The next day, Mo Li stood at the entrance to Blue Tyrant Academy, leaning against the white marble pillar beside the gate as he waited, bored out of his mind.
During that time, teachers and students came and went, greeting Mo Li as they passed.
Mo Li smiled and returned each greeting.
He was cheerful by nature, so he was fairly popular at the academy.
"Little Brother Mo Li, sorry to keep you waiting."
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Jiang Zhu appeared at the academy entrance with her hands behind her back, her face full of apology.
In the two years since he had last seen her, Jiang Zhu had blossomed into a young woman. Today, she wore a pale green dress, her crimson hair tied up. From head to toe, she brimmed with the youthful energy of someone her age.
Girls on the continent generally matured earlier, and her figure had grown ever more graceful and shapely. Still, her sweet, slightly silly nature hadn't changed much.
As for her cultivation, Jiang Zhu had recently broken through to level twenty-five in Soul Power and had successfully advanced to the academy's intermediate class.
Looking at Jiang Zhu, Mo Li smiled and waved a hand.
"It's fine. I only just got here."
Today was a day off, and Mo Li had already planned to go into the city to buy Whale Rubber. As it happened, Jiang Zhu had also sought him out the day before, saying she wanted to take him into the city for some fun.
At first, Mo Li had wanted to refuse—not because he didn't trust Jiang Zhu, but because the place he intended to visit was a fairly secret underground trading post.
Given Jiang Zhu's innocent nature, he worried something might go wrong.
But in the end, he couldn't withstand her pestering and had reluctantly agreed to take her along.
Before setting out, though, Mo Li thought it necessary to stress one more thing. "Don't rush, Sister Jiang Zhu. We agreed beforehand that..."
"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say today, Little Brother Mo Li." Jiang Zhu smiled brightly as she answered, then took his hand and led him out of the academy.
Western Heaven Dou City.
Though the western district of Heaven Dou City wasn't as prosperous as the other districts, it was home to one magnificent landmark: the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
Its location was relatively remote, but it drew far more people than the other districts, which meant that the western district's public order was always somewhat worse.
Even standing outside the Soul Fighting Arena, the two could hear the clamor within. It was a lively scene.
But the arena wasn't their destination.
Although Mo Li had undergone Liu Erlong's special training, he hadn't had many real fights against other opponents. Perhaps he would have a chance to train at this arena someday.
They passed the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, and Mo Li led Jiang Zhu through the district according to the information he'd obtained.
The farther they went, the more disorder and squalor they saw on every side.
Still, this was Heaven Dou City, right under the imperial palace. Though the area was chaotic, it remained within manageable bounds.
After searching for a while, the two finally stopped in front of a cluster of buildings.
Before them stood a nondescript building, its entrance blocked by a thick black curtain.
People constantly filed in and out. Some were tightly wrapped up, their eyes shadowed; others were being helped along or carried out, their bodies covered in blood.
Mo Li frowned slightly at the sight. Jiang Zhu said nothing, but her eyes were already filled with reluctance.
This was the secret black market trading post Mo Li had found, a place for dealing in goods that couldn't be sold in the light of day.
Mo Li had wanted Jiang Zhu to wait outside, but she insisted that she couldn't leave him to go in alone.
Unable to talk her out of it—and knowing that leaving Jiang Zhu alone outside might lead to trouble too—Mo Li had no choice but to take her into the gloomy place.
Before entering, Mo Li had already prepared two ordinary masks to avoid unnecessary trouble.
The building was dim, with much poorer visibility than outside. All kinds of raucous noises echoed around them, mingling with a damp, unpleasant smell that drifted through the air, as if warning everyone who entered that this was no good place.
Most of the people here concealed their faces, though a few—whether reckless fools or simply confident in themselves—showed them openly.
The place was more like a market hidden inside a building, with plenty of stalls and gathering spots all around.
As the two ventured farther in, more and more eyes began to size them up.
After all, they could conceal their faces, but not their builds.
Most of those stares were fixed on Jiang Zhu. In a place like this, a girl like her drew far too much attention.
In the dim surroundings, one person began to jeer, and soon more followed suit. Some even tried to come closer and take liberties.
Jiang Zhu had never faced anything like this. Her pretty face turned pale, and she clutched Mo Li's coat hem, pressing herself almost against his back as her body trembled.
But her pitiful appearance only made the crowd bolder.
Mo Li frowned slightly and turned, intending to take Jiang Zhu and leave. As soon as he turned around, a leering man sidled up to them.
"Kid, this isn't a place for you."
The man leered. To him, Mo Li and Jiang Zhu looked like a pair of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Besides, this place was a gray zone. Even if he did something, no one would be able to stop him anytime soon.
Mo Li's gaze suddenly turned icy.
"Get out of my way!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling force that brooked no argument.
"Kid, you'd better worry about yourself first. Hahaha!"
Mo Li's gaze darkened to the extreme. Without another word, a bright yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, its light especially conspicuous in the dim space.
"A... Soul Master?!"
The moment he saw the Soul Ring shining around Mo Li, the leering man was so terrified his scalp went numb.
The young boy before him was actually a Soul Master!
Mo Li's eyes were cold. He said nothing, merely pointing a finger. Black flames shot from his fingertip toward the man like the will-o'-the-wisps of a death omen.
"Aaaah!"
A bloodcurdling scream rang out. A moment later, the stench of burning flesh filled the air, and the man collapsed to the ground with a thud, his life or death unknown.
Mo Li hadn't meant to take his life, but he certainly wouldn't let a man like that off lightly. More importantly, he needed to make an example of him.
The black market was a mixed bag, but most people there were still ordinary folk. Soul Masters with even a little standing didn't come to a place like this.
Mo Li wasn't bloodthirsty, but he would never tolerate his friends being insulted—not when he had the power to put an end to it.
Mo Li's icy gaze swept across the crowd. After witnessing his swift, ruthless action, the black market's clamor seemed to fall away. Wherever his eyes landed, no one dared meet his gaze.
No one bothered with the man lying on the ground like a piece of trash. In this gray zone, there was no order; strength was the iron law.
Now no one dared brazenly cast even a single improper glance at Jiang Zhu. Facing the strength Mo Li had shown, that would be no different from courting death!
Seeing that he'd achieved the desired effect, Mo Li's expression softened slightly. He looked at Jiang Zhu, who was still clutching him tightly, and comforted her gently:
"It's all right now, Sister Jiang Zhu."
At the sound of Mo Li's voice, Jiang Zhu finally came back to herself. She cautiously peeked out from behind him, her voice trembling. "Mo Li, did you... did you kill him?"
It was the first time Jiang Zhu had ever seen Mo Li so ruthless, and her voice sounded strained.
"Don't worry about him. Let's go," Mo Li said casually.
Although the black market crowd had turned their attention elsewhere, they could still hear Mo Li's offhand words. They couldn't help feeling a chill rise in their hearts.
"Sister Jiang Zhu, why don't you go outside and wait for me?"
"No!"
Jiang Zhu didn't like this place, but seeing how chaotic it was only made her more worried about leaving Mo Li there alone.
"I... I'll stay with you."
Seeing that Jiang Zhu was determined, Mo Li said no more. He took her hand and continued deeper into the market.
Jiang Zhu was kind by nature and gentle in temperament, but sooner or later, she would have to face the dark side of this world.
He just hadn't expected to be the one to take her through that first lesson.
Jiang Zhu had come in with him because of him, so Mo Li would never tolerate her suffering the slightest indignity here. That was exactly why he had struck so swiftly and ruthlessly.