Don't You Think This Is Sacred? Mingdu Donuts Are Delicious, the Rose Hotel (4K)

"A Soul Bone?!"

At the sight of the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Bandit's Soul Bone, everyone's aching backs and sore legs instantly recovered. They scrambled up from the ground, rubbing their hands like flies, unable to conceal the blazing greed in their eyes.

The Wolf Bandit leader's bloodline resembled that of a Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, making its Soul Bone several times more valuable than an ordinary Wolf Bandit's. When had this bunch of Soul Masters who made their living traveling between two countries' borders ever seen a Soul Bone, much less a fine-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?

If they grabbed the Soul Bone and sold it, they would never have to work again!

Everyone struggled and hesitated, morality and desire locked in an evenly matched battle.

Lin Qing leisurely admired the left-leg Soul Bone, as though he had not noticed anyone's greed. The azure sphere of light glittered beneath the moon.

The Soul Bone made the atmosphere within the group delicate. Ye Guyi's brows knitted tightly, and her soul-guided sword returned to her hand.

Between a bunch of deadweights and a comrade who had fought beside her, Miss Angel knew perfectly well which mattered more.

"Ahem!"

A conspicuously deliberate cough broke the silence. The burly Hu San spoke up. "Everyone, let old Hu say a few fair words.

"Young Master Lin and Miss Ye deserve the lion's share of the credit for dealing with those utterly depraved Wolf Bandits tonight. That twin-headed Wolf Bandit was comparable to a Six-Ring Soul Emperor. If they hadn't stepped forward, the caravan would have faced utter destruction. We owe our two benefactors our lives.

"A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone is rare, certainly, but it's nothing compared to your life. I'd advise everyone to keep a clear head..."

His words jolted them awake as though from a dream. The greedy Soul Masters shuddered involuntarily. Hu San was not merely reminding them of a lifesaving debt they could never repay; he was warning them, too.

Lin Qing had blasted half the Soul Emperor-level Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Bandit's body apart with a single shot. How many heads did these rotten fish and shrimp have to spare?

Sneaking a glance at the perfectly composed Lin Qing, everyone swallowed nervously, then cupped their hands toward the young man in azure, offering awkward yet polite smiles.

"The Ordinary Commerce Association has always followed the rule that spoils belong to whoever made the kill. Everyone knows who this Wolf Bandit Soul Bone belongs to. If anyone harbors greedy intentions, we will show no mercy."

Seeing the Soul Masters completely regain their senses, Shangguan Ying'er inwardly regretted the missed opportunity. She had nearly gotten a chance to take Lin Qing's side and earn a huge helping of goodwill. Now she could only go with the current and play the good person.

Everyone in this hastily assembled group had their own hidden agenda. A united, friendly team spirit was pure wishful thinking. Fortunately, they were all smart enough for reason to ultimately triumph over madness.

"Heroes emerge from the young. Seeing you two so spirited and radiant makes me want to fuck the ancestors of that old Heaven Dou emperor to death."

With his heavy mountain-cleaving saber slung over his shoulder, Hu San cursed while trying to ease the atmosphere. "Laugh if you want, but old Hu was born in a rundown, dirt-poor village in the Heaven Dou Empire.

"I left home at eighteen to roam the continent. Only then did I learn that Martial Souls existed on the Douluo Continent. After working odd jobs for a year and saving some money, I begged a teacher at the local elementary Soul Master Academy to help me, and finally awakened my Martial Soul.

"My Martial Soul actually isn't weak. Unfortunately, I missed the best time to cultivate. Rich families' children awaken their Martial Souls at six. When I was six, I hadn't even heard of them.

"If I'd started on the same line as those young masters and young ladies, maybe I'd already be a renowned local hero. Who knows? I might have cleaved that twin-headed Wolf Bandit in two today!"

"Dream on!" one Soul Master guard scoffed with a laugh. "That lousy tofu-cutting knife of yours could turn the world upside down if you'd awakened twelve years earlier? Don't make Lord Wolf Bandit laugh."

"Ah, young Hu does have a point. How many of us rough fellows awakened our Martial Souls at six?" an old Soul Elder with a graying beard sighed. "I'll say something so disrespectful it could cost me my head: the Spirit Hall Empire wasn't as utterly wicked as the three great empires claim.

