A Confession

After two days on the road, Huo Yuhao and Li Jun finally caught sight of Star Luo City's towering walls.

"Hold it. Entry costs five copper soul coins per person."

Huo Yuhao was about to enter the city when a soldier guarding the gate stopped him and demanded the entry fee.

"Move along. Can't you tell this isn't someone you charge an entry fee?" Before Huo Yuhao could pay, an older soldier spotted Li Jun behind him. He strode over, pushed the younger soldier aside, then greeted Li Jun with an ingratiating smile. "My apologies, Commander Li. The lad's new and doesn't know the rules. Please forgive him."

"Mm. Well done."

Li Jun offered that brief praise, then led Huo Yuhao into the city.

Watching them leave, the young soldier asked in confusion, "Old Zhou, why did you let them through without paying?"

Old Zhou shot him an exasperated look. "In our line of work, you need to know who you're dealing with. That was Commander Li of the Royal Guards. People like him are beyond us. Don't bother them if you can help it. Offend one of those Soul Masters, and you won't even know what killed you."

The warning brought the young soldier to his senses. Cold sweat broke out across his back. He really would have been in trouble if he had offended a Soul Master.

"Thanks, Old Zhou. You saved me from making a terrible mistake."

Old Zhou waved it off.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just buy me a drink after our shift today."

Huo Yuhao and Li Jun, already heading into the city, heard none of their conversation. Huo Yuhao had a problem of his own: the horns on his head stood out far too much. Paired with the handsome face Tian Meng's transformation had given him, they drew stares wherever he went.

"Wow! Look at that blue-haired guy. He's so handsome!"

"I know! And the horns on his head look incredible."

The comments left Huo Yuhao at a loss, especially as they grew louder and increasingly bold. He turned to Li Jun. "Uncle Li, let's split up. You can report to Sister Jiujiu. I'll go find my mother!"

Without waiting for an answer, he summoned his Four-Not-Like Martial Soul. A pair of Auspicious Clouds appeared beneath his feet, and he rode them toward the courtyard Xu Jiujiu had given him and his mother.

"Wow, look! That guy can fly! What a strange way to do it, though. He doesn't even have wings!"

A dark-skinned Sun Moon Empire person excitedly tugged at his companion's arm and pointed after Huo Yuhao. "See? I told you people from the Star Luo Empire were amazing! They can fly without a flying Soul Tool or wings!"

"People from Star Luo can fly!"

Once clear of the crowd, Huo Yuhao flew straight toward the courtyard. Before long, its outline came into view.

"Who's there?"

Before Huo Yuhao could react, an aged voice sounded behind him. A hand gripped the back of his neck, his vision blurred, and he was carried into the courtyard like a kitten.

When Huo Yuhao saw who was there, he relaxed.

Xu Jiujiu sat beside Huo Yun'er, taking great bites of grilled fish. He hadn't expected her to visit the courtyard today.

That settled the identity of the person holding him. It had to be Man Yi, Xu Jiujiu's protector.

"Heh, Senior Man Yi, could you put me down first?"

"Huo Yuhao? It really is you! Since when could you fly? And what's with the horns on your head?"

Xu Jiujiu looked up from her grilled fish and stared in surprise at Huo Yuhao, still dangling from Man Yi's hand.

"Yuhao, when did you get back?"

Then Xu Jiujiu remembered the bits of grilled fish at the corners of her mouth. Embarrassed, she took a handkerchief from her clothes and wiped her mouth while gesturing for Man Yi to put Huo Yuhao down.

"Sister Jiujiu, what brings you here today? Aren't you usually busy with the Starlight Auction House?"

Xu Jiujiu's cheeks reddened. She could hardly tell him she had come because she was craving Huo Yun'er's grilled fish.

Ever since she had first tasted it three months ago, Xu Jiujiu had dropped by their courtyard from time to time for more.

"Yuhao, the Princess was worried I'd be lonely without you, so she came to visit," Huo Yun'er said, apparently sensing Xu Jiujiu's embarrassment and coming to her rescue.

"Then thank you for looking after my mother, Sister Jiujiu!"

Xu Jiujiu coughed lightly twice and fixed her gaze on Huo Yuhao's horns. "Yuhao, what happened on your Soul Hunt? Why have you grown horns?"

Huo Yuhao touched them. "I'm very happy with the Spirit Ring I obtained. As for these horns, that's a long story."

Xu Jiujiu led Huo Yuhao and Huo Yun'er to the courtyard pavilion, where they sat down.

"Then take your time. Start with the Spirit Ring you obtained."

Hum. Soul Power surged from Huo Yuhao, and a purple Spirit Ring rose from beneath his feet under Xu Jiujiu's and Man Yi's astonished gazes.

"A thousand-year Spirit Ring?"

Man Yi and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a look and saw the same shock in each other's eyes. After consuming several pieces of Whale Rubber, Huo Yuhao was physically strong enough to bear a thousand-year Spirit Ring. But Soul Beasts with mental attributes were notoriously hard to find. Obtaining one was an unexpected stroke of luck.

"Yuhao, what Soul Beast did your Spirit Ring come from?"

At last, Xu Jiujiu had reached the heart of the matter. Huo Yuhao's expression turned serious.

"Sister Jiujiu, what I'm about to tell you will sound strange, but you have to believe me."

When Xu Jiujiu nodded for him to continue, he told her a version of the story he had altered.

In his account, he and Li Jun had suddenly been struck by a shockwave from the Core Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest. Li Jun had been knocked unconscious while protecting him. As Huo Yuhao waited for Li Jun to wake, he encountered a strange-looking Soul Beast. It had a head like a qilin's, scales covering its body, limbs shaped like dragon claws, and a tail resembling that of a different Soul Beast.

After absorbing its Spirit Ring, Huo Yuhao had, for some reason, begun to grow horns just like the Soul Beast's. On closer examination, he had discovered that he now possessed a Second Martial Soul. His story sounded so far-fetched that everyone present sat stunned for a long time.

It took Xu Jiujiu a while to absorb what Huo Yuhao had told her. Then she abruptly stood, took his hand, and fixed her pale-violet eyes on him. "Yuhao, is all that true? You're not lying to me?"