It had been less than two days since Tang Hao left when the portly old hall master of Nuoding City's Spirit Hall Branch came to pay a personal visit.
He brought two attendants and a pile of gifts, standing outside the dormitory building with a genial smile. He was more than twice as deferential as he had been three days earlier.
"Grandmaster, sorry to trouble you." The portly old man rubbed his hands together, his round face wreathed in smiles. "His Holiness the Pope has given an order. He requests your presence in Spirit City."
Zhu Shen was leading the work-study students through the basic circulation of Soul Power. At the words, he stopped and raised an eyebrow.
"The Pope? Bibi Dong?"
"Indeed." The portly old man nodded repeatedly. "His Holiness the Pope heard of your deeds in Nuoding City and sent an invitation, hoping you'll come to Spirit City to discuss the Evil Soul Masters."
The children around them pricked up their ears.
The Pope? That was a great personage they wouldn't even dare dream of meeting.
Tang San stood behind Zhu Shen, his eyes flickering. In his previous life, he had been a disciple of the Tang Sect, but he was still unfamiliar with the forces in this life. Even so, he had heard of Spirit Hall—the strongest organization on the continent, with more Soul Masters than any other and influence across both empires.
Zhu Shen accepted the invitation. The envelope was pure white, sealed with gold thread and stamped with Spirit Hall's emblem. He opened it. The handwriting was graceful, yet carried an air of authority.
"To Grandmaster Yu: I have heard that you routed the Evil Soul Masters' ritual in Nuoding City and rescued forty-seven children from the jaws of death. I hold you in the highest regard. Evil Soul Masters run rampant, bringing chaos to the continent. As the holy land of Soul Masters, Spirit Hall must shoulder the duty of wiping them out. I hope you will come to Spirit City so we may discuss our plans. Bibi Dong."
The Pope's personal seal had been stamped beneath the signature.
Zhu Shen put the letter away, turning things over in his mind.
Bibi Dong reaching out to him had been unexpected, yet it made sense. The matter of the Evil God Temple had caused quite a stir. Forty-seven children had been rescued, and Blood Shadow had been captured. There was no way Spirit Hall hadn't heard about it.
Given Bibi Dong's character, she would certainly take this kind of potential threat seriously. Besides, the strength and potential he had shown were well worth recruiting.
"Teacher?" Tang San asked softly.
Zhu Shen glanced at him, then looked back at the portly old man. "I appreciate the Pope's kind invitation. But I have several disciples to teach here, so I can't leave."
The portly old man grew anxious. "Grandmaster, this is a personal invitation from the Pope..."
"I know." Zhu Shen waved a hand. "How about this: once I've made arrangements here, I'll visit Spirit City in person. We can settle on a specific time later."
The portly old man wanted to press him, but seeing how firm Zhu Shen was, he could only give up.
"Th-then I'll relay that to the Pope."
"Mm. Please thank the Pope for her kind offer."
The portly old man left with his people.
The work-study students immediately crowded around.
"Teacher, are you going to Spirit City?" Wang Sheng's eyes lit up. "I heard it's huge—one hundred times bigger than Nuoding City!"
"Yeah, yeah! If you go, could you take us along to have a look?"
Zhu Shen tapped Wang Sheng on the head. "What are you thinking? Get back to training. A place like Spirit City would chew you up and spit you out."
"Then when can we go?"
"When you can beat Xiao San."
The children's spirits sank at once.
Tang San only had one ring, but with four Lone Bamboo Soul Bones and the Tang Sect Secret Arts, he could take them all on without breaking a sweat.
"All right, all right. Get back to training." Zhu Shen waved them away. "Everyone runs five extra laps today. No dinner until you finish."
The children groaned, but none dared to protest. They obediently went off to run.
Tang San stayed behind. Only after the children had gone some distance did he speak. "Teacher, are you really going to Spirit City?"
"Sooner or later." Zhu Shen stroked his chin. "But not now. We're not strong enough yet. We'd only be at their mercy if we went."
"And Bibi Dong..."
"She's a clever woman," Zhu Shen said. "Clever people seek to maximize their interests. I'm useful to her right now, so she won't do anything to me. But first, I need to show her just how useful I can be."
Tang San seemed to understand, but not quite.
Zhu Shen clapped him on the shoulder. "All right, don't overthink it. You have one task right now: get stronger. Once you're strong enough, neither Spirit Hall nor the Evil God Temple will be a match for you."
Tang San nodded firmly.
Over the next few days, Zhu Shen kept training the work-study students as usual. But behind the scenes, he ramped up the intensity.
Wang Sheng and the others might not have much talent, but they were willing to work hard. Their daily ten laps became fifteen, then twenty. Once they finished running, they still had to haul stones, hold horse stances, and practice punches and kicks.
