This World Seemed a Little Different

Rumble! Thunder rumbled endlessly through the sky as Spirit Hall soul masters arrived at a dilapidated village. At their head was a blonde girl.

She looked to be thirteen years old. Beside her stood a tall, burly man clad in black armor. He said respectfully, "Young Master, I'm afraid there are no survivors left in Zhao Family Village. We should return to Spirit Hall. If the Great Enshrined Elder finds out you came out, I'll be in for it."

The girl nodded. "Got it. Let's go back."

Just then, a four-year-old child opened his eyes beneath the ruins of a large house. The instant he did, the burly man locked onto him.

The blonde girl looked in the direction the man was watching in confusion. To her surprise, a pair of large eyes was staring fixedly at her through a narrow gap in the rubble.

The blonde girl was instantly delighted. "Look! Someone's still alive! Elder Demon Bear, hurry and get him out!"

The man called Elder Demon Bear nodded and stepped forward, moving the bricks away one by one. Ignoring the attempts of another thin man in black at her side to stop her, the blonde girl walked over as well.

As she approached, she saw the owner of those eyes. Seeing that he was a child, a four-year-old who looked as though he had only recently learned to walk, the blonde girl picked him up.

The little boy neither cried nor fussed, obediently allowing the blonde girl to gently set him on the ground. Just as she was about to ask something, Demon Bear stepped forward and said, "Young Master, this little one should be the village chief's youngest grandson. His parents were sent to guard the border last year after Spirit Hall had a conflict with the Star Luo Empire."

The blonde girl pondered this. "Then did his parents die in the line of duty for Spirit Hall?"

Demon Bear nodded. "That's right! Young Master, please look over there."

The blonde girl turned her gaze and saw two shattered memorial portraits, one of a man and one of a woman, placed together. Demon Bear continued, "Back then, the conflict between Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire caused heavy casualties. Spirit Hall has also been continuously searching for the orphaned children of those soldiers who died in the line of duty."

The extremely thin man in black added, "That's right! Demon Bear is completely correct. It's been so many years, yet we never found the child of the Zhao couple. Who would've thought we'd find him today?"

The blonde girl nodded. "Then what should we do?"

Elder Demon Bear said, "According to Spirit Hall's usual practice, we either send him to the Spirit Orphanage or find a family capable of raising him and place him in their care."

At that, the thin man said with a grin, "Let me raise this little guy! I still don't have a son, after all. He can take care of me when I'm old."

The blonde girl frowned. "Elder Ghost Leopard, don't forget that you just said the word 'family.' You aren't married, so where would you get a family?"

Ghost Leopard: That hit right in the heart!

Ignoring him, the blonde girl picked up the little boy, spread her wings, and flew toward Spirit City. Magic Bear Douluo walked over to Ghost Leopard Douluo and patted his shoulder. "You should pursue Ling Yuan first before thinking about adopting this Zhao family orphan."

Ghost Leopard Douluo felt another stab of pain in his heart. Was it that he did not want to pursue Ling Yuan? Every time he went to see Ling Yuan Douluo, he would find the Seventh Enshrined Elder of the Worship Hall, Subduing Demon Douluo, by her side.

Ghost Leopard Douluo's heart was riddled with holes, as though the slightest touch would shatter it completely. Magic Bear Douluo had no intention of paying him any further attention and chased after the blonde girl.

Leaving Ghost Leopard Douluo behind to nurse his wounds alone!

Spirit City, Worship Hall

The blonde girl set the filthy little boy down on the spotless, mirror-like floor of the Worship Hall, then ran over to an old man beneath the Angel Statue and began speaking to him.

The white-haired old man opened his eyes after hearing her. He looked at his granddaughter, then at the little boy sitting on the floor. When the blonde girl saw that her grandfather was ignoring her, she said angrily, "Grandpa! Just tell me, are you willing to adopt him or not?"

Qian Renxue stood with her hands on her hips and pointed at her grandfather indignantly. Seeing this, the white-haired old man instantly set aside his pride, crouched before his granddaughter, and stroked her lovely hair. "Xue'er, since you want a little brother and want him to become your adopted younger brother, then you shouldn't be coming to me."

Qian Renxue asked in confusion, "Then who should I go to? Aren't you the biggest authority in Spirit Hall?"

Qian Daoliu shook his head with a smile. "I can't make the decision on this matter. Even if Grandpa is the highest authority, we still have to see what your mother thinks."

Qian Renxue froze on the spot. She did not want to see her mother, but if she wanted to adopt the little boy, she had to speak to her mother.

Though she feared her mother, she still decided to give it a try for the sake of making the little boy her younger brother. If her mother did not agree, she would think of another way.

Several grandpas in the Worship Hall had sons without heirs. An adopted younger brother and an adopted cousin were only one word apart!

Before long, Qian Renxue arrived at the Papal Palace carrying the little boy. Bibi Dong merely cast a brief glance at the boy in Qian Renxue's arms and paused for a moment, though only for a moment.

Bibi Dong parted her red lips and asked, "What are you doing here? Whose child are you holding?"

Qian Renxue panicked when she heard her mother's question, but for the sake of making the little boy in her arms her brother, she steeled herself. "Mother! Please adopt this little boy! I want a younger brother, please!"

Bibi Dong was somewhat stunned. "The little boy you're holding?"

"Yes!"

Bibi Dong looked at the little boy, who was still asleep. Seeing him sleeping in her daughter's arms, she said, unusually, "Put him on the sofa to the side. Once I finish handling my official duties, I'll go to the Spirit Orphanage to complete the paperwork."

"Mother, you mean you're going to..."

"Complete the adoption procedures!"

Qian Renxue said happily, "Got it! Then I'll be leaving first, Mother!"

Bibi Dong gently scolded her, "Get lost already! Stop getting in my way!"

Qian Renxue could hear the meaning in her mother's tone, so she skipped happily out of the Papal Palace. Once Qian Renxue had left, Bibi Dong's expression instantly darkened as she said to the people behind her, "You can leave now, right?"

Only then did the several Enshrined Elders behind Bibi Dong depart. Qian Daoliu said calmly, "Since you've adopted him, treat him well. Don't let me find out that you've been rough with my adopted grandson."