We are up to 'Chapter 348: The Wind Cave Paradise, the Return of the Extinct Soul Beast' on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
------------------------------------------------------
After pondering for a while, Ning Tianchen shared his thoughts:
"The Seven Treasures Mall is the commercial center we artificially established, but a city can't have just one commercial hub. If possible, we could build a secondary commercial center on this plot of land."
Earlier, when he mentioned turning Shrek Academy's land into a warehouse, it was just an offhand remark.
Such prime land couldn't be wasted.
Ning Fengzhi countered, "Wouldn't that divert foot traffic from the Seven Treasures Mall? Over time, it would affect the rent of the shops."
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "Not necessarily. Tiandou City is vast, and while the Seven Treasures Mall is indeed in the city center, its reach is ultimately limited. People living far away rarely visit the mall."
"By building a secondary commercial center, we can capture that portion of foot traffic. Of course, the scale of the secondary commercial center must not exceed the Seven Treasures Mall—otherwise, it would just lead to internal competition."
Ning Fengzhi thought it over and found some merit in the idea, so he agreed.
"The land auction hasn't started yet. For now, our first task is to sell the championship team's uniforms."
Selling memorabilia wasn't a big business, but it could have a lasting impact.
Ning Fengzhi wanted to leverage the fame of winning the Soul Master Tournament to make the name of Seven Treasures Academy known across the entire continent.
Or rather, it should now be called the Seven Treasures Imperial Advanced Soul Master Academy.
After further discussion, Ning Fengzhi decided to delegate authority to Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong, allowing them to participate in managing sect affairs.
As for the matter of the Young Sect Leader, Ning Fengzhi hadn't made a decision yet.
In his view, both were still young and needed time to gain experience and mature. Their abilities would be assessed later.
In the days that followed, Ning Tianchen spent his time either training with Sword Chen Xin or tinkering with firearm blueprints.
In his previous life, even an ordinary rifle had a range of over 300 meters. In contrast, the longest-range hidden weapon created by Tang San only reached 50 meters. Aside from the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, most mechanical hidden weapons had a range of only about 20 meters.
While the power of hidden weapons couldn't be denied, at such close distances, enemies could reach them in an instant. Even if they managed to severely wound their opponents, the users would likely be injured as well. Not to mention, most disciples of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were auxiliary-type soul masters.
Firearms were relatively simpler in structure compared to hidden weapons and much easier to manufacture.
The only downside was that they were easy to replicate by others.
To address this, Ning Fengzhi personally guaranteed that no disciple would take firearms out of the sect. These weapons would serve as a means to defend the sect. Meanwhile, Tang San's hidden weapons were widely distributed within the sect.
There was no concept of copyright on the Douluo Continent. Even if Tang San found out, there was nothing he could do about it.
---
At the same time, the military took over the defense of Tiandou City, and a large-scale operation was launched to capture all the assassins.
Within the city guard, a top-down investigation was conducted to root out traitors.
On this day, after days of travel, Flender and his group finally returned to Tiandou City.
Upon reaching the city gates, they saw that the military had taken over the city's defenses, which made everyone uneasy.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, what happened in the city?" Flender smiled and approached to ask.
The military was far stricter than the city guards, especially this elite unit stationed to defend the city.
The gatekeeper barked, "Don't ask unnecessary questions. If you want to enter, go register."
Seeing that they wouldn't get any answers, Flender reluctantly went to register.
However, trouble quickly followed.
The registration process was extremely detailed, requiring soul masters to display their full strength.
Flender was a high-level Soul Sage. A soul master of such strength entering the city could cause significant casualties if they attempted an assassination.
As expected, Flender was stopped outside the city.
"Why won't you let me in? I have urgent matters to attend to!" Flender cursed angrily.
These soldiers showed no leniency and wouldn't accept bribes. Unless he forced his way in, there was no way to enter the city.
The sergeant in charge stated, "The city is under martial law. Soul Sages and above are prohibited from entering or leaving Tiandou City without a special pass issued by the empire. Violators will face joint pursuit by the empire and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!"
