Erlong was coming to play dirty with me?

The only sound in the study was the wind outside the window.

"It's all because of that Qin Chuan." Tang Hao rose, his chair sliding back half a foot.

His voice was low, so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"Qin Chuan must die!"

Yu Xiaogang neither objected nor agreed.

He simply watched Tang Hao, waiting for him to finish.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Knock, knock.

Two very light knocks.

Yu Xiaogang went over to open the door.

A woman stood outside.

She looked to be in her early thirties, tall and shapely. Her long, dark brown hair fell casually over her shoulders. She wore a dark blue teaching robe, its collar slightly open to reveal a stretch of fair neck.

Liu Erlong.

The vice dean of Shrek Academy.

She paused slightly at the sight of Tang Hao inside, then nodded in greeting.

Tang Hao nodded back.

Liu Erlong entered, holding a carefully sealed roll of vermilion silk.

Gold seal-script characters were stamped on its cover: "Implementation Outline for the Continental Soul Beast Protection Edict." A crimson, angel-patterned Soul Power Seal marked the end of the scroll-the seal reserved for edicts from the Pope of Spirit Hall.

Liu Erlong spread the silk across the desk, her expression grave.

"This just arrived through the Spirit Hall Main Hall in Heaven Dou City. It's already been issued to every city and sect. Even our Shrek received a copy."

Yu Xiaogang's gaze fell on the crimson seal. He tapped the silk lightly with his fingertips, his brow furrowing further.

Tang Hao glanced at the silk scroll and stood to leave.

He had said everything he needed to say and heard everything he needed to hear. As for what came next, he needed to go back and think it over carefully.

But Yu Xiaogang spoke. "You don't need to leave."

Tang Hao stopped and looked back at him.

Yu Xiaogang's meaning was clear. With someone else present, discussing it together would actually be more convenient.

"We're discussing the same matter," Yu Xiaogang said.

Tang Hao considered it, then sat back down.

Only then did Liu Erlong realize that this was what Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang had been discussing.

She pushed the silk to the middle of the desk and got straight to the point.

"I want to go to Spirit City without revealing my identity, visit the Douluo Game Hall, and meet this Qin Chuan."

Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang both looked at her.

Liu Erlong's tone was level. "If we can poach him, that would be the best outcome. If not..."

She left the rest unsaid.

But all three people in the room understood.

Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment. "When are you leaving?"

"Right away." Liu Erlong glanced at him. "Do you want to come?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "You go first. I'll go later. If we appear together, we'll be easier to spot."

Liu Erlong nodded. "All right. I'm off, then."

She turned toward the door, but stopped halfway and looked back at Yu Xiaogang.

"Xiaogang, I hear Qin Chuan's Game Hall is a lot of fun. Is there anything in particular you want me to watch for?"

Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment. "Pay attention to his fifth Soul Skill, Happy Cultivation. Simply playing games in his Game Hall increases your soul power. Once you're inside, sense the changes in your own soul power, in as much detail as possible."

"Understood."

Liu Erlong opened the door and left.

Her footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.

Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao sat facing each other, neither speaking.

After a while, Yu Xiaogang finally spoke.

"Your Excellency Haotian, we mustn't rush the matter of Qin Chuan. We'll first send someone to make close contact and sound him out. Then we'll decide."

Tang Hao stood and smoothed the creases in his robe.

"All right. Tell me as soon as there's news."

"Of course."

With that, Tang Hao opened the door and left.

Yu Xiaogang sat behind the desk, staring at the closed door in silence for a long time.

That afternoon, in Spirit City.

Liu Erlong had changed into casual clothes.

Her long, dark brown hair was gathered in a loose bun, with a few stray locks hanging beside her ears. She wore a moon-white, open-front short jacket, a pale gray silk sash around her waist, and a dark long skirt below.

She wore neither her teaching robe nor Shrek's academy badge.

She looked like any young woman visiting Spirit City to shop, with a little more poise and a finer figure. She would draw a few extra glances on the street, but would raise no suspicions.

Spirit City's main street bustled with activity. Shops stood side by side along both sides, selling Soul Tools, pills, and spirit grass, their vendors' cries rising one after another.

Liu Erlong headed east along the main street, took two turns, and spotted a sign in the distance.

"Douluo Game Hall."

Five large characters, edged in gold paint, gleamed in the sunlight.

A long queue stretched from the entrance all the way to the street corner.

There were all sorts of people in line, mostly young Soul Masters, though some were older. Several young nobles in fine clothes had attendants following behind them.

Liu Erlong stood across the street and observed for a while.

Two people in matching uniforms, a man and a woman, maintained order at the entrance. They appeared to be staff members.

The queue moved at a reasonable pace, with another group admitted roughly every few minutes.

After waiting in line for about a quarter of an hour, Liu Erlong's turn came.

She pushed the door open and entered.

The first-floor hall was far larger than she had imagined.

Several soul power lamps hung beneath the high ceiling, casting bright, gentle light. The floor was paved with pale gray stone tiles, all spotlessly clean.

The hall was filled with all kinds of machines.

Liu Erlong examined them one by one.

The nearest had a transparent glass enclosure filled with plush toys. An iron claw hung at the top, with a joystick and a button beside it.

Its label read: "Claw Machine, 1 Gold Soul Coin per play."

A young Soul Master was working the joystick, moving the iron claw left and right above the pile of toys.

He pressed the button. The claw descended and caught a rabbit plush by its ear. As the claw rose, the rabbit swayed twice and fell.

"Missed again!" The Soul Master slapped the glass enclosure, then took out another Gold Soul Coin and fed it in.

The machine beside it was somewhat larger. Three reels were depicted on an upright panel, each bearing various fruit symbols.

A lever protruded below the panel. Its label read: "Fruit Machine, 2 Gold Soul Coins per play. Match three symbols to win a 10× payout."

Farther inside were the Horse Racing Machines. Eight little horses of different colors stood on a track. Correctly picking both first and second place won a prize.

Liu Erlong watched for a while as a plump, middle-aged Soul Master slapped the Horse Racing Machine's surface and shouted, "One-three, run! One-three, hurry up and run!"

The result was one-four.

The fat man plopped onto a stool beside him and smacked his thigh.

The corners of Liu Erlong's mouth lifted.

She continued farther inside. The Lucky Wheel, the Marble Machine-each was more novel than the last. She had never seen any of these things before, and every machine made her linger for another look.

At the very back, against the wall, stood a wall of blind boxes.

Rows of little boxes hung neatly on the wall, divided into three colors.

The white ones read "Common Blind Box, 10 Gold Soul Coins," the silver ones "Silver Blind Box, 100 Gold Soul Coins," and the gold ones "Gold Blind Box, 1,000 Gold Soul Coins."

Quite a few people had gathered before the blind box wall. Someone opened a Common Blind Box, found a bottle of Soul Power Recovery Potion inside, and sighed.

Beside them, someone opened a Silver Blind Box and took out a portion of thousand-year whale rubber, clapping with delight.