Red Beans Grow in the Southern Land; How Many Branches Sprout When Spring Comes?

A moment later, Tang Ya slowly opened her eyes.

The scarlet in her pupils had faded. Her eyes were clear again, though still tinged with confusion and exhaustion.

"Are you back to yourself?"

Lin Chen crouched beside her and looked at her.

"Tell me, what did your Martial Soul mutate into? How much of Di Tian's blood essence did you absorb?"

Tang Ya froze. She looked around at the scorched earth and shattered fragments of the Susanoo barrier, then at the nine wilted vines behind her. Her face went pale.

"I don't know."

Her voice trembled.

Disturbing images flashed through her mind.

"Was I hurting you just now?"

"Almost."

Lin Chen smiled.

"But luckily, my clone arrived in time and stopped you."

"I'm sorry."

Tang Ya's eyes reddened.

"I didn't mean to. I really didn't know what I was doing."

"I know you didn't."

Lin Chen waved it off. He did not blame her.

She had lost her mind. Whatever she had done was beyond her control.

He just wanted to know what opportunity Tang Ya had gained, what her talent was like now, and how much stronger she had become.

"My Martial Soul evolved into the Blue Silver Dragon Martial Soul."

Tang Ya sensed the changes within her before speaking slowly.

"The nine vines behind me are filled with powerful dragon blood essence. I think it's become a Beast Martial Soul."

At a thought, the nine vines behind her slowly rose. The nine dragon heads still looked rather listless, but the terrifying power within them was already palpable.

"Each vine carries a different element."

"But I still can't use them skillfully. For now, it's mainly darkness, light, fire, and the powers of dark devouring and destruction."

Holy shit.

Lin Chen stared at Tang Ya's nine vines and their Blue Silver Dragon heads, his eyes lighting up.

He immediately thought of that fellow from Throne of Seal.

No way.

Could Tang Ya have the makings of a great emperor?

A casual investment of mine might actually hold limitless possibilities.

Interesting.

Lin Chen stood and dusted himself off.

"Come on. Let's get you a Soul Ring."

He looked at Tang Ya and grinned.

"You've got a bright future ahead of you, Tang Ya."

Meanwhile...

In Shrek City.

Phainon and the others had escorted Wang Dong to the grand city.

Shrek City was bustling, far livelier than Heaven Dou City. But they had not come to sightsee.

They had come to kill.

There were still two days before the new students officially enrolled, though.

They planned to stay in Shrek City for the time being and gather intelligence while they were there.

Silver Wolf, as though she had been holding back for too long, marched brazenly into the King's Escort Agency's Shrek City branch.

The agency's intelligence network had long since identified Phainon, Kafka, Acheron, and Hanabi through their various missions.

But she was an intelligence operative working in the shadows. Her identity had never been exposed.

Not even now.

Even though she had arrived with Phainon and the others, her true identity remained hidden. That was the most basic professional discipline of an intelligence operative.

She looked nothing like her usual self.

Her neat short hair had become long and jet-black, pinned up in an elegant bun with a jade hairpin.

Her fitted outfit had been replaced by a luxurious pink dress with gold embroidery along the hem. A jade pendant hung at her waist, chiming as she walked.

Her face carried a touch of innocent sweetness, making her look like a sheltered young lady from a wealthy family.

Time to have some fun at the King's Escort Agency.

Taking tiny, unsteady steps, she entered the King's Escort Agency.

At that moment, the agency was empty.

There was only one person in the entire shop.

One look at him made Silver Wolf's heart tighten.

He sat behind the counter, reading a scroll.

He wore a constant smile and seemed as welcoming as a spring breeze.

Yet there was a sternness about him.

It reminded her, despite herself, of her former teacher.

He, too, wore white, with silver hair falling over his shoulders.

His face was lean, but his brow held a poet's calm and an artist's sensibility.

There's something really annoying about this guy.

Silver Wolf studied him.

Wang Wei merely looked up and glanced at her.

His apprentice had left him holding the fort and gone to the Star Dou Great Forest, so he had taken over as temporary manager.

He had no system panel.

But he could still assess each customer's order rigorously.

His estimates were never off by more than ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.

That was why Zhao Huaizhen trusted Wang Wei to run the agency and oversee its operations.

The moment Wang Wei saw his visitor, his face lit up with a smile.

He set down his scroll and stood.

"What sort of job can we help you with, honored guest?"

"Finding a lost cat or dog? Dealing with infidelity?"

"Or catching someone in the act? Perhaps an escort or protection detail? The King's Escort Agency can handle it all."

His voice was gentle and his manner warm, a sharp contrast to his cool, otherworldly air.

Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow. Instead of answering, she glanced around.

Pretty ordinary. In that respect, they're just like Xiao Bai.

Not picky!

"Boss, you've kept up your disguise remarkably well, even here in Shrek City."

As she spoke, Silver Wolf pulled a token from her Storage Soul Tool and casually tossed it over.

The token traced an arc through the air. Wang Wei caught it and looked down.

A Black Market token.

It was pitch-black, with a blood-red character for "dark" carved into it. Cold to the touch, it gave off a sinister chill.

"I'm not here to play house."

The innocent sweetness vanished from Silver Wolf's face, and her voice turned cold.

"I'm here with a big job."

At those words, Wang Wei's expression immediately grew grave.

He flipped the Black Market token in his hand and tucked it into his sleeve.

His smile faded a little, and his gaze sharpened.

"Very well. Please follow me."

Since this was a proper order, there was no need to play house out here.

Wang Wei took just one step forward.

Silver Wolf did not even have time to react.

Her vision blurred. The scene around her twisted and changed in an instant.

The next moment, both of them stood inside a secret chamber.

It was a small room with walls of black stone and no windows. Only a soul-powered lamp overhead cast a soft glow.

A stone table and two stone chairs stood at its center.

Wang Wei had already brewed tea and brought it over for Silver Wolf.

He held a clay teapot in one hand and two cups in the other. His movements were unhurried, as though the teleportation had never happened.

Tea poured into a cup, clear and emerald green. A faint fragrance spread through the room.

"Please, have some tea."

Wang Wei pushed a cup toward Silver Wolf, then sat down, lifted the other cup, and took a small sip.

Silver Wolf left the tea untouched and stared hard at Wang Wei.

"What did you just do?"

Disbelief edged her voice.

With her strength, she had not seen how he moved at all. She had not even sensed a fluctuation of Soul Power before he brought her here.

"An Exchange Soul Skill combined with a Teleportation Soul Skill, and blended so seamlessly."

Silver Wolf narrowed her eyes, speaking one word at a time.

As an intelligence operative, she had seen plenty. She had recognized his method at a glance.

"Just a little trick. Hardly worth mentioning."