After a week, the children had all grown dark from the sun, but they were in much better spirits. A few even showed signs of breaking through.
Xiao Lian made the greatest progress. Her Dandelion Martial Soul had been weak to begin with, but under Zhu Shen's guidance, she developed several new uses for it. She could infuse the dandelion seeds with Soul Power to make them fly farther and more steadily, or imbue them with a simple disorienting effect. It wasn't very powerful, but it could catch an opponent off guard.
"Teacher, I used my dandelions to scout yesterday and saw Teacher Wang sneaking out of the academy." Xiao Lian reported in a low voice.
Zhu Shen narrowed his eyes.
Teacher Wang was the young instructor who had given him a hard time at the very beginning. Ever since Zhu Shen had taught him a lesson, the man had kept his head down and his tail between his legs. He hadn't expected him to still be up to something.
"When was this? Which way did he go?"
"Eleven last night, heading south."
South again.
Zhu Shen thought of the abandoned warehouse where Su Nuo had met with Blood Shadow. Tang Hao had dealt with Su Nuo, but the Evil God Temple might have more than one hideout in Nuoding City.
"I see." Zhu Shen patted Xiao Lian on the head. "You did well. But remember, don't go out on your own next time. It's too dangerous."
"Mm." Xiao Lian nodded hard.
That night, Zhu Shen called Tang San to his room.
"I'm going to look around the southern district tonight. You stay at the academy and keep an eye on Teacher Wang and his people."
Tang San frowned. "Teacher, it's too dangerous to go alone."
"What's dangerous about it?" Zhu Shen laughed. "Your teacher can fly and fight. Even if I can't win, surely I can run. Besides, the Evil God Temple just suffered a heavy blow. They're on edge now, and there probably aren't many of them left."
"Then be careful."
"Don't worry."
Night fell. Zhu Shen changed into dark clothes, spread his Dragon Wings, and flew silently toward the southern district.
The southern slums were still run-down, but the atmosphere was even more oppressive than on his last visit. Not a soul was on the streets. Every door and window was shut tight, and even the dogs had fallen silent.
Zhu Shen landed on the roof of the abandoned warehouse and peered down through a hole.
The warehouse was empty. The tables and chairs, oil lamp, and black box from before were gone, leaving only dust and cobwebs across the floor.
It seemed the Evil God Temple's people had already cleared out.
But Zhu Shen didn't leave in a hurry. He extended his senses, searching for signs of life nearby.
Before long, he noticed something strange in a narrow alley behind the warehouse. Two people were there. Their auras were faint, but a trace of evil energy clung to them.
Zhu Shen dropped down without a sound, pressed himself against the wall, and peered around the corner.
Two people stood in the alley, both dressed in dark red and wearing black cloth over their faces. One held a small box and was pouring something onto the ground.
Ashes.
Zhu Shen narrowed his eyes.
These two were probably remnants of the Evil God Temple, back to collect their comrade's remains.
"Hurry up. Once you're done, we need to leave," a hoarse voice said. "We can't stay in Nuoding City. Spirit Hall's people are already watching this place."
"I know." The other person emptied the ashes and put away the box. "Any news from Lord Blood Shadow?"
"I heard he's being taken to Spirit City. The Pope herself ordered his interrogation about the Evil God Temple."
"Then we..."
"Withdraw for now. Wait for orders from above."
They turned to leave.
Zhu Shen stepped out of the shadows and blocked the mouth of the alley.
"Leaving in such a hurry?"
The two men's faces changed. They immediately released their Martial Souls. One had a black cat Martial Soul, the other a viper. Both were two-ring Soul Grandmasters.
"Who are you?" the Black Cat Soul Master asked warily.
"Aren't you looking for me?" Zhu Shen smiled. "Yu Xiaogang. Ever heard of me?"
Their pupils contracted.
"You're Yu Xiaogang, the one who ruined the ritual?" The Viper Soul Master's voice trembled. "Wh-what do you want?"
"I have a few questions for you." Zhu Shen took a step forward. "How many people does the Evil God Temple still have in Nuoding City? Where are your hideouts? Who's in charge?"
"We don't know!" The Black Cat Soul Master gritted his teeth. "Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you!"
"Is that so?" Zhu Shen released his Dragon God Martial Soul.
The phantom of a golden dragon appeared behind him, and its might bore down on them like a physical weight. The two Evil Soul Masters felt their bodies grow heavy. Their Martial Souls wailed, and even circulating their Soul Power became difficult.
"What about now?" Zhu Shen asked calmly.
