Chapter 109: Seed
But instead of letting Mo Yuhua do her thing, Noa blinked and added,
"Summon your beast. Time for you to leave is approaching."
The woman blinked.
She had a hard time snapping out of her daze, her mind still full of thoughts about the words Noa had said.
Yet the room created an echoing effect.
It brought Noa's other declaration to her wandering mind, forcing her eyes to shift.
"Yes?" she said, her clarity returning.
After a quick inhale, her thoughts finally regained composure, and her mind called for a beast deep inside her soul.
Planet Ligma allowed non-cultivators to own spirit beasts as well.
All they had to do was bind them with blood, and the contract ceremony would be completed.
Mo Yuhua was such an example.
After finding a high-tier companion, she made a pact with it.
As a result, she also owned a spiritual creature, and it obeyed her commands just like it would have done with cultivators.
It all happened for one simple reason.
Beasts and humans didn't share qi or strength. They were two separate beings, and the contract itself was strong enough to bind almost any beast.
Of course, exceptions did exist.
Some chaotic, corrupt, or way too powerful creatures couldn't be tamed.
Dragons were part of that small number. According to the myths, not only couldn't dragons be tamed by even the strongest cultivators, they were the ones who actually ruled over humans.
Mo Yuhua was eager to see how strong her beast would get.
Hence, she closed her eyes and muttered something internally, calling for the Silk Serpent.
Just then—
A slender, cloud-colored serpent with long, lustrous scales materialized into the world, gently wrapping around her like an expensive jewel.
Each breath the creature made demanded silence in the room.
It grew in size in a pulsing rhythm, but was just as quick to shrink back.
"Woaaa!"
Yue Qiqi didn't care about the stillness.
She exclaimed loudly as her legs approached the beast.
The little girl was easy to thrill, her heart pounding in excitement, while also ignoring the beasts the others had summoned.
"It's beautiful. I love how her scales shine," she added, finally reaching the animal. "What's her name and can I touch her?"
Mo Yuhua glanced at Noa first.
It felt like she was getting permission from Noa at first.
He, however, said nothing, only looked at her with obvious amusement.
After getting approval, the woman nodded.
"Her name is Vira, and yes, you can try to touch her," she said, trailing her words softly. "But I doubt she will let you, though."
Hearing this, Yun Qiqi didn't seem surprised.
There was no hint of concern on her face either, as if the words the woman had said didn't even register in her head.
Still, she grinned. "Don't worry. I got this."
Her voice showed her confidence, and her lips continued to display her mischievousness.
After that, her tiny hands extended toward the beast.
It cut through the air and gently approached the owner of the eyes that deeply studied her.
Vira had two eyes, and both of them remained open this entire time.
She seemed calm, unmoving.
But when Yun Qiqi's fingers closed the distance and almost touched her, the scales she was so proud of glowed.
It even made a soft, rhythmic sound, akin to a pounding heartbeat.
Still, the beast didn't dodge the fingers.
Not only that, Vira even lowered her head to feel the warmth and bask under Yun Qiqi's spell.
"I told you," the little girl said, giggling. "I knew she wouldn't refuse to play with me."
Seeing this, Mo Yuhua narrowed her eyes.
Vira was known for her wild, untouchable nature.
It was a chaotic, cold-blooded beast that would never get close to others.
To this day, there hadn't been a single person who managed to touch her scales, let alone the head she was so willing to offer the girl.
This weird and unfamiliar scene forced the woman to reevaluate Noa's little sister.
It was nothing but her mistake to even think that his siblings or the people around him would be normal in any way or form.
Noa, meanwhile, coughed to himself.
'The seed,' he considered, thinking about ways to help his adorable sister.
This mysterious seed was definitely connected to her strange disposition, causing beasts and even humans to be naturally drawn toward her.
'Thank god she is kind,' Noa thought.
This passive ability felt like an overpowered force if someone evil used it to their advantage.
It was luck on his, and maybe the world's, side that Noa met her, ensuring that her life wouldn't take a wrong turn.
If it was someone else…
Someone like the man who had visited the store and looked for her…
The situation would be completely different, even endangering the world and every living being in it.
Noa had read enough novels and manga and had watched enough anime to know what might happen when a young, talented kid was thrown into the wrong hands.
Thankfully, the bullet was dodged.
Yun Qiqi was living with her, and he was confident that she wouldn't turn into a villain.
However, there was an even more concerning thing.
It was connected to her health and well-being, driving Noa to say something without giving it much thought.
"The Seed," he muttered, watching the woman with an unchangeable expression. "Have you heard about it? I am quite intrigued by this world, and I am wondering if it exists here."
The first one to react after hearing his words wasn't Mo Yuhua.
Neither had the guards, as they didn't even know what Noa was talking about.
Qing Xuan and Xue Hanly exchanged glances because it was the second time they had heard Noa mentioning the seed.
He had asked the same question to Seris before.
Now he was questioning this influential woman as well, increasing their interest.
The girls decided to ask about it.
If it was something so precious that even Noa would be so curious about it, they had to find answers. Not for themselves, but to give him something he wanted.
Their wish was genuine, coming from the heart and not from the desire to write points to Noa.
Mo Yuhua, however, watched him in silence.
Her hair flared a bit.
Her breathing slowed briefly at first, but soon, she stopped it completely.
Not because she was punished by Noa.
Nor because she forgot how to do it, even though it was a part of it.
She was just too surprised to let the airflow in and out of her lungs, leaving her breathless for a moment.
"How?" she muttered, but bit her lips quickly after.
The Seed?
Of course, she knew what it was.
"I-I have one," she spoke softly, pressing her index finger onto her chest. "Inside me. From the moment I was born."
Another wave of silence followed her words.
Air stood still as well.
Qi and mana continued to flow through respectful patterns, unbothered by the coldness that settled into the room.
Yun Qiqi was quiet too.
Her round eyes darted between Noa and Mo Yuhua, narrowed in curiosity.
Still, she didn't speak, letting them talk first.
'Oh, shit,' Noa thought. 'That's something I couldn't predict.'
Amidst his hidden confusion, the woman's head remained low, her head spinning.
The seed was her biggest secret.
Something not a single person knew in this world.
But it was also her biggest weakness and fear, causing countless headaches and anxiety throughout her life.
Yet after rising through power and amassing huge wealth, she managed to put it behind her life.
After a while, she even forced herself to forget about it, rarely thinking of it, fearing that someone would find this weakness.
She had even used special means on herself to erase any recollection of the seed.
But Noa saw through her.
He found her biggest secret from the moment they had met.
That's why he wanted to bring her into this room.
That's why he asked this question and watched her with a cold, piercing gaze.
Gulping slowly, Mo Yuhua controlled her voice and breathed like never before, words barely piecing together.
"The Seed of Greed," she said finally. "It's something I have hidden for so long. It feels good to finally drop it from my chest."
Noa didn't react.
He didn't have to, believing in her power to start imagining things by herself.
And that's exactly what happened.
The serpent was the special means she had used to mask her identity as a seed bearer.
It kept wobbling around the woman, as Yun Qiqi's hands still brushed against its tough scales.
Seeing that Noa had nothing to say, she gulped again.
"I don't really know much about seeds in particular," she started, and eerie fear crept toward her. Noa had said that he had an interest in seeds, and what if he wanted to take it from her?
Of course, the only way to do that would be to rip it straight from her chest.