As for exactly how to use the Qiankun Poison Pouch, little Xiong Bao, its established owner, had of course asked his all-knowing scholar uncle about it many times before.
He was the true owner of the Qiankun Poison Pouch — only he could open it fully, only he could command it!
“Get in there!”
That command rang out with absolute authority!
It instantly made the Dream Clan leader and the others forget all about crying for help, and every head snapped around to look at once!
There stood little Xiong Bao, both hands pulling the Qiankun Poison Pouch wide open, its opening aimed straight at the four great sea serpents in the sky, his young, delicate face set with complete solemnity and seriousness.
He’d made a promise — he had to protect Mommy!
No one was allowed to hurt Mommy! Not even a beast!
Seeing this, the Dream Clan leader stopped worrying about anything else, smiling with relief. “This child… truly… truly clever!”
“A student worth teaching!” Old Meng Five managed to say despite his pain.
In the sky, the serpents that had just been thrashing wildly through the air — heads, bodies, and all — suddenly stopped moving entirely. In the next instant, they transformed into black shadows and shot straight toward the Qiankun Poison Pouch!
Completely unexpected — the dire situation had reversed itself in an instant. Ziqing and the others, having been on full guard, suddenly all stopped moving as well, their gazes following the streaking black shadows, quickly landing on little Xiong Bao and the Qiankun Poison Pouch!
There stood little Xiong Bao, both small hands gripping the pouch wide open, his young face set in a solemnity so intense it made everyone forget his age entirely — his delicate, doll-like features carrying, amid all that severity, the faintest hint of an imperial air.
Baili Weisheng, who’d originally been ready to crack another joke, found himself unconsciously growing serious at the sight of Xiong Bao’s grave expression, blurting out without thinking, “He really does look just like him!”
He really did resemble Jun Beiyue — the son truly hadn’t been conceived for nothing.
This was the very first time the Qiankun Poison Pouch had ever captured a beast!
This treasure was meant for cultivating poison — raising poison beasts, poisonous creatures — and among its functions was indeed the ability to capture beasts, absorbing ordinary creatures and cultivating them into poison beasts.
The danger had passed, and everyone’s attention fixed on the Qiankun Poison Pouch. In mere moments, the black shadows drew close to the pouch’s opening, on the verge of being absorbed inside!
But just then, something no one had anticipated at all occurred!
Just as the black shadows were about to disappear into the pouch’s opening, a flash of shimmering, iridescent light suddenly burst out from within!
“Ah — no!”
Old Meng Five immediately cried out, having suddenly remembered something!
But it was already too late!
The four black shadows merged into one, pressing down with tremendous force, instantly forcing the shimmering light back inside, and the shadows themselves vanished into the pouch’s opening right after, disappearing entirely!
Nearly everyone had caught sight of that flash of shimmering, iridescent light trying to burst free — that had been the Liuguang Dagger!
Unfortunately, little Xiong Bao, holding the Qiankun Poison Pouch high above his head, hadn’t seen any of it. The instant he saw the black shadows disappear inside, he immediately pulled the cord tight and sealed the Qiankun Poison Pouch shut!
Only then did he let out a long, satisfied breath, the gravity beyond his years melting away, his young face returning to its usual babyish innocence. Gripping the pouch tightly in one hand, he turned to the group with a cheerful grin. “All done!”
All done?
More like all messed up, wasn’t it…
Seeing everyone’s expressions turn grim, especially the Dream Clan leader, Old Meng Five, and Meng Duo’er — who had just been rescued one after another from beneath the crushing serpent segment — little Xiong Bao, who’d been about to show off proudly, suddenly found he couldn’t smile at all. Past experience told him: something had definitely gone wrong again!
Except this time, he genuinely couldn’t figure out what!
He’d used the Qiankun Poison Pouch to capture the sea serpents and save everyone — that wasn’t wrong, was it?
