A Chance Encounter with Injustice, a First Glimpse of Compassion

Leaving behind the small village that had bound his previous self through a short, tragic life, Ling Yun set out on the road to Suotuo City. He had not a coin to his name; all he possessed was the tattered clothing on his back and the Spirit Hall certificate in his arms, enough to shake the continent.

Yet there was no confusion in his heart. The Chaos Dragon God Martial Soul had granted him not only power, but also a pride and confidence born from his bloodline. The Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor gave him perception of life force far beyond that of ordinary people. He could absorb the thin spiritual energy between heaven and earth to replenish himself. Though he could not go entirely without food, he would not collapse from hunger in the short term.

He chose to follow the main road not because he coveted its smoothness, but because he wanted to reach an urban area more quickly and gather information. More and more pedestrians, carriages, and horses traveled along the road, while merchant caravans occasionally passed by, kicking up clouds of dust. Ling Yun was young and dressed in rags, so he inevitably drew curious and contemptuous looks. He did not care. His mind remained calm as he traveled, silently sensing the mysteries of the Twin Martial Souls within him.

The aura of the Chaos Dragon God was overwhelmingly tyrannical, containing a trace of supreme intent capable of creating chaos and evolving all things. With the slightest stir, his blood surged and power flooded through his body. The Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor, meanwhile, was as gentle as jade. As its life energy flowed, it slowly nourished his severely depleted body and even swept away his mental fatigue.

At this pace, I should reach a small town in a few days. Then I can think of something.

As he walked, a burst of chaotic cries and arrogant shouts came from ahead. Ling Yun looked up and saw a crowd gathered in an open area beside the road. A rather luxurious carriage lay tilted by the roadside, its shaft broken, while the horse that had been pulling it snorted anxiously. Several vicious-looking servants dressed in matching uniforms were shoving and berating what appeared to be a mistress and servant.

Surrounded in the middle was a girl in a pale purple dress, about twelve or thirteen years old. Though still young, her breathtaking features were already apparent, her brows and eyes like a painting. At the moment, however, her face was pale, and a trace of blood stained the corner of her lips. She had clearly been injured. Behind her stood a younger girl dressed as a maid, shielding her desperately. The maid was also covered in dust, with a clear handprint on her face.

"Hmph! You damaged Young Master Li's carriage and think you can just leave? Pay up! One hundred Gold Soul Coins. One coin less, and we'll take you little girls back to pay the debt!" The lead servant sneered viciously and reached for the purple-clad girl's wrist.

"You... you're slandering us! Your carriage clearly turned suddenly and crashed into ours!" Though terrified, the maid stubbornly stood in front of her mistress.

"You still dare argue? You're asking for it!" The servant leader's eyes flashed fiercely as he raised his hand to strike. He was clearly a strong man with some brute strength. If that slap landed, the frail maid would probably lose half her life.

Some passersby stopped to watch, but most only dared to be angry in silence. That "Young Master Li" was clearly a locally influential young wastrel. He sat leisurely in another intact carriage, waving a folding fan as though enjoying a show.

Ling Yun had not wanted to meddle. The world was full of injustice, and his own strength had yet to develop. Keeping a low profile was the wiser course. However, just as the servant's slap was about to fall and despair appeared in the purple-clad girl's eyes, the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor Martial Soul inside Ling Yun suddenly gave off an exceedingly faint ripple. It was a natural compassion and resonance toward a life under threat.

So be it... Ling Yun sighed inwardly. Since he possessed the power to heal all things, turning a blind eye to injustice would likely go against its fundamental nature. Besides, the arrogant faces of these people reminded him of Zhang Hu and the others at the mass grave yesterday, filling him with disgust.

Just as the palm as large as a cattail fan was about to strike the maid's cheek—

A figure flashed between them as swiftly as a ghost. No one saw how he appeared; they only felt their vision blur.

Slap!

A crisp sound rang out.

