A low shout rang out.
"Bang!"
The impact of flesh against flesh wasn't particularly loud, but it was exceptionally dull.
The white figure's right foot landed with pinpoint accuracy on the inside of the blue-clad woman's knife-wielding wrist.
"Crack!"
The sound of bone breaking rang clear.
"Ahhh!"
The woman screamed. The dagger flew from her hand and clattered to the ground some distance away.
The tremendous force sent her flying. She slammed hard into the wall on the other side, then slid limply to the ground. Clutching her wrist, she curled up and groaned in pain, unable to get back up.
Only then did the white figure land steadily and reveal himself.
It was Dai Mubai. He still carried two bulging Cloth Bags full of fresh ingredients in his left hand, while his right hung casually at his side.
After that single strike, Dai Mubai dispelled his Martial Soul Possession. Four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—flashed beneath his feet before vanishing.
It had all happened too quickly.
From the girl's sudden attack to Dai Mubai's arrival, the dagger being kicked away, and the girl being sent flying, only two or three breaths had passed.
Not until Dai Mubai landed did the two men who had been pretending to be thugs snap out of their daze. Fear appeared on their faces, and they couldn't help taking a step back. They hadn't even seen how Dai Mubai had appeared.
The two exchanged a glance, let out strange cries, and immediately turned to flee deeper into the alley, not even bothering with their accomplice on the ground.
Dai Mubai glanced in the direction they'd run but didn't pursue them.
He set down the Cloth Bags in his left hand, brushed nonexistent dust from his palms, then turned to the still-shaken Xiao Wu and the astonished Tang San.
"Are you all right?"
Dai Mubai's voice was quiet, yet steady with the composure of someone who had seen his share of trouble.
Only then did Xiao Wu come back to her senses. She pressed a hand to her chest, still shaken. "N-no, I'm fine. Thank you so much for helping us!"
She might have been impulsive, but she wasn't foolish. She immediately understood that if the blond youth hadn't intervened in time, she might have been injured or even taken hostage.
Tang San hurried forward and drew Xiao Wu behind him to a safer spot before clasping his hands in a solemn salute to Dai Mubai. "Many thanks for coming to our aid, brother! I'm Tang San, and this is my younger sister, Xiao Wu. If you hadn't stepped in, we would have fallen into their trap."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell to Dai Mubai's feet. The Soul Rings had already vanished, but the four that had flashed into view—especially the two deep purple ones—had left an indelible impression on him.
Four Soul Rings! Two yellow and two purple! The optimal configuration! And judging by his age, he couldn't be more than fifteen!
A huge wave crashed through Tang San's heart. He possessed the Mysterious Heaven Skill and cultivated far faster than ordinary Soul Masters.
Even so, at twelve years old, he was only level twenty-nine, just one step short of level thirty.
He had always considered himself an undisputed genius in Nuoding City, and his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, had said he was exceptionally gifted.
But this youth before him seemed only two or three years older, and he was already a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor!
What kind of terrifying cultivation speed was that? Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill, could Tang San reach the Soul Ancestor realm by the age of fifteen?
He wasn't sure he could.
He had left Nuoding City and come to the much broader Suotuo City, and the very first Soul Master his age he'd encountered possessed such frightening strength.
It made him keenly aware of just how small Nuoding City was. The world beyond was far broader than he'd imagined.
Compared to this place, his own talent and achievements seemed like nothing special.
That realization filled the usually proud Tang San with an intense sense of urgency, even as Dai Mubai's strength left him in awe.
Dai Mubai paid no mind to Tang San's gaze. He had seen looks like that plenty of times before.
He glanced at the woman groaning on the ground, then said to Tang San and Xiao Wu, "Suotuo City is a mixed bag. This sort of honey trap isn't unusual."
"They exploit people's sympathy and lure them somewhere secluded. Their accomplices play the villains, and while the victim is distracted, the one who drew them in attacks and robs them—or even kidnaps them."
"You're new here, so be on your guard. Don't casually follow strangers to secluded places, and don't easily trust people just because they seem 'weak.'"
Tang San nodded seriously and committed Dai Mubai's words to memory. The lesson had been more than deep enough.
"I haven't asked your name, brother. You're clearly skilled. Are you a local Soul Master from Suotuo City?"
Dai Mubai picked up the Cloth Bags and replied casually, "Dai Mubai. You could say that. I study at Shrek Academy outside the city."
As he spoke, Dai Mubai looked over Tang San and Xiao Wu. They were young, yet their auras far surpassed those of Soul Masters their age, so he guessed why they had come to Suotuo City.
"Are you here to apply to our Shrek Academy?"
Shrek Academy!
Tang San and Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at the same time. They hadn't expected to run into a Shrek Academy student so soon—and one this powerful, at that.
"That's right! Our teacher recommended us, so we came to apply to Shrek Academy!"
There was a note of respect in Tang San's voice. His teacher had been right: Shrek Academy was definitely worth attending!
Dai Mubai looked at them and nodded. "The academy's been recruiting these past two days. Follow this road out of the city and head south for about three li. You'll see a village. The one with a wooden arch at its entrance is the place."
"The entrance examinations should still be underway. I bought some things and need to get back soon, so I'll leave you to it. Good luck."
He nodded to them, picked up the Cloth Bags, and strode out of the alley. His steps were steady, and he soon disappeared around the corner.
Only Tang San, Xiao Wu, the groaning con artist on the ground, and the dagger lying in the distance remained in the alley.
Tang San walked over and carefully picked up the dagger with a piece of cloth. One glance at the substance coating its edge told him, with his years of experience using poison, that the blade was poisoned.
Tang San's eyes turned colder. He put the dagger away in Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges, then checked the woman and confirmed that her wrist was broken and she was no longer a threat. After that, he left her alone.
"Xiao Wu, let's go."
Tang San took Xiao Wu's hand and headed out of the alley.
He didn't want to kill anyone in front of Xiao Wu, nor did he want to make trouble here. The two of them were only Soul Grandmasters; making enemies of local Soul Masters would make life difficult for them afterward.
Before leaving, Xiao Wu glanced back at the unconscious woman, then hurried to catch up, staying close behind Tang San.
Thinking about what she'd just done, Xiao Wu couldn't help apologizing quietly. "Third Brother, I was impulsive today. I nearly put us both in danger. I'm really sorry!"
At her words, Tang San stopped and turned to face her. Smiling, he patted her head and comforted her softly. "Xiao Wu, it wasn't your fault. You have a kind heart, and there's nothing wrong with that. The ones at fault are the people who exploit others' kindness for their own gain! Keep being kind, Xiao Wu!"
If this ever happens again, I'll make sure you stay safe!
Tang San didn't say the last sentence aloud. He didn't want to burden Xiao Wu, and protecting his younger sister was only right.
With Tang San's reassurance, Xiao Wu's gloom lifted, and she began bouncing along again.
"Third Brother, that Soul Master named Dai Mubai was amazing. He didn't look much older than us, but he's already a Soul Ancestor. Are all the students at Shrek Academy that strong?"
"I don't know. But I believe that if we go to Shrek Academy, we can become powerful like Dai Mubai too!"
Tang San fell silent for a moment, then slowly let out a breath and looked toward the spot outside the alley where Dai Mubai had disappeared.
"Xiao Wu, let's go. Our next stop: Shrek!"
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