Deep within the cave.
More than a dozen women were locked inside iron cages.
Their clothes were ragged, and their faces were filled with terror. When they saw Lin Qing enter, they trembled even more violently.
"..."
There was no need to think about it. These women had been kidnapped by the bandits.
Judging by their condition, they had clearly suffered plenty of torment.
"Clack!"
Lin Qing casually tore open the iron cage.
"Don't be afraid."
He tried to keep his voice gentle. "The bandits are dead. You're free now."
That was freedom of the body.
As for freedom of the mind... that was not something he needed to consider.
"..."
The women froze, staring at one another.
"R-Really? They're all dead? We're free?"
Someone asked softly.
"Really."
"One-Eyed Dragon and his men are lying dead outside. You can go home now."
Lin Qing gestured for them to go outside and see for themselves.
"Wah..."
The women began to cry. They were tears of joy.
"Thank you... thank you, benefactor... thank you..."
They dropped to their knees and repeatedly kowtowed.
Lin Qing waved his hand.
"You don't need to thank me. Do you know where the bandits hid their valuables?"
"Yes! We do!"
One of the women hurriedly pointed the way.
"In... in the stone chamber at the very back!"
Following her directions, Lin Qing found the stone chamber.
After smashing open its door by force, he saw that it was filled with chests.
He opened them one by one.
Inside were Gold Soul Coins, Silver Soul Coins, jewelry... and all kinds of miscellaneous stolen goods.
But Lin Qing's gaze was drawn to a chunk of ore in the corner.
The ore was dark throughout, with silver patterns slowly flowing across its surface.
"This is..."
Lin Qing's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward, picked up the ore, and examined it carefully.
"Sinking Silver Ore!"
He knew of this metal from Sun Moon Lin Qing's Soul Tool Knowledge.
Sinking Silver, a rare metal.
It was extremely hard and conducted Soul Power exceptionally well. It was a high-quality material for crafting advanced Soul Tools!
Such a large piece of Sinking Silver would be worth an immeasurable fortune ten thousand years later!
"Good stuff."
Lin Qing stored the Sinking Silver Ore in his Storage Ring.
He also took some Gold Soul Coins, leaving the other useless items untouched.
Then he returned to the women.
"I took some of the valuables as payment. You can divide the rest among yourselves."
The women hurriedly waved their hands.
"Benefactor, h-how can that be? These things should have belonged to you in the first place."
"Divide them quickly and go home. This place isn't safe."
The other items were of little use to him anyway.
The women exchanged glances before finally nodding.
"Thank you, benefactor..."
They kowtowed again.
Then they began dividing the valuables.
After everything terrifying they had endured, they were not greedy. Each took only a little before leaving.
Compared with valuables, they wanted nothing more than to escape this devil's den as soon as possible.
Seeing this, Lin Qing turned and left the cave, vanishing into the night.
By the time he returned to Emperor Soul Village, dawn was almost here.
Lin Qing quietly returned to Aunt Li's home without disturbing anyone.
He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Other than assassinating Viscount Priest with a bomb, this was the first time he had killed someone with his own hands.
His heart was completely calm, without the slightest trace of discomfort.
Perhaps because One-Eyed Dragon had been pure evil, Lin Qing felt no burden at all.
Instead, he only felt relieved.
With the bandits dealt with, one threat to Emperor Soul Village had been eliminated.
Er Ni had also agreed to go to Suotuo City with him.
Everything was moving in a better direction.
"Next, it's time to begin a new plan."
Lin Qing murmured to himself.
The carriage slowly entered Suotuo City through the southern gate.
Er Ni leaned against the carriage window, her eyes wide as she stared unblinkingly at the scenery outside.
The streets were more than ten times wider than the dirt roads of Emperor Soul Village, and the bluestone paving was neat and orderly.
Shops stood side by side on both sides, their signs dazzling and colorful—silk shops, weapon stores, soul beast material shops, repair workshops...
"Candied hawthorns for sale~"
A vendor carrying a straw rack weaved through the crowd, his cry long and loud.
"Sister, this new rouge is really nice."
Several young noblewomen in gorgeous dresses emerged from a jewelry store, chatting and laughing as their skirts swayed.
Farther away, the towering spire of the Soul Master Tower glinted with a metallic sheen beneath the sunlight.
"It's... it's so big..."
Er Ni's awed voice escaped her before she could stop it.
The farthest place she had ever visited in her life was the market in a neighboring village.
Compared with Suotuo City, Emperor Soul Village and its market were like muddy pits in the wilderness.
"We'll be living here for quite a long time from now on."
Lin Qing said with a smile.
"Really?"
Er Ni turned to him, her eyes sparkling.
"Mm. I rented a small courtyard in the south of the city. Settle in first. Once I've taken care of the shop, you can come help out there."
"I'll definitely study hard!"
Er Ni nodded firmly, a smile blooming on her face.
As long as she could be with Xiao Qing, anywhere was fine.
