Great Sage gripped the Ruyi Staff tightly, his bright eyes fixed on Jin Erhu and his men below. Lu Yu waited tensely for a chance to strike.
Time passed slowly in the tense atmosphere. Then the chance came. Jin Erhu, Tu Ka, and the tall, thin lackey stood almost in a straight line.
Lu Yu immediately ordered Great Sage to attack in his mind. Great Sage raised the Ruyi Staff, now as thick as a chopstick, and hurled it out with a sharp whistle.
The sound instantly put Jin Erhu and his men on alert. They turned as one toward its source.
At the same time they spotted Lu Yu, they saw a tiny golden dot closing in fast. Before Jin Erhu could react-
Under Great Sage's control, the Ruyi Staff rapidly lengthened. Puchi! Six sounds of flesh being pierced rang out almost simultaneously.
The Ruyi Staff Great Sage had thrown skewered Jin Erhu, Tu Ka, and the tall, thin lackey like candied hawthorns on a stick.
The vicious grin of a man who had found his prey still lingered on Jin Erhu's face, but his eyes were blank as he looked down at the golden staff in his chest.
A rasping sound came from Jin Erhu's mouth. His eyes rolled back, and he pitched headfirst to the ground. Tu Ka and the tall, thin lackey behind him fell as well.
The other two lackeys stared at their boss and companions, who had suddenly fallen, their brains still frozen. Because of the angle, neither of them saw Lu Yu or Great Sage when they turned.
Before the two could react, Lu Yu snatched Great Sage off the branch and threw him toward the Ruyi Staff. With a whoosh, Great Sage grabbed the staff with both hands and spun around it.
Under Great Sage's control, the Ruyi Staff rapidly shortened, pulling free of the three corpses. Before he landed, Great Sage made it grow rapidly, then swung it hard at the other two lackeys, who were still standing there in a daze.
Boom!
A tremendous, muffled impact rang out. Blood instantly stained the grass red, and the thick smell of blood spread through the area.
It took a while to describe, but the entire sequence had been completed in just five seconds. There had not been a single wasted movement, and Jin Erhu and his men had been given no time at all to recover and fight back.
Lu Yu jumped down from the branch. He looked at Jin Erhu and the other two, their chests pierced through, and the two lackeys with their bodies deformed, without a ripple in his heart.
"Since you had designs on me, you can't blame me for wiping you out."
Lu Yu sniffed the thick smell of blood in the air. Knowing it would soon attract Soul Beasts, he quickly searched the five men, then turned and ran with Great Sage.
More than ten minutes later, Lu Yu reached the wall around the Soul Hunting Forest. Looking at the hole, now three times its original size, he felt helpless. It was all the work of the greed in his heart.
After checking that no guards were patrolling outside, he immediately crawled through, avoided the crowds, and quickly left the Soul Hunting Forest behind.
Lu Yu ran another two kilometers before dropping to the ground and gasping for breath. His clothes had long since been soaked with sweat.
He had used Soul Power to travel all the way from the Soul Hunting Forest. How could Lu Yu's mere two levels of Soul Power have lasted until now? Partway through, he had recalled Great Sage into his body. His level-twelve Soul Power had given Lu Yu a sense of power unlike anything he had felt before.
Only after confirming there was no one else around did Lu Yu relax and rest, releasing Great Sage as well. He took the opportunity to bring out and count the valuables he had looted from Jin Erhu and the other four.
There were twenty-two Silver Soul Coins and fifteen Copper Soul Coins in total.
"Pah! Five paupers. You had hands and feet, so why couldn't you do something else instead of robbing people..." Lu Yu cursed, his face full of contempt.
In his previous life, Lu Yu had learned martial arts at a martial arts school. His first lesson had been to conduct himself openly and honorably, and he had always looked down on banditry like this.
"Shit. Jin Erhu's gang definitely isn't the only one that's got its eye on me. If I come back to kill Soul Beasts, I'll have to watch out for other people too."
