But the Soul Hunting Guild was short-staffed, and Shen Feng and Oscar were strong enough. They were also enforcers within the Guild, so naturally, the rules weren't as rigid for them.
They tracked and hunted, then tracked and hunted again. Shen Feng and Oscar were just like bounty hunters, pursuing Soul Masters who broke the Soul Hunting Guild's rules wherever they went.
In nearly a year, the two of them had completed more than twenty missions of various ranks.
They had hunted one Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, six Three-Ring Soul Elders, twelve Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, and nearly a hundred One-Ring Soul Masters and ordinary people who had aided the wicked.
The long pursuit and constant fighting, along with all the tragedies they had witnessed, had stripped the young Shen Feng and Oscar of the youthful innocence they ought to have had at their age. In its place, they had acquired some of the coldness and weathered maturity of adults.
Outside a bandit stronghold, Shen Feng and Oscar lay hidden in a nearby forest. The dense undergrowth concealed them completely.
"Xiao Feng, this mission's a headache. Our target's holed up in this bandit den and won't come out."
Shen Feng knitted his brows. "The Soul Hunting Guild's principles can't be violated. Anyone who breaks them must die."
"Our organization's only just getting started. We can't afford to ruin our reputation."
Oscar nodded. "I know. But the intelligence says there's a Soul Ancestor, three Soul Grandmasters, and three hundred ordinary bandits in there besides our target."
"If we want to wipe them out completely, we might have to use unconventional methods—or ask for help."
"And taking down bandits isn't our mission. Besides, these bandits know which noble is keeping them as a private army."
Shen Feng thought it over. "Has the Soul Hunting Guild received a mission to wipe out this bandit gang?"
Oscar took a small booklet from his Soul Tool and began flipping through it.
"Yes. The bounty's small. A few villages pooled their money to post it. It's only twenty-three Gold Soul Coins, sixty-seven Silver Soul Coins, and seventy-eight Copper Soul Coins."
Shen Feng chuckled. "Their bad luck. We'll take the mission."
"Get ready to blow up the mountain. We'll send them all flying at once."
"As for which noble we offend, my dad can deal with that later. We just have to complete the mission."
Oscar's pretty, peach-blossom eyes curved slightly as he licked his lips. "I'm an assassin. I have no feelings, and I have no money. My heart is cold, my blood is cold, and even my feet are cold."
Shen Feng raised a hand and smacked Oscar on the head. "Quit fooling around and get to work."
Oscar rubbed his head and grinned. "Don't you think it sounds cool? A cold-blooded assassin who, to avenge poor commoners, defies the powerful and wipes out the bandit army kept by a bunch of noble lords."
"Yeah, yeah, you're the coolest. Get moving. I don't want to charge in only to be greeted by blades and arrows."
Night fell. Shen Feng and Oscar had quietly planted plenty of explosives around the bandit stronghold.
Two hundred meters from the stronghold, in an open area, ten Mortars stood ready.
Shen Feng glanced at the sky. Clouds obscured the moon, leaving the night pitch-black. A chilly breeze swept by, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Perfect. A moonless, windy night—the perfect time for murder and arson. We can't afford to wait."
"Xiao Ao, same as always. First, blanket them with fire, then strike with precision. I'll charge in, and you provide support!"
Oscar patted his chest. "Ready when you are."
Shen Feng nodded and vanished into the darkness in the blink of an eye.
Oscar rubbed his hands together. Soul Power surged through his body and streamed from his fingertips like threads, deftly wrapping around the thick artillery shells one by one.
Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft—
A series of shells roared from their barrels. In the distance, the bandit stronghold was instantly engulfed in explosions. Flames soared into the sky, and screams rang out without end.
Most of the ordinary bandits were stunned with terror.
The Soul Masters knew the blasts came from the Soul Hunting Guild's firearms, but they had no good way to defend themselves. They could only scatter and flee.
Rumble—
After a brief lull, deafening explosions erupted around the stronghold. The survivors who had just escaped were wiped out on the spot.
That was the result of Shen Feng seizing the right moment to detonate the explosives.
After the two violent blasts, Oscar immediately packed away the scattered Mortars and raced toward the ruins of the bandit stronghold.
By then, Shen Feng had already stepped through the stronghold's ruined gate, illuminated by the flames blazing all around.
"Come out. I can already sense you."
Standing before a collapsed house, Shen Feng spoke coldly, his face hidden behind a mask.
Rubble shifted and fell away as a bloodied, middle-aged man poked his head out.
"How did you find me?"
Shen Feng ignored him. Instead, he flicked his right hand and took a portrait from his wrist guard, comparing it carefully.
"Yellow-Rank, level seven target: Bishi Mountain bandit leader Jing You. Martial Soul: trident. Level forty-three Soul Ancestor. Is that you?"
"You brat, don't underestimate me!" Jing You roared and suddenly sprang into action.
A white, two yellow, and a purple Soul Ring lit up in turn. A flash of light passed over his right hand, and his trident fired a beam straight at Shen Feng.
Shen Feng shifted his footing and dodged the Soul Power beam.
Jing You seized the opportunity. Blue Soul Power flared around him as he charged at Shen Feng with his trident.
Shen Feng's gaze sharpened. He swept his left hand over his thigh, drew his Handgun, and fired.
Bang—
The gunshot rang out. Jing You's left leg snapped in an instant, bringing his charge to a sudden halt.
Shen Feng stood his ground and aimed the muzzle at Jing You's head. "Where's Jing Bian?"
"Pah!" Jing You spat at Shen Feng. "Soul Hunting Guild lackey! Kill me if you want. I'll never betray my younger brother."
Shen Feng nodded. "You two are close. I'll grant your wish."
"Third Soul Skill: Heavenly Net!"
