Martial Souls on the Douluo Continent came in all shapes and sizes. Broadly speaking, however, they could be divided into two types: Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls.
Beast Martial Souls transformed the Spirit Master's body, while Tool Martial Souls could be used outside the body and barely changed the Spirit Master's appearance.
A Xiao's situation could be explained as a congenital defect in her Martial Soul: after her Beast Martial Soul awakened, she couldn't change back. That was why she looked like a cat-eared girl.
People like her, whose appearance clearly set them apart from ordinary people, suffered discrimination. But not everyone saw it that way. Some even liked the way they looked—like Suo Jie, for example.
That was why people like A Xiao could fetch astronomical prices on the market, and why demand always outstripped supply.
Yes, slavery was one of the many gray-market industries on the Douluo Continent. It was considered a gray area because, although it was openly illegal, the more forbidden it was, the more the royals, nobles, wealthy families, and powerful gentry indulged in it.
As the saying went, where there was demand, there was a market. The slave trade was still thriving. It had simply moved underground with the changing times.
Lina handed over a black-and-gold card. Holding A Xiao in her arms, she said to Qian Yun and Hu Liena, "You two did a wonderful job rescuing A Xiao. This is your reward of twenty thousand gold coins, and I'll honor the Zuotuo Family's promise as well."
Hu Liena's eyes lit up. She took the card and, without the slightest hesitation, kissed it while it still held a lingering warmth. "Mwah! Working with Miss Lina is such a pleasure."
Then she gave it a sniff and grinned. "And it seems to carry Miss Lina's scent, too. I'll have to take extra good care of it."
A Xiao, nestled in Lina's arms, glared fiercely at her.
"You two are joking. You helped me so much; this little sacrifice is nothing." Lina's cheeks flushed as she watched Hu Liena.
Hu Liena glanced at A Xiao. "Then make sure you keep looking after her. I bet Suo Jie will try to get revenge, and your family won't dare openly fall out with him."
Lina nodded, gazing resolutely at A Xiao in her arms. "Yes! Whatever happens, I won't let A Xiao and me be separated again."
"What kind of person is Young Master Zhou?" Qian Yun suddenly asked.
From what Suo Jie had said, Young Master Zhou had to be an influential figure, with considerable power even in Spirit City.
Unfortunately, during his time in Spirit City, Qian Yun had spent nearly all his time in Pope Hall and rarely ventured out. He had never heard of Zhou Qingtian of Rosen Bank.
Lina thought for a moment before replying, "I told you before that there were other forces behind Suo Jie. Now that I've heard him say it himself, I think Young Master Zhou must be the person he meant. As for Zhou Qingtian, I know a little about him, but not much."
"Tell us."
Lina continued, "Zhou Qingtian is the heir to Rosen Bank. Rumor has it he has ties to the royal family. He enjoys making friends, is quite powerful himself, and has some influence among the nobles across the empire."
"Mm." Qian Yun nodded. It seemed Lina didn't know much either.
Half a year later
As Qian Yun had expected, Suo Jie never revealed his identity in public. He only kept trying to approach Qian Yun, who consistently ignored him.
Eventually, Suo Jie stopped making a move.
During those six months, Qian Yun and Hu Liena had only gone on two missions. Thanks to their outstanding performance, they had gradually become the core strength of their team.
Qian Yun's Soul Power had also grown exceptionally quickly. Over those six months, it had risen from Level 21, just after he acquired his Second Soul Ring, to Level 24.
Soon, Qian Yun received his third mission.
Yake Entu sat in his leather chair. Unlike his usual carefree self, he looked troubled.
"Knock, knock, knock."
At the sound, Yake Entu didn't even look up. "Come in."
Qian Yun opened the door, with Hu Liena following close behind. As soon as they entered, she asked, "Captain, you wanted to see us?"
Yake Entu nodded, then gestured toward the two chairs in front of his desk. "Sit. We'll talk."
Seeing how weighed down by worry he looked, Qian Yun couldn't help wondering what was wrong. He pulled out a chair and sat, waiting for Yake Entu to speak.
"You've both received the mission, right?" Yake Entu asked.
"We have. According to the report, we're heading to Morag Canyon to rescue the hostages," Qian Yun replied calmly.
Yake Entu nodded, then shook his head. "You're right, but not entirely."
Hu Liena couldn't help asking, "Captain, stop keeping us in suspense. What do you mean, right but not entirely?"
