Ridding the People of a Scourge
The hand had only reached halfway when a Blue Silver spike suddenly shot out from under the table, moving so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye. The tip of the light blue vine was as sharp as a sword, piercing precisely through the palm of his companion, drawing out a string of beads of blood.
"Ah!!"
The companion let out a pig-like scream, clutching his pierced hand and staggering backward.
The bald, burly man's expression changed completely. He stared at Tang San, his frivolity and greed instantly turning into vigilance and murderous intent.
Tang San slowly stood up, looking calmly at the bald, burly man as if he were looking at a dead man.
"Apologize and compensate immediately, or die!" Tang San's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
The bald, burly man spat and summoned his Martial Soul. A huge spiked club appeared in his hand, its surface covered with sharp iron spikes. Five Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet: white, yellow, yellow, purple, and Five-Ring Soul King.
His two companions also revealed their Martial Soul: one wielded a bronze hammer, and the other a longsword. Both had four Soul Rings, making Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
Seeing that things were going badly, the other customers in the restaurant got up and moved away, carrying their bowls and chopsticks to a corner, but none of them left. Instead, they watched from a distance. After all, most of the people here were Soul Masters, and they loved watching the excitement.
Tang San also revealed his Soul Rings. Three Soul Rings rose from the soles of his feet, yellow, yellow, and purple. He had disguised his Second Soul Ring as yellow, but the purple of his Third Soul Ring was genuine.
Xiao Wu also revealed her Soul Rings. Four Soul Rings rose from the soles of her feet, yellow and purple, Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
The entire restaurant fell silent, and everyone wore expressions of surprise.
The two boys, who looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, were a girl who was Four-Ring Soul Ancestor and a boy who was a three-ring Soul Elder. However, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the boy's Soul Power fluctuations were far more than just reaching level 30. The Soul Masters who came here were all there to obtain their Fourth Soul Ring, which meant that he was already level 40.
Both of them have the best Soul Ring Configuration, which is genius among geniuses anywhere, the kind that would be worshipped in a high-level Soul Master Academy.
The seven girls from the Skywater Academy also showed expressions of shock. The youngest, Shui Yue'er, stared wide-eyed. The other girls exchanged incredulous glances.
For the first time, a flicker appeared in Shui Bing'er's icy blue eyes—a scrutinizing gaze one might show upon encountering someone of her own kind. Her fingers unconsciously clenched, her knuckles turning slightly white.
The bald, burly man's pupils suddenly contracted. At this age, with this Soul Power Level and the best Soul Ring Configuration, this was definitely not an ordinary person's child. Behind him was either a major sect or a powerful force, and neither of them were people that a Soul King like him could afford to offend.
The burly man hesitated.
But Tang San had no intention of letting them off so easily. Now that he had already made his move, he wasn't going to hold back. Tang San was never one to cause trouble, but when trouble came, he wasn't afraid. Besides, killing these bullies who preyed on men and women would be doing a service to the people.
Tang San swung his right hand sharply, and Blue Silver Grass vines burst forth from the ground, surging towards the three from all directions. These vines were far more resilient than ordinary Blue Silver Grass, each one as thick as a baby's arm.
The bald, burly man roared and swung his spiked club, smashing away the first few vines that came closest. The vines that were smashed away tumbled a few times in the air before wrapping around him again.
The other two's copper hammers and longswords weren't much better off.
The Blue Silver Grass seemed endless, wave after wave, layer upon layer. The three of them struggled to cut down one, only to have several more appear.
Xiao Wu's coordination was flawless. With the cover of the vines and the force of her movements, her speed was so fast that only afterimages remained. She kicked away the copper hammer in the hand of a Soul Ancestor, and then threw the man away with a Waist Bow. The man crashed heavily into the wall, slid down, and grimaced while clutching his waist.
Seeing the situation was dire, the bald, burly man's Soul Rings shone brightly, his Soul Power erupted at full force, and his spiked club blazed with purple light. He smashed a large gash in the vines in front of him with a single blow and turned to run.
