The moment Oscar saw the girl, he was stunned, then felt it was almost unbelievable.
Martial Soul possession with a serpent tail, green hair and pupils, and she appeared here of all places—in the Sunset Forest? Adding everything together, Oscar could think of only one person: Dugu Yan.
But… was his luck really this good? Had he just bumped into Dugu Yan like this?
No, that wasn't right. He had just killed the very soul beast she was chasing. And this Dugu Yan… didn't seem nearly as cold and aloof as when she appeared in the original story.
Countless thoughts flashed through Oscar's mind in an instant, but now was not the time to dwell on them.
Hearing her slightly accusatory words, Oscar's handsome face didn't reveal much expression. What he needed to do was act as if he didn't know who she was, and carefully maintain his persona.
After all, considering the way Dugu Bo doted on Dugu Yan, there was no way he would let her hunt a soul beast by herself. Which meant there was a very high chance Dugu Bo was secretly watching from the shadows.
And the wounds on the Purple Poison Viper Oscar had slain made it clear—they weren't caused by Dugu Yan.
So the most likely explanation was that Dugu Bo had deliberately injured the viper to give Dugu Yan a chance to finish it off, letting her temper herself in the process.
That was exactly the kind of thing Zhao Wuji had done with Oscar before, and Oscar's sharp mind made it easy for him to guess the truth.
Even if his guess wasn't completely accurate, it was close enough.
So, keeping a calm demeanor, Oscar said lightly, "Miss, don't get upset."
Dugu Yan looked him over and replied, "I'm not upset. But why did you kill my soul beast?"
Oscar answered evenly, "First, I didn't know this beast was your target. Second, it charged straight into our camp. I only struck to defend myself."
Seeing his handsome face remain calm and hearing his explanation, Dugu Yan's anger slowly faded.
Her grandfather had injured the viper for her, but her speed had been far inferior to its own, which was why she had chased it all the way here.
Now, after hearing Oscar's words, she realized—it really wasn't exactly his fault.
But before she could respond, Oscar spoke again:
"Of course, it's true you lost your third spirit ring because of us. If you'd like, we can help you hunt another suitable soul beast."
Dugu Yan froze, then asked, "How did you know this was going to be my third spirit ring?"
Oscar smiled faintly. "It wasn't hard to guess. Just looking at the wounds on this viper tells me your elder must have struck it on purpose, so you could finish it off and temper yourself. But your strength wasn't quite enough, so it escaped and ran here."
Dugu Yan's eyes widened—because Oscar was completely correct.
"I…" She wanted to deny it, but realized there was no point. It was indeed her own failing that had led to this.
Still, Dugu Yan wasn't someone who could be swayed so easily. She glanced from Oscar to the Purple Poison Viper's corpse, its spirit ring condensing.
"Whatever the case, you already promised to help me find another suitable ring. Don't think you can go back on your word." As she spoke, her snake tail transformed back into two long, slender legs, and she faced him directly.
Only then did Oscar truly take notice of her figure.
Though he himself was only eleven years old, after absorbing his third spirit ring, his height had shot up to 1.88 meters. Yet Dugu Yan wasn't short—around 1.70 meters—and with her snake tail now gone, her bare, crystal-clear feet pressed against the earth, her figure strikingly alluring.
Despite her young age, Dugu Yan's body was already mature and shapely, comparable to girls of about twenty in Oscar's previous life.
And Oscar—who had spent the past five years focused almost entirely on cultivation—found himself feeling an odd, almost timeless sensation as he looked at her beauty.
But he restrained himself, not wanting to show any cracks in his disguise. He quickly looked away and answered evenly, "Of course."
Then, changing the subject, Oscar asked, "But why are you here alone? This is deep inside the Sunset Forest—most of the beasts here are at least ten-thousand-year level. With your strength, it would be very difficult to enter safely. Did you get separated from your elder?"
Hesitating a moment, Dugu Yan glanced at both Oscar and Shao Xin before replying slowly, "I came with my grandfather. While chasing the viper, I got separated from him."
Not far away, a shadowy figure paused, emerald-green eyes flickering faintly before a bitter smile appeared on his lips. Then he silently vanished back into hiding.
Oscar was momentarily taken aback. With Dugu Bo's level of strength, he couldn't lose track of Dugu Yan. That old man doted on her far too much to let her fall into real danger.
But he quickly realized—her words weren't meant for him. They were meant for Dugu Bo, hidden nearby.
Still, why hide his presence at all? Why pretend to be alone?
Didn't she worry he might have bad intentions?
The truth was that Dugu Yan had hesitated before deciding to stay. But in the end, the reasons were simple:
First, Oscar's strength was clearly greater than hers.
Second, this was the first time in her fifteen years she had encountered such a handsome boy, nearly her age, and yet stronger than her—a true genius.
So, almost against her will, she wanted to see what would happen. And with her grandfather watching close by, she wasn't afraid of any danger.
Oscar didn't call her out, only nodded thoughtfully. "I see. In that case, why don't you stay here for now? When my teacher returns, we'll help you find your grandfather. And in the meantime, we'll also help you hunt another soul beast for your third spirit ring."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan nodded lightly, then said with a trace of apology, "Sorry about before. I was a little too emotional."
Oscar smiled faintly at her active apology. "No matter. It was understandable. My name is Oscar, and I'm a student of Shrek Academy. And you are?"
He introduced his academy deliberately, since students from spirit academies were often seen as straightforward and trustworthy—it was a way to build rapport.
"I'm Dugu Yan," she replied. "I… haven't enrolled in an academy yet."
Oscar blinked in surprise. By her age, she should already be attending Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Why hadn't she joined?
Pushing the thought aside for now, Oscar stepped forward and extended his right hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dugu Yan."
Instinctively, she almost reached out—like how anyone would naturally shake the hand of someone extending theirs.
But then she quickly pulled back, lowering her hand again with a faintly apologetic look. I'm sorry. Because of certain reasons of my own… I can't shake your hand.