Wolf Bandits, Tang San?

A young man who looked like the captain of the guards ran down from the city wall, gasping for breath. In a few quick strides, he reached Xiao Yuanshan.

"What happened? Who issued the lockdown order?" Xiao Yuanshan frowned deeply.

"It was Madam and the headmaster. Wolf Bandits infiltrated the city and killed two Notting Academy students."

"Wolf Bandits?" Xiao Yuanshan's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could Notting City have something like Wolf Bandits?"

Wolf Bandits were hybrids of humans and a soul beast known as the Gale Demon Wolf. They possessed the Gale Demon Wolf's physique, speed, and some innate abilities, as well as human intelligence.

More importantly, these creatures were exceptionally bloodthirsty and sexually sadistic by nature. Their notoriety rivaled that of evil soul masters, and they were even more deserving of being killed on sight.

Xu Qianqian quietly listened to the conversation between Xiao Yuanshan and the guard captain, confusion inevitably surfacing in her eyes.

Had the plot changed?

Had such bizarre creatures as Wolf Bandits ever appeared in Notting City?

They had infiltrated Notting Academy and killed two students—what were they after? What grudge could they possibly have?

In the original story, the only one who seemed to have harbored killing intent toward Notting Academy students was Tang San.

It can't be that absurd, right? A flash of inspiration crossed Xu Qianqian's mind, though she was not certain.

Even if Tang San had killed them...

He was not a Wolf Bandit... Well, in a certain sense, perhaps he counted as one?

The three entered the locked-down Notting City.

"Yuer, Qianqian, I'll go to the academy and find out what's going on first. It's fine if you take your time."

As he spoke, Xiao Yuanshan summoned his martial soul, passed through the crowd, and vanished into the distance.

After Xiao Yuanshan left, Xiao Chenyu fell into thought. Only after a long while did he speak.

"Sis, do you think Wolf Bandits really killed the academy students? I just feel like something is off."

"Perhaps the truth isn't important," Xu Qianqian answered casually.

Upon entering Notting City's bustling district, Xu Qianqian fully expanded her senses.

Using herself as the center, she scanned everything within a radius of one thousand meters.

"Why isn't it important?"

Seeing that Xu Qianqian did not seem to care, Xiao Chenyu pressed the question.

"Let's wait for Godfather to come back and see. I'm only guessing."

Though she called it a guess, she had basically confirmed the answer. All that remained was verification.

The gentle breeze carried back information: in a private room at the largest tavern in the street district to her right sat a disheveled man.

The fluctuations of his soul power shone as brilliantly as the sun rising over Notting City. Even if Xu Qianqian did not want to notice them, it was impossible not to.

"That person's aura is very strong, but it isn't stable in the finer details. He seems to be injured."

That should be Tang Hao himself—the man countless netizens jokingly called Tang Ritian.

"So Tang San and Xiao Wu have already entered Notting Academy?"

Others might not be able to sense the aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, but Xu Qianqian was different.

When soul beasts took human form, their power did not disappear. It was stored away like a compressed file, gradually unlocking as their levels rose.

Xu Qianqian focused her senses on Notting Academy.

"As expected..."

Xu Qianqian sighed.

That long ponytail was such a distinctive feature. If she was not the hundred-thousand-year rogue rabbit, then what was she?

Beside her stood a black-haired youth with an unremarkable appearance.

His soul power was at level ten, and it was somewhat more solid than that of ordinary soul masters.

"That person is probably Tang San." Xu Qianqian steadied her emotions.

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast, even one that had taken human form, was still a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in essence.

Unless it willingly chose to sacrifice itself, neither its soul ring nor soul bone was something a small fry like Xu Qianqian could absorb.

Not to mention that she was not even a soul master yet. As for muddying the waters—

How many bottles had I drunk to get this carried away?

The premise of making plans was ensuring that she would not become part of someone else's game.

"Xiao Chenyu, come with me." Without caring about her disappointing brother's reaction, she directly dragged him to the corner of a secluded alley.

After confirming that no one would pass by for the time being, Xu Qianqian met Xiao Chenyu's bewildered gaze.

"Regarding the academy students' deaths, don't investigate it, and don't try to learn more about it."