"At least I've heard that Spirit Hall sent its deacons deep into the mountains and forests every year to awaken every six-year-old child's Martial Soul for free. Think about Sea God Tang San. Spirit Hall helped him awaken his Martial Soul, too. Otherwise, he'd have been no different from us."

"Wrong, wrong. The Sea God's father was Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao. How could he have failed to awaken his Martial Soul? Other people are another matter, though!"

They gathered together to poke fun at the ruling class and legendary gods. For a while, the air filled with the spirit of finding laughter amid hardship.

Lin Qing sighed softly. In another timeline, even the Star Luo Empire's army had many people who knew nothing of Martial Souls. Delayed awakenings caused by imperial inaction were everywhere: the ancient Evil Soul Master Blood Infant Douluo, the Holy Spirit Cult's Soul Douluos Wu Yun and Wu Yu, and so on...

He had been fortunate. Grandma Lin was a rank thirty-nine Soul Elder and a Level 3 Soul Engineer, so Lan Qing and her younger brother had awakened their Martial Souls on time.

Lin Qing remained grateful for Grandma Lin's eleven years of care, which had provided a place for a seedling with an ultimate attribute to grow.

"The three great empires are far too hidebound!"

Hearing her companions' complaints, Ye Guyi's lovely face flushed with anger. Filled with righteous indignation, she said, "Why don't the imperial authorities follow Spirit Hall's old system, sending people deep into the mountains every year to awaken children's Martial Souls for free?"

"Because their officials would trek over mountains and rivers to visit every village, only to get a huge pile of Trash Martial Souls and innate half-rank Soul Power. Then the empire would still have to hold its nose and pay out Soul Master stipends.

"They might as well keep those people in the dark their entire lives. The noble lords could conveniently save their resources and stop investing in impoverished regions.

"And copying Spirit Hall... the three great empires probably couldn't swallow that blow to their pride."

Ye Guyi turned toward him with a complicated expression. Lin Qing's deadpan words had cut her impassioned mood short, and his odd look seemed to ask whether she was an idiot.

"I think that's wrong," Miss Angel said earnestly. "History teaches us how nations rise and fall. Although the Spirit Hall Empire lost, its institutions still had merits."

"True enough." Lin Qing remained noncommittal. "Anyway, defeating the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Bandit wasn't my achievement alone. You should have a share of its Soul Bone."

"No need."

Ye Guyi waved her delicate hand, saying breezily, "I couldn't beat that twin-headed Wolf Bandit, and the Soul Bone's attributes don't suit my Holy Angel anyway. Keep it."

"Those are separate matters. I'll pay you some Gold Soul Coins based on its market value."

"I'm not interested in Gold Soul Coins. Hmm... you're a Soul Engineer, right? How about making me a custom soul-guided sword?" Ye Guyi suggested.

"Sure. As it happens, I thought your sword's craftsmanship was pretty lousy... average."

"..."

What was that for? I worked on that from dawn till dusk!

Ye Guyi secretly grieved for two and a half seconds. There were still four hours until dawn, and after their fierce battle with the Wolf Bandits, she felt no desire to sleep. Raising a hand to smooth her long, brilliant golden hair, she casually asked, "Lin Qing, you're extraordinarily talented. Why come to the Sun Moon Empire?"

"You're very talented yourself. The Holy Angel is renowned far and wide, yet you came to Sun Moon too, didn't you?" Lin Qing countered.

Ye Guyi chuckled. "A while ago, I captured an Evil Soul Master alive. From him, I learned that a mysterious organization hidden within the Sun Moon Empire was recruiting Evil Soul Masters everywhere. I'm going to tear it out by the roots."

"That explains it..." Lin Qing looked thoughtful. "Evil Soul Masters see the Holy Angel as a thorn in their eyes and flesh. Aren't you afraid that entering the tiger's den alone will expose your Martial Soul and doom you beyond redemption?"

"I am."

Ye Guyi looked up at the sky, her golden eyes clear and bright. "But fear isn't a reason to retreat.

"The faith carved into the Holy Angel's very bones and blood is to slay evil and destroy wickedness, stopping only in death.

"And I believe every Soul Master should do more good deeds. Our elders' words are pearls of wisdom: do one good deed a day and accumulate great virtue. I won't disgrace my ancestors' glory, and I must be able to face my own heart.

