As soon as Zhu Shen entered Spirit City with Tang San, the Soul Masters crowding the streets treated them like a traveling attraction.
"Look! Isn't that the teacher from Notting City's Farting Team?"
"I heard his disciple let loose an Epic Loud Fart on the arena!"
Zhu Shen covered his face and dragged Tang San into an alley. "My lifelong reputation..."
Worse, the love letter in his arms suddenly grew hot, and the system's warning blared in his mind:
[Warning! Residual Evil God energy detected! Host, please remain elegant—]
"Elegant my ass! Didn't Dragon Breath blast that thing away?"
As Spirit City's massive gates came into view, Zhu Shen tried to straighten his back and recover some of his "Grandmaster" air. He deliberately straightened his collar, making sure the deadly "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" was tucked securely against his chest, then quietly reminded Tang San behind him, "Xiao San, chin up, chest out! Remember, we're here on business, not to make fools of ourselves!"
Before he had even finished speaking, several hushed exclamations rose from the line at the city gate.
"Hey, is that... someone from Notting Academy?"
"Yeah, yeah! Gray clothes, with a kid following behind him! It's definitely them!"
"That's them! I saw the match against Thunder Academy in person! My god, that fart was earth-shattering! It came through the Amplifying Soul Tool, and the whole arena went silent!"
"Pfft... Right, that's his teacher! What's his name, Master Yu? Wasn't he the one who gave his disciple that 'Vitality Potion'? Hahaha!"
"Notting Fart King! The name fits!"
One after another, gazes filled with undisguised amusement and laughter stabbed into the pair like needles. The "Grandmaster air" on Zhu Shen's face cracked in an instant. He seized Tang San, who looked ready to bury his head in the ground, and darted into a quieter alley like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Teacher! My lifelong reputation!" Zhu Shen leaned against the cold stone wall, covered his face, and groaned. His muffled voice seeped through his fingers. "It's all ruined! The Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament hasn't even started, and we've already made a name for ourselves in Spirit City as the 'fart' masters!"
Tang San's face was red enough to drip blood, and even the purple diamond-shaped mark on the back of his head seemed to have dimmed. He lowered his head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Teacher... I told you... that potion..."
"It was an accident! Definitely an accident!" Zhu Shen lowered his hands and declared righteously, as if he hadn't just been groaning in despair. "Those black-market swindlers must have palmed off some shoddy goods! The moment I have time, I'll smash their sign!" As he spoke, he habitually glanced at the System Panel in his mind. Sure enough, [Ding! Host successfully shifted the blame. Bluffing skill proficiency +1.] The corner of his mouth had just begun to curl with smugness when a familiar, heart-stopping heat suddenly surged through his chest!
It was even more intense than the last time outside the Pope Palace, like he was carrying a red-hot branding iron. It burned so badly that he nearly jumped on the spot.
[Ding! Warning! The "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" item's activity has surged abnormally!]
[Warning! High concentrations of residual Evil God energy detected! Direction: Northwest District (coordinates being locked)!]
[Warning! Host, please remain calm and maintain an elegant persona. Avoid drawing...]
"Elegant my ass!" Zhu Shen roared at the system in his mind, his face turning green. "Wasn't that Ghost Infant blasted to ashes by my Dragon Breath? Why does Spirit City still smell like it?!" He instinctively clutched his chest, moving so abruptly that he nearly tore open his collar. His face twitched as he struggled to force a look of "everything is under control," but it came out more like he had a toothache.
Tang San noticed the violent fluctuations in his teacher's aura and the way he clutched his chest. Alarm bells rang in his mind. "Teacher? You... that love letter again...?" He anxiously scanned their surroundings, afraid the pink thing would leap out and cause trouble again, or attract something even more terrifying.
"It's fine! The wind's strong, and my chest got a little chilly!" Zhu Shen forced down his shock, released his grip, and patted his chest as though brushing off dust. "Come on, let's find somewhere to stay. Spirit City... has deep waters." His eyes fell heavily on the glaring red dot on the system map, marking the source of the residual Evil God energy in the Northwest District.
After winding through several streets, the two finally found an inn that looked fairly clean and tidy. The moment they stepped inside, the chubby owner behind the counter greeted them without looking up from his accounts. "Looking for a room? A standard room's one Gold Soul Coin a day, and an upper-class room..."
He looked up and caught sight of Zhu Shen. His voice stopped dead. The fat innkeeper's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open as though he'd seen something impossible. He leaned halfway over the counter, pointed at Zhu Shen with a trembling finger, and raised his voice with obvious excitement—or perhaps it was gossip.
"Good heavens! Aren't you... Master Yu from Notting Academy? The one whose disciple made a... uh, unforgettable impression on the arena!" The innkeeper rubbed his hands together, his face bunching into a warm—and extremely nosy—smile. "Welcome, welcome! You two are celebrities now! What an honor to have you in my little inn! An upper-class room, twenty percent off! No, thirty! All thanks to your disciple's... uh, distinctive 'battle cry'! What a punch!"
Zhu Shen's face turned completely black. Tang San silently turned toward the wall, pretending to study a crack in it, his neck bright red.
