What a Helpless Tang San

The moment the extra ten pounds landed in his basket,

Tang San's back dipped sharply. His knees buckled, and he stumbled forward a step, nearly falling.

Oscar immediately reached out to steady his arm, his voice full of just the right amount of concern.

"Oh, Tang San, what's wrong?"

"We're both support-type Soul Masters. I can't ask you to carry my load."

"If it's too much, forget it."

He said to forget it,

but the ten pounds of stones remained firmly in Tang San's basket. Oscar made no move to take them back.

Tang San gritted his teeth and steadied himself. He straightened up, forcing a stiff smile.

"It's fine. We're a team, so we should help each other. I'll carry it for you."

As he spoke, his jaw tightened, as though he were using every ounce of strength to keep something clamped between his teeth.

The thought that followed seemed to squeeze out through those same gritted teeth.

Oscar, you son of a bitch! We're both support-type Soul Masters, so why the hell do I have to help you? Why don't you help me?

Everyone nearby heard that thought,

and the laughter they had barely managed to suppress came bubbling back up.

Their heavy mood instantly lifted.

You idiot, Tang San.

That's what you get for putting on an act.

There's nothing better than watching you do something you hate because you have no choice.

What a helpless fool Tang San is!

Ye Lin walked at the front of the group with a hundred pounds in his bamboo basket, yet his steps were steadier than anyone else's.

He glanced back at the other seven, taking stock of how each of them was doing.

"Let's all keep the same pace."

"We're a team. No one gets left behind."

"I'm strong and have plenty of stamina. If any of you can't carry your load, give it to me for a while. Keeping everyone's strength roughly even—that's what being a team means."

Dai Mubai, walking near the front, turned to look at Ye Lin and nodded.

Xiao Wu nodded too. Her steps were still fairly light; twenty pounds remained within what she could handle.

The group pressed on.

The mountain path wound through dense woodland. Sunlight broke against the canopy and scattered patches of light across the ground. Loose stones grew thicker underfoot, while the slope rose and fell.

Ye Lin stayed at the front, his stride steady and even, like a machine that never tired.

After about ten kilometers, he looked back. His gaze settled on Ning Rongrong.

She was walking much more slowly now. Her basket swayed from side to side, and she held her shoulders awkwardly. She was clearly pushing on through sheer willpower.

Ye Lin slowed until Ning Rongrong drew level with him. Then he reached into her basket, took out a stone, and put it in his own.

A few more pounds were added to the hundred he already carried. His shoulders dipped slightly, then steadied.

Ning Rongrong's steps suddenly grew lighter. She froze and turned toward Ye Lin, but before she could speak, he said,

"I know you can do it."

"But you need to recover some strength. Our goal is to make it to the end, not prove who can go fastest right now."

"I'll give it back once you've recovered."

Ning Rongrong's lips moved, but the words caught in her throat.

It was the first time she had heard anyone express faith in her. Growing up, all she had heard was that she was a little witch and things like that.

Even here, Tang San had talked about how awful she had been in her previous life. She had gritted her teeth and endured it all.

No one had ever told her, "I know you can do it."

She lowered her head and watched the path beneath her feet. Her steps grew a little lighter, and the feeling she could not quite name slowly settled inside her,

turning into an emotion she herself could not describe.

The group continued on.

Tang San trailed at the back, gritting his teeth as he took one step after another.

His breathing was heavy, but he did not stop.

After so many years swinging a hammer in the smithy, his shoulders and core were stronger than those of an ordinary Soul Master.

The stones weighed on him so heavily he could barely breathe, but they were not enough to bring him down.

Besides, having become a God King in his previous life, he had far more willpower than most people.

He kept his head down. He did not look at how far he had left to go or think about the weight on his back. He simply kept walking, one step at a time.

The group walked another forty kilometers.

The mountain path wound over a low ridge, then dipped into a valley half-hidden by wild grass.

The sun had shifted westward. They had passed the halfway point, with another fifty kilometers to Suotuo City.

Ma Hongjun could barely drag his feet anymore. His legs felt full of lead, and every step left him panting for ages.

The bamboo basket hung crookedly on his back. Its twenty pounds of stones had nearly forced him down onto all fours.

Dai Mubai walked beside him. After one glance, he silently reached into Ma Hongjun's basket and transferred the twenty pounds of stones to his own.

Fifty pounds now weighed on his shoulders.

Dai Mubai's steps grew heavier, but he said nothing. He gritted his teeth and kept going.

Ye Lin had moved toward the back of the group. He glanced over at Zhu Zhuqing.

She was walking much more slowly than before. Sweat had soaked the back of her black leather outfit, and her breathing was ragged, but she was still forcing herself onward.

Without hesitation, Ye Lin went to her side, took twenty pounds of stones from her basket, and put them in his own.

Zhu Zhuqing realized what he had done and reached to take them back.

Ye Lin caught her wrist. "You need to recover your strength. I'll give them back when you have."

With his hand around her wrist, Zhu Zhuqing tried to pull free but could not. She stopped struggling and said quietly, "I can manage on my own."

Dai Mubai smiled at the sight.

That's Ye Lin for you. Always helping people. He really does have a good heart.

Ye Lin released her wrist and said nothing more. He kept walking.

Xiao Wu walked nearby, the bamboo basket rising and falling steadily on her back.

Ye Lin glanced her way just as she turned toward him. She smiled and shook her head. "Brother Lin, I can keep going. Don't forget, I'm one of the few who has a Third Soul Ring."

Her tone was light. Ye Lin nodded and did not press her.

They walked another twenty kilometers.

The sun now hung above the western ridge. Light slanted across the mountain path, making the loose stones gleam.

Ning Rongrong walked in the middle of the group. Her steps grew slower and heavier. Her vision began to blur, and the path seemed to waver before her as though she were looking at it through water.

She gritted her teeth and managed a few more steps. Then her knees gave way, and she pitched forward.

Ye Lin reacted at once, catching her by the arm and steadying her.

Ning Rongrong's forehead rested against his arm. Her lips moved as she tried to speak, but she could not force out a single word.