Chapter 19

Night fell deeper, and in the corner tavern, candle flames flickered dimly as the scents of ale and greasy dishes hung heavy in the air, refusing to dissipate.

Yu Xiaogang sat in a corner with three or four empty jugs arrayed before him.

He lowered his head, his cheeks flushed, and he gripped his wine cup tightly, pouring down yet another mouthful as turbid liquor streamed down the corners of his mouth.

"A bunch of blind fools..."

He muttered incoherently, squinting at the turbid light and shadows at the bottom of his cup, his dazed mind flashing back to many years ago.

Back then, he was in the prime of his youth.

Even after awakening the Exogenous Beast Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao.

So what if his soul power was only rank half-level at birth?

He had striven for the future goal of becoming a master theorist.

The Saintess of Spirit Hall had believed in him even more than he believed in himself.

Whenever he debated martial soul theories with others.

Bibi Dong would stand outside the crowd, watching him with an unblinking gaze, her lips moving slightly as if she were saying, "I believe in you."

A drunken smile crept up the corners of his mouth, and he tilted his head back to drain the wine in his cup.

"My Ten Core Theories... what do you people understand?"

He raised his wine cup and gestured at the empty air, his voice rising higher and higher.

"I've researched for decades, who in the martial soul world can compare to me?!"

With a loud thud, he slammed the cup down onto the table, sending wine splashing in all directions.

He stared at that puddle of wine stains as if looking at something extraordinary:

"Those teachers at the academy, what do they understand? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully a man in his middle age!... I'll let them know sooner or later..."

He rambled on for a spell, his voice fluctuating high and low before quickly shifting to another topic:

"Erlong... what right do they have to say Erlong is blind? Erlong is the Horn of Slaughter of the Golden Triangle, and for her to fancy me, that means she has a good eye!"

He sneered coldly and took another gulp:

"Erlong said it herself back then... she likes me..."

Setting down the wine cup, he made a dazed grab at the empty air:

"Dong'er likes me too... she's the Saintess after all... a proper Saintess... and she looked at me differently..."

"Ten Theories... what do they understand... it's just jealousy... envying the talented and capable..."

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, and his voice grew louder and louder, drawing sideways glances from the people at two adjacent tables.

The tavern keeper glanced over from behind the counter, sighed, and said nothing.

Having run a tavern in Notting City for so many years, he had known this man for a long time.

Yu Xiaogang, the "Grandmaster" who freeloaded off Notting Academy, carried the title of teacher yet had never managed to teach a single decent student.

"Here he comes again..." a man in a short tunic at the neighboring table muttered under his breath, "pulling this routine every few days."

"Used to it," his tablemate snorted. "When does he not act like this after drinking? All that talk about Ten Core Theories, invincible martial soul—blowing wind like it's the real deal."

"Keep your voice down, don't let him hear."

"Hear what? Is he going to hit me? That level-twenty-nine strength of his..."

The two of them chuckled softly.

Yu Xiaogang jerked his head up, glaring in that direction with hazy, drunken eyes: "You... what are you talking about?"

The two men ignored him and continued drinking.

Yu Xiaogang braced himself against the table, trying to stand up, but his legs turned to jelly and he sank back down, his mouth still muttering indistinctly, "My theories... are invincible..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker until finally his head lolled to one side, and he slumped motionlessly over the table.

The patrons in the tavern were well accustomed to this and simply went on drinking, no one bothering to spare him another glance.

The tavern keeper merely threw a glance at him, paid him no mind, and planned to toss the fellow out when closing time came around anyway.

He pulled this stunt every so often anyway; who was he trying to fool with that melancholic act?

Everyone knew all about his little background.

The surrounding drinkers looked at his pathetic state, let out a scoff, and went right back to drinking and conversing loudly.

After a short while, the tavern door was pushed open.

Three figures filed in, tall and formidable, with knotted muscles.

The man in the lead had a scar slashing across his face. His gaze swept around the main hall, finally locking onto that table in the corner, and he cracked a grin: "My little darling, finally found you."

The two men behind him responded and followed right along, one with a full face of heavy whiskers, while the other had dark skin, an even more robust and stalwart build, standing a full head taller than the first two, and he was bald with thick lips.

Scar-face walked right up to the wine table, reached out to stroke Yu Xiaogang's signature, sensual flat top, and waved a hand back at his companions: "Take him."

The other two grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the arms, hauled him up from his chair, and prepared to head out.

The keeper started to raise a hand to stop them.

After all, Yu Xiaogang hadn't paid for his drinks yet.

Scar-face tossed something casually, and two Gold Soul Coins landed on the counter with a clink.

The keeper instantly beamed with joy: "Have a good trip, guest."

As long as he paid, who cared what happened to that flat-top?

The three of them hauled Yu Xiaogang through two streets and arrived in front of a five-story building.

The storefront wasn't particularly large, but it hung a lighted sign indicating it was a hotel.

The front desk clerk was yawning, but upon hearing the door open and looking up—

Three burly men were dragging in a man who was dead drunk and entirely unresponsive.

The man's head hung low, his sideburns streaked with gray, sporting a flat top, looking as though he had been scavenged from somewhere.

The clerk took a closer look at the trio, and his heart gave an immediate thud.

Weren't these the notorious "Rose Boy Band" of recent fame?

These fellows specialized in preying on men with beards and flat tops, and their reputation was truly abysmal.

The corner of his mouth twitched, and though he wanted to speak up, he ultimately swallowed the words back, lowered his head to flip through the registry, and said, "Same as usual for the guests?"

Scar-face nodded and fished out a few Gold Soul Coins to place on the counter: "One large bed chamber, needs decent soundproofing."

The clerk accepted the money, beamed with joy, registered them swiftly, and handed over a room key: "Room 307 on the 3rd floor, hope you enjoy your stay."

He couldn't resist casting another glance at the flat-top, who was roaring drunk, reeking of alcohol, with his head lolled to one side and utterly devoid of awareness.

Then he looked at the three stalwart hulks, especially the two-meter-three-tall, bald, dark-skinned brute with thick lips, and the clerk let out a silent sigh in his heart.

This fellow was likely in for a miserable night.

The three men grabbed the key and hurried upstairs. They unlocked the door and tossed Yu Xiaogang right onto the bed.

"Nn... where is this?" Yu Xiaogang sobered up just a fraction in his daze, spotting Scar-face first.

There were two other large men standing beside him.

"Where am I? What are you people doing???"

Scar-face and the other two chuckled with a leer.

"Wait, you—you're that infamous Rose Boy Band!! What are you doing?"

"No, no, go away, get away quickly."

"Damn it, Fart like thunder, earth-shattering Luo Sanpao."

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly summoned his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao.

He prepared to unleash his ultimate move to knock all of these people out cold.

Yet at that moment, Scar-face moved with eagle-eyed speed, swiftly cuffing Yu Xiaogang's hands behind his back.

Luo Sanpao wore a look of utter terror, shrieking out loud.

Yu Xiaogang gasped in shock. "No, Sanpao, Sanpao."

As an Exogenous Beast Martial Soul, severe trauma inflicted upon it would also transmit directly to the soul master.

Ah, ah, ah—

Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot, his breathing came like a panting ox, and he looked utterly unhinged.

"Damn it all, damn it all, I, Yu Xiaogang, will destroy you Rose Boy Bands at any cost!!!"