"You flatter me, Senior. Before you, this insignificant bit of strength of mine isn't worth mentioning. Besides, that was all in the past. Now, I'm just an ordinary blacksmith."
Tang Hao felt no disrespect at Rui Mengmeng's teasing. After all, Rui Mengmeng was the woman who had beaten him into the ground yesterday.
"One of the once-renowned Twin Stars of the Spirit Master world was actually willing to become a blacksmith? I don't believe that for a second~"
Standing beside the utterly bewildered Xiao Feng—who was putting on an emperor-level performance—Rui Mengmeng teased Tang Hao. Tang Hao merely scratched his head and smiled. "All I want now is to be a good father. Those titles from the past were all empty. And before you, what do I even count for?"
Pfft~
Rui Mengmeng suddenly laughed.
"Alright, look at you, acting so timid. You should know that in our God Nine Sect, there are plenty of people stronger than me. If I hadn't once done the God Nine Sect a favor, the position of the young master's personal guard wouldn't have fallen to me."
As she spoke, Rui Mengmeng ignored everyone's reactions and sat directly at the table. She tore off a chicken leg and began eating it, commenting as she ate, "This chicken leg doesn't taste that great, but it's barely edible."
Completely disregarding everyone's feelings, Rui Mengmeng did as she pleased. Tang Hao felt a little embarrassed. After all, the only thing he had worth showing off was this skill of his. When he had left the Clear Sky Sect, he had been completely broke. Other than the soul bones in his body, he had been poor as hell.
Xiao Feng quietly asked the system, "System, this Rui Mengmeng..."
[She has her own consciousness and personality, but she will be absolutely loyal to the host and will carry out your commands without question~]
Xiao Feng's eyes lit up. "She'll carry out absolutely any command?"
[That's right~~ Anything you're thinking of is possible too~~]
"I'm a decent man. Ahem, a truly decent man."
Although Xiao Feng had such thoughts in his heart, given the current situation, this was their first meeting and he didn't know Rui Mengmeng yet. Everything needed a process. With mischief rising in his heart, Xiao Feng quietly walked over to Tang San and said, "Little San, did you hear what they were saying?"
Xiao Feng's words pulled Tang San, whose brain had been stuck in a constant shutdown state, back to reality.
"M-My dad is really a Title Douluo?"
Yesterday, on the way to the Spirit Hall Branch to awaken his Martial Soul, Old Jack had told Tang San some things about the profession of Spirit Masters. Though he did not fully understand the difference in power between Spirit Masters of different ranks, he knew that Title Douluo stood at the pinnacle of the Spirit Master profession.
No one at the pinnacle was a simple person. Yet his alcoholic father was actually someone standing at the peak of the Spirit Master profession? And judging by what the silver-haired woman Rui Mengmeng had said, his father's background was extraordinarily remarkable as well?
In response to Tang San's question, Xiao Feng muttered quietly, "Sure enough, what I said yesterday made sense. The Martial Souls we awaken mostly inherit our parents' Martial Souls. Based on the situation now, there's no mistake about it. Your dad really seems to be a Title Douluo!"
After saying that, Xiao Feng continued spinning his tale. "I think I roughly understand what happened. This woman called Rui Mengmeng has been secretly protecting me all along. You know that I'm from a sect. Yesterday, when I went to your house, your father did that to me—you know what I mean—and Rui Mengmeng probably saw it. Then your dad got beaten up."
Tang San's eyes brightened upon hearing this. "That's what I thought too!"
"But Rui Mengmeng seems much stronger than your dad, doesn't she? Otherwise, your dad wouldn't have changed so much."
Tang San felt rather awkward. Yesterday afternoon, his father had treated Xiao Feng one way, but this morning, his attitude had completely changed. The contrast embarrassed Tang San, but fortunately, everything was moving in a better direction. As for his father getting beaten up, he subconsciously forgot about that. Tang San: Whatever. As long as things get better, that's all that matters.
"Brother Xiao Feng, how strong do you think my father and your guard are?"
Tang San was very curious about the strength of a Title Douluo. He had only just come into contact with Spirit Masters, after all, so he did not understand how much weight those words carried.
