Chapter 328

Chapter 328: Chapter 325: "Long Time No See, FatherIn the silence of the night, two figures darted into even deeper darkness.

In the Southern District’s Huali Street, reportedly due to a riot, the area was said to be under lockdown, but when Su Ming’an stepped into the area, he saw no patrolling Soul Hunters.

The entire street was eerily deserted, not even a single lamp was lit, the small shops on both sides had their doors tightly shut, inside appearing uninhabited. This Huali Street resembled an abandoned ancient street.

It was as if someone had cleared the space in advance, especially waiting for his arrival.

Su Ming’an walked straight ahead, then suddenly stopped.

Yamada Machiichi, following behind with his head bowed, almost bumped into him.

"What’s wrong?"

"They’re here," Su Ming’an gazed forward.

Yamada Machiichi raised his head.

In the quiet darkness ahead, a disturbance suddenly occurred.

The cool night breeze swept through the quiet street, a twisting light and shadow emerging in the middle of the street.

Like black fragments piecing together bit by bit, the figure of the person gradually became complete, like a piece of paper piecing together. He lowered his hat brim, his face covered with a pure black mask, a pair of blood-red eyes striking in the darkness.

"My dear guests, welcome to the headquarters of the Soul Clan," the man spoke.

Yamada Machiichi was somewhat nervous.

He was unclear why Su Ming’an had headed straight for Huali Street as soon as they left, as if he had known that the leader of the Soul Clan would be there. But he understood that this must be the most dangerous area in all of Pulaya.

Being from a different kind, one harbors different intentions. After all, he and Su Ming’an were both humans, and humans were considered food by the Soul Clan. Driven by hunger, it was hard to ensure that these creatures would remain rational in front of them.

The night wind brushed past, the shadows of the leaves trembling, he watched as the Soul Clan member extended his hand, seeing the space around beginning to fluctuate.

The fluctuation enveloped the two of them, seeming to be conducting a teleportation.

"... So it is a Barrier," Su Ming’an realized.

He had found it strange before, hundreds of Soul Clan members, if they wanted a unified leader, must need to gather regularly.

And even at night, such gatherings of the Soul Clan would be easily discovered.

He had originally thought that the Soul Clan gathered in places like underground halls, but now it seemed the Soul Clan also had individuals who possessed the ability to control Barriers.

They brazenly set up large barriers in the Southern District, living within the world of the Barrier, only coming out to hunt when hungry.

...No wonder the Soul Hunters had been unable to completely eradicate the Soul Clan.

The surrounding space fluctuated, and the scene before Su Ming’an changed.

The originally dark and quiet street suddenly shifted as if the tones gradually brightened, the world gradually coloring, becoming illuminated.

The unlit street lamps flashed brightly in an instant, dusty window sills as clean as new, bustling voices unceasing, the empty street suddenly filled with many "people" shopping.

They wore various clothes, carrying lanterns or lamps, shuttling through the bustling streets. There were couples whispering, mothers leading children, and old grandpas standing by the street, smiling warmly at everything.

Black birds flew low, trees with bright green leaves swayed in the night wind, casting sparse shadows under the light.

—Having passed through the Barrier, Su Ming’an saw such a bustling scene.

The leading Soul Clan member lowered his hand, looking at them.

"Guests, welcome to the gathering place of the Soul Clan headquarters, Southern District’s Huali Street," the man said with a light laugh.

Yamada Machiichi looked at the scene, speechless.

"These..." he pointed to the group of people enjoying the night market: "...are all Soul Clan members?"

"Of course," the man led them forward.

As if sensing the scent of humans, people by the street instantly turned their heads, eyes climbing red with what appeared to be desire for Su Ming’an and Yamada Machiichi, who walked in the middle of the street.

However, seeing the man leading the way ahead of them, they made no move.

Yamada Machiichi’s gaze swept over a little girl playing with a skipping rope, his mouth slightly agape.

"It seems like our guest is quite puzzled?" the man asked as they walked.

"Of course," Yamada Machiichi replied, "If it weren’t for the color of their eyes, these people are indistinguishable from the human residents of Pulaya."

"Yes, there’s no difference," the man smiled warmly.

