In for a Penny, In for a Pound

Half an hour later, the Mystic Tortoise cut through the azure Sea Surface, speeding across the open sea.

At this moment, the outline of Xiling Harbor gradually became clear in Xia Yang's field of vision.

The dock was filled with masts like a forest, and the faint sound of voices could be heard.

The dock carried the unique bustle of land.

Just then, his father Xia Shi's voice came from the boat behind them, piercing through the sound of the Sea Waves and reaching Xia Yang's ears.

"Yang'er, take the Mystic Tortoise back to the harbor first. Go directly to the Martial Soul Branch Hall to find your mother."

"I need to take this boat away from the harbor for now. We absolutely cannot let anyone from Zhao Manor see it."

Xia Yang immediately understood.

They had seized this boat after killing Zhao Tianba and his group. If they returned directly to the harbor now, it would be far too conspicuous.

Before they completely dealt with the Hidden Danger that was the Zhao Family, they had to act cautiously and could not alert the enemy.

"Understood."

Xia Yang called loudly toward the rear, "I'll go back and discuss a countermeasure with Mom right away."

After speaking, Xia Yang turned and waved at the boatmen as he gave the order, "Full sails, full speed to shore."

The Mystic Tortoise's main sail instantly filled with wind. Its bow split through the white waves as it raced toward Xiling Harbor.

Standing at the bow, Xia Yang looked back at the boat carrying his father as it slowly came to a stop, eventually becoming a tiny dot on the horizon, quietly floating upon the glittering Sea Surface.

Before long, the Mystic Tortoise finally slowly sailed into the harbor.

Though the ship had not yet come to a complete stop, Xia Yang's heart had already flown to the Martial Soul Hall.

Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, Xia Yang instructed the Crew Members beside him in a deep voice, "Follow the usual arrangements. Those who need to rest, rest. Those who need to stand watch, stand watch. Everything remains the same."

"Yes, Young Captain."

Everyone answered in unison.

Xia Yang nodded, and Soul Power circulated slightly within his body.

Following that, Xia Yang lightly sprang forward, crossing the ship side like a falling leaf and landing steadily on the Wooden Plank Bridge at the dock.

At this moment, the dock was crowded with people. Porters shouted work chants, while the sound of Cargo Boxes colliding rang out without end.

Xia Yang frowned and tried to make his way through the packed crowd, only to provoke a string of complaints.

"What are you pushing for? Are you blind?"

"Bastard, can't you watch where you're going?"

Curses immediately erupted all across the dock.

Xia Yang had no interest in getting tangled up with them. Soul Power burst beneath his feet, and with a leap of his legs, his body shot upward.

Like a Purple Phantom, Xia Yang lightly swept over the heads of the crowd.

After several rises and falls, he rushed out of the congested dock area.

The instant his feet touched solid ground, Xia Yang could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

He then got his bearings and dashed toward the Martial Soul Hall Branch in the southern part of the city.

As a Level 25 Soul Grandmaster, Xia Yang's speed when running at full strength was far beyond that of ordinary people.

His figure left behind a faint afterimage along the streets.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the familiar building bearing the distinctive emblem of the Martial Soul Hall appeared before Xia Yang.

"Lin Deacon, is my mom here?"

Xia Yang stopped at the entrance and asked a Middle-aged man dressed in a deacon's robe.

"It's Xia Yang."

Lin Deacon looked up with a smile. "Bishop Huo is inside. You can go right in."

"Thank you, Lin Deacon."

Before Xia Yang had even finished speaking, he had already rushed into the hall like a gust of wind, heading straight for the Bishop's room.

Within a few breaths, he saw that familiar figure—his mother, Huo Yang, the Bishop of Xiling Harbor's Martial Soul Branch Hall.

"Mom, something happened!"

Xia Yang's voice arrived before he did.

Bishop Huo turned at the sound. Seeing her son return alone with such a hurried expression, her heart abruptly sank.

She hurried forward and seized Xia Yang by the shoulders, asking anxiously, "Where's your Dad? Did something happen to your Dad?"

"Mom! My Dad is fine! Don't panic—listen to me first."

Xia Yang quickly reassured her.

Hearing that her husband was unharmed, Huo Yang's tense expression finally relaxed. She glared at her son irritably. "You child, you didn't explain yourself properly. You scared me half to death."

"Mom, this is what happened..."

Xia Yang steadied himself, then recounted the entire course of this soul hunt exactly as it had happened.

How they had encountered Zhao Tianba, and how they had discovered the Five-Hundred-Year Soul Bone.

Following that, how the two sides had clashed until they wiped out the enemy entirely, then seized their ship.

And finally, how Sun Chuanjun had rebelled to seize the Soul Bone, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of Zhang Feng and Li Zhishu...

As Huo Yang listened to her son's account, her expression gradually turned grave.

"So that's how it was..."

"Your dad is currently sailing Zhao Tianba's ship and waiting outside the harbor?"

"Yeah."

Xia Yang nodded.

"We were enemies with Zhao Tianba to begin with. With a Blood River Treasure like a Soul Bone appearing, killing him was understandable enough."

"It's just a pity about Zhang Feng and Li Zhishu. Those two actually died at the hands of their own people."

Huo Yang sat back in her chair, her fingers unconsciously tapping on the tea table as she sank into thought.

"Mom, since we're already mortal enemies with the City Lord Manor..."

"And now that we've killed Zhao Tianba, why not go all the way? In for a Penny, In for a Pound!"

A vicious glint flashed through Xia Yang's eyes as he made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Yang'er, you're thinking too simply."

Huo Yang shook her head. "Eliminating the remnants of the City Lord Manor would be easy, but how are we supposed to explain it to Spirit Hall's High-Level?"

"Just a few years ago, the Hall explicitly ordered us to maintain a balance with the local forces."

"And only a few years later, we uproot them completely?"

"Once the information is reported upward and they hold us accountable, how are we supposed to deal with that?"

"Killing is easy. Handling the aftermath is difficult."

"Ah!"

Huo Yang sighed heavily.

"Mom, you're right."

"But don't forget that Zhao Tianba has already entered into a marriage alliance with a Noble of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"By killing him now, we've indirectly offended Heaven Dou's High-Level."

"If we leave the remnants of the City Lord Manor alone at a time like this, what if they appeal to Heaven Dou for justice?"

"Those Nobles would do anything to save face."

Xia Yang voiced his concerns.

"This..."

Huo Yang hesitated again, unable to make a decision as she weighed the pros and cons.

"Mom, I have a way that might allow Spirit Hall's High-Level to protect us."

Xia Yang lowered his voice.

"What way?"

"Whale Rubber."

"You mean... report the secret that Whale Rubber can improve a Soul Master's physique and help them absorb Soul Rings beyond their Soul Ring Year Limit?"

Huo Yang immediately understood her son's idea.

"That's right! Mom, the Second Soul Ring I acquired this time is at the Thousand Year level. A Thousand Year Second Ring is far too conspicuous. I think the secret of Whale Rubber won't stay hidden forever."

"Instead of waiting, we might as well report it ourselves and claim that we killed Zhao Tianba because he discovered this secret, leaving us with no choice but to silence him."

"That way, in order to protect such an important discovery, Spirit Hall will definitely do everything it can to protect us."

Xia Yang explained in detail.

Huo Yang calmed herself and carefully weighed her son's words.