But it was not the sound of a slap landing on someone's face.

The vicious servant leader's wrist had been firmly seized by a hand that looked slender but was remarkably steady. The palm was fair, its joints distinct, yet it contained astonishing strength utterly mismatched with its owner's frame. No matter how hard the servant struggled, his face flushing red with effort, he could not break free in the slightest.

The one who had acted was Ling Yun.

Everyone froze. Even the maid who had nearly been struck and the purple-clad girl stared in shock at this suddenly appearing youth, whose clothes were ragged but whose presence was extraordinary.

"Where did this little beggar come from? You dare meddle in Li Family business? Tired of living?" The servant leader was both shocked and enraged. He clenched his other hand into a fist and hurled it at Ling Yun's face. The wind from his punch whistled sharply, showing that he was truly furious.

Ling Yun's gaze turned cold. He had only intended to teach the man a small lesson and make him back down, but he had not expected him to be so ruthless. Since the man showed no mercy, neither would he.

He did not even use Soul Power. Relying solely on the physical strength subtly transformed by the Chaos Dragon God Martial Soul, he suddenly twisted the hand gripping the man's wrist!

Crack! The sound of breaking bone made everyone's teeth ache.

"Aah—!" The servant leader let out a scream more miserable than a pig being slaughtered. His entire arm twisted at a grotesque angle, clearly broken.

With a casual shove, Ling Yun sent the burly servant leader crashing to the ground like a piece of trash. The man rolled about in agony.

That completely intimidated the other servants. They looked at Ling Yun as though they had seen a ghost. This youth looked so frail—how could he possess such terrifying strength?

Young Master Li in the carriage could no longer remain seated. He sprang to his feet, pointed his folding fan at Ling Yun, and shouted with false bravado, "Y-you... who are you? How dare you injure someone from my Li Family!"

Ling Yun dusted off his hands as though he had done something insignificant, then calmly looked at Young Master Li. "I saw injustice and stepped in. Your people hit them first, then tried to extort them, and now you intend to assault them. Is there no law?"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a strange penetrating force that made Young Master Li's heart tremble.

"The law? In Greenwood Town, my Li Family is the law!" Young Master Li forced himself to remain composed and roared at the remaining servants, "What are you standing around for? Get him! Cripple this brat!"

The remaining four or five servants exchanged looks. Though they feared the monstrous strength Ling Yun had displayed, their master had spoken. They could only grit their teeth, shout, and charge forward with fists flying.

Ling Yun shook his head. No matter how many ants there were, they were still ants.

His figure moved like a butterfly flitting among flowers, weaving through the servants. There were no dazzling soul skills, only the simplest, most direct punches and kicks. Yet every punch and every kick landed precisely on the most vulnerable joints or pressure points.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull impacts rang out in succession, accompanied by pained wails. Within only a few breaths, the seemingly fierce servants were all on the ground, clutching their arms or legs and screaming in agony, utterly unable to fight.

The entire exchange had been as fast as lightning. The surrounding spectators were dumbfounded. Young Master Li's face turned deathly pale, and his folding fan dropped from his hand with a clatter.

Ling Yun walked step by step toward the intact carriage.

"Y-you... don't come any closer! My father is the mayor of Greenwood Town! My uncle is a steward at the Spirit Hall in Notting City! If you touch me, you're dead!" Young Master Li staggered back in terror, incoherently bringing up his connections.

Ling Yun stopped before the carriage. Without even glancing at Young Master Li, he turned his attention to the overturned carriage and the mistress-servant pair. He walked up to the purple-clad girl. She had suffered internal injuries, and combined with the fright, her aura was extremely disordered.

"Don't be afraid." Ling Yun's voice softened. He extended his right hand, and with a slight thought, an exceedingly faint emerald-green glow carrying a refreshing fragrance spilled from his fingertip and gently touched the girl's forehead.

