Looting the body

"Xiang Jun, Wutong, are you two all right?" Seeing that the fight was over, Huo Yuxi hurried over from the safe area where she had been hiding, her little face still filled with worry and guilt.

I couldn't even help...

"We're fine. We just used up quite a bit of soul power."

The entire battle had been more frightening than dangerous. The black-robed man had underestimated them from start to finish. Before he could even use a Soul Master's greatest trump card, his Martial Soul Avatar, Xiang Jun and Tang Wutong had knocked him completely unconscious with a combo of elbow strikes.

Smiling, Xiang Jun ruffled Huo Yuxi's hair, then turned his gaze back to the black-robed man lying in the distance, his fate uncertain. "Wutong, who do you think hired this guy to kill us?"

Tang Wutong had still been basking in the joy of Xiang Jun stepping in to save her. At his question, her pretty face immediately grew more serious, and she said firmly, "Who else could it be? We don't have any enemies at Shrek. It must be Dai Huabin!"

Dai Huabin?

Xiang Jun raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I don't think it was him."

The White Tiger bloodline was no longer the Star Luo Imperial Family of ten thousand years ago. Even Dai Hao, the strongest member of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, was only a Soul Douluo.

Besides, unless Tang Wutong's Eight-Stage Throw had beaten Dai Huabin into an idiot, he would never let outsiders know he was plotting to assassinate his classmates.

Hiring a Soul Sage to assassinate Shrek Academy students in Shrek City came at a staggering price, one Dai Huabin alone could never afford.

"Not Dai Huabin? Then who else could it be? Apart from him, there's nobody in the Outer Court who has any..."

Tang Wutong's brows rose, but before she could finish, a nearly forgotten name suddenly surfaced in her mind.

She instinctively looked up at Xiang Jun, only to find him already watching her with a meaningful look.

Zhou Yi!

"Xiang Jun, are you all right?"

Just then, a voice full of concern reached their ears. It belonged to Han Ruoruo, who had finally arrived, followed by several Inner Court students in gold-and-red uniforms.

"We're fine. That guy underestimated us, so Wutong and I teamed up and took him out."

Wu Ming, who had come with her, blinked, then walked over to the black-robed man and crouched beside him. Seeing that all-too-familiar face, she instinctively exclaimed, "That's... Lei Su?! Did you really take him down? He's a Soul Sage!"

Wu Ming's exclamation instantly drew everyone's attention. They all turned to Xiang Jun and the others, disbelief filling their eyes.

Lei Su was from the Dou Ling Empire. His martial soul was the Thunder Tribulation Spear, and he was a level 72 Power Attack System Battle Soul Saint. He had long been active in the Dou Ling Empire's Underground Black Market. A man guilty of every imaginable evil, he was a target of the Shrek Inspection Corps.

Wu Ming stood and walked over to Xiang Jun and the others, looking him and Tang Wutong up and down as she clicked her tongue in amazement. "You two are really something. You actually took that guy out without a scratch."

Tang Wutong proudly puffed out her little chest. If I weren't worried about exposing my identity, forget a Soul Sage—even a Titled Douluo would get whacked like a mole by this princess.

"Xiang Jun, we'll take his body back for now. Don't worry. The academy will get to the bottom of this."

Han Ruoruo's expression was icy. She had only just become their homeroom teacher, yet some fool who didn't know his place had already tried to assassinate her adorable students. He was practically begging to die!

Hearing this, Xiang Jun and Tang Wutong exchanged a discreet glance and offered no objection.

After parting ways with Han Ruoruo and the others, Xiang Jun's group hurried straight back to the Dormitory. Looking at the Storage Soul Tool he had stripped from Lei Su, Xiang Jun rubbed his hands together excitedly.

A Soul Sage who's spent years dealing on the black market must have quite a stash, right?

The result, however, left Xiang Jun sorely disappointed.

Aside from some common cultivation materials, there were only a little over a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Everything else consisted of strange objects whose purpose was unclear.

Among them were a dozen or so pieces of hundred-year whale rubber and an unremarkable Jade Box.

Xiang Jun immediately lost interest.

You're a Soul Sage, for crying out loud. How are you this poor?

Being poor is one thing, but why did you collect so much whale rubber?!

"Tch, that's all? Xiang Jun, do whatever you want with it. This princess isn't interested anyway." Tang Wutong curled her lip, her eyes full of disdain.

Xiang Jun said nothing, instead turning his attention to the last Jade Box.

As he opened it, a faint ripple of soul power instantly filled the room.

Wait... could it be?!

Xiang Jun's pupils abruptly contracted as a bone thirty centimeters long came into view.

The Purple-Patterned Electric Eel Torso Bone!

Well, damn! I misjudged you. I had no idea you were this rich!

"Huh? Isn't that the Soul Bone from the auction? So this guy bought it." Tang Wutong gave a soft exclamation, surprise appearing on her little face.

"How should we split it?" Xiang Jun picked up the Soul Bone, his gaze finally settling on Tang Wutong.

"This princess has no interest in that junk. Keep it yourself." Tang Wutong looked disdainful. If she wanted to, she could put together a full set of Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones suited to her attributes at any time.

When Huo Yuxi saw Xiang Jun look her way, she hurriedly waved her hands. "Xiang Jun, I didn't do anything the whole time. I can't accept a reward I haven't earned. I can't take anything!"

"Just keep it. Consider it this princess's thank-you gift for saving me."

Tang Wutong puffed out her little chest. As though suddenly remembering something, she added generously, "Oh, and you don't need to repay the two million this princess lent you, either!"

Huh?

It's one thing not to want the Soul Bone, but she doesn't even want her money back?

Xiang Jun blinked, an odd feeling suddenly rising in his heart.

Am I being kept?

I, Xiang Jun, have standards. No matter how poor a man gets, he can't sell himself!

Then again, if the price is right, it's true love.

After all, the language of steel wool is endurance...

"Why are you so nice to me? Don't tell me you're after my body!" Xiang Jun looked wary and instinctively pulled Huo Yuxi in front of him as a shield.

If Tang Wutong really was after my body... that would be even better.

At his words, Tang Wutong's little face flushed red, and she stammered in panic, "W-w-w-what are you talking about?! This princess is pure and innocent! Men are the worst!"

"Really? Then why do you sleep in my bed every day?"

"This princess just doesn't want to share a Dormitory with that white-haired, stone-faced girl!"

Gu Yuena: "Achoo!"

In the end, Xiang Jun did not refuse and accepted the Purple-Patterned Electric Eel Torso Bone. Although it was not particularly complete, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone was still a Blood River Treasure and could be traded for plenty of rare resources unavailable on the open market.

After putting the Soul Bone into his Soul Tool, Xiang Jun turned his attention to the whale rubber beside him.