Tang San gave him no chance to escape. Two strands of Blue Silver Grass suddenly sprang up from the ground and wrapped around the bald man's ankles. The bald man staggered and fell heavily to the ground, his spiked club flying out of his hand and smashing a table.
Before long, the three of them were knocked to the ground by Tang San and Xiao Wu, and bound together by Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San walked up to the three men and severed one of their arms, blood flowing freely. For Weapon Soul Master, losing the arm that wields their Martial Soul is more painful than death.
The three men grimaced in pain, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads, but none of them dared to utter a sound. The bald, burly man gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with terror.
With a thought, Tang San used his Blue Silver Grass vines to wrap around the three of them and throw them out of the hotel like three stones.
The three rolled around a few times on the stone path outside the door, scrambled to their feet, helped each other up, and ran away without looking back.
The restaurant was a complete mess. The owner peeked out from behind the counter, saw the three people run away, and looked at the mess on the floor. His expression was more like he was about to cry.
Tang San took out a small bag of Gold Soul Coins, about a few dozen, and handed it to the shopkeeper. "I'm sorry for making such a mess of your shop. This money should be enough to compensate you for your losses."
The shopkeeper took the money bag, his eyes immediately lighting up. He nodded repeatedly, his distressed expression instantly transforming into a smile, "That's enough, thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
"Also, please prepare another meal for us and bring it to our room. We didn't eat enough earlier," Tang San instructed.
The shopkeeper hurriedly agreed, "Okay, okay, right away! Please go back to your room and rest, the food will be here shortly!"
After saying that, Tang San turned around and was about to Xiao Wu upstairs when a cold voice came from behind him.
Please wait.
Tang San turned around and saw that Shui Bing'er had already stood up from her seat and was walking towards him.
Shui Bing'er walked at a leisurely pace, her long, light blue hair gleaming softly under the lamplight, and her icy blue eyes filled with a seriousness.
The other six girls followed behind Shui Bing'er, their eyes filled with curiosity and admiration. Shui Yue'er, standing to the side, had her eyes shining brightly, as if she had seen some rare treasure.
Shui Bing'er stopped in front of Tang San, nodded slightly, and said elegantly, "I am Shui Bing'er, a student of the Skywater Academy. Thank you both for your help earlier. Those people were after us, and I'm truly sorry for getting involved."
Tang San waved his hand, his tone casual and natural. "No need to thank me. They smashed our table and ruined our food. Even if they weren't targeting you, I would have still intervened. My name is Tang San, and this is my girlfriend, Xiao Wu."
Shui Bing'er's gaze swept between Tang San and Xiao Wu, a knowing glint in her eyes. She nodded, her tone sincere. "Your Blue Silver Grass is very strong. I've seen many Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters, but none of them can reach your level."
"Thank you." Tang San smiled.
At this moment, Shui Yue'er peeked out from behind Shui Bing'er, a mischievous smile on her face. Shui Yue'er's appearance was somewhat similar to Shui Bing'er's, but their temperaments were completely different. Shui Bing'er was aloof, while Shui Yue'er was passionate.
Shui Yue'er wore a light blue outfit, with a lower neckline than her sister's, revealing her fair collarbone. She was also more voluptuous and had more exaggerated curves than her sister.
"Hello handsome, I'm Shui Yue'er, Shui Bing'er's younger sister." Shui Yue'er's voice was clear and lively. "We've come to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Soul Rings. Are you here to hunt for Soul Rings too?"
"Yes, that's right." Tang San nodded in reply.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shui Bing'er's eyes. This meant that Tang San had already reached level 40. She herself was almost thirteen years old this year, and had only broken through to level 30 half a year ago. Now, her Soul Power was level 33, and she had already been hailed by the Skywater Academy as a once-in-a-century genius.
But this boy, who looked even younger than herself, was already level 40. A complex mix of emotions welled up in Shui Bing'er's heart, along with a strong desire to catch up.
Of course, she didn't know that Tang San and his companion had consumed the Immortal Herb and Whale Rubber, and that Tang San had also absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
If Tang San hadn't had these fortuitous opportunities, he would be at roughly the same level as Shui Bing'er at this point.
This also shows that Shui Bing'er's talent for cultivation is indeed very high.