Half a month flew by in the blink of an eye, and the carriage came to a stop in front of a small city.
"My lord, young masters, we've arrived in Nuoding City."
Hearing Yang Fan, Su Zhen lifted the curtain and leaned out to look at the sign above the city gate, where the words Nuoding City had been carved.
"Let's go in. Take us to Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy."
Yang Fan drove the carriage slowly into Nuoding City and headed toward the primary academy in the west of the city.
The crowded streets were packed with pedestrians, and the carriage crawled through the human tide.
Just as Yang Fan was about to use his Soul Power to clear a path, Su Zhen spoke up.
"Stop the carriage in front of the Martial Soul Branch Hall. We'll walk from there."
"Yes, young master."
Su Zhen and the others got out of the carriage, while Yang Fan drove it toward the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall.
"Grandpa, Oscar, let's go."
The four made their way through the crowds and soon arrived at the entrance to Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy.
Looking through the rusty iron gates at the little Soul Master Academy, which occupied less space than the Worship Hall, Su Zhen couldn't help chuckling. Who would have thought that someone from this little place would one day destroy the entire Spirit Hall Empire?
"Are you gentlemen here for a tour?"
The gatekeeper came over with an ingratiating smile and asked softly.
"Get lost!"
Li Hao barked at the approaching gatekeeper. He was the other Soul Douluo accompanying them.
"You—!"
The gatekeeper stumbled back at the shout. He was just about to curse when Li Hao knocked him unconscious with a pulse of Soul Power.
Su Zhen didn't stop Li Hao. He disliked people who treated others according to their status, just like that gatekeeper.
Su Zhen and the others went inside and stopped in front of a building that looked like a classroom block. Su Zhen hailed a male student.
"Hello, kid. Could you tell me where Xiao Wu is?"
"Who are you?"
The boy glanced at the group's fine clothes and asked timidly.
"Oh, we're Xiao Wu's family. We came to see her."
Su Zhen smiled and spoke gently.
"So you're Sister Xiao Wu's family. She's training in the back courtyard right now. It's behind the classroom building."
The boy relaxed at Su Zhen's answer and told him where Xiao Wu was.
"Thanks, kid. You're very kind."
Su Zhen patted the boy on the head, took a piece of candy from his ring, and handed it to him before sending him on his way.
"Brother Zhen, who's Xiao Wu? Was she a friend of yours when you were little?"
Oscar looked puzzled. He had never heard Su Zhen mention anyone called Xiao Wu.
"No. You'll find out when you meet her."
Su Zhen led the group toward the back of the classroom building, while Guang Ling watched him from behind, deeply shaken.
They wound their way between the buildings and arrived at the back courtyard the boy had mentioned.
The courtyard was like a miniature park, with several flower beds, a patch of grass, and a few benches. A little girl with rabbit ears, wearing a pink dress, was asleep on one of the benches.
The moment Guang Ling saw her, his expression changed dramatically. He turned to Su Zhen, the fire in his eyes even fiercer than when he'd looked at the girl.
Su Zhen didn't notice Guang Ling's gaze. As he reached out to shake the girl awake, she seemed to sense someone approaching and opened her eyes first.
"Who—who are you?"
Startled by the people who had suddenly appeared beside her, the girl sprang up from the bench and landed on the grass nearby.
"You're Xiao Wu, right? Come with us."
Su Zhen lowered his raised hand and spoke to Xiao Wu in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Why should I go with you? You seem familiar to me, but I don't even know you."
Xiao Wu warily watched the boy before her. She sensed a yearning in him, something instinctive—a reflex belonging to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If she ate him, she was sure she would gain an unexpected boon.
"We are—"
"Why waste your breath on this beast, Xiao Zhen? Just grab her."
Guang Ling cut Su Zhen off and used his Soul Power to restrain Xiao Wu.
"A Titled Douluo!"
The moment she was restrained, Xiao Wu knew things had gone badly. Her identity had been exposed, and she couldn't believe the white-haired boy was a Titled Douluo.
Guang Ling gave Xiao Wu no time to react. As she cried out in shock, he stunned her with his vast spiritual power.
"Xiao Zhen, put this rabbit away. I sense a rat coming."
Guang Ling's sudden move left Su Zhen speechless with surprise. He'd been planning to threaten and coax her, but Guang Ling had acted without hesitation.
After putting the unconscious Xiao Wu into the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch, a middle-aged man with a crew cut walked in from outside the garden.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass on academy grounds! You're audacious beyond belief. Kneel and apologize at once!"
The middle-aged man saw the group and immediately began cursing, demanding that they apologize.
"Well, if it isn't Little Trash Gang. Feeling bold today, are you? Did you break through to Soul Elder?"
Guang Ling's expression turned cold when he saw the newcomer, and he taunted him.
"You're... from the Worship Hall!"
Yu Xiaogang recognized the white-haired boy's robes and exclaimed in surprise. Only the Worship Hall embroidered the Martial Soul insignia on its robes. He had never seen them before, but Bibi Dong had told him about them.
"So what if I'm from the Worship Hall? I'm an honorary elder of Spirit Hall, personally appointed by your Pope. Kneel and apologize, or I'll have Bibi Dong strip you of your title."
Yu Xiaogang was surprised for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. He clasped his hands behind his back and put on an air of unfathomable mystery.
"How dare you speak the Pope's name!"
Su Zhen flew into a rage. He appeared in front of Yu Xiaogang in an instant and punched him in the stomach. He wasn't defending Bibi Dong; even if she suddenly dropped dead, he wouldn't care. He simply couldn't stand Yu Xiaogang's attitude, as if nothing in the world mattered, and wanted to uphold Spirit Hall's authority.
The punch doubled Yu Xiaogang over. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
"So you're an honorary elder of Spirit Hall? As of today, you're not. You can beg the Pope for mercy all you want; it won't help."
Su Zhen planted his foot on Yu Xiaogang and ground it down several times. Then he took the Storage Soul Tool off him, rummaged through it, and retrieved the Pope Token.
"Is this what gives you the nerve to act so arrogantly?"
Su Zhen clenched the Pope Token in his hand and crushed it with a little pressure. The fragments fell all over Yu Xiaogang.
"Let's go, Grandpa Guang Ling. We have another destination to visit."
Su Zhen called the others over and left without another glance at Yu Xiaogang, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. It wasn't time to kill him yet. Su Zhen wanted everyone connected to Tang Hao to wish they were dead, and killing Yu Xiaogang now would only provoke Bibi Dong's frenzied retaliation.
Guang Ling walked out, but his gaze lingered on the broken Pope Token for several moments. There were only six tokens of this rank, held by Spirit Hall and the Upper Three Sects. Where had Yu Xiaogang gotten his? A suspicion came to Guang Ling.
The group left the academy and reached the street. Only then did Oscar voice the question on his mind.
"Brother Zhen, who was that little girl? Why did you and the teacher capture her?"
"She's a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form."
"What! A Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast? We run into one just by leaving the house?"
Oscar was astonished by Su Zhen's answer. Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were incredibly rare, and they'd just caught one the moment they set out.
"We'll decide what to do with this Soul Beast later. First, let's meet up with Yang Fan, then head to the next place."
The group followed the crowd toward the Martial Soul Branch Hall.
After walking for a while, a little boy in a Nuoding City Academy uniform passed them. Su Zhen's gaze fell on the belt around the boy's waist, which held twenty-four jade stones.
Heh, Tang San?
Su Zhen kept walking. As they passed, he quietly formed a black arc of lightning in his hand and sent it into Tang San's body. Tang San felt a brief numbness, but assumed it was just a normal reaction from working at the forge and thought no more of it.
Xiao Zhen, hurry. I sense a Titled Douluo nearby. He hasn't noticed us yet. We shouldn't stay here.
Guang Ling's voice sounded in Su Zhen's mind. Su Zhen showed no sign of it and continued walking.
After finding Yang Fan at the Martial Soul Branch Hall, the group left the city by carriage.
"Grandpa Guang Ling, who was the Titled Douluo just now?"
As soon as they left the city, Su Zhen asked Guang Ling who the Titled Douluo had been. Of course, he knew it was Tang Hao; he just wanted to get Guang Ling to reveal Tang Hao's identity indirectly.
"About level ninety-four. His aura was heavy, but he was badly injured. It was probably that little bastard Tang Hao."
Guang Ling shared his guess.
"It was him! Then why didn't you keep him here, Grandpa? With your strength, you could've taken Tang Hao down easily while protecting us."
Su Zhen challenged him, his voice rising a little.
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