Deliver the Head

Hong Lin was an Evil Soul Master skilled at disguises.

He usually preyed on other Soul Masters, even hunting them down and devouring their flesh and blood to cultivate.

But after committing evil deeds out in the world for a while, he would return to the city to enjoy himself.

He had chosen Suotuo City because, relatively speaking, it was a remote area.

It lay outside the Core Circle of Spirit Hall and the two great empires. Laying low here was quite safe.

Today, Hong Lin had brought two pretty young women to the Rose Hotel to enjoy himself.

He lay back, thoroughly enjoying the two women's attentions.

He never imagined that these would be his final days.

Because someone who had set his sights on him had just arrived at the Rose Hotel.

That person was naturally Ye Xuan.

After Ye Xuan entered the Rose Hotel, the manager came forward apologetically. "Young master, I'm afraid the hotel is fully booked at the moment."

"I'm not staying here. I'm looking for someone."

After saying that, Ye Xuan went upstairs without waiting for a reply.

Seeing him head upstairs, the manager hurried over to stop him and asked, "May I ask who you're looking for? I can check for you. If they're staying here, we'll notify them."

"No need." Ye Xuan refused the offer as he continued upstairs.

The manager didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What did he mean, no need?

That was against the rules!

If they let people wander upstairs and disturb the guests whenever they pleased, the Rose Hotel would never do business again.

After all, the people who stayed here cared deeply about their privacy.

"Young master, we can't let you go upstairs if we don't know who you're looking for."

The manager didn't want to offend anyone, but he didn't want to offend the guests already staying there, either.

"If you're unwilling, then use your strength to stop me. I won't blame you." By the time Ye Xuan said this, he had already reached the upper floor.

He locked onto the Evil Soul Master's aura and stopped outside a room.

Ye Xuan didn't waste words. He kicked the tightly shut door right off its hinges.

The door suddenly flew open, startling Hong Lin so badly that he went limp.

He jolted upright, looked toward the doorway, and shouted, "Who dares disturb your Grandpa Hong's good time?"

"The man who's going to kill you."

Ye Xuan channeled the qi within his body and condensed it into a sword.

He flicked his hand, sending the flying sword hurtling toward Hong Lin. It cleanly severed his head.

Blood sprayed across the bed and splattered over the two women.

"Ah—!"

The two women screamed in terror.

Ye Xuan glanced at them. It was obvious they had been brought here from a brothel, so he didn't need to worry too much about them.

People from brothels had seen plenty, so the impact of what he'd done would be a little less severe.

Ye Xuan stepped forward and picked up Hong Lin's head.

As he held it, he realized that the man really had been wearing a disguise.

He removed the man's human-skin mask, revealing his true appearance. Sure enough, it was the Evil Soul Master on the wanted poster.

Holding the head, Ye Xuan said to the two women, "He was an Evil Soul Master. He got what he deserved. You can leave on your own."

Ye Xuan walked out of the room. The manager, who had followed him, was so frightened that his legs had gone weak.

He could hardly believe that a boy so young could be so bloody and brutal.

He had simply cut off a man's head. This was someone he absolutely couldn't afford to offend.

In a trembling voice, he asked, "Y-Young master, was he your enemy?"

"No. He was an Evil Soul Master, and I came for the bounty. You don't blame me for getting rid of an Evil Soul Master in your hotel, do you?" Ye Xuan asked with a smile.

"N-Not at all. You did a good deed, and we couldn't be happier," the manager replied with a strained smile.

"Good. I'm leaving." With that, Ye Xuan left, carrying the severed head.

Before he went, he glanced to the side.

Two people stood there.

They were Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Although they had stopped to watch the commotion earlier, they had still managed to check into the Rose Hotel without a problem.

And they hadn't run into Dai Mubai at the Rose Hotel, either.

Dai Mubai had lost face earlier that day and had no interest in going to the Rose Hotel.

Tang San and the others had heard the commotion and come out to see what was happening.

They hadn't expected to see Ye Xuan walking out with a bloody human head in his hand.

"Xiao San, did you hear him? He said he killed that Evil Soul Master for the bounty. Does he make his living off bounties? But he doesn't look very old. He should still be a student!" Xiao Wu said, perplexed.

"I don't know, but I don't think he's as young as he looks. Maybe his strength is so great that he's rejuvenated," Tang San said.

The look in Ye Xuan's eyes had made Tang San feel that there was no way he was a boy of fourteen or fifteen.

So Tang San guessed that the other man was either someone who had been reborn, like him, or an old monster rejuvenated.

Whichever it was, Tang San absolutely shouldn't provoke him.

"Rejuvenated?" Xiao Wu couldn't help thinking of herself.

By human standards, she would probably count as an old monster, too.

Ye Xuan carried Hong Lin's head to Spirit Hall. As soon as he reached the entrance, Spirit Hall's guards stopped him.

"Who are you? What are you doing with a human head?"

"I just saw Spirit Hall's wanted poster, so I went and killed the man. I brought him here to claim the reward. Is there a problem?" Ye Xuan asked in return.

"A bounty? Are you sure?" The guard looked doubtful.

"Take a closer look."

As Ye Xuan spoke, he held Hong Lin's head right up to the guard's face.

The guard instinctively took two steps back when the head was thrust at him.

But then another guard spoke up.

"That really does look like the Evil Soul Master on the wanted poster. Young master, come with me."

The guard's attitude softened considerably. He felt that this boy wasn't someone they could afford to provoke.

"Then please show me the way," Ye Xuan said.

Before long, the guard had escorted Ye Xuan into the main hall.

The bounty claims were handled in the main hall by a white-robed deacon.

After Ye Xuan explained the situation, the deacon compared the head to the description and confirmed that it was indeed Hong Lin.

However, he didn't immediately give Ye Xuan any Gold Soul Coins.

Instead, he asked sternly, "Young master, you say you killed this Evil Soul Master. Then may I ask what level Soul Master you are? Are you registered with Spirit Hall? If you aren't registered, I'm afraid we can't pay you the Gold Soul Coins."

"I need to register? All right, then. My name is Ye Xuan. I'm a level twenty Soul Master, and my Martial Soul is the Hundred Beauties Scroll," Ye Xuan said.

"Young master, that joke isn't funny at all. You're level twenty, and you're saying you killed this level fifty-six Evil Soul Master? How can Spirit Hall believe you?" the white-robed deacon asked.

"Who said you have to use your Martial Soul to kill someone? Or would you like me to kill you to prove it?"

As Ye Xuan spoke, he stared at him.

Sword intent burst from his eyes, making the white-robed deacon feel as though a sharp sword were pressed against his throat.

It felt so real that sweat soon beaded on his forehead.