Rest and Reflection

At nightfall, the hunting party had settled the rescued villagers in the nearby village that the Wolf Bandits had destroyed.

Besides the villagers from that village, some of the rescued people were civilians from elsewhere.

All of them had mental problems of varying severity. They needed treatment from a Soul Master skilled in mental healing, after which they would be sent back to their own homes. If they didn't want to leave, that was fine too; Spirit Hall would arrange for them to be settled elsewhere.

The adults could work at the Spirit Hall Branch, while the orphans would be sent to an orphanage—the same place where Ban Shu and the others had grown up.

Once everything was taken care of, the hunting party could finally rest. To move quickly and protect the villagers more easily, they set up camp in an open area near the village.

During this Wolf Bandit Hunt, the hunting party had played an important role alongside Ban Shu and the others. They had been there both to surround and kill the bandits and to guard the area.

The operation had ended in a great victory, so everyone began celebrating at the camp. They were also holding a welcome feast for Ban Shu and Bibi Dong.

"..."

Inside the tent, Ban Shu slowly opened his eyes. "Where am I...?"

"You're awake?"

When he opened his eyes, he saw Bibi Dong sitting nearby, watching him with worried eyes.

"You've been asleep for several hours. How are you feeling?"

Ban Shu lifted the blanket and slowly sat up. A sharp pain immediately pierced his head. "I'm all right. My head still hurts a little, though."

"That's a side effect of exhausting your mental power. Only time can ease it."

In the first installment of Douluo Continent, there was no systematic method for cultivating mental power. Soul Masters had to rely entirely on their natural talent or use the clumsy method of forcing their mental power to improve through sheer effort.

Just then, Li Yan lifted the tent flap and walked in. Seeing Ban Shu sitting up, he smiled and nodded. "You're awake."

"Mm."

With Bibi Dong supporting him, Ban Shu slowly got to his feet. There was one thing he was still very concerned about. "What happened to those Fallen Ones?"

"Don't worry. Not a single one got away."

Li Yan held out his hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. "The strongest one was held back by me and Bishop Yue Guan. You and Dong'er killed the others."

"Good."

Ban Shu breathed a sigh of relief. If even one of them had escaped, it would have been a devastating blow to the civilians around here.

"But we didn't kill that Soul Emperor. He still has control over a considerable number of Wolf Bandits. We need to get to the bottom of that before we can judge him."

"I understand."

"By the way, everyone's prepared a welcome feast for you two. Come on."

Li Yan stepped forward and patted Ban Shu, giving him a thumbs-up. "And I have some good news for you. Congratulations, you've graduated."

"I saw your brave performance today, and I'm truly satisfied. There's nothing more I can teach you now."

Ban Shu glanced at Bibi Dong, then at Li Yan, and smiled as he nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Li."

Li Yan laughed and patted Ban Shu on the shoulder. "Come on. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Mm."

Ban Shu nodded and followed them out of the tent. Outside, the members of the hunting party sat around the campfire, quietly waiting for the day's best teammate.

As soon as Ban Shu appeared, everyone started applauding. Some even cheered.

"What's going on?"

Ban Shu couldn't quite understand what he was seeing.

"Nothing. They're just thanking you."

Li Yan folded his arms and smiled. "Hunting Wolf Bandits isn't usually so easy. Injuries and even deaths are common."

"But this time, thanks to you, everyone came back alive apart from those who suffered minor injuries."

"God of War!"

Someone shouted the title, and the rest of the team joined in.

"God of War! God of War! God of War!"

Though Ban Shu was still young, everyone there respected him. He had proven his strength and earned their admiration.

"Thank you, everyone."

Ban Shu sat by the campfire and smiled as he nodded to them. "This wasn't my achievement alone. Everyone played a part, so I've prepared a gift for you all."

As he spoke, Ban Shu took out the Soul Bone. "This is the Soul Bone dropped by the Wolf Bandit leader. Bishop Yue Guan and I discussed it, and we'll exchange it for the equivalent in Gold Soul Coins and split the money among us."

At his words, everyone cheered. None of them had expected Ban Shu to be so generous, willing to share the Thousand-Year Soul Bone just like that. They respected him even more.

Just then, Ban Shu suddenly scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Um, when's dinner? We've been fighting all day, and I'm starving."

At that, everyone exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

To thank the hunting party for rescuing them, the villagers had specially brought out a great deal of food to serve them.

After eating their fill, Li Yan and Yue Guan stayed behind to keep watch and guard the Fallen One, whose tendons had been severed and Martial Soul crippled. Everyone else went to rest.

The next day, everyone broke camp and set off for Spirit Hall in a long procession.

Qian Xunji at the Pope Palace received the news and froze. "How did this hunt end so quickly? Doesn't it usually take at least a week?"

The scout who had delivered the message wore an expression of deep admiration. "That's all thanks to Lord Ban Shu. He and the two bishops not only killed countless Wolf Bandits, but also uncovered a conspiracy and killed the Fallen Ones responsible for their crimes."

"Oh?"

Seeing the scout's admiration whenever he mentioned Ban Shu, Qian Xunji couldn't help wondering how much his good disciple had grown this time.

"Summon Ban Shu and Bibi Dong to see me. The others can go back and rest. Tomorrow, have Li Yan and Yue Guan bring me their report."

"Yes."

The scout nodded and turned to leave.

Qian Xunji slowly rose and walked away from his desk with his hands behind his back. "Xiao Ban, Dong'er, it seems this experience has helped you grow again."

Before long, the two of them arrived at the Pope Palace.

"Teacher."

They greeted Qian Xunji respectfully.

"Mm."

Qian Xunji stepped forward and looked them over carefully. He nodded in satisfaction. "Good, very good. You've clearly made great progress. I'm glad I sent you with the hunting party."

"Yes, Teacher. I saw a lot this time."

Ban Shu nodded, his tone calm. "Evil Soul Masters deserve to die."

"I agree with Xiao Ban."

Bibi Dong nodded firmly. "Evil Soul Masters should never have been allowed to exist. They must all be purged."

"Hehehe. It seems you've seen what those Evil Soul Masters have done."

Qian Xunji stepped forward and gently patted them both on the head. "At your age, you shouldn't have had to take part in this. But you're my disciples, so you must be stronger than anyone else."

"We of Spirit Hall are servants of the Angel God. We must always remember to eradicate all evil. Understood?"

"Yes, Teacher."

"Mm. Go back and rest. You won't need to train for the next few days."

Qian Xunji nodded in satisfaction and sent them on their way.