Although soul technology was advanced on the continent, the social standing of soul masters was not as grand as it was ten thousand years ago. However, on Douluo Continent, being a soul master was still the noblest profession. It had not changed since the old days.
Everyone's martial soul would awaken when they were six years old. Everyone prayed and wished that they would be able to become a soul master. A majority of them would return home with their hopes crushed, but in their hearts, the status of soul masters remained the same from the beginning till the end.
When they saw an eight-ring Soul Douluo and felt his powerful strength and imposing manner, apart from being shocked and frightened, they were filled with even more curiosity.
High-ranking soul masters were not a common sight! This was an eight-ring Soul Douluo, a person who would be considered among the top soul masters in the entire continent. In addition, he was also from Tang Sect, but was he a Tang Sect fighter as well?
Not everyone knew about the Tang Sect's Battle Soul Hall, but those who knew understood that the Federation's War God Hall and the Tang Sect's Battle Soul Hall were both famous organizations of soul masters on the continent. Their combined strengths were extremely powerful.
Tang Sect had been around for twenty thousand years. It had a reputable social standing. Tang Sect's founding ancestor, Tang San was an outstanding personality of his generation. The other equally outstanding person was Spirit Pagoda's founder, Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao who was from Tang Sect also.
Compared to mere soul masters, Tang Sect was more of an enigma and had an elitist nobility to them. That was why when Tang Wulin revealed his identity, the resentment of the rioting citizens were somewhat subdued.
"You, what right do you have to grab me? We're just here for an explanation from the Blacksmith's Association. Even if you're from Tang Sect, you can't just go around accusing good people." Despite being held by Tang Wulin, the guy was still trying to talk his way out.
"He's clearly sent by the Blacksmith's Association. Everyone, don't believe anything he says!" Further away, one of the culprits who was snared by the Bluesilver Emperor vines also clamored.
Tang Wulin laughed coldly. "I'll tell you soon why I'm grabbing hold of you and your friends. First, I have a question to ask everyone. Does anyone recognize this person whom I have in my grasp right now?"
Although these dozen men were clamoring for attention, the dazzling glow from Tang Wulin's soul rings had a calming effect on the crowd such that their emotions were not as riled as they were before.
A citizen who stood near Tang Wulin said, "I don't. He doesn't look familiar."
Tang Wulin lowered his voice and said, "These dozen men were the ones who made the most noise just now. Heaven Dou City has been struck by a great calamity. In fact, this should be when everyone should work together to overcome this tragedy. Instead, they instigated everyone to come and create trouble here. The criminals who launched the surprise attack did come to the Blacksmith's Association, but let's think about this calmly. Does their arrival at the Blacksmith's Association mean that they're from the Blacksmith's Association? Don't you think the culprits know about the surveillance systems in Heaven Dou City? If we infer further, if these criminals visited a restaurant or stayed in a hotel, does this mean that the restaurant or the hotel is now their accomplice? There are some among you who may be running a business. If they've been to your premises, does this also mean that you're an accomplice of theirs?"
"These people whom I have arrested were stirring up everyone's emotions intentionally. It's at crucial times like now, when our collective strength is needed to overcome the disaster and to rebuild homes, we need to ask ourselves the motive for creating such scenes."
As he said this, Tang Wulin plucked out a micro communicator from the person's ear. "Look, everyone. What's this? This is a micro communicator. It's not cheap. It costs thirty thousand Federation coins per set. And the one this person has is a high-end model. Its anti-jamming feature is amazing which would cost another fifty to sixty thousand Federation coins. May I ask, as an ordinary citizen, would you have any need for such a thing? You can check for yourselves and find it in the ears of these men whom I have arrested. See if there are such communicators."
The citizens had by now turned into a hubbub of voices. The more inquisitive among them quickly found the communicators in the ears of the captured men and held up the devices for everyone to see.
"There is, there really is! They look like the same model."
Tang Wulin smiled faintly. The die was cast.
"They instigated everyone to come make a scene here. Their intentions should be condemned. In my opinion, they're the ones who are highly suspect to be accomplices of the criminals. I'll hand them over to the police later. We'll get to the truth after a thorough interrogation. I know everyone's upset after Heaven Dou City was hit by such a serious disaster. This is precisely why we shouldn't commit acts that aggrieve those dear to us and support the enemy instead!"
As he said this, Tang Wulin retracted his soul rings. At the same time, he gestured at the policemen. With the help of the crowd, they gathered these dozen ashen-faced men.
"No, I'm not a criminal, I'm not a criminal. Someone gave me money to create havoc and lead everyone here to make a scene." A troublemaker with a weaker disposition finally broke down.
Everyone knew what the consequences were if they were found guilty as the criminals of the terror attack.
When one of them broke down, the resistance of the others started to waver as well. The crowd around them fell into an uproar.
With such a favorable outcome, Tang Wulin had achieved his objective. While the police were handling the matter, Tang Wulin seized the opportunity to slip out of the crowd silently. He made a detour and went straight to the Blacksmith's Association's backdoor. At the same time, he dialed Zhen Hua's number.
The telephone rang, and Zhen Hua's hearty laugh reached Tang Wulin's ears. "I knew it was you! Since when did you learn the disguise skill? When I saw you releasing the eight soul rings, I was startled."
"Huh? You knew that was me?" said Tang Wulin with shock.
Zhen Hua smiled and said, "You little rascal! Alright, come in and talk. I've sent someone down to fetch you."
He was still talking when the back door opened. A familiar-looking person was at the door, but Tang Wulin could not remember the person's name. Tang Wulin hastily went in.
He was slightly shocked. From the tone of his voice on the communicator, uncle master's mood seemed to be good! Could it be that he was unmoved regardless of the state of things outside? If so, he needed to redress his attitude.
They took the elevator and went to the floor where Zhen Hua was on. When he entered Zhen Hua's office, Tang Wulin was startled.
The Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua was not alone in his office. There were as many as six other people. There was another person whom Tang Wulin was familiar with. It was his other teacher, Body Sect's master, Mu Ye.
When he saw Tang Wulin, Mu Ye could not help deriding him. "You little brat, you've wrecked our plans the moment you returned. If you hadn't unleashed your Bluesilver Grass, I wouldn't even recognize that it's you."
"Teacher, uncle master." Tang Wulin was slightly puzzled.
Apart from these two, the others, two males and two females, were seated in the office. They looked middle-aged.
One of the middle-aged men said helplessly, "We had quite a good sting operation, now it's all for naught."
Tang Wulin suddenly understood what was happening. He said with shock, "Are you saying that the people making a scene down there were arranged by you?"
Zhen Hua laughed hysterically. "Not really. We aren't that bored. We're only beating them at their own game. The Holy Spirit Cult found some lay people to make a scene. Their objective is clearly to draw me out there to launch a surprise attack on me. The ones launching the surprise attack on me will most probably be some high-ranking members of the Holy Spirit Cult. We're just cooperating with their acting. When the crowd reaches our main entrance or even barge through the locked doors, that's the time I'll go out. But all this has now been foiled by you, you little brat. When they see the appearance of a Soul Douluo, even if they wanted to fight me, they'd surely have changed their plans."