Douluo: I Can Choose My Own Soul Skills

Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:

patreon.com/ZeroMoney

I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated. 

******

Just as Xiaodie stood frozen in panic, a rough voice suddenly rang out.

"Xiaodie, Grandpa's here!"

Old Fisherman Grandpa's eyes were bloodshot as he forced his sturdy frame through the crowd.

From the murmurs around him, he had more or less understood what Xiaodie had been enduring.

The trembling Xiaodie heard the familiar voice.

She looked up—it was Grandpa!

Hope lit up in her eyes as she ran straight toward him.

Xiaodie threw herself into the old man's arms, clutching his calloused hands tightly.

Her fear finally broke loose as she burst into tears.

"Wuu... Grandpa, I was so scared... Wuuu…"

Fisherman Grandpa's heart ached as he looked at his weeping granddaughter, her tears like falling pear blossoms. He gently patted her back to comfort her.

Then, anger overtook him. He turned and bellowed at the three men: "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're not welcome here. Get lost!"

The skinny man glared at him. "Watch your mouth, old man. Do you even know who you're talking to?"

A neighbor quickly pulled Grandpa back, trying to calm him down.

"Easy, old man! That one in the middle's a Soul Elder. Judging by their gear, the other two are probably soul masters too. If you tick them off, your brittle bones won't stand a chance!"

"I don't care who you are," the old man barked. "No one has the right to snatch someone in broad daylight!"

He held his ground without taking a step back.

The fat man rolled his shoulders, glaring with his round eyes. "Don't get cocky just because you're her grandpa. Don't push your luck!"

The short man chimed in, taking over. "Since you're Xiaodie's grandpa, I'll call you brother out of respect. Brother, we're going to be family soon, no need to be so distant. Relax, I'm a Soul Elder too. I'll take good care of her. And who knows, if I'm feeling generous, I might even let you retire in peace."

The old man spat at their feet in disgust.

The fat and skinny ones immediately looked to their leader, the short man, awaiting his decision.

The short one stomped hard on the spit.

"If I don't teach you a lesson today, I'm not surnamed Wang!"

With that, he charged toward the fisherman.

The skinny man followed close behind, while the fat one remained alert, watching for any potential interference.

But just as the short man closed within a meter of the old fisherman, a figure suddenly appeared between them.

The short man was startled—this person was fast!

He tried desperately to stop, his feet scraping the ground.

Just before he crashed into the stranger, his head was firmly caught by a single hand.

It felt like a steel clamp locking him in place. Just as he tried to struggle free, a sharp pain hit his stomach, and bile surged up his throat.

With one kick, Ye Lan sent him flying, crashing into the skinny man behind. The two tumbled across the ground like bowling pins.

Ye Lan, disgusted by the greasy sensation left on his hand, muttered, "Gross. Do Soul Elders not wash their hair?"

Turning, he looked toward the misty-eyed girl behind him and asked gently, "Are you alright?"

Xiaodie gazed at the blond young man standing protectively before her. His golden hair exuded nobility.

But in contrast, his temperament was gentle and warm.

"I-I'm fine..." she whispered, too shy to meet his gaze.

She turned to her grandfather in confusion.

Fisherman Grandpa patted her shoulder and chuckled. "Xiaodie, this is Ye Lan—my employer. Your grandpa hit the jackpot this time!"

Hearing that the noble youth knew her grandpa, Xiaodie finally relaxed.

Noticing Ye Lan's hand awkwardly hanging at his side, she quickly pulled out a folded handkerchief from her chest and handed it to him.

"Here... thank you for helping Grandpa."

Ye Lan accepted it and began wiping his hand clean.

"You don't need to thank me. With Grandpa, we're family. I should be thanking you instead—this handkerchief is quite nice."

Xiaodie glanced at the two still lying on the ground, then at the stunned fat man behind them, a flicker of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Will this... be a problem?"

Grandpa let out a hearty laugh. "Don't worry. This is nothing. If they knew what kind of monster Xiao Lan really is, they'd be rolling away by now!"

The skinny man helped the short one up.

The short man's neck was flushed red, pain radiating from his gut and a burning sensation climbing his throat.

He realized—this blond youth was definitely no ordinary civilian.

He shouted, "You're a soul master too?! Good, that makes things easier. Let's settle this the soul master way—with strength! There's no problem a soul duel can't solve!"

"If you want to get involved, let's fight fair and square. Ambushing me like that—what kind of skill is that?!"

Ye Lan blinked. Was I supposed to slow down so you could hit me first? Is speed my fault now?

"Correction. This isn't something a soul duel can solve."

"Xiaodie said no. That's the end of it. No one can force her."

"This isn't some issue your single-threaded brain can solve by punching things."

Xiaodie's cheeks turned slightly red. She twisted her fingers nervously, murmuring like a mosquito:

"No one can force me... No one..."

The short man was furious. He didn't know what "single-threaded" meant, but he could tell it wasn't a compliment.

"I don't care what you say! Even if the Jade Emperor himself came down, this marriage is happening today!"

Ye Lan facepalmed. This guy's really something.

"Fine. I'll give you a chance. Won't waste much of my time anyway."

The short man glanced at the fat and skinny ones, who immediately understood the signal.

"I'm Wang Gao! Martial soul: Bronze Bull. Level 31, power-type battle soul master!"

The skinny and fat ones stepped up as well.

"Li Zhuang! Wooden Stick. Level 25 power-type tool soul master!"

"Zhao Li! Battle Tiger. Level 24 power-type battle soul master!"

Each was enveloped in glowing light. Wang Gao was surrounded by green energy—martial soul activated: Bronze Bull!

His bulky body grew even more muscular, his skin turning bronze, and two curved horns sprouted from his head, sharp as silver daggers.

Three yellow soul rings rose beneath him, and he wore a smug grin.

Li Zhuang summoned a thick wooden stick, gripping it with both hands as he bent his knees into a ready stance.

Zhao Li, too, entered martial soul possession—his hands transformed into claws, a "王" (king) symbol appeared on his forehead, his skin covered in tiger stripes. His sinister eyes locked onto the blond youth.

Li Zhuang and Zhao Li had one white and one yellow soul ring each.

The onlookers were instantly disgusted by the display.

An old woman from the crowd shouted, "Wasn't this supposed to be a one-on-one duel? When did three-on-one become fair?!"

The fat man sneered, "Didn't you hear our boss say we'd fight fair and square? 'We' obviously includes me and Li Zhuang. Use your brain, you old hag!"

After that, the crowd's expressions turned sour.

No one had expected soul masters to be this shameless.

(End of Chapter)