"Never dismiss a faint glimmer; gather torches until they become a sun. If I shine a little, someone will be willing to shine alongside me. Once enough people in this world give off light, the evil lurking in dark corners will have nowhere to hide."

Miss Angel's voice was light, with an unspoken implication beneath her words.

The girl had bravely ventured into the Sun Moon Empire alone. After witnessing Lin Qing's strength along the way, she hoped to bring him along in carrying out justice.

"Besides, don't you think fighting to the death for justice in this world without retreating is something sacred?" Ye Guyi smiled brilliantly, pointing her sword straight into the boundless sky.

"Sounds pretty dorky."

"Hey!"

Ye Guyi let out an indignant cry.

A whole night's camaraderie in battle, remember!

"I'm going to get some air."

As he stepped away, Lin Qing glanced at the glittering golden girl from the corner of his eye. A faint smile touched his silver-gray eyes.

In his previous life, experts on Blue Star had sorted human temperaments into personality types: guiding, avoidant, attached, and so on...

As the two talked about everything under the sun, Lin Qing gradually realized that Ye Guyi seemed to have a sun-like personality.

Unconcerned with life or death, she wanted only to give off light and warmth, letting Angel Holy Light illuminate every direction.

Only someone who held firm convictions and was willing to pursue her ideals to the end could be so easily fooled by the Ordinary Alliance into exposing her Holy Angel Martial Soul while taking on the Xishui Alliance's horde of evil Douluos.

Still, if an angel bearing the name of holiness were as calculating as a certain Bright Phoenix, the Douluo Continent would truly be finished. Nobody would dare stand irreconcilably opposed to Evil Soul Masters.

At that thought, Lin Qing suddenly let it go.

All right, the angel was right.

Pretty sacred.

Several days later.

Mingdu, Sun Moon Empire.

The Ordinary caravan slowly entered Mingdu. Night had fallen, and vast stretches of towering buildings lit up with Soul Guidance Lamps. The lights of countless homes illuminated the boundless metropolis in dazzling splendor, almost vying with the stars filling the sky.

The city gave the Douluo Soul Masters visiting Mingdu for the first time a little technological shock. A chorus of "wow" rang through the group.

The joy of a traveler returning home filled Shangguan Ying'er's chest. Smiling, she introduced it. "Mingdu is the pride of the Sun Moon Empire.

"I guarantee that even if you bundled Shrek City, Star Luo City, Heaven Dou City, and Lingdou City-the four premier cities of Douluo-together, they still couldn't compare to Mingdu, whether in urban development or the people's happiness index!

"The imperial scholar Grandmaster Chen Xiaoping once gave a speech saying that the people of the Douluo Three Kingdoms have always lived in deep water and scorching fire, while Sun Moon's development is far, far ahead!

"For example, Shrek City is one of the Douluo Continent's foremost metropolises. Yet earning two thousand Copper Soul Coins a year in Mingdu gives you a far better quality of life than earning three thousand Silver Soul Coins in Shrek City!"

Though they did not understand, everyone in the caravan was instantly impressed, their eyes filled with admiration as though gazing up at a lofty mountain. Only Lin Qing's mouth twitched. He was already living his second life, yet that famous theory was still chasing him down and biting him!

After battling the Wolf Bandits that night, they had crossed the border through the Tianming Mountain Range. Then, thanks to the Ordinary Commerce Association's familiarity with the routes, they had traveled unhindered through Sun Moon territory and entered Mingdu without incident.

Everything in this foreign land drew Lin Qing's attention, first and foremost the Sun Moon capital's extraordinarily advanced soul-guidance technology.

Mingdu had no sturdy city walls protecting it. Star-shaped, pale golden light spread from beneath the ground, cycling repeatedly at a particular frequency.

The keen senses of his Ultimate Metal informed Lin Qing that a super Soul Tool with an explosive energy reaction had been installed on each of Mingdu's four sides. Its actual defensive power exceeded that of any physical wall.

Second, Mingdu's local customs were equally eye-opening.

Among their laughing companions, not a single learned scholar; among those passing by, not a single pale face.

Their group was all illiterates.

The passersby were all, well, those people.

