Chapter 57: Human Protector, Xiao Mi the God

Although another possible outcome involving the 【Wolf Pack】 Organization was a little hard to stomach, it also proved that they would not be causing trouble for the time being.

Jiang He was slightly relieved.

As for the rest, there was actually nothing more he needed to ask.

After all, future events in the near term could provide effective intelligence to help him prepare.

The more distant the future, the less reference value it held—

Thugs, exotic beasts, demons, apocalypse… with so many possibilities tangled together, who knew what kind of butterfly effect might emerge?

If one day Jiang He woke up and saw the news headline, “The Wolf King has become Speaker of Humanity, announces an on-the-spot marriage with the Ultimate Beast, with the officiant being the Abyssal Sovereign of the Abyss of Demons, all joining hands together to resist the World Destroyer,” he would not even be surprised.

However, thinking of White Crane’s heart knot, he asked another question.

“By the way, Old Jiang, you aren’t married, are you?”

“Married?” Old Jiang’s smile gradually faded.

At the sound of those two words, his chest tightened, as if he had forgotten something.

In fact, he often had this kind of feeling, always sensing that he had forgotten something important, racking his brains but unable to recall it.

This was a sign of being 「erased」.

When Jiang He saw Old Jiang trying hard to remember, he instantly understood.

Good fellow, so you have a story too?

It made sense—after all, within a hundred years, to rise from the weakest to the strongest, it would be strange if he had no story.

With this thought, Jiang He changed his wording.

“Do you still remember Du Lingwei?”

“Yes, the former Star of Central State.” Old Jiang could not remember anything else, so he set the thought aside for the moment, saying, “Her talent was quite strong, a rare dual-talent awakener. Unfortunately, she never had the chance to grow.”

“In the Exotic Beast Rampage of 2035, she died fighting the Ultimate Beast in order to cover the evacuation of Central State’s citizens.”

When Old Jiang recounted this, his expression was calm.

Clearly, Du Lingwei was not the one who pulled him into such memories.

Jiang He was not surprised.

The timelines, backgrounds, and talents—everything about Old Jiang and White Crane was completely different. The chance that their wives were the same person was practically zero.

If both really had been Du Lingwei… then that would truly have been destiny.

“Speaking of Du Lingwei, there is one thing that’s rather interesting.” Old Jiang smiled as he spoke.

“Though she died, she left humanity a treasure—a special protector.”

“A calico cat, Xiao Mi the God.”

“…Huh? Xiao Mi the God?”

Jiang He froze for a moment.

Old Jiang was talking about that fat calico cat at the fire station, the one so chubby that even grooming its fur was exhausting?

“That’s right, the very same one you rescued last night.” Old Jiang smiled.

“It was personally raised by Du Lingwei, one of the rare family-bonded exotic beasts. After Du Lingwei’s death, she entrusted her 【Flame Spirit Guardian】 talent onto it.”

“This carried Du Lingwei’s will and granted it the power of a Transcendent, making it an extremely rare existence.”

“With this power, it gained strength not inferior to the Ultimate Beasts and long protected humanity.”

“A hundred years later, many survivors who grew up under its protection came to revere it as a guardian deity.”

That chubby little cat was actually that powerful?!

Jiang He was stunned.

But then—

Jiang He could not help but ask: “It’s an exotic beast, yet it didn’t side with the exotic beasts, but protected humanity instead?”

Old Jiang smiled: “I asked it the same thing, and this was its answer—”

“‘I am a cat, not an exotic beast. I help whoever I want to help, what business is it of yours?’”

Jiang He suddenly understood.

The name 【Exotic Beast】 was simply a term used by humanity’s Transcendents, standing at the top of the food chain, to describe the other Transcendent lives of Blue Star.

In fact, for the exotic beasts themselves, there were also racial distinctions, not all the same.

The more correct term should have been 「Transcendent Lifeforms」, of which human Transcendents were just one type.

From this perspective, Xiao Mi’s closeness to humanity was easy to explain.

In its eyes, whether exotic beasts or humans, they were all “other races.”

It simply chose the side it felt more affection toward.

In that case…

“If many exotic beasts were like Xiao Mi and stood on humanity’s side, wouldn’t the Exotic Beast Rampage be easy to resolve?”

Hearing Jiang He’s naïve words,

Old Jiang chuckled and shook his head: “Impossible. Xiao Mi is a special case.”

Without waiting for Jiang He to ask why, he continued:

“In the Transcendent Era, the applications of exotic beasts have already been woven into every aspect of society.”

“The Blood Refining Method, spiritual blood products, exotic beast ingredients…”

“Even the dragons and phoenixes once revered by the ancients have been reduced to livestock in breeding farms, or even to fates more tragic still.”

“Cause and effect cycle. When the Ultimate Beasts emerged, exotic beasts gained the power to resist humanity. The result of that… cannot possibly contain even the slightest sliver of peace.”

“There can only be war and extinction.”

“This is a blood feud.”

Jiang He fell silent.

He had just visited a breeding farm two days ago.

Thinking of that scene, he realized that what he had just said was indeed so naïve it bordered on foolish.

Humanity treated exotic beasts as resources and products—how could exotic beasts ever be friendly with humans?

Exotic beasts like Xiao Mi, born of chance, lovingly cared for by Du Lingwei, and inclined toward humans, were ultimately the exceptions.

Rampage and hostility were the norm.

“My profession is Savior, but I am only the Savior of humanity.” Old Jiang smiled: “To other races, I can also be destroyer, executioner.”

“Don’t you start having any naïve ideas.”

“Xiao Mi may be a friend, but ‘Exotic Beasts’ are enemies.”

“…I understand.”

Jiang He nodded seriously.

…

After chatting a while longer with Old Jiang, Jiang He took another step closer toward “omniscience.”

At home, he drew fifty spell words, adding bricks to his 【Myriad Words】, then went out to buy a grass carp. He also prepared some catnip, crushed it into seasoning, and brought it to the fire station.

Squatting at the corridor, he watched the calico cat feast, stroking its fur as he said:

“Xiao Mi the God, eat well…”

The 【Exotic Beast Rampage】 did not just mean the emergence of the Ultimate Beasts; it also meant the birth and rapid growth of countless exotic beasts.

According to Old Jiang, they were practically the darlings of the future world, strong to an unreasonable degree.

Xiao Mi was just over a year old, yet yesterday it could already contend with a Bat Demon. Though it had fallen into disadvantage, that was already astonishing enough.

Among exotic beasts, it would count as a peerless genius.

Because of this, Jiang He spent heavily, using his last 200 yuan of savings to buy gifts of goodwill.

Du Lingwei happened to pass by, surprised: “Jiang He, what are you doing?”

“Hush.” Jiang He spoke seriously: “I’m offering tribute to Xiao Mi the God. From now on, we’ll be good siblings.”

“Right, Xiao Mi the God? In wealth and prosperity, forget me not!”

“Meow~~” The calico cat finished its fish and let out a sweet cry.

Seeing this, Du Lingwei could not help but laugh, though a trace of envy welled in her heart.

When Xiao Mi was younger, it clung to her dearly. But now that it had grown and been allowed to roam free for longer, it was no longer so close, always keeping a certain distance.

Yet since Jiang He had arrived, Xiao Mi always clung to him…

Du Lingwei was about to ask if he had some secret method,

when Zhang Zhiyong pushed open the door, his eyes lighting up.

“Xiao Jiang, you’ve come back just in time. Your A-rank merit has passed review. Come choose your reward…”

Reward? A B-rank Transcendent item?

Jiang He leapt to his feet: “Coming!”

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