A Lucky Accident

Zhang Lexuan arrived in town and looked at the expressions of the people around her and the situation along the streets.

Strange. This place didn't seem to have any Evil Soul Masters?

Even when Zhang Lexuan secretly listened in on people's idle conversations, she heard no news of anyone going missing here.

Forget it. I'll ask at a few shops. Zhang Lexuan planned to find a Medical Clinic. Surely a Medical Clinic would have news about injuries and the like.

As Zhang Lexuan walked along, a wooden sign reading "Cures All Illnesses" came into view, with several people standing in line outside.

That name... it sounded quite capable!

Only after everyone had left did Zhang Lexuan slowly walk inside.

Inside the Medical Clinic, medicinal ingredients filled the wooden cabinets in layer upon layer. A faint, bitter sandalwood scent of medicine lingered, mingling with the gentle fragrance of dried herbs.

Huo Yuhao was packing his things at the time. Aunt Jiang had not fully recovered, but from here on, she only needed to slowly build her health back up.

Huo Yuhao had already told Jiang Nannan. With yesterday's bag of Gold Soul Coins, along with the savings he had accumulated during his time here, he might head out to continue his travels in the next few days.

Jiang Nannan had not been idle either. Her family had also been preparing to move to Shrek City lately.

Although he felt somewhat reluctant to part, he would be going to study at Shrek Academy, after all. Seeing each other again was only a matter of time.

Just as Huo Yuhao was lost in thought, a figure brought him back to his senses.

"Hello? What's troubling you?"

Huo Yuhao studied Zhang Lexuan before him and noticed that something seemed unusual about her. The woman's black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, her bearing was gentle and clear as the moon, and the aura around her was clean and soft.

Yet when his Spirit Eyes stirred slightly by instinct, he actually found it difficult to see the depth of her Soul Power. Her entire figure seemed immersed in hazy moonlight. She was certainly no ordinary Soul Master.

"Little brother, where is this Medical Clinic's doctor?"

"..."

"That's me."

"Ah, sorry. May I ask, young doctor, have many people come here recently with injuries from fighting?"

"Injuries from fighting? I don't think so. Almost everyone here comes for health problems or everyday accidents. There haven't been any combat injuries."

"Big sister, why are you asking?"

"Nothing, I was just curious. Also, little brother, you'd better not wander outside over the next few days. Understand?"

Zhang Lexuan did not know why she had said that either. Perhaps she thought the little boy before her was rather cute and had casually offered him a warning.

"Oh, okay."

Huo Yuhao sensed something fishy... but he could hardly ask too many questions, so he simply agreed.

"Xiao La, are you really going to take a crooked path? Are you going to become an Evil Soul Master?"

The speaker was Xiao Da, who was confronting his younger brother.

The two were twins, both sons of their father, Xiao Di, and both had inherited their father's Martial Soul, "Little Bomb."

Xiao Da's Innate Soul Power was around rank three or four.

Although his bombs were not particularly powerful and could not be kept for long, this Martial Soul was still sought after in other areas, allowing him to build something of a career.

But Xiao La's innate rank was only one, and the bombs he summoned could barely blow anything up, so he could only keep following behind his older brother.

He could not accept it. He wanted to be respected like his brother, too, so he kept searching for ways to improve himself.

Just a few days earlier, several people had approached him and promised they could improve his Martial Soul.

Xiao La, who had nearly given up, seemed to see the light of dawn and agreed on the spot.

To his surprise, after its development, he could actually turn human corpses into Corpse Bombs. Not only were they extremely powerful, but they also carried poison gas and could even be preserved indefinitely.

Against a Soul Master somewhat stronger than himself, as long as his opponent was not paying attention, he could absolutely kill them with a sneak attack.

This was simply art!

After gaining that strength, he had taken advantage of opportunities lately to secretly abduct people with no family from nearby small villages. That way, hardly anyone would report it.

But the good times did not last. His older brother, Xiao Da, had just discovered Xiao La secretly modifying a corpse, leading to their current confrontation.

"Brother, things have already come to this. I have no way back! For the sake of our brotherhood, just let me go. I won't destroy this place either!"

"...Go."

"What?!"

Xiao La could hardly believe it. After all, he could already be considered an Evil Soul Master.

"I said go! I never saw you today, and from now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other!"

Tears filled the corners of Xiao Da's eyes. This was, after all, his own younger brother, who had been by his side for years. How could he bear to strike him?

As Xiao La's figure gradually vanished from sight, Xiao Da could no longer take it. Leaning against the wall, he sank heavily to the ground.

In the woods, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged in meditation, taking advantage of the free time before his departure to hone himself a little longer and stabilize his foundations.

Essence slowly circulated through Huo Yuhao's meridians, washing away the old blockages within his body bit by bit.

The boy's slight figure sat quietly beneath the shade of a tree, his expression focused.

Deep within the dense woods, however, a figure lay utterly still in hiding, his eyes fixed firmly on Huo Yuhao.

It was none other than Xiao La, who had fled in panic. He had been worrying along the way about finding suitable prey, but the boy who had suddenly appeared was simply a treasure sent by heaven.

Although this place was very close to Shrek, he had planned to flee to the Sun Moon Empire anyway. Once there, the sky would be high enough for any bird to fly free. Heh heh heh...

A low, hoarse, strange chuckle escaped Xiao La's throat, his eyes filled with morbid fervor.

Xiao La spread his fingers slightly, wisps of filthy black-and-red evil energy curling around his palm. Then he held his breath and slowly approached. Once he got within thirty feet, he would burst into action and forcibly abduct Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao had already sensed Xiao La's sinister aura and was about to flee outright.

At that very moment, however, Zhang Lexuan, dressed in a purple cloak, was also standing in a tree, her expression grave.

Zhang Lexuan had intended to enter the woods alone to investigate, but before she went in, she saw that the boy she had just warned had actually run outside town as well. An inexplicable trace of concern arose in her heart.

That child looked far too innocent, with a pure disposition, and his Soul Power was too low. If he really ran into a vicious, cunning Evil Soul Master, he would have absolutely no way to fight back.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Lexuan ultimately could not set her mind at ease and secretly followed him. To her surprise, she really did encounter an Evil Soul Master.

Just as the Soul Power in Xiao La's hand rose another notch, Huo Yuhao sprang up in an instant and ran to one side.

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, Xiao La raised his Soul Power and immediately gave chase.

In a flash, a white Moon Blade cleaved straight down in front of Xiao La, cutting him off from Huo Yuhao.

Xiao La instantly froze in place, his scarlet pupils contracting violently, his face filled with terror.

A Soul Master from Shrek?!

He had never imagined that a powerful expert from Shrek was actually hiding beside the perfect prey he had picked out!

Zhang Lexuan's gaze was ice-cold, faint moonlight enveloping her as her eyes locked firmly onto Xiao La ahead.

"Finally willing to come out?"