The four sentences instantly plunged the carriage into silence.
A look of astonishment simultaneously appeared on the faces of the three women; they had never considered these matters before.
Outside the carriage, the old man driving the horses revealed a smile on his weathered face.
Though he was old, his eyes could still see through many people.
At least, Wang Zhong was not someone he had misjudged.
"Actually, he didn't need to consider so much. We could have gotten money in the next town," the eldest sister argued, somewhat unwillingly.
Wang Zhong simply chuckled, "To you, wealth is just a unit of measurement, right?"
"But have you considered that for the elderly, even the distance between two towns represents a considerable expense!"
"You don't have to think about it, but as the pillar of his family, he has to. Not just for you, but for his family and himself."
The carriage fell silent again, and the three sisters stopped speaking.
Wang Zhong, however, frowned slightly. He flipped his hand, and a golden soul coin rested in his palm. He tossed it up and down, sighing softly.
"A golden soul coin can sometimes be very heavy, heavy enough to save a life! But sometimes, it's also very cheap, cheap enough to buy a life!"
The sudden statement caught all four by surprise, even the little fellow who had been intently observing Wang Zhong's eyes looked confused.
Just then, the carriage suddenly stopped. The old man's apologetic voice echoed from outside, "Zhao Boss, it's me again, Old Wei."
"This golden soul coin is for your kindness!"
A rough, fierce voice boomed, "Old Wei, business has been good lately, hasn't it?"
"Three trips within a year, all to the capital of the Star Luo Empire. How much have you made!"
Old Wei chuckled, "Boss Zhao jokes. How much can one earn from pulling a cart?"
"Barely enough to get by, barely enough to get by."
Listening to the voices outside the window, the three sisters clearly became agitated, but Wang Zhong's calm voice cut through, "Lower the window shades."
"None of you three should poke your heads out. Just sit there obediently!"
"We don't need to concern ourselves with what's happening outside."
Though they didn't fully understand Wang Zhong's words, two of the sisters, excluding the eldest, lowered their respective window shades.
Only the so-called eldest sister stared with wide, displeased eyes at Wang Zhong, her expression clearly saying, 'On what grounds do you order me around?'
"You're not just an idiot, you're also selfish and a stubborn fool who doesn't listen!"
Her ample chest heaved, and the elder sister's entire torso seemed about to explode with anger.
"On what grounds do you insult me like this!"
Every word was gritted out, clearly indicating she was at her wit's end.
"I told you before that your appearance and figure would attract trouble, but it seems you didn't hear me," Wang Zhong replied, his gaze calm and steady.
"I am a Soul Master!"
"My three sisters are also Soul Masters!"
"We are not afraid!"
Such words almost made Wang Zhong laugh. He chuckled, "Do you think being a Soul Master can solve all your problems?"
"Are you Title Douluo? If not, where do you get the confidence to say such things?"
"There will always be people stronger than you in this world. When you encounter them, your strength is merely a pathetic struggle."
"Especially when, as the eldest sister, you have younger sisters to care for, such foolishness and selfishness are even more apparent! If something irreversible happens, the root cause will be the elder sister's arrogance and ignorance!"
His tone was light, but the reprimand and accusation were unmistakable.
In this world, every commoner lived an exceptionally difficult life.
When Soul Masters became the primary force and productivity between humans, empires, and sects, commoners, beyond contributing to human reproduction, served no other purpose.
A cart-driving elder and a highway robber, reaching an agreement for mutual peace on a road with a golden soul coin, was undoubtedly a form of balance under an unconventional rule.
Once that peace was broken, the consequences were obvious.
If Wang Zhong were not the one in the carriage now, but rather some spirited knight who couldn't stand Boss Zhao's behavior and dismounted to teach him a lesson, thereby waiving this toll, what about next time? And the time after that?
The elder made a living by driving a cart. As long as he continued to do so, he could not escape this so-called toll.
If you waived it this time due to the presence of a knight, he would demand it back next time, with interest, and double the fee the time after that. What could you do? Find a knight to protect you every day?
