You Didn't Realize You Were Wrong

"You're finished!"

Guang Long clutched his severed left leg, using Soul Power to staunch the bleeding while he roared furiously at Jiang Xiu and the other man. The venom in his eyes spoke for itself.

"I'll sell you to the black market and make sure you suffer inhuman torment for the rest of your lives!"

At his words, Jiang Xiu's brows drew together slightly. He stepped forward in a sudden, fierce stride, reached Guang Long, and kicked him in the chest.

"Crack!"

A sharp snap of breaking bone rang out. Guang Long's entire chest caved in, his eyes rolled back in pain, and a spray of blood burst from his mouth.

Jiang Xiu knew about the black market. It sold not only weapons, but also trafficked people. When the Silver Dragon King had first taken human form, she had nearly been abducted by human traffickers. Fortunately, this life was different.

"You still dare hit me, you little bastard? I'll kill you!"

After finally catching his breath, Guang Long saw the mecha squad drawing closer and grew even more brazen, hurling threats at Jiang Xiu without pause.

"This time, not only are you going to die, that useless man is too! I'll kill his whole family!"

Guang Long pointed at the middle-aged shop owner, who had just gotten to his feet, and snarled. The owner recoiled in terror at the gesture, suddenly overcome by despair. How could an ordinary man like him stand against Guang Long?

"Tang Wulin and the others weren't ruthless enough. They actually left you alive. The legions hold the line out there, and this is the sort of thing they're protecting?"

Jiang Xiu's gaze remained calm as he watched the mecha squad draw nearer. He showed no fear; instead, the corner of his mouth lifted into a cold smile.

"Bzzzz!"

Jiang Xiu clenched his left hand. Dark Soul Power surged out, gathering into a black blade that swung down toward Guang Long's neck.

"What are you doing?! My brother's right there—you can't kill me! I'm a Soul Master!"

When Guang Long saw Jiang Xiu raise the blade, his pupils contracted sharply and the arrogance vanished from his face. He spoke frantically, his body beginning to struggle violently.

"Relax. You won't die. I still have a use for your shadow. You can count it as your contribution to the fight against the Abyss."

Jiang Xiu spoke calmly as the blade in his hand came down with unrelenting force.

"I was wrong! Don't kill me! I really was wrong!"

Driven by his will to survive, Guang Long's face turned pleading. The venom in his eyes cleared, and he glanced around again and again.

"Stop! Captain's order—stop!"

The mecha squad charged over just then. A furious shout rang out from within the purple mecha at its head.

"You didn't realize you were wrong. You realized you were about to die."

Jiang Xiu smiled faintly. A black flourish of blade-light appeared, and the blade turned into a blur of darkness that plunged into Guang Long's shadow.

The next instant, Guang Long strangely clamped both hands around his own neck. Dense yellow Soul Power surged through his hands as he twisted hard to the right. His head flew off, blood splattering and staining the ground around him.

The sudden scene left the surrounding crowd baffled.

Why had he killed himself?

"Bastard!"

The Soul Master inside the purple-grade mecha saw this and his eyes instantly turned bloodshot. With a roar, he drove the mecha straight toward Jiang Xiu, bringing a wave of murderous force with him.

Jiang Xiu calmly lifted a hand and beckoned. A shadow darted from Guang Long's corpse and turned into a mass of dark light, merging into the Shadow Monarch behind him. Two purple Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.

Na'er had already come to Jiang Xiu's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. The Silver Dragon Spear abruptly appeared in her hand, and she showed not the slightest fear as the mecha charged.

Just as Jiang Xiu was about to activate his first Soul Skill, a figure darted out from the crowd. Dressed in white and holding a long, ice-blue sword, he sent a sharp sword-light flying. The purple mecha was forced to activate its defensive mode and stop.

It was Wu Changkong. Among the shadows in the crowd, one person saw him step in and slowly lowered the Soul Power gathering in their hand. The Spirit Pagoda emblem hung on this person's chest.

"Wu Changkong, you've crossed the line! Last time, my younger brother was injured by your student. I gave you face and didn't press the matter. But now my brother is dead, and you're still trying to stop me!"

The purple mecha stopped, and a burly man stepped out. Looking at Guang Long, whose head lay apart from his body, he had bloodshot eyes and growled at Wu Changkong.

At the same time, six Soul Rings—two yellow and four purple—appeared beneath his feet. Wu Changkong's Soul Rings appeared as well, except his were two yellow, two purple, and two black.

"Guang Biao, you let your younger brother bully ordinary people. Is that something a Soul Master should do? Even under Federation law, he should have been dead long ago."

Wu Changkong's gaze was icy as he answered without yielding an inch.

Looking at Wu Changkong, Jiang Xiu seemed to understand. It appeared Wu Changkong had come here to keep Guang Long from taking revenge after leaving the hospital.

After all, Guang Long was exactly the sort of person who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Since he couldn't settle the score with Tang Wulin and the others, he would surely go after the middle-aged owner of the beef shop.

Jiang Xiu then shifted his gaze to Guang Biao, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Every city had its own armed forces. East Sea was a major coastal city of the Sun Moon Federation, so the Federation had stationed a mecha squad there. Guang Biao was the captain of one such squad.

"There's no need for more pointless talk. A life for a life. Wu Changkong, hand over those two criminals behind you, and we can leave things at that. I'm the head of the security team, and under Federation law, I have the authority to detain criminals."

Guang Biao looked at the six Soul Rings on Wu Changkong, especially the final two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. His eyes filled with wariness as he spoke through his suppressed fury, declaring Jiang Xiu a criminal before anyone could object.

He had fought Wu Changkong once before. Though both were Soul Emperors, they weren't even on the same level. So he wanted to use Federation law to pressure Wu Changkong.

At his words, Wu Changkong's brows tightened. He looked at Guang Biao and the dozens of mechas behind him, as if he had thought of something. The Heavenly Frost Sword in his hand trembled slightly, but he did not strike again.

Seeing this, Guang Biao sneered, then strode toward Jiang Xiu and Na'er with a fierce look.

"Captain Guang Biao, you can eat whatever you like, but you can't say whatever you like. Your younger brother twisted his own neck. Everyone saw it."

Just then, a figure dressed in a golden robe walked out of the crowd, smiling at Guang Biao. The Spirit Pagoda emblem on his chest bore no fewer than eight golden stripes.

"Tower Master Liu, you..."

When Guang Biao saw him, he stopped in his tracks, and even the anger on his face eased somewhat. This man was the vice pagoda master of the East Sea Spirit Pagoda.

"Are these two from your Spirit Pagoda?"

Guang Biao sent him a secret transmission.

"Guang Biao, you don't need to ask about their identities. Besides, your younger brother did every evil under the sun and killed himself. Don't bring trouble on yourself."

Vice Pagoda Master Liu remained amiable, but the warning in his tone was unmistakable.