Douluo Continent, I, Huo Yuhao, defy fate with my spiritual eyes.

Chapter 184 Xuan Ziwen drowns his sorrows in the tavern

Upon entering the land of Mingdu, it was already late at night. The towering buildings, illuminated by thousands of lights, shone brightly, almost vying with the stars in the sky.

"I'm so tired!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion Emperor lay nestled in Huo Yuhao's arms. For a true land animal, the boat ride was nothing short of torture.

Di Tong also disliked staying in the Sea of ​​Spirit, so he would often come out to play for a while, then go back to sleep when he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and then come out again after recovering his energy.

After several rounds, it's no wonder I'm exhausted.

Suddenly, Di Tong's eyes lit up, its fluffy tail wagged rapidly, its delicate little nose sniffed, and drops of saliva fell from its mouth.

"Yuhao! Smell it, it smells so good!"

"Don't get it on me."

Huo Yuhao sighed and tapped Di Tong's head. Following its gaze, he saw the aroma of food wafting from a small tavern.

Di Tong didn't care about being hit on the head. She opened her small mouth and looked at Huo Yuhao with a wronged expression.

"After such a long sea voyage, we should eat something good to replenish our strength!"

The improved soul ritual can preserve the soul in a semi-physical state. Although it cannot absorb food, it can still taste it.

Huo Yuhao thought for a moment. It was so late, and there was no way to do anything now, so there was no rush.

After inquiring with the other spirits, he learned that they had no interest in food but were instead playing a newly introduced mahjong game. So he took Di Tong into the game.

The tavern wasn't big, but it looked very clean, and it was almost full, with each person carrying their own story on their face.

Which of those people who stay in pubs drinking late at night can be living a happy and fulfilling life?

This also meant that although the tavern was crowded, it didn't feel noisy; everyone simply kept themselves company with delicious food and strong liquor.

Huo Yuhao saw a seat in the corner. Although he would have to sit next to someone else, Huo Yuhao wasn't one to be too particular.

Holding Di Tong is like carrying a pet beast; not many people will pay attention to it.

After settling into a corner and nodding to those around him, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly sharpened.

A person he never expected to be here suddenly appeared in front of him, or rather, Huo Yuhao never thought that the tavern would have someone they wanted to recruit.

Xuan Ziwen!

The hidden genius of Mingde Hall, a Soul Master with extraordinary talent!

He had clearly drunk quite a bit; his eyes were red and he looked somewhat dizzy. Noticing Huo Yuhao's gaze, he looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What's up?"

He didn't think the stranger recognized him, after all, he wasn't well-known in Mingdetang, let alone outside the community.

Apart from renowned Soul Masters like Kong Mingde and Jing Hongchen, Mingde Hall is shrouded in mystery.

Huo Yuhao shook his head, not rushing to say anything to recruit him, but instead trying to get closer to him.

"I suddenly feel like you're a senior of mine."

Perhaps due to the effects of the alcohol, Xuan Ziwen squinted and suddenly felt a strong urge to confide in someone. The young man in front of him possessed an innate affability that made him feel relaxed naturally.

Swirling the wine glass in his hand, watching the bubbles rise, Xuan Ziwen grinned, took a big gulp, and said with a wry smile.

"Then I hope your elders won't end up like me, trapped in one place, unable to make any progress in their entire lives."

Huo Yuhao ordered some food and drinks, sat down next to Xuan Ziwen, and sighed.

"What a coincidence, my elder was exactly like you described, and eventually died of depression."

Xuan Ziwen was taken aback upon hearing this, a hint of apology welling up in his eyes, as he handed over the other bottle of wine in his hand.

"Sorry, I don't know————"

Huo Yuhao didn't stand on ceremony. He took the wine, opened it, and took a big gulp. Feeling the strong aroma of the wine in his mouth, he told the story of Xuan Ziwen's past life, which was seven parts true and three parts false, only changing what happened after he met him.

"It's alright, I've already come to terms with it. He spent his whole life in one place, full of ideals but with nowhere to realize them, and his beliefs clashed with that place."

Fang Xiang rebuked him, causing him to ultimately shed tears for his extraordinary talent.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ziwen thought, "Isn't this describing my life? How could there be such a coincidence in the world?"

She looked at Huo Yuhao with wary eyes, but when she saw the genuine emotions in Huo Yuhao's eyes, she fell silent.

All Xuan Ziwen could do was pat Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and say with deep emotion.

"Life is so unfair!"

"Yes, why do people with ideals and talent, who are determined to do something for the people, not get opportunities? Why do those in power enjoy all the privileges?"

Huo Yuhao was quite indignant and slammed his fist on the table, making a crisp sound.

The owner happened to be bringing over the dishes and drinks. He didn't react much when he saw this scene. He had seen too many frustrated people like this in his tavern business. He just gave them some gentle advice.

"Be careful, don't break my table."

After placing the dishes down, they left directly.

Huo Yuhao placed the dishes between the two of them and said in a bold and generous manner.

"We hit it off immediately! You even bought me a drink, let's eat together!"

Seeing Huo Yuhao's sincere eyes, Xuan Ziwen didn't stand on ceremony. He could simply treat him to a meal in return. Although he couldn't realize his ideals at Mingde Hall, his quality of life was still guaranteed.

After talking for a while, Xuan Ziwen increasingly felt that the person Huo Yuhao was talking about was practically himself, and that his future fate would most likely be like that person's, dying of depression in resentment and despair.

Thinking of this, Xuan Ziwen became depressed, drank more frequently, and started talking more.

He described his current situation, and although the existence of Mingde Hall was erased, Huo Yuhao could still connect each person he mentioned.

"I come from a commoner background, and having achieved so much, of course I should strive to secure more and better benefits for the common people! But they're not happy about it. They think the nobles are the ones who should be appeased, while the common people are irrelevant!"

Two tears streamed down Xuan Ziwen's otherwise cold and harsh face, tracing the scars from a minor scrape he'd sustained while working. His voice was like a sob, "They're not here to research soul tools; they're here to find a path to advancement! All they do is flatter and fawn, without putting any effort into improving their own skills!"

As the alcohol took effect, Xuan Ziwen's eyes became somewhat glazed, but his emotions rose higher and higher.

Logically, he wouldn't come to the tavern to drink, because drinking would affect hand stability, which is very detrimental to the creation of soul tools.

But today, one of my projects to make soul tools more accessible to the people was rejected, while another guy whose strength and vision are far inferior to mine, who only knows how to flatter, got his nonsensical soul tool fireworks project approved!

The disconnect between reality and his ideals caused him immense pain, so he turned to alcohol at the tavern to numb himself.