He put away the spoils, thinking about the risks of continuing to come to the Soul Hunting Forest to kill Soul Beasts and sell them for money.
Not only would he have to tread carefully in the Soul Hunting Forest, but he would also have to guard against others coveting his possessions. As the old saying went, "How can you walk by the river all the time without getting your shoes wet?" He had been targeted once today, and there would be countless more times to come.
Jin Erhu's gang was a perfect example. They had thought Lu Yu was young and easy to bully, only for him to turn the tables and kill them. Lu Yu now cherished his little life more than ever and did not want people constantly watching him.
"Damn it, if I can't afford to provoke them, can't I avoid them? I can just run, right?"
"But where can I make money if I leave the Soul Hunting Forest?"
Lu Yu grumbled aloud as he considered where he could go next to keep making money without risking being targeted.
"Damn, how could I forget the Soul Fighting Arena? I won't have to worry about being targeted there, and I can hone my fighting skills too."
"Even if someone does target me, I'll just live in the Soul Fighting Arena. Surely no one would attack me there over the few scraps I have!"
Lu Yu slapped his forehead. He had actually forgotten one of the popular features from the original story.
He got up, dusted the dirt off his backside, and headed toward Nuoding City, humming a tune. With the problem of his income resolved, Lu Yu felt considerably more at ease. With these twenty-two Silver Soul Coins, today's trip had not been for nothing.
That evening, Su Yuntao came home from work. The moment he opened the door, the aroma of food greeted him. He took a deep breath, a smile on his lips as he watched Lu Yu bustling about in the kitchen.
"Lu Yu, what delicious food are you making?"
"Brother Tao, have a seat. It'll be ready in a moment." Without looking back, Lu Yu continued with what he was doing.
Su Yuntao took off his work clothes, washed his face, and sat down at the dining table.
"Lu Yu, your cooking keeps getting better and better!" After a couple of bites, Su Yuntao gave Lu Yu a thumbs-up and praised him.
"They're just some home-cooked dishes. I'm glad you don't mind them, Brother Tao!" Lu Yu waved a hand, paying little attention to Su Yuntao's praise, though a hint of pride still appeared on his face.
When they had nearly finished eating, Lu Yu looked up at Su Yuntao and slowly said, "Brother Tao, I'm leaving Nuoding City."
Su Yuntao's chopsticks paused. He looked at Lu Yu in surprise. "Leaving Nuoding City? Where does a little brat your size want to go?"
Lu Yu looked Su Yuntao straight in the eye. "I'm planning to have a look at Suotuo City. It's a big city, so there are more chances to make money."
Su Yuntao fell silent for a moment, then put down his bowl and chopsticks. "You don't need to worry about money. Whatever you need, I'll give it to you."
"No, no, no, Brother Tao, you've misunderstood. I mainly want to go out and gain experience. With my talent, if I travel around more, I might come across some fortuitous opportunities."
Lu Yu quickly waved his hands and offered another explanation he had prepared. He had thought through these words beforehand, including what Su Yuntao had just said.
"But you're still too young. What if you run into danger out there?" Su Yuntao's face was full of concern as he tried to persuade Lu Yu to stay.
"Brother Tao, what place in the world of Soul Masters is safe? If I want to reach greater heights, how can I grow without facing some danger?"
A faint smile appeared on Lu Yu's face, but his tone was firm.
"Ah, all right! How about this? When are you leaving? I'll write you a letter of recommendation tomorrow. If you run into danger in Suotuo City, go to the Spirit Hall there for help."
After thinking for a long time, Su Yuntao agreed to let Lu Yu go to Suotuo City.
After spending half a month together, he understood Lu Yu's character. To Su Yuntao, Lu Yu was nothing like a normal six-year-old. He was far too mature for his age and considered many things more thoroughly than Su Yuntao himself did.
When Lu Yu heard that Su Yuntao had agreed to let him leave, a genuine smile immediately bloomed on his face.
"Then sorry for the trouble, Brother Tao!"