So Unreasonable

"This Hunting Soul Beast Forest is much livelier than the Star Dou Great Forest." Xue Qingxi stepped down from the carriage and looked at the men and women coming and going in the distance with a sigh.

"It's safer here, after all." Tang San followed behind him and replied quietly, a muffled laugh hidden in his voice.

Xue Qingxi caught the sarcasm in his words and grinned silently, then bumped his arm against Tang San's like they were close brothers.

Tang Ling was the last to get down. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she saw the two of them standing together harmoniously, fooling around. She gave them a gratified look before walking toward Xue Qi.

"Uncle should have given you a pass for entering and leaving the Hunting Soul Beast Forest, right?" Tang Ling asked Xue Qi. After receiving his answer, she decisively ordered, "Then you'll lead the way later. Our Princess Manor has never cooperated with Spirit Hall, so we aren't familiar with this place."

"Alright, I understand." Xue Qi nodded obediently. "The King told me that anything involving Spirit Hall is to be handled by me."

"I knew it. Uncle really does understand me!" Delight sparkled in Tang Ling's eyes.

She had previously felt nothing toward Spirit Hall, but ever since they had tried to poach someone without a care, that indifference had turned into dislike.

Fortunately, she trusted A-Xuan. If it had been another family, the person being poached would not only have been unable to leave, but might even have been punished.

"Then shall we set off now?" Xue Qi looked at Tang Ling and bowed respectfully as he asked.

Tang Ling came back to herself and quickly nodded. She then called Tang San and the others over and led them toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

"The Soul Beast we're looking for is the Illusionary Cyan Bat. Its soul skill is hallucinogenic toxin, and it has keen hearing, making it quite suitable for an hidden weapon like the Fingertip Blade."

After entering the forest, Tang Ling told Xue Qi which Soul Beast they were seeking, then explained their target to Tang San and Xue Qingxi.

"That really is suitable. The Fingertip Blade is already small. If you first cause hallucinations before using it, you can take down an enemy without anyone noticing!" Xue Qingxi's eyes sparkled.

Ever since learning that there were all sorts of martial arts, he had become interested in every one of them.

"Qingxi is right. A-Xuan currently doesn't have much Soul Power, so the Fingertip Blade's first soul skill needs to prioritize concealment." Tang Ling nodded approvingly at Xue Qingxi.

She then explained to the two of them, "Twin Martial Souls consume more Soul Power than a single martial soul. Before absorbing the second Spirit Ring, one must be strong while the other remains weak in order to balance the Soul Power within the body. That is why the Fingertip Blade's first Spirit Ring is only fifty years old, and it must be used sparingly."

"Alright, Senior Sister, I'll remember that!" Tang San nodded solemnly, then looked at Tang Ling with admiration. "It's fortunate that you're here, Senior Sister. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do."

Seeing his little expression, Tang Ling could not help reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"Miss, I found them." Xue Qi, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped and spoke without turning around, breaking the warm atmosphere behind him.

"Good. I'll find one of a suitable age." Tang Ling withdrew her hand, summoned her martial soul, and strode toward the cave.

Because of their keen hearing, the Illusionary Cyan Bats in the cave noticed danger the moment the group stopped. Thus, as soon as Tang Ling reached the cave entrance, she smelled a strong scent of fresh grass.

Unhurried, she took out an antidote pill and swallowed it. Then, enduring the hallucinatory soul skill unleashed by the Illusionary Cyan Bats, she walked into the cave.

Once inside, Tang Ling surveyed the Illusionary Cyan Bats hanging from the ceiling. She picked one of suitable age and swung her sword at it.

Clang— Before the Illusionary Cyan Bat could react, it was struck down to the ground. Tang Ling calmly picked up the Soul Beast and headed outside.

Squeak—squeak! The Illusionary Cyan Bat colony finally reacted, crying out furiously as they launched their soul skills at Tang Ling.

Tang Ling remained unmoved. She rubbed her nose, which had been irritated by the grassy scent, and strode out of the cave.

"A-Xuan, absorb the Spirit Ring. Xue Qi and Ersui, stand guard. I'll go check on those Illusionary Cyan Bats." Tang Ling tossed the Soul Beast in her hand aside and gave her orders to the others.

Then she muttered as she walked back toward the cave, "Why are they reacting so strongly? Didn't they say these Soul Beasts had weak group instincts?"

Tang San watched her back, obediently took out a dagger to finish off the Soul Beast, and sat down cross-legged. Senior Sister had antidote pills, so those hallucinatory toxins could not affect her.

When Tang San opened his eyes again, the cave had already been temporarily sealed off. His Senior Sister was sitting leisurely on a stool, eating grapes one after another.

"You're awake? What soul skill did you gain?" Hearing movement, Tang Ling looked up. Seeing that Tang San had awakened, she immediately asked, extending the grapes in her hand as she spoke.

