Douluo Continent: The Underworld Emperor Halosa Lets Three Fly

Chapter 81 The Yuanen Family

The dark gray light, like a drop of ink thrown into a calm lake, silently spread deep into a secluded cobblestone alley in Shantai City. Harosa's figure appeared, his dark gray robe somewhat out of place in this ancient setting.

Shantai City, as its name suggests, is situated in a vast valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, clinging like a light veil to the waist of the dark green mountains.

The city is small, and most of the buildings are in the ancient style with gray tiles, white walls, and upturned eaves. High-rise buildings and flashing neon lights are rarely seen.

The streets are paved with thick bluestone slabs, smoothed and rounded by the passage of time and footsteps.

The air was crisp and clear, carrying the unique fragrance of mountain vegetation and a hint of damp earth. Pedestrians strolled leisurely along the street, mostly dressed in cotton and linen clothing. Occasionally, young people in modern attire would walk by, but they remained remarkably understated.

Soul-guided vehicles were extremely rare; most people traveled by animal-drawn carts or simply walked. Shouts, neighborly greetings, and the clanging of blacksmiths' hammers intertwined to create a lively, everyday melody.

Here, in stark contrast to the grand and bustling Shrek City, a blend of cutting-edge technology and ancient heritage, a sense of time, almost frozen, simple and slow, permeates the air.

Harosa made no noise to anyone, and like a true traveler, found an inconspicuous old inn in the city that had been passed down from his ancestors and settled in.

The inn was a typical wooden structure, creaking underfoot. Pushing open the carved wooden windows, one could see the distant, layered mountain shadows and the rows of gray-tiled roofs nearby. He waited quietly there, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past three days, he has acted as a true observer. During the day, he would sit by the window of the inn, order a pot of rough mountain tea, and casually glance at the street scene. In reality, his powerful divine sense, like an invisible spider web, enveloped the entire mountain town, capturing every fluctuation of soul power and listening to the gossip in the streets and alleys.

At night, he blended into the shadows of the room, his aura as restrained as a stubborn rock. He searched for any clues that might be related to the Fallen Angel Martial Soul, while also sensing the unique "pulse" of this city controlled by the Yuanen family.

However, apart from sensing the steady and profound attribute soul power fluctuations from several residences belonging to the Yuanen family in the city (clearly belonging to members of the Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul clan), and the heartfelt awe and trust that the city's residents had for the Yuanen family, there was no unusual aura, nor any dark or ominous sign.

Harosa captured a collateral descendant of the Yuanen family and brought him to the Realm of Rebirth to study his bloodline. The Titan bloodline concentration was very thin. Harosa purified it and detected a trace of divine essence within it. It was extremely thin, but still perceptible. It seems that the Titan Giant Ape Erming did indeed undergo bloodline evolution.

Harosa quipped, "Being a dog for that mistress is something else entirely."

On the evening of the third day, as the afterglow of the setting sun painted the mountains in golden red, Deng Zhan, Deng Fengqiao, and the others finally arrived in Shantai City, covered in dust from their journey. Following the faint guidance of the dominoes, they found the old inn.

"My lord!" Deng Zhan pushed open Harosa's door, his face showing both the weariness of his journey and the excitement of finding his leader, and bowed deeply. Deng Fengqiao and several other core subordinates also stood respectfully outside the door.

Harosa stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window at the mountain town as dusk settled. He didn't turn around, his voice flat and emotionless: "You've arrived?"

Are you settled in?

"Yes, sir! We found an abandoned manor in the mountains outside the city to settle down; it's secluded enough," Deng Zhan replied quickly.

Deng Fengqiao added, "The items have been purchased."

Harosa slowly turned around, his greyish-white eyes sweeping over the crowd: "Hmm. Deng Zhan, how much do you know about the Yuanen family?"

Deng Zhan was taken aback by this sudden question. He had thought the adults would first inquire about the procurement of supplies or subsequent arrangements, but he didn't expect them to ask about the Yuan En family directly.

He quickly searched his memory for information about the family and cautiously replied, "My lord, the Yuanen family is the actual controller of Shantai City. They have a long history and profound foundation. They are considered a powerful force in the Federation and have considerable business dealings with the Tang Sect. The current patriarch is Yuanen Fufeng, whose cultivation is very high; it is rumored that he has reached the peak of the Super Douluo realm. The young patriarch is Yuanen Zhentian, whose talent is exceptional, and he is already a Title Douluo at a young age. The family's martial soul is a top-tier beast martial soul—the Titan Giant Ape, renowned for its strength and defense—."