The carriage continued onward, passing through two bustling streets.
Just as they were one street away from their destination—
"Ow!"
A short, fat figure suddenly darted out from the roadside and blocked the carriage.
The driver hurriedly pulled tight on the reins.
"Whoa—!"
The horses reared up, neighing as they came to a stop.
Frowning, Lin Qing lifted the carriage curtain and saw a freckled boy of twelve or thirteen standing in the middle of the road, grinning into the carriage.
He was round and fat, with tiny eyes that became nearly slits when narrowed.
At that moment, those small eyes were fixed on Er Ni, who was looking out at the street through the window.
His gaze was murky, yet filled with an unpleasant greed.
"This big sister is really pretty."
The freckled boy licked his lips, his voice oily.
He leaned closer, nearly pressing himself against the carriage window.
"This young master is Ma Hongjun, a Soul Master. My Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix!"
As he said that, he puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.
He deliberately released a faint ripple of Soul Power, and a yellow glow vaguely flickered beneath his feet.
"So? Want to be this young master's girlfriend?"
Ma Hongjun chuckled lecherously.
"Follow me, and I guarantee you'll eat and drink well for the rest of your life!"
"..."
Er Ni's expression instantly turned cold.
She shrank closer into Lin Qing's arms and said coolly, "I don't know you, and I don't want to know you. Please move aside."
"Oh? You've got quite the temper?"
Ma Hongjun narrowed his eyes.
"This young master likes girls with temper!"
He turned his gaze toward Lin Qing inside the carriage, his tone growing impatient.
"Kid, who are you?"
"If you know what's good for you, get lost already. Don't interfere with this young master getting closer to this pretty sister."
Lin Qing raised an eyebrow.
Evil Fire Phoenix Ma Hongjun.
One of the Shrek Seven Devils, and one of the Shrek Three Scoundrels. In the original story, he was notorious for being lustful and sleazy.
Because his Martial Soul had mutated, it carried the evil fire attribute.
He had not expected to run into him today.
"Ma Hongjun, right?"
Lin Qing spoke calmly.
"I suggest you move aside now. Otherwise, something unpleasant may happen."
"Heh?"
Ma Hongjun laughed, his face full of disdain.
"Something unpleasant? You? Do you know this young master is a Soul Master? Not someone a mere commoner can afford to offend."
He looked Lin Qing up and down. Since Lin Qing was about his age, his gaze was filled with contempt.
"A little brat who hasn't even grown all his hair yet dares threaten this young master?"
"I'll have you know, I'm a distinguished Level 18 Soul Master!"
As he spoke, Ma Hongjun used Martial Soul Possession.
It was supposedly the Evil Fire Phoenix, but it looked more like a scrawny little rooster. A yellow Soul Ring faintly appeared beneath his feet.
The surrounding pedestrians immediately retreated several steps.
When Soul Masters fought, ordinary people did not dare get involved.
"So what?"
Lin Qing remained calm.
"So if you know what's good for you, then—"
Ma Hongjun's words abruptly stopped.
Because a crack quietly opened between Lin Qing's brows, and a silver vertical eye slowly opened.
The hidden, transparent first Soul Ring flickered slightly.
An invisible mental ripple silently swept over Ma Hongjun.
The next moment—
The world in Ma Hongjun's perception changed.
The figure in the carriage before him suddenly twisted and stretched, transforming into a tall black-robed figure whose face could not be seen.
The black-robed figure held a bloodied boning knife in his hand, with blood still dripping from its tip.
"Y... you are?!"
Ma Hongjun staggered back half a step in fright, his voice trembling.
"Me?"
The man in black spoke, his voice hoarse like grinding metal.
"Hehehe, I'm here to help set you free~"
"S-set me free? What do you mean?"
"It means..."
The man in black slowly raised his knife.
"You're far too lustful, and you're tortured by your burning desires. Since that's the case, I'll help set you free. I'm going to castrate you~ Hehehe!"
"C-castrate me? You're asking for death!"
Ma Hongjun's expression changed in shock and fury.
He immediately tried to unleash a soul skill and burn this shameless bastard to death.
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line!"
He shouted, but nothing happened.
"How could this be? Where did my soul skill go?"
Ma Hongjun quickly realized something was wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't release his soul skill.
When he saw the man in black still approaching, he panicked.
"N-no! Don't! I was wrong! I really was wrong!"
He wanted to run.
But his legs felt as though they were filled with lead. He couldn't move at all and could only watch helplessly as the knife drew closer and closer.
The cold aura of the blade was already pressed against his skin.
"Aah—!!!"
A miserable scream echoed through the street.
Ma Hongjun's legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
A large wet patch rapidly spread across his crotch, and the pungent stench of urine filled the air.
"Don't castrate me... I don't want to become a eunuch... I was wrong... I'll never dare do it again..."
He clutched his head and curled up on the ground, trembling violently all over.
Tears and snot streamed down his face, leaving him in a wretched state.
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