"Xu Yuan." Xu Yuan replied concisely, his gaze already turning toward the carriage. "This place isn't safe. Come with us. Let's get out of here first."
"Okay." Zhu Zhuqing didn't ask any questions and quickly followed him.
Given the situation, if she didn't stick with Xu Yuan, she could very well be killed.
Xiao Wu stepped closer and greeted her. "Hi, I'm Xiao Wu. Wu, as in dancing."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, looking at Xiao Wu as she bounced over. She said calmly, "Zhu Zhuqing."
Xiao Wu didn't mind Zhu Zhuqing's coolness at all. She grabbed Zhu Zhuqing by the arm and tugged her toward the carriage. "Zhuqing, don't be so serious."
The two women climbed into the carriage one after the other. Xu Yuan waited until they were aboard, then followed them inside.
After what had just happened, the driver didn't dare rest there. He hurriedly drove the carriage away.
Meanwhile, on the road to Suotuo City,
Yu Xiaogang was traveling to Suotuo City in a carriage that was fairly decent.
"Xu Yuan, you just got lucky. Once a Soul Master reaches the age of twelve, their cultivation speed slows down." Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth as he watched the scenery pass outside.
For the past six years, every time Xu Yuan beat Tang San, he'd say that Yu Xiaogang had taught him the wrong things.
Yu Xiaogang had been extremely displeased, but ever since getting thrashed, he'd come to hate Xu Yuan.
If Xu Yuan had become his disciple, he wouldn't have let Tang San challenge him. Then he wouldn't have been inexplicably beaten up by someone else, and he wouldn't have become a eunuch.
The carriage suddenly jolted, and Yu Xiaogang slammed into the carriage wall. A dull ache spread across his forehead.
He covered his forehead, his gaze growing ever more sinister.
Yu Xiaogang knew that with his current strength, he couldn't possibly stand against Xu Yuan. He could only pin all his hopes on Tang San.
"Tang San has Twin Martial Souls, and I've tailored a cultivation plan just for him. As long as he follows it step by step, surpassing Xu Yuan is only a matter of time." Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "When that day comes, I'll show everyone that my, Yu Xiaogang's, theories are the truth of the Soul Master World!"
The sky outside gradually darkened, and the carriage entered a dense forest.
Yu Xiaogang drew back the curtain and watched the deepening dusk. A trace of unease suddenly rose in his heart.
He had a feeling that Xu Yuan wasn't as simple as he seemed, especially that Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul of his and his fighting skills. Neither seemed like something an ordinary boy could possess.
"No. Impossible." Yu Xiaogang immediately dismissed the thought. "He must have stumbled upon some kind of fortuitous opportunity to make such progress. Such a hothouse-grown improvement must have an unstable foundation. Sooner or later, it'll cause problems."
Even so, it still felt as though a heavy stone weighed on Yu Xiaogang's heart.
"Whoa—"
The driver abruptly hauled on the reins, and the carriage came to a sudden stop with a shrill screech.
Yu Xiaogang lurched, nearly tumbling off his seat. His barely suppressed anger flared up at once. "What's going on?!"
The driver tremblingly lifted one corner of the curtain. The sight outside made Yu Xiaogang's pupils contract.
Seven or eight bandits wielding knives and axes stood in the middle of the road. Every one of them looked fierce, and the burly leader had a savage scar across his face. The Ghost Head Blade in his hand glinted coldly in the dusk.
"This mountain is mine to open, and these trees are mine to plant!" The scar-faced man grinned, showing yellow-black teeth. "If you want to pass, leave your toll money!"
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank.
He had no combat ability at all. He couldn't possibly deal with these men.
But he could pretend to throw his weight around with his Soul Grandmaster strength.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forced down his panic, straightened his collar, and climbed out of the carriage with an air of composure.
He knew this was his only chance.
"Impudent!" Yu Xiaogang barked.
Soul Power surged through him, and two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, radiating a faint glow in the dusk.
His Soul Ring Configuration might be nothing in the eyes of a true powerhouse, but it was more than intimidating enough to these common bandits.
Sure enough, the bandits' expressions changed. Their hands tightened around their knives and axes.
The scar-faced man's pupils contracted, and he instinctively took half a step back.
A Soul Master! And a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, at that!
They usually bullied ordinary folk. Who among them had ever seen a Soul Master in action?
For a moment, they were so frightened they didn't dare move.
The driver gaped from the side, never expecting this theoretical grandmaster to actually have some strength.
Yu Xiaogang's heart settled a little, and an arrogant look crossed his face as he slowly strode forward. "A bunch of lowly bandits dare block my way? Do you even know who I am?"
Yu Xiaogang deliberately released the pressure of a Soul Master, his gaze sweeping over them like lightning. "If you know what's good for you, clear off at once. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
The bandits exchanged glances, clearly cowed.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang felt a rush of pleasure. This was the first time he'd ever experienced such a thing.
A younger bandit tugged at the scar-faced man's sleeve and whispered, "Boss, he's a Soul Master... Maybe we should get out of here?"
The scar-faced man clenched his teeth, about to nod.
Then an uncertain voice rang out from the crowd. "Wait... This guy looks kind of familiar..."
It was a one-eyed bandit. He narrowed his one remaining eye and stared hard at Yu Xiaogang's face. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. "I remember now! Isn't this that useless theoretical grandmaster?"
"Useless theoretical grandmaster?" The scar-faced man paused, then looked Yu Xiaogang over again, his gaze full of scrutiny.
Yu Xiaogang's heart gave a sharp jolt. The arrogance on his face froze, and he shouted, "Watch your tongue! I am Yu Xiaogang, a theoretical grandmaster certified by Spirit Hall. You dare slander me?!"
The one-eyed bandit snickered and charged at Yu Xiaogang, gripping his axe.
The moment the one-eyed bandit's axe came whistling down, Yu Xiaogang was scared out of his wits. He turned and ran, only to trip over a stone and fall flat on the ground.
Before he could get up, the one-eyed bandit was already on him. He grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the collar and hauled him up like a chick, then slammed a fist into his face.
"Still a theoretical grandmaster? I'll show you what a grandmaster is!" The dull pain of the blow made Yu Xiaogang see stars.
Seeing how effortlessly Yu Xiaogang had gone down, the scar-faced man's earlier wariness vanished. He waved a hand. "Brothers, beat him up! This old fool dared to bluff us!"
The bandits swarmed him, their fists and feet raining down on Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang curled up on the ground, covering his head with both hands. He still howled in vain, "I'm with Spirit Hall! You dare hit me?!"
"Spirit Hall? I'd dare curse the emperor himself!" One of the bandits kicked him. "Theoretical grandmaster? More like a grandmaster of getting beaten!"
Yu Xiaogang's howls were quickly drowned out by the even denser thud of fists and feet.
Before you continue