"We're from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. Let us in," Yu Tianheng presented the family's token.
The sergeant didn't even glance at it and simply said, "You may enter, but he cannot. However, there's a temporary office nearby where you can apply for a pass. We only recognize passes!"
Flender looked behind him. On the side of the main road stood a small temporary hut with a sign clearly reading "Pass Issuance Office."
"Tianxin, you all go ahead. I'll catch up later." With that, Flender headed toward the hut.
To avoid any mishaps, Yu Tianheng tossed the token of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon disciple to the others.
---
At the entrance of Shrek Academy, Yu Tianheng and the others stopped in their tracks, staring blankly at the scene before them.
The academy's gates were locked, covered in rotten, foul-smelling fruits and vegetables. The ground around where they stood was littered with rotting produce.
"What…"
"Look, there's a new notice over there." Following Dai Mubai's finger, they spotted a metal notice board.
Yu Tianheng read aloud, "Shrek Academy has been sealed. This plot of land will soon be auctioned."
"Damn it!" The short-tempered Dai Mubai kicked the notice board over.
"How dare they auction off Shrek Academy privately!"
Yu Tianheng sighed. "This is the decision of the Tiandou Imperial Family. They indeed have the power to do so."
At this point, there was no turning back. Once the imperial family decided to auction off the land, Shrek Academy's right to operate was undoubtedly canceled.
Yu Tianxin patted his shoulder, and the two turned around. "Our family still has matters to attend to. We'll take our leave. See you again in five years."
Tai Long also submitted his resignation. "I need to return as well. Young Master San's matter is too important—I must inform my grandfather immediately."
After the three left, only Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun remained.
At this point, Ma Hongjun was acting erratic, standing there with a foolish grin.
Dai Mubai, in his current state, couldn't return to the Star Luo Empire and had no choice but to stay.
He sighed inwardly. Without Shrek Academy, he didn't know where to go.
Pushing open the academy gates, the pathways on either side were already covered in fallen leaves due to lack of cleaning.
Dai Mubai shouted, "Teacher Zhao, are you here?"
After waiting for a moment, there was no response.
By this time, Flender had finally finished obtaining his pass and hurried over.
"What's going on with the academy? Where are the others?"
Dai Mubai had no idea about the academy's situation and didn't know how to explain.
Flender angrily muttered, "Old Zhao and the others didn't even clean up. Just wait until I teach them a lesson."
Dai Mubai whispered, "Principal, there was a notice board at the entrance earlier…"
Upon learning the situation, Flender finally understood why the academy was so quiet. At the same time, his dissatisfaction with Zhao Wuji grew even stronger.
"How could Old Zhao and the others just stand by and let the academy be auctioned off!"
In his rage, Flender stormed into the academy.
Dai Mubai sighed and dragged Ma Hongjun inside with him.
---
About an hour later, Flender hadn't found a single person in the academy. Even the apartments where Zhao Wuji and the others lived were completely deserted.
Dai Mubai caught up and said, "Principal, is it possible that Teacher Zhao and the others were forcibly driven away by the Tiandou Empire's enforcement team?"
Even if they were driven away, they would surely leave a message.
Since Zhao Wuji and the others hadn't appeared, Flender guessed that there might be a letter in the principal's office.
Pushing open the door to the office, it was spotlessly clean. On the desk lay a letter.
Opening it, it was clearly a message from Zhao Wuji.
In the letter, he explained that the academy's funds had been used to compensate the parents of the students, leaving only 32 gold spirit coins, which were placed in the desk drawer.
He also mentioned that the three of them had decided to leave Shrek Academy and start anew elsewhere. However, the letter didn't specify where they had gone.
Dai Mubai kicked the desk angrily. "Hmph, it's obvious that Teacher Zhao ran away with the money. Principal, let's go after him!"
Flender didn't think so.
The matter of compensating the students' parents would have caused quite a stir, and it wouldn't be hard to find out. Zhao Wuji had no reason to lie about this.
Moreover, if he had run away with the money, why would he leave behind 32 gold spirit coins? It didn't make sense.
