The Fifteenth Day of Being a Rich Second-Gen

It was raining. Everyone had eaten their fill and returned to their tents.

Dai Mubai told Flender and the others that they could take turns keeping watch, but Flender refused.

"We're not old yet. There'll be plenty of chances to keep watch later." Flender waved him away impatiently.

The children spent the night listening to the rain outside.

The next day was bright and sunny. Restored to full spirits, they continued their journey through the Star Dou Great Forest. They also took the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Tang San's Second Spirit Skill, Parasitism. Inheriting the parasitic properties of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider's demonic flames, his Blue Silver Grass could grow from an enemy's body and bind them, while also carrying the demonic flames' low-temperature burning effect.

Perhaps their luck was poor, but they still had not found a suitable soul beast for Dai Mubai. The others had each gained another level, though, so the trip had not been entirely fruitless. After all, finding soul rings required patience.

On their twenty-second day in the Star Dou Great Forest, everyone was already forcing Oscar to come up with new food ideas. Eating the same thing every day was unbearable for the Shrek group, who had grown accustomed to excellent cafeteria food.

Everyone was carrying out their assigned tasks when Tang San, who was organizing the camp, suddenly stopped. "Everyone, be careful. A group is heading this way. They're still some distance away, but hurry up."

The others silently quickened their pace and swiftly formed a battle formation as they left along their planned route.

Unexpectedly, someone caught up with them. "Spirit Hall mission. All other Spirit Masters, please leave." A wind-element Spirit Master kept shouting through a Soul Tool megaphone. When he spotted the Shrek group, he even called over his captain.

This was no longer something the children could handle. Flender and the other two stepped forward.

"Esteemed sirs, I am the captain of the second squad of the Star Radiance Detachment, Papal Palace Knights. We are carrying out an elder-level mission. Unrelated personnel are requested to leave the Star Dou Great Forest." The captain sounded polite, but his attitude was forceful.

Leave the Star Dou Great Forest? It was so vast—what kind of mission did the Papal Palace have that required clearing out the entire forest? Xiao Wu's expression darkened.

Ma Hongjun stepped forward, about to say something, but Tang San pulled him back. On the other side, Dai Mubai extended his tiger claw and gave him a hard pinch.

The captain did not care what attitude the people before him had. In his view, they only needed to obey the Papal Palace's orders. If they kept stalling, they would be refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit.

Flender glanced at Master. Master took a plaque from his Storage Spirit Tool. It was covered in elaborate markings, and he handed it to the captain.

The captain was already getting impatient. Suppressing his temper, he accepted the wooden plaque—then his pupils constricted. Angel, dragon, hammer, sword, ghost, chrysanthemum, and at the bottom, the Pope's signed seal—this was a Pope's Order! Only Honorary Elders acknowledged by the Pope could possess one!

Cold sweat broke out all over him. Thankfully, he had not yet offended an elder.

The captain bent at the waist and returned the plaque to Master with both hands. "This subordinate pays respects to Elder. Please forgive this subordinate's rudeness."

The Spirit Master who had been faintly arrogant moments ago was now bowing and scraping, but Master did not press the matter. "It's nothing. Go about your business. Which important figure is hunting for a soul ring?"

The captain did not dare hide anything. With lowered eyes, he said obediently, "It is His Majesty's beloved disciple. As for the rest, this subordinate is insignificant and has not been informed."

Master nodded. "Go on, then. We will not delay your mission." With that, he left with Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the students.

The captain remained uneasy.

"Master, what was that thing you gave him? Are you an elder of the Papal Palace?" Ma Hongjun was the first to lose his patience.

"That was a Pope's Order. It bears several special symbols. Master's is one only Honorary Elders can hold." Flender smacked Ma Hongjun on the head. "You're always the one who can't keep calm. You should practice that, brat."

Seeing that their teachers did not want to discuss the Pope's Order too much, the clever children shut up. Tang San looked at Flender. "Then, Dean, are we leaving the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Leave? How could that be? We'll just go somewhere else." Zhao Wuji spoke indifferently. He was not afraid of Spirit Hall people. At worst, they could have another fight.

The usually carefree group changed directions and sped away.

Calais City.

"I wonder how Sui Sui is doing out there." Ming Zhen wore a blank expression as he went to Tang Yunhua's office to mope.

His precious daughter—so tiny, only seven years old—had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest with her teacher, without her father or mother by her side. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became.

Tang Yunhua did not feel any better. Before the child had left, she had thought that children needed to train too and could not be sheltered every day. But once her child was gone, no mother could stop worrying. She began regretting what she had forgotten to pack, regretting that she had not found more soul bones for Ming Sui to absorb beforehand. Yet she also feared that people would notice Ming Sui had absorbed soul bones at such a young age and bring disaster upon her.

"Should we go take a look?" Ming Zhen's eyes lit up. "We can go and come back quickly. If Sui Sui is doing well, we'll return right away. We won't disturb them."

"But Sui Sui told us not to worry before she left." Tang Yunhua hesitated.

"We just won't let Sui Sui know." Ming Zhen continued tempting her.

And just like that, the couple came to an agreement.

Ming Sui had no idea that her parents would soon be coming to see her. She was hurrying along with Nian Nian in her arms.

