The Young Crown Prince

Heaven Dou City was much larger than Suotuo City.

Outside the Gate, carriages and horses flowed past in a steady stream. Merchant caravans, nobles, mercenaries, and Soul Masters from every region mingled together, as lively as a pot of soup at a rolling boil. The Gate guards' armor gleamed, and their eyes swept over every carriage entering the city with a caution found only in the imperial capital.

Bai Jin lifted the carriage curtain and took a look.

"Nice place."

Ma Hongjun immediately asked, "What's nice about it?"

"The food looks expensive."

Oscar nodded gravely. "Now that's an imperial capital."

As the carriage passed through the Gate, everyone from Shrek instinctively fell a little quieter. The broad streets, orderly patrols, and distant stretches of tall buildings and palace walls lent the imperial capital a steady majesty.

Ma Hongjun stuck his head out and looked around for ages.

"This place should have plenty of restaurants."

Oscar nodded. "Your priorities are clear."

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at them, but she could not help looking out the window too.

Of course she had been to Heaven Dou City before.

But this time felt different.

Before, she had been the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, with her father, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone behind her. Now she sat in Shrek's carriage, surrounded by companions who had been trained half to death, with a monster up front who could drive back the Titan Giant Ape.

She suddenly felt that she really had changed.

Bai Jin leaned against the carriage Gate, lazily eating candy.

They had barely entered the city when a modest but elegant carriage stopped by the roadside.

Its curtain lifted.

A young man with the warmth and polish of jade stepped out.

He wore a pale gold robe. His features were gentle, and his smile felt like a spring breeze.

The Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe.

Everyone from Shrek immediately sat up straight.

Bai Jin sighed instead.

"I knew you couldn't resist."

Xue Qinghe smiled. "You've had a long journey, Mr. Bai. It was only right that I come to welcome you."

"Speak plainly."

Xue Qinghe's smile did not change.

"I wanted to watch the excitement."

Bai Jin nodded in satisfaction. "That sounds more like you."

Tang San watched the two of them, his gaze shifting slightly.

He had the distinct feeling that the Crown Prince knew Bai Jin too well.

This was not an ordinary show of respect for a talented man.

It was more like two old friends meeting.

But how could a Soul Saint from the Spirit Hall Special Squad be so close to the Heaven Dou Crown Prince?

Tang San did not ask.

He had learned his lesson.

Some questions would not get answers, no matter how he asked.

Xue Qinghe's gaze passed over the group, paused on Tang San for an instant, then moved away naturally.

"You are all talents of Shrek Academy. I've long heard of you."

Dai Mubai rose and bowed.

Tang San and the others followed suit.

Bai Jin drawled from the side, "Stop pretending. You didn't come to see them."

Xue Qinghe smiled. "I did want to meet the people you trained personally."

"Seen enough?"

"Better than I imagined."

Bai Jin turned to the others.

"Hear that? The Crown Prince praised you."

Ma Hongjun muttered, "Why doesn't that make me happy at all?"

Oscar said, "Because his next sentence might be 'more training.'"

Bai Jin snapped his fingers.

"Little Oscar's all grown up."

Oscar closed his eyes in anguish.

Xue Qinghe let out an amused chuckle.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd by the roadside.

Bai Jin turned his head slightly.

In the distance, an old man dressed like a beggar passed through a street corner with his head lowered. He walked slowly, his back hunched, a chipped bowl in his hand. He looked no different from any other poor soul on the streets of Heaven Dou City.

But Bai Jin's Six Eyes saw it.

At the man's chest was a faint trace of Ghost Face Soul Power.

Xue Qinghe noticed the change in Bai Jin too.

"What is it?"

Bai Jin did not answer.

He raised a hand and tucked his candy wrapper into his pocket.

"Kids."

Everyone from Shrek went on alert at once.

Bai Jin smiled.

"Your first lesson in Heaven Dou City."

Before his words had faded, he vanished.

The old beggar jerked his head up, horror flashing in his eyes. He turned to plunge into the crowd.

But the moment he took a step, he stopped dead.

Limitless barred his retreat.

Bai Jin stood before him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Why run?"

The old beggar's expression changed. "You have the wrong man, sir," he rasped.

"My eyesight is excellent."

Bai Jin smiled.

"Especially when it comes to filthy things."

The old beggar suddenly erupted with Soul Power, sending the surrounding crowd screaming and scattering. Black Ghost Mask markings crawled from his neck up his cheeks. His aura surged, reaching the level of a Soul Emperor.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed, and he was about to intervene.

