The evening breeze outside the auction house carried a hint of chill.
To avoid any eyes that might be lurking in the shadows, Yang Fan deliberately led Ning Rongrong around the broad main street and chose a quiet lane that ran toward the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.
The lane ran right alongside Moonlight Pavilion. Few people usually walked there, and at this hour it was so quiet that only their footsteps could be heard.
"Pavilion Master Yang, are you sure this is a shortcut?"
Ning Rongrong folded her arms across her chest and wrinkled her nose slightly. "There isn't even a streetlamp here. It's pitch-black, and there aren't any carriages either. Why do I feel like this is even more dangerous?"
"Miss, you ought to understand better than I do that wealth shouldn't be flaunted."
Yang Fan walked half a step beside her, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding shadows like a hawk's.
"That Soul Bone tonight was far too conspicuous. After all the commotion at the auction, it's hard to say whether some fool might actually try something. But if they made their move in a place like this..."
Before he could finish, hurried footsteps suddenly burst out of the alleys on either side.
Five figures dressed in black, tight-fitting clothes and wearing bamboo hats instantly blocked off both ends of the lane.
The leader slowly raised his head, revealing a face hidden behind a hideous mask. A pitch-black dagger in his hand glinted with a chilling light beneath the moon.
"So you knew enough to take a side street. Leave your things behind, and we'll spare your lives!"
Ning Rongrong's expression darkened at once. The treasured darling of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had never been threatened like this. She gave a cold snort. "Who are you? How dare you!"
"Brothers from Spirit Hall, kill them!"
The black-clad leader stopped wasting words and sprang forward. Five Soul Rings of different colors rose from beneath his feet—white, yellow, purple, purple, purple!
At the same time, the other four released their Martial Souls, four rings appearing behind each of them.
Four Soul Ancestors and one Soul King. Among an ordinary group of Soul Masters, this force could already be called elite.
Yet Ning Rongrong looked at them as if they were idiots. "Spirit Hall? Spirit Hall isn't stupid enough to announce its name while robbing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, is it?"
Before she had finished speaking, a cold voice came from the darkness.
"Seeking death."
There were no flashy movements, nor any light from Soul Rings. Two figures simply appeared before the five black-clad men, as if they were ghosts.
The old man on the left curled his right hand into a claw, and a mass of rich green light suddenly blossomed in his palm.
He did not even use a Soul Skill. Relying solely on the purest release of Soul Power, he grabbed one of the Four-Ring Soul Ancestors by the throat.
"Crack—"
The crisp sound of breaking bone rang especially loudly through the silent alley. The Soul Ancestor did not even have time to scream before collapsing limply to the ground.
The middle-aged man on the right was even more straightforward.
A chilling ice sword appeared in his hand. Its blade flashed and vanished so quickly that even its afterimage was impossible to see.
The remaining four black-clad men had no idea what had happened. They only felt a chill at their necks.
Then blood gushed forth, and all five corpses fell onto the stone-paved ground at almost the same time.
The entire battle, from beginning to end, lasted less than three breaths.
The two elders drew in their auras and disappeared into the night again, as if nothing had happened.
Yet the eight Soul Rings that had flashed briefly beneath their feet before quietly vanishing had silently revealed their identities: two genuine Eight-Ring Soul Douluo.
Yang Fan stood to one side, looking at the bodies on the ground. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
This was the foundation of the Upper Three Sects?
Soul Douluo were truly terrifying... No wonder they were among the strongest fighters below the Titled Douluo level. So those stories about young princesses sneaking out of their sects, finding treasures, and getting chased until they fled in disarray were all lies.
Would a true Titled Douluo even care about a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone like this? Especially one clearly prepared for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Ning Rongrong's face had gone a little pale at the sight of such a bloody and decisive slaughter. It was the first time she had ever seen someone killed.
Just as her legs weakened and she nearly lost her balance, a warm, strong hand steadied her by the waist.
