A World Worth Protecting

Chen Mu’s vision turned black as he spat blood out. The backlash had been too great. His anger had surged straight to his heart. He tilted sideways and passed out.

While Chen Mu lay unconscious, on the battlefield in the new city, everyone, including Wang Baole, was staring with their eyes wide and their mouths open at the giant python. Even though they could sense that Wang Baole’s donkey had taken control over the puppet, they remained wary of the giant python, which had shown itself to be overly violent and vicious.

As the crowd watched warily and cautiously, and as Wang Baole’s breathing steadied, the giant python that had been taken over by the donkey suddenly shuddered. It started to shrink. The outer form of the giant python vanished as it grew smaller and smaller…

Finally… out popped four legs. The head of the giant python shrank and grew longer. The entire transformation took but the span of two dozen breaths or so. The giant python vanished completely and reappeared before everyone in the form of… the donkey!

The donkey shook itself as its eyes regained clarity. It lowered its head and inspected its body. There was a lost look in its eyes. It was as if what had happened earlier had been a dream, and it had just woken up. It was still unaccustomed to what had just happened. It saw the many strange gazes the people around it were giving it, and its eyes widened. It leaped and appeared beside Wang Baole. It seemed wary and at the same time, tried to put on a look of innocence. It stared at Wang Baole and nudged its head against his calf, as if to gain Wang Baole’s favor.

It had on an appearance of… complete obedience, as if imploring Wang Baole not to eat it.

Wang Baole instinctively sent his foot kicking. Then, he recalled how terrifying the giant python had been and hesitated… he was afraid that the donkey might just transform after a single kick.

The donkey’s not that bad. I shouldn’t always hit it. This isn’t because I’m afraid… Wang Baole consoled himself. The sheepishness he was feeling inside still flooded him in waves, the torrents making him feel unbearable. The donkey had transformed itself from a mere rifle into a cannon and was no longer the same donkey. Wang Baole was afraid that if he kept abusing it, it might turn on him and reverse the abuse. His cultivation was only at the perfected Foundation Establishment ream while the giant python was at the perfected Core Formation realm. The chasm separating them made Wang Baole feel like the son in this power relationship…

As Wang Baole sulked, the rest around him remained cautious. Those who had their comrades killed by the giant python felt a myriad of emotions. The donkey was equally nervous. It could feel the murderous intent in the eyes of some of the people around it, and its master hadn’t kicked it, which was rare.

Its young spirit shuddered. It felt a strong sense of danger, and terror colored its eyes. It thought about the many times Wang Baole had spoken about killing it and eating it, and a sudden thought flooded its mind. It panicked and tried its best to please Wang Baole, even sticking its tongue out and licking Wang Baole’s hand…

The donkey’s licking annoyed Wang Baole, but the donkey seemed overly nervous and frightened. It drooled buckets and turned Wang Baole’s hand into a wet mess with its licking. Wang Baole glared at it. He couldn’t control himself and kicked the donkey out of habit.

Wang Baole immediately realized what he had done as soon as his leg flew out. He wanted to pull his leg back, but the donkey’s eyes flashed. It released a sudden burst of speed… not to avoid the kick, but to dash straight into it. It was sent flying a short distance away.

An odd expression overtook Wang Baole’s face at that sight. The donkey seemed reassured. As long as it got its beating, things would turn out alright. It happily pranced along and started braying.

“Son! Son!”

Wang Baole’s heart softened at the donkey’s braying. However, he had noticed the complicated looks in some of the cultivators’ eyes, and the murderous intent they had been exuding. He knew that the donkey could easily incur the wrath of others due to its role in this incident. It had nothing to do with the donkey, but such public anger was something that was difficult to get rid of.

The difference between the giant python’s overpowering strength and the sudden obedience the donkey was showing could easily lead the public into venting their anger on the latter.

Countless thoughts surfaced in Wang Baole’s head. The gears started spinning furiously. He took one large step out and stood before the donkey, kicking it again and roaring furiously.

“You still know how to bray? Ah?”

