The Truth of the Matter

"Young master, young master, it's time to get up."

Early the next morning, a burst of knocking startled Ye Ling awake.

Two people had died in this room last night, after all. Even though Kong Deming had removed the smell of blood from the air, Ye Ling still only drifted off in a daze in the latter half of the night.

"Come in."

Ye Ling yawned before getting up.

Two maids who looked about fifteen or sixteen pushed the door open and came in. One held clothing in her hands, while the other carried a washbasin.

"Young master, today is the day of your Spirit Awakening. The housekeeper specifically sent us to serve you."

The two young maids spoke.

"Li Pu really is thoughtful."

Ye Ling spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Money and power could completely turn a person into a demon.

If not for what had happened last night, Ye Ling might truly have thought this housekeeper was some kind of good person.

Of course, in the original owner's memories, this housekeeper had indeed been a good person.

Very soon, with the help of the two maids, Ye Ling put on his clothes.

Looking at himself in the mirror, as if he were a banished immortal, Ye Ling took two deep breaths, then instructed the two maids.

"Let's go. We're going to the front hall."

The Ye Family's great mansion could be counted among the finest residences in Vast Sea City. Since they were not short on money, the entire front hall had also been built in splendor and luxury.

"Li Pu, how did you miss?"

At that moment, there were only two people inside the front hall. One of them was none other than the housekeeper, Li Pu.

The other sat in the main seat of the front hall, looking rather darkly at Li Pu, who was dripping cold sweat before him.

A very well-fitted white robe set off his figure, making him look especially tall and straight. His half-black, half-white hair had also been carefully groomed and appeared very neat.

The long sword woven in gold thread at his chest further represented his extraordinary status. This man was a Battle Spirit Master from Spirit Hall.

"Lord Asno, last night I had already sent people to deal with him, but... but..."

"Speak!"

Asno held his teacup and shot Li Pu a sideways glance.

"But the two people I sent are both dead, and their bodies disappeared without a trace. All that was left were two heads with their eyes still open in death."

Perhaps because he had thought of that bloody, terrifying scene from last night, Li Pu's body trembled slightly.

"Oh? It wasn't easy to get rid of his parents. Could someone else be trying to take a share?"

Asno set down the teacup in his hand and suddenly smiled.

"It doesn't matter. As long as it's in Vast Sea City, as long as it's something I want, no one can take it away."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Hearing this, Li Pu hurriedly began flattering him from the side.

"Lord Asno, you are the bishop of our Vast Sea City Spirit Hall, and also the only Soul Master here to have reached the level of Seven-Ringed Soul Sage."

"Even the city lord can only be meek and submissive before you, bowing his head and playing the lesser man."

Asno smiled, feeling extremely comfortable in the face of Li Pu's flattery.

"However, this family fortune still needs to be divided a little with them. Otherwise, it will be troublesome if they cause a fuss."

When he reached this point, Asno's gaze turned again to Li Pu, who was bowing at the side.

"Of course, your benefits won't be missing either, kid."

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you, my lord."

Li Pu hurriedly expressed his loyalty.

For an ordinary person like Li Pu, being able to eat even a scrap of leftovers from an important figure was already an honor he could only dream of.

"Housekeeper, the young master is here."

Someone at the door called into the room.

"Got it."

Li Pu answered, then said quietly to Asno, "My lord, that little thing has arrived. Let's proceed according to the original plan."

"Mm."

Asno nodded and said rather indifferently, "I know. We'll let the boy drop dead during his Spirit Awakening, correct?"

"It truly is my fault to have my lord's hands stained with blood."

Li Pu hurriedly said.

"Enough flattery. Go bring that child in."

Asno waved his hand.

"For such a huge sum of money, paying a small price is still acceptable."

Li Pu walked to the door, opened it, and welcomed Ye Ling inside.

"Young master, this is Lord Asno, the bishop of Vast Sea City Spirit Hall."

Li Pu introduced him to Ye Ling.

Ye Ling nodded and said nothing.

Asno's expression looked somewhat unpleasant. He had not expected Ye Ling to ignore him like this.

"Young Master Ye, are you ready? I am about to begin your Spirit Awakening."

Although he was displeased inside, Asno still did his best to put on a kindly expression.

In any case, the boy would be dead in a moment. Why should he lower himself to argue with a dead man?

"What's the rush?"

Ye Ling shook his head. Under the puzzled gazes of the two men, he brazenly walked to the main seat in the hall.

"Asno, before you awaken my spirit, I still have some questions to ask you."

Asno's expression turned completely cold.

Ever since he had become the bishop of Vast Sea City Spirit Hall, how many years had it been since anyone called him by name?

Usually, they would add suffixes such as "my lord," "bishop," or "Your Excellency" after his name.

"Nothing is more important than the young master's Spirit Awakening."

Li Pu smiled as he tried to smooth things over.

"If the young master has any questions, you can ask them after your Spirit Awakening."

"Heh. Can I still live until after my Spirit Awakening?"

Ye Ling crossed one leg over the other, but the words he spoke instantly startled both men.

"Young master, what... what kind of joke are you making?"

Li Pu wiped the cold sweat from his face and forced himself to calm down.

Asno, on the other hand, showed no expression on his face. It was impossible to tell whether he had simply done this sort of thing too many times.

"Is that so?"

Ye Ling smiled and reached out, tossing out a round ball.

The ball rolled twice across the floor. After adjusting its position, a beam of light shot from within the ball and projected onto the wall of the hall.

What appeared in the image was precisely the matter they had been plotting just now, and it even included both of their voices.

"This is a little toy I tinkered with. It's called an Image Recorder. It can record things that happen."

Looking at the two men with blank eyes, Ye Ling kindly explained.

In truth, this thing was a Soul Tool Kong Deming had developed. Its function was more or less the same as a video camera from Ye Ling's previous life.

"Do the two of you have anything else you want to say?"

Ye Ling said with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Wouldn't it have been better to play dumb?"

Since he had been exposed, Asno simply stopped pretending.

After all, Ye Ling was nothing more than a child who had just turned six. So what if he discovered the truth?

Instead, this Image Recorder stirred a bit of interest in him.

"So my parents were killed by you too?"

Ye Ling asked in a low voice.

"That's right. Speaking of which, your parents were only two ordinary people. What right did they have to control so much wealth?"

"Since you miss your parents so much, you might as well go keep them company."

A sinister smile appeared on Asno's face. Beneath his feet, seven Soul Rings rose one after another—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black. The aura belonging to a powerful Soul Sage enveloped the entire room in an instant.

"Douluo Continent is a world where the strong are respected, boy. In your next life, remember that lesson well."

A smug expression appeared on Asno's face. In his view, as the strongest person in Vast Sea City, he could naturally act without any scruples anywhere in the entire city.

"Mm. The strong can indeed do whatever they want."

Ye Ling nodded, then shouted toward the sky.

"Elder Kong, it's your turn to appear."