Their faces turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" The Viper Soul Master couldn't take it anymore. "There are five of us left in Nuoding City, with three hideouts: the abandoned warehouse in the south, the blacksmith shop in the west, and the coffin shop in the north. The leader... the leader was Lord Blood Shadow, but he's been captured. Lord 'Black Bat' is in charge for now."
"Black Bat?" Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow. "What's his strength?"
"A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. His Martial Soul is a Dark Night Bat. He specializes in stealth and assassination."
Zhu Shen nodded. A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was still within the range of what he could handle.
"One last question." He looked at the two men. "Why are you collecting children? Besides using them for rituals, what else are they for?"
The two exchanged a glance, then fell silent.
Zhu Shen's eyes turned cold, and the dragon's might intensified.
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" the Black Cat Soul Master cried out. "Those children... they're used to raise 'Holy Children.'"
"Holy Children?"
"That's right." The Viper Soul Master jumped in. "The Holy Temple needs gifted children. It raises them from a young age and indoctrinates them. By the time they're grown, they're the Temple's most loyal warriors. The less gifted ones... are used for rituals."
Zhu Shen's heart sank.
Those madmen didn't just kill people; they brainwashed them too.
"How many children have you taken?"
"I don't know... I really don't!" the Black Cat Soul Master wailed. "Only the higher-ups know about that. We're just low-level lackeys. We run errands..."
Zhu Shen looked at them and fell silent for a moment.
"Fine. You can go."
The two men froze, unable to believe it.
"R-really?"
"Really." Zhu Shen withdrew his Martial Soul. "Go back and tell that Black Bat that Nuoding City isn't the place for him. He has three days to get his people out of the city. Otherwise, I'll come for him myself."
The two men fled, scrambling over each other in their haste.
Zhu Shen watched them go and sighed.
He wasn't a saint, but he didn't want to slaughter people indiscriminately, either. These two were weak and didn't know much. Killing them wouldn't accomplish anything. Sending them back with a warning might even draw out a bigger fish.
Still, the Evil God Temple's plan to raise "Holy Children" troubled him.
If this organization really had a systematic training program, then it was a far greater threat than he'd imagined. A bunch of madmen wasn't frightening; a bunch of organized madmen with an established legacy was.
He needed to get to Spirit City as soon as possible and tell Bibi Dong what he'd learned.
By the time he returned to the academy, dawn was near.
Tang San was still waiting in his room. When he saw Zhu Shen return, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Teacher, how did it go?"
"I learned a few things." Zhu Shen told him what had happened that night. "The Evil God Temple still has some people left in Nuoding City, but they're not the main problem. It's that 'Holy Child' plan that worries me."
Tang San's expression turned grave. "They're trying to raise the next generation?"
"That's right." Zhu Shen nodded. "From the looks of it, they're gathering gifted children from all over and indoctrinating them as a group. That's far more frightening than simple murder."
"Then what do we..."
"We need to pick up the pace." Zhu Shen clapped him on the shoulder. "Starting tomorrow, I'll give you extra training. Within a month, you must break through to level twenty."
Tang San's eyes lit up. "Yes!"
"All right, go get some sleep. We'll have training once the sun's up."
"You should get some rest too, Teacher."
Once Tang San had left, Zhu Shen sat in his chair and opened the System Panel.
He'd been saving evolution points for the past few days. Now he had 80/100. After a few more pranks on Tang San, he'd be able to improve his bloodline purity.
But there was something more urgent now.
He looked at the prize wheel.
He still hadn't used Bibi Dong's Love Letter, which he'd drawn last time. It might come in handy on his trip to Spirit City.
"System, draw."
[Starting draw] [Prize wheel activated] [Drawing] [Congratulations! You won a special reward: Pope's Trust] [The holder of this item gains a 20% trust bonus when speaking with Bibi Dong]
Zhu Shen's eyes lit up.
A good one!
With this, his trip to Spirit City would be much safer.
He put the reward away, lay down on the bed, and started planning what came next.
First, he'd go to Spirit City, tell Bibi Dong about the Evil God Temple, and see if he could secure some funding while he was at it. Bibi Dong was the Pope. She was bound to have plenty of good things. A little handout from her would be more than enough for him.
Once he got back from Spirit City, he'd take Tang San to hunt for a second Soul Ring. This time, he'd look for a Soul Beast at least a hundred years old. Better yet, maybe they'd find one that was a thousand years old.
As for the work-study students, he'd have to make plans for them too. Wang Sheng and the others might not have much talent, but with proper training, they could still become useful allies.
As he pondered, dawn broke.
Zhu Shen climbed out of bed, pushed open the window, and watched the sky gradually brighten.
A new day, a new beginning.
He drew in a deep breath and grinned.
"Evil God Temple, just you wait. I'm coming for you."