Douluo: Steal Tang San's luck and become stronger!

Tang Lan paid no attention to Tao Zuo's thoughts. His gaze returned to the list in his hand, his fingertips slowly tracing the names and brief descriptions with the ink still wet.

Most of the people on the list are locals of the Douling Empire, scattered across various cities in the southwest, with a few coming from the border regions of the Tianhun Empire. Their ages range widely, from teenagers to elderly people in their fifties.

The Soul Master levels vary widely, ranging from the lowest three-ring Soul Master to the highest eight-ring Soul Douluo. Clearly, this list was selected based on "suspiciousness" rather than strength, encompassing a wide range of possibilities.

Tang Lan's gaze finally settled on the last name on the list.

The name was placed in a rather unusual position, seemingly added later, and the handwriting appeared somewhat hurried. However, the information following it made Tang Lan's eyes narrow slightly.

Chai Yong, titled Crimson Tiger, martial soul Crimson Flame Tiger King, soul power level 92, outer deacon of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Title Douluo! And a level 92 Title Douluo at that! Although he is only an "outer steward," which may sound like a low-ranking position, the strength of a Title Douluo is undeniable, and he should not be underestimated in any force!

"Chai Yong...Red Tiger Douluo..."

Tang Lan murmured Chai Yong's name and title, gently tapping his name with her finger.

Seeing that Tang Lan paid special attention to the last name, Tao Zuo quickly stepped forward, his face showing a mixture of fear and flattery, and began to introduce her.

"Sir, this Chai Yong... is a tough nut to crack, and also the most troublesome one on the list."

He swallowed hard and continued.

"This person is a native of the southwestern part of the Douling Empire. It is said that he was a genius of a small sect in his early years, but later his personality changed drastically. He slaughtered the entire sect and then defected to the Holy Church. Because of his strong strength and extremely bloodthirsty nature, the church gave him the position of an outer steward. It can be considered as... making use of him, or rather, keeping him in check and preventing him from causing trouble within the church."

Tao Zuo's tone carried a hint of disdain and fear.

"But this guy is the most unruly! Relying on his title as a Douluo, he only occasionally listens to the orders of a few real big shots in the main altar. He ignores everyone else, including some inner hall stewards with higher status than him, and even some protectors. He even turns on them at the drop of a hat."

That's why the sect only made him an outer deacon, a position with no real power and no fixed tasks. They just let him operate freely in the southwest region, only remembering to send him out to handle the occasional dirty work or tough problem.

He glanced at Tang Lan's expression and added.

"Not only that, he is inherently cruel and murderous, and has almost no friends. The brothers who have dealt with him all say that he is a madman, unpredictable, and treats human life as worthless. When he fights, he doesn't distinguish between friend and foe."

He usually prefers to work alone, and his whereabouts are unpredictable; no one knows where he'll be or what he'll be doing next. He's on the list mainly because of his immense strength, his elusive nature, and also…

Some brothers reportedly saw him from afar in the Black Wind Canyon area, northwest of Rose City, around the time of the beast tide outbreak—a somewhat coincidental occurrence. However, there is no other direct evidence.

After Tao Zuo finished speaking, he looked at Tang Lan cautiously. Listing a Title Douluo as a suspect was extremely risky. He was worried that "Faceless Lord" would blame him for his incompetence or think that he was shirking responsibility.

Tang Lan listened quietly, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. A titled Douluo, eccentric, cruel, bloodthirsty, and unruly, yet incredibly powerful, was marginalized by the Holy Spirit Cult, relegated to a sinecure…

Would someone like this be sent to carry out a sophisticated mission requiring stealth and coordination, such as deploying evil soul tools and controlling beast tides? It seems unlikely. But precisely because of his maverick nature and formidable strength, if he were truly the one doing it, he would be even more difficult to detect and stop.

Tang Lan pondered for a moment, then pointed to the name "Chai Yong" on the list, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable determination.

"Let's start investigating him first!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Zuo immediately became uneasy. The fawning smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by panic and embarrassment.

He quickly stepped forward and hurriedly explained.

"My lord! Think twice! This Chai Yong is no pushover! He's a Title Douluo! Level 92! And a ruthless madman who kills without blinking an eye! If we go to monitor and investigate him, what if... what if we slip up and he discovers us?"

