Chapter 19

As night deepened, candlelight flickered dimly in the little tavern on the street corner. The smell of ale and greasy food hung in the air, impossible to dispel.

Yu Xiaogang sat in a corner, with three or four empty jugs on the table.

His head hung low, his cheeks flushed. He gripped his wine cup tightly and took another swig, murky liquor running from the corner of his mouth.

"A bunch of fools with no eye for talent..."

He muttered indistinctly, squinting at the hazy reflections at the bottom of his cup. In his drunken daze, he thought of events from many years ago.

Back then, he had been in the prime of his life.

So what if he had awakened the External Beast Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao?

So what if his innate Soul Power had only been half a rank?

He had striven toward his goal of becoming a great theoretician.

The Holy Maiden 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 without blinking. Her lips would move slightly, as if she were saying, "I believe in you."

A drunken smile appeared on his lips as he tipped back his head and drained his cup.

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

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

"I've researched for decades. Who in the Martial Soul world can compare to me?!"

With a bang, he smashed the cup onto the table, splashing wine everywhere.

He stared at the puddle of spilled wine as if it were something extraordinary.

"What do those academy teachers know? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—don't look down on the poor middle-aged man!... Sooner or later, I'll make them understand..."

He rambled on and on, his voice rising and falling before he quickly changed the subject.

"Erlong... What right do they have to say Erlong is blind? Erlong is the Horn of Slaughter of the Golden Triangle. The fact that she liked me only proves she has good judgment!"

He gave a cold laugh and took another drink.

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

Setting down his cup, he drunkenly reached out and grabbed at the air.

"Dong'er liked me too... She was the Holy Maiden... the dignified Holy Maiden... and even she saw me differently..."

"Ten Core Theories... what do they know... They're just jealous... jealous of talent and ability..."

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

The tavern owner 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 long ago.

The "Master," Yu Xiaogang, who freeloaded at Notting Academy under the title of teacher, had never even taught a decent student.

"Here he goes again..." said a man in a short jacket at the next table. "He puts on this act every few days."

"Get used to it," his companion snorted. "When has he ever not acted like this after drinking? Ten Core Theories, invincible Martial Souls—he makes it sound real."

"Keep it down. Don't let him hear you."

"So what if he hears? Is he going to fight me? With his rank twenty-nine strength..."

The two men quietly laughed.

Yu Xiaogang abruptly raised his head, his drunken eyes glaring in their direction. "You... what are you talking about?"

The two ignored him and continued drinking.

Yu Xiaogang braced himself against the table and tried to stand, but his legs gave way and he fell back into his chair. His mouth kept mumbling, "My theories... are invincible..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker until, finally, his head lolled to one side and he collapsed onto the table without moving.

No one in the tavern found it strange. They drank on, and no one spared him another glance.

The owner merely glanced at him and ignored him completely, intending to throw the fellow out when it was time to close.

After all, he acted like this every so often. What was he pretending to be so depressed for?

Who didn't know about his little affairs?

Seeing him in that state, the surrounding drinkers gave disdainful snorts and resumed drinking and chatting.

After a while, the tavern door was pushed open.

Three figures filed inside, tall and imposing, their muscles knotted and bulging.

The man in front had a scar running across his face. His gaze swept through the hall before locking onto the table in the corner. He grinned. "My little darling, I finally found you."

The two behind him followed at once. One had a full beard, while the other had dark skin and an even more massive, burly build. He stood a head taller than the first two, bald, with thick lips.

Scarface walked up to the wine table, reached out to stroke Yu Xiaogang's signature sexy crew cut, then waved toward the men behind him. "Take him away."

The two men lifted Yu Xiaogang by the arms, hauled him out of his chair, and prepared to leave.

The owner was about to raise a hand to stop them.

After all, Yu Xiaogang had not paid for his drinks yet.

Scarface casually tossed out two Gold Soul Coins, which landed on the counter with a ding.

The owner immediately beamed. "Take care, honored guests."

As long as they paid, who cared what happened to that crew-cut fellow?

The three men carried Yu Xiaogang across two streets and arrived before a five-story building.

Its frontage was not large, but it had a lit sign. It was an inn.

The receptionist was yawning behind the front desk. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

Three burly men were carrying in a man so drunk he was unconscious.

The man's head drooped, his temples were streaked with gray, and he had a crew cut. He looked like someone they had picked up off the street.

The receptionist took a closer look at the three men, and his heart immediately skipped a beat.

Weren't these the recently infamous Rose Boy Band?

These guys specifically targeted bearded men and men with crew cuts. Their reputation was truly terrible.

His lips twitched. He had wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words and lowered his head to flip through the registry. "The usual, guests?"

Scarface nodded and took out several Gold Soul Coins, placing them on the counter. "One room with a large bed. Make sure the soundproofing is good."

The receptionist accepted the money with a broad smile, quickly registered them, and handed over a room key. "Third floor, room 307. Enjoy your stay."

He could not help glancing at the crew-cut man again. The man was reeking of alcohol, his head tilted to one side, utterly unaware of anything.

Then he looked at the three powerfully built men, especially the two-meter-three bald giant with dark skin and thick lips. The receptionist silently sighed.

This guy was probably going to suffer tonight.

The three took the key and hurried upstairs. They opened the room door and tossed Yu Xiaogang onto the bed.

"Mm... Where is this?" Yu Xiaogang sobered up a little in his haze and was the first to spot Scarface.

There were also two other grown men beside him.

"Where am I? What are you trying to do???"

Scarface and the other two chuckled sinisterly.

"Wait, you... you're that notorious Rose Boy Band!! What are you doing?"

"No, no, get away. Get away from me."

"Damn it, thunderous farts that split heaven and earth—Heaven-Splitting Luo Sanpao."

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly released his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao.

He was preparing to unleash his ultimate move and blast all of them unconscious.

However, Scarface reacted swiftly and quickly cuffed Yu Xiaogang's hands behind his back.

Luo Sanpao screamed in terror.

Yu Xiaogang was horrified. "No, Sanpao, Sanpao."

As an External Beast Martial Soul, any severe injuries it suffered would also be transmitted to the Soul Master.

"Ahhh!"

Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot. He panted like a bull, looking utterly deranged.

"Damn it, damn it! I, Yu Xiaogang, will destroy your Rose Boy Band at any cost!!!"