Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

Wang Rui brought Huo Yuqing to Emerald City. As dawn broke, the city slowly woke up, with humans and soul beasts occasionally passing by them.

Emerald City was a circular city, with the Golden Tree at its center. Its buildings radiated outward in concentric circles, giving the entire city a ring-like structure.

The city was divided into fan-shaped zones by various roads. The buildings, with their emerald rooftops and earthy brown walls, were adorned with abundant greenery. The courtyards of the residences exuded a lively atmosphere, and some housed resting soul beasts.

Owls flapped their wings and dozed off on branches in roadside courtyards. Feline soul beasts stretched lazily at the edge of the streets. Huo Yuqing even saw a golden monkey soul beast lounging by a courtyard gate, casually weaving a straw hat.

The people nearby seemed accustomed to such sights.

"These soul beasts seem so intelligent," the girl remarked softly.

"When soul beasts live among humans, their intelligence grows much faster than it would in the wild," Wang Rui replied, brushing aside some grass by the road. "While they can't match human intellect, soul beasts that coexist with humans in cities are far more intelligent than their counterparts in the wild."

Soul beasts primarily relied on instincts to survive, but with proper guidance, their intelligence could be quite impressive.

In his previous life, even ordinary animals demonstrated remarkable intelligence. Social species like wolves and lions exhibited keen problem-solving skills, while whales and dolphins even developed their own communication systems. Domesticated pets like cats and dogs could learn commands, and trained orangutans could use sign language to interact with humans!

If such short-lived creatures could reach these heights, how much more intelligent would soul beasts be, given their lifespans measured in hundreds and thousands? Their long lifespans alone ensured they couldn't be devoid of wisdom.

The key lay in an environment with civilization.

Even a normal human, if isolated from human society for a long time, would gradually regress mentally to a beast-like state.

"They naively learn and mimic humans," Wang Rui explained. "Most soul beasts live in the wild, muddled and aimless. Except for naturally powerful species that instinctively train themselves, most soul beasts, even those with millennia of cultivation, grow solely by instinct."

"But those that live alongside humans…" Wang Rui gestured toward the soul beasts in the streets. "They're more intelligent than wild soul beasts, achieve spiritual awakening earlier, and realize the importance of deliberate training. The smartest ones even mimic human soul masters in meditation."

At that moment, a few vibrantly colored bird soul beasts flew overhead, circling above Wang Rui and Huo Yuqing.

"Welcome, humans, to Emerald City! Welcome to Emerald City!" they announced in comically strange tones. "Please follow the city's rules. Do not harm any soul beasts or humans in the city by any means! Violators will face unpleasant consequences!"

"How can they all speak? Are these soul beasts at the hundred-thousand-year level?" Huo Yuqing asked, wide-eyed as she stared at the colorful birds flying around.

"They're not hundred-thousand-year soul beasts," Wang Rui said with a smile, shaking his head. "These are millennium-level Wind Mimic Parrots. They're naturally good at imitating sounds. They use this mimicry to hunt and scare off enemies, so speaking human language comes naturally. But they might not even understand what they're saying."

"I understand!" one of the parrots squawked loudly, while its companions continued dumbly repeating their earlier phrases. This parrot, clearly smarter than the others, added, "Don't insult me!"

"Alright, alright, my bad!" Wang Rui quickly pulled Huo Yuqing away from the area.

"What do they mean by 'unpleasant consequences'?" Huo Yuqing asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Wouldn't bad people sneak in and harm the soul beasts in the city?"

Wang Rui hesitated for a moment before giving a tactful response. "Most intelligent beings wouldn't offend someone who might save their life, like healers. As for those not-so-smart individuals who attack soul beasts on sight... the nearest city to Emerald Jade City is Gu City, where both soul masters and soul beasts specialize in poisons. They occasionally need test subjects to refine their craft."

Emerald City was known as a haven for healing-oriented soul masters and soul beasts, but it was also the most heavily guarded of the five Beast Sect cities. The small black dots circling in the sky above were all raptors, the weakest of which had combat strength equivalent to a Soul Douluo.

Anyone foolish enough to stir up trouble in Emerald City should consider planning their funeral arrangements first.

