Heavenly Soul Empire, Heaven Dou City. Ironblood Sect's Headquarters.
"What is going on?!" A glass cup broke against the marble floor by a tall muscular man, throbbing veins stretched across his neck, as he slammed his fist against the table in frustration, breaking it into pieces.
The room was filled with tension as his disciples and some high-ranking members of the sect looked down, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads. The man was Tie Li, the Sect Master of the Ironblood Sect. He was known for his hot temper and fierce fighting skills, but his current rage seemed to surpass anything they had seen before.
Even his son, Tie Tang, who sat on a chair near him with a fearful expression had never seen his father so enraged.
"This is the twentieth shop we've lost this month, that's more than half of our total revenue! And with at least two hundred of our men and women dead!" Tie Huo bellowed, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. "Who is causing this and why haven't we gotten rid off of them already?!"
"S-Sect master," After a moment of silence, someone finally gathered up the courage and reported the situation. "the ones causing this dire situation have been identified to be a group but..."
"But what?" Tie Li narrowed his eyes, everyone perked up their ears in interest.
The disciple gritted his teeth and said, "T-They say there is only two confirmed people in said group, every survivors in previous attacks describe them as a man and a woman. They are extremely powerful, easily defeating our sect members with their unique martial souls, soul skills, martial arts techniques and mysterious weapons. The... woman especially did most of the damage. It seems obvious she has a personal vendetta against our sect and are specifically targeting our revenue sources."
Tie Li's fury grew, his fists trembling with anger. How dare they attack their sect and target their livelihoods? He had went through a lot to build all of this with his blood and sweat whilst crushing an old friendship to ashes.
So despite wanting to go full berserk to everything around to vent his frustration, as the sect master for many years now, had curb out his anger to think rationally.
"This... woman. You speak as if we all know who this woman is specifically, and with such hesitation as well." He furrowed his brows, a cold glint in his eyes. "Who. Is. She?"
"... Tang Sect's little girl, Tang Ya."
Tie Li's eyes widened in shock at the mention of the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect was a renowned sect with a long history but had fallen through the passage of time, with him taking over their headquarters they now inhibit by killing off the last members and exiling their child when Shrek Academy finally intervened.
'So, the little girl finally returns to exact her revenge...' The air around him began to shake, his body began to change as he grew to an impressive 2 meters tall and his muscular build expanded by three times, and brown fur that was as tough as iron started appearing across his body making him appear as a bear instead of a man. Six soul rings rose underneath his feet; one white, two yellow and three purple.
This was his martial soul, the Iron Armed Bear. Though it's ranked at the bottom amongst bear soul beasts, just his cultivation of rank 66 was enough to make anyone unable to look down on him.
"I let her live so she can enjoy the rest of her life. But instead of being grateful for my act of kindness, she comes back to destroy everything I've built," Tie Li growled, his voice filled with fury.
The soul undulations his body emitted caused everyone in the room further lowered their heads in submission.
"... This group, what is it called?" He asked, staring down at the shivering disciple
The disciple hesitated for a moment before speaking, "They are calling themselves the Akatsuki, Sect Master."
Tie Li raised his eyebrows in surprise, as did some of the others in the room. "The Akatsuki? What kind of a name is that? I thought for sure..." He went silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Nevermind. Everyone, hear me!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Abandoned whatever mission or task you're all currently assigned to. From now on, our main focus is to hunt down this Akatsuki group and eradicate them once and for all. I want every available disciple and sect member to be on high alert. We will not rest until their blood stains the ground!"
The room filled with a resounding affirmation from Tie Li's disciples and sect members, their loyalty and dedication shining through their eyes.
Tie Li clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with determination. He could feel the anger and frustration fueling his every move. The Akatsuki had crossed a line, and they would pay dearly for it.
.....
"Dear customer, what do you think?" A middle age man, with some grey hairs on his temples and a balding spot on his hair, said with a wide warm and welcoming smile on his face.
He was naturally ecstatic because he was selling off an old villa he had gotten from his grandfather. Although it was incredible; as big as around 3,000 square ft. with an outdoor pool, a garden and a secondary building said to be a library, but it was a in disrepair and in need of some elbow grease, but there was a reason why he hadn't used it and no one had bought it from him for so long.
"Hm. Not bad," Huo Yuhao hummed as he slid his finger across the dusty surface of an old table. "But there seems to be some damage here and there," he pointed out, gesturing to a crack that ran through the wood and the whole room they were in.
