Chapter 507: The Zhongli Brothers
The more the girl struggled, the more excited the whip wielding evil soul master became.
For certain sadistic evil soul masters, tormenting someone who was completely submissive was dull and uninteresting. But if their victim resisted, it became much more entertaining.
His mood lifted as he prepared to publicly torture the girl ensnared by his whip.
Inside the water prison, the other hostages couldn't bear to watch the impending atrocity and shut their eyes.
They were powerless to help her. Even cursing the evil soul master would only bring trouble upon themselves.
Still, a sliver of hope remained if the three Douluo empires or Shrek Academy sent a rescue party, they might yet be saved.
But before despair could take hold, a thunderous voice rang out: "Put her down! These hostages serve an important purpose. If too many of them die and it jeopardizes the Holy Spirit Cult's plans, can you bear the consequences?"
The tall evil soul master trembled violently he recognized that voice. It belonged to Nether Thunder Douluo. Without hesitation, he released the girl back into the water prison, then turned toward the source of the voice.
Hovering above the stone platform, Nether Thunder Douluo stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression grim, clearly in a foul mood. Beside him stood a figure cloaked in black, their face concealed by a mask.
"Third Elder, I was wrong. Please, have mercy," the tall evil soul master pleaded, dropping to his knees in submission.
The other evil soul masters quickly followed suit, kneeling before Nether Thunder Douluo.
As a high ranking elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, Nether Thunder Douluo's status and power far surpassed that of these ordinary cult members.
Offending him would mean an unbearable existence within the cult perhaps even brutal punishment at his hands.
Nether Thunder Douluo looked down at the kneeling evil soul master, his face stern as he coldly commanded, "You are to report to Myriad Souls Douluo and Hatred Douluo for the sea spirit beast hunt. As for the rest of you, I will oversee this place personally. Go tend to your other duties."
"Yes, Elder," the tall evil soul master stammered, rising to his feet. The other cult members quickly stood and prepared to leave.
Watching them depart, Nether Thunder Douluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't know why Huo Yuhao had come to Sunrise City or why he had specifically asked to be brought to the water prison to see the hostages from the Douluo empires.
But he was certain that Huo Yuhao had a deeper purpose. Simply observing the prisoners wasn't worth a personal visit.
Fewer cultists in the water prison meant more freedom for Huo Yuhao to carry out his plans.
Though he had no idea what those plans were, his life was now in Huo Yuhao's hands. That left him no choice but to obey, even if it meant swallowing his pride and groveling. It was still better than dying without ever seeing Nan Shui Shui again.
When the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult had worked together to capture foreign competitors, the members of Dilong Sect had also been caught.
But Nether Thunder Douluo, being a cunning man, had once fallen into a trap set by Huo Yuhao using Nan Shui Shui. This made it clear that there was a connection between the two.
Thus, he had arranged for the members of Dilong Sect, including Nan Shui Shui and her mother, to be kept in a separate courtyard with ample food and drink. He had not dared to harm them in any way. As an elder of the cult, and with Vice Cult Leader Feng Ling now aligned with Huo Yuhao, he had the authority to make such arrangements.
Just then, an irritatingly familiar voice echoed from nearby: "Third Elder, all this over a mere hostage? It's in an evil soul master's nature to torment others. Why punish him for it?"
The cult members who had been preparing to leave stopped in their tracks.
Three elderly figures appeared in midair. They were clad in black robes, their faces deeply wrinkled with age. Yet despite their aged features, they looked identical, as if they had been cast from the same mold.
Each of them carried a staff over a meter long, pitch black, with a gray gemstone embedded at the top. Their presence exuded an air of authority.
Seeing them, Nether Thunder Douluo's expression darkened.
These were the Zhongli brothers Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren.
They were the Holy Spirit Cult Leader's personal servants and possessed formidable strength. The cult leader favored them greatly, making them part of his inner circle.
Technically, their status was lower than Nether Thunder Douluo's, and they should have followed his orders.
However, emboldened by the cult leader's favoritism, they had grown increasingly arrogant. They frequently ignored or subtly defied his commands.
He hadn't expected them to openly challenge him today.
Fixing his gaze on the speaker, Nether Thunder Douluo retorted, "Zhongli Tian, this man is a new subordinate of the Vice Cult Leader. I kept him here to assist me in overseeing the prison. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the Vice Cult Leader."
Though the Zhongli brothers were technically inferior in rank, punishing them outright for disrespect was not an option. That could anger the cult leader himself. Even when disciplining a servant, one had to consider the master.
"Oh?" Zhongli Tian's suspicion deepened. "When did the Vice Cult Leader recruit a new subordinate? Why weren't we informed?"
As the cult leader's personal servants, they were usually among the first to learn about new developments. After all, Feng Ling, the Vice Cult Leader, was also the wife of Zhongli Wu the cult leader.
"Must the Vice Cult Leader report every minor detail to you three?" Nether Thunder Douluo shot back. "Or do you believe the Holy Spirit Cult belongs to the Zhongli brothers?"
The weight of that accusation made their faces darken.
Zhongli Tian took a deep breath, forced his expression to relax, and cupped his hands. "Third Elder, I didn't mean it that way. However, my brothers and I would still like to meet the Vice Cult Leader's new subordinate. We wouldn't want to offend him by accident in the future."
Nether Thunder Douluo knew they still didn't trust him.
He was about to argue further when Huo Yuhao lost his patience.
This back and forth was wasting time. It was also getting tedious.
He might as well kill the Zhongli brothers and the other cultists.
After all, their hands were already drenched in the blood of countless innocents.
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