Qian Jue and Dai Mubai darted through the pitch-black forest, using the faint moonlight filtering through the leaves to carefully trace the black shadow's path. The more they tracked, the more certain Qian Jue became that this man was just as Dai Mubai had claimed—very likely not a proper Spirit Master. If he was one at all, he must have been a wild rogue, because his escape was nothing more than a blind scramble. Even novices like Qian Jue and Dai Mubai could easily see the traces he left behind.
From his storage ring, Qian Jue took out an old piece of clothing. Every so often, he tore off a strip and had the Wolf Spirit hang it high on the tree canopies above them. This way, when Flender arrived, he would immediately spot the marks.
Following the trail, the two quickly passed through the small forest and reached a dirt path. Qian Jue sent the Wolf Spirit soaring high above and began pursuing along the road. It didn't take long before the wolf spotted a lone figure ahead. Within several hundred meters around, there wasn't another soul in sight. This confirmed it—the man was indeed the black shadow.
"Found him!" Qian Jue whispered sharply, then urged Dai Mubai forward. Only when they were about a hundred meters away did he slow down. At this distance, the shadow wouldn't notice them, and the Wolf Spirit could still lock onto him with precision.
The black shadow, realizing no one seemed to be pursuing, slowed his pace. Still, he slipped through fields and brush, switching paths carefully as though being cautious. But all these movements were useless under the Wolf Spirit's eyes from the skies.
"Alright, Boss Dai, we can ease up now. He's already locked in by my Wolf Spirit. There's no way he's escaping. All we need to do is follow from a distance."
Dai Mubai nodded. "Good. We'll tail him and find his lair. Then, once Dean Flender and the others arrive, we'll wipe them out in one sweep!" His voice brimmed with anger.
Qian Jue glanced at him, puzzled. Why was Dai Mubai so fixated on these Evil Spirit Masters? When Qian Jue first crossed into this world, the entire village of this body's past had been slaughtered by such people, yet aside from fear, he hadn't really harbored thoughts of revenge. After all, he was still young. Such matters could wait until he grew strong enough.
"Boss Dai, can you tell me now? Why are you so determined to chase this man down?"
Dai Mubai looked at him, lowered his head, and after a moment of silence, began to speak:
"Ah Jue, you probably don't know. I am actually from the Star Luo Empire—and not just anyone. I'm a prince of the royal family."
After saying this, he turned to Qian Jue, but to his surprise, Qian Jue showed no hint of shock. Dai Mubai was briefly stunned, then chuckled and shook his head.
"Heh, makes sense. With your talent, identity doesn't matter much to you."
"Uh, no. I'm not surprised because my teacher once told me—the White Tiger martial spirit is passed down exclusively through the Star Luo imperial bloodline. So, since our battle this afternoon, I already knew who you were." Qian Jue smiled awkwardly. Of course he knew Dai Mubai's identity from the original story, but he couldn't say that, so he pushed the explanation onto his teacher back in Nuoding City.
"I see. You're right. Funny though—we only met this afternoon, yet it feels like I've known you for ages."
"Yeah," Qian Jue sighed softly. He knew why. Having always been aware of Dai Mubai beforehand, he naturally treated him like an old acquaintance the moment they met. That familiarity made Dai Mubai feel the same way.
"Alright, let me continue," Dai Mubai said. "Do you know why I immediately sensed something wrong with that shadow? It's because I'd encountered something like this before—back when I was nine.
I am not the crown prince. I have an elder brother, six years older. In terms of wisdom, talent, and aptitude, he's not far behind me. He was always nurtured as the heir.
As the second son, though I drew attention because of my innate double pupils and was made my brother's rival, my father never cared for me. He never showed me fatherly love. I was chosen as a rival only to motivate my elder brother."
Dai Mubai lifted his gaze to the moon, his eyes full of melancholy.
"In the royal family, there's no such thing as affection. I should've gotten used to it. But one of my female attendants made me still long for a shred of warmth. She was just an ordinary woman, but since my childhood, she cared for me with devotion. Her love and protection gave me the rare feeling of warmth—perhaps this is what people call family. I always regarded her like an elder sister.
But when I was nine, one day she disappeared. She had gone out to buy my favorite food, but never returned. A day later, we found her corpse. She looked as peaceful as the girl you just saw earlier—her face serene in death.
One of our royal consecrated experts said her soul had been stolen. She had been killed by an Evil Spirit Master. But the murderer was never caught, and the matter was left unresolved.
After that, I spent all my spare time combing through every royal record about Evil Spirit Masters. I learned that those who manipulate souls like this worship the God of Death.
Remember that lingering mist you saw earlier? That wasn't mist. Mist couldn't be so clear in the dark. That was the girl's soul—ripped out by that Evil Spirit Master!"
Qian Jue finally understood why he'd felt something strange earlier—the haze had been unnaturally distinct.
"That's why I want revenge. I want to rid the world of every Evil Spirit Master! But that requires more than personal strength. It demands the authority of the Star Luo throne. So the next year, I left the empire and eventually came to Shrek Academy, seeking rapid growth so that one day I could return and contest my brother for the crown. But…"
Dai Mubai's voice dimmed.
"But after more than a year of study, I've felt like giving up. From what I've heard, my brother's soul power has already reached around level 37—an entire major rank above me. With no real difference in talent, the six-year age gap is something I have no idea how to bridge."
He looked at Qian Jue, a glimmer of hope reigniting in his eyes.
"But today, your arrival gave me renewed courage. Ah Jue, your martial spirit is without doubt the strongest I've ever seen. And Xiao Ao—though an auxiliary type Spirit Master—his talent surpasses mine too. With companions like you as my teammates, maybe I truly have a chance against my brother! Ah Jue, you'll help me, won't you?"
Then he shook his head, softening. "Forget it. You don't need to answer now. We only met today. For me to ask this already is too rash. We still have plenty of time to understand each other. One day, if you feel that I, Dai Mubai, am worth your investment, then you can agree."
Qian Jue smiled faintly. In his heart, he already knew. If he had the strength, he would definitely help Dai Mubai. To see him ascend the throne while Qian Jue himself became unrivaled in power—wouldn't that mean he could live as freely as he wished?
"Hmm? Why are we back at Soto City?" Just as he was about to offer Dai Mubai reassurance, Qian Jue noticed through the Wolf Spirit's eyes that the city appeared again.
"He circled around to the east gate of Soto?" Dai Mubai guessed after checking their surroundings.
"Exactly. But it doesn't matter. In the city, he'll find it even harder to escape." Qian Jue grinned with confidence. Out in the open, the man might've run beyond the Wolf Spirit's vision range, but inside Soto's complex terrain, the wolf's aerial view left no room to hide.
"Let's go, Boss Dai!"
Qian Jue tore another strip of cloth and hung it on a prominent treetop, then called out. The two trailed the black shadow from afar, following him back into Soto City.
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