Chapter 15: True Heart

This Hundred-Year Soul Technique is unexpectedly weak!

The Forging Hammer's momentum does not lessen, charging straight toward his front.

"Wait, can't you open the iron box? I can tell you what's inside…"

"No need!" Tie Li cut him off directly, how could he let him reveal the iron box's treasure?

Ke En's gaze shifted repeatedly; only his right claw was injured, his legs were unharmed; after witnessing Tie Li's fierce attack, he tried to flee.

His agile body kept leaping, quickly widening the distance from Tie Li.

At that moment, Tie Li suddenly withdrew his martial soul.

A flash of Lightning Light burst forth at astonishing speed, bearing straight for Ke En.

It was the Thunder Python Horn; Tie Li infused soul power into it, unleashing blue‑white Lightning Light, and with his charged throw, it was like his right palm conjuring a bolt of electricity.

"Sss"

This is a Thunder Python Horn with four‑hundred‑year cultivation; its power cannot be small. Tie Li absorbed the Thunder Python's Soul Ring, allowing his soul power to trigger the horn's effect.

The horn's unleashed power was stronger than Tie Li's use of the First Soul Ring.

Ke En's First Soul Ring only just glowed white when a scorching wound appeared on his abdomen; the horn pierced his belly, exposing the writhing entrails inside.

"You…"

Ke En's pupils stared fixedly at Tie Li, as if a thousand words were unspeakable.

No one present expected that Tie Li could actually kill a Second Ring Great Soul Master.

"Huff huff"

Tie Li, drained, half‑collapsed onto the ground; over‑releasing soul power turned his complexion deathly pale.

The soul power released just now from the Thunder Python Horn was so great that Tie Li briefly thought it would drain him completely.

Fortunately, the attack it unleashed did not disappoint him; otherwise it would have been disastrous.

"Don't let them escape," Ma Zhushi issued a death‑order directly.

Whether concerning the Fengxue Trading House or Tie Li personally, any survivor fleeing would be a trouble for them.

The lost cargo is in Tie Li's hands; afterward it cannot be handed out to the caravan people. Even if Tie Li were willing, they wouldn't dare accept it. If any survivor escaped, the matter would leak, bringing endless trouble to Tie Li.

As a trading house, Fengxue Trading House is obviously public; its biggest worry is covert retaliation, which could cause huge losses—such a situation is hard for a trading house to accept.

Although Tie Li acted, Fengxue Trading House is a participant.

In fact, Ma Zhushi still harbored some worry: would Tie Li kill them to silence them?

Fortunately, no one knows what the cargo actually is or its value.

That's also why Tie Li interrupted Ke En's words; he himself feared that upon learning the iron box's treasure value, he couldn't resist the temptation and would kill to silence.

After recovering a bit, Tie Li rejoined the battlefield; with a Soul Master joining, the situation instantly became a one‑sided suppression.

"Sss."

After killing the last person, Tie Li finally approached Ke En's corpse and began groping.

Two money bags and a jade box!

Next was the corpse of Bai Zhushi, with a single money bag, but it was bulging, clearly full of coins.

Ma Zhushi, like last time, had everyone fetch a money bag and hand it to Tie Li.

But this time Tie Li confiscated them.

"Their goods and carriage should compensate your losses, right?"

Tie Li's notion of loss can be understood differently: I took the missing cargo; these money bags and goods carriage will serve as compensation for you.

We all gain something; afterward, no one may betray anyone!

Upon hearing this, Ma Zhushi's face brightened; that's exactly the words Tie Li gave him.

"Then, the rest is up to you to handle."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it properly."

Tie Li wanted to lie back in the carriage to rest, but found the carriage roof was damaged and needed repair.

Ma Zhushi saw this, immediately ordered his subordinates to mend it, and it was fixed quickly.

The party set out again; no incidents occurred en route, and they arrived at Fuyu City smoothly.

With Fengxue Trading House's seal and credentials, after a brief interrogation, they entered Fuyu City.

"Soul Master Great Sir, this is the reward for this mission!"

After entering Fuyu City, Ma Zhushi hurriedly took out two Gold Soul Coins; perhaps the other side doesn't value these coins now, but it's protocol, not to act arbitrarily.

"Hmm, good, also make me a seal!"

Tie Li pulled a small booklet from his chest; this adds to his 'resume'. With a trading house seal, he'll have priority when taking escort missions from other houses.

After all, trading houses hiring Soul Masters hope to find ones with good reputation and credit.

"Alright."

…

Upon arriving at Fuyu City, Tie Li could say he was completely unfamiliar with the place.

"First find an inn, and casually ask the innkeeper about the city's situation."

He kept the small iron box in his chest the whole way, never daring to open it, fearing the temptation might drive him to kill to silence.

Inn prices were roughly similar; after checking three inns, the fourth's price was about the same, so Tie Li stayed at that inn.

He has money in his pocket, but he can't be a sucker.

"Owner, what trading houses are in Fuyu City?" After booking a room, Tie Li asked the nearby innkeeper, a man in his forties wearing brown cloth garments.

"There are few trading houses inside the city; most supplies come from outside trading houses..."

Probably due to the terrain, Fuyu City's geography is poor, so supplies rely on external trading houses; according to the innkeeper, the only normal trading house here is Zichuan Trading House.

After grasping the gist, Tie Li returned to the room.

He took out the small iron box, but brute force couldn't open it.

Tie Li took out the Thunder Python horn; while in the convoy carriage, he noticed that whenever the horn neared the small iron box, both would exhibit abnormal changes.

The Thunder Python horn would occasionally gather electric light, while the small iron box kept sounding 'dong dong'.

Zizi

Dong dong

Tie Li brought the Thunder Python horn near the small iron box, and both again exhibited abnormal changes.

This time, Tie Li infused soul power into the Thunder Python horn, which instantly turned into lightning light; he then heavily smashed it onto the small iron box.

I have to say, the small iron box's quality is truly excellent; even the physique of a second‑ring great Soul Master could be easily pierced through, only then did the box show slight damage.

However, the treasure inside the small iron box, under its influence, erupted with power surpassing that of the Thunder Python horn.

Boom—

With a violent explosive sound, the small iron box instantly shattered into pieces; a bead of blue‑white intertwined lightning light hovered in mid‑air.

Tie Li was first startled; upon seeing the bead, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Is this... the inner elixir of a thousand‑year Thunder Python?" Tie Li's voice trembled slightly, as if he couldn't believe what he saw.

The Forge Hammer Martial Soul spontaneously appeared; the power of the First Soul Ring and the Thunder Python Inner Core, sharing the same origin, resonated with each other.

(End of chapter)