Douluo: Yu Hao Pan Tang San

Chapter 139, Section 156: Ah San's Song

In Douluo Continent, the Seven Treasures Ning Family, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Yu Family, the Haotian Tang Family, and the Angel Qian Family are undoubtedly the Brahmin class. They stand proudly above the nation, transcending the world. Each sect has the ability to support an empire and challenge it.

Below them are the nobles who control fiefdoms and property. Their martial spirits are one level below these super sects, but enough to maintain their status and identity. They are the Kshatriya class of Douluo Continent. The Xue family of Tian Dou is a typical Kshatriya class. Their inherited swan martial spirit is not powerful. The reason they were able to sit on the throne is that the various Kshatriya lords of Tian Dou need a weak monarch to maintain the balance of interests among all parties.

Further down the line, due to the Spirit Hall's awakening of spirits, a small percentage of the general public will always awaken their own spirits. Once they possess a spirit, their fate changes. Some of them are exceptionally talented and rise in social class, establishing their own families or sects, or joining the empire to receive titles and become new Brahmins or Kshatriyas. Ma Hongjun and Oscar are examples of people who rose from the lowest ranks of commoners to become Brahmins. However, many more spirit masters from humble backgrounds become members of the Vaishya class, either becoming members of the Spirit Hunting Team or engaging in commerce.

Below them are the Shudra class, who awaken a martial spirit, but it's a useless one, and can only engage in agriculture and handicrafts. This group accounts for 99% of the population of the entire continent and is commonly known as the peasants.

Further down, there are the slave class and the untouchables.

Therefore, looking at the world of Douluo Continent from this perspective, it can be summarized in one sentence: The Spirit Hall united the largest Vaishya class in the entire Douluo Continent, attempting to conquer all forces on the continent and establish a centralized power dominated by the Spirit Hall. However, the Spirit Hall's ambition was defeated by the Brahmin (Upper Three Sects) and Kshatriya (Two Great Empires) classes led by Tang San. Tang San rectified the chaos, restored order, and maintained the unchanging order of the continent for thousands of years. With the fall of the Spirit Hall, the Brahmins remained the Brahmins who transcended the world, the Kshatriyas still controlled their fiefdoms and property rights, the Shudras remained the Shudras, and the Untouchables remained the Untouchables, but the Vaishyas declined.

Thus, the famous "A-San Song" came into being:
Tang San, the god, manifested subtly, with a thousand heads and a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet; encompassing the earth, above and below, in all four directions; standing majestically beyond the ten fingers; this Tang San is all that exists, belonging to both the past and the future; this Tang San is the immortal master, enjoying sacrifice and transcending the mundane world.

From Tang San's mouth came the Brahmins (Tang Hao, Ah Yin, Tang Wutong, Tang Wulin), from his arms came the Kshatriyas (the forces directly under Tang San, such as the Clear Sky Sect, Shrek Academy, and Tang Sect), from his legs came the Vaishyas (the two great empires and the sects of Douluo Continent), from his feet came the Shudras (the followers of the noble sects who were awakened by their martial souls and became Soul Masters by accident), and Tang San's feet also trampled on a group of untouchables (peasants).

Ahem, we've strayed from the topic. Our protagonist, Luo Xingqi, is a Vaishya who has been a lineage for generations!

A hundred years ago, Luo Xingqi's ancestor awakened a martial soul, the Lucky Cat, under the influence of the Spirit Hall.

This martial spirit doesn't have much combat power, but it has one special characteristic: attracting wealth and treasures. Like the Seven Treasures Pagoda, it's suitable for doing business.

Thus, their family started out as merchants and gradually expanded, operating their businesses between the two great empires.

Until they grew so large that they came into the view of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School wanted to acquire their property at a low price, but how could Luo's father give up the family's century-old foundation? So he rejected the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's acquisition proposal.

However, despite their wealth, the Luo family was but a tiny speck compared to the behemoth that was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Thus, with a single, albeit subtle, maneuver by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Luo family's century-old foundation crumbled instantly, acquired at a bargain price. The Luo family's parents were left with a massive debt to the school, and to repay it, they were forced to borrow from loan sharks at exorbitant interest rates. Driven to desperation by these loans, they ultimately committed suicide.

The debt remains even after death. Young Luo Xingqi became one of the assets used to secure the debt, and was mortgaged to the Heavenly Dou Royal Auction House as a slave.

However, fate played a cruel trick on her. Luo Xingqi, who had lost her freedom, met the kind-hearted Ning Fengzhi. Ning Fengzhi bought her and gave her some money to restore her freedom.

Xiao Luo Xingqi didn't gain his freedom for long before the slave-hunting team caught up with him, leading to the scene described earlier. "Can you grant me the ability to change everything?"

"Of course, would you like to join us?"

"I am willing."

"Welcome to Spark."

Why did Ning Fengzhi invite Huo Qiqiang to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? Nothing much, just to exchange information, consolidate the bilateral alliance, and firmly maintain the unbreakable bond of kinship.

Ning Fengzhi even took out three arrows and said, "Sect Master Huo, your Body Sect, my Seven Treasures Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the three of us are like these three arrows." Ning Fengzhi forcefully broke one of the arrows in half and said, "A single arrow is easy to break."

Finally, he stacked the three arrows together and then bent them with force. This time, Ning Fengzhi did not break the three arrows. He said, "Only when these three arrows are stacked together can they not be broken."

"The Spirit Hall has the strength to overwhelm all others. If our three sects act independently, they will be easily defeated one by one by the Spirit Hall. Only when our three sects unite as one can we resist the growing threat of the Spirit Hall and achieve a balanced strategy in the Douluo Continent."

"Sect Master Ning's words are indeed profound, far surpassing my own. Our three sects should indeed unite as one, sharing the same breath and branches. However..." Huo Qiqiang timely raised a small problem that his own sect was facing, implying that Ning Fengzhi could generously offer some assistance.

Ning Fengzhi is also very generous; whatever his Body Sect wants, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will give.

So Huo Qiqiang didn't stand on ceremony and returned to his sect with a few local specialties from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

This visit to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has now come to an end.

"Sect Master, why are you sending money again?" Gu Rong asked, puzzled.

Ning Fengzhi pushed up his glasses, a wise glint flashing in his eyes: "Uncle Gu, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has no shortage of money. As long as we spend money, we can maintain good relations with the Body Sect, establish a hub of interests, and form a bond of shared destiny. Why not do it?"

Ancient banyan tree, dusty heart: "."

(End of this chapter)