Even if they were both members of the Holy Spirit Cult, given his temperament, he could very well be secretly killed to silence him! He wouldn't even know how he died! Sir, perhaps... we could start investigating the weaker members first? Or... gather more information about him?

Tao Zuo was genuinely terrified. Inciting his colleagues and investigating leads was fine, but directly provoking a notorious Title Douluo, especially through surveillance and investigation—a method that could easily anger him—was practically suicide!
He had finally managed to latch onto "Faceless Master" and saw hope for a breakthrough, but he didn't want to be defeated by a madman so quickly.

Tang Lan looked at Tao Zuo's panicked appearance, but simply waved her hand and remained calm.

"What's the panic? I didn't say you were to make direct contact with him or monitor him."

He glanced at Tao Zuo, then at Wang Qiu'er who was listening quietly beside him, and explained.

“For a target of this caliber, ordinary surveillance and tracking are meaningless and will only alert them. What I mean is, we should prioritize him for investigation, but the methods need to be adjusted.”

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"I will personally investigate this matter. The rest of you, continue to follow the original plan and track down other suspicious individuals on the list, gathering more intelligence, especially regarding their recent whereabouts and who they have been in contact with."

Are there any records of unusual material transactions or fluctuations in soul power? As for Chai Yong, you only need to tell me the known locations where he might appear, along with more detailed physical characteristics and habits. Leave the rest to me.”

Upon hearing that Tang Lan was going to take action personally, Tao Zuo was taken aback at first, then let out a long sigh of relief, a smile returned to his face, and he said repeatedly.

"I see! I was foolish and misunderstood your meaning, sir! With you personally taking charge, there is naturally no chance of failure! No matter how arrogant Chai Yong is, he is nothing but a chicken and a dog in front of you, sir! I will go and compile all the known information about Chai Yong into a book and present it to you as soon as possible!"

He felt much more at ease, and at the same time, he was even more convinced of the strength of "Faceless Lord" - daring to personally investigate a Title Douluo, this Lord's cultivation level was probably far beyond his previous imagination!
"Okay, go ahead. As soon as possible."

Tang Lan nodded.

Tao Zuo felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He bowed respectfully again before quietly leaving the room to busy himself with organizing Chai Yong's information.

After watching Tao Zuo leave, the door closed again. Wang Qiu'er, who had been standing quietly to the side, walked over to Tang Lan, a hint of confusion in her golden eyes, and asked softly, "This Chai Yong sounds like a bloodthirsty, uncontrollable madman. Would someone like that really be chosen by the higher-ups of the Holy Spirit Cult to carry out such an important and 'skilled' and 'stealthy' mission as deploying soul-guided devices and controlling a beast tide? It doesn't seem like his style."

Upon hearing this, Tang Lan's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

He picked up the slightly cooled tea on the table, took a sip, and said slowly.

"Qiu'er, when investigating cases and hunting down criminals, or analyzing opponents, the worst thing you can do is to be misled by appearances and preconceived notions."

He put down his teacup, his gaze becoming profound.

"Sometimes, the truth may lie in what you least expect. Because Chai Yong looks like a brute who only knows how to kill, everyone thought he wouldn't do that kind of 'delicate work,' but if he did..."

On the contrary, it's easier to succeed and harder to be suspected. The Holy Spirit Cult's leadership isn't stupid; they don't just look at whether someone's personality is 'suitable' when hiring. Sometimes, they utilize this 'contrast' and 'unexpected' nature. Moreover…”

Tang Lan paused, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

"Could a marginalized, resentful, yet powerful Title Douluo secretly collaborate with certain factions or even 'traitors' within the sect to do something shady for some reason? Or is he himself a 'protector' or 'executor' of some secret experiments?"
Before concrete evidence is available, anything is possible. He was prioritized not only because of his strength and the special nature of the suspicion, but also because he represents a valuable 'entry point'—a potential point of entry to uncover the deeper secrets and conflicts within the Holy Spirit Cult in the southwest region.

Wang Qiu'er nodded thoughtfully.

She understood Tang Lan's meaning. Investigating Chai Yong was not only about finding the person who placed the soul tool, but also about using him as a breakthrough to explore the internal structure, factional struggles, and even other possible secrets of the Holy Spirit Cult in the southwest region.

