Ambush

But even with Lin Wan's Camouflage, Old Drus still considered it extremely dangerous.

Old Drus had lived for decades and understood the darkness of the Douluo Continent all too well.

That was why he was still somewhat worried about the future Soul Master of their village.

The agreed time arrived quickly.

Lin Wan had packed his luggage as well. There was not much for him to take back—just a few changes of clothes and several books borrowed from the library, including an illustrated guide to Soul Beasts and a geography chronicle of the continent.

Although Lin Wan had concealed his face, the improvements the Nine-Heavens Beauty Fox had brought him came from the inside out. As he stood quietly beneath the dormitory building, waiting, he still seemed utterly out of place amid the rough surroundings of the working students, drawing sidelong glances from passing students and teachers alike.

"Xiao Wan, over here!"

A familiar, concerned voice called out.

Lin Wan looked over and saw an old carriage parked at the academy gate.

Old Drus was driving it, waving vigorously at Lin Wan.

Lin Wan hurried over with a sincere smile. "Grandpa Drus, sorry to make you come all this way."

"No trouble, no trouble."

Old Drus quickly waved his hand. As he helped Lin Wan load his luggage onto the carriage, he said with concern, "Get in. It's cold outside."

The carriage was lined with thick dry straw and old blankets, making it quite warm.

At Old Drus's light shout, the old brown horse snorted and pulled the carriage rattling away from the academy gates.

The journey back to Cold North Village was rather long, so Old Drus began chatting with Lin Wan.

"Grandpa Drus, how has the village been lately?"

"Good, all good!"

At that, Old Drus immediately perked up.

"Doggie... no, that boy Lin Zao entered Spirit Hall, and our village has benefited from it too. This year's taxes were reduced by ten percent. Everyone says you two are the lucky stars of our village! They're all looking forward to you coming back now."

At the mention of Lin Zao, understanding flickered in Lin Wan's eyes. Whatever else could be said about Spirit Hall, some of its policies really were quite good for commoners.

"That's good." Lin Wan smiled.

Some things could not be avoided merely by trying to hide from them. Old Drus's worries had come true after all.

When they were still thirty li from Cold North Village, an accident occurred.

"Whoa—!"

Old Drus sharply pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.

His face turned pale in an instant.

"What is it, Grandpa Drus?"

Lin Wan poked his head out of the carriage and looked ahead.

There, in the middle of the road, a figure stood brazenly, completely blocking their path.

The man was short and stocky, dressed in worn leather armor, with an undisguised sneer and greedy smile on his face.

Two Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet, one white and one yellow. He was clearly a Soul Grandmaster.

"Hehe, I finally caught you."

The short, stocky Soul Grandmaster rubbed his hands together. His snake-like gaze passed over the terrified Old Drus and locked firmly onto Lin Wan.

"Little beauty, stop hiding. I've finally been waiting for you."

Lin Wan's heart sank. What was coming had come after all.

He knew the Douluo Continent was dark, but he had not expected it to be this dark. He had only spent a few months in Frost City before someone with ill intentions had set their sights on him.

What was more, he had barely left the city before being intercepted.

"Little beauty, be sensible and don't resist pointlessly."

The short, stocky Soul Grandmaster smugly patted the shortsword at his waist. "Otherwise, you'll have to suffer a little."

He swept another disdainful look over Lin Wan. "A useless piece of trash with only level-one Innate Soul Power. Being sent by me to Scented Pavilion for auction is your good fortune!"

He had already investigated Lin Wan's circumstances thoroughly: a working student of Frost City Junior Academy, with a Martial Soul that was a pretty but useless White Fox and a pitiful level-one Innate Soul Power.

Before him, a level-twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster with two Soul Rings and a Fanged Rat Martial Soul with decent offensive power, Lin Wan was nothing more than an ant he could crush at will.

That old man driving the carriage?

Even easier to deal with.

Looking at the man's smug, victory-assured expression, Lin Wan felt no ripples in his heart. He even wanted to laugh a little.

His luck was really terrible!

Whatever he thought of came true. He shook his head helplessly, cold killing intent filling the depths of his sea-blue eyes.

Lin Wan truly was not worried about a Soul Grandmaster in his twenties.

He had plenty of trump cards. Whether it was the forced control of the Soul Seizure soul skill or the three powerful giant dogs within The Tinderbox—

Even the items he had drawn could easily deal with this fellow if he took out any one of them.

What truly worried him was whether this man had accomplices behind him, whether this had been a spur-of-the-moment act or simply lust at first sight.

Or perhaps he was a pawn sent by some faction? And what kind of place was this Scented Pavilion?

If there was only this one man, killing him to silence him would be enough.

But if there were further arrangements, things would become troublesome.

"Kid, come with me obediently and you'll suffer less! Otherwise..."

The short, stocky Soul Grandmaster gave a vicious grin as his first Soul Ring lit up.

"First Soul Skill: Rat-Tooth Rend!"

His body suddenly lowered, and he lunged forward as swiftly as a real rat. His hands transformed into rat claws covered in stiff gray fur, their nails sharp as hooks, tearing through the air as they grabbed for Lin Wan's shoulders.

He clearly intended to cripple Lin Wan's ability to move first.

"Xiao Wan, watch out!"

Old Drus's eyes widened in fury as he tried to throw himself in front of Lin Wan, only to be staggered back by the burst of Soul Power from the Soul Grandmaster.

Just as the rat claws gleaming with cold light were about to touch Lin Wan's shoulders—

Lin Wan moved. A point of icy-blue light appeared in his eyes, and the phantom images of nine fox tails emerged behind him.

A silver sheen covered his right hand as he reached directly for the incoming rat claw.

"Hm?"

The short, stocky Soul Grandmaster froze for a moment, then his vicious grin widened.

"You're courting death!" He seemed to have already seen Lin Wan's hand bones shattering beneath his claws.

Yet just as Lin Wan's fingertips were about to touch the skin of his wrist—

Bzzz!

An indescribable Mental Shock, carrying overwhelming allure and irresistible compulsion, instantly pierced the short, stocky Soul Grandmaster's mind.

"Agh!"

The vicious grin on the short, stocky Soul Grandmaster's face instantly froze, and his eyes turned blank and dazed.

His lunging motion came to an abrupt halt, and his entire body froze in place as though someone had pressed pause.

The Soul Seizure soul skill had activated successfully, forcibly controlling him for three seconds.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Wan's eyes.

His right hand, reaching toward the man's wrist, suddenly flexed its five fingers. A faint silver-white layer with a metallic cold gleam instantly covered his palm.

Then his fingertips became exceptionally sharp, curving like hooks.

Squelch!

The silver-white Fox Claw pierced through the short, stocky Soul Grandmaster's leather bracer and protective Soul Power as easily as a knife cutting fruit.

It sank deeply into his wrist, and blood instantly sprayed out.