Chapter 830 The Peculiar Little Squirrel
It was livelier inside than Ye Xuanyue had imagined. Wherever she looked, she could see a dozen people walking the nearby streets. Some talked loudly; the place had been carefully developed, with a small stream winding through the area. Because the Wish-Granting Market existed within a secret realm, it covered a much larger area than she had expected. The Third District was particularly noticeable as she scanned her surroundings.
She stepped to the side. Before she could get close, she heard a chattering sound by her ear. Ye Xuanyue turned and her eyes widened. The next second, a little squirrel actually jumped onto her shoulder.
Ye Xuanyue stared blankly at the creature. The squirrel seemed to have decided on her; it looked at her twice, appearing very pleased, then settled on her shoulder and refused to leave. Ye Xuanyue blinked. The little squirrel looked cute and lively, but this was a human underground market—how could a spirit beast appear here for no reason? Wasn’t it afraid of being sold?
She carefully tried to nudge the squirrel off her shoulder and hide it inside her clothes, but it refused. It scratched her palm twice with its claws. Despite its small size, it was surprisingly strong. Ye Xuanyue frowned, hesitated, then used her spiritual power to communicate.
“This place is dangerous. If you don’t stay on my shoulder, I’ll hide you inside my clothes, okay?”
The squirrel’s big tail swayed gently twice. A young, childish voice echoed in Ye Xuanyue’s mind—very small, like a human child of a few years old.
“I don’t want to!”
Ye Xuanyue looked at it again. The squirrel’s eyes stared straight at her. She was completely at a loss.
Leng Moran watched the spirit beast that had suddenly jumped onto Ye Xuanyue’s shoulder, thought for a moment, and said,
“It doesn’t want to come down?”
Ye Xuanyue nodded with a bitter smile. Looking at Leng Moran’s expression, she considered for a moment and said,
“I’ll carry this little squirrel for now.”
This spirit beast probably had a master; otherwise, it was unlikely to appear here. Seeing how bold it acted, it seemed used to behaving recklessly in this market. Ye Xuanyue walked forward a few steps, then heard a low voice speak.
“My spirit beast has troubled you.”
Ye Xuanyue turned. Standing before her was a young man in a green robe. The first thing she noticed was his face—he had a scholarly appearance. He smiled and seemed to whistle softly. The squirrel on Ye Xuanyue’s shoulder jumped down reluctantly, looked back repeatedly, and slowly burrowed into the young man’s embrace.
The young man’s smile was warm.
“Little Bell is quite shy around strangers. This is actually the first time I’ve seen it take the initiative to approach someone else.”
After saying this, the young man nodded slightly, turned around, and walked away.
Leng Moran watched quietly from the side.
As the young man walked farther and farther away, Leng Moran’s expression grew slightly serious and certain.
“That person… I couldn’t quite see through his cultivation strength.”
There were very few people whose strength Leng Moran couldn’t discern. His brow furrowed slightly as he spoke.
“He might be at the Martial Emperor Realm.”
He didn’t dare to be absolutely sure. But if that young man truly was at the Martial Emperor Realm, it would be quite shocking. After all, he looked to be only in his twenties. Yet it was possible—many here could maintain a youthful appearance. Though he looked like a young man, his actual age could have been in his thirties or forties, appearing no different from someone twenty.
Only someone like Nuonuo, who genuinely broke through to the Martial Emperor Realm at twenty, would truly shock people.
Ye Xuanyue’s expression remained a bit strange. What shocked her wasn’t that person’s cultivation strength just now, but something else. She lowered her head and whispered,
“Did you notice the robe he was wearing?”
Leng Moran was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t caught on.
“What did you say? The robe?”
Ye Xuanyue took a deep breath, then shook her head.
“Nothing. Maybe I saw wrong.”
But a faint glimmer flashed in her eyes. She said softly,
“Let’s go.”
After parting with Ye Xuanyue, a hint of a smile flickered in the young man’s eyes.
The Little Squirrel lay in his palm. He said one word:
“Interesting.”
The Little Squirrel’s voice was completely different from before, much calmer.
“What’s interesting?”
The young man wore a half-smile.
“Why pretend? You deliberately jumped onto that girl’s shoulder just to get my attention, didn’t you? She attracts you, doesn’t she?”
The Little Squirrel’s fluffy tail swayed gently. It jumped nimbly onto his shoulder before speaking.
“I did not. I just thought her scent was pleasant.”
The young man stroked the top of its head. The squirrel narrowed its eyes in enjoyment, then spoke after a while.
“Should we find some time to go out? The Beast Alliance here is a complete mess. I feel this market won’t last much longer; it should close soon. Otherwise, it’ll cause trouble sooner or later.”
The young man still looked refined and scholarly.
“No need to rush. This market won’t collapse. But that girl just now was quite interesting. Her gaze lingered for a moment—I’m curious about her background.”
The Little Squirrel’s voice was soft and tender.
“You want to investigate?”
The young man shook his head.
“What’s there to investigate?”
He thought for a moment, then looked down and said,
“The middle-aged man beside her seemed ordinary. I’m more concerned about the other man. That person gave me a very unusual feeling too. I don’t know where these two came from. If they’re from the Imperial Dynasty, then the Dynasty has produced some talent in the last couple of years. Not as dispirited as in previous years. From what I see, their Imperial Dynasty hasn’t produced any decent new blood worth a second look in over a decade.”
The young man seemed to think again, then said in a low voice,
“Forget it. It was none of our business anyway. We just needed to watch the show.”
He smiled, stroked the squirrel on his shoulder again, and added,
“I’ll take you back in a while. Stay here for now. With you here, I feel more at ease.”
The squirrel lazily yawned. Its tone was no longer childish as before, but carried a touch of authority.
“I know.”
Its voice held a faint, imposing air.
“With me here, certain fellows naturally wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”
The squirrel’s tone was so bold! And the young man smiled. He knew better than anyone what terrifying power this seemingly cute Little Squirrel on his shoulder possessed.