"Two upper-class rooms, somewhere quiet!" Zhu Shen ground his teeth and slapped several Gold Soul Coins down on the counter with enough force to rattle it. He just wanted to disappear.
"Right away! Rooms Three and Four, in the Heavenly wing! Absolutely quiet!" The innkeeper quickly took the money and handed over the keys. He didn't forget to lower his voice and give them a leering, knowing look. "Don't worry, Master, the soundproofing's excellent! Even if your disciple practices another... uh, new 'special move,' no one will hear a thing!"
Zhu Shen snatched the keys and dragged Tang San, who looked ready to evaporate on the spot, up the stairs as if fleeing for his life. Behind them, the innkeeper's voice drifted after them, still savoring the moment. "Tsk, tsk, looks can be deceiving. That boy seems so refined, but what a racket..."
Once the door was shut, cutting off the suffocating stares and gossip outside, Zhu Shen finally let out a long breath. His back was damp with sweat. He slumped into a chair and glared at the ceiling, drained. "We've fallen at the gates before we even left! Xiao San... I've thrown my face right into Spirit City's moat."
Tang San silently poured him a cup of water. A trace of embarrassment still colored his face. "Teacher, our most pressing concern is the... residual evil energy." He pointed northwest, his expression grave. The External Soul Bone, the Mandala Eye at the back of his head, was also growing slightly hot. It sent him a vague but unmistakable warning: something extremely cold and foul existed in that direction, its aura of the same origin as the sacrificial altar in the cave beneath the Soul Hunting Forest.
Zhu Shen gulped down a large mouthful of water, and his gaze sharpened too. "Exactly. Bibi Dong's Love Letter wouldn't go haywire for no reason, and the system wouldn't sound a false alarm. That thing... could it really have survived? Or does the Evil God Temple have another hideout in Spirit City?" The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. An Evil God hideout under the Pope's very nose? This was a bigger mess than he'd imagined!
"Teacher, what should we do? Report it to Spirit Hall directly?" Tang San asked. Spirit City was Spirit Hall's headquarters, so in theory, that was the safest option.
Zhu Shen stroked his chin, his eyes flickering. "Report it? How? Say my love letter sensed something? Or that your External Soul Bone reacted? Where's the evidence? We might fail to catch the Evil God and get treated like a pair of lunatics spreading rumors—or worse, arrested as accomplices!" He remembered the cold gaze of Bibi Dong's apparition in the cave and the question, "Yu Xiaogang?" His nerves prickled. He didn't dare gamble on the Pope's intentions.
"Then... should we go take a look tonight?" Tang San asked tentatively, a spark of eagerness in his eyes. The keen perception he'd gained from the Mandala Eye filled him with confidence about investigating something so hidden.
Zhu Shen looked at Tang San, then thought of the red dot on the system map. He gritted his teeth. "We're going! We have to! Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll never lose a hundred battles. But..." He changed course, a familiar, troublemaking smile spreading across his face. "Xiao San, I think it's time you brought out your Dandelion Martial Soul for some practice!"
Tang San blinked. "Dandelion? Teacher, my main Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and I also have the Clear Sky Hammer..."
"Blue Silver Grass is too conspicuous! And you can't reveal the Clear Sky Hammer!" Zhu Shen cut him off, patiently coaxing him along. "Think about it. We're going to investigate, so we need to be discreet and catch them off guard! What's better than dandelions? A breeze carries the seeds over without a sound. Scouting, scattering poison powder, blinding people... it does it all. The perfect companion for travel, home life, and... killing and looting—cough, I mean, investigating the enemy! This is a perfect chance to test how well Xiao Lian's techniques work in practice!"
Tang San's mouth twitched. Seeing the gleam in his teacher's eyes—the unmistakable look of someone about to set up his disciple—he gave up and sighed. He'd known his teacher's "special training" would never let him off. He silently pulled a small cloth pouch from his Soul Tool. It was full of dandelion seeds he'd specially treated so they could float briefly when infused with Soul Power and be guided by his faint mental strength. It was an improved version he'd made using Tang Sect techniques after Xiao Lian came up with the scouting application.
The moon hung high in the sky, and Spirit City's vast outline lay shrouded in silence. Only the orderly footsteps of patrols occasionally broke the stillness. Two shadows, like geckos blending into the night, crept northwest through the shelter of buildings. Zhu Shen suppressed every trace of his aura, pushing the concealment granted by his Dragon God Bloodline to its limit. Tang San followed close behind, his mind intensely focused. The purple mark behind his head glimmered faintly, and the Mandala Eye swept their surroundings like an invisible radar.
The closer they came to the red dot marked on the system map, the thicker and colder the air seemed to grow. It was a chill that sank into the bones—not a drop in temperature, but the spiritual oppression of pure evil and filth. The love letter in Zhu Shen's arms grew hotter and hotter, like a restless heart pounding in his chest. The pouch of dandelion seeds in Tang San's hand also stirred faintly, as if the seeds sensed an aura they loathed.