Bai Jin had already flicked a finger.

He.

Dark crimson repulsive force slammed into the old beggar's chest.

Bang!

He flew backward into a stone wall beside the street, cracking the entire wall like a spiderweb.

Bai Jin strolled over.

"Causing trouble in front of the Crown Prince? That's rather disrespectful."

Xue Qinghe looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching.

So you do know how to show me respect?

The Ghost Face Soul Emperor struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse.

"Bai Jin. So you came after all."

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Someone told me to give you a message."

Bai Jin stopped.

"Go on."

The Ghost Face Soul Emperor grinned.

“The Gates of Slaughter City are open to you.”

“Blue Silver Emperor Blood will return to where it belongs, too.”

Tang San's face darkened.

Bai Jin glanced back at him, signaling him to stay put.

Then Bai Jin continued toward the Ghost Face Soul Emperor.

"Anything else?"

Madness filled the Ghost Face Soul Emperor's eyes.

"You can't save everyone!"

Bai Jin nodded.

"True."

He raised a hand, and Azure Blue light appeared.

"But I can beat up every villain I come across."

Azure activated.

The Ghost Face Soul Emperor was wrenched bodily out of the wall and slammed down in front of Bai Jin. Bai Jin planted a foot on his chest and looked down at him.

"Have you people misunderstood something?"

The Ghost Face Soul Emperor coughed blood.

"What?"

"I don't like being threatened."

Bai Jin bent down, his voice soft.

"Especially when you threaten me with kids."

His fingers touched the ghost-face markings. The white light of Reverse Cursed Technique and the dark crimson of Red lit up together.

One force pulled, the other pushed, clamping down on the wicked Soul Power like a pair of pincers.

The Ghost Face Soul Emperor screamed.

This time, the Ghost Mask markings had no chance to silence him.

Bai Jin forcibly stripped them from his Soul Power and condensed them into a small black sphere.

Xue Qinghe's eyes narrowed slightly.

Bai Jin held the sphere between his fingers.

"Take it back and investigate."

Xue Qinghe nodded at once.

"All right."

Bai Jin turned toward the Shrek group.

They still stood where they were, shaken by what they had seen.

On a street in Heaven Dou City, with the Crown Prince beside him, a Soul Emperor had launched a surprise attack.

Bai Jin had dealt with it in a matter of breaths.

That was the gap between them.

Bai Jin smiled. "Did you see that?"

Ma Hongjun swallowed.

"See what?"

“When you're away from the Gate, run into a bad guy, and report it to the authorities immediately.”

Everyone: "..."

Bai Jin pointed at himself.

"I'm the authorities."

Xue Qinghe cleared his throat, struggling to maintain a Crown Prince's dignity.

"Mr. Bai, shall we go to my residence first?"

"Let's go."

Bai Jin slipped his hands into his pockets and sauntered off.

Tang San followed behind, unable to keep his eyes off the little black sphere.

He knew Heaven Dou City was not the end.

The Ghost Face Society, Slaughter City, Blue Silver Emperor Blood.

All of it was closing in.

But this time, he did not panic.

Because Bai Jin had just said it.

Answers were not found by thinking.

They were won by fighting.

The people Xue Qinghe had arranged soon took control of the scene.

The street returned to order. Frightened civilians were escorted away, leaving only people from Spirit Hall and the Crown Prince's Mansion speaking quietly before the shattered stone wall.

Tang San stood apart from the crowd, his gaze still fixed on the small black sphere.

He could feel that the thing had something to do with him.

It was not a connection through Soul Power, but a deeper, inexplicable instinct.

Bai Jin walked over to him.

"Scared?"

Tang San shook his head.

"Not scared."

"Good."

Bai Jin tossed the small black sphere to Xue Qinghe and said lightly, "Tell me if you find anything. Tell me if you don't."

Xue Qinghe asked, "What's the difference?"

"If you find something, we fight."

"And if we don't?"

Bai Jin smiled.

"Then we fight until someone talks."

Xue Qinghe looked at him and suddenly felt that, unreliable as Bai Jin was, he always managed to make the most troublesome situations simple.

In the physical sense, of course.

Tang San looked down at his hand. Blue Silver Grass swayed gently between his fingers.

On his first day in Heaven Dou City, he finally understood that what lay ahead was no ordinary training.

It was a net that had already been cast.

He was caught in it, as were Xiao Wu, Shrek, and Bai Jin.

But Bai Jin stood at the very front, smiling as though he didn't have a care in the world.

As if to tell everyone:

No matter how vast the net, it could still be torn apart.