Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 402: The Manager Of The Skyway Merchant Association

The manager of the Skyway Merchant Association's Ancestral Court was a fat man, nicknamed Fatball within the business circle. He always wore a gentle smile, earning him the moniker of Smiling Tiger.[1] As a direct descendant of the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor, he possessed not only great influence but also considerable personal strength, at the peak of the ninth order. This was only to be expected; the Soul Capturer Tree bloodline was a first-tier bloodline.

"What do you mean, esteemed Skyway Manager?" Xu Ziran said lightly. Given the other's status and position, he certainly couldn't directly call him Fatball, as that would be too offensive.

Fatball chuckled. "Nothing much. Just seeing your expression makes me a bit happy. I heard the Bubble Squad already went poof and exploded. I have to say, that big bubble was quite powerful. It indeed killed a lot of contestants. What a pity, they chose the wrong partners! I'm curious, how much did you invest this time, Brother Xu? Was it your own investment or Aetherhorn's?"

Xu Ziran said calmly, "That's not something the esteemed Skyway Manager needs to worry about. If I were you, I’d be worried about my fat percentage; you look less like a tree and more like a fruit right now."

Fatball was not angered by the taunt; instead, he laughed heartily. "You have a point. I really should control my weight. We made a little money from our bets this time. If His Majesty is pleased, he might reward me, and when I advance to the god level, I won't have to stay cooped up in the association anymore. It's a pity I won't be able to deal with you, brother Xu, in the future."

Although Xu Ziran knew he was being provoked, he was in a foul mood. Of course, they had placed bets, and of course they were not small numbers. But the most important thing was the array master’s protegé!

"Fatball, you..." Just as Xu Ziran was about to lose his temper, a flash of light appeared on a piece of ground with array patterns not far ahead, and figures began to emerge.

Fatball and Xu Ziran were stunned, as they had initially thought no contestants were left. After each team battle, the surviving contestants would leave the Hell Garden at the first opportunity, so why would anyone wait? The Hell Garden was so dangerous that anyone lucky enough to survive and escape would not want to stay a single second longer!

Unexpectedly, ten minutes later, there were still contestants coming out.

When Xu Ziran saw the figures of the five contestants who suddenly appeared, he was stunned, then overjoyed.

The human figures differed immensely from those of the demons and nymphs. Tang San and his companions had planned to use some methods to change their appearances, but since their actual identities were unknown anyway, they appeared in their original forms.

Xu Ziran no longer paid attention to Fatball. He rushed over to the five of them, his eyes blazing as he looked at Tang San. "Brother Asura?"

"Yes. We barely made it out. But we—" Tang San was about to explain, but Xu Ziran interrupted him.

"It's good that you made it out. That's all that matters. We'll think of another way. As long as you're alive, it's fine. Come on, let's get out of here." Xu Ziran's expression had changed dramatically, and he was so excited that he was almost incoherent—the joy of recovering what was lost overwhelmed him. Compared to the money wagered, the survival of the array master's representative was far more important!

As he spoke, he eagerly grabbed Tang San's arm and quickly headed toward the carriage.

Fatball watched this scene, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

He had confirmed that the Bubble Squad was utterly wiped out, and he knew for a fact that his Aetherhorn peer had invested a lot of money into them. But why did these masked humans seem more important to Xu Ziran?

Something was clearly amiss.

Fatball quickly approached, smiling. "Brother Xu, who are these people?"

Xu Ziran gave him a cold glance and did not answer his question. "Fatball, see you at the auction."

With that, he pulled Tang San and the others onto the carriage.

Fatball did not stop them either, as no one dared to break the rule that banned fighting in the Ancestral Court.

As he watched Tang San and the others leave, Fatball's smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"Get me the details on that team."

"Yes, sir."

As the carriage drove smoothly, Xu Ziran finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I heard the Bubble Squad fell, and I thought you all... Damn, that really scared me! If I had known, I wouldn't have let you participate in this team battle, no matter the cost."

Tang San gave a bitter smile. "We were lucky, we just hid in a corner, and were overlooked by the other contestants. That final explosion was really dangerous, I mean... Look at us."

Xu Ziran said through gritted teeth, "The Bubble Squad was targeted and they self-destructed in the end. Most of the others died with them. Fortunately, you're okay. Those fools, why didn't they just escape first?"

Tang San replied, "You can't blame them. It's hard to escape from the Hell Garden. That place is too dangerous."

Hearing this, the expressions under the masks of Wu Bingji and the others were quite amusing. Dangerous? Dangerous to whom?! We took a stroll through the garden and that was that!

"Brother Xu, what should we do about this problem? Will the Ancestral Court..." Tang San asked, pretending to be worried.

Xu Ziran replied firmly, "You don't need to worry. The association will handle this for you. But remember, from now on, the Shrek Squad no longer exists, and you cannot participate in any more fights."

Seeing his expression and response, Tang San immediately understood that Master Lou must have played a significant role.

"Brother Xu, rest assured, we will be cautious. After this, we'll return to Kali City," Tang San said.

Xu Ziran quickly replied, "No rush to Kali City, I’d say you should tell Master Lou you’re alive and well..."

Tang San said, "We've been preparing for the team battle recently, so we haven't contacted Master Lou. I'll see if I can talk to him once we return... and see if he has any new products."

Xu Ziran nodded. "That would be best. The most important annual Ancestral Court auction will take place soon. Such auctions happen only a few times a year anyway, and this one is going to be really grand. If we can get the master to let us handle some array discs, it will surely be spectacular. Tell the master not to worry. If he provides us with some array discs for the auction, especially some precious ones, we can pay a portion upfront when we receive them. After the auction, we will settle the rest according to the final price. We need as many discs as he can provide."

Tang San nodded and said, "I'll contact Master Lou as soon as possible. By the way, Brother Xu, who was that fat man just now?"

Fatball had left a deep impression on Tang San. The fat man looked mostly human, but he had streaks of blue and purple patterns on his face, especially around his eyes, which were also blue and purple. He looked very peculiar.

"That's Fatball of the Soul Capturer Tree clan. He’s the Skyway Merchant Association's Ancestral Court manager, and the Skyway Merchant Association is one of our biggest competitors here. They've always wanted to enter the Empyrean Dominion market, but we've been blocking them. Similarly, it's tough for us to enter their market in the Solstice Empire. The competition is fierce. Everyone showcases their abilities at each Ancestral Court auction to attract more customers. That's why I hope the master can strongly support us in this auction."

Tang San nodded in understanding. "I see. Rest assured, Brother Xu, I'll do my best to get the master to provide some array discs for your auction."

Xu Ziran quickly added, "It's best if they are more precious array discs, especially if you have some that haven't appeared on the market before."

Tang San nodded, "I'll ask the master when I return. What type of array disc do you want the most, Brother Xu? A Spirit Summoning Array shouldn't be a problem."

1. This refers to someone who looks completely harmless but is in fact extremely dangerous. ☜

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