"The First Soul Ring... a purple Soul Ring!"
Seeing Su Changge kill Chu Zhao with a single blow, the two Soul Elders and the Soul Grandmaster from the bandit gang couldn't help but cry out in shock.
What kind of joke was this?
Even among the prodigies of the Seven Great Sects, no one had ever heard of someone whose First Soul Ring had reached the Thousand-Year Soul Ring level.
By the current standards of the Soul Master World, even the most gifted Soul Masters could never exceed five hundred years for their First Soul Ring!
Just what kind of monster was this unknown pretty boy Soul Master???
Whoosh!
After killing Chu Zhao, Su Changge didn't pause. His figure flashed, turning into a blur as he appeared behind another Soul Grandmaster in an instant.
He was so fast that the Soul Grandmaster's body couldn't react in time.
"W-wait, I can..."
Boom!
With another swing, Su Changge smashed the Soul Grandmaster's head to pieces. Soft, mushy brain matter splattered across the ground.
"A one-hit kill! Another one-hit kill!"
"Lord Changge is just too incredible, isn't he?"
"He's a Soul Master, yet he killed two Soul Grandmasters in succession with a single blow each. Not only did he fight above his level, but he made it look effortless... The young lady really did bring a prodigy back to the earldom..."
Seeing Su Changge's ferocity, the Musket Cavalry below were stunned, as were the three elderly, low-ranking Soul Masters.
Who would believe it without seeing it with their own eyes?
Who would dare believe any of this?
It was like an old granny climbing into a sedan chair—absolutely astonishing.
"How can this pretty boy be so powerful!?"
Not far away, the Soul Elder surnamed Sun was fighting Murong Ruyan. When he noticed the commotion Su Changge had caused, his face drained of color.
The moment his concentration wavered, Murong Ruyan seized her chance and slammed him into the ground with her Third Soul Skill.
"Cough..."
"Damn it, I let my guard down."
As the dust cleared, the Soul Elder surnamed Sun staggered to his feet, clutching his chest and coughing up blood.
Folks, you wouldn't believe it.
I had a winning hand and played it into the ground.
My whole crew was wiped out, and now I'm in a tight spot. How... do I get out of this?
Seeing Su Changge and Murong Ruyan approach side by side, with all ten Musket Cavalry aiming their guns at him, the Soul Elder surnamed Sun's legs went weak. He dropped to his knees.
He had ordinary talent and had spent thirty years just to reach the Soul Elder level!
He hadn't enjoyed enough of the world's riches and honor. How could he die here so easily?
"My lords, please spare me."
"I know I was wrong. I know it now."
"Viscount Molan was the one who ordered us to do all this!"
"It was him! He coveted the title and lands of the Murong Earldom... He wanted to drive the Murong domain to ruin this way. I'm just a poor wage earner, none of this has anything to do with me, my lord..."
The Soul Elder surnamed Sun was a mess of snot and tears. He was clearly scared out of his wits.
"My lord, if you don't reject me, Sun Meng is willing to take you as his foster father! I'll never betray you!"
"Foster father?"
It was as though that phrase had struck a nerve with Su Changge. Even on the verge of death, Sun Meng still had to disgust him.
Was he trying to make him into Dong Zhuo?
"Haha, Soul Elder Sun, what are you doing? What's all this about a foster father? If you sincerely join the earldom, I guarantee that the earldom will give you twice what Viscount Molan can offer."
Su Changge gave a harmless chuckle and nodded toward the Musket Cavalry beside him.
Two quick-witted cavalrymen immediately dismounted and helped Sun Meng to his feet.
"Really? You're truly willing to spare me? And offer me such generous terms?"
At first, Sun Meng didn't believe him. A trace of wariness lingered in his heart.
After all, as Viscount Molan's lackey, he had secretly and openly killed no small number of people from the Murong Earldom over the years.
But then he thought of the Murong Earldom's current predicament... Sun Meng talked himself into it and let his guard down completely.
What was the Murong Earldom's situation now?
All their Soul Masters were probably right here. You could count them on one hand.
And among these five, only Murong Ruyan was a Soul Elder. The rest... didn't even include a single Soul Grandmaster.
Sun Meng might not be much to look at, but he was still a Soul Elder. Under any noble's command, he'd be a pillar of strength.