Flender leaned back against the desk and sighed. "We wronged them."
Upon reflection, these old comrades had followed him for so many years and never lived a single good day.
He felt immense guilt.
Perhaps it was because these old friends had lost all hope in him that they chose to leave.
Now that Shrek Academy was about to be auctioned off, where would they live in the future?
Could they even stay in Tiandou City?
"Mubai, pick up that notice board. I want to take a closer look." He spoke weakly.
After staring at the notice board for a long time, Flender finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The notice clarified that the land to be auctioned was the main campus of Shrek Academy and did not include the few small houses on the mountain behind the academy.
It made sense. No one would buy a worthless mountain. This was their last refuge.
"Mubai, starting tomorrow, we'll move to the back mountain. As for your and Hongjun's conditions, I'll find a way to treat you."
In the following days, the first people to arrive weren't Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong but officials from the Tiandou Empire delivering money.
Although Shrek Academy's land was private property, even if it was forcibly auctioned, the proceeds from the sale would still be delivered to them.
The land was substantial, and even though they didn't receive the full amount, they still received over eight million gold spirit coins.
Flender didn't embezzle the money. Instead, he decided to wait for Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong to return before discussing what to do with it.
...
Within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect
Ning Tianchen had just finished his cultivation when a disciple from the outer sect approached him.
"Senior Brother, there are two people outside looking for you. Both claim to be acquaintances of yours."
After a moment of hesitation, Ning Tianchen described Zhang Erhe's appearance.
The disciple confirmed, "One of them matches the description you gave. However, from what I observed, these two don't seem to know each other."
Ning Tianchen thought for a moment and decided to go see for himself.
Zhang Erhe must have returned after discovering the location of the Killing Village. As for the other person, he would see when he got there.
At the entrance of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Zhang Erhe sized up the burly man beside him.
"You also know Young Master Ning?"
The burly man nodded. "Of course. I was even his teacher once."
Zhang Erhe immediately understood and extended his hand. "Zhang Erhe."
The burly man shook his hand. "Zhao Wuji."
Zhang Erhe was surprised. "The Immovable Bright King?"
Zhao Wuji carefully studied the man before him and exclaimed in shock, "The village-slaughtering brute?"
Both men had committed outrageous acts in their youth, so they quickly found common ground.
In no time, they were deep in conversation.
Of course, they only talked about their respective experiences, not anything related to Ning Tianchen.
Not long after, Ning Tianchen arrived at the gate under the guidance of a disciple.
"Senior Brother, it's these two."
Ning Tianchen was surprised. "Teacher Zhao, why are you here?"
He had a good impression of Zhao Wuji.
Compared to Flender, Zhao Wuji was at least less hypocritical.
Ning Tianchen was well aware of what happened to Shrek Academy. Moreover, the land had been purchased by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Zhao Wuji coming here now was likely to seek a livelihood.
After exchanging brief greetings, Ning Tianchen led them to the reception area for outer sect members.
"Teacher Zhao, I have urgent matters to discuss with Old Zhang. Please wait here for a moment."
Zhao Wuji waved his hand dismissively. "No problem, no problem. You two talk first."
Inside the meeting room
Ning Tianchen asked, "Did you find it?"
Zhang Erhe took out a map and said, "There isn't just one Slaughter Village on the continent—there are two. And honestly, that might not be all. There could be even more."
Following Ning Tianchen's instructions, he had contacted many fallen souls across the continent and learned the locations of the Slaughter Villages.
Zhang Erhe had discovered two different places, both of which he verified as Slaughter Villages. Even the architectural styles within the towns were identical.
"I've only explored within the borders of the Tiandou Empire. If I went to the Star Luo Empire, I might uncover more Slaughter Villages."
Ning Tianchen nodded.
On the map Zhang Erhe presented, two red circles marked the locations of the Slaughter Villages.
There must be more than one entrance to the Slaughter City; otherwise, it wouldn't have gathered so many fallen souls.
