Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

"Of course, if you're not satisfied with these two options, I can make an exception for you and give you a third option—a living hell. After all, the Holy Spirit Church has no shortage of ways to torment people."

Xu Cheng said with a smile.

Under the glow of the campfire, his fair face appeared terrifyingly sinister in Tang Ya's eyes.

"I... I choose to stay with you..."

Tang Ya's body trembled, and after a long pause, she finally spoke in a soft voice.

"A good choice."

Xu Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

Tang Ya suddenly felt the world spin around her, as if it had shattered and then reassembled. The voice she had just heard seemed to come from far away, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.

But when she became familiar with her surroundings again, her pupils dilated in shock.

In front of her, the roasted meat sizzled, its crispy skin curling and glistening with oil, emitting a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

The warm campfire enveloped the area, driving away the cold.

When she turned her head, the bottomless abyss from before was nowhere to be seen. She was still sitting beside Xu Cheng, in the same position she had been in when she heard the words "evil soul master" and looked up.

It was as if nothing had just happened...

A chill ran up Tang Ya's spine, from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Such an unfathomable technique—she hadn't noticed anything at all!

Which meant... there was no way she could escape!

"Here, eat something to regain your strength. You'll need to add your second soul ring soon." Xu Cheng handed her a roasted leg with a warm smile.

Tang Ya looked up, her eyes reflecting Xu Cheng's kind expression, but the coldness in her heart seeped into her bones. Was this the power of an evil soul master?

"No, this is just my ability," Xu Cheng said with a chuckle.

Tang Ya: "..."

She felt nothing but despair. In front of Xu Cheng, it was as if she had been stripped naked, with no secrets left...

She cautiously accepted the roasted meat. For now, all she wanted was to survive. As for reviving the Tang Sect... that seemed like a distant dream.

Huh?

Tang Ya took a small bite of the roasted leg.

Her eyes widened in shock.

How... how could it be so delicious?!

The Crimson Fire Chicken, a common ingredient found all over the Douluo Continent, was something she had eaten many times before, but it had always been bland and unremarkable.

But this Crimson Fire Chicken... it was a delicacy!

The meat melted in her mouth, with a satisfying crispiness, and the seasoning was absolutely divine!

Watching the girl lose herself in the food, Xu Cheng smiled with satisfaction.

Of course, why do you think Huo Yuhao's grilled fish was so delicious?

Was it because of his superb cooking skills? Well, that was part of it, but the main reason was his spiritual power!

A spiritual-type soul master, while cooking, could control every detail with extreme precision, ensuring that every part of the meat was perfectly cooked.

But weren't there other spiritual-type soul masters who could grill fish?

Well, for one, chefs were at the bottom of the social hierarchy in the Douluo Continent. If you awakened a spiritual-type martial soul, you'd be snatched up by the four great empires, Shrek Academy, and other major powers.

Who would give you the chance to become a chef?

In this regard, Xu Cheng was perfectly suited for the job.

The Blood Eye, though sinister, was a genuine spiritual-type martial soul. In fact, if he were in the Body Sect, with such a top-tier martial soul, he would at least be a Saint-level figure...

So, even though Wu Yun often complained about being busy and not wanting to be called for trivial matters, his actions spoke louder than words.

After all, Xu Cheng's cooking was truly irresistible...

"What about her second soul ring? How should we decide?" Wu Yun wiped the grease from his lips and urged Xu Cheng.

Since Xu Cheng would be starting school tomorrow and he wouldn't be able to mooch off his cooking, it was better to finish early and leave.

Hearing this, Tang Ya also stopped eating and pricked up her ears to listen.

"Dark Blue Silver Grass..."

Xu Cheng pondered.

"Since her first soul skill is Entanglement, her second soul skill could be Parasite, Oak Spirit Vine, or something focused on speed and toxicity, like the Man-Faced Demon Spider. Any of these would work, as long as we find one with a suitable age."

"Got it."

Wu Yun's figure dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering into the dark night sky and flying off in all directions to search for spirit beasts.

This was the second reason Xu Cheng had called him.

With his wide field of vision, it was easier to find spirit beasts.

His Spirit Avatar: Black Crow Swarm, allowed him to split into dozens of crows, each a clone that could transform into his true body. It was a life-saving technique, but in normal times, it could also be used for reconnaissance...

By the campfire.

Tang Ya was stunned.

She had never imagined that this person would know her first soul skill so well.

And he had already planned out her future soul ring path...

It was as if, in front of her, this young man of the same generation wasn't an evil soul master, but rather an elder of her sect...

"Ten thousand years ago, your Tang Sect ancestor, Tang San, used this same setup. Since it's very similar to yours, we might as well use it," Xu Cheng said casually.

"That's impossible! Ancestor Tang San was not an evil soul master!" Tang Ya pouted, glaring at Xu Cheng angrily.

"I may have fallen, but you can't insult my faith!"

"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly. Ten thousand years ago, the term 'evil soul master' probably didn't exist yet," Xu Cheng said seriously.

Hearing this, Tang Ya was stunned.

He... actually apologized?

"But your ancestor Tang San wasn't much different from an evil soul master, was he?"

This statement nearly broke Tang Ya. She stood up, pointing at Xu Cheng, her eyes filled with anger.

Xu Cheng, however, gently pushed her finger aside.

"What is the definition of an evil soul master?"

Xu Cheng's expression remained calm as he looked at Tang Ya's flushed face, smiling faintly.

"Is it a devouring-type martial soul? One that strengthens itself by consuming the lives of others?"

"Then Tang San's martial soul is quite similar to yours. It can drain the life force of those it entangles, and the Eight Spider Lances do the same. As a descendant of the Tang Sect, you should know this..."

"But Ancestor Tang San would never kill indiscriminately like you evil soul masters!" Tang Ya retorted angrily.

"Ten thousand years ago, there was a place called Slaughter City on this continent. Your ancestor Tang San was the seventh person to walk out of it. Do you know what it took to get out?"

Xu Cheng stirred the campfire, his voice still calm.

"Win a hundred matches, and in each match, you had to kill at least nine people. Only the last survivor could win..."

"Nine hundred people. The number of people he killed could pile up into a small mountain."

"Those were all people who deserved to die! They were vicious criminals!" Tang Ya said indignantly.

"Oh? Then what about the Spirit Hall?"

Xu Cheng looked up, staring into Tang Ya's eyes, a smirk on his lips.

"After his victory, Tang San wiped out everyone in the Spirit Hall. From the Pope down to the local officials, at least hundreds of thousands of people were killed under his orders."

"..."

"The Spirit Hall... was the villain! Ancestor Tang San was eliminating evil for the people!" Tang Ya hesitated for a moment, her tone noticeably weaker.

"Villain... huh."

Xu Cheng shook his head.

"It's just a matter of the winner writing history. There's no such thing as a 'villain.' Did the Spirit Hall slaughter innocent people?"

"..."

"Did the Spirit Hall do anything heinous?"

"..."

"See? You can't even answer. You only know the Spirit Hall was the villain, but you don't know why it was the villain." Xu Cheng chuckled and shook his head.

"Let me tell you, it's simply because the Spirit Hall had a grudge against Tang San, so it became the villain..."

Tang Ya lowered her head, the teachings of her ancestors clashing violently with Xu Cheng's words.

It was enough to nearly shatter the girl.

Xu Cheng watched with amusement as the girl struggled, then delivered the final blow.

"By the way, our Holy Spirit Church actually worships Tang San as our founding ancestor..."

[T/N: Lmao]

(End of Chapter)