Exchanging Gold Soul Coins

Xia Yan naturally wasn't going to let the other two get away,

and used the same method to take them out one by one.

He stored the three Wolf Bandits' corpses in the Demon Suppressing Pagoda,

then went over to the Wolf Bandit chief. It stood nearly two meters tall, and its black claws alone were as long as one of Xia Yan's index fingers. It was lying on the grass, panting in pain,

while the two Wolf Bandits that had been sprayed with snake venom had already breathed their last.

Only it was still alive,

but its swollen, bloodshot eyes stared blankly into space. The poison had blinded it, and bone showed through the flesh of its lower leg.

Blood soaked the grass beneath it in great spreading patches.

It made for quite a distinctive sight.

Xia Yan was kindhearted and couldn't bear to watch such a miserable scene, so he summoned the Snake Swarm to bite it to death.

Had these six Wolf Bandits been elsewhere, they would surely have become a nightmare for any merchant caravan. But Xia Yan had dealt with all of them in less than five minutes,

and with ease.

The next day,

Xia Yan returned to the Seven Treasure Pavilion.

Seeing that he still hadn't set out, the staff member breathed a sigh of relief and greeted him respectfully:

"Lord Soul Master."

There were more people in the hall today, around fifteen, including five or six familiar faces who had been there yesterday.

Their gazes all fell on him.

Some recognized Xia Yan as the person who had come by yesterday, and couldn't help looking at him with amusement.

Xia Yan asked:

"If I hunt down Wolf Bandits, can I hand them over and settle the payment here, or do I have to go somewhere else?"

The staff member seemed to understand what Xia Yan meant.

When people repeatedly checked on something before doing something dangerous, it was a sign of hesitation. It meant they were afraid, too.

She smiled.

"Lord Soul Master, we can settle the payment here, but Wolf Bandits are dangerous..."

Sometimes, a Soul Master valued their dignity more than their life. Once they said they would do something, they had to follow through. If they couldn't, they would be mocked.

Yesterday, Xia Yan had announced in front of more than ten Soul Masters in the hall that he was going to hunt Wolf Bandits.

Backing down at the last moment would surely cost him face.

She had originally wanted to give Xia Yan an out, then use the opportunity to get to know him. Perhaps they might even build a relationship.

But what no one present expected was—

all of a sudden,

right beside Xia Yan, in front of the counter, six gray wolf corpses appeared out of thin air in a heap on the black-and-gold marble floor!

"Ah!!"

Screams shattered the silence in the hall.

"?!"

"Crash!!"

"Bang!"

Everyone's pupils contracted. Their hair stood on end as they sprang up and released their Soul Rings.

Every chair beneath them shattered!

Wolf Bandits!

Xia Yan remained calm. "Don't worry. They're all dead."

"..."

"..."

After a strange silence,

a bold Soul Master cautiously stepped forward to examine them... Their hind legs were a bloody mess, and their eyes were bloodshot...

They really were all dead!

Only then did the others dare to cautiously approach.

Now they were certain: these Wolf Bandits were truly dead!

"!"

In the breathless silence, everyone sucked in a sharp breath. Their trembling gazes all turned toward Xia Yan.

The young man looked so relaxed, as though he hadn't been through a single fight!

Had he dealt with them all by himself?!

By himself?!

Xia Yan said:

"There are six in all. After you've counted them and settled the payment, tell me everything you know about the small Wolf Bandit groups in the Sylvie Grasslands."

The staff member stood frozen in place,

staring blankly at the Wolf Bandit corpses on the floor. Their sharp black claws and fangs could easily tear through her body and shatter her bones!

She had never seen a Wolf Bandit with her own eyes, and her legs were practically shaking.

At last, prompted by Xia Yan,

"Ah, yes..."

She turned to look at him as though he were a monster, her voice trembling.

"P-please wait..."

"I'll go get the pavilion master..."

She held onto the wall and staggered toward the stairs, even tripping over her own foot.