With the city's formidable military might, even Mu En himself would be held off for a while.

Huo Yuqing didn't seem to find this problematic. "My mom always told me that if someone's greed gets the better of them, then they deserve whatever punishment comes their way."

"Well said, young lady." A voice chimed in, and something patted her shoulder.

Startled, Huo Yuqing turned to see a large tree trunk sprouting a wrinkled face, smiling kindly at her.

"Don't be fooled by its ability to speak; this guy isn't a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Plant-type soul beasts can't move, but they learn to speak human languages earlier than others," Wang Rui explained before she could ask.

"Exactly so!" the tree said. "I'll need to stand here for another twenty thousand years before I can leave. Here, hold out your hand."

A few plump, juicy purple fruits dropped from its branches, landing in Huo Yuqing's palm.

"Take them, little human," the tree said kindly. "But remember, after eating them, spread my children across the continent!"

"Thank you!" Huo Yuqing replied politely. She wiped the fruit with her sleeve and offered one to Wang Rui. "Do you want one?"

"I'll pass." Wang Rui's expression turned odd. "I'd recommend you think twice before eating them. If the fruit were truly delicious or had special effects, would it really be giving them away?"

Undeterred, Huo Yuqing took a bite. Her face scrunched up from the intense sourness, but she stubbornly finished the fruit and carefully saved the seed.

Wang Rui chuckled and shook his head. He led her to the heart of the commercial district. "This is the business area of Emerald City. There are many shops here. I know someone who runs a store; I'll introduce you to her for a temporary job."

"Thank you!" Huo Yuqing's eyes lit up with joy. This would bring her closer to achieving her goal.

At the end of the street, a series of pillar-like buildings loomed in the distance. A bustling crowd of humans and soul beasts gathered there, with the Golden Tree's majestic trunk standing tall behind them.

"The area around the Golden Tree's roots is where life energy is most concentrated. It's also where healing soul masters and soul beasts treat the injured," Wang Rui said, gesturing ahead. "Over here is the trade market."

The buildings lining the street were shaded by green vine canopies. Beneath them, humans and soul beasts alike were setting up stalls.

"Do soul beasts really set up stalls to sell things?" Huo Yuqing asked incredulously, staring at a purple-gray squirrel nearly half a person tall. It was meticulously arranging pinecones as large as a human head and pine needles as thick as knitting needles.

The squirrel noticed her curiosity and nodded in a distinctly human-like manner. It picked up a sign and waved it toward them.

[Eight-thousand-year Giant Demon Pine products: Pinecones, 50 gold coins each; Pine needles, 3 gold coins each; Pine nuts, 5 gold coins each.]

The pricing was reasonable, considering these were extraordinary items for humans.

Huo Yuqing gawked at the sign.

The squirrel tilted its head, then stood upright on its hind legs, raising its front paws skyward in an exaggerated gesture. Its entire upper body began spinning in circles before its arms started mimicking windmills. It then pretended to hug something tightly and mimed running away in fear.

Wang Rui's mouth twitched. This squirrel was quite the actor. Its mime skills were on par with a seasoned performer!

"The Giant Demon Pine hit you with its branches, and it was tough to harvest the pinecones?" Huo Yuqing guessed, finding the performance entertaining.

The squirrel nodded vigorously, clearly pleased. It darted back under its canopy, cracked open a pine nut, and offered it to Huo Yuqing.

"I don't have money to pay you..." she began, but the squirrel forcefully pushed the pine nut into her hands before scurrying back to its stall.

"Just take it," Wang Rui chuckled. "It's thanking you for appreciating its performance. Giant Demon Pine nuts are highly nutritious and make excellent snacks. Their scent also helps with concentration."

"Won't it lose money this way?" Huo Yuqing asked hesitantly, rolling the hard shell of the pine nut between her fingers. The refreshing scent of pine filled the air, invigorating her senses.

"How could it lose money?" Wang Rui laughed. "The pinecones and needles are naturally produced by the Giant Demon Pine. The squirrel eats these things daily anyway. Initially, clever soul beasts gathered here to trade natural treasures they didn't need for ones that could aid their cultivation. Over time, bartering evolved into a monetary trade system."

