Chapter Forty: Meeting Zhou Peng Again

“Tang Tian, you must be careful. The Black Soul people are very dangerous,” Nannan’s mother said, her voice thick with worry. She turned and slipped inside the house. When she emerged a moment later, she held a small earthen jar in her hands. “You’ve helped us so much, and you even saved Nannan. I have nothing else to give you, but please take this royal bamboo bee jelly. It should last you for some time.”

“Nannan, say goodbye to your big brother. We have to go now.” Determination was written across her face.

Nannan burst into loud sobs.

Tang Tian’s heart twisted painfully. He could only ruffle Nannan’s hair, his throat tight with emotion. They hadn’t spent much time together, but Tang Tian had grown deeply fond of the child’s innocence and charm.

Nannan’s mother was clearly heartbroken as well, but she steeled herself, picked up her daughter, bid Tang Tian farewell once more, and vanished into the bamboo forest.

As Nannan’s cries faded into the distance, Tang Tian was left with a sense of emptiness and loss.

He glanced at the corpses on the ground, fury surging inside him. Damnable Black Soul—he would remember this debt. Seething, Tang Tian stripped every last item from the black-clad men, leaving nothing behind, and sank their bodies into the swamp.

Shouldering his large pack, Tang Tian made his way back to Shaqima Academy.

Old Man Wei had returned at some point and was now cheerfully roasting meat, with Amory squatting nearby, watching hungrily. Tang Tian, his face dark, strode over and threw his bundle heavily to the ground.

The contents spilled everywhere.

Old Man Wei’s eyes landed on a bronze token. His hand froze mid-air. He rose, walked over, crouched, and sifted through the items.

“It seems you’ve caused quite the trouble.”

His tone was unreadable, his gaze deep.

“Hey, old man, you know about the Black Soul too, don’t you?” Tang Tian fixed him with a hard stare.

Old Man Wei detected a flash of savage intent in Tang Tian’s eyes and suddenly chuckled. “I know a bit. Black Soul is a very ancient organization—one of the oldest in the world. Their structure is intricate, their connections convoluted. Their shadow appears throughout the history of the Heavenly Road. They move in darkness and use any means necessary. If they set their sights on you, there’s a good chance you’ll die horribly. Boy, you’re in serious trouble!”

“They’re after me,” Tang Tian admitted without reservation. “It’s likely for my mother’s relic, the Cross of the Southern Crucifixion.”

The Cross of the Southern Crucifixion had already fused with him, so he had no fear of anyone taking it.

“Southern Cross?” Old Man Wei was surprised. “That’s the smallest constellation. Why would Black Soul be interested in it?”

Seeing Tang Tian’s confusion, Wei explained, “Only powerful constellations can give rise to powerful Star Treasures. The Southern Cross is small, so its Star Treasure shouldn’t be very strong. Black Soul is only interested in powerful Star Treasures and martial techniques. Unless… there’s a secret hidden within your Cross of the Southern Crucifixion?”

Tang Tian shook his head. “I don’t know. I encountered Di Han. He didn’t show himself, but I’m certain it was him.”

“Di Han?” Old Man Wei looked surprised. “A Black Soul member participating in the tournament? That’s odd. They’re interested in your Cross, and the tournament as well?”

Amory was busy gnawing at the roast meat, paying no attention to their conversation.

Tang Tian scratched his head, his face still dark with frustration. He was upset by Nannan’s departure, but the Black Soul’s interest in the Cross did not frighten him—not even with Old Man Wei’s warnings.

If the Cross of the Southern Crucifixion truly concealed some secret, perhaps Black Soul’s pursuit could help him uncover it.

As for the rest, he’d settle things with his fists.

As long as he trained hard and became stronger, the Black Soul would eventually help him “find” the secret of the Cross.

Thinking this, his mood brightened. No need for complicated schemes—just train with all his might. This was exactly what he was good at!

“This guy didn’t seem that powerful,” Tang Tian said, pointing at the bronze token. This real battle had shown him that Lightning Kill was the best stealth technique among his skills—its lightning-fast strikes were nearly unbeatable in surprise attacks.

“He was only a Black Soul Grunt,” Old Man Wei commented. “In Black Soul, that’s not even the outer circle. The organization is far more formidable than you can imagine. Their ranks contain countless martial techniques and secret treasures. Any member can complete missions to earn points, and with enough points, you can exchange for anything. That’s why Black Soul is obsessed with collecting Star Treasures and martial skills—they’re irresistible to warriors. In fact, anything you can think of, as long as you have enough points, Black Soul can provide it.”