Tang San smilingly accepted them and ate two before answering, "Senior Sister, your judgment really is excellent! This Illusionary Cyan Bat's bloodline must have been purer, which was why the colony stirred when you took it away. I benefited from it too, and the soul skill is better than what I originally expected."

As he spoke, Tang San placed the grapes back on the tray, stood up, and displayed his soul skill.

"Fingertip Blade." Tang San summoned his martial soul, then activated the soul skill.

"First soul skill, Phantom Hearing." A bright white Spirit Ring descended, and an extra thin line resembling an earlobe appeared on Tang San's earlobe. Then, a faint and elegant scent of fresh grass spread through the air.

"Huh? Why isn't there any hallucinatory effect?" Xue Qingxi sniffed the spreading scent and looked at Tang San in surprise.

"That's the surprising part! The hallucinatory effect of the soul skill can be switched on and off." Tang San looked at Tang Ling with a smile, his face full of joy.

"So that means you can use the hearing ability by itself! That's wonderful. As expected of Teacher, your judgment is excellent!" Xue Qingxi praised her with a grin, looking at Tang Ling with worshipful eyes.

Tang Ling looked at their two pairs of sparkling eyes and smiled as well. "Our luck is simply good."

Tang San and Xue Qingxi nodded in agreement. Xue Qi and Tang Ersui exchanged a glance and could not help agreeing too.

They had encountered no Soul Beasts that delayed their journey, nor any foolish bandits. Moreover, every Soul Beast they found had been of a suitable age.

This was truly the smoothest mission Xue Qi had ever undertaken. Looking at Tang Ling's back, he was filled with emotion.

"Senior Sister, I think I heard someone calling for help." Tang San, who was about to withdraw his martial soul and soul skill, suddenly frowned and looked to the right.

"Hm?" Tang Ling followed his gaze, then waved toward the empty air. "Go take a look."

Tang San, who had kept his soul skill active, immediately heard the sound of wind. A moment later, the sound came again.

As the wind died down, a figure landed beside Tang Ling.

"One level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster and a child currently absorbing a Spirit Ring. The child is calling for help because the absorption is not going smoothly."

A low, hoarse voice came from the black-clothed person. It was not loud, but everyone could hear it clearly. After speaking, the figure vanished once more.

"Should we go take a look?" After hearing this, Tang Ling looked at Tang San and Xue Qingxi. The two exchanged a glance and nodded.

"There's no danger. I want to take a look. Perhaps we can save a life." Tang San looked at Tang Ling with sincere eyes. Xue Qingxi stood beside him and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then we'll take a look." Tang Ling pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

She quickly stood, put away the stool, and walked toward the source of the sound. Tang San immediately grabbed Xue Qingxi and hurried after her.

Before long, two figures lying prone on the ground appeared before them.

"Who's there?" The older Soul Grandmaster heard the movement and struggled to lift his head. When he saw that they were three children, he said tremblingly, "Please, young friends, help carry this child out."

"What happened to him?" Tang Ling looked at the familiar face and raised an eyebrow with a smile. She had not expected the pollution Little Heavenly Dao had just mentioned to be this famous "Master."

The next moment, remembering why this man was famous, she quickly shifted her gaze to the unconscious child on the ground.

"He fainted while absorbing the Spirit Ring." The man looked at the child on the ground with a complicated expression, his voice grief-stricken.

Tang Ling immediately stepped forward to examine the child's condition. Her face darkened as she called out, "A-Xuan, Qingxi, come hold him up."

Hearing the urgency in her voice, Tang San and Xue Qingxi rushed forward and supported the child from either side.

Tang Ling then stood behind him with a grave expression, raised her palm filled with dense Spirit Power, and struck it into his body.

With a boom, a bright yellow stream of air burst from the child's body and slowly dissipated into the air.

"What is his Innate Soul Power? What is his martial soul? What Soul Beast did you find for him?" Tang Ling let out a breath and lowered her hand, staring sternly at the middle-aged man with an aggressive tone.

"Innate Soul Power rank eight. A mutated martial soul, the Earth-Cleaving Hammer. I found him a three-hundred-and-eighty-year-old White-Browed Ape." The middle-aged man stared blankly for a moment before answering in a hoarse voice.

"Yu Xiaogang, you are utterly unreasonable!" Tang Ling glared furiously at the man lying on the ground, her eyes filled with coldness. "Innate Soul Power rank eight! Who gave you the courage to let his first Spirit Ring be one of such a high age? You nearly killed him! Are you conducting human experiments? Does your family know about this?"

"I... I never meant to harm him..." Yu Xiaogang looked up in surprise. He had not expected to encounter someone who knew him.

"But when you saw his mutated martial soul, you did think of testing your own theories on him, didn't you?" Tang Ling forced herself to calm down.

She looked at him with a composed expression. "As I recall, you were driven out because of this, weren't you? Yet instead of learning your lesson over the years, you started conducting human experiments in secret. I will notify the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to take you back. The Balak Kingdom cannot allow someone like you to wander freely outside."