Fallen One

Aside from the initial encounter with the bandits, the rest of the journey passed without any major mishaps. With the caravan's extensive experience, they could easily avoid trouble.

"Lord Soul Master, Maple Leaf Town is up ahead. We can rest at an inn in town tonight."

Most small towns had inns specifically for passing caravans.

"Good."

In the wilderness, one had to remain vigilant at all times, even while resting. His body could endure it, but his mind needed a break.

Fortunately, this caravan was experienced, and its manager was smooth and capable in both conduct and affairs.

Upon arriving in Maple Leaf Town, Manager Ma arranged a room for Tie Li before settling the carriages and goods.

Tie Li was given the best room in the inn. It was not luxurious, but it was fairly decent.

After washing up properly, he lay down on the soft bed and soon fell asleep.

But when traveling outside, he always had to keep one nerve taut and could not sleep too deeply.

In the middle of the night, Tie Li heard a fierce argument outside the inn. Manager Ma's voice seemed to be among them.

After getting dressed, Tie Li came down to the inn's first floor, where several caravan managers and their men were embroiled in a dispute.

When Manager Ma saw Tie Li come downstairs, he quietly explained the situation into his ear.

One caravan had lost an important shipment and suspected that several other caravans had stolen it. They wanted to inspect everyone's goods.

Manager Ma's caravan carried biological materials, so he did not mind. However, the other caravans' goods could not be displayed freely, and they immediately rejected the request, leading to the quarrel.

Tie Li sensed several fluctuations of Soul Power on the first floor. Clearly, every group had Soul Masters among them.

It was just unknown whether they would come to blows over this.

This was only a small town. If Soul Masters fought, ordinary people would not dare step forward to stop them.

"Don't think I'll fear you just because you outnumber us. No matter who stole it, I'm inspecting your goods today."

The manager of the caravan that had lost the important shipment spoke angrily, signaling to the Soul Master beside him.

The middle-aged Soul Master immediately rose to his feet, revealing one white and two yellow Soul Rings.

None of the caravan managers present had expected their opponent to have a Three-Ring Soul Elder.

Among these caravans, even the best-equipped groups only had two Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters. Not one had a Three-Ring Soul Elder.

But there was only one of him.

The managers of several caravans exchanged glances and had the Soul Masters beside them rise to confront him.

One white and one yellow Soul Ring, or two white Soul Rings—their distinctive gleam filled the inn.

The Soul Power auras released by them caused Tie Li's Soul Rings to emerge on their own in resistance.

There was also a Soul Grandmaster with one white and one yellow Soul Ring beside the Three-Ring Soul Elder, but they had to face eight Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters. It was hard to say who would win.

"I think you're the most suspicious one."

With the situation deadlocked, the Three-Ring Soul Elder intended to make an example of someone.

His Second Soul Ring and Third Soul Ring lit up at the same time. A long spear appeared in his hand, his aura surging as dazzling light burst from its tip.

He stepped forward and thrust the spear at a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.

Not wanting to get caught up in it, Tie Li grabbed Manager Ma by the clothes and retreated toward the outside of the inn.

Manager Ma had been willing to let them inspect his goods, so they were not targets. With Tie Li leading Manager Ma out of the inn, no one stopped them.

Tie Li's gaze remained fixed on the inn. Just when he thought the Three-Ring Soul Elder would severely injure a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster before anyone could react—

The Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster extended his scaled right claw and actually caught the spearhead head-on.

A Three-Ring Soul Elder's attack, empowered by both his Second Soul Skill and Third Soul Skill, had been effortlessly blocked by a Soul Grandmaster?

Tie Li's pupils constricted. He was not the only one shocked; everyone present was stunned by the sight.

A strange smile appeared on the man's sickly pale face.

These were... human teeth?

Sharp teeth filled both his upper and lower jaws, two full rows each. As the corners of his mouth curled upward, more and more teeth were exposed, sending chills down everyone's spine.

This was the first time Tie Li had felt such bone-deep, icy dread from a Soul Master.

The scaled claw yanked hard, pulling the Three-Ring Soul Elder's body helplessly through the air and before him.

His other arm was likewise covered in scales, and sharp claws sprang from his five fingers.

Rip!

Before the Three-Ring Soul Elder could even react, the claws pierced his abdomen and pulled out his large and small intestines in a tangled mass.

"Ahhh!"

The Three-Ring Soul Elder let out a scream, but the man seemed to have heard beautiful music. His face was filled with satisfied enjoyment as he placed the intestines into his mouth and slowly chewed them.

"Bleurgh!"

Unable to endure the sight, someone immediately fell to his knees and vomited.

At the sight, the term Evil Soul Master surfaced in Tie Li's mind. But according to the terminology of this era, this man should be called a Fallen One.

Staying in the same inn as a Fallen One was exceedingly dangerous. Tie Li wished he could leave Maple Leaf Town at once. Even spending the night in the wilderness would be safer than this place.

"I'll notify the others. We're leaving immediately."

Manager Ma was not the only one who thought so; Tie Li did as well.

The Three-Ring Soul Elder was not completely dead yet, but he had lost the ability to resist. He could only watch as the Fallen One pulled out piece after piece of his internal organs, placed them in his mouth, and chewed them with an expression of enjoyment.

The surrounding caravan managers and Soul Masters all moved away from him, their eyes full of fear.

The most terrified was the caravan manager who had been shouting earlier. Where was his former arrogance now?

The Three-Ring Soul Elder he had hired at great expense had actually become someone else's food, devoured alive right before his eyes.

Would he be next?

At the thought of being eaten alive, foul-smelling yellow liquid leaked from beneath the caravan manager's crotch.

The Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster who had been with him had long since moved away. His fear was no less than the caravan manager's, but he did not dare make any rash move.

The caravan manager forced himself to look at the other caravans and spoke in a trembling voice.

"That shipment... perhaps I... I put it somewhere else... It definitely isn't... on any of you..."

Burp.

The Fallen One let out a satisfied belch, frightening him into collapsing to his knees in terror.

"Please spare me... I was blind. Don't eat me... Please."

After eating all of the Three-Ring Soul Elder's organs, he pried open the man's skull and stirred inside with his sharp claws. As though savoring fine wine, he twisted off the man's neck and poured the thick white substance into his mouth.

Perhaps he was full. He ignored the pleading caravan manager, turned around, and returned to his room in the inn.

"Lord Soul Master." Manager Ma had already awakened everyone in the caravan.

"We're leaving immediately." Tie Li did not want to remain for even a moment.