Chapter 23: Under Attack

Seeing the carriage drawn by four horses slowly enter the narrow lane, the few people standing inside fell silent.

Seeing them motionless, Heral thought they hadn't heard him and impatiently repeated, "Are you deaf? The State Preceptor is here; move aside at once!"

This time, the group finally reacted. The one in the middle, clearly the leader, said with a sinister tone, "The State Preceptor? He is exactly who we are looking for. While I am not sure how you found out, since you have delivered yourselves to our door, it saves us the trouble."

Upon hearing this, Heral’s expression shifted. He realized these were not mere passersby but individuals targeting his master. His look quickly changed again, his eyes filled with reverence as he gazed at Lu Chun. It was his master who had ordered them to turn down this lane—obviously, he had already sensed the danger. His master truly possessed foresight that bordered on the divine; Heral’s admiration felt like the surging waters of a great river!

"Hurry! We must capture him before the soldiers arrive!"

The men released their martial souls instantly. Knowing the danger of openly using them within Douling City, they unleashed their most powerful soul skills to end the fight quickly. The immense soul power surged out of the alley, causing nearby pedestrians to panic and flee in terror.

Inside the carriage, Lu Chun remained unmoved. Even as the men closed in within a few meters, his expression did not change. To the attackers, this was merely the reaction of someone scared witless. Though he was a high-ranking State Preceptor, he was, after all, an ordinary man without soul power; it was only natural he couldn't react in time. Having lived lives of violence, they had never encountered such an easy bounty and were already imagining how they would spend the massive reward once Lu Chun was captured.

But at that moment, a roar echoed from the other side of the road. In the blink of an eye, a burly old man appeared before Lu Chun. Facing these magnificent soul skills, he showed nothing but disdain. A layer of rock armor grew over his arms, and he chose to take the attacks head-on.

When they collided, the attackers were the ones forced onto the back foot. The bounty hunters gasped in shock, "What!"

Only then did they notice the eight soul rings floating beside the burly old man—this was a Soul Douluo! Why would they, mere small-fry who weren't even Soul Saints, dare to strike at a Soul Douluo? Realizing the situation was hopeless, they didn't even exchange a word before scattering in different directions.

Heral quickly shouted, "Don't let them escape!"

"Rest assured, Duke," the burly old man said in a deep voice, "they won't get away."

Just as he predicted, before the bounty hunters could get far, several pitch-black figures emerged from the shadows behind them. The newcomers wielded daggers shimmering with a ghostly light; the hunters had no time to react before they were spitting blood and collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Observing the scene that concluded in mere seconds, the burly old man sighed, "I wonder where these rats came from, not even knowing that there are countless Shadow Soul Guards within a hundred meters of the imperial palace. Otherwise, how could nobles and officials travel through here with their escorts?"

Several Shadow Soul Guards stepped forward, saluted Lu Chun, and then looked toward the burly old man. The leader asked coldly, "Diamond Mammoth? Elephant Armored Sect? Huyan Chen?"

Though phrased as a question, the tone was absolute. The burly old man, Huyan Chen, scratched his head and laughed, "Haha! It is indeed this old man. I didn't expect that after hiding from the world for nearly a hundred years, someone would still remember me."

"You are on the list," the man said flatly.

Huyan Chen paused, then asked with curiosity, "A list? Care to elaborate?"

"Nothing to disclose."

The guard refused directly, then turned to Lu Chun, saying, "Apologies for disturbing the State Preceptor. Recently, many rats and some ancient fossils have appeared in the corners of Douling City, causing the Shadow Soul Guards to be overworked and leading to this lapse. As a precaution, I will leave these subordinates under your command to guard your safety."

Lu Chun nodded. The Shadow Soul Guards vanished into the darkness without another word. Though they were invisible, Lu Chun could still feel their presence lingering and patrolling the surroundings.

Once the captain of the Shadow Soul Guards had left, Huyan Chen sighed again, "The Shadow Soul Guards of the Douling Empire are truly like shadows. I really wonder what they obtained from the ruins of the Spirit Hall to be able to train such eerie soldiers."

Lu Chun asked, "The ruins of the Spirit Hall?"

"Why? Is the State Preceptor interested in this?"

"No." Lu Chun shook his head. He looked straight at Huyan Chen and revealed a smile, "By comparison, I am more curious about how this senior from the Elephant Armored Sect arrived so quickly."

Seeing that smile, Huyan Chen’s breath hitched, and the blood in his body nearly surged out of control. It was a sensation like the one he felt when he encountered a powerful beast in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest in his youth. Yet, no matter how he looked at him, Lu Chun appeared to be an ordinary man without a shred of soul power.

Regaining his composure, Huyan Chen chuckled, "It seems I cannot hide anything from the State Preceptor. In truth, I came here specifically for you."

"For me?" Lu Chun laughed softly. "Could those bounty hunters have been sent by you as well? Only for you to appear and 'rescue' me, hoping to win my favor?"

Hearing this, the smile on Huyan Chen's face faded. He no longer acted boisterously, and the aura of a sect master emanated from him.

Huyan Chen said, "State Preceptor, I admit the latter part of your statement was indeed my intention, but those rats were not sent by me. You must have heard—there are many such rats in Douling City now. Even many of my old friends have come. Guess how many of them..."

"Are here for you?"

"For me?"

Lu Chun smiled, "They are here for the Apothecary, aren't they?"

"Are you not the Apothecary?" Huyan Chen countered without hesitation, staring intently at Lu Chun. "Your appearances seem to come out of thin air, and the timing and locations are always perfectly aligned. How many people do you think you can hide this from?"

"The Apothecary is a miracle of the God of Abundance in the mortal realm, and you are the State Preceptor who built the Church of Abundance and helped it flourish throughout the Douling Empire. Even if you are not the same person, you are certainly deeply connected."

"Clap. Clap. Clap."

"Hmm."

Lu Chun nodded unhurriedly and smiled, "The deduction is sound, the evidence is sufficient. That is correct, I am the Apothecary."

Huyan Chen was momentarily stunned. He had been prepared for Lu Chun to deny it to the end, especially since he had used some unknown means to make others forget his form to hide this identity. He had not expected the man to admit it so openly.

Seeming to know what he was thinking, Lu Chun said bluntly, "I never lie. The reason I obscure my form is to protect them."

Seeing that Huyan Chen was still confused, Lu Chun did not explain further. The special power he possessed was not strong enough to distort the perception of soul masters above the Spirit King level, but for lesser lives, it was fatal. He had originally thought that by using a special fragrance made from spiritual herbs to erase himself from their memories, he could eliminate this influence. However, it was of little use; merely coming into contact with him caused them to be affected. The result was the birth of the Church of Abundance.