This was the healing power of the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor. Though his Soul Power was still too weak for powerful healing soul skills, he could guide a trace of the most fundamental life force to soothe her injuries and stabilize her mind.

The purple-clad girl felt a warm, gentle power surge into her body. Her turbulent blood and energy immediately settled considerably, and a trace of color returned to her pale face. She raised her head in surprise, looking at the mysterious youth before her with gratitude and curiosity filling her beautiful eyes.

"Th-thank you for saving me, young master." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, trembling from the aftermath of danger.

"It was nothing." Ling Yun withdrew his hand and spoke calmly. He then turned to look at Young Master Li, who looked close to wetting himself in fear.

"Compensate them."

"Huh? Compensate... compensate what?" Young Master Li was dumbfounded.

"Carriage repairs, medical expenses, and emotional damages." Ling Yun pointed at the overturned carriage and the mistress-servant pair. "One hundred Gold Soul Coins, paid now. Otherwise..." His gaze swept over Young Master Li's uninjured limbs, the meaning obvious.

Young Master Li shuddered. How could he dare refuse? He hurriedly pulled out a money pouch from his robe and tossed it over without even looking, his face full of misery. "H-here... take it all... take it all, young master! Spare me!"

Ling Yun caught the pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was quite heavy. He ignored the group afterward and said to the purple-clad girl and her maid, "You shouldn't stay here long. Can you still walk?"

With the maid's support, the girl stood. Though weak, she was no longer seriously affected, and she quickly nodded. "Yes, we can. Thank you, young master."

Ling Yun said nothing more and turned to leave. The mistress and servant supported each other as they hurried after him. Young Master Li and the servants groaning all over the ground were left behind, utterly disheveled beneath the complicated gazes of the passersby.

After walking some distance, they found a secluded place and stopped. Ling Yun counted out twenty Gold Soul Coins from the pouch and handed them to the purple-clad girl. "This should be enough for treatment and a new carriage. Be more careful when you travel in the future."

The girl looked at the Gold Soul Coins Ling Yun offered but did not accept them. Instead, she gave him a graceful bow and said solemnly, "My surname is Ye, and my name is Ye Lingling. Young master risked himself to save me today; that is already an enormous kindness. How could I dare take your money as well? May I ask young master's name? Lingling will certainly repay you generously in the future!"

Ye Lingling?

Ling Yun's heart stirred slightly. That name seemed familiar... Right, in the original work, there seemed to be a soul master whose Martial Soul was the Nine Heart Begonia, also named Ye Lingling? Could it really be such a coincidence?

He looked deeply at Ye Lingling. Sure enough, he sensed within her a trace of an aura sharing the same origin as his Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor Martial Soul, though countless times weaker. It seemed that he was not the only one in the world with a begonia-type healing Martial Soul.

"My name is Ling Yun." He put away the Gold Soul Coins. Since she did not want them, he would not force her. "There's no need to repay me. I only acted on impulse. Take care of yourselves."

With that, Ling Yun did not linger. He turned and strode away, his figure soon vanishing around a bend in the main road.

Ye Lingling stood where she was, watching the direction in which Ling Yun had disappeared, her beautiful eyes gleaming with wonder. She gently touched the forehead he had just healed. It seemed as if a trace of warm, vibrant energy still lingered there. That aura seemed purer and nobler than the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul inherited by her family...

"Miss, this Young Master Ling Yun is so incredible..." the maid said, still shaken but filled with admiration.

Ye Lingling nodded softly and murmured, "Yes... and the feeling he gave me... was very special. Ling Yun... will we meet again?"

She etched that name firmly into her heart. Today's encounter was like a stone cast into a tranquil lake, sending ripples through the heart of a girl whose future should have belonged to a certain predetermined path.

Ling Yun, however, did not dwell too much on this brief episode. He continued his journey, gaining a deeper understanding of how to use the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor and a stronger sense of reality about this world. The road ahead was long. Shrek Academy was where his true beginning lay.