The next morning.
Xiao Lin and the others had already prepared their tools for the trip, carrying them personally instead of putting them in the storage soul tool.
Money can easily stir one's heart, and both Xiao Lin and Tang San understood this well.
The three of them carried water skins for drinking and some food. Tang San also had poison and insect-repellent powder with him.
In this lifetime, under Xiao Lin's influence, Tang San had developed a liking for reading and had started learning about the plants and animals of this world, as well as toxins.
Tang San didn't want to risk putting himself, Xiao Lin, or Xiao Wu in danger just because some herbs might look the same in both worlds but have different properties.
The entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest was 1,200 miles outside of Notting City (this had been mentioned previously about the three-fold larger map). Without a specialized aircraft like Tang Hao's, they would have to travel by carriage.
Fortunately, the carriage had already been arranged by Su Yun, the big brother of the Su family.
Soon, the three of them boarded Su Yun's carriage, paying him fifteen silver soul coins.
Although Xiao Lin promised that the earnings from this soul hunting trip would cover Su Yun's carriage fee, Su Yun refused.
In his mind, Xiao Lin's combat power was far greater than his own, and he essentially considered the payment a fee for hiring a bodyguard.
Tang San was similar. Su Yun had already been easily defeated by Tang San using his skills, and with Tang San's healing abilities, their safety during the soul hunting trip was greatly enhanced.
As for Xiao Wu, she was considered a "slacker."
On the carriage, Su Yun was wearing a loose combat outfit, meant for when his martial soul was activated. This was his combat attire.
The journey was going to be long, over three days even by carriage.
Even though they hadn't reached the Soul Hunting Forest yet, they couldn't let their guard down completely. What if a soul beast wandered out of the forest?
On the carriage, Su Yun started talking about the upcoming task in the Soul Hunting Forest.
"Speaking of which, it's because of that Master Lin Dong's paper. By the way, have you guys read Master Lin Dong's paper about how soul masters can exceed the limit when absorbing soul rings?"
"You three have such high talent; don't neglect your physical training."
As he spoke, Su Yun flexed his arm, showing off his muscles. "I've been training my body recently. I hope that when I reach level thirty, I'll be able to absorb a stronger soul ring."
Su Yun wouldn't dare to talk about exceeding the limit when absorbing a soul ring.
After Xiao Lin assured him that they would all absorb a second-level thousand-year soul ring, Su Yun dropped the topic and continued with the task.
"Because of the exceeding limit soul ring absorption issue, the Wang family of Notting City, specifically Wang Fu Gui, has become more ambitious, demanding to absorb a seven-hundred-year-old second soul ring. And the stronger the soul beast's level, the more likely it is to hide deep in the forest."
"This means our hunting team might have to venture deeper into the Soul Hunting Forest, and with insufficient manpower, I've brought you three along as reinforcements."
Su Yun fixed a determined gaze on Xiao Lin and Tang San, making it clear that he was serious about this task.
"What martial soul does Wang Fu Gui have, and what kind of soul beast's soul ring does he want to absorb?" Xiao Lin asked, wanting to make sure he understood the soul beast information.
Otherwise, if they encountered a soul beast that could challenge even a ten-thousand-year soul beast, they could be in danger.
Although such soul beasts weren't common in the Soul Hunting Forest.
"Wang Fu Gui's martial soul is a coin box, and when attacking, it can spray countless coins. But these coins aren't real, so their attack power isn't very strong. It's more useful for certain greedy human soul masters."
"This time, he wants a seven-hundred-year-old bullet bee soul beast."
"Bullet bee!?" Xiao Lin raised his voice in surprise, exclaiming loudly.
Immediately, everyone in the carriage turned to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
Su Yun didn't understand. A seven-hundred-year-old bullet bee couldn't break Xiao Lin's soul power defense, so what was there to be worried about?
"What's wrong? You guys don't even know what a bullet bee is?"
"A bullet bee is a type of group soul beast. When the queen bee reaches over five hundred years of cultivation, the bullet bee colonies can occupy a significant portion of the Soul Hunting Forest."
"That means if that guy wants a seven-hundred-year-old bullet bee, he'll be dealing with a whole swarm of them at that level."
"In this case, unless you have a top-tier fire-type martial soul at the soul respect level, I'd advise against going."
As soon as Xiao Lin finished speaking, everyone in the carriage was shocked. Su Yun's mouth dropped open, and he gasped.
"No way, Xiao Lin, there can't be such powerful soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest. The Spirit Hall wouldn't allow such strong soul beasts there."
Su Yun shook his head in disbelief. If what Xiao Lin said was true, he would have encountered bullet bees during his multiple trips to the Soul Hunting Forest.
Xiao Lin furrowed his brow and continued, "Well, it's true that you don't normally encounter such bullet bee colonies in a small place like the Soul Hunting Forest."
"But if there's only one solitary bullet bee, it's even worse."
"That's because a solitary bullet bee undergoes bodily mutations, developing a deadly organ. The poison from this organ can incapacitate a low-level soul master with just a scratch, eventually causing suffocation and death."
"One strike, one kill. That's where the name bullet bee comes from."
"If Wang Fu Gui just wants a fast soul beast, I suggest he looks for something else."
After Xiao Lin finished speaking, the three people on the carriage had different expressions.
Su Yun frowned. "Although this soul beast seems like it wouldn't break your defense, for us, it's a one-touch death sentence."
Tang San lowered his head. "With such powerful toxins, I might be able to study them. I wonder if I can combine them with my hidden weapons."
Xiao Wu tightened her thighs, wrapping her arms around her knees as if she was feeling a phantom pain. She gently touched her leg, "Xiao Lin is right. That bullet bee, if it stings, it really hurts."
Su Yun looked at Xiao Lin with difficulty. "Xiao Lin, is there really no way around this? Wang Fu Gui promised us each a hundred gold soul coins if we help, and you guys will get the same."
"Su Yun, the money isn't that much. The local hunting teams at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest already charge five gold soul coins for a ten-year-old soul beast."
Xiao Lin shook his head. He wasn't afraid, and Tang San might not be either, but Xiao Wu?
And Su Yun? What about the other hunting teams and Wang Fu Gui?
Did completing the task mean they could ignore the troublesome Wang Fu Gui?
The difficulty of the task was far beyond expectations, especially considering they had to protect the paying client.
"Alright, then. I'll go ask if we can swap for another soul beast. But you'll need to come up with a suitable one."
"Fine, but that'll be another price. Let Wang Fu Gui pay me for the information. This is called knowledge-based payment."
Xiao Lin nodded. It was better that Su Yun was willing to accept his suggestions.
After all, the three of them weren't here to seek trouble; they were here to gain experience and grow.
(End of Chapter)