Yang Fan had somehow already moved to her side. He half-shielded her behind him, blocking her view of the bloody scene.
He lowered his head, looking at the girl's pale face and trembling lashes. A trace of helplessness appeared in his usually cool eyes.
Had Sect Master Ning protected this girl too well?
"Close your eyes."
Yang Fan's voice was low and gentle, with a strangely soothing quality.
"Don't be afraid. In the world of Soul Masters, you can't avoid things like this."
Ning Rongrong looked up and met Yang Fan's deep gaze.
"Are... are you not afraid?" she asked quietly, a hint of dependence in her voice.
"Fighting and killing aren't the real horror. The human heart is."
Yang Fan comforted Ning Rongrong, who stood behind him.
The moment those men attacked, he had known they were going to their deaths. He just didn't know which noble house had trained them as its deadliest pawns.
Their Soul Ring configurations were poor, and their potential was limited. They had dared to strike in this area and even frame Spirit Hall, so they clearly hadn't expected to make it home alive.
Most likely, someone wanted to inflame the conflict between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Spirit Hall to undermine Xue Qinghe's standing.
After all, once Xue Qinghe, as crown prince, held his coming-of-age ceremony, he would begin taking part in state affairs and preparing to ascend the throne. By then, certain people would really have to play the fool for the rest of their lives.
Perhaps the two seniors had seen through it too. That was why they had acted so decisively, leaving no survivors.
Yang Fan turned and held out his hand to Ning Rongrong. "Don't be afraid. The farce is over. If we don't leave now, we'll be suspects once the Royal Knights come to clean up the mess."
Ning Rongrong looked at his fair hand and tried to calm herself, forcing herself not to look at the five corpses. She struggled to regain her usual lively, charming air.
She lifted her chin and gave a soft huff. "Let's go, then. I'm going back to complain to Dad. Those people were awful."
The two walked side by side out of the alley. The two Soul Douluo efficiently cleaned up the scene, then followed after them, talking as they went.
"Do you think scaring Rongrong like this was a bit too much, too soon?"
The air fell silent for a while.
"The Sect Master protects her too much. If she doesn't see blood, how will she ever be fit to inherit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? That young man called Yang Fan, though—he stayed so calm despite his age. He must have plenty of secrets."
Not far from the alley, the window on the second floor of a three-story building was gently pushed open.
"Auntie... I think there was some commotion outside just now?"
A little girl of about seven or eight, dressed in a pink princess dress, leaned over the windowsill and peered curiously into the alley.
She had smooth black hair and a face as delicate as a porcelain doll. She was none other than Xue Ke, the third princess of the Heaven Dou Empire.
At her words, the woman behind her set down the harp in her hands.
She wore a simple, moon-white gown. Her features were as gentle as water, and her brows carried a calm serenity, as though she had shed all worldly adornment.
Tang Yuehua walked to the window and looked toward the dark alley.
With her cultivation, she should not have been able to sense the Soul Power fluctuations from earlier. But judging by what she could see, it was most likely a powerful Soul Master of at least the seventh ring crushing low-level Soul Masters.
Only Soul Sages who had obtained a Martial Soul Avatar could fight so cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
As for a Titled Douluo, the commotion would have been far greater. Her Moonlight Pavilion might even have been caught up in it.
"It's nothing."
Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Just a few foolish thieves who didn't know when to quit. Ke'er, let's continue practicing the harp."
"Oh..." Xue Ke obediently nodded, but couldn't resist glancing back again.
At that instant, her eyes happened to meet Yang Fan's as he walked through the alley holding Ning Rongrong's hand.
They looked at each other in silence, then quickly turned away.
Xue Ke simply stared blankly at the two figures outside. Their shadows stretched a long way, seeming almost to overlap.
"Still looking? You haven't finished today's lesson."
Tang Yuehua's voice came from behind her.
"Oh~"
Xue Ke's voice sounded a little pitiful.