After all, most of those who hid in the Slaughter City were criminals. If the entrance were too far away, they'd likely be captured by the two empires before reaching it.
Zhang Erhe reminded Ning Tianchen, "Young Master Ning, I don't know what you're planning to do with the Slaughter Villages, but I must warn you. Those places are full of desperadoes. When I found the second village, I was ambushed by a Soul Sage-level expert and nearly lost my life. If you go alone, you'll definitely run into serious trouble."
Ning Tianchen lightly tapped his fingers on the table. "You've done well. I already have a plan."
"Yu Die and Cai Die have joined the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and are receiving the highest level of training. You can rest assured. If you want to see them later, I'll send someone to fetch them."
Zhang Erhe grinned. "Great, great. Those two haven't disappointed me. On my way back, I heard your team won the Soul Master Tournament championship?"
Ning Tianchen nodded.
Zhang Erhe's face lit up with excitement. "That means my two daughters are among the top geniuses on the continent!"
After a pause, Ning Tianchen spoke. "For now, you don't need to travel anymore. Emperor Xue Ye has granted me the vacant land in the western part of the city. When you have time, take some people and build houses there—it will serve as your resting place in the future."
"Us?" Zhang Erhe was puzzled. "Who else besides me?"
Ning Tianchen explained, "The sect leader has agreed to let me form a private team, and you will be the leader of this group. From now on, all expenses for your missions will be covered by the sect, and you'll receive a monthly stipend."
"Of course, in a sense, you'll also be considered a member of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. As for when you'll transition from working in the shadows to the open, it depends on your performance."
Zhang Erhe earnestly replied, "Don't worry, I won't disappoint you."
"By the way, your former teacher Zhao Wuji seems very strong. He's probably over ten years younger than me, and with his talent, he has the potential to break through to the Soul Douluo level in the future."
Ning Tianchen smiled and asked, "So, would you like to work with him?"
Zhang Erhe responded, "That would be wonderful. I feel like we're kindred spirits."
Ning Tianchen waved his hand. "I can't guarantee that. It depends on why he's come to see me. Old Zhang, take the team seriously. For now, you're the only one. Recruit twenty people for the first batch."
"My requirements are simple: these people don't need to be particularly strong, but they must be skilled in gathering intelligence and loyal to me. The rest is up to you."
Zhang Erhe pointed to the door. "Shall I get started then?"
Ning Tianchen replied, "Wait outside for now."
He didn't know why Zhao Wuji had come, but if the latter was willing to work for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, he could arrange for him to join Zhang Erhe's team.
Zhang Erhe left the room and casually called Zhao Wuji inside.
Ning Tianchen stood up to greet him. "Teacher Zhao, why have you come?"
After sitting down, Zhao Wuji awkwardly said, "You should know the situation with Shrek Academy. I want to ask—what exactly happened? How did things end up like this?"
Ning Tianchen chuckled and explained, "Tang San is Tang Hao's son, and the Spirit Hall has a grudge against Tang Hao. Most importantly, Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year shape-shifting spirit beast…"
Zhao Wuji finally understood why the Spirit Hall accused them of harboring spirit beasts.
So the spirit beast had been right under his nose.
After a pause, he continued, "Teacher Zhao, what are your plans for the future? Do you still want to continue teaching?"
Zhao Wuji forced a bitter smile. "People like me gained a bad reputation in our youth, and after working at Shrek Academy, no academy would dare hire me."
His expression turned somewhat embarrassed. "Tianchen, could someone like me join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect? Don't worry—I just want to make a living. I'll complete any tasks assigned to me by the sect."
As expected.
Ning Tianchen inwardly chuckled.
He feigned difficulty. "Hmm, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect doesn't accept people with bad reputations. Your situation is indeed tricky."
Zhao Wuji's eyes dimmed.
Before coming to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, he had tried other jobs.
Once people heard he was the Immovable Bright King, no one dared hire him.
If rejected by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, he would simply have to—
Changing the subject, Ning Tianchen smiled. "However, you still have an opportunity. It's a roundabout way, but are you willing to hear it?"
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow