Douluo Jueshi: I Don't Want to Be an Evil Soul Master

"Why, the guest doesn't believe it?"

Lin Xiao shook his head and avoided Shangguan Wei'er's gaze.

However, Shangguan Weier continued, "Although I am just a merchant, I have a pretty good eye. The goods from the Ordinary Alliance are not ordinary. Whether it's the Sun Moon Empire or the Sky Soul Empire, they're bound to have other thoughts after seeing that batch of goods."

Although Lin Xiao didn't respond, he already somewhat agreed with Shangguan Wei'er's words. It wasn't that he looked down on the officials of the Heavenly Soul Empire, but there really weren't many who could resist the allure of two dragon ladies.

It could enhance physical strength, eliminate hidden dangers, and even potentially induce benign mutations in one's martial spirit—who wouldn't be greedy for something like this? Even if Shrek Academy intended to hide the Dragon Girl and then insist she'd been released, who could actually verify it?

Although the relationship between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Sun Moon Empire was tense, the Ordinary Alliance's business might actually be able to succeed. After all, sometimes only when the relationship was tense could some shady business be done more easily.

"Many things can be traded in the Ordinary Alliance. Besides the previous batch of goods, some groundless information also has its value."

Seeing Lin Xiao's thoughtful look, Shangguan Wei'er suddenly changed the subject and glanced at Shangguan Qing beside her.

"Just now, a guest helped me solve a problem that was bothering me. Please accept these little gifts."

As he spoke, Shangguan Qing handed over two boxes. As soon as he opened the lid a crack, a strange fragrance emanated from it.

"These contain some common medicinal herbs. Some guests also use them as a delight."

Lin Xiao lowered his head to look into the box, then was secretly shocked.

He was familiar with the contents of the box. Even before arriving in this world, he had already heard of its name: whale glue. This thing could enhance physical strength and increase the number of years a spirit master could absorb spirit rings. For ordinary people, it was priceless, but in the hands of the nobles, it was a mere amusement. Truly...

"Also, I heard that this young guest is highly regarded by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..."

After Shangguan Wei'er finished speaking, Lin Xiao suddenly understood why she invited him here. Perhaps only when it involved Crown Prince Xu Tianran would a person like Shangguan Wei'er be interested.

From an outsider's perspective, he certainly had many noteworthy qualities. Not only had he been recommended by Jing Hongchen to attend the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy, but he was also highly regarded by the Holy Spirit Sect leader and taken under his wing, and even personally received by Crown Prince Xu Tianran.

In Shangguan Wei'er's eyes, there are probably many things about Lin Xiao that interest her.

However, Lin Xiao himself knew that all this was just a coincidence. After the soul-raising ceremony was over, Zhongli Wu suddenly felt like taking him to the battlefield to improve his cultivation.

Later, after an assassination attempt, he was imprisoned, and was personally received by Xu Tianran because he intended to win over the Holy Spirit Church.

"Guests, don't worry about it. Qiwuyuan is a place for business. No matter what kind of business it is, it all depends on mutual consent. Only information that guests proactively share is worth trusting."

To be honest, Lin Xiao was a little tempted. Although he had saved up a lot of gold soul coins over the years, some things couldn't be bought just by wanting them. Shangguan Wei'er was so generous, and if there was any news in the future, there would probably be a lot of other good things.

Although he was thinking this in his heart, his words had other meanings. "Alliance Leader Shangguan has misunderstood. My honor to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is merely a coincidence. I'm afraid there isn't much that the Alliance Leader wants."

"Haha, it's okay." Shangguan Wei'er still smiled, "Qiwu Garden is open to welcome guests. No matter what guests want to share with others, they can come to Qiwu Garden at any time."

These days, no one believes the truth. Lin Xiao looked at Shangguan Wei'er, but he had other thoughts in his mind.

Although it was a coincidence that he met Xu Tianran, he did know some things that ordinary people did not understand. If he needed help in the future, he might really come to the Ordinary Alliance for help.

"Okay, it's almost time. Guests are coming to Qiwu Garden, and we can't leave with empty stomachs. Qing'er, go get someone to serve the food."

"Yes, Sister Wei'er."

Hearing this name again, Lin Xiao glanced at Shangguan Qing. Although he had already guessed that Shangguan Qing was related to the Ordinary Alliance, he did not expect that Shangguan Qing and Shangguan Wei'er would have such a relationship.

"The guest seems to have misunderstood something." Shangguan Wei'er saw what Lin Xiao was thinking at a glance, "The Ordinary Alliance has adopted many children like Qing'er. Her parents are both dead, and I raised her. That's why she took my last name and we call each other sisters."

Adoption? Lin Xiao didn't want to guess how many of the children Shangguan Wei'er mentioned were truly adopted, and how many were taken in by the Ordinary Alliance through other means, but it did answer his doubts.

