Douluo: Starting by Crafting a Gun

"Your mother and I are now rank 60 Soul Emperors, which means we have finally gained a firm foothold in the soul master world."

"As long as this soul hunting mission succeeds, the hundred thousand or so Gold Soul Coins we have will be enough for us to give it a try."

Ling Na nodded. "Coming with you to Shrek Academy three years ago was because I was worried about your safety."

"Now that three years have passed, we've found that the people at Shrek Academy are actually quite decent. Even though they all have some strange quirks, they aren't bad people at their core."

"Especially that Zhao Wuji. If you run into any trouble, just go to him. Given his relationship with your father, he will help you resolve it."

Shen Feng nodded. "That works. I was actually looking for you two because of this very matter."

"Today, after I taught that Dai Mubai a lesson, I spotted a suspicious figure in the shadows."

Following this, Shen Feng recounted everything he had discovered while dealing with Dai Mubai in meticulous detail to Shen Rui and Ling Na.

Shen Rui frowned slightly. "When I first learned his surname and martial soul, I had a feeling that kid would be trouble."

"A dignified member of the Star Luo Imperial Family running off to the Heaven Dou Empire—a hostile nation—and enrolling in a down-and-out little school like Shrek Academy, which just happens to be right next to Suotuo City, the second-most important gateway to the Bala Kingdom."

"If anyone says he doesn't have some sort of scheme, I don't think anyone would believe it."

"How about this: why don't you leave with us tomorrow? Let's get far away from this place of trouble."

Shen Feng looked at Shen Rui in shock. He had to admit, while this deduction wasn't entirely accurate, it was extremely logical.

It even filled in all the gaps for the sense of crisis he had been trying to cultivate, and he had to say, it was quite brilliant.

Without a moment's hesitation, Shen Feng nodded firmly. "That works, but we need to come up with a good excuse, otherwise Flender won't let us leave so easily."

"Also, I want to take Oscar with me. He has potential worth cultivating, and a lot of it."

Ling Na frowned slightly. "The three of us leaving is possible, given our previous agreement."

"But taking Oscar with us? I don't think that's going to work."

"Shrek Academy has only just started to show signs of improvement; Flender won't just sit by and watch the academy fall back into obscurity."

Shen Feng smiled slightly. "Then we won't officially leave Shrek Academy. We'll just say we're going out for training and will come back to report in every once in a while. That should put our petty-minded Dean Flender at ease."

Shen Rui pondered for a moment. "That's a good idea. We'll just keep our names on the register at Shrek Academy without actually studying under him."

"It allows us to stay away from the danger of the Star Luo Imperial Family, ensures our own safety, and won't offend the teachers at Shrek Academy. It's a perfect solution."

"Besides, Shrek Academy is still an academy; there's no reason for them to forcibly keep people from leaving. With the cultivation speed you and Xiao Ao have, it won't be long before you reach graduation level."

"By then, having Xiao Ao by your side will make things much easier for you."

"Mm-hmm." Shen Feng nodded repeatedly. The self-brainwashing was working perfectly; he didn't even need to explain much.

Oscar was someone he had personally cultivated and he had grown attached to him; how could he just abandon him?

Leave him at Shrek Academy to be bullied by Dai Mubai? Or bullied by Ma Hongjun? Or left to be a simp for Ning Rongrong?

How could that be possible? Shen Feng didn't want the brother he acknowledged to follow the same old path as in the original story.

Once the departure plans were settled, Shen Feng chuckled and picked up the letter on the table, shaking it.

"Dad, Mom, do you want a territory of our own to serve as the foundation for our guild?"

"A territory?"

Shen Rui and Ling Na exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.

Shen Feng waved the letter in his hand and offered a reminder: "Our Deputy City Lord Fels, of course."

Shen Rui looked even more confused. "What do you mean? Are you saying we should go and rely on that old guy Fels?"

"Xiao Feng, I'm not bragging to you."

"Back in the day, Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire offered me a viscount title to recruit your mother and me, and we didn't even agree to that."

"A mere Fels? Heh, I really don't think much of him."

Pfft—

Shen Feng burst out laughing. "Dad, who said anything about relying on Fels?"

