Next day…
Lying on the bed asleep, Salas suddenly opened his eyes—eyes full of fear.
It took him a while to calm down.
He touched his neck, confirming whether something had really happened to him.
"Oh hell… why did that boy come haunting me…" Salas muttered, a little apprehensive about his dream.
He had been dreaming beautifully—many beauties sleeping beside him, and he himself having returned to his youthful looks. But suddenly, that Clear Sky Clan boy he killed emerged from nowhere and strangled his neck…
"Sigh… I didn't expect even I'd face this situation…" Salas took a sip of water and sighed heavily.
He had indeed wondered that day—why he didn't feel anything after killing that boy. No nausea, no depression… He didn't even feel much remorse after killing those three children.
After thinking it through, he could only attribute it to the memories of original Salas committing many murders.
Now that he'd dreamt about that boy, Salas was feeling a little scared…
"Hey… I gave them a good burial, right? How can they be this ungrateful and come haunt me in my dreams?" Salas muttered, dissatisfied.
"Will this little dream scare me? Heh, no way." Salas straightened his back and got out of bed.
Although it did scare him a little, it wasn't serious. So he soon returned to his lively nature.
"It's my first kill… so there'll be some shadows left in my mind. But with experience, it'll eventually fade."
"After all, if I were to kill thousands of people, even if they wanted to strangle me, they'd have to fight each other just to decide who gets to do it first… Just joking. I don't like killing."
With that funny thought, Salas went to take a bath.
Being a smart person, he knew not to overthink some things. First-time killers will always have some trauma—only psychos don't.
---
By noon, at the Spirit Temple, someone from Spirit Hall was already waiting for him in his office…
It was an old man, but he looked much younger than Salas, with a slender build and just a few wrinkles.
Salas casually took the pouch hanging on his waist and threw it toward the man.
"Salas, can you tell me why you borrowed this soul tool?" The old man caught the pouch and asked casually. He didn't stand up or show any respect to Salas… His manner was entirely casual.
"Lordiara, did Her Majesty tell you to ask me?" Salas asked coldly.
He knew this old man. Whether it was from the novel's memory or the original Salas's, Salas knew him well.
"Heh, I'm just curious. You won't tell me, then?" the old man, Lordiara, asked with a smile.
"Hmph, do I have to tell you? Now that I've returned the item, leave."
Salas nearly burst out laughing when looking at this old buddy, but he had to try hard to maintain a cold front.
The original Salas and this Lordiara had some old grudges.
Both were people who had tried to curry favor with Bibi Dong when she was still the Saint of Spirit Hall… But as everyone knows, currying favor also requires talent—and in that, Lordiara wasn't very good.
So, Salas kept getting promoted, while Lordiara remained a combatant under Bibi Dong, running errands whenever she ordered.
Naturally, that became the root of Lordiara's petty hatred.
The original Salas didn't really hate the man—he just pitied him.
After all… Salas was the one who plowed the man's wife's field and planted the seed.
Even now, Lordiara was raising Salas's son—completely unaware that someone had been visiting his wife every time he went to work.
Luckily… the child awakened the wife's Martial Soul. Otherwise, maybe Salas wouldn't be alive today.
Of course, this was just one of the reasons Salas wanted to laugh out loud. The second reason? What would happen two years from now.
"I must go there in person to witness the joke…" Salas thought to himself, smiling.
"Hmph… if you don't want to say, then don't. I don't have time to bother with you either… I need to buy a gift for my grandson. He awakened innate soul power at level 8. He'll become stronger than me one day…" Lordiara stood from the chair, not forgetting to brag about his grandson.
"Oh," Salas replied coldly, trying his hardest to suppress his laughter.
'So that is my grandson…? This bastard of a Salas really did plant seeds in too many fields…'
Salas laughed hard in his mind.
From the original Salas's memory, he knew how many women he had impregnated… Over a hundred.
And what's more, he never cared about any of his descendants.
Even now, if the original Salas were alive, he wouldn't have felt a thing upon learning his grandson had awakened innate level 8 soul power.
His original goal in planting seeds all over was for just one thing—contributing to the Spirit Hall's development.
Since he was a talented soul master with a good bloodline, children born from him would likely become soul masters. Wasn't that helping Spirit Hall?
Of course, those with big hearts do good deeds silently… without leaving their names behind.
Salas was such a good person. Loyal to Spirit Hall.
Seeing Salas showing no reaction, Lordiara left angrily.
Salas followed behind and politely closed the door…
And then… he burst out laughing. He couldn't stop. His eyes turned red and tears formed as he laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
Salas only forced himself to stop when the pain became too much.
"Do soul masters' stomachs hurt from laughing?" Salas wondered, finding it a little unscientific.
Shaking off his thoughts, he returned to his desk and began reading the reports. After signing the necessary documents, he made arrangements for his upcoming absence.
The arrangements weren't anything special. He simply appointed the Soul Emperor bishop under him as his temporary substitute for the next month.
There was no tedious procedure like seeking approval from a superior.
"I really wish to leave this place…"
"If I'd escaped earlier, that pouch soul tool would've been mine… Sigh. I still need this power to keep track of Dugu Bo. But it's only for a month. Once I return from Soto City, it'll be time to escape…"
Thinking about Lordiara taking that soul tool away made Salas's heart ache.
Soul tools that could store living beings were rare… What a pity.
After lamenting and finishing preparations, Salas wasted no time getting into a luxurious, comfortable carriage…
'Hmm…? Where did this beauty come from?'
Looking at the beautiful woman already inside, Salas wondered who that bastard was who arranged this lady to distract him.
With those doubtful thoughts, Salas rested his head on the lady's juicy, bare thighs and closed his eyes…
His destination: Soto City.