"What dagger?" Qian Yu asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Isn't this it?" Xiao Wu reached out and touched his waist, her face immediately flushing bright red with embarrassment.
After this brief and awkward moment, both Qian Yu and Xiao Wu rose. Qian Yu walked briskly to the office, obtained permission from his teacher to leave, rented a carriage, and set off for the Soul Hunting Forest.
He decided not to bring Xiao Wu along; although he possessed many ways to protect himself, having her with him might prove to be an inconvenience.
Instead, he left her safely at the academy. With her own burgeoning strength, Xiao Wu was well on her way to earning respect among her peers.
Even though Qian Yu was only six years old, he had already offered a gold soul coin, and his reputation ensured that many were eager to rent him their carriage.
The carriage journey to Notting City spanned over four hundred li—a distance not exceedingly long but still far enough to demand caution.
It wasn't until noon the next day that Qian Yu finally arrived at the sprawling expanse of the Soul Hunting Forest. The area outside the forest resembled a bustling marketplace.
Because many people came here to hunt Soul Beasts, a lively market had naturally sprung up. Teams formed, items were bartered, and vendors shouted their offers.
Crisscrossed by rough, hand-made paths, the noise and chaos of the market caused Qian Yu to furrow his brow in mild discontent.
"Have a warrant! Forming a team to hunt power-type Soul Beasts—need two more people!" a booming voice announced.
"Hunting agility-type Soul Beasts! Seven people, waiting for warrants—ten gold soul coins!" another call rang out.
Most of the market's shops sold weapons, armor, and supplies essential for the hunt. Qian Yu walked into the marketplace calmly. He neither needed to purchase supplies nor wanted to join any team. Instead, he moved quietly among the throng.
Yet as he passed by, several pairs of eyes followed him closely.
"Did you see that little boy?" sneered a muscular man with bare, tattooed arms.
"What's he doing here?" asked a skinny man.
"That kid seems to be here alone," the muscular man chuckled.
"Alone?" the skinny man's eyes sparkled with greed. "A kid coming to the Soul Hunting Forest solo must have top-notch gear. We might score big off him!" he whispered conspiratorially.
"Exactly," the muscular man agreed. "Let's make our move once he's inside."
These two were members of the Yamaguchi Mercenary Group—a band notorious for their shady dealings. Spotting an easy target like Qian Yu, who ventured alone, was too tempting to resist. Once inside the forest, any foul deed would be hard to trace, whether the victim fell prey to a Soul Beast or human treachery.
Though Qian Yu sensed the lingering stares, he paid them no heed. With his formidable strength, only a Soul King would warrant his attention—and the chances of encountering one in such a small market were remote.
Advancing toward the forest, Qian Yu took in his surroundings. The towering, ancient trees and the imposing outer edge, guarded by a massive iron fence studded with inward-pointing spikes, spoke of the forest's long history. The fence stood over ten meters high, exuding an air of invincibility.
Outside it, a hundred soldiers in full refined iron armor patrolled, their long spears at the ready. Their disciplined formation and grim determination lent an atmosphere of impending danger.
At the entrance, a cold-eyed soldier barked, "Warrant!"
Qian Yu's voice remained calm. "What warrant?"
"You've come here without knowing that entry into this enclosed Soul Hunting Forest requires a warrant. Only Soul Masters with a Spirit Hall–issued warrant may hunt Soul Beasts inside," the guard explained sternly.
Qian Yu nodded thoughtfully. "So, if one possesses a token from the Spirit Hall, entry is granted?"
"Precisely," the guard confirmed.
Reaching into his storage, Qian Yu produced a token—the Spirit Hall's Ancestral Token. When he established the Spirit Hall, he had issued one Ancestral Token, one Pope Token, and ten Elder Offering Tokens.
If any Spirit Hall token was acceptable, his own should suffice.
He held up the token, which featured three interlocking symbols: a sharply pointed sword in the center, flanked by a hammer on the left and an unfamiliar beast on the right.
Unlike the typical matte black tokens, this one shimmered with the brilliance of a rare crystal and nestled among the symbols was a delicate black begonia flower.
The guard's eyes widened as he inspected the token. He recognized it as top quality—far superior to any token he had encountered before.
Yet the extra symbol, the begonia, was puzzling. In the world of tokens, more symbols signified a higher rank, and this token boasted two additional symbols compared to the standard Elder Offering Token.
The guard's mind raced with possibilities. Could it be the fabled Pope Token?
In his ignorance and haste, he declared, "Sorry, little friend, your token isn't real. You cannot enter the Soul Hunting Forest."
A ripple of laughter burst from the gathered crowd. "Little friend, you're still drinking milk! Go home and have some more!" one jeered.
"Kid, the Soul Hunting Forest isn't meant for someone like you!" another mocked.
Qian Yu, however, remained unperturbed. He understood that, despite the guard's dismissive words, his token's symbols were identical to those on the current Spirit Hall tokens. In other words, the Spirit Hall before him was the very one he had founded in the past.
The guard's ignorance only confirmed that if the token were presented to the elders of the Spirit Hall, they would be utterly astounded.
As the laughter died down, Qian Yu's eyes gleamed with quiet resolve. Amid the clamor of the marketplace, he silently vowed to prove his worth to everyone who doubted him.
His journey into the forest was more than a mere hunt for a Soul Ring—it was a stepping stone toward the divine power he so desperately sought.
With the special token securely in hand and determination burning in his heart, Qian Yu strode forward into the dark, ancient woods, ready to confront whatever challenges lay ahead.
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