Parting on Bad Terms, Beast Taming Technique

To the west of Sacred Soul Village stood three earthen houses in the distance, the clang of hammering echoing through the air.

Lin Manshan carried a food box in one hand and a wine jar in the other as he followed beside Old Jack.

"Xiao San?" Seeing Tang San continuously hammering a piece of iron outside the house, Old Jack's face immediately darkened with anger. Leaning on his cane, he walked closer in small steps. "Xiao San, why are you the one working? Where's your dad?"

After saying that, he turned and shouted into the house, "Tang Hao! Tang Hao!"

"What are you making such a fuss for? Disturbing my peace." A slightly angry voice came from inside. The door curtain was then lifted, and a burly, bearded, disheveled man walked out.

"Tang Hao, what is wrong with you? What kind of father are you? Xiao San is only six years old. How can you make him do such heavy work?" Old Jack glared, raised his chin, and angrily rebuked him on the spot.

"This is my son. I can do whatever I want with him. It's none of your business." Tang Hao glanced from the corner of his eye at Lin Manshan and the things in his hands. "What, are you here to persuade me again?" His tone was anything but polite.

"You... you... cough, cough..." Old Jack trembled with rage and could not help coughing.

"Grandfather, please calm down." Lin Manshan hurriedly comforted him.

"Tang Hao, I won't lower myself to your level." Old Jack rubbed his chest and shot Tang Hao a disdainful glance before turning toward Tang San, who had put down his hammer and walked over. His face regained its gentle expression. "Xiao San, come. Grandfather brought you something good to eat, to celebrate your Martial Soul Awakening and the Soul Power you awakened. You have the chance to become a great Spirit Master and bring honor to the village."

"Heh, bringing honor to the village—that's your real purpose, isn't it?" Tang Hao said flatly. "But I haven't agreed to let Xiao San go to that Nuoding Academy. Who'll cook for me after he leaves? If there's nothing else, you can go."

"Tang Hao!" The fire in Old Jack's heart flared up again. He turned and glared furiously at Tang Hao. "If you want to keep wallowing in decadence and live as a useless man, that's your business. But don't ruin Xiao San's future. If he doesn't become a Spirit Master, will he just let those noble lords bully him forever? Won't Xiao San need to marry and have children someday? If those noble lords come around one day and set their eyes on your son's wife or your granddaughter, will you just stand there and watch them get taken away and abused?"

"Enough!" As though his sore spot had been struck, a cold gleam flashed through Tang Hao's eyes as he shouted.

"If I say no, then no. Get the hell out!"

Seeing his only family member cursed until his face turned green, Tang San's expression immediately cooled. His voice remained calm.

"Grandpa Jack, since my dad won't let me become a Spirit Master, then I won't become one. If there's nothing else, please leave."

"Xiao San." Old Jack froze slightly, feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his chest. His expression then dimmed as he turned to Lin Manshan. "Xiao Wu, put the things down. We're going home." After saying that, he turned back to Tang Hao and spoke earnestly.

"Tang Hao, when I was young, I saw with my own eyes the servants of nobles come to villages and abduct pretty little girls. I heard those girls were eventually sold to other large cities, and no one ever heard from them again. Tang Hao, even if you won't think for yourself, think more about Xiao San."

"My Xiao Wu may not be much. His Innate Soul Power can't compare to Xiao San's, but at least he works hard. I believe he'll definitely become a Spirit Master someday and protect our village from being bullied. So this old man won't be basking in your glory. That's all I have to say. Think it over yourself."

After Lin Manshan placed the things on the open ground nearby, Old Jack turned to Tang San again.

"Xiao San, I'll leave the food and wine here. You father and son should have a good meal tonight. I'll come collect the food box tomorrow."

With that, he turned and left without waiting for Tang Hao or his son to speak.

Lin Manshan quickly followed Old Jack. Once they had gone some distance, he looked back at the earthen house, clenched his fists, and his eyes flickered.

Before long, the two returned home and had a less-than-pleasant dinner.

After dinner, Lin Manshan returned to his room and sat on the edge of the bed. He immediately slammed a fist against the bedframe and cursed aloud.

"Fuck, Tang Hao and Tang San are such idiots. They took good intentions for ill will."

"It's not too late yet. I'll cultivate my Soul Power first." Without strength, he could do nothing. Lin Manshan understood that clearly.

Two hours later, Lin Manshan slowly opened his eyes, a trace of delight appearing on his face. "After that first attempt, my body seems to have adapted somewhat. It doesn't ache as much as before, and I can cultivate for longer too."

Clenching his fists and feeling the obvious increase in strength in his body, Lin Manshan smiled and fell backward onto the bed.

After shifting into a comfortable position, he sank into a deep sleep.

The next day, Lin Manshan rose early and headed out. It was already mid-February, and swallows and magpie birds could be seen in the fields. With simple bird-catching tools and ample patience, he successfully caught a magpie bird, then found a spider inside the house.

In the bedroom, Lin Manshan placed the bamboo tube containing the spider on the table and slowly extended his right hand toward its opening.

Focusing his mind, he activated his Soul Power. A faint green aura immediately flowed toward the spider.

As the spider flailed its eight legs, a faint sense of resistance entered his mind, followed by a constant stream of flashing images.

Spinning silk and weaving webs, waiting, the web trembling, binding prey, feeding. The images repeated over and over, and they did not last long.

"Spiders have such short memories, and they're really disgusting." Watching from the spider's first-person perspective as it gnawed on flies and mosquitoes made Lin Manshan shudder with revulsion. "Fortunately, it isn't soul devouring. Otherwise, I'd have to experience what it feels like when a spider eats."

That feeling definitely wouldn't be pleasant. Lin Manshan shivered and withdrew his right hand.

Controlling such a tiny creature that did not even qualify as a Spirit Beast was clearly very easy.

Looking at the spider inside the bamboo tube, Lin Manshan willed it to move, and the spider immediately crawled in the direction he desired. As his consciousness sank slightly deeper, the scene before his eyes changed. He saw the bamboo tube wall from the spider's perspective, yet the image retained the colors of human vision.

"That's rather interesting." Lin Manshan clicked his tongue in wonder. "I just wonder how much the Soul Power enhancement has improved this spider's memory. If it still retains memories for only as short a time as before, then I'll only be able to watch in real time."

The injection of soul and Soul Power was not only meant to control creatures, but also to greatly improve their memory, allowing him to review it whenever he wished. After all, no one would be willing to squat in one place all day watching a live broadcast. That would be far too wasteful of time.

Moving the bamboo tube aside, Lin Manshan pulled over the magpie bird whose leg had been tied with a long string.

Holding it in his hand, Lin Manshan immediately focused and separated a portion of his soul before infusing it with Soul Power. This time, he clearly felt his mind go numb for a moment. Controlling a magpie bird evidently required considerably more soul and Soul Power than controlling a spider.

Moreover, the memory fragments flashing through his mind lasted much longer.