"As for that old guy, let alone you not thinking much of him, I don't think much of him either."

With his Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, he possessed such terrifying talent—where wouldn't he be a hot commodity?

Not to mention he had two genius young soul master parents?

If he wanted to rely on someone else, he could have dragged his parents to join any major power years ago. He wouldn't be stuck at Shrek Academy learning the scraps of heritage that no one else cared about.

As the saying goes, wealth dazzles the eyes, and love is even more precious, but for the sake of freedom, both can be cast aside.

A man stands between heaven and earth; how could he be content living under someone else's thumb for long?

Having finally transmigrated to the Douluo Continent with such great talent, how could Shen Feng be content helping others conquer the world?

Even if they offered money, women, or legacies, it wouldn't matter.

If he needed something, he could just use his strength to take it. He had already transmigrated; why would he need to settle for less?

"Then what do you mean?"

Shen Feng chuckled and shook the envelope in his hand once more.

"Dad, what I mean is, Fels hiring you to help him hunt a soul beast might just be a cover. Or perhaps his true goal isn't just the soul ring, but the position of City Lord of Suotuo."

Shen Rui was stunned: "Explain!"

Shen Feng nodded: "As the deputy city lord of Suotuo, Fels has countless capable subordinates, and his network of connections spans the entire Bala Kingdom."

"Why would he spend over a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins to hire you, a soul master he isn't even familiar with, just for a mere twenty-thousand-year soul ring?"

Shen Rui patted his shoulder confidently: "That must be because your old man has a good reputation. Who within hundreds of miles doesn't know that I, your father, am the most honorable soul master around?"

Shen Feng shook his head: "That possibility can't be ruled out, but the main point is that the City Lord of Suotuo is likely about to step down."

Shen Rui was shocked: "How is that possible? There are no rumors outside, and the letters didn't mention it. How do you know?"

Shen Feng pointed to his head: "Use your brain."

"It's common knowledge that the City Lord of Suotuo is in poor health, and at over seventy years old, it's time for him to retire."

"Suotuo is the second most important city in the Bala Kingdom. Aside from status, having a soul power of level sixty or above is a major requirement for the selection of a city lord."

"Fels is risking it by asking you to help him hunt a soul beast at this critical juncture instead of using his own people, likely just to keep himself hidden."

"When the other contenders are tearing each other apart for the position, he can suddenly emerge, take them all down, and reap the rewards."

Shen Rui pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized: "No wonder that old guy was willing to pay over a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins to have me help him hunt! It turns out there's a bigger prize waiting for him."

"No, I have to fleece him this time. I'll take the opportunity to make a big score."

Ling Na glared at him: "Use your head. Our son already mentioned territory. Why would you want so many Gold Soul Coins?"

"If we secure a territory of our own, it will be convenient for doing anything later. That's something Gold Soul Coins can't buy."

Shen Feng gave Ling Na a thumbs up: "Mom is right. Gold Soul Coins are just liquid assets. If we miss this chance to acquire territory, who knows when we'll get another one?"

"Fels is definitely spending a fortune to secure the position of City Lord of Suotuo. If we take this chance to demand a piece of land from him, he'll definitely grit his teeth and agree."

"If he refuses, we'll expose his plot to seize the city lord position and ruin his plans."

Shen Rui gritted his teeth: "Fine, let's do it. At worst, if we fail, our family will just wander the world and try our luck elsewhere. I've been tired of living in this damn Suotuo for a long time anyway."

Ling Na pondered: "Threatening Fels is easy, but where should we choose our territory?"

"If it's too good a location, I think that old guy would rather fight us to the death than easily compromise."

"Star Dou Forest!" Shen Feng blurted out.

"What the hell?" Both Shen Rui and Ling Na were shocked.

Treating the Star Dou Forest as a territory—no sane person would be that crazy.

For thousands of years, even the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire have worn their tongues thin, yet neither could figure out whose territory it actually was.

But if you really asked them to try and occupy it?

They'd go in without a sound; a million-strong army could be thrown in without even making a splash before being completely devoured.

The soul beasts might even experience an unprecedented population boom due to the abundance of food.