And besides, the Qiankun Poison Pouch worked differently from ordinary poison beasts — clean and efficient, leaving no trace behind. Aside from the people present, no one on the mountain nearby would even know what had happened to the sea serpents, so surely he hadn’t caused any real trouble this time!
He was the one who’d summoned the serpents in the first place, and now he’d captured them too — didn’t that count as making up for his mistake?
Little Xiong Bao puzzled over it endlessly, until, looking closer, he realized everyone’s attention wasn’t actually on him at all — it was fixed on the Qiankun Poison Pouch in his hand.
What was wrong with the Qiankun Poison Pouch?
Little Xiong Bao’s little heart quailed with fear. Seeing no one say anything, each face growing more complicated than the last, he grew even more too afraid to ask, racking his brain but unable to figure out what on earth had happened this time!
Finally, Baili Xiaosheng beside him couldn’t hold back any longer, murmuring quietly, “Little Prince, you…”
“Hm?”
“You… well, this time you’ve really dug yourself a massive grudge!”
“A grudge? With who? Who did I get into a feud with?” Xiong Bao asked anxiously, glancing over at Old Meng Five — surely he hadn’t offended this old grandfather this time.
“With your grandmother.” Baili Xiaosheng said it bluntly. That flash of shimmering light just now had clearly been the Liuguang Dagger, and judging by Old Meng Five’s reaction, they’d only managed to open the Qiankun Poison Pouch partway — not fully — so the Liuguang Dagger hadn’t been able to come out on its own; only its true owner, little Xiong Bao, could open it fully enough to release it.
But instead of using this chance to make amends by pulling the Liuguang Dagger out, little Xiong Bao had gone and captured four ferocious sea serpents, sealing the dagger right back inside!
Xiong Bao, oh Xiong Bao — you’d already trapped your grandmother once before, and now you’ve gone and blocked her path with four sea serpents even your own parents could barely handle. Is this any way for a grandson to behave?
At these words from Baili Xiaosheng, little Xiong Bao jumped in alarm. “What?! Don’t make things up!”
“Well, to be precise, it’s your mommy who’s dug herself an even bigger grudge with your grandmother…” Baili Xiaosheng shook her head helplessly.
“I did this! I’ll take full responsibility myself! It has nothing to do with my mommy!” Xiong Bao immediately protested.
But Baili Xiaosheng only patted little Xiong Bao’s head, saying earnestly, “Silly boy, you’re still too little. When it comes to feuds like this, people always blame the adults — so trapping your grandmother must surely have been your mommy’s doing, egging you on!”
At this, Xiong Bao grew furious. “That’s not true! You’re making things up! My grandmother wouldn’t be that petty! I didn’t do it on purpose, and I’ll explain it to her myself!”
As an orphan herself, Baili Xiaosheng had no particular fondness for Meng Wanyue, who’d abandoned her newborn son and gone to such great lengths just to obtain the Qiankun Poison Pouch — she couldn’t be bothered arguing further with Xiong Bao.
Just as she was about to head toward the adults, all of whom were shooting them strange looks from across the way, suddenly the Qiankun Poison Pouch gave a violent jolt, as though something inside were struggling!
“Mommy…” little Xiong Bao stammered, at a complete loss, turning to Ziqing for help.
What Baili Xiaosheng had just said was, in fact, exactly what had flashed through Ziqing’s own mind moments earlier — she simply hadn’t had time to dwell on it, her attention entirely fixed on the pouch.
Seeing the Qiankun Poison Pouch stirring meant that whoever was inside was still alive — and now, fighting!
“Zizhu Beast, go inside and save them!” Ziqing ordered immediately. Once the poison-beast world had reverted back into the Qiankun Poison Pouch, humans could no longer enter — except for its true owner.
Meng Wanyue being trapped inside the Liuguang Dagger, sealed within the Qiankun Poison Pouch, had been a pure accident.
Without needing Ziqing to say another word, little Xiong Bao, sensible as ever, immediately pulled the Qiankun Poison Pouch open again — only to find that the Zizhu Beast couldn’t get in at all!
What… what was going on?