He raised his hand, greeted an old lady sewing on a sewing machine, and then turned his head slightly to softly say, "...Then what difference do you think there should be?"

Yamada Machiichi was momentarily at a loss for words.

He was a Soul Hunter, and since Captain Su Ming’an did not take them on missions, he had to find tasks on his own.

During this day, he had encountered some of the Soul Clan.

But those Soul Clan members were blood-stained, almost devoid of rationality, and would pounce on humans at sight, no different from wild animals.

He regarded them as monsters, a source of experience, never treating this race as equals.

But now...

He was actually seeing a group of the Soul Clan who were almost indistinguishable from humans.

They were men and women, old and young, with a complete social structure, and although this street was not long, hosting only two to three hundred members of the Soul Clan, it had formed a small-scale order of life.

"There is no difference, and there shouldn’t be," the man raised his hands, his voice sounding excited, "Besides feeding on humans, we shouldn’t be any different. The Soul Clan shouldn’t be a race dominated by hunger, and humans shouldn’t be destined food. We could coexist peacefully."

He continued, his tone rising as if conveying a firm belief, "We too cry, laugh, perceive emotions. We feel hunger when we do not eat, pain when injured, and death when killed."

"We love, we hate, we have family and friends."

"We live in this world, also wishing to live peacefully, not having to struggle for life and death day by day, not having to hide in barriers, like rats that never see the daylight,"

"...We should have no differences, nor should we become enemies," he stopped speaking, and then softly sighed:

"But humans will never let us be."

Yamada Machiichi furrowed his brow slightly.

After all, in his eyes, these people strolling on the street looked truly no different from the residents of Pulaya.

He glanced at Su Ming’an, initially expecting him to argue with this Soul Clan man.

But Su Ming’an didn’t speak, just quietly walked by the side.

...Until the two of them arrived at a market.

Yamada Machiichi stopped in his tracks.

He was somewhat shocked by the sight before him.

This market, in fact, was not a place for selling vegetables and meat.

Those cages contained humans.

Living humans.

They were bound at their limbs, curled up in the cages like balls, their mouths sealed with duct tape, only able to emit muffled "mmm" sounds. The sound of limbs colliding with the cages was somewhat dull, and such noises filled the market.

At a glance, there were no fewer than fifty cages.

He even saw human women, unclothed, lying inside like livestock, picked by strolling members of the Soul Clan, then led away on leashes like dogs.

He looked at the scene in shock, then heard Su Ming’an chuckle beside him.

"...So this is what you meant by ’no difference,’" Su Ming’an said.

"No, in fact, we are no different from humans," the man replied. "What I said was no mistake—if you were to visit the West District of Pulaya and see the slave markets there, you would know that humans are doing the same thing as us. Some of them even break our brethren’s limbs to make ornaments... and what I find even more unimaginable is that they even trade humans like themselves—they are more cruel than us."

Su Ming’an knew the man was right.

When he had first arrived in Pulaya, he had encountered taverns where humans were traded. The slave trade in Pulaya must be rampant; he just hadn’t personally visited the trading sites.

He watched the slave trading scene, watching the vendors greet the man enthusiastically, saying "You’re here" and the like.

The man seemed to have a high status here.

Seeing two humans following the man, the vendors weren’t surprised; it seemed that humans were often captured and brought here.

The man continued walking forward, then entered a round building.

"Su Ming’an..." Yamada Machiichi leaned closer to him and lowered his voice. "I feel like this place is too dangerous."

"Isn’t this what you wanted?" Su Ming’an said.

"No, even though that’s true, this is too..." Yamada Machiichi glanced at the humans in the cages, covered in blood.

Humans generally have empathy.

When they see others like them trapped in a dire situation, they also empathize and feel pained for them.

Yamada Machiichi had initially thought that the Soul Clan leader, like the other Soul Clan members he had seen, would hide underground like rats, with few subordinates around him, and if the deal failed, he could use props to escape.

But now it looked...

This was actually a city made up of the Soul Clan.

Even separated from Pulaya by a barrier.

Perhaps because the two had stood in place too long, the man who had entered turned back and came over.

Beneath that pure black mask were a pair of eyes with a hint of mockery.