The people nearby dispelled their Martial Soul manifestations, then edged closer, both alarmed and curious, wanting to inspect the Wolf Bandit corpses from up close.

Xia Yan let them do as they pleased.

Only then

did they dare gather around.

"They really are Wolf Bandits!"

"Look at that huge maw..."

"Its lower leg's completely rotted away. How did you do that?"

Before long,

an elegant, mature beauty in a red dress came down the yellow-orange spiral staircase. With a radiant smile, she extended her hand and approached Xia Yan, trailing a faint fragrance.

Her beautiful eyes turned to the six Wolf Bandit corpses on the floor, and a flash of shock crossed them.

"Hello, my name is Yue Yao. I'm the pavilion master of the Seven Treasure Pavilion's Songpeikeer City branch."

Xia Yan shook her hand. "Hello, I'm Xia Yan."

Then he let go.

Yue Yao's grip had been a little unusual. He could clearly feel her gently squeezing his palm.

He didn't even have to guess.

She had to be checking his bone age.

Sure enough, after secretly checking his bone age, Yue Yao's smile stiffened noticeably. She hadn't expected Xia Yan to be so young.

"Xiao Xue has gone to fetch your reward. It'll be here soon. I hear you also plan to hunt down all the small Wolf Bandit groups in the Sylvie Grasslands. You've done the grasslands a great service. On behalf of the Seven Treasure Pavilion, Songpeikeer City, and the entire Sylvie Grasslands, I thank you.

"If you need anything at all, please come to the Seven Treasure Pavilion. We'll do our utmost to serve you."

Yue Yao didn't know what methods Xia Ya had used to hunt the Wolf Bandits, nor whether he had any companions.

But the aura radiating from him alone surpassed level twenty.

At his age and level, he could only be called a monster. Whether he was a core disciple of some reclusive sect or an unparalleled genius who had suddenly risen to prominence,

he was worth recruiting for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always been fond of recruiting geniuses, especially young ones.

If they couldn't recruit him, at least they could build a good relationship with him.

Xia Yan waved a hand. "I'm earning money, too. Besides, for now I'm only hunting small Wolf Bandit groups. You're thanking me too soon."

Yue Yao's smile didn't change, but the expressions on everyone else's faces grew complicated at those words.

What did he mean by "for now, I'm only hunting small Wolf Bandit groups"? He sounded so dissatisfied.

Was he saying this wasn't enough?

That he planned to hunt bigger groups all by himself next time?!

By himself?!

"Young master, you're far too modest. You've made a tremendous contribution to the grasslands..."

As they spoke,

the staff member from earlier hurried down the stairs and respectfully handed Xia Yan three purple cards.

Yue Yao explained:

"An adult Wolf Bandit is worth five hundred Gold Soul Coins. Six of them come to three thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Xia Yan took the three purple cards. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's insignia was engraved on both sides.

Their texture was unusual, neither stone nor metal.

These were Gold Soul Coin cards used across the continent. One purple card could be exchanged for a thousand Gold Soul Coins at any major bank. A black card was worth ten thousand, while a yellow card was worth one hundred.

As for white cards, they were worth fifty Gold Soul Coins.

Ten Gold Soul Coins was too small an amount, and a card would be easy to lose. It was better to carry those around in your pocket.

Yue Yao waved a hand,

and the Wolf Bandits on the floor vanished instantly.

"You're truly amazing. I never imagined you'd deal with them in a single day."

She was sincerely praising him.

But

in reality, Xia Yan hadn't taken a day. It had only taken him a few minutes. The reason he hadn't come straight back

was that the round trip had taken two and a half hours.

If word got out that he had killed six Wolf Bandits in two and a half hours, the people looking for him would probably be packed together like sardines.

If they heard it had taken a day, they could at least accept it a little more easily.

Yue Yao held out her hand. "It'll take some time to gather the information. Please come upstairs and wait, young master."