The middle-aged man's smile faded slightly, but he quickly recovered. "Ah, yes. That's a minor issue. Easily fixable, I assure you. And once it's repaired, this villa will be worth twice the price!"
Huo Yuhao nodded, his eyes scanning the room. The villa had potential, he could see that much. With a little renovation and a touch of his house skills, it would be a perfect base for their operations.
"Alright," he said. "I'll take it. But I want a discount for the repairs and for the security."
The middle-aged man coldly sweated and inwardly cursed at the young teen but on the outside he eagerly nodded his head, relieved that he had finally found a buyer for the old villa. "Of course, of course! I can give you a 30%, no, 40% discount on the total price. Is that satisfactory?"
He had quickly changed his tone when he noticed the boy's gaze turned chilly.
He was supposed to be older than him but... there was just something terrifying about the kid. With his short and strangely colorful hair and slight scar on the left corner of his lips, he obviously looked like a punk.
But in that moment, the boy seemed far more dangerous than just a mere 'punk'. It was like staring at a beast, waiting for an opportunity for his fangs to sink in, and the middle-aged man couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.
Huo Yuhao grinned. "Perfect. I'll take it."
As the deal was being finalized, Tang Ya stood silently by the corner with a neutral expression on her face. She watched as Huo Yuhao took charge of the negotiations, clearly impressed by his assertiveness and confidence.
After numerous attacks they had done to the Ironblood Sect's shops and revenue sources for a few weeks now, Tang Ya's had begun to change. She was more stoic, cold and bloodthirsty in her actions. She had always been kind, strong-willed and determined, but now her determination was fueled by an extreme burning desire for revenge.
She would've continued on with her rampage if it weren't for the only person that could tame her right now, Huo Yuhao.
Every time that seemed as though that Tang Ya would go too far, Huo Yuhao would always forcibly snap her back to reality.
Though she was initially reluctant of being a subordinate to Huo Yuhao now but after just a few weeks, she had finally accepted her place. She saw the wisdom in Huo Yuhao's actions and his ability to strategize and make quick decisions. And most importantly, he understood her pain and rage, and he was able to anchor her and bring her back from the edge of the Evil path.
After the transaction was completed, the middle-aged man handed the keys over to Huo Yuhao and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for your purchase. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact me."
Huo Yuhao nodded, pocketing the keys. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your assistance."
As they left the villa, Tang Ya finally spoke up. "Huo Yuhao, why did you decide to buy this old villa? You know about the... rumours surrounding this place."
Huo Yuhao glanced at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "About how an ancient infamous Evil Soul Master once occupied this place and after his death, he supposedly cursed this place to be forever haunted by him and the souls that he had damned?"
"Yes! Oh my Sea God, why? Just why would you buy this place?!" Tang Ya shouted in angry disbelief; her mask completely wiped at the moment.
Everyone in the continent hated Evil Soul Masters, for good reason. Because in order for them to advance in cultivation, they had to do all kinds of nefarious and diabolical acts, often involving the sacrifice of innocent souls. The thought of living in a place that was supposedly cursed by one of these despicable individuals was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Huo Yuhao chuckled, clearly amused by Tang Ya's reaction. "Relax, Tang Ya. You know me, I wouldn't act if I wasn't confident. And you have to think about it logically, could an Evil Soul Master, even if they had reach Titled Douluo, really curse this place for hundreds of years? No. Unless they reach the pinnacle in this world or become a God could they do so."
"But in the chance that they could," A golden light flashed across his eyes with his magnificent three soul rings arose underneath his feet. His first soul ring emitted out a gentle white glow and he immediately saw that there in the villa. "I'm not afraid. Besides, it'll be a good ingre–challenge for me. Have you ever saw a true ghost or spirit before? I haven't."
Truth be told, he knew what was going on and that it was really full of spirits. He knew this because the always silent grey ball in his spiritual sea had finally spoke up to him, though more like it could finally transmit its voice to him.
"Little Yuhao... Go to this house, the cries of anguish and sorrow of these spirits... They must be purified and be properly sent off. This would greatly benefit you as well."
He was already going to buy the villa, especially with such a low price, because he wanted to use one of its rooms or the basement as his laboratory and the elder gray ball's words were the final push he needed to make the decision.
'I really want to start researching and reforging the Snow King's soul bone, but the souls of the past need to rest first.'
.....
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