Just as Shen Feng was about to fire, a huge net suddenly dropped from above and trapped him.
"Good work, little brother!"
As Jing You rejoiced, a slight smile touched Shen Feng's lips. His finger squeezed the trigger.
Bang—
The shot rang out. A bowl-sized hole appeared in Jing You's chest, blood gushed out, and he died instantly.
"Big brother!" Jing Bian shouted. The second Soul Ring on his body lit up. "You Soul Hunting Guild dogs! I'll make you pay with your life!"
"Fishing Net Cut: Lingering Torment!"
The net trapping Shen Feng began to contract rapidly.
Shen Feng smiled faintly. A yellow and a purple Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet.
"Second Soul Skill: Thunder Flash!"
Purple-black lightning flashed. Shen Feng vanished in an instant, and the tightening net dropped limply to the ground.
Jing Bian's pupils contracted, his face filled with terror. "Where is he? Where is he? Damn hunting dog, if you've got the guts, come out! Come out!"
"Looking for me?"
Shen Feng's icy voice came from behind Jing Bian. The Leiming Blade, crackling with purple-black lightning, was already at his throat.
"Yellow-Rank, level five target: Jing Bian. Martial Soul: fishing net. Level thirty-nine. Target confirmed!"
"Crimes: During a mission, dissatisfied with his employer's words and conduct, he slaughtered nineteen ordinary people to vent his anger. His methods were cruel, sparing neither the young nor the old."
"Joint ruling by the Soul Hunting Guild and the Star Dou Border City Martial Soul Branch Hall—"
"Wait, wait! I confess! I'll compensate them—"
"Death to you!"
Squelch—
Blood sprayed as a huge head flew into the air.
Shen Feng flipped his hand and took out a wooden box, catching the head inside.
"Wow, you're impressive. You finished so quickly."
"Unlike me. I only took care of three Soul Grandmasters."
Oscar came through the flames behind Shen Feng, carrying three heads with eyes still open in death.
Shen Feng glanced back at Oscar and nodded without expression.
"As long as they're dead. Let's clean up the battlefield while it's still dark and leave before dawn."
Oscar chuckled and dropped the three heads he was carrying to the ground.
"I get it. Do what we have to, but don't get caught in the act, or we'll be in trouble."
Shen Feng nodded. "Right. Without evidence, it's just slander. We can deny everything and get away with it."
"If we're caught in the act, those nobles will band together and go make trouble for the Guild again."
Oscar pulled down his mask and spat on the ground. "Those damn nobles will stop at nothing for their own gain. They're always keeping bandits and robbers as private armies to terrorize the people."
"An execution line might kill a few innocent people, but if you kill ten, you're sure to get at least one guilty person."
"If I ever become a Titled Douluo, I'll wipe them all out at once."
Shen Feng chuckled. "Sure, sure. Do whatever makes you happy."
"But there's plenty of injustice in this world, and we're far too weak. For now, we can only play by other people's rules."
"We can push the limits a little, but if we go too far, a whole army will come after us."
"Ugh..." Oscar sighed and pulled his mask back up, frustrated. "I know. I was just talking. I needed to vent."
"Forget it. Same as always: you handle outside, and I'll go look for treasure inside."
Shen Feng waved him off. "Go ahead. I'll handle things here."
Over the past year, Shen Feng and Oscar had traveled to many places and witnessed all sorts of things.
Good, bad, and worse—forced levies, greedy oppression, men assaulting women, arson and murder, robbery and plunder. They had seen plenty of such tragedies firsthand over the past year.
After seeing so much, the indignation that a young man couldn't keep bottled up naturally filled Oscar's chest. In short, he was a hot-blooded young man.
Shen Feng was furious too, with a fire smoldering in his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested wiping out the bandits this time.
But more than twenty years of experience in his previous life had made him more rational and taught him patience. He knew what he should and shouldn't do.
When they were weak, they had to keep a low profile. Quietly punishing evildoers was one thing, but if they made a show of it, the nobles who controlled the resources would retaliate against them with all their might.
Their Soul Hunting Guild was still weak. They couldn't stand up to Heaven Dou, the Star Luo Empire, or Spirit Hall—not to mention that any advanced Soul Master Academy in the Balak Kingdom could chase them all over the place.
Still, the Soul Hunting Guild had grown rapidly over the past year. It had even established a partnership with the Martial Soul Branch Hall in a city on the border of the Star Dou Forest.
Spirit Hall provided funds to post bounties on Soul Masters who committed crimes through the Soul Hunting Guild.
The Guild's unaffiliated Soul Masters took the jobs for pay, hunting down criminals.
Spirit Hall could reduce the number of its own Soul Masters injured in battle, while the Soul Hunting Guild could quickly make a name for itself in the Soul Master World through Spirit Hall's channels. The unaffiliated Soul Masters, meanwhile, could complete missions and earn rewards.
It was a win-win situation. Why not?
After all, hunting Soul Beasts was Soul Hunting, and hunting Soul Masters was Soul Hunting too. Both meant risking your life for money, so there wasn't much difference between them.
Take Jing Bian, the Soul Elder Shen Feng and Oscar had pursued this time. His record was held by the Martial Soul Branch Hall in a border city of the Star Dou Forest.
When Shen Feng and Oscar took his head back to claim their reward, they could collect two bounties from the Soul Hunting Guild at once: one posted by the Guild itself, and another commissioned by Spirit Hall.
Two hours later, Shen Feng dug a large pit in the ground and tossed the more than two hundred bodies he could find in the stronghold into it.
"Xiao Feng, Xiao Feng, come look! I found their treasury!"
Just as Shen Feng was about to bury the bodies, Oscar's excited voice suddenly rang out from the darkness of the stronghold.
Before you continue