Taking a deep breath, Li Shen approached the door and gave it a few polite knocks.
"Come in, it's open," Ma Nuo's voice called from within.
Li Shen pushed the door open and stepped inside, finding Ma Nuo seated behind his desk, scribbling on a scroll. The man looked up and smiled, waving the boy over.
"Li Shen, come here. What do you need?"
Li Shen stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Uncle, someone told me... my Martial Spirit may look plain, but it's actually extremely powerful. He even told me which Spirit Beast I should seek for my first spirit ring."
Ma Nuo's gentle smile froze—his expression turning stiff as a faint tremble ran through his fingers. Slowly, anger began to rise in his eyes, like a storm brewing beneath still waters.
"...Really?" His voice was dangerously low now. "Can you tell me what this bastard—this fool—looked like?"
His hands clenched behind his back as he stood, his expression darkening with every word.
"Was it a wandering Spirit Master? Some traveling charlatan? Or worse—a local troublemaker from one of the outer branches? Tell me, Li Shen. Don't worry. I'll find him. I'll peel that bastard's skin off for feeding you lies and false hope."
His voice cracked like thunder, but the fury in his eyes wasn't directed at Li Shen—it was fierce protectiveness aimed at whoever dared deceive him.
Li Shen blinked, surprised by the outburst, but then a small smile tugged at his lips. He hadn't expected this old man to get that worked up over his well-being.
"I don't know," Li Shen replied honestly. "I only heard a voice—calm and strange—and when I looked around, no one was there. I didn't believe it at first either… That's why I went to the Spirit Beast Archive to check. What the voice told me matched exactly what's written there—even the part about the Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear cub sighting."
Ma Nuo fell silent, the anger in his eyes giving way to something more calculating—concern mixed with sharp analysis.
If he's lying, he's good at it. But that level of detail… that kind of verification... No, he believes what he's saying, Ma Nuo thought grimly.
Still, a darker possibility gnawed at him—a more chilling one.
What if this is a plot? What if someone from an enemy sect or rogue Spirit Master faction is manipulating Li Shen? Guiding him toward a Spirit Beast that could kill him—or worse, luring him into a trap?
Ma Nuo stood slowly, face firm.
"Alright. If what you say is true, then take me to the location. I want to see for myself if this Spirit Beast truly exists."
Li Shen's eyes lit up for a brief moment, though he quickly masked it and nodded obediently. "Yes, Uncle Ma."
Ma Nuo grabbed his Spirit Badge from the table and strode toward the door. Then, pausing mid-step, he turned back with a more commanding tone.
"Wait here for an hour. I'm going to call a few trusted friends—senior Spirit Masters. If there really is a Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear cub out there… then your first spirit ring hunt just became an elite mission."
His eyes narrowed.
"And if someone's trying to use you as bait, we'll crush them before they even realize they were found."
With that, he swept out of the room, his Spirit Badge glowing faintly with each step.
Li Shen remained behind, a calm smile playing on his lips.
An hour later, Ma Nuo returned—not with a group of Spirit Masters, but with a single woman.
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier the moment she entered.
Her purple eyes shimmered with quiet power—calm, yet piercing, like a blade wrapped in silk. Though graceful and beautiful, there was an overwhelming pressure around her that made Li Shen instinctively straighten. Even Ma Nuo, a level 34 Spirit Elder, walked behind her, beads of sweat forming on his brow from a mix of respect and tension.
"Is he the one?" she asked without preamble, her gaze sharp as it landed on Li Shen.
Ma Nuo bowed quickly and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. It's him. He awakened what appears to be a simple black book as his Martial Spirit, but his innate power has already reached level 10."
Then, without missing a beat, he glanced sideways at Li Shen and gave him a subtle, urgent wink.
Li Shen caught the cue and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"It's an honor to meet someone of such stature. Please forgive me if I don't know the proper way to address you."
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, then she gave a faint nod.
"You may call me Spirit Kite Douluo. That's enough."
She stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over Li Shen like a silent storm.
"I came because Ma Nuo vouched for your talent—and because someone sensed… something peculiar about your soul resonance."
Li Shen kept his face calm, though inwardly he was rattled. Did she sense the System? No… maybe they think it's some divine resonance, like a voice from the heavens—
"You said a voice guided you to a Spirit Beast suitable for your first ring?" she asked sharply.
Li Shen nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. A voice I couldn't identify. But it spoke of a Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear cub. I checked the Spirit Hall archives myself, and the sighting it described matched exactly."
Spirit Kite Douluo's brow twitched ever so slightly.
"And you expect us to believe a mysterious, disembodied voice is helping a child select one of the rarest and most dangerous Spirit Beasts in the world?"
Her tone wasn't mocking—but it carried the weight of deep scrutiny.
Li Shen met her eyes steadily. "I don't expect you to believe it, Your Highness. That's why I asked Uncle Ma Nuo to help confirm it. If I'm wrong, you lose only time. But if I'm right…"
He let the thought hang, confident and measured.
Spirit Kite Douluo studied him for a long moment. Then, ever so slightly, her lips curved.
"Sharp tongue. Steady gaze. You're either brave… or very well protected."
She turned, the hem of her robe sweeping with divine elegance.
"We leave in ten minutes. I'll see for myself whether fate favors you—or if something darker is watching you from the shadows."
She left the room, and Ma Nuo finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
"You handled that well," he murmured under his breath. "But be careful. Spirit Kite Douluo isn't just a Titled Douluo—she's one of the Elders of the Spirit Hall. If she suspects anything strange… she won't hesitate to act."
Li Shen nodded, his eyes gleaming.
Then I just have to make sure… there's nothing for her to suspect.
****
Like It?
Ream more at
patreon.com/be_king