Shui Yue'er's boldness took Shen An by surprise. Since she was a sweet-looking girl, Shen An politely declined, saying he was used to being alone—well, with a cat.
After all, he wasn't really here to obtain a soul ring. Compared to that, Shen An preferred the term "outing." Going with others would be too inconvenient.
Shui Yue'er looked a bit disappointed but didn't press further.
Shen An found the hotel owner hiding in a corner and asked how much it would cost to repair the damaged ceiling.
"Sir Soul Master, just five silver soul coins for the cost will do."
Shen An left a gold soul coin for the hotel owner and went upstairs.
The trembling hotel owner was surprised. A soul master as gentle as this was truly rare.
---
"Huh, Tom, why do you seem so down? Are you still upset?"
Tom weakly shook his head, then sighed and jumped onto the bed, listlessly smoking a cigar. His eyes were vacant, as if lost in thought.
He was missing Jerry. Although that little mouse was annoying and always made his teeth itch, he couldn't help but think about him.
He didn't answer Shen An because of a cat's pride. How could a cat miss a mouse? Cats and mice were natural enemies. Tom and Jerry weren't some kind of love-hate friendship.
Shen An was baffled. Is Tom still holding a grudge? Next time I see that Feng Xiaotian, I'll beat him up to vent Tom's anger.
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian, who was following Huo Wu and her brother like a shadow, suddenly sneezed. Strange, I'm a Soul Ancestor. How can I still sneeze?
By now, Qian Renxue had left the Star Dou Great Forest—or rather, she should be called Xue Qinghe now.
Xue Qinghe also arrived in the small town, planning to rest for the night. The feeling of being alone made her feel free.
After spending so much time in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, constantly surrounded by powerful protectors, she rarely had moments of solitude like this.
Even the most politically savvy individuals, who prioritized利益至上 (profit above all), would feel exhausted. The constant scheming and intrigue were mentally draining.
Huh? Why is there smoke swirling above that hotel? Xue Qinghe looked curiously at the hotel where Shen An was staying.
As she approached, her brows furrowed. This is cigarette smoke. How many people must be smoking to create such a cloud?
Inside the room, Shen An was wearing a mask borrowed from Tom, watching in mild horror as Tom chain-smoked. Won't Tom get lung cancer from this?
"Cough, cough. Tom, stop smoking. Let's go out for a walk and get some good food."
At the mention of food, Tom perked up a little. He knew Shen An was concerned about him. Tom decided to put aside his longing and go out for a walk with Shen An to ease his worries.
Tom threw the cigar on the ground and stomped on it with his little paw. No more smoking!
Xue Qinghe, annoyed by the smoke, decided not to stay at this hotel and looked for another one.
But after walking just a few steps, she was stunned to see that the smoke above the hotel had completely disappeared, as if it had never been there. Even the unpleasant smell of smoke was gone.
What? Is this reasonable? No, it's not!
Her curiosity piqued, Xue Qinghe decided to investigate.
Just as she reached the hotel entrance, she ran into Shen An and Tom coming out.
Huh? This person is special.
Perhaps due to some innate intuition, Shen An (Xue Qinghe) instinctively felt that the other person was no ordinary individual.
Xue Qinghe trusted her instincts. The person in front of her was definitely extraordinary. Perhaps the smoke had something to do with him.
Xue Qinghe took the initiative to speak. "Brother, I just saw smoke swirling above this hotel. Do you know what happened?"
Shen An looked at the person in front of him.
He appeared to be around 26 or 27 years old, wearing a clean, refreshing blue robe. His long black hair was tied neatly with a blue ribbon, hanging down his back.
Although his attire was simple, he gave off an air of nobility.
Hearing Xue Qinghe's question, Shen An awkwardly replied, "Sorry, my cat was smoking in the room earlier. I opened the window to air it out."
Xue Qinghe's mouth twitched. Your cat was smoking? Do you really expect me to believe that?
Seeing Xue Qinghe's expression, Shen An knew he didn't believe him. But there was no helping it—Tom's existence was just too fantastical for the Douluo Continent.
"Meow~" Tom let out a sound, curiously looking at Xue Qinghe. Why does this man smell so nice?
Xue Qinghe looked down and saw a standing cat staring up at her, its face filled with a human-like curiosity.
What a cute cat. How can it stand like that?
Xue Qinghe instinctively wanted to reach out and pet it but quickly retracted her hand, realizing it might not be appropriate.
Tom nodded in satisfaction. This is a polite fellow.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out. Both Shen An and Xue Qinghe turned to see several burly men teasing a thin, frail-looking girl who appeared to be only 13 or 14 years old.
"This little money isn't enough for us to help you hunt soul beasts. Going into the Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous—it's a life-threatening task."
The girl timidly said, "This is all the money I have. And I only need a ten-year soul ring."
"Hahaha, that's still not enough. Unless..." The man's eyes filled with lust as he licked his dry lips.
She's a bit thin, but at this age, she must have a unique charm.
The girl sensed the men's ill intentions and said with a trembling voice, "Then I don't want your help anymore. Please return my money."
The man's face instantly turned fierce and menacing. "Hmph, once the money is in our hands, there's no way we're giving it back."
"Not only that, but if you don't have some fun with us brothers today, don't even think about leaving."
The girl was so frightened that she fell to the ground, stammering, "You can't do this. I—I—I'll call for help."
The man laughed instead of getting angry. "Oh? You know how to resist? Go ahead and shout. You're just a commoner. Let's see who would dare cross the Black Wolf Brothers for you."
Another man chimed in, "Big brother, stop wasting time. Let's take her back. It's not often we come across such easy prey." He reached out to grab the girl.
The girl screamed in terror, "Help! Is there anyone? Please save me!"
The soul masters on the street turned a blind eye. The Black Wolf Brothers were notorious in this area for bullying commoners. Their leader was already a Soul Elder, and the three brothers worked well together. No one wanted to stir up trouble.
Just as the second brother's hand was about to grab the girl, a green sword aura swept in, cleanly severing his hand at the wrist. Warm, fishy-smelling blood even splattered onto the girl's face.
The girl seemed to freeze, staring blankly at where the sword aura had come from.
Unlike this carefully controlled sword aura that avoided harming the girl, three more sword auras erupted with full force, sweeping toward the men.
At the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, by the lake, the Sky Azure Bull Python suddenly raised its head. Its voice, like a mix of an ox's bellow and thunder, rang out:
"The time for revenge has come. That person is here!"