Meng Family Bounty

Tang Yuehua's proposal was somewhat akin to repaying a favor with a favor, but it was the best method she could think of.

Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had failed to recruit Xing Hu. If Huangfu Ji wanted to recruit him through ordinary means, it was basically impossible.

Because Xing Hu simply had no such intention. If he wanted to join a faction, he would not still be fighting life-and-death battles in the Great Soul Arena.

Huangfu Ji pondered this. He did not think he had any greater advantage than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but there was one thing that puzzled him: why had Xing Hu chosen not to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? It was one of the Upper Three Sects.

Countless people wanted to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, only to be turned away.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was a Support System sect and needed many combat-type soul masters for protection, they did not accept just any soul master.

"Why would Xing Hu refuse the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

If he wanted to recruit Xing Hu, he needed to understand him as thoroughly as possible. That was why he wanted to know why Xing Hu had refused an Upper Three Sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Ning Fengzhi held considerable prestige in the soul master world and had an excellent reputation as well.

Xing Hu had no reason to refuse.

"Perhaps the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect didn't value him enough," Tang Yuehua said after thinking for a moment.

She then added, "From what I know, although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wanted to recruit Xing Hu, they did not take him seriously. If Sect Master Ning had personally approached him, Xing Hu would definitely have joined."

"But he is only a Soul King in the end. A Soul King is not enough to warrant the personal attention of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master."

"I heard that in recent years, Sect Master Ning has been seeking contact with the Supreme Douluo Chen Jianjun, as well as a Soul Douluo named Gu Rong."

"Chen Jianjun, Gu Rong?" Huangfu Ji nodded. Judging by his age, Chen Jianjun should be nearly a hundred years old by now. Chen Jianjun had some renown across the continent. Though he usually kept a low profile, the Seven Kill Sword's reputation was formidable.

Even though he kept himself sufficiently low-key, he remained illustrious. The title of Number One Attack Titled Douluo was not given for nothing.

Chen Jianjun's Soul Power Level should now be level ninety-six. Across the entire continent, he could be considered a peerless powerhouse.

However, Huangfu Ji believed that the person Ning Fengzhi truly wanted to contact was not Chen Jianjun, but his son, Sword Dao Chen Xin. Chen Xin should not yet be a Titled Douluo, but he was not far from it. He would likely break through within the next few years.

Of course, all of this was merely his speculation.

After all, he had not met either of them since his rebirth.

Although Chen Jianjun was powerful, he was obsessed with the sword dao and had spent his entire life pursuing its ultimate peak. He had even dared to face level ninety-nine Qian Daoliu with sword in hand. Though the latter had effortlessly defeated him in an instant, his devotion to the dao was still worthy of admiration.

As for Gu Rong, he was a genius—a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. He also had no faction behind him, so it was no surprise that Ning Fengzhi wanted to recruit him.

What faction would not covet a talented soul master with no backing, no cultivation resources, and only his own efforts to rely on? Even Spirit Hall was no exception, especially since Gu Rong was no weakling.

During his time at the Duke's Mansion, Huangfu Ji had entertained the idea of poaching Chen Xin and Gu Rong. But he quickly cast it aside because there was not enough time.

He simply did not have that much time. Besides, he did not think he possessed Ning Fengzhi's kind of charisma.

So now, he had set his sights on recruiting soul masters of commoner origin who could fight. It did not matter whether their Soul Power Level was high or not, so long as they could fight.

Having learned from Tang Yuehua why Xing Hu had not joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he understood.

Xing Hu probably felt that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did not value him enough. On top of that, he had an elderly mother to support and treat. Any illness that could leave even a Soul King helpless was surely no ordinary ailment; at the very least, it would require precious medicinal ingredients.

"Perhaps I'll have to stay here a few more days."

Huangfu Ji looked at Tang Yuehua.

"Yuehua, I'll be staying here for a few days, so I can't travel with you anymore."

"Thank you for your help these past few days."

Tang Yuehua waved her hand. "There's no need to thank me. I do not have anything pressing to do anyway. Since you'll be staying a few more days, I'll keep you company here for a while longer. There are still many places in Baihe City that I haven't visited."

"Besides, those people who want to kill you may still be wandering outside. With Clear Sky Sect people here, they won't dare make any moves."

Her decision surprised Huangfu Ji somewhat.

In his view, Tang Yuehua had no need to stay behind with him. They could only be considered ordinary friends, and there was no reason for her to remain because of him.

Still, with Clear Sky Sect people nearby, he would indeed be much safer. The people Yuan Hao had sent would certainly not leave so easily. He had been thinking about this over the past two days. Yuan Hao could not possibly send all the main soul master forces at his side just to kill him.

Perhaps Yuan Hao had even contacted Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall's influence covered the entire continent. Even the smallest cities had a branch hall, making it impossible for Huangfu Ji to hide his whereabouts.

"In that case, many thanks to you, Yuehua, and to the Clear Sky Sect." Huangfu Ji cupped his hands in salute.

Tang Yuehua smiled and nodded.

Over the next few days, Huangfu Ji went to the Great Soul Arena every day, except Xing Hu did not have any soul battles during those days.

He kept looking for a chance to contact Xing Hu, but could not find one at all.

One day, Tang Yuehua came to Huangfu Ji and told him something.

"Huangfu, the Meng family has recently issued a bounty."

"The Meng family?" Huangfu Ji, who had been reading, closed his book and looked at Tang Yuehua in confusion, but quickly remembered.

"Meng Jin's Meng family?"

Tang Yuehua nodded. "That's right."

"Meng Jin came from the Meng family of Tianyancheng. The current head of the Meng family, Meng Fang, is a Soul Saint powerhouse, and as Meng Fang's son, Meng Jin was the Meng family's designated next patriarch."

"Now that Meng Jin has been killed by Xing Hu, the Meng family naturally will not let the matter rest. So they issued a bounty: whoever kills Xing Hu will be rewarded one million Gold Soul Coins."

"One million Gold Soul Coins—quite a sum." Huangfu Ji chuckled.

The Meng Family had truly spared no expense by offering a reward of one million Gold Soul Coins, though that was only natural. After all, Xing Hu had killed the heir to their family head, and Meng Jin had been quite talented, reaching Soul King in his forties.

That was already considered quite good on the continent.

Top-tier geniuses were rare, after all. Those who could reach Soul Ancestor in their twenties were rarer still. During Tang San's era, when the Soul Master Tournament had gathered geniuses in droves, that had been a golden age.

He did not know much about the Meng Family of Tianyancheng, but with their family head possessing the strength of a Soul Saint, they counted as a mid-tier power on the continent. There were only so many Soul Douluos, and even an empire had only a few.

There were no more than a hundred Soul Douluos openly known across the entire continent.

The entire Qingyang Duchy had only two Soul Douluos. One was the Dean of the Senior Soul Master Academy, while the other had been the duchy's former consecrated elder, though he had now pledged allegiance to Yuan Hao.

"But why doesn't the Meng Family personally kill Xing Hu? Could it be that they fear a mere Soul King?" Huangfu Ji asked curiously.

"That's not it," Tang Yuehua said. "I heard that the Meng Family has already sent people out. They just haven't arrived yet."

"This may be an opportunity for you."

The Meng Family wanted Xing Hu dead. If Huangfu Ji saved him, then helped treat his mother, Tang Yuehua refused to believe that Xing Hu would not pledge allegiance to Huangfu Ji.