Legacy World 3.4 To Help Or Not

BaiXue changed into her rabbit form to pretend to be another normal animal in the forest as the mob walked past the foliage she was hiding among. 

"Are you really planning to let them be?" The paranoid woman asked the man who seemed to be leading the rest.

"Of course not, how can we let such a dangerous thing live and threaten our peace?"

As the mob left the area, BaiXue hopped closer to the hut to check on the family. The father was trying to comfort the crying mother in his arms while the pretty baby looked at her parents with confused teary eyes.

BaiXue hopped back to her camp.

/It was not made clear in the book but it seems that this may be the norm for people who change into mystical creatures. MengYao and FenFang were not the exceptions. FengJiao and her village were the odd ones./

[The world's consciousness fill in all the missing details of the book to make it a complete world.] BaoBao explained without waiting to be prompted. 

/This would mean that there is likely a created history of this world that the book did not cover then. Perhaps it could be useful knowledge for me.../

Suddenly, BaiXue sighed softly. /I'm still far too weak for my liking./

After a moment of silence, BaoBao asked BaiXue what was still bugging him. [What do you think will happen to the couple?]

/They'll obviously suffer./

[Can't we help?] BaoBao felt very sorry for them.

However, BaiXue did not reply.

[Don't you want to?] BaoBao persisted. However, he still did not get an answer.

[Sorry... I asked something dumb...] BaoBao laughed awkwardly.

/It's not a matter of want./ BaiXue suddenly clarified.

[Then... What is it?] BaoBao probed softly.

However, BaiXue fell silent again. This time, BaoBao left it at that.

BaiXue had caught enough food to last her for another day, so she did not bother with hunting and went straight into her martial arts practice. While practicing, she had a passing thought about how a more appropriate training ground would help her gauge her current strength.

BaoBao spoke up at this point, interrupting her practice, to point out a seemingly secluded part of the beach just a little distance away from her camp. No one had passed through the area ever since they arrived. BaiXue decided to scout the area to see why BaoBao had recommended it. It turned out to be a quiet corner tucked away behind various big and small rock formations. There were also medium sized pillars scattered around. These pillars were far taller and wider than her, and made perfect makeshift punching bags.

/Good job, BaoBao./ BaiXue said in a pleased tone which made BaoBao jubilant. 

BaiXue punched and kicked the rock pillar. Through assessing the damage she dealt on the pillar, she noted how her kicks were significantly stronger than punches. She wondered if it was influenced by her animal form where her hind legs were stronger. She thus tried kicking in her rabbit form to test its strength. However, it only ended up powerfully propelling herself off the pillar. So, she continued practicing in her human form for the rest of the day.

The next day, she entered the village as planned. She played the role of an unsuspecting traveler on her way to some place else but taking in the sights along the way. She pretended to be exploring the village and naturally stayed in the same area as the couple wherever they went. 

When BaoBao informed her that a group had gathered in the forest, she loitered in the forest in her rabbit form. It was the same group of people from before. They were devising various schemes to be used against the family. While it made BaoBao fume, BaiXue remained dispassionate. Her eyes even carried a hint of boredom. 

When the group dispersed, BaiXue went back to tailing the family. She only returned to her camp when the family retired to their home for the day, which happened to be before the sun set. She spent the rest of the day practicing diligently at the secluded part of the beach. The only time she rested was when she cooked, ate, and slept.

She passed the next three days doing the same thing. The family was constantly troubled with petty crimes and amateur assassinations. The mother was crafty enough to win against being framed. The father was strong enough to defend and protect his family. BaiXue and BaoBao witnessed how the couple continued to smile at their baby, no matter what happened. 

On the fourth day, when BaiXue was about to head back to her camp after the family returned home, BaoBao alerted her to new movements. Instead of playing with their baby like they usually would, the baby's parents hastily went around the house and packed their belongings. 

/Looks like today's issue was their last straw./

BaiXue went back to the window to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

"Sorry baby, excuse your daddy and mummy for now, we have to pack and move by tonight!" The mother cajoled the baby who was gurgling and looking for the usual playtime she would get everyday.

The father joined them by the mother's side and hissed in a low voice, "How dare they try to poison our dear baby." He reached out a hand to lovingly caress the side of the baby's face, drawing out happy gurgles. 

The mother hugged the father and said in a soft voice. "No one touches our baby. We'll not give them the chance to."  

The father hugged her back. "That's why we will leave by tonight before anything gets out of hand and results in something we can't handle." 

[BaiXue, someone else is approaching.]

BaiXue changed to her rabbit form and hid in a corner, outside the house. Unbeknownst to the family, someone else also came to spy on the family.

When the moon hung high up in the sky, the family left their house through the back door. They did not get far from their house before they found themselves surrounded by a huge angry mob.

"Humph! Where do you think you're going?" It was the same antagonist from the start.

"What are all of you doing? We just want to live in peace. Let us go." The mother said.

"Do you think we're dumb?"

"Do you think we'll let you grow strong outside only to come back to finish us all off?"

"You really won't let us go without a fight?" The father asked for the last time.

