Are You Trying to Scam Me?

The gates of Notting City.

"Brother Feng, Xiao Wu is coming back with me too."

After more than half a year, Tang San and Xiao Wu had both grown much taller. Tang San looked more sturdy now, presumably from going to the blacksmith's every day to train. His face bore a hint of resolve.

Beside Tang San, Xiao Wu looked around curiously, seemingly wondering where the Holy Soul Village Xiao San had mentioned was.

"Sure."

Wang Feng nodded and glanced at Xiao Wu. She was still wearing Nuoding Academy's uniform, but, like Tang San, she had grown taller.

Still, compared with him, they were both a head shorter.

"Hey, that guy Xiao Chenyu's already gone to the intermediate academy. I wonder how boring the next few years will be."

Xiao Wu pouted. "At least I still have Xiao San to play with. Brother Feng's too strong-I can't beat him, so I'm not about to go looking for trouble."

The three of them set out along the road toward Holy Soul Village, chatting as they went.

There weren't many students at the junior academy. After Xiao Chenyu left, basically no one could spar with Xiao Wu.

Only Tang San practiced with her regularly. Wang Feng rarely did, since sparring with the two of them meant he had to hold back his strength considerably.

Besides, most of the time Wang Feng was either spending it in the Soul Beast Forest or studying ways to meditate and cultivate.

"Brother Feng, your Soul Power hasn't gone down, has it?"

Tang San suddenly asked, "Over the past year, you've fought us a few times too. I feel like your strength hasn't dropped at all, but I don't know if your Soul Power has..."

Tang San was clearly still thinking about Wang Feng's Thousand-Year Soul Ring, even though Brother Feng had said back then that it wouldn't have any effect on him.

But over the past year, Tang San had rarely seen Brother Feng use his Martial Spirit. Even when he occasionally sparred with them, he could hold his own purely through his physical strength.

"Yeah, Xiao San told me about his teacher's analysis too. Brother Feng, Xiao San and I have improved our Soul Power by a lot~"

Xiao Wu had also learned about the Thousand-Year Soul Ring by now. But among the students, only the two of them knew about it.

That guy Xiao Chenyu knew Wang Feng had a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but he clearly wasn't capable of making the sort of analysis Grandmaster had.

Xiao Wu giggled and lifted her chin. "We haven't fought in months. Xiao San should be at level sixteen by now, and I'm almost level seventeen!"

"My Soul Power hasn't gone down..." Wang Feng shook his head.

Hearing that, Tang San felt relieved.

As long as it hadn't gone down, then the side effects of that Thousand-Year Soul Ring might really not be as serious for Brother Feng as Grandmaster had imagined.

"Hehe, then we've passed you, Brother Feng. You should still be at level fifteen, right?"

Xiao Wu shook her fist. "Next time, Xiao San and I will definitely beat you."

At her words, Wang Feng suddenly felt a little dazed.

Over the past six months or so, he had been completely immersed in battle training and all kinds of research, and hadn't paid attention to how much their Soul Power had improved. He had often lamented that, because he was compressing his Soul Power, his cultivation was progressing extremely slowly.

But it seemed that... even at this slow pace... he was still cultivating much faster than most people?

"I'm looking forward to it," Wang Feng said with a smile.

As he spoke, Wang Feng couldn't help glancing at Tang San.

He vaguely remembered that, in the original story, Xiao San's father had left that year, and he and Xiao Wu had officially become siblings.

It was about time he went back to see Grandpa Jack.

Wang Feng gazed at the small village in the distance, its chimneys sending up wisps of smoke, and his eyes suddenly grew distant.

Holy Soul Village.

"Hey, Xiao San, your village looks pretty nice too..."

By afternoon, the three of them had finally reached the entrance to Holy Soul Village.

A year didn't seem to have brought many changes to the little village. The water in the little fountain beneath the stone pillar in the middle of the village gate was still clear.

