Lin Rong had already done everything possible in his meticulously laid-out plan.
As for the remaining plans, when they would be executed and whether they would change would depend on the actual situation.
For the days ahead, his most important task was to cultivate to level twenty as quickly as possible. Lin Rong intended to delegate all other trivial matters to the old butler.
Half a month later.
The Heaven Dou Empire, Fasnu Province.
Nuoding City, Holy Spirit Village.
Inside a mud-brick house.
"Yue... Yuehua, h-how did you know I was here?"
A disheveled middle-aged man rubbed his eyes in disbelief, staring at the palace-robed woman before him with astonishment.
Hearing his question, the palace-robed woman's lips curved into a bitter smile, and tears flowed into her mouth, tasting salty.
After a long pause, the palace-robed woman retorted:
"Is this the only thing you want to ask when you see your sister after so many years?"
These two were none other than the siblings Tang Hao and Tang Yuehua.
Tang Yuehua trembled as she reached out to caress Tang Hao's cheek. Tang Hao didn't dodge; instead, he displayed a gentleness Tang San had never seen before.
"Dad, who is she?"
From behind Tang Hao, Tang San could no longer contain his curiosity.
The woman before him was so beautiful, and he felt a sense of familiarity from their bloodline. Could this be his mother?
No, it felt like something was still missing.
Tang Hao didn't answer Tang San's question. Instead, Tang Yuehua stopped stroking Tang Hao and turned to look at Tang San.
"Is this your child with her?"
With that single sentence, Tang San knew the woman before him was not his mother.
"Child, you look just like your father."
Tang Yuehua reached out to stroke Tang San's hair, but he dodged her hand.
"Why are you dodging? I'm your aunt!" Tang Yuehua chided playfully and reached for Tang San's forehead again.
At this moment, Tang Hao also spoke up to explain, "Xiao San, she is your paternal aunt."
Aunt? No wonder he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness through his bloodline.
This time, Tang San didn't dodge, allowing Tang Yuehua to stroke his hair.
"Xiao San, my nephew, have you been living here with your father all these years?"
It was only then that Tang Yuehua's gaze fell upon the surroundings of the room, and she said with concern, "Your food and everything must not have been good all these years. Look how thin you've become."
"But, Xiao San, you can't blame your father. He never knew how to cook since he was young."
"It's already a great improvement that he's learned to cook porridge over the years."
"Uh, Auntie." Tang San pointed to the plain porridge on the wooden table and explained with some embarrassment, "I cooked this porridge..."
"..."
Tang Yuehua was stunned for a moment, then teased, "I knew it! This porridge is cooked soft and fluffy, and the heat control is excellent. It really doesn't look like your father's cooking."
"Alright, Yuehua, why are you here looking for me?"
Tang Hao interrupted the aunt and nephew's conversation, getting straight to the point.
"Why am I here?" Tang Yuehua's tone intensified upon hearing this, and she questioned, "Now that I've found you here, you still don't plan on going back?"
"Do you know how much Father and eldest brother miss you!"
"Father is critically ill now, and he's calling out your childhood nickname even in his sleep. Aren't you going back to see him?"
"Perhaps if Father sees you and your grandson Xiao San, his heart will be eased, and his illness will be cured."
Upon hearing this, Tang Hao's pupils dilated instantly. Trembling, he leaned against the wall, remaining silent.
After a long pause, a hoarse voice emerged from Tang Hao's mouth, "Yuehua, take Xiao San back with you!"
"I owe the sect too much, and I have no face to face my father and eldest brother."
"Xiao San has Twin Martial Souls, Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer. Consider him my acknowledgement to the sect."
"I can't leave this place. Help me raise Xiao San well, okay?"
Tang Yuehua wanted to say more, but heard Tang Hao state resolutely:
"My mind is made up. No matter what you say, I won't go back with you."
"Xiao San, come here!"
"Dad." Tang San walked up to Tang Hao.
"I want you to remember one thing."
"Dad, go ahead."
"Between us and Spirit Hall, there is an irreconcilable hatred!"
Irreconcilable hatred?
What kind of hatred could be so irreconcilable?
Tang San's mind raced, and he quickly reached a conclusion.
Wife killer! Mother killer!
After understanding, Tang San clenched his fists and thought to himself:
"No wonder, on that rainy night he was born, his father cried so miserably, and he never saw his mother."
"Spirit Hall, you killed my mother, you are already courting death!"
...
Three days later.
"Aunt, where is this? Aren't we going directly to Clear Sky Sect?"
Tang San stood before the gates of the empire-bred Spirit Hunting Forest, asking curiously.
Tang Yuehua stood beside Tang San, elegantly and calmly replying, "This is the Spirit Hunting Forest. Of course, we've come here to get your first Spirit Ring."
"My carriage driver is a Soul King. In this Spirit Hunting Forest, where thousand-year Spirit Beasts are few and far between, he is more than enough to protect you and me."
At the gates of the Spirit Hunting Forest, the guard respectfully returned a token to Tang Yuehua and opened the gates, letting the three of them in.
As the three walked towards the depths of the forest, Tang Yuehua asked again:
"Xiao San, do you have a Spirit Beast in mind for your first Spirit Ring?"
Tang San shook his head. His understanding of the Spirit Master system came only from the villagers and Su Yuntao, so he knew next to nothing.
Seeing this, Tang Yuehua said understandingly:
"It's alright, let Aunt help you consider."
"The greatest strength of Blue Silver Grass is its endless vitality."
"Therefore, we can look for plant Spirit Beasts with strong vitality to be your first Spirit Ring."
That's right, wild fires cannot burn it all, spring winds make it grow again.
Isn't this exactly the characteristic of Blue Silver Grass?
Tang San's eyes lit up, and he responded:
"I'll do as Aunt says."
"I think Spirit Beasts like bamboo would be quite good. They have tenacious vitality, tough stalks, and sharp leaves. They are simply ideal, perfect Spirit Beasts."
Although Tang San said this, what he truly desired in his heart was the sharpness of bamboo leaves.
If Blue Silver Grass could inherit the sharpness attribute of bamboo leaves, wouldn't it be a superb natural hidden weapon?
"That's a good idea. As expected of my nephew, you're so clever." Tang Yuehua praised, and continued, "Spirit Beasts like bamboo, such as Lone Bamboo, Sword Bamboo, Ink Bamboo... most bamboo Spirit Beasts fit your requirements, Xiao San."
"So, we just need to find bamboo Spirit Beasts of suitable age."
"The upper limit for a normal person's first Spirit Ring is slightly over four hundred years. Xiao San's first Spirit Ring's age naturally cannot be too poor; it must be at least three hundred and fifty years old."
"Madam." The Soul King carriage driver spoke up.
"Bamboo likes water and often grows in warm, humid environments. If we follow the stream, the probability of encountering bamboo Spirit Beasts will be much higher."
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