I believe in the strong helping the weak!

"Mm, let's go. We're heading to Sunset Forest."

Sunday nodded, then boarded the carriage first.

Why take a carriage when Sunset Forest wasn't far away, you ask?

Well, sorry, but Heaven Dou Royal Academy was no third-rate academy. It wasn't about to make its students run all the way to hunt for Soul Rings.

The carriage slowly left Heaven Dou Royal Academy and headed toward Sunset Forest. Since the horses pulling it were all ten-year soul beasts, the group reached the outskirts of Sunset Forest in just two hours.

Though this place wasn't as rich in resources as Star Dou Great Forest, there were still plenty of Soul Master towns nearby.

Sunday rented several rooms, intending to have Osler and the others enter the forest the next day.

"Let's rest first."

As he spoke, Sunday began handing out the room keys.

Osler and the others took their keys, all looking curiously at Sunday.

"Teacher, it's still early. Why don't we go in today?"

Ye Lingling stepped forward and voiced everyone's question.

Sunday looked at the usually cool, reserved girl, somewhat surprised that she had stepped forward today.

"Your strength has been rising too quickly. After absorbing your Soul Rings, you might advance another three or four levels.

Growing stronger too quickly isn't a good thing for you. It can easily leave your foundations hollow."

As he spoke, Sunday smiled and reached out to pat Ye Lingling's head.

"That's why I intend to let you handle tomorrow's Soul Hunting yourselves. For one thing, it will help temper your foundations.

For another, you need to train with your new teammates. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament isn't far off, so you need to get accustomed to one another as soon as possible."

Sunday's unexpected gesture left Ye Lingling feeling shy.

She lowered her head bashfully, murmured an acknowledgment, then hurried back to hide among her teammates.

Ning Rongrong watched jealously, wailing inwardly, Why didn't I go up and ask just now? Then I would've been the one getting my head patted!

"All right, go rest. You can take a look around if you like, too. Just don't wander too far."

With that, Sunday went upstairs and returned to his room.

The others looked at one another.

"How about getting something to eat?"

Seeing everyone standing there like a bunch of blockheads, Yu Feng scratched his head and offered the suggestion.

The Shi Mo brothers nodded at that.

"Sure."

Seeing that food was all the boys could think about, Ning Rongrong curled her lips disdainfully and stepped forward to link arms with Ye Lingling.

"You stinky men can go eat. Lingling and I are going shopping. Come on, Lingling."

With that, Ning Rongrong pulled Ye Lingling out of the inn.

Osler shrugged at the sight.

"Let's go, brothers. Let's get ourselves a good meal."

Sitting on his room's windowsill, Sunday watched the two girls below chatting and laughing as they headed toward the trading street. He raised a hand and placed an Aura Tracking mark on them.

Then he took out a sheet of paper and began writing and sketching on it.

"Douluo Continent's development is far too distorted. Bound by the laws of the Divine Realm, it's deeply tied to soul beasts.

To achieve equality, the disparity between Soul Masters must be the first thing eliminated!

Soul Tools, soul spirits, and the Spirit Pagoda are still too far in the future. I don't know the exact principles behind them, either, so experimenting would take a lot of time.

What I need now is an affordable substitute, something that can be used without Soul Power."

Before long, Sunday finished his first blueprint. It was unmistakably a diagram of a rifle's construction.

"Tsk, tsk. Who would've thought these antiques, long since obsolete in the Honkai: Star Rail universe, could still shine and give off heat here?"

The more Sunday drew, the more engrossed he became. Only when the sun set did he pull himself away from his work.

Putting away the dozen or so drafts, Sunday leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

He had just stood up, intending to clear his head, when he heard a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Teacher, have you gone to bed?"

Hearing Ning Rongrong's somewhat subdued voice, Sunday raised an eyebrow and opened the door.

"What is it?"

The moment he opened the door, Sunday saw the members of the Imperial Fighting Team standing outside. Osler and Yu Feng looked especially furious.

Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together.

"Teacher, we ran into a group of people. They're actually using people as bait for soul beasts. I..."

As Ning Rongrong spoke, she hesitated again.

Sunday frowned slightly and looked at Ye Lingling beside her.

"You tell me. What happened?"

Ye Lingling stepped forward.

"Rongrong and I met a woman while we were shopping. She was running around asking for help, saying someone wanted to kill her.

After Rongrong stopped her, we found out that her husband had sold her to a team of Soul Masters for two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Before Ye Lingling finished, Ning Rongrong picked up the story.

"That team of Soul Masters makes its money trafficking in soul beast materials.

To lure soul beasts out, they buy children or women cheaply in the countryside and use them as bait...

That woman said there were another dozen or so people like her locked up in one of their hideouts.

I... I want to ask for leave to go home. I'm going to find Dad. I'm going to make those scum pay!"

Ning Rongrong spoke through gritted teeth.

Sunday wasn't particularly surprised to hear this. It was simply another form of slave trading.

Such things weren't uncommon even in the Honkai: Star Rail universe. With a beast like Oswaldo Schneider around, the slave trade there was far crueler than anything on Douluo Continent.

"Then why didn't you act? Do they have someone backing them?"

Looking at the group standing in his doorway, Sunday immediately guessed the reason.

This situation was hardly unusual. Though Ning Rongrong and the others were also of noble birth, none of them were bad at heart.

If they hadn't immediately acted against something like this, either their opponents were stronger than they were,

or those people had a powerful backer, making it difficult for them to act right away. That was why they wanted Ning Fengzhi to intervene.

It was the same in Honkai: Star Rail. In fact, the entire universe had opposed the slave trade long ago, and regulations against it had even been enacted.

Unfortunately, thanks to a certain former member of the Nameless opening the way, hundreds of thousands of slaves-sometimes millions, or even more-were still transported across the universe every Amber Era.

Yu Feng slammed his fist against the wall.

"Hmph! They were established with funding from Teling Duke's Mansion! I know that Duke Teling. He loves extravagance, and there's no evil he won't commit.

If his late grandfather hadn't followed Xue Ye and earned merit by helping him ascend the throne, he'd never have gotten a noble title."

Osler sighed as well.

"Exactly. Teling doesn't have any outstanding qualities, but he's slick and has connections at every level of society.

More importantly, he belongs to the Crown Prince's Faction. He read the tide early and sided with the crown prince.

We... aren't afraid of him, but if we interfere with the interests of Teling Duke's Mansion..."

Osler didn't finish, but everyone understood.

They had strength, and Ning Rongrong's and Ye Lingling's backgrounds in particular meant they had nothing to fear from Teling.

But as the old saying went, even when beating a dog, you had to consider its master. Beating Teling's men wasn't a problem, but if he pulled something and brought it to the crown prince's attention...

Seeing their hesitation, Sunday patted their shoulders.

"Give me the address. I'll go!"

"Teacher, I've already informed the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Dad will soon send someone with the Empire Law Enforcement Team. When they get here, even a duke won't be able to escape!"

Naturally, Ning Rongrong knew Sunday wasn't afraid of all these tangled complications. After all, Xue Ye practically worshipped him like an ancestor.

Still, offending the Heaven Dou Emperor and the crown prince wouldn't be ideal.

"The law enforcement team? Justice that arrives too late is nothing but a mockery. I don't believe in any of that. I believe only in the strong helping the weak!

In troubled times, harsh laws are needed. Before fairness can be established, justice must be upheld with blood!"