Chapter 10: The Loyal Clan
What was a fallen Soul Master? Ye Wen knew all too well: a group of people who, in their desperate pursuit of power, resorted to heinous acts, ruthlessly slaughtering soul beasts and even their own kind. They were madmen who would stop at nothing to grow stronger.
Fortunately, this was the era of the Spirit Hall, and the six winged angel, the Spirit Hall's inherited martial spirit, was the perfect counter to fallen Soul Masters. But this thought also brought Ye Wen's mind back to Tang San. For his own purposes, Tang San had destroyed the Slaughter City that held fallen Soul Masters captive. After Tang San's ascension, the world of Douluo was plunged into a blood soaked nightmare, with an epidemic of fallen Soul Masters ravaging the continent for tens of thousands of years a catastrophe that filled the hearts of Douluo's people with hatred and bitterness.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I know very well what I should and shouldn't do," Ye Wen assured Ye Buyi.
Hearing Ye Wen's firm promise, Ye Buyi relaxed somewhat. Though he himself was a Soul Master, he was far from powerful. His desire for knowledge was mingled with an instinctive fear of it. He knew all too well the danger of the dark path, especially since he had seen firsthand the horrors of fallen Soul Masters in his youth.
"Grandpa, you know everyone in the village and what their martial spirits are, right? Could you make a list for me? I want to go through it and see if there's anyone I might need. Our resources aren't limitless, and I want to be careful with who we choose. I'm confident this experiment has a ninety percent chance of success, so it's best not to waste this opportunity."
Seeing his grandson's self assured expression, Ye Buyi nodded approvingly, already envisioning Ye Wen's future as a Soul Sage, reviving the family's legacy. Saint Soul Village was a small community, made up of many different families over time. But as the village chief, Ye Buyi held basic records on every family in the village, as the village head was essentially the backbone of governance at the grassroots level in a feudal society.
Saint Soul Village wasn't very large, with 120 households and 354 people in total. Most martial spirits among them were sickles, hoes, or Blue Silver Grass. And even if they had spirit power, these spirits were low ranking, granting little opportunity for growth.
However, Ye Wen noted that five families had unique martial spirits. Their spirits were a needle, a small furnace, a walking stick, a rabbit, and ivy. These spirits weren't particularly strong, but neither were they completely useless. Unfortunately, no one in these five families had ever shown any aptitude for soul power.
In Old Jack's time, the carrot martial spirit was trained as a food type auxiliary spirit. But cultivating something as low in potential as a carrot spirit was more trouble than it was worth. Time and resources would be better spent looking for promising students among commoners than developing the carrot spirit's weak abilities.
"Let's go with these five families, Grandpa. Could you arrange for them to meet me here? I'd like to speak with them directly."
Ye Buyi took a look at the list. The needle and ivy martial spirits were rare enough compared to the more common hoe or sickle spirits in the village.
"Very well. We'll wait until sundown, though. This experiment can't be too public. If word of it gets out, it could put us all in danger," Ye Buyi cautioned.
Ye Wen nodded in agreement. Even if this experiment wouldn't produce top level martial spirits, it could significantly bolster a nation's combat strength at the grassroots level, possibly altering the outcome of wars. If noble families or the empire caught wind of it, it could easily spell disaster for the family, or, at best, lifelong confinement to conduct research for the royal family.
As night fell, Ye Buyi took a lantern and set out to summon the five families to his home.
Ye Wen took a deep breath as he observed the five bewildered couples in front of him. They wore coarse linen clothes, covered in patches of various sizes, their faces lined with hardship and bearing signs of premature aging that belied their youth. Their lives, he knew, were far from easy.
"You're likely aware of my situation," Ye Wen began.
The five couples exchanged glances and nodded silently. Though Ye Wen was only eight years old, he was already a Soul Master a world apart from these villagers, who had lived their entire lives working the fields. Their respect for him was evident.
Ye Wen knew that these families were in desperate circumstances. Trying to explain complex theories would only confuse them, so he got straight to the point.
"I've gathered you here to offer your families a chance. I can give your children the potential to become Soul Masters. In return, you and your descendants must swear allegiance to me and my family, the Ye clan. In exchange, we will protect you.
"Once your children reach a certain level, I will personally help them hunt for soul rings and guide them in their Soul Master journey. They will become my disciples."
At his words, the five couples looked at each other in stunned amazement. Finally, a brawny man spoke up, his voice deep with disbelief.
"Master Ye Wen… Are you saying that if we pledge our loyalty, you'll protect us? You'll give our children the chance to become Soul Masters?"
"Of course, Uncle Chen. You've watched me grow up have I ever lied to you? And to put your minds at ease, I'll tell you that I'm already a level 17 Soul Master. After another term at the academy, I'll likely be ready for my second soul ring, becoming a Soul Grandmaster. I even have a good chance of graduating as a Soul Elder, a three ring Soul Master, which would make me second only to the headmaster at Notting Elementary Academy. I'd have no trouble helping your children obtain their soul rings in the future."
The couples fell silent. Though they had never trained as Soul Masters, they understood the significance of Ye Wen's rank. This eight year old had a solid path to the level of a Soul Grandmaster. In the eyes of these ordinary villagers, he was a true prodigy, and it was clear that they had nothing of value to offer him as incentive. Their minds made up, they each knelt before Ye Wen and swore their allegiance.
Watching from outside the door, Ye Buyi was filled with pride, realizing his grandson was truly maturing, leading their family one step closer to revival. Thus, the Ye clan, the village's first family loyalists, was born.
Inside the room, the villagers addressed Ye Buyi as "master" and Ye Wen as "young master." Ye Wen then brought out the items he had prepared from his storage space, ready to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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