Since the imperial family's skin was rather dark, a tanning craze had swept the Sun Moon Empire. Lin Qing could not bear looking at those black pearls and decisively turned toward the fair-skinned, beautiful Holy Angel beside him to cleanse his eyes!

"Brothers, there's a donut stall by the road! Ten Copper Soul Coins for five donuts, and he gave me six!"

A Soul Master guard held a large bag of donuts, lowered his head to take a huge bite, and said delightedly:

"These donuts are delicious! Much sweeter than the ones sold in the Heaven Dou Empire. I really love the Sun Moon Empire. I'm immigrating to Sun Moon too, and switching careers to sell egg pancakes in Mingdu!"

"The Ordinary Commerce Association always keeps its promises," Shangguan Ying'er said with a charming laugh. "As long as the goods arrive safely in Mingdu, the hundred Gold Soul Coins for this escort job will be doubled, and a Permanent Imperial Residence Permit will be presented to you with both hands. You may choose for yourselves."

With the mission successfully completed, everyone collected their pay amid cheerful conversation and laughter. Most Soul Masters chose to take the money and leave. Only Lin Qing, Ye Guyi, and a few others stayed in Mingdu.

"Young Master Lin, Miss Ye." Shangguan Ying'er blinked her alluring eyes. "The Permanent Imperial Residence Permits will take two days to process. Why not come rest at our association's headquarters, the Ordinary Alliance?

"To thank you for slaying the Wolf Bandits, the Ordinary Alliance will receive you with its finest hospitality."

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shangguan. We were simply doing our duty, so there's no need. We don't wish to trouble the Ordinary Alliance further," Lin Qing declined. "We'll return for the residence permits here, at this time, in three days."

Watching the two leave side by side, Shangguan Ying'er stamped her foot, deeply disappointed.

Throughout the journey, she had tried every trick she knew, openly and subtly inviting the Qing-Yi duo to join the Ordinary Alliance. Ye Guyi had initially been tempted, but when she realized Lin Qing absolutely refused to budge, she quietly changed her mind as well.

Able to firmly resist the temptation of an eight-person romp, Lin Qing was clearly an iron-willed man whose arms could support galloping horses. With her tricks exhausted, Shangguan Ying'er decided to return and pull some strings to arrange their green cards, establishing goodwill with them and praying it might leave a sliver of opportunity for the future.

"Lin Qing, why are you always so wary of the Ordinary Alliance? They seem pretty friendly to me. Seven beautiful girls fussing over you every day." Ye Guyi teased him with a smile. "Weren't you even a little tempted to become the Ordinary Alliance's prized son-in-law?"

"Lovely ladies, enchanting in their beauty, whose glances could topple a city. The Ordinary Alliance's women are beautiful, certainly, but they lack one thing: sincerity," Lin Qing said mildly.

Had Huo Yuhao not given Ye Guyi a helping hand, after helping the Ordinary Alliance win the championship, she would inevitably have been violated over and over by the Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Masters, then finely chopped into mincemeat. The Holy Angel lineage would have ended there. This underground smuggling organization was certainly no harmless bunch.

A brief exchange of benefits was fine. There was no need to get too close to the Ordinary Alliance.

Unless they paid extra.

Underground forces made enormous profits from smuggling and had no shortage of rare metals. If the Ordinary Alliance offered a hefty bounty for the Xishui Alliance's heads, Lin Qing killing those Evil Soul Masters would count as ridding the people of a scourge.

As Miss Angel had said, doing one good deed a day accumulated great virtue.

Lin Qing would carry that forward: doing two good deeds a day accumulated great, great virtue.

It was late. After eating a meal of Mingdu's authentic specialty flat noodles, the two looked for a hotel where they could meditate and rest.

"This hotel's decor is so grand!"

Ye Guyi spotted a five-story hotel from far away, her golden eyes shining.

Its exterior was rose-red, and its architectural style resembled a rose in full bloom, lovely, vivid, and eye-catching. Four large characters were carved into its red sign.

Rose Hotel.

"Hiss..."

Looking at the blonde girl with her clear, innocent eyes, Lin Qing seemed to have something to say but held back.

Ten thousand years had flown by, and the Rose Hotel had expanded to Mingdu...

Well, damn. This hotel's legacy outlasted the Tang Sect!