"Xiaoyan, have some tea." Bibi Dong invited Su Yan to sit and poured him a cup of tea.
The tea leaves on Douluo Continent were truly top quality, and the water was sweet, too. The brewed tea had an exquisite fragrance.
Su Yan took a small sip, and its fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth.
Suddenly, a golden bolt of lightning burst out. A clap of thunder rang from the Electric Mouse's cheeks as it sprang to its feet. "Pika!"
It warily surveyed its surroundings. Only when it spotted Su Yan did it relax a little, and the lightning in the electric pouches on its cheeks slowly faded.
"Pika-God, you're awake!" Su Yan said, reaching out to pick up Pikachu. A golden bolt of lightning instantly enveloped him.
Bzzzt!
Su Yan's hair once again turned into a porcupine's quills, though the smell of singed hair was much fainter. He wasn't sure whether Pika-God had gone easy on him or his own resistance had improved.
Beside Pika-God, Zhu Zhuqing's brows were knitted tight. She struggled ceaselessly, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, stubbornly refusing to let them fall.
Every so often, she cried out, "Sister! Sister!"
Su Yan sighed. It was probably because of the mess involving the royal family in the Star Luo Empire.
After a while, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes. Her already cool gaze now held a chill, and most of the bewilderment that had shrouded her disappeared.
She took a deep breath and pulled her thoughts back to the present.
Pikachu leaped into her arms and rubbed against her happily. "Pika, pika~"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression softened at once. She hugged Pikachu close and smiled.
Tang Chi was much quieter. He only whimpered softly as tears streamed from his eyes.
His sobs came to an abrupt halt, and he woke up as well. His face was still the same, but his whole demeanor seemed different.
He wiped away his tears, leaving only a trace of determination in his eyes.
Xue Ke was the quietest of the three. She'd made no sound, shown no emotion, and displayed no change the entire time. After waking up, the first thing she said was, "Instructor, I want to cultivate!"
Bibi Dong raised a hand and ruffled her hair, then agreed.
Ah Rou leaned over and whispered, "Little one, you should think carefully about this person. She isn't... Anyway..."
"What are you trying to say?" Bibi Dong asked coolly. In the end, Ah Rou didn't manage to finish what she'd wanted to say and let it go.
Seeing that it was getting late, Bibi Dong decided they would rest here for the night and set out early the next day.
As night grew deeper, Zhu Zhuqing went over to Bibi Dong. "Instructor, there's something I'd like to discuss with you in private."
The two walked off to one side. When they returned, Bibi Dong looked grave and held Zhu Zhuqing in her arms to comfort her.
Tang Chi stepped forward again. "Saintess Instructor, there's something I'd like to tell you."
Bibi Dong, who had only just returned, went out again. When she came back, she looked utterly incredulous, her beautiful eyes studying Tang Chi over and over.
With that, the matter was settled. The night passed without a word.
Early the next morning, the group arrived at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest. Ma Xiunuo had arrived early and was waiting outside with a carriage.
The entrance was still bustling, with quite a few people gathered around a vendor's stall.
They heard the vendor say, "Word has it throughout the martial world: the martial arts supreme commands the world with the Dragon-Slaying Blade, and none dare disobey. If the Heaven-Defying Sword appears, who could stand against it?"
"The blade I have here is forged from top-grade Mysterious Iron. It's the Dragon-Slaying Blade! It can cut through iron like mud and sever a hair with a breath. Nothing is beyond it."
"If any Lord Soul Master doesn't believe me, come on up and try it!"
Su Yan stopped, scratching his ear uncertainly.
He heard the man continue, "I also have a fragment of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber. It records not only the peerless might of the Dragon-Slaying Blade, but also the whereabouts of another divine weapon, the Heaven-Defying Sword. I'll throw it in as well!"
"How much are you asking for it?" someone asked.
The vendor held up five fingers. "Five hundred Gold Soul Coins!"
"Five hundred? Why don't you just rob us!"
"Exactly. Weapon Soul Masters won't use it, and Beast Soul Masters don't need it."
"An ordinary support Soul Master has teammates. They don't need to fight on their own, either."
"Move along, move along!"
The vendor flushed red at their jeers and hurriedly called out again, "Don't go, don't go! This Dragon-Slaying Blade has quite the history!"
No matter how he tried to stop them, the crowd still scattered.
