Big Hammer, Your Death Is Near

Ye Kai had not expected Tang San to invite him before he even said anything. Did this count as letting the wolf into the house?

Seeing the flicker in Tang San's eyes, Ye Kai roughly understood what he wanted to do. He wanted to learn about this world from Ye Kai?

Then he could not blame Ye Kai for activating the Strategic Deception Bureau!

Ye Kai pretended to think for a moment. "Alright, thank you very much."

"Sure, then let's go~"

Tang San introduced the village as he led Ye Kai toward his home.

Before they even got close, they heard the unceasing sound of hammering from the courtyard.

"This is it." Tang San stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate.

The moment he entered the courtyard, Ye Kai felt a powerful mental scan sweep over him.

A Sturdy Man was forging iron with a Big Hammer in hand. The tattered robe on his body did not even have patches, leaving him practically half-naked.

His sallow face utterly mismatched his physique. His messy hair resembled a bird's nest, and his unkempt beard had clearly gone unattended for who knew how long. Before Ye Kai even approached him, a heavy stench of alcohol hit him in the face.

Sure enough, he's putting on an act. Ye Kai thought as he watched the scrutinizing look in Big Hammer's eyes.

This was the most crucial step of the grass-stealing plan: gaining Big Hammer's initial trust. At the very least, he could not let him become suspicious.

"Might Guy, this is my father. He's the village blacksmith."

"Father, this is Might Guy. He was passing by and wanted a cup of water." Tang San introduced them to Tang Hao.

"Hello, Uncle Tang. My name is Might Guy, and I'm seven years old."

Tang Hao looked at the child before him. He wore commoner's clothes, had refined features, and spoke and behaved with great courtesy.

And... at seven years old, he already had level 10 Soul Power. His innate Soul Power had to be at least level 6.

"Then, Xiao San, take him inside and let him sit for a while." Tang Hao turned around and continued forging, though he did not completely lower his guard.

You really are cautious, Clear Sky Douluo. But you probably never imagined that your death is near, did you?

Ye Kai felt the mental detection that remained locked onto him even as Tang Hao turned to forge, and sneered inwardly.

Tang San pulled Ye Kai into the house and began asking about Soul Masters.

Ye Kai gave him a rough explanation, deliberately including some incorrect information, which made Tang Hao, who was eavesdropping outside, completely relax his guard.

Hah, he even gets such common knowledge wrong. He won't amount to much in the future. Tang Hao shook his head and stopped paying attention to Ye Kai.

Feeling that the time was about right, Ye Kai suggested leaving. Tang San had obtained some of the information he wanted, so he no longer tried to keep him.

As Ye Kai was leaving, he said to Tang San, "If you really want to learn, there's a junior Spirit Academy in Nuoding City, as well as a Spirit Hall branch, and both can meet your needs. I also heard that Nuoding Academy is going to hold a half-month-long lecture on spirit knowledge. You can go take a look. It just means you won't be able to return home for half a month."

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy: I don't have one. Don't make things up.

Ye Kai: If I say you do, then you do.

This could also be considered an opportunity Ye Kai gave Tang San. Given the Grand Elder and the others' speed, they would certainly reach Holy Soul Village within half a month.

If Tang San went, he would not be caught up in it. When he returned, he would probably only see an empty house.

If he did not go, then it could only be said that it was his fate.

As for Nuoding Academy not having a lecture? That was simple. He only needed to have people from the Nuoding Branch Hall make a trip there.

After coming out, Ye Kai immediately found the two guards. Before they could speak, he gave them a meaningful look and said, "Brother, shall we go?"

Seeing His Highness act this way, the guards immediately realized something was wrong. Even when Ye Kai had been friendly with them before, he had never directly called them Brother. They promptly played along. "Mm, let's go."

After leaving Holy Soul Village and walking beyond Tang Hao's sensing range, Ye Kai said gravely to the two guards, "You two stay here for now. I have urgent business to report in Spirit City."

"Your Highness?" The two guards were dumbfounded. He was going back and leaving them behind? Wouldn't Ghost Elder make things difficult for them when they returned?

"The situation is urgent. You two go wait for me at the branch hall in Nuoding City. We'll discuss everything else later."

With that, he ignored the two guards and immediately began Teleportation. He first teleported to Nuoding City, then opened the shop and continued exchanging items.