Yake Entu looked at them again, a trace of worry in his eyes. "On the surface, this is indeed a hostage-rescue mission. But I secretly received another order: we're to wipe out every Evil Spirit Master there!"
"Wipe out every Evil Spirit Master!" Qian Yun sat up straight. Shocked, he couldn't help asking, "But why issue the same mission separately in two parts? Are we, the ones carrying it out, not even allowed to know all the details?"
Yake Entu gave a helpless smile. "I don't know. I only have a vague suspicion that the order to wipe them out was added by someone higher up. The missions originally assigned to us were all handed off to other teams, too. This time, we really can't refuse."
"This..." Qian Yun was at a loss as well.
Hu Liena frowned. "Could you have offended someone, Captain? Why else would they make things so difficult for us?"
Yake Entu waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Impossible. You can't question my character. Go ask anyone at the Fanhai City branch of Spirit Hall—when they hear my name, Big Black, don't they give me a thumbs-up? Besides, if someone really wanted to sabotage me, they'd at least leave us a clue. This time, we have nothing to go on."
"Tch."
"Captain, how many Evil Spirit Masters do we have to eliminate?" Qian Yun asked, turning to Yake Entu.
Yake Entu sounded a little surprised. "Oh? You want to take it on?"
Qian Yun smiled. "Captain, you said it yourself. They're determined to shove this hot potato into our hands. If our team doesn't dare accept, won't people look down on us?"
"Good!" Yake Entu slapped the desk. "That's what I like to hear! You've got guts, just like the rest of our team!"
Yake Entu took a stack of papers from the drawer beside his desk and tossed it to Qian Yun. "This is the complete list of targets. According to the information, there are ten main targets and fifteen people in total, including the other rabble. That's already a sizable force."
Qian Yun quickly skimmed the documents, committing the targets' details to memory. When he reached the last page, his brow finally furrowed.
Level 39 Soul Power, Martial Soul: Blood Wolf?!
Before he could ask, Yake Entu spoke up. "You'll need to pay special attention to the leader of this group of Evil Spirit Masters. He's at Level 39, but given how quickly Evil Spirit Masters cultivate, he might have reached Level 40 by the time we encounter him."
Seeing Qian Yun frown, he added, "But you don't need to worry. He's my target. You only need to deal with the others. With your strength, it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Mm. Let's hope so." As soon as Qian Yun finished speaking, he suddenly realized something. "Wait. When you say 'you,' do you mean the other team members won't fight?"
Yake Entu shook his head. "That's not quite it, but don't forget they also have hostages to rescue. And right now, you two are the strongest ones on the team. When facing Evil Spirit Masters, the sooner we finish things, the better."
"Fair enough." Qian Yun organized the papers and handed them back to Yake Entu. "When do we leave?"
"We have seven days to finish the mission. Once you subtract travel time and other complications, I think tomorrow would be the best time to set out," Yake Entu replied.
Qian Yun looked at Hu Liena. "We've got plenty of time."
Yake Entu asked, a little surprised, "What? You're not going to prepare properly? This is going to be a tough fight."
Qian Yun replied with an air of solemn righteousness, "I'm always ready to give my life for Spirit Hall!"
Yake Entu immediately laughed and swore at him. "Bullshit!"
After they left the office, Hu Liena said to Qian Yun as they walked, "Qian Yun, I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye. This mission might be even more complicated than we expect. If the captain can't handle their leader, we'll be in trouble."
"You're right. We don't go into battle unprepared, so I plan to take out the rabble quickly and then help the captain as soon as possible."
Qian Yun looked at Hu Liena and smiled. "Besides, if the captain can't handle him, we still have a trump card, don't we?"
Hu Liena nodded. "True."
The day after next arrived quickly, and the team assembled. Since they already knew about the extra mission, the atmosphere on the road felt strangely subdued.
Yake Entu couldn't help feeling helpless, though their mood was understandable.
For these young team members, facing a pack of vicious Evil Spirit Masters still seemed a distant prospect. But anyone hoping to grow in the Soul Master World had to face trials of blood and tears sooner or later.
In the carriage, Qian Yun closed his eyes to rest. Unlike the other team members, he and Hu Liena remained relaxed. The journey was so dull that Hu Liena had already leaned her head against his shoulder and dozed off. Sitting opposite him was their old acquaintance, Lina.
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