“But don’t worry too much,” he added. “There are more factions within Black Soul than any other organization. Often, their actions don’t represent the group’s true intentions. If Black Soul really coveted your Cross, they wouldn’t send just a few Grunts.”

Tang Tian was greatly disappointed. “Really? But the Cross is amazing! They don’t want it?”

He actually agreed with Old Man Wei—the man he killed was about as strong as Di Han. But if that was true, his “brilliant plan” had just been dashed.

“Damn! I had high hopes for these Black Soul people,” he muttered.

Old Man Wei looked exasperated. “Aren’t you afraid at all?”

“Why should I be?” Tang Tian looked at him dismissively, arms akimbo, chin raised in defiance. “I’ve sworn to become a godlike youth. The Black Soul? They’re just destined to be among the enemies I’ll defeat on my great journey.”

Old Man Wei stared at him for a long moment, then covered his face with his hand. “Ignorance truly is bliss. What was I thinking? This idiot doesn’t even know what fear is…”

Tang Tian’s attention shifted to the loot. “Hey, old man, check if there’s anything useful here.”

“Hmm, you can keep this bronze token. Black Soul recognizes the token, not the man. Killing and taking a token won’t bother them. But this guy was probably broke—not many points. You’ll see soon enough how convenient their system is. For example, intelligence—their information network is second to none. The twin blades are decent, about the same quality as your Skyforge Black Iron series. Oh, this is good! A Little Universe Sleeve Arrow from the Archer constellation—a black iron Star Treasure. Since you’ve trained with hidden weapons, it’ll suit you. These Star Stones are low grade; use them to buy things.” Old Man Wei’s tone was that of a shrewd merchant.

Tang Tian strapped the Little Universe Sleeve Arrow to his wrist and tried channeling his true force into it.

A faint sense connected him to the device. At his command, a small black arrow shot out like a streak of darkness—so fast!

“Hey! Be careful with that thing!” Old Man Wei warned.

Tang Tian followed the arrow’s path and gasped. Ten meters away, a tree trunk more than two feet thick now bore a small hole—the black arrow had pierced clean through.

“What a weapon!” Tang Tian hurried over to recover the spent arrow.

When he returned, Amory let out a beastly belch, snapping Tang Tian out of his reverie. He stared, dumbfounded, at the massive leg bone in Amory’s hand—a bone so large it could serve as a cane.

The enormous beast bone was stripped clean, not a scrap of meat left.

Amory looked entirely satisfied.

“Damn you, Flybull! How could you eat all the roast meat by yourself?!”

Tang Tian’s furious roar echoed through the woods.

* * *

“Wow, the main tournament begins today—so many people!” Amory looked around in amazement.

“Seems like it,” Tang Tian replied, his face twisted with discomfort. Born strong as he was, he was no match for the tidal wave of bustling aunts and uncles surging through the street. Soon, his clothes were crumpled, his shoes stained with muddy footprints.

Suddenly, a cold, mocking voice drifted into Tang Tian’s ear. “Well, well, if it isn’t our school tyrant Tang. What a sorry sight you are!”

Tang Tian turned, saw that it was Zhou Peng, and grinned. “Perfect! Didn’t expect you to come right to me.”

No sooner had he spoken than he pounced at Zhou Peng.

Zhou Peng looked at him with scorn, as if watching a clown.

A large hand suddenly appeared before Tang Tian, blocking his path.

Tang Tian was about to brush it aside, but it vanished abruptly.

A palm wind whistled toward his head—so fast! Instinctively, Tang Tian dropped into a low stance, and the gust swept just over his scalp. The force was solid and sharp, but Tang Tian acted unfazed. Like a coiled spring, he exploded upward.

His speed surged; his body blurred through the air, only his eyes tracing two cold arcs.

Zhou Peng felt as if a wild beast had locked onto him.

A savage aura crashed over him.

Mockery flickered across Zhou Peng’s lips again. He reached out, palm floating toward Tang Tian.

His palm glimmered with a barely perceptible green.

Bang!

Fist met palm. Tang Tian’s body shuddered and stumbled backward, unable to stop himself.

Seven or eight steps later, he managed to steady himself.

His face was filled with shock. How had this guy become so strong?

“Well, school tyrant Tang, impressed? Don’t worry, I won’t rough you up and toss you around. I’ll take my time tormenting you. You’re honored to be the first to taste the Zhou family’s Wooden Heart Sword Wheel, aren’t you?” Zhou Peng’s voice was soft, his gaze icy.

Tang Tian suddenly grinned and made a face at him.

Zhou Peng was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his palm.

He opened his hand and saw, to his horror, a wound so deep the bone was visible, as if sliced open by a blade.

Blood gushed from the wound, soaking his hand.

Zhou Peng let out a panicked scream.

***

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