Douluo Continent on the Tip of the Tongue

Douluo Continent on the Tip of the Tongue

"Oh my, this familiar restaurant again. This old man is back~"

Rota had once again arrived at the small village on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. According to the information provided by those two brothers from Spirit City, the soul masters plotting over the Soul Bone were somewhere in this village.

"This is quite troublesome. Where should I even start looking?"

After all, a village like this had countless soul masters. Finding the soul masters who had come for the Soul Bone would still be somewhat difficult.

"What a headache~"

After giving it some thought, Rota decided to scout the area first and see how things developed afterward. He walked over to one of the chairs outside a restaurant, sat down, and ordered a cup of tea and a newspaper.

What Rota needed to do now was disguise himself—read the newspaper while observing the situation around him.

Before long, Rota noticed something different from usual. A soul master team of around ten people had entered the small village.

Normally, there would be no reason to suspect such a small team, but what made this group suspicious was the way every one of them was dressed.

They all wore pitch-black coats and carried huge backpacks on their backs. Their outfits looked somewhat different from those of ordinary soul master teams hunting soul beasts, as though they intended to remain in the Star Dou Great Forest for a long time.

"What a strange bunch. They might be the ones I'm looking for~" Rota glanced at the group, his interest in them growing.

Their uniform clothing first showed that they had a strong sense of purpose, and secondly, that the process ahead might be quite troublesome.

Rota decided to keep observing. It was not yet time to make a move. His plan was to wait until they found the Soul Bone, then act.

The leader of the black-clothed soul master team led his people into the restaurant across from Rota. They were presumably going to get something to eat.

A faint smile appeared on Rota's lips. They would definitely reveal some things while eating, which was good news for him. With his powerful Observation Haki, he could hear their conversation and gather intelligence.

Inside the restaurant, the black-clothed men rented a private room. Only then did they remove the hoods covering their heads.

"Boss Reid, all supplies have been prepared!"

"Going deep into the Life Forbidden Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest is no simple matter. We must be fully prepared. By the way, have you contacted the other soul master team?" Reid asked sternly.

"We've contacted them. They said they'll meet up with us shortly. They found a temporary gathering point."

"Very good. Make sure they screen out some of their people. The more people entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the easier it will be for us to be discovered."

Reid believed in an elite-soldier strategy. Their destination was the Life Forbidden Zone within the Star Dou Great Forest, and no one on the Douluo Continent was unaware of its fearsome reputation.

"Anyone below Level 70 doesn't need to come along. They'll only slow the team down."

The members Reid led were all around Level 73, while Reid himself was a Soul Douluo.

"Everyone, eat well now. Once we go in, we won't get to eat such good food anymore."

Every member knew how arduous this operation would be. As soon as the dishes arrived, they began wolfing them down.

Rota, who was reading the newspaper outside, had overheard their entire conversation.

"Oh my, I never expected the Soul Bone to be so enticing. There are actually two teams~"

That man named Reid would likely meet up with the other team of soul masters. Rota only needed to follow Reid's group to find all the soul masters participating in the operation.

Based on Rota's judgment, Reid and his team were definitely no ordinary group. Just imagine it—every member of an entire team was above Level 70. Such a lineup could easily wipe out a slightly weaker nation.

At last, Reid and his group emerged from the restaurant. They were probably preparing to set off.

Rota had long since memorized their auras, so he did not need to follow them closely. As long as they remained within the range of his Observation Haki, there would be no problem.

If he wanted to eavesdrop, however, being too far away would not work. Observation Haki was not omnipotent, after all.

Watching Reid's group disappear, Rota prepared to set off as well, but a sound came from his pocket.

"Pururururu~ Pururururu~"

At that moment, Rota's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. The only people who could contact him through a Den Den Mushi were Xiao Wu and her family.

"Moshiboshi, Kizaru speaking. Is that Xiao Wu?"

Xiao Wu's cute, playful voice came from the other end. "Uncle Kizaru guessed right!"

"Of course. No matter what, Uncle wouldn't forget Xiao Wu~"

"Hehe, that's good! By the way, Uncle Kizaru, are you free lately? Xiao Wu wants to play with you."

It had to be said that Xiao Wu's timing was truly perfect, as though she knew Rota was about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Well, Uncle still has some things to take care of right now~"

"Ah~ Really? Alright, then it'll have to be next time..."

It was clear that Xiao Wu was feeling a little down. After thinking for a moment, Rota gave her an answer.

"Uncle happens to be going to the Star Dou Great Forest to take care of something, so I can stop by and see you all while I'm there~"

"Really?"

Children really did change moods quickly. Xiao Wu, who had looked so dejected just moments ago, had already returned to her playful self.

"Of course. Why would Uncle lie to you? Xiao Wu, just wait there obediently~"

"Mhm, it's a promise. If you don't come, Uncle, I'll have Da Ming and Er Ming beat you up next time!"

"Alright, alright, Uncle knows~"

Rota finally understood how exhausting it was for parents—once you had a child, you had to look after them carefully every single day.

Still, since he was visiting Xiao Wu's family on the way, it would not be right to show up empty-handed. There happened to be a few snack shops nearby, so he might as well buy something tasty to bring them!

Rota got up and walked to the entrance of a snack shop not far from the restaurant. "Excuse me, do you have any pastries you'd recommend?"

"Pastries, sir? Then you've come to the right place! I wouldn't dare boast about anything else, but my pastries are absolutely top-notch!"

Rota treated the snack shop owner's boasting as a joke. Every merchant had the same sort of sales pitch.

"Sir, I strongly recommend these fragrant, crisp Red Bean Cakes. They're the most popular flavor in the shop!"

"Then may this old man have a bite?"

"Of course, no problem. Please have a taste first."

Rota picked up a Red Bean Cake. Before he even brought it to his mouth, its already-spreading aroma reached his nose.

That fragrance alone made Rota feel that these Red Bean Cakes might be a "hidden champion." If the taste matched the aroma, then he had truly stumbled upon a treasure.

He put the Red Bean Cake into his mouth, and the flavor of red beans melted across his tongue. Its faint sweetness elevated the experience to an entirely new level.

"Oh my, this Red Bean Cake really is delicious. Do you have some kind of secret recipe?"

"Of course I do, but I hope you'll understand, sir. I can't reveal this exclusive recipe to you!"

"Haha, I'm the one at fault for asking such a silly question~"