"The only way for you to leave this place is by dying."

Before anyone could react, the father changed into a gigantic crocodile to plow his way through the crowd. The mother got onto his back with the baby in her arms and threw out darts coated in poison. Those with land fighting prowess in their animal forms transformed. These included other crocodiles, komodo dragons, and snakes. The others supported in their human form and used weapons. 

The mob held the advantage.

BaiXue knew that the situation was finally dire, so she took out the small black flute and blew it. It made no sound. BaiXue frowned at the flute. Did she use it wrongly or was it supposed to be like that?

The family got chased to the area where BaiXue had been training at for the past few days. She did not have the time to wonder about something uncertain, so she blew into the flute once more before stashing it away and following the crowd. 

She calmly watched as the couple fought hard to defend themselves. If MengYao did not come soon, the family would likely lose their lives here. 

The father headed towards the pillar that BaiXue had been using as her punching bag and noticed how worn down it was. An idea instantly flashed in his mind. He rushed straight into the pillar and told his wife to jump off just before he made contact with the pillar. 

His sudden self-destructive behaviour stunned the mob for a moment and that gave him the chance to swing his tail once more. The pillar cracked at its weakest point and collapsed with a loud boom. It crushed those who were hot on his tail and caused a divide between him and the others who were slightly further away. This gave his family time to run further away.

BaiXue's lips twitched. She was tempted to curse. It took him a bash and a swing of a tail to collapse a pillar that could withstand days of her attacks.

/I really need to find a way to become strong in this world./

Just as she thought of following the group that was already running off, something fluttering in the wind caught her eye. It seemed stuck to the part of the pillar that used to be its top. She went to inspect it.

/Animal skin embedded in the rock pillar? How?/

She stomped onto the pillar with full force a few times and a chunk of it fell apart. She picked up the animal skin among the debris.

[Writing?!] BaoBao exclaimed at the same time she had the same thought.

This world had no system of writing, no book, and no recordings anywhere. As if knowledge was only passed down through word of mouth and drawings.

[BaoBao, looks like you got your wish.] BaiXue kept the animal skin safely within her robe then hastily took off to chase after the group. 

She intended to help the family. After all, it was thanks to the father that BaiXue could make such a discovery. BaiXue took it as a fair trade for her help. BaoBao silently cheered and felt that the father was really lucky.

Everyone was now in the forest. 

Another flurry of arrows flew towards the family. The father swung his tail and broke most of the arrows, the rest were affected by the wind generated from the swing and and missed their targets. 

Spears followed immediately after the arrows. One crocodile shapeshifter unafraid of getting hit with friendly fire ran along with the wave of spears towards the father to engage him in a fight. His wife jumped off his back quickly and ran behind a tree to avoid being a burden in her husband's fight. However, being engaged in the fight caused him to get pierced in the shoulder. 

"Darling!!" His wife screamed out.

The baby in her arms sensed her mother's fear and anxiety, so started wailing out loud. The baby's fear activated her charm abilities and caused the villagers' minds to become a little foggy. The one closest to it was the most affected and went into a daze. This gave her father a chance to bite onto his opponent's neck and snapped his head clean off with a death roll. 

Just as they thought they could run away successfully, another crocodile appeared from the side. He had stuffed his ears with cotton in his human form then went up to their side to sneak an attack. His teeth landed on the father's neck and drew blood. 

Suddenly, a white flash appeared and struck the second assailant from the side of his belly before he could chomp down fully onto the father's neck. He rolled over a few times before crashing into a nearby tree. Before he was given a chance to recover, he got stomped on again on the top of his head, which was hard enough to cause his head to rebound off the ground. This gave him a mild concussion.

/Tsk, his hide's tough./

BaiXue had already gathered spiritual energy in her leg whenever she kicked but it did not even leave a scratch behind. She jumped up again but this time to break off a thick and long branch with a kick. Just as she did, the crocodile recovered and roared in anger. She took the chance to immediately twist her body and kick the broken branch, causing it to fly straight into the crocodile's open mouth. The branch flew with a great force that it pierced through the body and stopped at the tail. 

[Pfft. Skewered crocodile. Maybe he'd be tasty crocodile meat.] BaoBao snickered.

Those who saw the exchange were stunned still. Although this newcomer looked small, cute, and harmless, she was dangerous. Their wariness made them hesitant. They looked on as BaiXue approached the father in her rabbit form. As soon as BaiXue was done whispering to the father, the father returned to his wife's side, for her to get on his back again. Realising that the family was slipping away, they chased after the family.

With the mob's attention fully returned to the family, BaiXue moved into action. She jumped up high and kicked several branches to break them and send them flying towards the group. She did it so rapidly that the tree lost half of its branches in a mere few seconds. The branches got embedded in the ground in front of the mob, separating them from the family. Unlucky ones got hit or impaled together with the branches. 

BaiXue then kicked up a storm. She spun in circles while executing sweeping kicks against the ground. Soil, dirt, and leaves flew up. It made everyone cough and cover their eyes. By the time they opened their eyes again, BaiXue and the family was nowhere to be seen.