The donkey cried out as it was kicked. It didn’t hurt, but crying out had become instinctive to it. As soon as it screamed, Wang Baole grabbed hold of its long ear and gave it a thrashing.

The donkey shuddered. It felt something was amiss and was about to struggle when Wang Baole quickly gave it the stink eye.

“You may be innocent, you might have been swallowed by the giant python and is a victim as well, but everyone is feeling terrible now. You still dare to continue braying?” Wang Baole roared. He punched and kicked the donkey. He wasn’t putting up a performance but was giving the donkey a genuine beating.

The donkey felt wronged. Then, it saw the look in Wang Baole’s eyes. It seemed to have understood something and started to cry out with all it had. It even started weeping and begging for its life.

“There’s no use in begging. Even though you contributed the most to saving us all, even though we’d all be goners without you, I still have to beat you!”

“And, even though you successfully wrestled control of the puppet, saved the new city from imminent danger, and saved all our lives, I still have to teach you a lesson!” Wang Baole continued hitting the donkey while observing the rest. The donkey seemed to have understood what was going on and cried more loudly. It looked pitiful.

The scene shocked everyone around them. Gradually, strange expressions overtook their faces. They all realized what Wang Baole was trying to do. He was trying to tell them indirectly that this had nothing to do with the donkey. In fact, the donkey had done all of them a great favor and saved their lives.

Besides, he was already teaching it a lesson. They shouldn’t target their anger and wrath on the donkey unreasonably… the messages he was trying to put across were no longer subtle hints but explicit declarations. Those with comrades who had perished in the battle fell silent, sighing inwardly.

Wang Baole saw the expressions on their faces and finally set his heart at ease. He had to go through with the entire act, though. He kicked the donkey again and gave it another look. Then, he raised his right hand. Instantly, his Dharmic Armament sword appeared in his hand. He grabbed the donkey’s head, his sword in the other hand, and shouted.

“My Fellow Daoists, this donkey might have saved our lives, we might owe it a great debt, it might be a victim as well, but the giant python has devoured too many cultivators. I have to kill this innocent donkey and avenge their deaths!”

As soon as Wang Baole said that, Lin Tianhao immediately stepped forward with a serious look on his face. He said loudly, “City Lord, you can’t do that, the donkey is innocent. We shouldn’t be unleashing our anger on it!”

The people from the four Dao Colleges all had strange expressions on their faces as they stepped forward hurriedly as well. They tried to stop Wang Baole. Kong Dao sighed, also saying a few words himself. Even though everyone knew that this was merely a performance, they also understood what Wang Baole was trying to do.

Jin Duoming smiled wryly as well. He knew that Wang Baole was doing this mainly because of him, but Jin Duoming wasn’t someone who didn’t see reason. He said solemnly, “Baole, you can’t blame this on the donkey. It’s done a great service!”

As soon as Jin Duoming said that, the Core Formation realm cultivator next to him took a deep breath as well. He sighed as he stared at the donkey.

“This donkey is extraordinary. After fusing with the puppet, it managed to break free of the puppet’s control, devour the other, and gain control instead. It trampled over the plans of the mastermind. Everything the mastermind has done has been for nothing. It has only benefited the donkey!”

“It seems like it’s only at the Foundation Establishment realm, but who knows, maybe it might be able to transform one day into a giant python… at the perfected Core Formation realm!” As he spoke, the Core Formation realm cultivator turned and looked at Wang Baole. He didn’t hide the envy in his eyes. He wasn’t the only one; everyone else was the same. Even if they were on Earth, even if it were the president Duan Muque, he too would be filled with envy at this moment.

After all, this was a War Beast that could transform into a perfected Core Formation realm beast!

Everyone was already imagining the price Wang Baole’s donkey was going to fetch after news of this incident broke. It was already quite valuable, but after today, its value would likely skyrocket…

“This is an expert!” Lin Tianhao sucked in a deep breath and gasped.

“It’s just too incredible!” Jin Duoming came to the same realization instantly. As he muttered under his breath, his eyes shone. He began considering whether he should speak to Wang Baole again and find out whether he had any chance of buying such an incredible expert from Wang Baole.