Every so often, a few villagers came through the gate, carrying all kinds of kitchen utensils as they returned from work.

A few mischievous children sometimes followed them, chattering noisily.

"What's that stone pillar in the middle? Why are there two handprints on it?"

Xiao Wu bounced over to take a look, asking as she went.

"It's Brother Feng's handiwork... A few years ago, Holy Soul Village was still very poor. It wasn't like this, with clean stone roads and a beautiful fountain garden..."

Tang San walked over and explained with a smile.

Just then, several voices rang out from the distance:

"Xiao San, Xiao Feng, what are you doing back here?"

An old, familiar figure called out from afar. It was Old Jack.

After a year apart, Wang Feng noticed a few more wrinkles on Grandpa Jack's face. Time had taken its toll.

"It's winter break, so we came back early."

Wang Feng walked over and helped Old Jack along.

"You children, honestly. It's such a long way!"

Old Jack glared at Wang Feng. "But you're back now, and that's what matters."

As he spoke, Old Jack suddenly looked toward Xiao San. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Xiao San, your father..."

"Grandpa Jack, I'll go see my father right away."

Tang San said excitedly, then led Xiao Wu toward the blacksmith's shop.

Xiao Wu had wanted to look at the story on the stone pillar, but hearing how unusually excited Tang San was, she followed him right away.

"...Uncle Hao must have left, right?"

Wang Feng suddenly said.

"Mm, he left... How did you know?"

Old Jack nodded and answered instinctively. "Mm, he left... Xiao Feng, how did you know?"

Wang Feng didn't answer. He helped Grandpa Jack to the blacksmith's shop, where they saw Tang San staring blankly inside.

"That Tang Hao really is irresponsible..."

Old Jack said angrily. "After giving me the letter, he just left. He didn't even consider how Tang San would feel... I'll go give Tang San the letter."

As he spoke, he went inside and handed the letter to Tang San.

Wang Feng thought, Uncle Hao must have come to see Xiao San, right?

But given Uncle Hao's nature, he probably wouldn't face Xiao San directly. He was likely watching him secretly from some corner.

Thinking this, Wang Feng went inside. Seeing Tang San looking dejected, he said:

"Xiao San, actually, Uncle Hao probably came to Notting City to see you."

Tang San froze at that.

"Really. I happened to see him a few times. He came several times, always watching you secretly. Sometimes while you were working, sometimes while you were in class..."

Wang Feng said with a smile, "So you don't need to feel sad. Uncle Hao cares about you a lot; it's just that, for some reason, he doesn't want to see you."

At those words, Tang San's eyes stung.

"I understand. Thank you, Brother Feng."

Wang Feng waved a hand and said:

"I'll head back first, then. You and Xiao Wu can get your home in order."

As he spoke, Wang Feng helped Old Jack out.

Wang Feng walked around the village once. Most of the families had brought a few little gifts, and after he had taken care of those things, he went to the familiar little grove he hadn't seen in so long.

Although it had only been a little over a year, Wang Feng felt as if he had woken from a dream in another lifetime.

There were so many tears he had shed in this little grove back then.

He stroked one familiar tree after another, as well as the traces of various traps left on them, and stepped on the branches and weeds that creaked beneath his feet.

Wang Feng broke off a stalk of Blue Silver Grass, put it in his mouth, chewed it twice, and let out a long sigh:

This really was where the dream began.

Before long, Wang Feng suddenly stopped. His gaze fell on the ground ahead...

Chirp, chirp...

The rough, familiar cries gave Wang Feng the strange feeling that he had traveled through time.

On the ground in the distance lay a Little Green Bird. It was twitching and shuddering, its body still covered in blood.

It was called little, but it was actually quite big-at least half as big as Wang Feng.

But...

Wait, why did this scene look so familiar?

Wang Feng stared at the Little Green Bird, shocked.

"Holy crap, don't tell me you're the little bird I saved more than a year ago? Why are you badly hurt again? Are you trying to scam me?"