In a corner of the commercial street in Linfeng City, there was an old pharmacy.
A smell mixed with old wood and a faint bitterness of herbs wafted from the shop.
"Uncle Wang, I'm here."
Dongfang Jing entered the shop and greeted the person behind the counter.
"Hmm, Little Jing's here? Perfect timing, here are two eggs."
"Thank you, Uncle, I've already eaten."
This person was named Wang Kun. He was thin and hunched over, with a sallow complexion and deeply sunken cheeks, like a piece of dried-up old tree root.
He was also short, only slightly taller than Dongfang Jing, and looked like an old man.
But he was actually not even 50 years old.
Wang Kun lived next door to Dongfang Jing's house and, as a neighbor, often looked after the siblings.
Wang Kun had once been a guard of the Soul Hunter Forest.
But he was unfortunately seriously injured during a patrol mission. Since he knew a little about pharmacology, he retired and opened a pharmacy on the commercial street.
After Dongfang Jing's parents disappeared, he became an apprentice at this pharmacy, learning about medicinal herbs from the owner.
There's a saying, "A skill is never a burden."
But this man named Wang Kun, while ostensibly taking him on as an apprentice, actually taught him almost nothing.
He simply dumped all sorts of medical books on him, completely ignoring his needs.
Dongfang Jing didn't complain much, after all, these books were hard to find on the market.
And he was extremely quick-witted and intelligent.
His learning progress was rapid, and he had already mastered the contents of the books.
If he weren't so young, he felt he could open his own pharmacy and make money.
Wang Kun, holding a pipe, took a deep drag, puffing out clouds of smoke. He casually asked, "By the way, you awakened your martial soul yesterday, right? How did it go?"
"Not bad, a Mirror martial soul."
"Oh, a Mirror. Does it have soul power? How much?"
"Level 10."
"Level 10! 10...cough cough cough!" Wang Kun choked on his smoke, jumping up from his chair, his eyes wide with astonishment. "That's innate full soul power! You call that 'not bad'?"
But the next second, he fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Then, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his face contorted into a ferocious grimace.
Combined with his withered, old face, it looked utterly bizarre.
Seeing this, Dongfang Jing frowned slightly but didn't ask any questions.
He silently picked up the broom and swept the floor. Then, Wang Kun said in a deep voice, "Little Mirror, pack your things. We won't be opening the shop for the next few days. Tomorrow I'll take you to get your first soul ring."
"Ah, so suddenly?"
"What 'ah'? Your innate soul power is already level 10. Only by absorbing a soul ring can you break through and continue cultivating."
Even so, Dongfang Jing hadn't decided which soul beast to choose.
Choosing a soul beast was not something to be taken lightly.
He possessed a Shattered Mirror Martial Soul, which allowed him to summon many shattered mirrors.
What if he was unlucky enough to gain a splitting soul skill after absorbing a soul ring?
Then he'd have it for life!
But Wang Kun had already kicked him out of the pharmacy, saying, "It's not too late to consider soul beasts after we enter the Soul Hunting Forest."
Bang!
The shop door slammed shut. Dongfang Jing was briefly stunned before a strange expression appeared on his face.
'Why does Uncle Wang seem more anxious than I am?'
He was naturally happy to have someone take him through the dungeon.
Although Wang Kun was only a two-ring Great Soul Master, his awakened Martial Soul was the weapon Martial Soul Iron Spear, possessing considerable attack power. Moreover, he had served in the military before, making it more than enough to help a child obtain their first Soul Ring.
However, something felt off.
'Wait a minute, wasn't it said that one needed a warrant issued by the Spirit Hall to enter the Soul Hunting Forest?'
A Soul Hunting warrant, besides requiring the Spirit Hall's approval, also needed the guarantees of three nobles.
Even if Uncle Wang was a soldier of the Spirit Hall before, he was just an ordinary soldier, right?
How could he know nobles?
Something was definitely amiss.
Dongfang Jing lowered his head and pondered for a moment, quickly making a decision.
Seeing that no one was around, he summoned his Martial Soul.
"Knock knock. Bang bang bang."
Hearing this peculiar knocking sound, Wang Kun inside the pharmacy quickly opened the door.
The man before him had dark skin, and his mouth and nose were covered with a black cloth, making it impossible to see his true appearance.
Upon seeing the person, Wang Kun looked left and right cautiously.
