret." The white wolf laughed and shook her head. "It seems you may have some misconceptions about Beast Sect contracts. To form a contract, a human soul master's martial soul doesn't necessarily need to be the exact same species as the soul beast's.

"For instance, if a particular species of soul beast is highly territorial, even if the human and the beast share the same martial soul type, they might still reject each other. In such cases, contracts can be formed based on other connections, such as complementary attributes or symbiotic relationships."

"Like my dad and mom," Lang Xingying interjected cheekily, even after just being reprimanded. "My mom is a mutated individual with astral power, and my dad's martial soul can also harness the power of the stars. So, they were just meant to be—a perfect match."

His comment hit the mark with the white wolf, who glanced at him coolly but didn't scold him further.

"Lexuan's martial soul is the moon. She's a unique existence within Moonshadow City." The white wolf's voice carried a note of pride. "The moon holds immense significance for wolves. During a full moon, a wolf pack's strength increases, and their cultivation speeds up. Lexuan's martial soul enhances all wolves in Moonshadow City, while the pack's collective howl under the moonlight returns power to her. In every sense, she's the unquestioned queen of Moonshadow City."

"Wow, that's incredible!" Huo Yuqing exclaimed in admiration.

"But the most crucial element for forming a contract is mutual trust and care," Wang Rui added. "Without a strong emotional foundation, the contract is bound to fail."

Huo Yuqing thought for a moment. "Then can I form a contract with Auntie Shu? She's the weasel who's been with me since I was little."

The white wolf shrank her head slightly, sneaking a glance at Wang Rui.

Wang Rui returned her a puzzled look.

"What's your martial soul?" Lang Xingying cut in. "Do you feel there's any potential connection between your martial soul and the weasel?"

"Um, my martial soul is eyes. So, probably not…"

"Then it's impossible. But hey, your martial soul—eyes—suits a lot of soul beasts. You could look into the Hundred-Eyed Peacock or, if you've got the right connections, even head to Sun-Moon Empire and see if any Evil Eyes are willing to follow…" Lang Xingying trailed off as a chill swept over him.

Turning back, he found his mother staring daggers at him.

"You've already been claimed," Tianmeng Iceworm's lazy voice echoed in Huo Yuqing's mind. "You don't need to wonder what soul beast you'll form a contract with—you've already connected with Sacred Beast's attributes. While the contract isn't official yet, it's only a matter of time."

"Oh… right." Huo Yuqing chuckled awkwardly. That meant her partner would be the strongest one in the world, right?

"My options are wider," Lang Xingying grinned. "I can choose a human or a soul beast for a contract. Personally, I hope to find a human partner, ideally a stunning beauty. My standards aren't too high—someone as gorgeous as my aunt would do..."

Before he could finish, the navy-blue wolf king stood up and let out a long howl.

The giant wolves resting in the clearing rose to their feet.

"It's time to go, kids. Hop on my back," the white wolf instructed.

Wang Rui helped Huo Yuqing climb onto the white wolf's back before settling himself behind her. Lang Xingying shamelessly scrambled up as well.

The white wolf shot him a glare but, in consideration of Rui Beast's presence, refrained from scolding him further.

Just you wait till we get home, little brat.

The wolf pack set off.

The massive wolves surged through the forest like a tide. Despite wolves not being known for speed, the pack moved with a wind-like swiftness, their steps exuding a faint bloodthirsty aura.

With several ten-thousand-year soul beasts in their ranks, the pack had no need to avoid any powerful predators. They charged straight through the forest, heading northwest.

The forest scenery blurred as it rushed past.

Huo Yuqing felt the wind carrying the fragrance of plants and the tang of earth on her face. Along the way, she saw many rare and peculiar soul beasts she wouldn't have encountered at her current level.

Seeing her captivated, Wang Rui began sharing anecdotes about the creatures, earning Huo Yuqing's starry-eyed admiration. Occasionally, Lang Xingying would chime in with a sarcastic comment, ensuring the journey was anything but dull.

Among the younger wolves with lower cultivation levels, the pack didn't travel at full speed. They even paused once to rest.

At Lang Xingying's insistent urging, Huo Yuqing showcased her culinary skills. After all, she felt it inappropriate to contribute nothing while hitching a ride.

The result? All the giant wolves and humans looked at her differently afterward. To the wolves, Huo Yuqing had risen to rank third in their hearts—right after their contract partners and Zhang Lexuan. Even the wolf king took a back seat.

Wang Rui watched the wolves' sparkling dog-like eyes with amusement.

Yuqing's grilled fish really is magical—an irresistible charm for all species. Word about it will probably spread quickly throughout Moonshadow City.

Before the pack set off again, the wolves even staged a playful contest. Two were chosen to duel, representing two groups, with the losers tasked to carry luggage for the next leg of the journey.

"Wolf packs are wonderful, like one big family," Huo Yuqing sighed, the pure joy in the wolves' eyes seemingly infectious.

After becoming a soul master, the gloom on Huo Yuqing's face had diminished somewhat, though the regrets left by her time in the Duke's Mansion still weighed on her soul. Slowly filling that void was essential to ensuring she wouldn't fall victim to emotional manipulation.

These warm, fluffy companions seemed to be the perfect remedy.

"Beasts have emotions that are often far more genuine and straightforward than humans'. They shouldn't exist merely as tools for human power," Wang Rui remarked softly, as though explaining to Huo Yuqing, or perhaps just speaking his mind. "There's potential for harmony between humans and soul beasts—that's why I'm striving for this future."

Lang Xingying darted past, his joyous figure a stark contrast. Wang Rui smirked faintly. "Some people, however, might take simplicity a bit too far."

Wang Rui's goal wasn't just to bind Huo Yuqing through benefits alone. Such ties were fragile. He needed the most talented protagonist in the Douluo series to sincerely stand by the side of soul beasts. This meant building an unshakable bond, not through manipulative methods like Shrek Academy's, but through genuine, positive relationships.

He had analyzed the original story. The protagonist, Huo Gua, grew up in a neglectful and distorted environment, making him overly grateful for even the smallest kindness. Even when faced with doubt and misunderstanding, he found it natural to accept them.

But such a mindset was unhealthy and wrong.

Wang Rui scratched his head, watching as Huo Yuqing enthusiastically observed two wolves sparring.

I think I can raise this kid right… he thought with some hesitation. After all, the Star Dou Forest's fierce beasts still considered him a cub, so this would be his first time playing caretaker.

He could provide both affection and strength, but the matter of a "wife" still lingered. Tang San had used a daughter and repeated suppression to tie Huo Gua to his side.

Wang Rui mentally counted the recently transformed hundred-thousand-year female soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest. Surely, Huo Gua could pick a wife from this group of beauties, right?

He felt a tinge of sourness, though it wasn't clear what exactly he was envious of.

By the time the wolf pack resumed their journey, it was already deep into the night.

After such an eventful day, Huo Yuqing felt drowsy. She tried to meditate on the white wolf's back, but the constant jolts made it impossible to focus. Eventually, she drifted off into a light sleep.

Half-asleep, she felt herself leaning into someone's embrace—a warm, secure hold.

[T/N: Im digging the Ship between Wang Rui and Huo Yuqing]

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Omake

Present Rui Beast: Trying to arrange a soul beast wife for Huo Gua.

Future Rui Beast: I was so naïve. I thought Huo Gua needed a soul beast wife, not realizing she's a girl and that her soul beast wife would be me!

Ah, so fragrant. (insert .gif)