Even if this so-called Boss Zhao were killed, as long as there was profit on this road, there would still be Boss Li, Boss Zhang, Boss Liu, and a succession of other bandit bosses emerging.
How would you know if they wouldn't be more brutal and greedy than Boss Li!
Momentary chivalry and kindness could not solve the problem; it would only lead to more tragic consequences! Perhaps you wouldn't bear these consequences yourself, but someone always would.
"When you can never resolve certain matters from the root, never break a seemingly unsatisfactory balance lightly, because you might not be able to bear the consequences."
"Little Wang Zhong, the Spirit Hall is vast, the world is vast, a single move can affect the whole board. When you act, strike decisively! Resolve all hidden dangers and let things operate according to their own rules!"
Wang Zhong's emerald green eyes flickered, shining as brightly as jewels.
...
"Alright, alright, stop complaining about being poor."
"Considering your usual shrewdness, you may pass!"
Outside the carriage, Boss Zhao's dismissive voice could be heard. Soon, under Old Wei's urging, the carriage slowly started moving.
Inside the carriage, the eldest sister glared, her teeth clenched, wishing she could pounce on Wang Zhong and bite him.
Such a reprimanding tone was something only her parents dared to use.
What was their parents' status, and what was Wang Zhong's? The two were completely unequal.
The carriage slowly drove past. They thought they would pass without incident, but fate intervened. A gust of wind blew, lifting a corner of the curtain.
Everything inside the carriage was clearly seen by Boss Zhao and his subordinates as they passed by.
Involuntarily, everyone swallowed hard, their eyes flashing with greed and lust.
"Wait a moment!"
"Old Wei, I didn't expect the guests you're pulling this time to be so beautiful and alluring!"
"That chest, those curves, that face. If I could sleep with one for a night, I'd gladly lose ten years of my life!"
"Why don't you have a few beauties get off the carriage for my brothers to have a good look? If we like them, keeping them here as wives wouldn't be a bad thing."
Crude and brainless words caused Wang Zhong to sigh heavily, "This one is even dumber!"
"Completely brainless!"
"Scum of the lowest order, scram!" The eldest sister, already furious with Wang Zhong, couldn't tolerate such vulgar language from outside.
"Oh, beauty, are you angry?"
"Hahaha!"
"Beauty, come down and let us take a good look!"
"No, Boss Zhao, you promised that after paying the toll, you wouldn't interfere with my guests!" Old Wei said urgently.
"Old Wei, get out of the way. Be careful, my blade has no eyes!"
"And don't meddle. Think about your family! They're waiting for you!"
"Hahaha! Exactly! An old man on his last legs, do you really think you can play the hero?"
Jeers and mockery came from his accomplices, the threats and disdain blatant.
"You're all looking for death!"
A furious roar erupted, and behind the eldest sister, a black cat, entirely black with mystical patterns on its body, leaped out. Two yellow soul rings appeared from its feet, spinning rapidly.
As the martial soul manifested, Wang Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up. Nether Spirit Cat!
There was only one such martial soul on the entire continent, belonging to the Zhu family, the lineage of the Star Luo Empire's Empress!
With a flash, the eldest sister vanished from her spot, appearing outside the carriage.
This naturally drew exclamations and excited shouts from outside the carriage.
"Wow, what a hot woman."
"That figure, that butt, and then that chest… *gulp*"
As he spoke, someone swallowed audibly.
The reaction of the group, however, made Wang Zhong's brow furrow.
"This shouldn't be!"
"Let alone the suppression Soul Masters have over ordinary people. Coupled with the meaning of the Nether Spirit Cat's existence, shouldn't everyone know?"
"After she revealed her martial soul and soul rings, why are these people still behaving like this? They're not scared at all!"
Just as Wang Zhong was surprised by this, the aura of over ten soul powers erupted simultaneously.
A group of highway bandits actually had over ten Soul Masters!
This was completely unbelievable.