Rebirth: Supreme Soul Master

But Tina and Ali kept talking about strange things. For example, they talked for half an hour about the road they had traveled and how it had been built.

William was not particularly interested in knowing the type of ore used, the length of the road, or its use for trade, people's travel, or the connection between tribes and academies.

These are either common sense or completely useless to him.

In particular, Ali's lack of knowledge about the ore he was using, coupled with his constant fabrication, only fueled Tina's excitement.

“We’ve arrived,” Eric said. At the end of the path was a wide-open space, devoid of any trees or plants, with a large cluster of houses in the distance.

It took them nearly ten hours to reach the Long family's headquarters. William and Lina couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The buildings there were surrounded by tall city walls and many sturdy-looking towers, which showed how powerful the family was.

A clearing was left between these walls and the forest from which they emerged.

William was convinced that the empty space was left intentionally. That way, anyone standing on the city walls, or in one of the scattered towers, would see the men attacking them from the forest.

This is a very good defensive strategy, which shows that the Dragon Clan has made great efforts to keep this area empty.

"Wow! What a big village..." Tina's eyes darted around, she blinked twice, and jumped up with joy.

To her, it all seemed like a pleasant trip or an interesting conversation.

But unlike her, Ali suddenly became serious and warned:

“We need to be extra careful here. The Long family is very good to their friends, and they've been very good to me at the academy. But they won't tolerate anyone causing trouble at their doorstep.”

William nodded, understanding what he meant. "As before, don't speak until I give permission. If anyone asks you anything, point at me and answer. Don't respond to any provocation. Let me handle everything, understand?"

“Yes, young master,” the two girls said. Lina’s tone was low and resolute, while Tina’s tone was cheerful and loud, with a childlike quality.

"Stop right there! This is the Long family's private territory... No outsiders are allowed in." Just as they were walking toward the nearest gate, a startled cry suddenly came from behind them.

William paused for a moment upon hearing this. Not because of the content, but because he had missed the speaker's presence.

This indicates that the person speaking was a powerful Soul Master, at least two levels stronger than him.

“Clan leader? Damn it! Our luck is…” Are seemed to recognize the identity of the middle-aged Soul Master from the uniform he was wearing.

In William's eyes, he was dressed in silver clothes, with a bright gold armor covering only his chest.

He held a large spear, moving with confidence as if he were walking in his own home. His face was unremarkable, except that his hair was styled into a small, neat bun on his head.

“It’s time,” Ali turned to William and said in a low voice, his voice filled with concern. “The Long family never jokes! Losing face now and having this joke exposed isn’t a big deal, otherwise…”

'Sigh!' William sighed inwardly. It seemed that even now, Eric still took his words as a joke.

“Don’t worry, senior brother,” William patted Eric’s arm, since Eric’s arm couldn’t reach his shoulder, “I’ll handle this.”

“We…are finished!” William heard Ali mutter to himself behind him as he took a few steps to see the elder.

If it weren't for the seriousness of the upcoming meeting, and William's already somewhat reluctant desire to meet the patriarch of such a powerful family, he might have smiled or even laughed at what Ali had just said.

"Excuse me for disturbing you, senior. I was summoned to the Long family." William respectfully cupped his hands and bowed slightly, a gesture imitated by the two girls behind him, and Ali also followed suit. (This was a matter of personal will.)

"Who summoned you here?!" The elder's face showed surprise, especially when his gaze shifted between William and Ali.

He seemed confused because the gatekeeper William was speaking, while Ali, a fifth-year student, stood silently behind him, full of respect.

In this elder's view, if someone wanted either of the two to come to their family, they should be a fifth-grade disciple, not a gatekeeper.

"The hand of the old patriarch."

"You..." The elder pointed his spear at William's neck in the next moment. His movements and speed were so natural and fluid that William had no chance to react at all.

'Terrible!' William muttered. He had returned to this life, still immersed in the life of a powerful Soul Master from his previous existence.

But this was a good wake-up call for him. He felt the coldness of the blade, and a layer of dark golden energy began to condense from the elder's body onto the spear. This was a clear sign that the man was not letting his guard down, even though he was facing an eight-year-old, seemingly weak porter.

“Senior…” William raised his hand to stop the girls from doing something foolish. “I did come here on the orders of the academy dean. He told me that the Dragon Clan Chief invited me to join the family, so I came.”

“You…” The elder pushed the tip of the spear forward an inch, making William stand on tiptoe.