Nobody would spend five hundred Gold Soul Coins on a weapon they couldn't use.
"Boss, how much for this blade?"
A child's voice rang out. The vendor hurriedly looked up and saw a child with black hair and black eyes, dressed in fine clothes. He was clearly from a wealthy family. The vendor held up one finger. "A thousand Gold Soul Coins."
Su Yan was speechless. What a swindler.
He thought for a moment, then slowly raised one finger.
"One hundred?" the vendor asked hesitantly.
Su Yan shook his head. "One Gold Soul Coin."
"Not for sale." The vendor stamped his feet in a panic. "Kid, this is the Dragon-Slaying Treasure Blade. Look at the material! Look at the pattern! Do you think it could be fake?"
Su Yan examined it closely. The Dragon-Slaying Treasure Blade was golden from end to end, its edge gleaming with cold light. A golden dragon lay along its spine, its tail winding all the way down to the hilt.
It was said that the Dragon-Slaying Blade had been forged from a Mysterious Iron Heavy Sword combined with Western Fine Gold. Just standing close to it made Su Yan feel a bone-deep chill. The hair on his body stood on end, and a faint pressure swirled around him.
The real thing.
The egg inside him was trembling, too.
"You're not a dragon. What are you scared of?" Su Yan said, soothing Egglet as he held it. Who knew that the egg only trembled even more violently.
"Are you really a dragon?" Su Yan asked.
The egg trembled once.
"You really are! Good grief!" Su Yan exclaimed, then turned his attention back to the swindler in front of him.
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins, and that's my final offer!" the vendor declared, sounding as if he were ready to stake everything on it. He wouldn't make a deal for less than five hundred.
Su Yan narrowed his eyes. He'd seen this move before.
A lion pouncing on a rabbit, ruling the world!
He slowly held up two fingers. "Two Gold Soul Coins. That's my final offer."
This move was called staying calm in a crisis and giving as good as you got!
The vendor was startled. He'd finally met his match. He took a deep breath and folded down two of his five fingers. "We're fated to meet. Three hundred, and it's yours."
Su Yan wasn't in a hurry. He raised one more finger. "Since we're fated to meet, three is fine by me."
The vendor made as if to put the Dragon-Slaying Treasure Blade away, while Su Yan turned and started to leave.
"Wait." The vendor spoke first, his confidence already halved. "You look like an impressive young man. I'll take a loss—one hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Su Yan wasn't swayed by his words. Slowly, he spread all five fingers. "Five."
"Deal!" The vendor hurriedly handed the Dragon-Slaying Treasure Blade to Su Yan and shoved half a volume of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber at him, afraid the deal might fall through.
Su Yan looked over the treasured blade, examining it closely from tip to hilt.
Its fine iron radiated a killing aura, while within it, a dragon's roar stirred the heavens and earth.
The dragon egg inside him was even more frightened. That was proof enough: it was the real thing.
He reached for his belt, then suddenly froze.
He didn't have any money. He hadn't collected a single day of his Spirit Hall allowance. He hurriedly called out, "Master!"
Bibi Dong had been standing nearby all along, watching to see what the little fellow would do. She tossed him a money pouch without a second thought. It held more than five coins—there were enough for a hundred.
Su Yan handed the vendor five Gold Soul Coins, and the deal was done.
"Well, I'll be! Someone actually bought that piece of junk."
"Look at his clothes. He's a rich young master. That money's probably not even his pocket change."
"We should hurry and get some weapons, make up a name and a story, then sell them for a good price."
"What should we call them, then? I only know firewood knives."
"Are you stupid? That one's called the Dragon-Slaying Blade. Just grab any old weapon and call it... the Dragon-Slaying Sword, Dragon-Slaying Spear, Dragon-Slaying Halberd. Any of those would work!"
"That's right, that's right!"
On the way back, Su Yan sat cross-legged with the Dragon-Slaying Blade resting on his knees, gently stroking its intricate patterns.
"Xiaoyan, why did you buy this blade?"
"Master, don't you think this blade is impressive?" Su Yan said proudly.
Bibi Dong stared at the blade for a long while, then slowly nodded and said no more.
Zhu Zhuqing remarked coolly, "The hilt would be uncomfortable even for chopping firewood."
Only Tang Chi was just as excited. He hefted his big hammer and asked, "They say this blade can cut through iron like mud. Want to try it out together?"
Before you continue