How to Play a Swindler

Early the next morning, after saying goodbye to his mother and Na'er, Tang Wulin happily headed off to school.

A night of Meditation made him feel increasingly close to his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, to the point where he felt a special affinity for Blue Silver Grass itself.

Just then, a figure ahead caught his attention.

"Fu Sheng, over here."

Tang Wulin spotted his good friend and could not wait to share the joy of "gaining a little sister" with him.

Nan Fusheng listened quietly. Then Tang Wulin suddenly noticed that his friend's face seemed somewhat red, while his hands appeared bruised purple. Looking more closely, he saw several crisscrossing wounds and what looked like a palm print on his face.

"Fu Sheng, what happened to your injuries? Did someone bully you?"

Seeing that his good friend seemed to have been bullied, Tang Wulin hurriedly pressed him for answers.

"It's nothing. I'm used to it already."

Nan Fusheng looked utterly unconcerned. No matter how Tang Wulin questioned him, he got no answer. Even the excitement of having gained a "little sister" yesterday faded considerably.

The atmosphere between them became somewhat silent as they eventually arrived at school.

Soul Master Class did not teach Soul Master knowledge every day. One day was devoted to Soul Master knowledge, and the next to Cultural Course. Today happened to be Cultural Course.

Nan Fusheng was not particularly enthusiastic about Cultural Course, but Tang Wulin listened attentively and even received praise from the teacher.

After school at Red Mountain Academy...

"Mom, why did you come to pick me up? Where's Na'er?" The moment he stepped out of the school gates after class, Tang Wulin saw Lang Yue.

A trace of heartache appeared in Lang Yue's eyes. She quickly walked over and picked up her son.

"Mom, put me down! I'm already a big kid. How embarrassing would it be if my classmates saw me!"

Lang Yue burst into laughter. "No matter how old you are, you're still my son."

Nan Fusheng, who was standing nearby, said, "Hello, Auntie."

"So it's Little Fu Sheng. Did little Wulin cause you any trouble today?" Lang Yue asked, rubbing Nan Fusheng's head.

"Little Fu Sheng, what happened to you?"

Only then did Lang Yue notice the scars on Nan Fusheng's body. Though they had gradually faded, it was still clear that they had been inflicted recently. When Nan Fusheng had visited their home yesterday, he had not had these injuries.

"If someone bullied you, you can tell Auntie. Auntie will stand up for you," Lang Yue said.

Nan Fusheng shook his head. "Auntie, thank you for your concern, but it's nothing. I still have something to do at home, so I'll be going back first." Nan Fusheng declined Lang Yue's kindness, thanked her, and left directly.

Lang Yue frowned. Although she had only met Nan Fusheng recently, she had a good impression of this well-behaved child. However, since Nan Fusheng was unwilling to tell her the reason, there was nothing she could force him to do.

Lang Yue came back to herself and remembered why she had come to the school today. Squatting down, she said to Tang Wulin, "Mom is taking you to Uncle Mang Tian's. Do you really want to learn Forging?"

Nan Fusheng knew nothing about what happened behind him. After returning home, he began cultivating his Soul Power and did not finish until evening.

Meanwhile, at Tang Wulin's home, Lang Yue and Tang Ziran discussed the matter of "Tang Wulin learning Forging." In the end, they decided to wait and see. If it did not work out, they would have Tang Wulin give up.

At the dinner table, Tang Wulin's "arm soreness" from Forging left him only able to sit there, chewing hard while smiling at Na'er beside him. Na'er was awkwardly feeding him one bite at a time.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were both stunned by the sight. Two beautiful little ones sat there beneath the soft light, creating an exceptionally harmonious scene.

"When school let out, I saw some injuries on Fu Sheng. Wulin, do you know what happened?"

At the dinner table, Lang Yue recalled what she had seen that afternoon and suddenly asked this question. She was not someone who liked to meddle in other people's affairs, but Nan Fusheng had a good relationship with Tang Wulin, and she had a good impression of him, so she asked casually.

"I don't know either. When I asked Fu Sheng this morning, he wouldn't tell me. He just said he was already used to it," Tang Wulin said as he ate.

Tang Wulin had also told Tang Ziran about Nan Fusheng on the day their family decided to adopt Na'er. At the time, Tang Ziran had even told Tang Wulin to learn from how Nan Fusheng had used Federal Law to scare off those young hooligans.

Tang Ziran frowned. After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell his family some of what he had learned recently.

"I've also asked around about Nan Fusheng's family situation recently. How should I put it? His family situation isn't very good."

Tang Ziran paused here before continuing, "Nan Fusheng's father seems to have abandoned him and his mother, while his mother is somewhat mentally unstable. Her attitude toward him is also extremely cold. Every now and then, she even beats and scolds him. She normally never leaves the house, and even orders food and drink through the Soul Guiding Communication Device. Other neighbors once tried to talk to her, but they were turned away at the door."

"As for Nan Fusheng himself, his situation is rather complicated." Tang Ziran's expression became somewhat complicated as he said this.

"Hurry up and tell us. Don't keep us in suspense." Lang Yue's curiosity had been piqued, while Tang Wulin and Na'er beside her also stared at him curiously.

"When Nan Fusheng was around four years old, he often ran errands for small restaurants in exchange for food. Some kind-hearted people had once tried to speak to his mother and ask her to take proper care of the child, but she cursed them out, even scratching and hitting them. Over time, no one dared to interfere with her anymore."

"How could there be parents like that in this world? Little Fu Sheng is too pitiful, to have parents like that."

Women were naturally emotional, and Lang Yue was a parent herself, so she felt even more sympathy for Nan Fusheng's situation.

Tang Wulin nodded along beside her.

Meanwhile, Nan Fusheng, who was being discussed by others, could also feel his Potion being digested at a rapid pace.

"Sure enough, this method counts as swindling too."

For Nan Fusheng's Sequence Eight Swindler Potion to be digested, he needed to play the role of a Swindler.

Therefore, from a young age, Nan Fusheng had cultivated an image for himself of having a "tragic background," all to lay the groundwork for digesting the Potion of the next Sequence.

This kind of acting in advance was also possible. In Lord of Mysteries, the protagonist Klein had used advance acting, and in the end, even his Sequence One Potion melted in his mouth.

Nan Fusheng could feel that more than half of his Potion had already been digested. All that remained was to let time wear away at the rest, and it would not take too long.

"Although other people have also helped with my digestion, the biggest contributors are Tang Wulin and Na'er."