The Rescued Children

All the kidnapped children were brought back to Spirit Hall and gathered together. The Enforcers registered them one by one.

"Name?" the Enforcer asked, a stack of papers piled in front of him.

"Yu Tianxin."

The Enforcer checked the surnames of the various clans. "Are you from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

"Yes."

"I'll notify your clan to send someone over."

Yu Tianxin's face was full of resistance. "Don't."

"You didn't run away from home, did you?"

Yu Tianxin looked up at him as if he were an idiot. He didn't even think about where Yu Tianxin had just escaped from.

The Enforcer understood. "But we can't let you run off on your own again. Stay at Spirit Hall, and we'll notify the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to come get you."

"No!" Yu Tianxin said, hopping down from the stool and heading for the exit, only to be stopped by Meng Yiran.

"If you don't want to go back, you can come with me," Meng Yiran said.

"It's not like I have nowhere to go." Yu Tianxin walked around her and continued toward the exit.

"You're still pretty badly injured. My aunt's Martial Soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia. It can cure any illness—one whoosh and you'll be all better." Meng Yiran gestured with both hands as if a flower were opening, as though holy light were pouring out in every direction.

Yu Tianxin stopped. After a long pause, he turned to Meng Yiran and said, "The place I want to go is pretty far away. I can stay with you for now."

Meng Yiran turned to the other two. "Su Yan, Zhu Qing, are you coming?"

Zhu Qing looked at Su Yan. He shook his head. "I've only got superficial injuries. I'll be fine after resting a bit."

On the way back, Su Yan had already been told that his master was on the way. He wouldn't get the chance this time to see the strongest healing Martial Soul.

Zhu Qing shook her head too.

Meng Yiran raised an eyebrow. "All right. You, the one with the hammer—are you coming?"

"What do you mean, 'the one with the hammer'? My name is Tang Chi!" Tang Chi said, his eyes fixed on Yu Tianxin.

The Yu family. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

He drew a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I'm not injured. I'm not going."

With that, he turned his head away.

The children finished registering and gradually gathered around them. The oldest ones stepped forward first and bowed. "We wouldn't have gotten out without you. Thank you!"

The children chimed in together. "Thank you!"

Su Yan grinned. "I'm so glad everyone made it out safe and sound."

"I only did it so I could escape myself." Yu Tianxin folded his arms. "Saving you was just a side effect."

"Without everyone working together, we wouldn't have gotten out either," Meng Yiran said, glancing at Yu Tianxin out of the corner of her eye before giving a cold snort.

Zhu Qing smiled and nodded without saying anything.

Tang Chi was the happiest of them all. He fully embraced his role as Big Brother Tang, replying, "You're welcome," to every child who came to thank him.

The scene was peaceful, and everyone tacitly "forgot" about those days.

Before long, Si Si came over and clapped her hands. "Children, you were all wonderful this time! We've prepared a feast for you inside. Line up, hold hands, and follow me."

All the children went to the inner hall, and the Enforcement Hall immediately fell quiet.

One of the Enforcers, who had little hair left, sighed with relief. "Phew, it's finally quiet. They were going to make me go bald."

"You were already bald," another Enforcer, a square-faced man, said with a laugh. "Who would've thought Lord Xiao would be involved in kidnapping and trafficking?"

"It was all to make his precious son stronger," another Enforcer said with a sigh. He wore glasses and was sorting through the registration papers. "Every single one of these children is more talented than his son."

"Still, aside from Yu Tianxin, Meng Yiran, and Zhu Qing—the three talents you only see once in a lifetime—the other children seem a little less impressive," the bald Enforcer said.

"Other than those three, the rest of the children are between nine and thirteen years old. More than eighty percent have already reached level ten at that age." The bespectacled Enforcer's brow furrowed. "They all said they were kidnapped in the Soul Hunting Forest. The suspect had a clear target: children."

"We should strengthen the guards and patrols at the Soul Hunting Forest tomorrow," the square-faced Enforcer suggested.

"That's all we can do for now." The bespectacled Enforcer put away the documents and pinned on his Enforcer badge. "Let's go see what Lord Xiao knows."

"What do you all know?"

In the Spirit Hall Director's office, Director Ma Xiunuo brewed a pot of fine tea and served it to the Overlord Dragon Snake couple seated across from him, along with Ye Tangtang.

"I'm afraid this matter isn't so simple." Meng Shu's expression was grave. "There must be a powerful force behind it."

"When A Shu and I saw the signal flare and rushed over, a person in a black robe blocked our way." Chao Tianxiang coughed a few times and took a sip of tea. "That person was very strong, a Seven-Ring Soul Sage just like A Shu. We only managed to win by using our Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

"No wonder you took so long to arrive, Father and Mother-in-law," Ye Tangtang said, patting her chest with lingering fear. "Phew, thank goodness Su Yan was strong enough to hold off a Soul Ancestor for an entire hour!"

"Su Yan?" Meng Shu was surprised too.

Director Ma Xiunuo smiled proudly, sharing in the glory. "He's the new disciple our Saintess took in. This time, it was all a coincidence."

"Bibi Dong?" Chao Tianxiang drew in a sharp breath. "That child can withstand her training methods?"

"I heard he's already passed the first trial," Ma Xiunuo said, refilling their cups.

"Goodness..." Chao Tianxiang drew in another sharp breath. She couldn't help remembering the sight of a child being rescued from the Ant Nest a few years ago. "That child is destined for greatness."

"We have that child to thank this time, too," Ye Tangtang said with another sigh. "Director Ma Xiunuo, I'll get straight to the point."

"Go ahead."

"I want to arrange a betrothal between my Meng Yiran and Su Yan."

"You're saying your mother's always trying to arrange betrothals for you?" Su Yan held a chicken leg almost as big as his head, tore off a bite, and stuffed it into his mouth. He looked completely content.

"Exactly." Meng Yiran speared a piece of steak and took a bite. "I've got... about ten fiancés by now."

"Pfft—ten!" Tang Chi nearly spat out his soup.

Zhu Qing looked over, her eyes wide with surprise.

Yu Tianxin was busy eating. He kept his head down, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Su Yan was stunned too.

He'd heard stories of powerful martial artists coming down from the mountains with a box of marriage contracts left behind by their masters, going from house to house to fulfill them.

But hearing about a mother leaving her own daughter a pile of betrothals was a first.

Hearing it with his own ears was a first, too.

"I feel sorry for your future fiancés," Su Yan said, still wrestling with his chicken leg. "Are you going to hold a tournament to find a husband?"

"I don't care. I'll marry whoever I like," Meng Yiran said with a huff. "As for the rest, my mother can marry them."

Su Yan finally couldn't hold it in. He raised a hand and gave her a thumbs-up. "You really are your mother's good little boy."

"You bet!" Meng Yiran tossed her head with confidence.

The children devoured the feast like a storm sweeping through the clouds. After going hungry for so many days, they could have eaten the tables themselves. Each one rubbed their round belly, and their burps joined together in song.

It was a song of freedom.

"I gaze into the distance, beneath the moonlight."

"So much delicious food, giving off a heavenly scent."

"Yesterday in the woodshed, hunger struck."

"I'll meet you there, at the fragrant table."

"I ate until midnight, and now I can't move."

"Any place to sleep will be a warm bed."

The children could only rest by the tables, lying down, stretching out, sprawling, or leaning against them—each finding a comfortable position.

Si Si came in holding the registration book, then quietly left again.

At this rate, she'd have to wait until the next day to talk to them.