Later, specialized pills for soul beasts also became available in Jade City. Most soul beasts wanted to sell their less useful items to buy these pills. Of course, humans also set up stalls here to make money.

They passed a series of stalls selling food, run by food-type soul masters with modest cultivation levels.

"But don't expect soul beasts to haggle," Wang Rui warned with a smile. "Their little brains haven't quite grasped the concept yet. Prices for these goods are usually appraised by specialists beforehand. Soul beasts still operate with a simple, honest mindset of exchange."

Basic necessities in Jade City were provided by the city administration. However, soul beasts needed to earn money to purchase luxuries like pills.

Work opportunities were plentiful, and earning money wasn't limited to setting up stalls in the marketplace. Jade City operated under a fragile and incomplete economic and social structure. However, as a unique community where soul beasts outnumbered humans, the city functioned smoothly, thanks in part to the oversight of long-lived, powerful soul beasts.

Huo Yuqing was mesmerized by the unique market. Following Wang Rui, she gazed around eagerly, wishing she had more eyes to take in the sights.

A snow-white spirit deer rested serenely under a vine canopy, its shed antlers and auspicious herbs arranged before it.

A slender, purple-haired young man loudly hawked bundles of snow-white spider silk, while a massive spider soul beast diligently spun silk behind him. Several women were gathered around the stall.

A massive golden turtle lay quietly nearby, its back covered with gold coins. A sign beside it read, [Gold coins blessed on the back of the Golden Hawksbill Turtle: Bring good fortune, 5 gold coins each.] The absurdity of the claim didn't deter humans and soul beasts from eagerly picking through the coins, leaving Huo Yuqing in shock.

At another stall crowded with soul beasts, a middle-aged woman was cleaning the carapace of a massive fiery red scorpion. [Cleaning services, starting at 5 copper coins.] Judging by the presence of a massive rhinoceros waiting nearby, pricing likely depended on size.

A thick, pink giant snake coiled up behind the woman, napping. Its body was adorned with bundles of vibrant pink snakeskin, accompanied by price tags.

"How do they handle money? Soul beasts don't seem to have pockets," Huo Yuqing asked curiously. Some price tags listed sums of thousands of gold coins.

"Most soul beasts with stalls here have their own storage soul tools," Wang Rui explained. "Look at that big snake's tail."

The pink snake's tail indeed had a silver ring hooked onto it.

Huo Yuqing let out a gasp of amazement.

They soon passed a shop selling and repairing soul tools. The shopkeeper, a dark-skinned woman, sat in the store behind the vine canopy. Baskets filled with various storage soul tools—from earrings to rings—were piled casually under the canopy. From a distance, the mix of items resembled a basket of beans.

"Only 2 gold coins each?" Huo Yuqing exclaimed, astonished. The storage soul tools were worth less than

They're not valuable," the shopkeeper laughed loudly. "These are all Level One tools; they can't hold much. They're just practice projects made by apprentices, sold at material cost. Young man, care to pick one?"

"No, I don't have enough money," the girl replied with a smile, shaking her head. She began calculating in her mind—if the job Wang Rui introduced her to paid enough, she could save up to buy one.

"Well then, little one, come back to Auntie's shop once you've saved enough!" the shopkeeper said cheerfully.

"Sure, I will!"

They left the soul tool shop, and soon, Huo Yuqing's attention was drawn to a very peculiar stall.

This stall had no canopy of green vines. A lean, black-clad middle-aged man sat on a small stool, with a few small bottles arranged in front of him. Behind him stood a thick perch, upon which sat a massive, one-meter-tall raven with red eyes.

"Stalls without vine canopies typically either only accept bartering or haven't had their goods appraised for pricing," Wang Rui explained. "In other words, buying from these stalls requires sharp judgment."

"Wow, young man, you seem to know your stuff!" The middle-aged man remained silent, but the raven cawed in a harsh, grating voice. "We only accept bartering here, folks~"

"Straight from Gu City! Pills that let soul masters fight beyond their level, life-saving treasures with only a tiny side effect, all yours for just five to eight drops of blood per pill~ Don't miss out, sweeties~"

(Chapter Ends)