Otherwise, it is really unbelievable that Shangguan Wei'er, who has been famous for decades, still has such a young sister.

After that, Shangguan Wei'er rarely mentioned what happened just now, but just chatted casually until late at night, when Lin Xiao got up to say goodbye.

"Sister Wei'er, you personally invited him here, and you just let him go like this?" Shangguan Qing came close to Shangguan Wei'er and gently massaged her shoulders.

"I've already said that transactions are mutually agreed upon. We in the Ordinary Alliance never ask questions of our guests. It's just that the guests, deeply moved by our friendship, took the initiative to share some of their experiences with us."

"Besides, it wasn't my idea to invite him here. The Ordinary Alliance couldn't have achieved its current status without the support of those nobles. The Second Prince's recent incident made many people anxious, and they wanted to test the Crown Prince's newfound support. I was just helping them."

"Sister Wei'er, do you think he is really worthy of the attention of those nobles?"

Shangguan Wei'er shook her head. "He should be quite influential in the Holy Spirit Church, but he's definitely not the person those people say connects the Crown Prince and the Holy Spirit Church."

I made some minor modifications. The general content remains unchanged, but the order has been changed to make the dialogue more coherent.

Chapter 70 Taking Medicine

As they were talking, another person knocked on the door and walked into the room, kneeling before Shangguan Wei'er.

"Alliance leader, the people who went to the Tianhun Empire have returned."

"Have you found that batch of goods?" Shangguan Wei'er stretched her arms lazily.

"Not yet, but another matter has been resolved." The person who just entered raised his head slightly, "Our people have seen a very rare martial spirit in the Sky Soul Empire."

"Oh?" Shangguan Wei'er became interested and sat up straight again. "What is it?"

"Angel spirit."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shangguan Wei'er's mouth curled up slightly. She didn't speak for a moment, but looked through the window at the street outside.

"Okay, the evil soul master destroyed my Ordinary Alliance's business, how can we let it go so easily? No need to look for the goods anymore, just bring that person back."

"Yes, Alliance Leader."

On the other side, Lin Xiao walked out of Qiwu Garden and took a deep breath of the air on the street. The fragrance at the tip of his nose became a little lighter. The night wind blew, and a chill rose on his back. Only then did he realize that a layer of sweat had appeared on his body without him knowing when.

Communicating with Shangguan Wei'er, who often deals with people and understands people's hearts, is no less than going through a tough battle. During the casual conversation at the table, Lin Xiao has paid special attention, but he is not sure how much Shangguan Wei'er has gained from their conversation.

He had already guessed that his invitation was probably related to his meeting with Xu Tianran some time ago. As the crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, and with the incident of the second prince, naturally many people were paying attention to what was happening around Xu Tianran.

Lin Xiao also attracted a lot of attention because of this. However, although it was a coincidence, if it hadn't happened, with his current strength, he probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to connect with the Pingfan League and Shangguan Wei'er. If he could use it well, it might not be a bad thing.

After calming down and relaxing his mind, Lin Xiao glanced around and walked away along the street. However, he was not heading back to the academy, but to the Holy Spirit Church branch.

It was no secret that people from Qiwuyuan appeared in the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy. Lin Xiao was sure that besides him, there were other people from the Holy Spirit Church in the academy. This news could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Holy Spirit Church, so he went out to the branch temple on the night he received the invitation.

Now that the banquet is over, I must return to report. Disciples who have undergone the Spirit Ascension Ceremony should naturally be loyal to the Holy Spirit Church.

"So the Pingfan League is looking for you just to find out about Xu Tianran?"

"Yes, teacher."

In the Holy Spirit Church branch, Lin Xiao had changed back into his church attire, and the voice behind the mask was a little unclear.

"How did you respond?"

"Teacher, Shangguan Wei'er knows countless people. I told her the truth, but I concealed some details."

"Yes." Sleepy Nightmare Douluo nodded, "She didn't ask about the affairs of the sect?"

"No." Lin Xiao shook his head.

"It seems you've learned your lesson." Sleepy Nightmare Douluo sneered, "When the Holy Church first entered Mingdu, many people openly and secretly inquired about the Holy Church. However, I have always believed in the loyalty of the Holy Church disciples."

Lin Xiao remained silent, but acknowledged that what Nightmare Douluo had said was true. Within the Holy Spirit Cult, those disciples who truly understood the secrets had all undergone the Spirit Ascension Ceremony, so there was no need to worry about them betraying the Cult.

Sleepy Nightmare Douluo lowered his head in thought and slowly took two steps forward. "But this is an opportunity. Since the Ordinary Alliance can inquire about us everywhere, why can't we explore the Ordinary Alliance's true strength?"