"What’s the matter, my guests, why are you standing at the door?" he smiled and said, "Come in, some things we can talk about later."

Su Ming’an walked in.

Yamada Machiichi hesitated for a moment, but then followed him in.

Even though he knew the place was dangerous, it was already too late to turn back.

By entering this barrier, it was as if he had boarded a pirate ship. In a city dominated by the Soul Clan, as a human, he could only move cautiously.

"Whoosh—"

As he stepped into the building, he heard rounds of extremely loud screams.

The cheer sounded like water splashing, and the warm yellow light inside was somewhat dazzling.

Yamada Machiichi squinted, seeing that they seemed to be in an auditorium on a raised platform, below which was an arena-like area. Brilliant lights covered the top of the circular building, illuminating the blood remnants on the arena floor below.

A human in scanty clothing was fighting a death battle with another human in the arena, wielding sharp blades, their blood spraying onto the sandy soil, the two already seeing red.

In the outer circle of the auditorium, the Soul Clan filled the seats, cheering loudly.

"Kill him—"

"Finish him!"

"Go Al! I’m betting on you! Don’t disappoint me—"

The Soul Clan shouted loudly, their blood-red eyes shining bright.

They were generally dressed in the opulent attire of nobility, with many of the female Soul Clan members adorned with flowers in their hair and fans in their hands, giving off a distinctly aristocratic demeanor.

The scene looked no different from the human’s Colosseum.

Only, the spectators watching the life-and-death struggles of others had shifted from humans to the Soul Clan.

Stepping from the darkness into the brightly lit Colosseum, Yamada Machiichi’s eyes still hadn’t quite adjusted. He quickly surveyed the spectator seats and was shocked by the number of the Soul Clan.

...Definitely no fewer than two hundred.

The intelligence from the Soul Hunt had clearly stated that the Soul Clan’s numbers could not exceed a thousand.

But now it seemed that just one city in the Southern District might have more than that number.

If all these people were to see him as an enemy and pounce on him at the next moment...

Yamada Machiichi felt the step he took was too risky.

It seemed that he shouldn’t have come to meet the Soul Clan leader so soon; he had underestimated the Soul Clan’s strength.

The man continued walking ahead, leading them into a large private room.

The room was large, with fruits and red wine laid out on the table. Through the transparent glass windows ahead, one could clearly see the scenes playing out in the Colosseum below.

The cheers of the audience came through the glass, filling the Colosseum with a scent of blood and frenzy.

"Care to try? The finest drink Pulaya has to offer." The man bent over to pour the drink, his posture extraordinarily elegant, combined with his black-and-white attire of a servant, he appeared every bit the qualified butler.

"I don’t drink," said Su Ming’an.

"I... I don’t drink either," Yamada Machiichi quickly added. He watched the man pour the drink and suddenly his nose twitched, sensing something off.

...wait a minute.

He slightly widened his eyes.

The man had already raised his glass, the crimson liquid flowing down the sides of the glass. Those blood-red eyes behind the mask stared at Yamada Machiichi, brimming with an invasive intent.

Yamada Machiichi had already realized.

That was not red wine at all.

The crimson liquid was clearly blood, human blood.

The faint scent of blood floated in the air, the clear glass cup shimmered with a golden reflective light.

The man set down the glass amid the sounds of slaughter and cheering from below, appearing as if he intended to watch the entire duel from here.

"Sir," Yamada Machiichi spoke, "we are here to find the leader of the Soul Clan."

"Yes, I know," the man said with a smile. "Please, take a seat, dear guests, we can discuss matters now."

He slowly lifted his hand, the distinct joints pressing against the pure black mask.

When he lowered his hand, he had already removed the mask revealing a young yet exceptionally pale handsome face.

Gold strands of hair hung over his full forehead, the lamplight flared in his blood-red eyes, which held a deeply intense gaze.

"Let me introduce myself," the man began. "I am Sevya, the leader of the Soul Clan of Pulaya, the ruler of the city of the Soul Clan."

Then, he did not look at Yamada Machiichi again but turned his gaze toward Su Ming’an.

"It’s been a long time," he said. "...Father."

At that moment, Yamada Machiichi suddenly felt a strong urge to flee.