Over the next two days, Tao Zuo sent detailed information about Chai Yong, including his known public appearances, rumored locations, a detailed description of his physical characteristics, and some rumors about his fighting style and personality.

Tang Lan carefully noted down this information and developed a preliminary contact plan with Wang Qiu'er.

They don't intend to directly track or infiltrate; that would be too risky.

They chose a more direct approach, one that also tested their psychological resilience and ability to disguise themselves—creating "chance encounters."

Three days later, the sky over Rosette darkened, and a light drizzle began to fall in the afternoon. By evening, the rain was pouring down, with large raindrops pounding on the rooftops and streets, splashing up a white mist.

In this kind of weather, there are few pedestrians on the streets, and many shops have closed early.

In the southern part of the city, on a street that is neither particularly bustling nor remote, there is a restaurant called "Zui Ke Ju" that is still open for business. The restaurant has two floors and an ordinary facade, but the dim yellow light inside makes it seem somewhat warm in the rainy night.

The lobby on the first floor of the restaurant was nearly empty. There were only three or four tables of casual diners, some drinking alone, others talking in hushed tones, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere.

In the very center of the hall, beside a square table, sat a burly man alone.

He was dressed in an inconspicuous black outfit, with a black cloak over it. The hood of the cloak was now down, revealing a face with sharp features, weathered and worn, and a hideous claw mark on his left cheek.

He was still wearing an old, wide-brimmed straw hat, which was now sitting on the corner of the table, dripping water. On the table were a few simple dishes of braised food and an opened jar of strong liquor, which he was pouring for himself. He was not drinking quickly, but each sip was very deep. His eyes were indifferent as he stared at the torrential rain outside the door, as if he were isolated from everything around him.

The other customers around seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally avoiding this guy. The two tables closest to him were empty, and the customers further away were also trying to turn their backs to him, speaking in extremely low voices.

The entire lobby, centered on him, formed an invisible "vacuum." A faint yet palpable sense of oppression, tinged with heat and violence, even though he deliberately concealed it, still made ordinary people feel uneasy. Clearly, this was "Red Tiger" Chai Yong.

Just then, the restaurant door was pushed open, and the sound of wind and rain outside instantly intensified.

A man and a woman, each holding an oil-paper umbrella, walked in side by side from outside the door. The man appeared to be about forty years old, with an ordinary face and a calm demeanor, dressed in a grayish-blue cloth robe.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with delicate and gentle features, and dressed simply as well. The two closed their umbrellas, shook off the water droplets, and acted naturally, as if they were just an ordinary couple of travelers passing by, who had come in to take shelter from the rain and have a meal.

The waiter saw a customer arrive and hurried over to greet him.

The man in blue casually glanced around the hall, seemingly oblivious to the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the burly man in black in the center, and pointed directly to the empty table next to Chai Yong, speaking.

"Waiter, please sit there. Bring me two of your best dishes to go with your drinks, and a pot of warm wine."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and his tone was calm and natural.

Upon hearing this, the waiter's expression changed slightly. He glanced somewhat awkwardly at Chai Yong, who was drinking alone beside him, and then at the seemingly ordinary couple. His lips moved as if he wanted to remind them of something.

But Tang Lan had already taken Wang Qiu'er's hand and walked straight over to sit down at the empty table next to Chai Yong. Their seats were at right angles to each other, only a few feet apart.

The waiter quickly agreed, not daring to say anything more, and nodded and bowed repeatedly.

"Alright! Please wait a moment, gentlemen, the food and drinks will be here shortly!"

After saying that, he quickly ran to the kitchen to serve the dishes.

This scene immediately attracted the attention of many patrons around. The already somewhat oppressive lobby became even more deathly silent because of Chai Yong's cold snort and the suddenly intensified sense of invisible pressure.

Those drinkers who were already secretly observing and whispering now focused their attention on Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er's table, as well as the burly man in black exuding a dangerous aura next to them.

"Those two people... they're really bold!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Can't you see Lord 'Red Tiger' over there? How dare they sit so close?"

"Looks unfamiliar, must be from out of town? They really don't know their place..." (End of Chapter)