"Afraid of you? As if!"
"Martial Soul Possession—Vigorous Orangutan!"
Tai Nuo showed no fear. His aura surged explosively, muscles bulging even further.
In an instant, the two were at a standoff, neither willing to back down. The tension in the air thickened, ready to erupt at any moment.
The scent of gunpowder hung heavily—one spark and the situation would ignite.
"Enough!"
The shopkeeper finally snapped, slamming his hand down. "My shop doesn't welcome your kind! All of you, out!"
"What did you say? I'm the young master of the One Strength Clan!"
"Damn it, I saw it first!"
"Cut it out, all of you!"
Lin Feng's brows twitched in annoyance. His cold voice rang out.
"Since the owner doesn't welcome you, just leave. I'm buying the whale jelly."
With that, he took out a pouch of coins from his soul tool and tossed it onto the counter without hesitation.
The shopkeeper picked it up, weighed it, and then immediately plastered on a cheerful smile.
"Young master is straightforward! I'll wrap it up right away."
With practiced hands, he began packing the item.
After running this shop for over twenty years, he could tell at a glance who he could afford to offend and who he couldn't.
This young man in front of him had an extraordinary aura, acted generously, and didn't treat him—the shop owner—as worth a second thought.
Clearly someone of high status.
If he really wanted to shut the shop down, it would only take a word.
That burly fellow may have shouted loud, but even he didn't dare make a move in Heaven Dou City.
Tai Nuo's face twisted with reluctance, inner conflict flashing in his expression.
But under the gazes of everyone around—especially the looks from Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling behind him—he couldn't say anything else.
He glared fiercely at Yu Kuang, then growled through gritted teeth, "This isn't over!"
Then turned and stormed out.
"Here, Yu Kuang, your whale jelly."
Lin Feng smiled as he handed the packed item over.
"Eh? Young Master Lin."
"That whale jelly was something I spotted because I wanted to buy it for you."
"I heard it's great for soul masters—replenishes the body, strengthens muscles, bones, and meridians, and increases resilience."
"I finally found one today, and then… well, you saw what happened."
So Yu Kuang returned the jelly to Lin Feng.
Hearing that, Lin Feng didn't refuse again and placed it into his soul tool.
There were two pieces anyway—since Yu Kuang didn't want one, he could keep them for Yan'er and Ling'er.
"Young Master Lin, where are you headed next?"
"Need me to come along?"
Yu Kuang suddenly snapped back to his senses and quickly asked.
"The three of us are heading out for a bit of training."
Dugu Yan eagerly spoke up before Lin Feng could answer, clearly thrilled to be leaving the academy.
Yu Kuang's eyes lit up instantly.
"Training? Perfect!"
"I've been wanting to do the same!"
"Young Master Lin, please let me come along. It'll be good to have another hand."
"I may not be that powerful, but I definitely won't hold you back. When it counts, I'll never hesitate!"
He rushed forward, seizing the opportunity to prove himself. He'd long wanted to follow Lin Feng but had held back since Lin Feng was attending school. Now was his chance.
Lin Feng looked him up and down.
Yu Kuang could fly, which might come in handy in emergencies.
After a brief thought, Lin Feng nodded. "Alright, come along."
"Another ally means another layer of protection."
"Thank you, Young Master Lin!"
Yu Kuang beamed with delight.
The group resumed their journey.
Suddenly, Dugu Yan strode up in front of Lin Feng, spinning around and asking curiously, "So, where are we headed?"
Lin Feng pointed ahead. "To find Yu Xiaogang, also known as the Grandmaster."
"Xiaogang?"
From within the crowd, a fiery, sharp-eyed woman suddenly froze—Liu Erlong.
She murmured to herself instinctively. Though quiet, her voice was filled with complex emotion—surprise, excitement, and deep longing.
In that instant, memories of her time with Xiaogang surged to the surface of her eyes.
"Oh? Lin Feng!"
"You mean that so-called Grandmaster who's supposed to be the foremost expert on Martial Soul research?"
Dugu Yan scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
To her, the Grandmaster's reputation might be overblown.
"Hm?"
"You know of him, Yan'er?"
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, surprised that she'd heard of the Grandmaster.
At that moment, Liu Erlong stepped forward through the crowd and stopped Lin Feng's group.
"You know where Xiaogang is?"
"Please, take me to him!"
"He means everything to me. I've been searching for him for so long."
Liu Erlong?
Lin Feng hadn't expected to encounter her here. He was genuinely surprised.
"You're… those kids who were with Senior Dugu in Sunset Forest last time?"
Recognizing their faces, Liu Erlong blinked, then asked again with urgency.
"Can you take me to the Grandmaster?"
Her eyes shone with hope.
Lin Feng met her gaze and, after a brief hesitation, nodded. "Alright."
Another member of the protagonist group.
Let them come.
Off to the side, Dugu Yan leaned in and whispered, "Lin Feng… do you know her?"
"Maybe."
"Then why are you bringing her? Don't tell me you're—"
"What are you thinking? You'll understand later."
After their hushed exchange, Dugu Yan set aside her questions for now and accepted the newcomer.
After all, if Lin Feng wanted to bring her, he surely had his reasons.
And so, their silhouettes stretched out under the sunset as they hurried onward in the direction Lin Feng had indicated.
---
Inside the carriage.
The wheels turned slowly, creaking rhythmically over the ground.
Lin Feng sat in one corner of the cart, staring blankly out the window at the retreating scenery.
"System, Trait Insight."
He silently issued the command.
A moment later, lines of text floated before his eyes.
[Name: Liu Erlong]
[Age: 39]
[Innate Soul Power: Rank 8]
[Martial Soul: Fire Dragon]
[Soul Power: Rank 71]
[Traits: Wife Material (White), Forbidden Love (Green), Exceptional Talent (Purple), Master of Destiny's Wife (Purple)]
Two purple, one green.
Rank 8 innate soul power—Liu Erlong truly had the best talent among the Golden Iron Triangle.
[Master of Destiny's Wife(Purple)]: You are the wife of the Child of Destiny's master. A bright future lies ahead.
The same trait as Tang Yuehua's.
Lin Feng had already grown used to it. He suspected that Yu Xiaogang must have a [Master of Destiny] trait, and perhaps even [Godfather of Destiny].
[Forbidden Love (Green)]: You fall in love with your cousin. Fortunately, it has a happy ending.
This trait clearly defined Liu Erlong's fate.
Her relationship with Yu Xiaogang was even more tangled than Lin Feng had imagined.
He glanced toward her.
Right at that moment, Liu Erlong looked up. Their eyes met through the carriage space.
Gratitude radiated in her gaze. She was thankful Lin Feng had agreed to bring her to Yu Xiaogang.
Lin Feng looked back at her.
Clad in a form-fitting purple outfit, there was a certain elegance and allure to her appearance.
After all, people often said: "She's just my little sister. And she says purple is a lovely color."
Right now, Liu Erlong fit that perfectly—mature and alluring, yet with the steely resolve of someone who'd been through much.
A very pleasant sight indeed.
---
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