As the words fell, a burst of light suddenly surged from Tang Ya's palm.
Tang Sect Secret Arts—Mysterious Jade Hand!
Smack!!
A crisp sound rang out. Before Baldy Zhao could react, he was sent flying, crashing straight through the wooden table beside him.
"Boss!"
"You dare hit our boss?!"
Seeing their big brother slapped flying, the rest of the underlings somehow found the courage to grab their weapons and shout that they'd avenge him.
But they hadn't even taken a few steps before a powerful wave of dizziness swept over them. Looking down, they saw that countless strands of Blue Silver Grass had somehow wrapped tightly around their legs.
Blue Silver Grass's first Soul Skill—Blue Silver Entanglement!
As the poster child for Trash Martial Souls, Blue Silver Grass's meager toxicity was barely a nuisance to Soul Masters. But these thugs were ordinary people, without the powerful physiques of Soul Masters.
After just a few breaths, the paralyzing toxins in the Blue Silver Grass had already seeped deep into their bodies, turning them into limp noodles.
Just then, Baldy Zhao slowly clambered to his feet. His left cheek was swollen high, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Clearly, Tang Ya's slap had packed quite a punch.
Tang Ya had no idea how much damage that one slap had done to Baldy Zhao. It had caused far more than mere pain and swelling on the surface.
Noticing that Tang Ya had only one lone Hundred-Year Soul Ring behind her, a vicious glint flashed through Baldy Zhao's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "You stinking bitch! I'll show you what happens when I get my hands on you!"
"Pfft. You think you're worthy of taking me on?"
Although Tang Ya only had Soul Power at level 19, with her Hidden Weapons and Tang Sect Secret Arts, dealing with someone like Baldy Zhao was a piece of cake.
Tang Ya scoffed, her eyes full of disdain. "Just look at you. You haven't got a single hair on your head. Who knows, maybe your wife's been putting too many hats on you!"
Lies didn't hurt people. The truth was the sharpest blade.
Perhaps Tang Ya had hit a sore spot. Baldy Zhao looked as if he'd been triggered, hopping furiously in place.
"Bullshit!"
Seeing Baldy Zhao turn red with rage, Tang Ya immediately flashed a triumphant smile.
Pointing her thumb at Baldy Zhao in the distance, Tang Ya turned to Mu Guiyun and raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "See? He's mad!"
Those few airy words pushed Baldy Zhao over the edge. His eyes were bloodshot, his breath came in great heaves, and he glared at Tang Ya with murderous fury.
"Arghhh! I'll kill you!"
With a roar, the wooden club appeared in Baldy Zhao's hand again, and the lone Hundred-Year Soul Ring behind him lit up.
Then he sprang into the air, legs driving him skyward. His wooden club tore through the air with a fierce whistle as he swung it hard at Tang Ya!
Tang Ya's expression turned serious. She was just about to use Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge when a silver-white bolt of lightning suddenly shot out and struck Baldy Zhao squarely.
"Arghhh!!"
Another scream rang out. The sudden lightning blasted Baldy Zhao into the air, sending him along a graceful arc before he crashed heavily to the ground and passed out completely.
"That's enough of this farce."
Mu Guiyun watched it all with an impassive expression, occasional arcs of electricity flickering in his palm.
"Tang Ya, detoxify them, then take that bald bastard with you."
A mere Soul Grandmaster had dared to bring a few thugs into Shrek City to extort protection money. Mu Guiyun would never believe Baldy Zhao had no one backing him.
Taking these men out here would be as easy for Mu Guiyun as crushing an ant, but the forces behind them might take revenge on Ke En's family.
"Hmph, you're lucky!"
At Mu Guiyun's words, Tang Ya could only let out a haughty snort before controlling the Blue Silver Grass to draw the toxins out of their bodies.
As soon as they could move again, the men scrambled out of the restaurant. Before leaving, they didn't forget to carry off their unconscious big brother.
As they left, a tiny insect, nearly impossible to detect, quietly landed on the back of Baldy Zhao's neck.
Only after their figures had completely disappeared did Tang Ya turn to look at the stunned Ke En and his daughter. With a smug grin, she said, "There, if those bastards bother you again, just tell me. Your Sect Master will stand up for you!"
At her words, Ke En and his daughter hurriedly gave Tang Ya grateful looks. "Thank you, Xiaoya."
Tang Ya waved it off. "Oh, don't mention it. If you hadn't helped me back then, I might've starved to death."
When Tang Ya had fled alone to Shrek City, she'd been penniless and starving. Luckily, Ke En and his daughter had taken her in.
"All right, all right, go make some food. I'm starving to death."
Tang Ya had barely sat down when her eyes met Mu Guiyun's.
She shifted awkwardly, then said in a coquettish voice, "Why are you staring at me again?"
"If you've fallen for your Sect Master, just say so. Since you've treated me to so many meals, I might even give you a chance!"
After speaking, Tang Ya proudly puffed out her chest.
"With those little buds of yours only just peeking out, you've got quite the imagination!"
Mu Guiyun looked at her with disdain, then asked with a solemn expression, "Do you owe Ke En and his daughter a debt of gratitude?"
"Yeah. They took me in back then. Otherwise, I might've become the first Soul Master to starve to death."
Unpleasant memories rose in Tang Ya's mind, and a trace of sadness crept into her voice.
"I see."
Mu Guiyun nodded slightly, then asked another question that puzzled Tang Ya.
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
Killed someone?!
Tang Ya hurriedly shook her head again and again. She had seen dead people, sure—even her own mom and dad.
At her reaction, Mu Guiyun smiled mysteriously, then leaned toward Tang Ya's ear. "After dinner, I'll take you to experience it."
Experience killing someone? Was that something you could experience?
Mu Guiyun's words left Tang Ya momentarily stunned, but she didn't feel the slightest bit repulsed. If anything, she was faintly looking forward to it.
She could clearly feel her Martial Soul stir when Mu Guiyun said the words "killing someone."
Before long, Ke En brought out the dishes one by one. They were made with ordinary ingredients commonly found in any household, but she had to admit, they tasted pretty good.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two didn't linger. They got up and left the restaurant.
Feeling the coordinates coming from his mind, Mu Guiyun grinned and led Tang Ya at an unhurried pace toward an ordinary residence in the residential district.
"This is the place."
Mu Guiyun looked at the tightly shut metal gate, his expression calm and his conscience clear.
For scum like Baldy Zhao, who preyed on ordinary people, simply dying would be letting him off easy.
After nodding to Tang Ya, Mu Guiyun caused the metal gate to come apart.
Baldy Zhao had already woken up from his faint and was resting alone on his bed.
"Damn it, you little brat! Just you wait until you fall into my hands. I'll make you wish you were dead!"
The thought of what had happened that afternoon made Baldy Zhao grind his teeth in fury.
"Is that so? Too bad you won't get the chance."