Mana Recovery Potion (Tier 1): Upon consumption, instantly restores all Soul Power of a Soul Scholar. Price: 100 Healer Points

Ye Kai exchanged for forty bottles in one go. These should be enough for him to teleport back to Spirit City.

After that, he began repeating the process: teleport, drink a potion, teleport, drink a potion.

At last, before he ran out of potions, he returned to his residence in Spirit City.

Ye Kai did not even have time to find Bibi Dong after returning to Spirit City. He ran straight to the Worship Hall. Big Hammer should die sooner rather than later.

"Ye Kai requests an audience with the Grand Elder on urgent business~"

After entering the Worship Hall, Ye Kai called out to the empty hall.

"Oh? Weren't you in Suotuo City before, kid? How did you get back so quickly?" Qian Daoliu appeared, dressed in a simple gray robe.

"Let's not talk about useless things first. Please summon all the worship elders, Grand Elder." Ye Kai ignored Qian Daoliu's question and stated his purpose directly.

Qian Daoliu frowned. He knew Ye Kai would not make trouble without reason, but he could not understand what matter on the continent could require gathering every worship elder.

"I discovered traces of Tang Hao, who has been missing for a long time, in a small village somewhere within the Heaven Dou Empire."

Boom

Qian Daoliu erupted with powerful Soul Power. After all these years, Tang Hao had finally appeared again.

"Tell me everything, brat." In an instant, Qian Daoliu appeared before Ye Kai.

"It happened in Holy Soul Village, a village south of Nuoding City in Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire. I saw a blacksmith with the surname Tang.

His cultivation was very high, at least higher than Their Excellencies Snake Lance and Pufferfish. At the same time, he carried severe injuries, though there were no visible wounds on the surface.

Through my martial soul, I sensed that his vitality level was very high, but extremely weak. Also, the rhythm of his smithing was quite strange, as though it was some kind of hammer technique. Taking all that together, I suspect he is Tang Hao, the one who severely injured the former Pope back then."

"Is that so?" After pondering for a moment, Qian Daoliu made his decision.

"Second!" At Qian Daoliu's shout, the burly Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, appeared in the Worship Hall. "Go summon the other five Worships. Also, bring a portrait of Tang Hao from back then for the brat to look at."

Since Tang Hao had escaped from his grasp once through Ring Detonation, he would give him the proper respect this time. The entire Worship Hall would mobilize.

Based on Ye Kai's account, Qian Daoliu was nearly certain it was Tang Hao. However, mobilizing every Worship was no trivial matter, so they needed further confirmation.

Before long, Golden Crocodile Douluo returned with a portrait and handed it to Ye Kai.

Ye Kai took it and pretended to study it for a while. "Although he is rather unkempt now, I can tell that he is the man in this portrait."

"Big Brother, what did you call us all here for?" At this moment, the remaining five Worships also appeared in the Worship Hall.

"We have found Tang Hao's trail. You six will come with me."

"Big Brother, do we really need all of us to deal with a mere junior?" Golden Crocodile Douluo held a high seniority and formidable strength, so he was exceedingly arrogant toward juniors.

He was merely an injured junior. Was there really any need to make such a grand show of it?

"He escaped from my hands back then." Qian Daoliu looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo.

"This..." Golden Crocodile did not dare speak further. Qian Daoliu was known as "Invincible in the Sky," yet even with the Six-Winged Angel's ability to fly, he had failed to take down Tang Hao in one go. That youngster clearly had some skill.

"Brat, if this is truly as you say, then I owe you one," Qian Daoliu said to Ye Kai before leading the Worships out of the Worship Hall.

The full mobilization of the Worship Hall also alerted Pope's Hall. When Bibi Dong came over to ask what that old bastard Qian Daoliu was planning, she found the disciple who had been away from home for a long time.

"Hm? Xiao Kai, why didn't you come see Teacher when you returned to Spirit City?" Bibi Dong stared intently at Ye Kai.

Ye Kai sensed a hint of danger in Bibi Dong's gaze and hurriedly explained, "Teacher, I had something very important to report to the Grand Elder, so I came here as soon as I returned to Spirit City."

"Oh? What important matter was it? Tell Teacher about it." The dangerous glint in Bibi Dong's eyes grew stronger.

"I discovered traces that may belong to Tang Hao."

"Tang Hao? I see. Then I will let it slide this time." Speaking of Tang Hao, he could barely be considered Bibi Dong's benefactor.

If Tang Hao had not severely injured Qian Xunji, she likely would not have found it so easy to take down Qian Xunji.