"Spirit Hall has always awakened Martial Souls for free. And because we give Gold Soul Coins to low-level Soul Masters for free, we've accumulated records on a great many of them."
"In many remote areas, joining Spirit Hall isn't compulsory for Soul Masters. That means plenty of talented people slip through the cracks."
Qian Renxue nodded. Yun Chen had a point. Spirit Hall treated talented Soul Masters quite well, but outside places with a bishop, no one pressed gifted commoners to join. Often, they weren't even reported.
"But wouldn't the chances of finding anyone that way be too low?"
"Not at all..."
Yun Chen shook his head. Under normal circumstances, the chances would have been low. But this crop of talent was simply too exceptional.
Ma Hongjun and, most astonishingly, Oscar. Spirit Hall hadn't even heard about either of them.
Ma Hongjun was one thing. His Martial Soul had a flaw, so it was possible no one had reported him. But Oscar? The first food-type genius in history with Innate Full Soul Power, and nobody had reported him?
Most absurd of all was Tang San. A Blue Silver Grass Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power hadn't been reported either. Then again, maybe that blind God King really couldn't see what was right in front of him.
Yun Chen rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
Damn... If I'd known, I would've asked Blind Douluo to awaken my Martial Soul and give me a little of that luck. Hehehe...
Xiao Wu's case was baffling too. She had Innate Full Soul Power and a rabbit Martial Soul, yet no one had reported her. Yun Chen was starting to wonder if the Spirit Hall staff down below had been kicked in the head by donkeys.
Why weren't they reporting anything?
"What matters most is finding talented people we can trust, ones you can go out and recruit as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, Xue'er."
"Those with no interest in joining Spirit Hall would be perfect for us to make use of while we're undercover."
Qian Renxue nodded, then frowned and asked, "What about after our mission? What do we do with them then? If they don't want to join Spirit Hall, could they turn against us?"
"The ones we can trust might change their minds. We can bring them into Spirit Hall or send them there for training."
"As for the rest, if they're hostile to Spirit Hall, we kill them."
Yun Chen's tone was utterly matter-of-fact, but he couldn't hide the murderous glint in his eyes.
"Besides, some people just don't want to go to Spirit City. That doesn't make them enemies. They may have nothing against Spirit Hall and simply not want to join."
It was true enough. At the local level, Spirit Hall had the image of a kindly benefactor. It handed out money regularly, after all. Not everyone had a bitter grudge against it. Some talented people simply didn't want to join an organization, without bearing Spirit Hall any ill will.
"Mm. That makes sense."
"I'll write to my grandfather now and ask him to pull the files on every Soul Master from the past five years with Innate Soul Power of level seven or above."
"Especially talented commoners from remote areas."
Seeing that Qian Renxue had finally taken the hint, Yun Chen breathed a sigh of relief. If they searched that way, their attention should eventually land on Tang San.
The people below might have been too blind to recognize the significance of a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power, but Qian Renxue and the people in the Worship Hall were no fools.
And when Qian Renxue saw that particular file, what would she make of it?
She knew her father had been gravely wounded while pursuing Tang Hao and a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Beast in human form.
Yun Chen watched Qian Renxue hurry away and smiled faintly.
Tang San, Tang San, that really was a dirty trick. But what can I say? We're enemies now.
I'd rather your luck ran out and they killed you this time. That would suit me just fine.
"Achoo!"
Far away in Notting City, Tang San sneezed hard. Xiao Wu, beside him, pursed her lips and poked him, then said with her nose in the air, "Little San, why are you sneezing?"
"Are you that frail? Feeling a little weak, are you?"
Tang San bristled at the remark, but the moment he looked at Xiao Wu, it was as if a love spell had taken hold of him. He grinned eagerly and explained, "No. My dad's probably thinking about me."
But I have this... ominous feeling...
Tang San didn't know where the feeling came from. It seemed to be a warning from deep within his soul, leaving him uneasy.
Seriously? You're using a cheat and didn't invite me?
"Hmph! As long as you're fine. Little San, let's go eat carrots! The ones on the second floor of the cafeteria are delicious, but I'm out of money. Could you treat me?"
Xiao Wu shook Tang San's arm and wheedled. Tang San, who had been single all his life, stood no chance against that. His face reddened, and he stammered, "L-let go first... Boys and girls shouldn't be so familiar... I'll treat you..."
"Hmph! That's more like it..."
"Come on. This young lady's treating, and you're paying."
And just like that, a hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit had hooked their Little Scumbag with only three sentences.
Up in a nearby tree, Tang Hao watched the scene in silence, lost in thought.
"Ah... Ah Yin..."
"Our son is so much like us..."
Perhaps because he hadn't spoken in so long, Tang Hao's voice was hoarse and trembled faintly.
Several days later, in the Hall of the Pope in Spirit City.
"Qian Renxue!"
Bibi Dong slammed a scroll onto the floor. Her hysterical shout rang through the otherwise empty hall.
"What does she think she's doing? She actually had that old wretch Qian Daoliu interfere directly with my administration?"
Bibi Dong's fury had been sparked by Yun Chen's proposal.
Since the suggestion had come from his own granddaughter, Qian Daoliu had taken it seriously. He had sent Golden Crocodile Douluo to intervene in the administration under Bibi Dong's control.
Now every Soul Master's file, along with all future Martial Soul Awakening records from across the continent, would be sent straight to the Worship Hall. From there, they would be passed to Qian Renxue for review.
Only afterward would Bibi Dong receive them.
Bibi Dong had never paid much attention to the talented people under her, but the Qian Family's direct interference still infuriated her.
"Hahahahaha!"
"They all treat me this way! They all want to betray me!"
Bibi Dong laughed on the edge of madness. Her once-exquisite face had twisted, half in pain and half in derangement.
"The Xue Family has clues about a god too! It seems... it seems... I'll have to move faster."
At last, her frenzy gave way to calm. But beneath that calm, an even greater madness was brewing.
At this point, calling Bibi Dong a madwoman would have been more fitting.
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