Yet, in such a dangerous place, Shen Feng actually wanted to make it their territory.

Shen Feng chuckled and explained: "The Star Dou Forest is effectively a place where no one governs. If we ask Fels to issue such an absurd official certificate, he won't hesitate."

"Because this is a case of using someone else's resources to get your own business done."

"Besides, the true boundaries of the Star Dou Forest aren't defined by entering the forest itself."

"In reality, soul beasts often appear on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, making it unsuitable for human habitation. The nearest city is over a hundred miles away."

"The closer you get to the Star Dou Forest, the sparser the population becomes. Within fifty miles, there's practically no one left."

"But we don't have to worry. We want a gathering place exclusively for soul masters, not for ordinary people."

"As long as we find a suitable spot within fifty miles of the border, as more and more soul masters gather, it will naturally form a small soul master town that even soul beasts won't dare to approach easily."

"We only need the administrative rights to that place, to establish our own order, issue missions to soul masters, collect service fees, trade various materials, and so on."

"Wouldn't wealth, social status, and fame come pouring in?"

"When the time comes to build a city or expand, or even if we eventually incorporate the Star Dou Forest into our territory once our power grows, won't it all be up to us?"

"By then, who would dare to say a word against us?"

"And with the Star Dou Forest at our backs, the entire forest becomes our strategic depth. Who would dare send a massive army to surround and annihilate us?"

Shen Rui and Ling Na listened to Shen Feng's insane plan in shock, feeling as if they were looking at a genius.

Initially, they would attract soul masters who didn't want to travel far by offering safety. Later, as the number of soul masters increased, it would naturally make the soul beasts wary, keeping them from approaching at will.

After all, humans are part of the natural world. Once the territory is marked and they stand their ground, the soul beasts will naturally respect the rules of nature and avoid this dangerous zone.

Because their scale would be too small, they wouldn't truly attract the attention of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts within the Star Dou Forest, preventing them from risking a charge out of the forest to attack.

Moreover, with the Star Dou Forest at their backs, if any major human power came to surround them, they could rely on the fact that they were all soul masters and retreat into the depths of the forest to hide.

By then, large armies of ordinary people wouldn't be able to get in, and small squads of soul masters wouldn't know the terrain as well as they did, eventually being worn down by guerrilla warfare.

As time passed, their reputation would spread, their power would grow, and eventually, the entire border of the Star Dou Forest would be their paradise.

Crouching in the gap between humans and soul beasts, developing in secret, and then emerging one day to shock the entire world.

The origin of all this was simply because a deputy city lord, who had once vied for the position of city lord, had issued an officially certified legal permit to a daring, brain-damaged fool.

At the break of dawn, Shen Feng quietly slipped out of the room shared by Shen Rui and Ling Na.

Despite not sleeping all night, he didn't feel the least bit tired; in fact, he was so energized that he felt like going for a refreshing morning run—the handstand kind.

However, now was not the time, as he still needed to coordinate with Oscar to ensure they could leave together later.

"What? You're leaving?"

Early in the morning, Flender's roar echoed through the principal's office at Shrek Academy.

"No, I won't allow it. I won't agree to this, no matter what."

"Our Shrek Academy has only just started to show some promise, and I will not permit you to tear it apart."

Shen Rui and Ling Na exchanged a glance: "Principal, we are just going out to seek new opportunities; we didn't say we were quitting Shrek Academy."

"We'll be like visiting instructors—yes, that's it, visiting instructors."

"Once we've developed things on our end, you can absolutely send students over to us for internships or to train in real combat."

Flender's brows furrowed tightly as he turned to look at Shen Feng and Oscar.

"Shen Rui and Ling Na are both six-ring Soul Emperors; they are still young, and I can understand and support their desire to go out and build a career."

"But you two little ones—one is nine and the other is eleven—and your strength is only at the two-ring Soul Grand Master level. Why do you need to tag along?"

Shen Rui chuckled: "Principal, you know that I've practically worn out your entire collection of books; there's really no new knowledge left for me to learn."

"Besides, given my current combat power, a place like the Great Soul Arena, which is essentially a playground for children, is no longer suitable for me."