"Tsk, nobody's here. Hurry up and let me in, I can't hold back any longer."
The masked man impatiently shoved Wang Kun, practically ramming him into the room. As soon as he entered, he impatiently shouted, "Hurry up! I can't wait any longer!"
Hearing this, a hint of resentment flashed in Wang Kun's eyes.
But he still silently walked to the medicine cabinet and tapped on several drawers.
*Click!*
A crisp sound revealed a hidden compartment, inside which sat a wooden beer mug.
The mug was filled with a dark red, murky liquid.
The masked man snatched the mug and gulped it down.
As the liquid entered his throat, his face was filled with ecstasy.
"Damn it, leave me some!"
Wang Kun shouted urgently.
He grabbed the mug back and swallowed the rest of the liquid.
Both men let out a long breath, the air thick with the smell of blood.
After a long pause, the masked man finally spoke leisurely, "Old Kun, your Bloody Mary is still the best. Where did you get it?"
"This is the last one. I'm out of stock."
Wang Kun was tipsy, feeling like he was completely drunk even though he wasn't drinking alcohol.
He quickly calmed down, his withered face filled with anxiety again. He shook the masked man's shoulder and asked, "What happened? Have we been exposed?"
Hearing this, the masked man also became serious, "What happened?"
"That kid who's an apprentice at my pharmacy, he awakened his innate full soul power yesterday! Why haven't I received any news?"
"Maybe the news will reach you tomorrow." The masked man immediately relaxed, waving his hand dismissively, "Our preparations are flawless. I'll let you in on a secret: the newly appointed black-robed bishop of the branch hall, including the soldiers and clergy guarding the Martial Soul branch hall, most of them are our people."
Wang Kun looked on in disbelief.
"That's not right. Since everyone in the branch hall is one of ours, why haven't I heard of anyone awakening innate full soul power?"
"Idiot, are you senile? Did you personally examine that kid's soul power? Maybe he's trying to trick you! Hahahaha!"
The masked man's undisguised mockery made Wang Kun's face turn as black as an iron pot.
He hadn't personally measured Dongfang Jing's soul power; he'd only heard his side of the story.
Could the innate full soul power be a lie?
"Old Kun, you're really a strange person. Running a run-down pharmacy is one thing, but why take that brat as an apprentice?"
"You don't know anything!"
Wang Kun pointed to the empty wooden cup on the table and said seriously, "Your favorite Bloody Mary isn't easy to make well. According to my many experiments, it must be made from young boys and girls who have just awakened their martial souls!"
"Children who have just awakened their martial souls have the purest innate soul power in their bodies. It's like a newly formed spring, unpolluted by acquired soul rings or the outside world. The taste is the sweetest!"
He smiled sinisterly as he finished speaking, "Of course, the emotions of the raw materials before their death are also a very important seasoning."
"I've taken care of those two brats from the Dongfang family many times to gain their trust. Once they're completely dependent on me, I'll cruelly torture and torment their bodies and souls."
"Then, what kind of fear and despair will he show?"
The masked man gave him a thumbs-up admiringly.
"You really have to be Tai, Lao Kun. Alright, that's all for now, I'm outta here."
The masked man pulled up his hood, turned, and left the pharmacy.
Wang Kun, left behind, stood there for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth.
"Damn it, is this little brat really playing me?Heh, no matter what, when we get to the Soul Hunter Forest tomorrow, I'll turn you into Bloody Mary, just like your parents, hahahaha!"
Wang Kun's words were astonishing, and he let out a wild laugh.
But the laughter abruptly stopped, as if it had caught in a thud.
His eyes widened, he covered his throat with both hands, making muffled sobs, and turned his head with difficulty.
Behind him, there was a blurry, unreal figure.
In the figure's hand, a shard of mirror was still tightly gripped.
Blood gushed from Wang Kun's neck like it was free, and in a moment, he collapsed in a pool of blood.
His eyes were wide open, and he died with his eyes wide open.
His martial spirit and soul skills were completely useless. Dongfang Jing didn't leave immediately.
Entering the pharmacy, his eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tightly, and drops of blood dripped from his knuckles.
He forcibly suppressed his grief and forced himself to calm down.
Dongfang Jing looked around, found a burlap sack, and stuffed all the medicine and money in the pharmacy into it.
Before leaving, he glanced back at the corpse on the ground.
Although he desperately wanted to tear it to pieces, he had no time to waste now.
(End of Chapter)