At last, they stopped at the edge of an old, dilapidated neighborhood that stood in stark contrast to the bustle of central Spirit City. A solitary three-story building crouched in the shadows like a silent monster, its outer walls mottled and its windows broken. The red dot on the system map was firmly fixed on a spot beneath the building.
"This is it." Zhu Shen lowered his voice, almost whispering in Tang San's ear. "The source of the evil energy is underground. Xiao San, it's up to you."
Tang San nodded, his gaze intent. He carefully opened the pouch and pinched a few plump dandelion seeds between his fingertips. Pale Soul Power flowed from his fingers like the gentlest breeze, wrapping around the seeds. They seemed to come alive, trembling faintly and giving off a hazy glow. Holding his breath, he attached his mental strength to them and gently flicked his hand.
A few wisps of nearly invisible white fluff rode the cover of the night breeze. They drifted like the most natural willow catkins toward the broken building, slipping through gaps in its damaged windows and door. Tang San closed his eyes, immersing his entire mind in the blurry images and sensations transmitted back through the Mandala Eye. The seeds floated past a dusty corridor, skimmed corners webbed with cobwebs, then drifted down the stairs, sinking into deeper and deeper darkness...
Suddenly!
An extremely cold, malicious mental pulse shot up from underground like a venomous snake, striking one of the descending dandelion seeds with pinpoint accuracy!
"Pfft!"
The seed burst into a tiny cloud of white mist and vanished without a trace. Tang San grunted, his face paling as the backlash grazed his mental strength.
"Damn! We've been spotted!" Alarm bells rang in Zhu Shen's mind. He grabbed Tang San by the shoulder. "Retreat!"
But it was already too late!
"Who's there? Sneaking around in the shadows!" A shout like a thunderclap rang through the silent neighborhood. Immediately afterward, several bright beams shot in from different directions, instantly lighting up the corner where the two were hiding as brightly as day!
In the blinding light stood a patrol of Soul Masters wearing Spirit Hall's standard armor and holding spears. They were rapidly closing in to surround the pair. Their squad leader's expression was stern, and he made no effort to conceal his Soul Power fluctuations. He was clearly a Five-Ring Soul King! His keen gaze locked onto Zhu Shen and Tang San like a hawk's.
Zhu Shen's heart sank to the bottom. They were caught red-handed... No, they were caught sneaking around near the source of evil in the middle of the night! How could they explain that? Say they were conducting nighttime field research for Martial Soul studies? Who would believe that?!
In the blink of an eye, Zhu Shen's system-certified, fifteen-percent-thick skin and quick wit kicked in. Just as the patrol leader was about to order his men to seize them, Zhu Shen abruptly straightened up. His expression instantly shifted into a complicated mix of delight, excitement, and a touch of embarrassment. He didn't flee or resist. Instead, he stepped forward into the glaring beams of light and—
He grabbed the still-dazed Tang San and pulled him in front of himself. Then, under Tang San's horrified gaze and the patrol's dumbfounded stares, Zhu Shen actually... used the brightly lit scene as his stage, rested both hands on Tang San's shoulders, and began swaying in place to an extremely exaggerated rhythm?!
"One-and-a-two-and-a, turn! That's it! Xiao San, follow the beat!" Zhu Shen clumsily rolled his hips and shouted at Tang San, his voice booming with a strange kind of "enthusiasm" through the silent night. "Your teacher observed Spirit City's latest square-dance steps today and decided this 'Moonlight Dance of the Evil... uh, no, Soul Master's Dance Under the Moonlight' was great for limbering up and promoting Soul Power circulation! Look, this hip roll takes serious core strength! This turn trains your balance! The dead of night is perfect for practicing so we won't embarrass ourselves during the day! Isn't that right, Xiao San? Don't just stand there—move! For the tournament! For glory! For... uh, good health!"
Tang San had turned to stone. Pushed along by his teacher, he swayed stiffly like a marionette. His expression was beyond embarrassment—a chaotic blend of humiliation, despair, and "Teacher, have you gone mad again?" He could feel the Mandala Eye at the back of his head trembling with shame.
The Spirit Hall patrolmen surrounding them collectively froze. Beneath the bright beams of their Soul Tools, Master Yu from Notting Academy—the man who had recently "made quite a name for himself" in Spirit City—was striking an indescribably horrendous pose as he danced with his equally "famous" disciple in the dead of night, in an evil-infested, dilapidated neighborhood. They were performing a twitching dance unlike anything the patrolmen had ever seen.
The patrol leader's hand, still gripping his spear, froze in midair, and the corner of his mouth twitched violently. Behind him, some of the patrolmen were suppressing their laughter so hard that their faces had turned red, while others stared blankly, wondering if they'd been caught in some kind of illusion Soul Skill. The squad leader opened his mouth, seemingly about to deliver a stern reprimand, but every question he'd prepared got stuck in his throat as he stared at the absurd scene before him. At last, he drew a deep breath and studied Zhu Shen, who was still doing his best to roll his hips, with an expression so complicated it seemed he was looking at some rare Soul Beast with a screw loose. Then he squeezed out a question through clenched teeth:
"...Are people from Notting Academy all... this special?"