Deng Zhan rattled off a bunch of superficial information about the Yuanen family's strength, industries, and status in the Federation. This was all public or semi-public intelligence that he, as a high-ranking member of the Tang Clan, could access.

Harosa listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after Deng Zhan finished speaking did he speak again, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of inquiry: "I am generally aware of these things. What I'm asking about is—among their family members, especially the spouses of main branch members, or even more distant in-laws—are there any special individuals? For example—possessing rare, or even…evil, martial spirits?"

"An evil martial spirit?!" Deng Zhan's pupils contracted slightly, and a clear look of surprise appeared on his face. He subconsciously looked at Harosa, but upon meeting the other's unfathomable gray-white eyes, he immediately lowered his head, his mind racing.

Why is the Master suddenly so interested in the Yuanen family's in-laws, and even specifically mentioned the Evil Martial Soul? This—this seems completely inconsistent with the Yuanen family's usual image!

He chuckled awkwardly, a bead of sweat on his forehead. "This—my lord, please forgive me, but such specific family secrets were simply—I really hadn't paid attention to them in the rush. In the information on the main members of the Yuanen family registered in the Federation, going back several generations, their spouses' families are all recorded as respectable families or Soul Master sects, and their Martial Soul records are all normal offensive, defensive, or support types, with no mention of any evil Martial Souls." Deng Zhan quickly added, afraid that Harosa would be displeased.

Harosa's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This outcome was not unexpected, but it wasn't what he wanted to hear either.

Seeing Harosa's silence, Deng Zhan felt even more uneasy and couldn't help but whisper, "My lord—evil spirit masters are universally hated in the Federation. The Yuanen family has always considered themselves righteous, and..." He paused, glancing cautiously at Harosa's expression, before continuing, "...and they have extremely close ties with Shrek Academy, being staunch supporters of the Sea God Pavilion's campaign to eradicate evil spirit masters. A high percentage of their family members enter Shrek's inner court, and their attitude towards evil spirit masters is irreconcilable. How could such a family...how could they possibly marry a woman with an evil spirit? This...this simply doesn't make sense."

After Deng Zhan finished speaking, he suddenly realized the inappropriateness of his words—the person in front of him was none other than the number one evil soul master on the continent! He was so frightened that he immediately cried out, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Harosa, however, was not angry. Instead, he waved his hand, signaling him to continue. Deng Zhan's words confirmed his previous guess and completely dispelled his idea of ​​finding the Fallen Angel Martial Soul through the Yuanen family's apparent marriage ties.

"Water and fire are incompatible and irreconcilable," Harosa repeated the two words in a low voice, a mysterious smile curving his lips.

He walked to the window and looked out at the mountain town, which had completely darkened. Dots of lights lit up in the night, outlining the contours of the mountains and buildings.

The Yuanen family is deeply intertwined with Shrek Academy and holds an absolutely disdainful attitude towards evil spirit masters. Under such a family atmosphere and external pressure, it is absolutely impossible for the possessor of the Fallen Angel Martial Soul to openly appear in the core circle of the Yuanen family as a "spouse" or "in-law"! Any trace of it would be regarded as a disgrace to the family and a huge hidden danger, and would definitely be strictly covered up or even directly erased!

That means the Yuanen family and Shrek Academy have a very good relationship. Otherwise, if Yuanen Tianyan's wife, Ye Hui, had caused that incident, and Yun Ming had come to help, and hadn't been held accountable afterward, while they were chasing after and killing other evil soul masters, that would just be typical of Shrek Academy.

"It seems this obvious path is completely blocked," Harosa thought to himself. Searching for the Fallen Angel Martial Soul through official records and public information is, at least at this point in time, impossible for the Yuanen family.

But this does not mean giving up.

Harosa's gaze deepened.

"Deng Zhan," Harosa's voice broke the silence of the room, "use all the resources at your disposal, whether they are left over from the Tang Sect or newly developed ones. Focus on investigating two things for me."

Deng Zhan's spirits lifted, and he immediately bowed: "Please give your orders, sir!"

"First," Harosa raised his first finger, "investigate what the Yuanen family has done with evil spirit masters."

"Second," he held up his second finger, "investigate all female dark-attribute soul masters who have emerged in recent decades, whose identities are unknown or who have suddenly risen to prominence! Pay attention to those who possess powerful dark martial souls but do not kill indiscriminately! Focus on those whose martial souls are Fallen Angels."

A thought flashed through Deng Zhan's mind: A fallen angel?

"Yes, sir! I will do it immediately!" Deng Zhan replied in a deep voice.

Harosa nodded, said nothing more, and once again turned his gaze to the mountain town shrouded in night outside the window.