"Huh?" Xiao Chenyu froze.

"I can only tell you that the ones who killed the students were most likely not Wolf Bandits."

"Not Wolf Bandits?" Xiao Chenyu froze before reacting. "You mean..."

Xu Qianqian made a shushing gesture and nodded lightly. "They may not have been Wolf Bandits, but they have to be Wolf Bandits."

"Wh... why?"

"Because I only have one life, and I don't want to die yet!" Xu Qianqian said seriously.

Xiao Chenyu: "..."

After the conversation ended, the two headed toward Notting Academy.

Whether or not Tang San had killed those people, Xu Qianqian had no intention of prying too deeply. Curiosity killed the cat, and there was real weight behind that saying.

Tang San was from the Tang Sect. What kind of organization was the Tang Sect? Wasn't that obvious?

In her previous life, she had read some Douluo fanfics where transmigrators with barely any strength of their own constantly went looking for Tang San to show off, only to get slapped in the face. Seriously... weren't they afraid they wouldn't live to see the sun the next day?

Before long, Xu Qianqian and Xiao Chenyu entered Notting Academy.

Because of the Wolf Bandit incident not long ago, the security measures had been strengthened considerably.

They even had to be inspected upon entering.

Soon, the two made their way to the headmaster's office with practiced familiarity.

Fierce arguing could be heard from inside.

"So you're saying we're just letting this matter go?"

Xiao Yuanshan's voice came from within the office, followed by another voice.

"What else can we do? Tell me, what can we do?"

"My students—do you think I wanted this? The other party was incredibly powerful. He didn't even summon his martial soul, yet his aura was immense. He might even be a Soul Douluo."

"What am I supposed to fight him with? The Heaven Dou Royal Family won't risk a confrontation with a possible Soul Douluo powerhouse over a tiny place like Notting City."

"What about the Martial Soul Branch Hall? Aren't they always committed to nurturing commoner soul masters?"

"Xiao Yuanshan, let me ask you this: do you dare report it?" The speaker was Xiao Li.

"Setting aside the fact that the other party had his face covered beneath a black robe, we have no idea who he was. All we know is that the boy was Tang San, from Holy Soul Village."

"We have no idea whether that person was Tang San's teacher or a relative."

"Besides, he may have been at the Soul Douluo level. If he truly acted without restraint—"

"You, me, even the whole of Notting City wouldn't be enough for him to smash apart."

"I've already suppressed this matter. For Tang San's sake, since he has enrolled as a work-study student, let this matter pass."

"Does my wife share that opinion as well?"

Xiao Yuanshan had not gone home. Instead, he had come directly to Notting Academy to learn the truth.

"Yes. Only you, me, and your wife know about this matter."

"Fine, that's enough..."

By the time the two finished their conversation, Xu Qianqian and Xiao Chenyu had already left.

"Sis, there's no one here, right?" Xiao Chenyu asked from a secluded corner.

"No. What do you want to say?"

"Sis, can you see the future?"

"Huh?" Xu Qianqian reached out and touched Xiao Chenyu's forehead. "You don't have a fever. Why would you think that?"

Xiao Chenyu brushed aside the hand she had placed on his forehead to check his temperature. "Your guess was right. The ones who killed the Notting Academy students really weren't Wolf Bandits."

"Wasn't that obvious?" Xu Qianqian casually made something up. "If you can't figure it out, just think of it as my sixth sense."

"Anyway, get stronger!"

"Cultivate diligently, and stop messing around with those strange organizations of yours."

"On this continent, soul masters are the true nobles."

"Ah... what about you?"

"Me?" Xu Qianqian let out a soft laugh.

"Once I've decided on my goal, I'll leave Notting City for a while. Maybe half a year, maybe a year."

"Sis..."

"Alright, just take good care of yourself when the time comes."

Xiao Chenyu went back with a heavy heart.

Xu Qianqian, on the other hand, had quite a few things to deal with. She first went to the library to relieve the others.

After all, she was the librarian.

Once she had taken care of those matters, Xu Qianqian sat down in a chair, spread out her senses, and began investigating Tang San and Xiao Wu's situation.