How to Play a Swindler

The next morning, after saying goodbye to his mother and Na'er, Tang Wulin happily headed off to school.

A night of meditation made him feel increasingly close to his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, to the point that he felt a special fondness for Blue Silver Grass itself.

Then, a figure ahead caught his attention.

"Fusheng, over here."

Tang Wulin spotted his good friend and could not wait to share the joy of "gaining a little sister" with him.

Nan Fusheng listened quietly. Then Tang Wulin suddenly noticed that his friend's face seemed somewhat "red," while his hands appeared slightly purple. Looking closer, he saw several crisscrossing wounds, as well as what seemed to be a handprint on his face.

"Fusheng, what happened to your injuries? Did someone bully you?"

Seeing that his good friend seemed to have been bullied, Tang Wulin hurriedly pressed him for answers.

"It's nothing. I'm already used to it."

Nan Fusheng looked utterly unconcerned. No matter how Tang Wulin questioned him, he got no answer, and even the excitement of gaining a "little sister" yesterday faded considerably.

The atmosphere between them became somewhat silent as they finally arrived at school.

The Soul Master Class did not teach Soul Master knowledge every day. One day was dedicated to Soul Master knowledge, and the next to regular academic subjects. Today happened to be an academic day.

Nan Fusheng was not particularly interested in academic subjects, whereas Tang Wulin listened attentively and was even praised by the teacher during class.

After school at Red Mountain Academy...

"Mom, why did you come to pick me up? Where's Na'er?" The moment he stepped out of the school gates after class, Tang Wulin saw Lang Yue.

A trace of heartache showed in Lang Yue's eyes. She quickly walked over and picked up her son.

"Mom, put me down already! I'm a big kid now. How embarrassing would it be if my classmates saw this!"

Lang Yue burst out laughing. "No matter how old you are, you're still my son."

Nan Fusheng, who stood nearby, said, "Hello, Auntie."

"So it's Little Fusheng. Did little Wulin cause you any trouble today?" Lang Yue asked as she patted Nan Fusheng's head.

"Little Fusheng, what happened to you?"

At that moment, Lang Yue noticed the scars on Nan Fusheng's body. Although the wounds had gradually faded, it was still clear that they had been left recently. When Nan Fusheng had visited their home yesterday, he had not had these injuries.

"If someone is bullying you, you can tell Auntie. Auntie will stand up for you," Lang Yue said.

Nan Fusheng shook his head. "Auntie, thank you for your concern, but it's nothing. I have something to do at home, so I'll be going back first." Nan Fusheng declined Lang Yue's kindness, thanked her, and left directly.

Lang Yue frowned. Although she had only met Nan Fusheng recently, she had formed a good impression of the well-behaved child. However, since Nan Fusheng was unwilling to reveal the reason, she could not force him.

Lang Yue came back to herself, remembering why she had come to the school today. She crouched down and said to Tang Wulin, "Mom is taking you to Uncle Mang Tian's place. Do you really want to learn Forging?"

Nan Fusheng knew nothing about what happened afterward. After returning home, he began cultivating his Soul Power and did not stop until evening.

Meanwhile, at Tang Wulin's home, Lang Yue and Tang Ziran discussed the matter of "Tang Wulin learning Forging." In the end, they decided to wait and see. If it did not work out, they would have Tang Wulin give it up.

At the dinner table, Tang Wulin's arms were sore from Forging, leaving him only able to sit there, chewing with effort while smiling at Na'er beside him. Na'er was somewhat clumsily feeding him one bite at a time.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were stunned by the sight. The two beautiful little children sat there beneath the soft lamplight, forming an exceptionally harmonious picture.

"When school let out, I saw some injuries on Fusheng. Wulin, do you know what happened?"

At the dinner table, Lang Yue recalled what she had seen that afternoon and suddenly asked this question. Lang Yue was not someone who liked to meddle in other people's affairs, but Nan Fusheng was close to Tang Wulin, and she had a good impression of him, so she asked casually.

"I don't know either. When I asked Fusheng this morning, he wouldn't tell me. He only said he was already used to it," Tang Wulin said as he ate.

Tang Wulin had also told Tang Ziran about Nan Fusheng on the day their family decided to adopt Na'er. At the time, Tang Ziran had even told Tang Wulin to learn from Nan Fusheng, who had used Federation law to scare off those young men.

Tang Ziran frowned. After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell his family some of what he had learned recently.

"I've also asked around about Nan Fusheng's family situation recently. How should I put it? His family's circumstances aren't very good."

Tang Ziran paused there before continuing, "Nan Fusheng's father seems to have abandoned him and his mother, while his mother is somewhat mentally unstable. She is also extremely cold toward him and beats or curses at him from time to time. She rarely leaves the house, and even orders food and necessities through Soul Guidance Communication. Some neighbors once tried to talk to her, but were turned away at the door."

"As for Nan Fusheng himself, his situation is somewhat complicated." Tang Ziran's expression grew complicated as he said this.

"Just say it already. Stop keeping us in suspense." Lang Yue's curiosity had been piqued, while Tang Wulin and Na'er beside her also stared at him curiously.

"When Nan Fusheng was around four years old, he often ran errands for small restaurants in exchange for food. Some kindhearted people once tried to speak to his mother and tell her to take proper care of her child, but she cursed them out and even clawed and hit them. Over time, no one dared to interfere anymore."

"How can there be parents like that in this world? Little Fusheng is too pitiful, having to encounter parents like them."

Women were emotional by nature, and Lang Yue was a parent herself, so she felt even more sympathy for Nan Fusheng's situation.

Tang Wulin nodded along beside her.

Meanwhile, Nan Fusheng, who was being discussed, could also feel his Potion being rapidly digested.

Sure enough, this method counts as swindling too.

To digest the Potion of Sequence 8, Swindler, Nan Fusheng needed to play the role of a Swindler.

Therefore, from a young age, Nan Fusheng had cultivated an image of "a tragic background" for himself, all to lay the groundwork for digesting the Potion of the next Sequence.

This kind of acting in advance was possible as well. In Lord of the Mysteries, the protagonist Klein had acted in advance, eventually reaching the point where even a Sequence 1 Potion melted the moment it entered his mouth.

Nan Fusheng could feel that more than half of his Potion had already been digested. He only needed time to wear away the rest, and it would not take too long.

"Although other people have also helped with my digestion, Tang Wulin and Na'er are the biggest contributors."