The Butterfly Effect

An alleyway, where Qiangu Wuji had just arrived, and he immediately spotted Tang Wulin standing in front of two thugs, looking fierce.

In front of him stood two thugs, both leering at Na'er.

Watching the scene, Qiangu Wuji thought, Just as I expected. This must be the part in the original story where Tang Wulin saves Na'er.

He didn't rush to intervene. According to the original story, Tang Wulin would scare the two thugs off in the end.

If that happened, there'd be no need for him to get involved.

With that in mind, he tugged Gu Yue along and quietly retreated into a corner, watching carefully.

Gu Yue furrowed her brow but said nothing, obediently staying by his side.

Meanwhile, in the alley, Tang Wulin spoke just as he had in the original story, sounding fierce despite his fear.

"Bad people never come to a good end! I'm a Soul Master, and I'm not afraid of you! Let her go!"

Watching from a distance, Qiangu Wuji thought, If things follow the original story, the two thugs will leave after hearing that, wary of his status as a Soul Master.

That was how it was supposed to go, but...

"So what if you're a Soul Master?"

As soon as Tang Wulin finished speaking, one of the thugs spat on the ground in disdain.

Tang Wulin froze. Even Qiangu Wuji was taken aback.

What was going on?

Why was this different from the original story?

While he was still bewildered, one of the thugs suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Tang Wulin hard.

"Kid, if you don't want to die, get out of my way!"

The kick sent Tang Wulin sprawling to the ground.

After knocking him aside, the thug went straight to Na'er and, ignoring her cries, hoisted her onto his shoulder.

Qiangu Wuji couldn't sit by any longer. What would happen if those two thugs took Na'er away?

He hurriedly jumped out and shouted.

"Stop right there!"

His shout echoed through the alley. Tang Wulin, sprawled on the ground, looked up at him in surprise.

"Qiangu, is that you?"

Qiangu Wuji didn't answer. With his handsome brows furrowed, he walked up to the two thugs and snapped, "Let the girl go!"

The thugs looked at Qiangu Wuji, a flash of admiration in their eyes. Then they leered.

"Heh, looks like we're in luck today. Another gorgeous little girl's walked right into our hands. We can sell her for a pretty penny."

Qiangu Wuji's face darkened. "What's wrong with your eyes? I'm a boy!"

Honestly, what was wrong with these people? Why did they keep mistaking him for a girl?

Maybe he shouldn't grow his hair long anymore.

"A boy?"

The two thugs were clearly shocked. They looked him up and down, then leered again.

"Heh, who cares if you're a boy or a girl? As long as you're pretty." One of them reached out to grab him.

Qiangu Wuji gave a cold snort. Without hesitation, he drew on his Soul Power, and a yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

As the thug's hand reached for him, he slapped it away.

Even as a One-Ring Soul Master, his physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

His slap sent the thug staggering with a sharp crack. His arm was clearly broken.

"Ah!"

The thug cried out in pain. Seeing the First Soul Ring beneath Qiangu Wuji's feet, he exclaimed in shock, "You're a Soul Master!"

Becoming a One-Ring Soul Master at the age of six was astonishing even among Soul Masters—let alone to these two ordinary people.

Qiangu Wuji met their stunned expressions with a cold snort. "If you don't want a beating, get lost!"

They might have been able to bully Tang Wulin, but they couldn't bully him.

Even without an offensive Soul Skill, they were no match for him.

The two thugs exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.

"So that's why you dared to come save someone all by yourself, kid. You're a One-Ring Soul Master. No wonder you're so cocky."

"Hmph, you think being a One-Ring Soul Master makes you so great?"

Hearing them, Qiangu Wuji furrowed his handsome brows again.

Weren't these two ordinary people?

Why weren't they afraid?

As he wondered, one of the thugs suddenly shouted behind him, "Boss, it's your turn! We've run into a tough one!"

At that, Qiangu Wuji tensed and quickly looked toward the mouth of the alley.

There, a towering bald man was slowly walking toward them.

Qiangu Wuji was slightly surprised. With his mental power, how had he failed to notice someone else was here?

The bald man soon reached them. He glanced at the Soul Ring around Qiangu Wuji's feet, then snorted disdainfully.

"You little girl, you haven't even grown your first hair, and you think you can play hero? Since you're already here, you're not leaving today."

With that, he stamped hard on the ground, making it shake. The muscles across his body swelled visibly, and a long lizard's tail sprouted from his back.

The transformation made the already huge man look even more imposing, like a mountain.

Qiangu Wuji and Gu Yue looked like toys standing before him.

Tang Wulin, who had been knocked to the ground nearby, cried out, "He's a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster!"

Qiangu Wuji's expression turned grave. Thanks to the passive effect of Heavenly Six Eyes, he could see that the man's Soul Power was exceptionally dense, no weaker than Lin Ximeng's had been.

And perhaps because of his Beast Martial Soul, the man's blood and vitality were exceptionally strong. His physical strength alone was probably already beyond what Qiangu Wuji could handle.

Gu Yue frowned too. Her jade hand, hidden in her wide sleeve, clenched slightly, as if she were making a certain decision.

"Little girl, if you don't want to get hurt, come quietly with me. I'd hate to hurt that pretty little face."

The bald man folded his arms, his expression calm and self-assured.

Qiangu Wuji said nothing, his brows knitted as he thought of a plan.

He didn't know why things had diverged from the original story at this point, but the most important thing now was figuring out how to get through this crisis.

There was no time to wait for Leng Yaozhu to come back. He'd have to find a way himself.

But what could he do? He didn't have a single offensive Soul Skill, and he certainly couldn't match this man physically.

"Damao, Ermao, go grab her for me."

Qiangu Wuji's silence had clearly cost the bald man his patience. He waved for the two thugs to move in.

With their boss backing them up, the two thugs weren't afraid anymore. Grinning, they walked toward Qiangu Wuji.

Gu Yue's eyes narrowed. A blade of wind formed in her hand, hidden in her sleeve, and she was about to act.

But just then, two screams rang out. Qiangu Wuji, who had been standing still, struck like lightning, and both thugs hit the ground screaming.

The bald man was momentarily stunned. When he realized what had happened, he flew into a rage.

"You still dare to fight back? You're asking to die!"

With that, he stamped his foot. His First Soul Ring lit up, and a crack raced across the ground toward Qiangu Wuji.

Qiangu Wuji had already watched the man's Soul Power circulate and knew he was about to use a Soul Skill. He grabbed Gu Yue and leaped to the side, dodging the attack.