Surrounded and Killed

"Sox!"

At the City Lord's shout, a man in his forties immediately entered from outside and bowed. "Your subordinate is here!"

Zhang Feng's heart leaped with joy. Sox, a level thirty-eight Battle Soul Master, with the Mad Bear martial soul.

He was the commander of Nuoding City's guard army, even stronger than his brother Zhang Hong, and one of the City Lord's trusted confidants!

"Tell me, could this Tang Jiu possibly be Tang Hao's son?"

The City Lord handed Sox the Clear Sky Hammer Zhang Feng had drawn. A sharp glint flashed in Sox's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Twin Martial Souls, a Thousand-Year First Ring... I can say with certainty that he must be!"

"Oh?" The City Lord's eyes lit up. He had merely suspected it, yet Sox was certain.

Sox was his right-hand man. He was skilled at commanding troops and powerful in his own right. The City Lord wanted to hear his reasoning and gestured for him to continue.

Sox spoke confidently. "According to Zhang Feng's description, Tang Jiu has Twin Martial Souls. His Beast Spirit, the Bullet Ant, should also be a top-tier martial soul—and a Power Type one at that!

"The Clear Sky Hammer is already one of the strongest martial souls. Combined with that Beast Spirit, Tang Jiu's body must be extraordinarily powerful!

"Therefore, after attaching a spirit ring to the Clear Sky Hammer and then attaching a second spirit ring to the Bullet Ant, reaching a thousand-year spirit ring would hardly be surprising!"

"After all, he's from the Clear Sky Sect!"

Sox spoke with certainty.

The City Lord immediately understood. Sox truly deserved to be the commander of the guard army. His mind worked fast, and he had instantly solved the mystery of the Thousand-Year First Ring that had baffled him.

"Then what do you think we should do?" the City Lord asked.

"That depends on what you want, my lord. If you wish to play it safe, I suggest informing Spirit Hall. We could earn Spirit Hall's favor and obtain a spirit bone as well," Sox said.

The City Lord stroked the armrest of his chair, unwilling to accept that. Spirit Hall had searched for Tang Hao and his son for six years without finding them, yet Tang Hao's son had now appeared in Nuoding City.

Wasn't this a heaven-sent opportunity?

"I want to become a duke and have a duchy of my own!" A trace of greed flashed in the City Lord's eyes.

"Then I'll take men and kill Tang Jiu," Sox said calmly, without the slightest surprise in his eyes. Men died for wealth, birds for food. The difference between a City Lord and a duke was like heaven and earth. His own status would rise along with it!

"Good! Go at once! Don't let that brat escape!" The City Lord rose abruptly.

Sox shook his head. "My lord, what we should do now is keep a close watch on him, then safely send him out of Nuoding City. Nothing must happen to him within Nuoding City!"

"Why? Is the City Lord afraid of a six-year-old child?" Zhang Feng asked in confusion.

Sox gave Zhang Feng a cold look and sneered. "Idiot!"

"If we kill his son, aren't you afraid his father will come for revenge? If Tang Hao comes, who in the City Lord's Mansion can stop him?"

"After we kill him, we'll say Spirit Hall did it. Don't you understand how to quietly make a fortune?"

The City Lord broke into a cold sweat. Tang Hao had even dared to hammer Spirit Hall's Pope to death. If he suspected that his son had been killed by him, wouldn't he be waiting to get hammered to death?

He gave Sox an approving glance. Those who led troops into battle really did think more carefully. But then he worried again. "Tang Jiu is very strong. Are you sure you can handle him?"

Sox burst out laughing. "My lord, you've been fooled by Tang Jiu's record as well! Zhang Hong died because he was stupid. He tried to compete in strength with someone from the Clear Sky Sect, and even used a Hundred-Year Spirit Skill against a thousand-year spirit skill. It would have been strange if he hadn't died!"

"How could anyone fight a Power Type soul master head-on in a contest of strength? His Soul Power can't be above level twenty-six. Without a spirit skill that can lock onto targets, an Agility System soul master can completely crush him! Bringing Kasha with me will be enough."