Good! Very good!
In that case, he'd play along for now. Once the right opportunity came, he'd work with Viscount Molan from within and without to seize the Murong Earldom once and for all...
Schk!
Just as Sun Meng smiled and dreamed of a hazy future, the iron rod in Su Changge's hand turned into a streak of light and pierced through Sun Meng's heart.
Even as he died and his consciousness faded, Sun Meng still couldn't understand why... Su Changge had killed him!
Seeing Su Changge smiling one moment, then putting a hole straight through Sun Meng the next, everyone from the earldom shuddered and lowered their heads.
They didn't dare look, much less ask.
Their lord was far too mercurial.
Su Changge paid no mind to what they thought. He pulled out the Ruyi Steel Rod, flicked off the blood, and put it back into his Storage Soul Tool.
"Ruyan, are you wondering why I insisted on killing Sun Meng?"
Su Changge dispelled his Soul Power, reached out to wrap an arm around Murong Ruyan's slender waist, and breathed warmly against her face, making her body go completely limp.
Noticing this, the people from the earldom dared even less to raise their heads. They nearly buried them in the ground.
"Mm? I am. But Changge, I'll support you no matter what you do."
Murong Ruyan was swept up in the moment. She stared at Su Changge in a daze, wishing she could melt right into him.
"The earldom's foundations are too weak right now. If we were on equal footing, who could say for sure they'd be able to keep Sun Meng in check?"
"Besides, Sun Meng is spineless. He could betray Viscount Molan and surrender to us today, then betray us and join someone else tomorrow."
"He's strong enough, but cold-blooded by nature and utterly devoid of loyalty. What would we keep him around for?"
"Killing him with one blow was the safest and easiest way!"
"Besides, whether we had one more person like Sun Meng or one less made no difference at all to the earldom as things stood."
As he spoke, Su Changge looked at the castle knights hurrying over at the sound, and the villagers of Wheat Fragrance Village cautiously peeking out. The corner of his mouth curled into a subtle smile.
"Ruyan, since this happened, I might as well teach you how to handle similar situations in the future."
Su Changge deliberately raised his voice, drawing everyone's attention... They leaned in to listen.
"In the future, if someone is stronger than you and hard to control, deal with them the way I dealt with Sun Meng."
"Wait until they let down their guard, then kill them with one strike."
"If you come across someone weaker than you, but you're not sure what to make of them, you can offer them two things before recruiting them."
As though he'd thought of something funny, Su Changge burst into laughter.
"Changge, what are you laughing at? Hurry up and tell me. What are the two things?"
"You can give them a set of men's clothes and a set of women's clothes!"
"If he chooses the men's clothes, it means he's ambitious and bent on revenge. Kill him!"
"What if he chooses the women's clothes?"
Murong Ruyan's eyes lit up, and she urged him on.
"If he chooses the women's clothes, it means he's good at hiding his patience and has a deep, calculating mind. He deserves to die even more!!!"
Sensing Su Changge's undisguised killing intent, everyone around them shuddered, their eyes brimming with reverence.
"Then... what if he chooses both, or neither?"
Murong Ruyan asked the question everyone was curious about.
"If he chooses both, it means he's greedy and never satisfied. Kill him!"
"If he chooses neither, he doesn't even care to show you the slightest respect. What would we keep him around for?"
"Not only should you kill him, you should grind him up for fertilizer and make him useful one last time."
When Su Changge finished speaking, everyone shuddered again. Their legs went weak, and they all dropped to their knees.
Even Commander Mo, a senior official of the earldom, had his rear end sticking higher than his head.
Now they understood.
What Su Changge had just taught was the art of ruling, the art of dominance.
In short, it all came down to one thing: if you didn't like someone, kill them.
Crown your actions with righteousness, and wield the art of slaughter.
"Ah... I understand, Changge. Thank you. Father never taught me any of this."
Murong Ruyan was getting Su Changge worked up, so he swept her up in his arms and ordered the knights around them, "Cut off Sun Meng's head and send it to the Melan Territory. Let it be the Murong Earldom's New Year's gift to Viscount Molan!"
"Also, clean the streets. Don't inconvenience the villagers tomorrow."
Beneath the bright moon, deep within the room, the night passed in a tangle of passion...