The Papal Palace people were making quite a commotion. They had already traveled far away, but they could still hear explosions, roars, the howls of soul beasts, and the sounds of Soul Power collisions without end.

Xiao Wu's expression was grim. "What is Spirit Hall trying to do?" This did not sound like hunting soul beasts. It sounded more like slaughter.

Dai Mubai snorted coldly. "What is there that Spirit Hall wouldn't do?" Having been plotted against by Spirit Hall before, how could he possibly have a favorable impression of them? Though that scheme had taught him a few things.

"They have never hesitated to stir up conflicts between the nations across the continent, using them as excuses to plunder resources and constantly strengthen themselves." Zhu Zhuqing rarely voiced her displeasure.

"They're nothing but a pack of hyenas." Ning Rongrong was disdainful.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun trembled as they watched their companions radiate such overwhelming dominance. "Don't they give subsidies to ordinary Spirit Masters?"

"You see, that's the misunderstanding." Ming Sui stroked Nian Nian's fur and said calmly, "The Spirit Master subsidies are paid by the various empires. Spirit Hall merely distributes them on their behalf."

"That's shameless!" Xiao Wu was stunned. They were openly using the empires' money to play the good guys. "Aren't the empires dissatisfied? Haven't they explained this?"

"Those who know do not need an explanation. Those who join Spirit Hall do not care whether they know or not. As for those who belong to no empire and have not joined Spirit Hall, they cannot develop anyway, so naturally they do not matter. Spirit Hall has calculated it well," Tang San added.

Dai Mubai gave Tang San an approving look. "Exactly. That is their wishful calculation. But now, more and more commoner Spirit Masters are joining Spirit Hall. That is not good news for the nations of the continent."

"The empires brought it upon themselves. Whoever can ensure that people can survive will earn their support. That is beyond doubt." Ming Sui was unexpectedly sharp.

Flender and the other two merely traveled ahead, behind, and to the sides of the children, protecting them as they hurried along. They did not join the conversation.

"Oh, it's a Century Plant—our homework!" Tang San spotted it immediately. Besides written assignments, A'tu had also asked the children to collect uncommon plants. They had previously stayed within the forest, where the trees were tall but herbaceous plants did not grow easily.

"There's Maple Leaf Willow too, and Kudzu Vine over there." The previous heaviness vanished from the conversation. Everyone focused intently on the various plants, striving to identify their assignments.

"How wonderful it is to be a child," Flender sighed. "They always have endless things to say, nothing they dare not do, and happiness comes so easily to them. Finishing an assignment is enough to make them happy for quite a while." Smiling, he recalled his younger days. Back then, there had been Master, and her. They had traveled happily together every day, and even powerful soul beasts were not something they could not challenge.

But time, in the end, flowed away like water.

Zhuang Ke, the captain of the Star Radiance Detachment of the Papal Palace Knights who was attacking a soul beast, felt the same as Flender.

Youth was wonderful, especially for someone with exceptional talent that had been discovered. He glanced at today's main character, the Pope's beloved disciple, the Holy Son Moro, then bowed to reality and attacked the soul beast with all his strength.

"Your Highness Holy Son, this soul beast is already on the verge of death." This was when the Holy Son needed to deliver the final blow so that he could absorb its soul ring.

Moro released his martial soul—the Masked Demon Spider. Two yellow and two purple soul rings pulsed in neat succession, while the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider before him had no hope of recovery.

The proud humans surrounded the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider in a circle. The powerful Four-Ring Spirit Master was about to deliver the final blow to the dying soul beast. Anyone who saw this scene would assume that the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider would become this Spirit Master's fifth soul ring.

Then, a sudden change occurred!

The Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider's eyes abruptly changed from black to red. The demonic flames that had originally been contained within its body spread across its surface, and its aura slowly began to recover.

The Soul Emperor leading the group immediately became alert. "Everyone, stay on guard!" He then said to Moro, "Your Highness Holy Son, please kill this soul beast at once, lest something change if we delay."

They were already too late. Moro's soul skill struck the dying Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider like a clay ox entering the sea. The Soul Emperor sensed something was wrong. "Cover Lord Holy Son's retreat!" He grabbed Moro and fled.

But a cold, sinister force entered his mind. Hehehehehe... humans, you are truly too insatiable. After cruelly slaughtering one of our kin, you still refused to stop and continued your slaughter. You have destroyed my entire tribe, so you will accompany them in death!

Within the Star Dou Great Forest, centered on the ten-thousand-year Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider, the demonic flames surged violently before exploding in an instant. Every Spirit Master from Spirit Hall, including the Soul Emperor leading the group and the Holy Son Moro, was ignited by the demonic flames, becoming the finest fuel for the finest fire.

The Shrek group, who were working on their assignments: "Earthquake, Mom!"

The nimble Ma Hongjun picked up Oscar and sprinted toward Flender. Dai Mubai grabbed Zhu Zhuqing, who was beside him. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass immediately wrapped around his companions, naturally without adding demonic flames, while he looked toward Ming Sui. Ming Sui reached out with each hand, grabbing Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong respectively. Startled, Nian Nian burrowed into her clothes.

Flender and the other two wore grave expressions as well. Their wealth of experience told them that something major had happened.