The City Lord's eyes brightened. Kasha, a level thirty-three Agility System Battle Soul Master, possessed the Shadow Swallow martial soul and was Sox's wife.

The City Lord smiled. This time, the position of duke was as good as his!

The next morning.

Tang Jiu woke up at the inn and began his morning run around Nuoding City.

Without the weights, even training felt less satisfying. After practicing a set of combat techniques he had learned from special forces soldiers, he headed for the blacksmith's shop.

At a glance, he spotted the hammer shaped exactly like the Clear Sky Hammer. He immediately picked it up and swung it a few times. The 3,500-jin War Hammer felt perfectly balanced in his hands.

Its size was just right to fit inside the Twelve Golden Hairpins.

"Young brother, since you're such an important customer, we repaired your original hammer as well!" the smith said, pointing at the hammer off to the side.

"Thanks, then!"

Tang Jiu was delighted. A wonderfully underhanded idea came to mind: flying hammers!

While holding one hammer and fighting, he could pull another from the Twelve Golden Hairpins and hurl it out, just like Third Brother's Hidden Weapons.

An 800-jin hammer flying through the air would be no less powerful than a Hundred-Year Spirit Skill!

Tang Jiu stored the War Hammer in the Twelve Golden Hairpins, carried the 800-jin hammer, and left Nuoding City. He bought a map of the continent, drew a straight line from Nuoding City to Suotuo City, and began a forced march along it.

He ran wildly all the way while carrying the hammer, which counted as training.

After a day, Tang Jiu noticed a bird in the sky that seemed to have been following him the whole time, but he paid it no mind.

However, once he left Nuoding City's sphere of influence, the bird suddenly descended and blocked his path. It was a golden-haired woman in her thirties, and she smiled coquettishly.

"Little one, why are you running so fast?"

Tang Jiu was startled. I'm being followed? He turned around and saw two figures rapidly approaching.

One of them was Zhang Feng!

He did not recognize the other man, but the danger Tang Jiu felt from him was immense. It was Sox.

Sox and the other two surrounded Tang Jiu. Sox asked coldly, "Are you Tang Hao's son?"

Tang Jiu hurriedly shook his head. "You've got the wrong person. I'm not!"

"Not?" Sox frowned.

"That's right! Are you looking for Tang Hao's son? I can lead you to him! You have no idea—I was abused by Tang Hao ever since I was little. He nearly starved me to death!" Tang Jiu began pouring out his grievances.

Sox's face darkened. Pointing at the War Hammer in Tang Jiu's hand, he said, "Do you think I'm stupid? You think I wouldn't recognize the Clear Sky Hammer?"

"You recognize my hammer!" Tang Jiu rolled his eyes.

If you want revenge, go find Third Brother! He's the real son. I was only picked up!

"Little one, you're being very naughty," Kasha snorted.

"Lord Sox, no need to waste words on him. Let's just attack!" Zhang Feng immediately activated his martial soul. One white and one yellow spirit ring appeared around him.

"Idiot!"

Sox cursed in fury. This bastard had actually called out his real name! They were here to assassinate someone, not duel! He would slaughter this brainless fool later so he would not be implicated.

"Sox, level thirty-eight Assault Type Battle Soul Master, martial soul: Mad Bear!"

Since Zhang Feng had exposed his name, Sox no longer bothered hiding it. He activated Martial Soul Possession, and three spirit rings appeared around him—yellow, yellow, purple.

"Kasha, level thirty-three Agility System Battle Soul Master, martial soul: Shadow Swallow!"

Kasha narrowed her eyes and activated Martial Soul Possession. Three spirit rings appeared around her as well—yellow, yellow, purple!

Tang Jiu narrowed his eyes. It seemed there would be no peace today until one side died!

Then, at last, he could announce his martial soul.

"Tang Jiu, level twenty-six Assault Type Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Bullet Ant!"