Plan B

The guard facing Nezha was a burly man whose martial soul was the Ironclad Rhinoceros. Thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, his defense was considered outstanding among those of the same rank.

With a low shout, his first soul ring lit up. A layer of iron-gray keratin instantly covered his entire body, and his fists, wrapped in dense Soul Power, smashed toward Nezha.

Nezha did not retreat.

The body forged by the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique was comparable to that of a Titled Douluo. Even using only Soul Elder-level Soul Power, his physical strength alone could withstand a Soul Ancestor's attack.

But to avoid standing out too much, when the opponent's fist came crashing toward him, he put on a show by flashing his first soul ring before throwing a punch in return.

Bang.

Their fists collided, and a blast of force erupted.

The Ironclad Rhinoceros guard felt as though his fist had struck a solid iron ingot. A piercing pain shot through his finger bones.

Looking down, he saw cracks had actually been shaken into the armored keratin on the back of his hand.

Before he could retract his fist, a streak of red light flew from Nezha's sleeve.

The Red Armillary Sash transformed into a crimson dragon, arcing through the air before instantly coiling around his arms.

The guard let out a low roar and strained hard—but failed to break free.

The red cloth looked thin and soft, yet once it wrapped around him, it was like being constricted by a python. The more he struggled, the tighter it became.

Someone below the platform cried out, "A Soul Tool!"

Gritting his teeth, the guard lit up his third soul ring. The armored keratin abruptly thickened, and his arms swelled by a full circle as he tried to forcibly tear apart the Red Armillary Sash.

The Red Armillary Sash looked thin and soft, but when the guard channeled all his Soul Power and desperately strained, the crimson sash not only failed to loosen, it suddenly tightened. His bones creaked sharply under the pressure.

The more he struggled, the tighter the Red Armillary Sash wound around him. In the blink of an eye, he had been wrapped into a red dumpling.

Nezha closed in and kicked him in the chest. Guard and sash alike flew backward, crashing into a stone pillar by the street. He slid to the ground and could no longer get back up.

On the other side, the guard facing Xiao Wu was a muscular man with the Flame Lion as his martial soul, a power-attack type.

Lion martial souls were naturally known for their strength and explosive power, but he was holding himself back now. Every punch he threw was deliberately weakened, leaving him utterly stifled.

His first soul ring lit up, and his right fist, wreathed in a layer of crimson lion-mane flames, smashed toward Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu sidestepped it, somewhat surprised.

A Soul Ancestor didn't seem all that strong!

Her second soul ring lit up as she activated Charm.

Pink light flashed from her eyes straight into his. The guard's mind buzzed, and his entire body froze for half a beat.

Taking advantage of the opening, Xiao Wu teleported behind him and activated Waist Bow, kicking him in the lower back.

The guard grunted and staggered several steps forward.

He forcibly steadied himself. His second soul ring lit up, and the phantom of a Flame Lion appeared behind him. Flames formed a shield around his body as he tried to first regain his footing.

Xiao Wu gave him no chance to catch his breath.

Her pink figure circled him at high speed, her legs snapping like whips as she kicked the flame shield again and again.

Every strike landed precisely on the same spot, and the shield visibly thinned at a rapid pace.

The more the guard fought, the more alarmed he became. This little girl did not look very old, yet her combat awareness was absurdly strong.

He wanted to counterattack, but before he could make a move, Xiao Wu had already flashed behind him. Waist Bow activated, and with one kick, she swung his entire body up before viciously slamming him into the ground.

With a muffled bang, the ground itself trembled three times. The guard lay on his back in the crater, completely losing his ability to fight.

Xiao Wu clapped her hands and turned to look at Nezha.

Nezha immediately understood. With a flick of his right hand, the Red Armillary Sash flew out like a swimming dragon and tightly bound the other guard lying on the ground as well.

Two Soul Ancestor-level guards had been tied into a pair of dumplings, lying side by side at the roadside.

The lackeys around Xue Beng had long since scattered like birds and beasts. Those bootlickers, who had been so arrogant moments ago, now ran faster than rabbits. Xiao Wu walked toward Xue Beng step by step, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists. "Who did you say you were just now?"

"I... I'm a Heaven Dou prince!" Xue Beng shouted as he crawled backward, putting on a brave front despite his fear. "If you dare hit me, I'll never let you off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Wu stepped on Xue Beng's chest, pinning him flat on his back. She said coldly, "My name is Xiao Wu, and his is Nezha. If you want revenge, come whenever you like. Sister Xiao Wu will see it through to the end."

Xue Beng could barely breathe beneath her foot. His face turned the color of pig liver as his limbs flailed wildly against the ground.

He waited for his two Soul Ancestor guards to get up and save him, but those two useless fools were still lying on the ground without moving.

Xiao Wu kicked him again. "Do you remember now?"

"I... I remember..."

Only then did Xiao Wu lift her foot.

Xue Beng scrambled up from the ground. The fine jade pendant at his waist had somehow shattered into two pieces, while his brocade robe was covered in dirt and fruit juice. He looked utterly wretched.

Clutching his wrist, he staggered away. Only after running dozens of steps did he dare look back and shout fiercely, "Just you wait!"

Then he plunged into an alley without looking back.

Nezha and Xiao Wu paid Xue Beng's threat no mind at all.

They had just eaten with Xue Beng's elder brother, Xue Qinghe. With Xue Qinghe around, Xue Beng could not stir up much trouble.

The watching crowd erupted in laughter.

Several bold merchants took the lead in clapping and cheering. This Fourth Prince had been bullying men and women in Heaven Dou City for far too long. Today, he had finally kicked an iron plate, and the commoners present felt thoroughly vindicated.

Nezha recalled the Red Armillary Sash, and the two guards scrambled to their feet and fled.

Xiao Wu clapped her hands and turned toward Nezha, a still-unsatisfied smile on her face. "Heaven Dou City is much more interesting than Notting City. It's only the first day, and it's already this lively."

Not far away, in the shadows at the street corner.

Qian Renxue stood with her hands behind her back, having watched the entire scene from beginning to end.

Two twelve-year-old Soul Elders had faced two Soul Ancestor-level guards and won cleanly and decisively.

Xiao Wu's speed and flexible techniques, Nezha's strength and that strange crimson sash Soul Tool—they worked together flawlessly.

"What a pity," Qian Renxue murmured.

She had originally chosen this time and place to meet Nezha and Xiao Wu because she had calculated that Xue Beng would bring his disreputable friends out for a stroll at this hour every day.

With Xue Beng's habit of being unable to move whenever he saw a pretty girl, he would certainly provoke Xiao Wu.

Once a conflict broke out, she could step in to resolve it, play the hero saving the beauty, and naturally draw the three of them closer.

Instead, those two Soul Ancestor guards had been too useless. They had been knocked down before they could even hold on long enough for her to make an appearance.

But there was no rush. She still had Plan B.

That fool Xue Beng had suffered such a huge loss. As long as he learned that Nezha and Xiao Wu planned to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with his temperament, he would never let the matter rest.

Tomorrow, another good show would be waiting at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. When she stepped in then, the effect would only be better than today.

Qian Renxue gave Nezha and Xiao Wu one last look from the street corner, then turned and disappeared into the shadows.