Chapter 541: We Are Fated

"Who? Who's bullying Little Turtle?"

That shrill, childish voice carried obvious bewilderment and panic, just like a human baby who had been wronged and frightened.

This was a juvenile Soul Turtle!

This discovery caught Hua Changxi somewhat off guard.

She had been misled by the Soul Turtle's massive size, thinking its strength was unfathomable.

Now it was clear that this was just a young soul beast that had just left home to train, still not weaned.

Hua Changxi's originally tense nerves relaxed involuntarily, and a mix of amusement and exasperation rose in her heart.

No wonder she had so easily found a loophole earlier—this little guy probably hadn't experienced the dangers of the world before.

"Little one..."

As Hua Changxi spoke, the Soul Turtle's huge head immediately turned toward her, staring at her through the crack in the shell with a silly, innocent look.

"Why are you bullying Little Turtle? You're a bad guy!"

The Soul Turtle tried to put on a stern face, attempting to look fierce and terrifying.

But paired with its babyish, soft, and tender childlike voice, it not only lacked any intimidation but instead appeared adorably ferocious, making people want to laugh.

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered slightly; she deliberated for a moment before speaking slowly: "I came to this crevice to search for traces of the Soul River."

"Originally, I didn't plan to do anything, but I saw the scenery by the crevice was beautiful and, on a whim, I started playing the Soul River Melody."

"Who knew you would suddenly appear?"

"I saw your massive body, like an immortal mountain in the river. I wondered if you could carry me into the Soul River so I could see its full extent."

"So I tried using a snare on you, but who would have thought it would hit perfectly on the first try."

Saying this, Hua Changxi blinked, her gaze burning as she looked directly into the Soul Turtle's eyes: "Tell me, what does this mean?"

The Soul Turtle laboriously turned its not-so-bright head and asked blankly: "What does it mean?"

Hua Changxi's voice suddenly rose, carrying excitement and thrill: "It means you and I are destined!"

"Look, you are majestic like an immortal mountain, as powerful as a pillar in the river, while I am so tiny, yet I casually snared you. If this isn't a heaven-sent fate, then what is?"

"Uh..."

The Soul Turtle was dizzy from the praise and couldn't help lifting its head high. It lowered its eyelids, looking down at Hua Changxi, who was as small as a grain of sand on the riverbed, and was deeply convinced by her words.

Hua Changxi keenly caught the Soul Turtle's smugness and immediately struck while the iron was hot. She erased her smile and put on an extremely solemn and serious expression, saying:

"Little Turtle, I absolutely, absolutely did not mean to bully you. I was simply following the arrangement of heaven."

"So I am not a bad person!"

"As for you being caught by me..."

She concluded decisively: "It was purely because our fate had arrived."

The Soul Turtle blinked at her and said slowly: "Alright, as long as you take this nasty thing off my head, I'll forgive you."

Hua Changxi's face, which had been smiling, instantly fell: "Little Turtle, it's not that I'm unwilling to take it off, but... to undo this Soul-Locking Ring, you have to make a contract with me first."

Hearing this, the Soul Turtle's face, which had still been a bit proud, also dropped.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi immediately started her patient guidance mode: "Little Turtle, think about it—you and I are so destined. Making a contract with me is following heaven's plan. Are you still unwilling?"

As she spoke, she raised the Soul Bamboo leaf in her hand and gently waved it before her fingers: "I can play the Soul Lullaby, you know."

"Very few people know how to play this tune. Others can't hear it even if they want to."

"As long as you contract with me, I can play it for you whenever you like."

The Soul Turtle, thinking of the heavenly music it had heard earlier, was actually tempted.

It knew about forming contracts.

Father Turtle and Mother Turtle each had their own soul pets, and they treated them very well—feeding them, giving them drinks, and sometimes treating them better than they treated it.

The thing on its head made it very uneasy; it felt that if it wore it too long, its soul would disperse.

The Soul Turtle couldn't help but feel that it would be more reassuring and worry-free to just be a soul pet.

"I eat a lot. Can you afford to keep me?" The Soul Turtle looked at Hua Changxi with a skeptical expression.

Hua Changxi was taken aback by this response, and after a moment said, "Of course, I'm quite capable. Raising you is no problem."

The Soul Turtle heard the answer it wanted and agreed very directly: "Alright then, I'll form a contract with you."

The success came too easily, making Hua Changxi feel it was unreal. However, despite the daze, she quickly condensed the contract seal.

The Soul Turtle offered no resistance. The contract was formed!

"Then from now on, I'm yours to raise."

The Soul Turtle looked at Hua Changxi with a beaming smile, its little head already beginning to happily imagine: once home, it would definitely show off to Turtle Dad and Turtle Mom.

Look how capable it was—it found its own food provider, and from now on, Turtle Dad and Turtle Mom could no longer cut its meals.