"There's no point asking me. How would I know how strong they really are? Still, they should both be pretty powerful. Title Douluo are a group standing at the pinnacle of the continent. Rui Mengmeng should be a bit stronger, though. Otherwise, your dad wouldn't have injuries on his face."
Tang San nodded as though he understood. "It seems a lot must have happened to my father. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent all these years drinking himself into oblivion. And for a Title Douluo, those matters must have been very troublesome. After all, even a Title Douluo couldn't resolve them..."
Then, the two of them turned their gazes toward Tang Hao and Rui Mengmeng.
Rui Mengmeng sat at the table. At her gesture, Tang Hao also sat beside her and obediently poured her wine.
"Little Hao, I don't want to interfere with or take any interest in your matters with Spirit Hall. As the young master's guard, I have only one responsibility: to let the young master experience the life of an ordinary person without worries or cares. You understand what I mean, right?"
There was meaning behind Rui Mengmeng's words. The life of an ordinary person—what explosive information was that? Didn't that imply that once the life of an ordinary person ended, the next experience would be the life of a god?
Tang Hao knew about reaching level one hundred and becoming a god. At that moment, even his wine-pouring hand stiffened. The implications of this information were simply too great, and he now understood why Rui Mengmeng had spoken as though she could wipe out Spirit Hall overnight.
This was no longer a force belonging to ordinary people. Wouldn't destroying an ordinary force be effortless? Tang Hao understood. He had encountered an unbelievably massive backer, an absurdly thick golden thigh. Suddenly, he gave Tang San a look that roughly meant: From now on, follow them properly. No need to seek great wealth or honor, but make sure you live your life in peace.
Clearly, Tang San did not understand. But that did not stop him from pretending he did and nodding. Tang Hao: As expected of my son! No one can match this level of comprehension.
Xiao Feng, standing to the side, was equally confused. He asked curiously, "What did your dad's look mean?"
Tang San honestly whispered, "I don't know."
That answer made Xiao Feng's eyes widen. "You nodded when you didn't know?"
"Nodding was the right thing to do anyway. The specifics aren't important. The main thing is to put my father at ease."
Xiao Feng silently raised a thumbs-up. "You're really something. Truly your father's good son."
Afterward, under Xiao Feng's lead, the group of four ate a sumptuous breakfast. Throughout the meal, however, Tang Hao remained extremely obedient and did not dare act smug or forget himself in the slightest. Tang San did not understand the stakes, but Tang Hao did!
Xiao Feng also kept up appearances, and the meal passed in that strange manner.
After breakfast, Tang Hao cleared the table. Finally, amid Xiao Feng's "Come again next time," the father and son politely bid farewell to Xiao Feng and Rui Mengmeng.
After the meal, Rui Mengmeng removed the black robe covering her upper body, revealing her proud figure. Her bronze, curvaceous body carried the heroic air of a female general in the army. It was the complexion only a warrior could possess, and Rui Mengmeng was precisely a female general who had fought through countless battles!
Rui Mengmeng took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, popped the cap open with a fingernail, and drank boldly. For some reason, Xiao Feng felt that Rui Mengmeng possessed an indescribable aura of elegance. Yes, elegance. Her movements were clearly bold and uninhibited, yet they held an elegant beauty.
"Rui Mengmeng?" Xiao Feng called out tentatively. Though he knew she was a guard arranged by the system, he still felt a little nervous. They had only just met, after all. Earlier, with so many people around, he had been in his emperor-level acting mode and had not felt this way, but things were different now.
"Dear Young Master, just call me Mengmeng. Calling me Rui Mengmeng feels a little too distant. Besides, I'm your personal guard~~"
As she spoke, Rui Mengmeng approached Xiao Feng with a teasing smile at the corner of her lips. Seeing Rui Mengmeng closing in on him, Xiao Feng looked panicked.
"Y-You, what are you trying to do?"
"Do it!"
After that, Rui Mengmeng trained Xiao Feng all morning, until he collapsed from exhaustion. With lifeless eyes, he said, "Even if I'm a fighting idiot, isn't it a bit too much to expect me to learn killing techniques right from the start?"
That was right. Throughout the entire morning, Rui Mengmeng had put Xiao Feng through special combat training, under the lofty excuse: "It'd be a waste not to train such a good body!"
Before you continue