Chapter 153 Staking Out.
The three left the hotel. A sliver of the setting sun slanted across the western horizon, bathing Lingguang City in a golden sea. This added a touch of desolation to this frontline transportation hub.
At dusk in Lingguang City, soldiers changing shifts poured into the wide streets, injecting new vitality into the soon-to-be-desolate streets. The streets, far from decreasing in number, became even more bustling. As night approached, Wu Xuan and his companions arrived at the so-called brothels in the northern district of the city.
It was then that Wu Xuan and his friends finally understood why people from all walks of life had fallen victim to the scam.
This place was far more than just a brothel; it contained all sorts of taverns and pleasure houses.
This resulted in a large number of civilians working as laborers there.
A secluded tavern...
Wu Xuan looked surprised: "Senior, weren't we here to stake out evil spirit masters? What are we doing here?"
Ma Xiaotao pouted, "Staking out is one thing, but what are we going to do with this coincidence? We just arrived and we've already caught that rat in the shadows. So we should relax. We've been working hard for three or four days straight, let's relax a bit tonight!"
"Senior Xiaotao is right, we should relax. It's only just gotten dark, how could such a good-at-hiding evil spirit master come out so early? Come on, let's have a few drinks." With that, Yao Haoxuan went into the bar first.
"What's wrong? Junior Wu Xuan, you don't want to tell your senior that you've never been to a bar before, do you? Well, someone like you who only cares about cultivation every day, how could you possibly go to a place like this?" Ma Xiaotao teased, leaning one hand on Wu Xuan's shoulder.
"Fine, I'll go. It's just drinking! What's the big deal?" Wu Xuan brushed aside Ma Xiaotao's shoulder and strode inside.
Ma Xiaotao was slightly taken aback. Although she spoke eloquently, it was actually her first time in such a place.
A few people entered!
Despite its secluded location, the tavern was bustling with activity. The moment you stepped inside, you were enveloped in a thick atmosphere of noise.
It was easy to guess that nearly thirty percent of the people inside were officers or elite squads who had been on duty during the day, relaxing here. No wonder the Starlight City Governor's Office was so anxious to request reinforcements; many low- to mid-level military personnel had likely been infected.
Wu Xuan plopped down opposite Yao Haoxuan, picked up the glass of strong liquor Yao had just ordered, and downed it in one gulp. Instantly, a fiery heat surged through his body.
Wu Xuan coughed violently, quickly using his soul power to evaporate the liquor. He recovered in just a few breaths.
"Wow! Junior, you're really something! I ordered strong liquor!" Yao Haoxuan stared in astonishment at Wu Xuan, who remained completely unfazed.
The terrifying annihilation attribute of the extreme wind was clearly revealed at this moment. Even with soul power, such strong liquor couldn't be neutralized in just a few words, unless you were a Title Douluo.
"Yao Haoxuan, you're so stupid! Who told you to order strong liquor? Are you still going to stake out today?" Ma Xiaotao scolded Yao Haoxuan, holding two crystal glasses filled with amber-colored liquor.
"Ah! Sorry, senior, I'll change the liquor right away." Saying that, he picked up the bottle that Wu Xuan had downed in one gulp and walked to the counter.
"Here you go, junior Wu Xuan, try what your senior ordered for you." Saying that, Ma Xiaotao handed the crystal glass to Wu Xuan.
Watching the amber liquid rise with small bubbles, Wu Xuan took the crystal glass and moved it to his side. A rich and refreshing aroma instantly wafted into his nose.
The liquor went down his throat, and besides being mellow, it brought a different kind of burning sensation than a fiery one, but a feeling of comfort from the bottom of his heart.
At this moment, Wu Xuan finally understood why some people loved to drink so much. After a few days of hard work, a glass of liquor could indeed solve many troubles.
The three of them staked out the place until late into the night, but to no avail. However, they were not impatient. Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone a demonic master who is so skilled at hiding.
The following days followed the same pattern, with the three taking turns until the fifth day after the Governor's Office of Lingguang City ordered the resumption of trade routes.
Late at night, in the northern city, a figure draped in a black cloak slowly appeared on a rooftop.
Completely shrouded in a large black robe, this figure, aside from being somewhat obese, appeared no different from an ordinary person.
Such close proximity was naturally within Wu Xuan's aura, yet Wu Xuan made no reaction, demonstrating the strength of this person's concealment soul technique.
"Little Wu Xuan, the person you're looking for has appeared, less than two hundred meters to your left. Didn't you sense him?" The voice of Tianmeng Bingcan suddenly rang in his mind, leaving Wu Xuan utterly astonished and shocked. He immediately rushed forward.
Ma Xiaotao and the other looked puzzled, wondering why Wu Xuan had reacted so strongly.
"Senior sister, senior brother, that rat hiding in the shadows has appeared, two hundred meters to your left front. Surround him."
Hearing this, the two nodded heavily without further ado and turned to the side.
"Third Soul Skill, Blood Curtain Heavenly Fiend!"
Dense blood-red light surged forth, and in the next instant, thousands of blood lines within a radius of several hundred meters converged around the obese man, being absorbed by him.
"Awesome! This is so awesome! I've been suffocating for so many days. As expected, human blood has the greatest effect on enhancing my soul power, hehe." The obese man groaned with pleasure.
"Finally showing yourself, you rat in the gutter, you've kept us waiting for so long!" A deep voice echoed, startling the obese man who was sucking blood, and he abruptly stopped.
"Hahaha! You piece of trash from the Governor's Mansion, you can't catch me. Fourth Soul Skill, Blood Shadow Escape!" The obese man laughed wildly, and his body instantly transformed into five or six blood-red shadows that scattered and flew away.
"Damn it! Running away as soon as we meet? Is this still the evil soul master I know?" Yao Haoxuan stomped his foot and cursed angrily.
"Split up and chase them! Don't let the beast escape!" Wu Xuan shouted, his Soul-Shattering Spear flashing out, its sharp edge unleashing a terrifying burst of power, instantly obliterating nearly half of the blood shadows.
Having chosen a direction, Wu Xuan suddenly lunged forward.
"You rat in the gutter, what are you running for! Have you no shame?" Wu Xuan sneered from the darkness, the Soul-Shattering Spear releasing its powerful soul pressure, directly blasting the fat, black-robed man who had transformed into a blood shadow and fled back to his original form.
"Who are you!" The black-robed man ripped off his tattered black robe, revealing his ugly, twisted face.
"Tsk, I've seen plenty of evil soul masters, but few are uglier than you." Wu Xuan looked at the black-robed man in his original form and sneered disdainfully.
"Enough with the nonsense!" The black-robed man roared, his twisted, ugly face contorted, and seven soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—instantly rose from beneath his feet.
"Talking to beasts like you is pointless; I can only spout nonsense." Wu Xuan slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing the distinctive attire of the Shrek Academy Inspection Team.
"You...you're a hypocrite from Shrek!" The ugly black-robed man, displaying Soul Saint-level strength, exclaimed in shock.
"An evil soul master truly lives up to his name! He's filthy from head to toe, not a single good spot on him." The next moment, a gust of wind swept in, and five terrifying, jet-black soul rings rose from beneath Wu Xuan's feet.
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