Ye Feng was afraid this guy would react in time to release his Martial Soul.
He gave him no chance at all!
His left hand shot out like lightning, and a coarse burlap sack came down over Yu Xiaogang's head, fitting tightly over it in an instant.
The moment his sight was taken away, terror clutched Yu Xiaogang's heart.
He wanted to shout, to struggle, to release his Martial Soul.
But what greeted him was a storm of blows!
Ye Feng held nothing back. He hammered his fists into the sack-covered head, his punches whooshing through the air!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Every blow landed solidly!
He poured Soul Power into every punch, making them as heavy as iron hammers!
"Ah!!"
"Who! Who is it!"
Yu Xiaogang's terrified, muffled screams came from inside the sack.
This sudden act of violence, committed in broad daylight, left all the passersby around them stunned.
People stopped in their tracks and gathered around, pointing and whispering.
"My heavens! What's going on? He's attacking someone right in the street!"
A passing middle-aged woman covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief.
"Tsk, look at how that man in black is handling things—clean and efficient. He's definitely a repeat offender! At this rate, he'll beat the man to death!"
A young man who loved watching a commotion smacked his lips as he commented.
"Serves him right! Look at the clothes the guy's wearing. He's clearly no good. Maybe he's some deadbeat who borrowed money and won't pay it back!"
A plainly dressed man watched with glee.
"Quick, go get the patrol! Someone's going to die if this keeps up!"
Some timid but kind-hearted people called out anxiously, but no one dared step forward.
"Look, that man in black is brutal. He keeps going for the head. What kind of grudge does he have?"
Voices rose from the crowd, but everyone kept a safe distance.
Ye Feng paid no attention to the voices around him.
In his world, there was only the sack twisting beneath his fists.
Beat him!
Beat the bastard to death!
He poured into his punches all the pent-up anger he had accumulated over the past three years, along with all the contempt he felt for this hypocrite from his past and present lives.
After landing another seven or eight vicious blows, he felt the person beneath his hands go completely limp and stop struggling.
Only then did Ye Feng stop, panting heavily.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang sprawled on the ground like a lump of mud, completely unconscious, Ye Feng felt a rush of satisfaction.
Time to run.
He immediately prepared to make his escape.
But just as he was about to turn around, something caught his eye.
A simple, old-fashioned belt was fastened around Yu Xiaogang's waist.
A Storage Soul Tool!
Ye Feng's heart gave a leap.
This was a treasure! He still didn't have one himself!
This useless theorist might be worthless, but he sure had some nice possessions.
In an instant, greed overcame reason.
Fortune favored the bold!
Ye Feng didn't hesitate for a moment. He strode over, bent down, and grabbed the belt.
He yanked hard!
"Riiip!"
He tore the belt right off Yu Xiaogang!
The onlookers let out another chorus of gasps.
"He's robbing him! He didn't just beat the man—he's stealing from him too!"
"That belt... It looks special! Could it be..."
"A Soul Tool! It's a Storage Soul Tool! I saw one like it at an auction in Suotuo City!"
A well-traveled merchant cried out in astonishment, setting off a wave of commotion.
"My heavens! He's attacking someone in the street over a Soul Tool? Is he crazy? Doesn't he know who he beat up?"
"Who is it?"
"Nuoding Academy's theoretical Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang! His Soul Power may be pathetic, but I hear he has powerful connections!"
The crowd erupted.
Beating up a Soul Master and robbing him of his Soul Tool in front of everyone was a serious crime anywhere!
Ye Feng had no time to care about any of that.
Once he had the belt, he didn't even glance at the unconscious Yu Xiaogang on the ground. He shoved the Soul Tool belt into his clothes, turned without looking back, and sprinted toward the most crowded road leading out of Nuoding City!
Before long, the city patrol and Spirit Hall law enforcers arrived.
The scene was already packed with people.
The patrol captain pushed through the crowd and saw Yu Xiaogang lying on the ground, battered and unconscious. His scalp prickled.
"Where is he? Which way did he go?"
He made a show of asking the people nearby.
"He's long gone! He finished beating him and snatching his stuff, then took off in no time!"
"He ran west, but I doubt you'll catch him."
The Spirit Hall law enforcer frowned. The people from Spirit Hall knew full well that this guy belonged to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
He might be a useless outcast who'd been driven away, but he still bore the Yu name.
This was trouble.
Still, nobody wanted to get involved.
The patrol captain waved his hand.
"Enough, enough. Take Grandmaster back to Nuoding Academy first! Then find a healing-type Soul Master to treat him."
He had no intention of ordering a manhunt.
The Spirit Hall law enforcer wore a pained expression too. This good-for-nothing had been beaten so badly that he probably wouldn't dare go around telling people about it. Better to avoid making a bigger fuss.
As they watched Yu Xiaogang being carried away, the crowd started gossiping again.
"See that? The patrol doesn't even want to chase him. They're just going through the motions."
"Exactly. Yu Xiaogang puts on that arrogant face every day in Nuoding City. He's offended plenty of people. Could've been anyone."
"My guess is, it was some student he screwed over with his theories. This was revenge!"
"Makes sense! My nephew listened to that useless Grandmaster's nonsense last time and ended up with a trash Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring. He regrets it so much he could tear out his guts!"
"And now his Soul Tool's been stolen too. He tried to steal a chicken and ended up losing the rice. Serves him right!"
As the chatter continued, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Ye Feng ran for more than ten miles after leaving Nuoding City. Only after making sure no one was following him did he plunge into the dense forest.
After taking several winding turns, he found a secluded cave, took off his black robe and mask, and casually tossed them into a nearby pool.
He leaned against a cold rock and panted heavily, then finally pulled the belt from his clothes.
Inlaid with moonstones and woven with silver thread, it looked both simple and exquisite.
Tsk, wasn't this the "Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges" that the good-for-nothing had given Tang San in the original story?
Ye Feng slowly poured Soul Power into the Soul Tool and sent his spiritual power inside.
Twenty-four small spaces lay neatly arranged.
He checked each space in turn and took everything out.
A Soul Hunting Token engraved with three stars.
A Third-Class Soul Hunting Token. It was no use to him.
Ye Feng barely glanced at it before flicking his hand and tossing the token into the nearby river. It didn't even make a splash.
Then his gaze fell on a few books.
One of them had the words Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls written clearly on its cover.
Ye Feng curled his lip. Even a dog wouldn't read this crap.
He raised his hand again, and the book followed the token into the river.
Any Soul Master with a normal brain wouldn't be interested in this kind of impractical hot air.
At last, his attention was caught by the remaining books.
Soul Beast Illustrated Handbook, Detailed Explanation of Soul Beast Habits, and Plant-Type Soul Beast Identification Manual.
These were exactly what he needed most right now!
Ye Feng carefully set the books aside without rushing to read them, then continued searching.
Aside from the books, all that remained was a pile of Gold Soul Coins.
He counted them. There were about three hundred in all.
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