"If someone from the Ordinary Alliance comes looking for you again, you can reveal some insignificant matters within the sect." Sleepy Nightmare Douluo turned and looked at Lin Xiao. "She suspects you of a special identity, doesn't she? Then make her suspicion a reality."

"I understand, Master," Lin Xiao agreed with his head bowed. If it had been before the Ascension Ceremony, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo would never have made such a decision. He was also afraid that he would actually leak the secrets of the Holy Spirit Cult.

But now, after the soul-raising ceremony, he no longer had any guard against himself.

"Okay, go back first. We can only wait for them to come to us. If we take the initiative to do it, it will seem less real."

"Yes."

It was already late when we came out of Qiwuyuan, and the trip to the branch temple took quite a while. It was already late at night when we got back to the dormitory.

However, Lin Xiao didn't just rest. He sat cross-legged on the bed and took out a brocade box from his soul storage device. He still accepted Shangguan Wei'er's "reward". Such good things were never too much, so there was no reason to be modest.

Lin Xiao couldn't tell the exact age of the whale glue in the box, but since it was produced by the Ordinary Alliance, its quality couldn't be too low. As soon as he took a sip, a warm current flowed into his stomach, then spread throughout his limbs. With every breath, a faint fragrance lingered in his mouth.

"call--"

Lin Xiao exhaled lightly, and the air from his mouth seemed to become a little hotter. In the darkness, his skin all over his body began to turn red visibly, and beads of sweat continued to overflow from his forehead.

He naturally knew what the reaction would be after taking this extremely yang and strong tonic. He endured the discomfort of his body and slapped the storage soul guide. Another large object appeared in front of him.

It was the Star Vein Grass that was brought out from the wolf den.

Sand and stones kept falling from the huge block of earth and landed on his bed, but Lin Xiao had no time to care about them. Instead, he reached out and picked a leaf of the Star Vein Grass and put it into his mouth.

Suddenly, a cool feeling spread from his mouth, then flowed down his chest to his stomach, instantly making him much more awake.

In stark contrast to the extremely yang and strong whale glue, star vein grass grows in damp and dark caves. It is an extremely cold substance. Taking it at this time can just neutralize the side effects of whale glue.

Two drugs with opposite properties but similar effects entered Lin Xiao's body at the same time. Instead of canceling each other out, the effects blended together and amplified each other. Lin Xiao could even clearly feel that every muscle in his body was changing.

After swallowing one piece of grass leaf after another, in the pitch-black dormitory, Lin Xiao's skin actually emitted a faint fluorescence like the star vein grass, and beneath the skin, the blood was rushing rapidly under the stimulation of whale glue.

The two medicinal ingredients come from animals, plants, deep sea and mountains. One is dynamic and the other is static, one is positive and the other is negative. The two forces intertwine and blend with each other, invisibly improving Lin Xiao's physical strength.

Lin Xiao sat cross-legged on the bed, his brows slightly furrowed. The two forces made his face flicker. The soul bone on his left arm even lit up on its own, and the silver-gray light enveloped his entire left arm.

Chapter 71: The Martial Arts Fanatic

The sun rose from the east, and the orange-red light shone into Lin Xiao's dormitory through the window, falling right on his face.

The change in light in the room seemed to make Lin Xiao feel a little uncomfortable. His eyelids moved slightly, and then he opened his eyes.

Looking down at his body, he found that he was sitting cross-legged at the head of the bed, which was more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. All the fatigue in his body was swept away. He stretched his body and a sound of joints cracking came from his body.

Lin Xiao jumped to the ground, clenched his fists and waved them a few times. He immediately found that his body had become much lighter. Without further testing, he knew that his physical strength had increased a lot.

and--

Lin Xiao crossed his fists and swung them forward a few times, then raised his left arm in front of his eyes.

That wasn't an illusion. Although my entire body had improved, the changes in my left arm were more noticeable.

As if he had thought of something, his mind moved slightly, and the soul power in his body surged towards his left arm, and a ray of light emanated from inside out.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao's eyes changed slightly. The light of his left arm bone was no longer the simple silver-gray color as before. Instead, it had a few bright spots, and the metallic luster was more obvious.

Looking closely, there's a hazy feeling, just like... mithril.

Mentioning mithril instantly reminded Lin Xiao of the Star Vein Grass he'd taken the previous night. Silver wolves loved mithril, absorbing its power for their own benefit. The Silver Wolf King had discovered the Star Vein Grass because it grew alongside mithril.

The changes in the left arm bone now are probably inseparable from the mithril absorbed by the Star Vein Grass.

Lin Xiao had anticipated the increase in physical strength after taking the two medicinal herbs at the same time last night, but he had not expected that his soul bones would also change accordingly.