Tang San Doubts Life

Aside from this possibility, he truly could not think of any other.

However, this possibility only made him feel puzzled.

Why would the other party impersonate his father?

What was the point?

His father was merely an ordinary blacksmith, and he was just an ordinary villager; there was nothing about them worth the other party's attention.

While he was pondering this, Tang Hao walked in carrying a coarse porcelain bowl. Inside, golden chicken soup wafted with steam, oil droplets shimmering on the surface, with two plump, white eggs nestled within.

"Come, drink slowly." Tang Hao placed the bowl on the small stool by the bedside, carefully helped Tang San sit up, and tucked a worn cotton cushion behind his back. "Just finished simmering it. I let it cool, so it won't burn your mouth."

Tang San looked at the bowl of chicken soup, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he didn't reach for it immediately, instead stealing a glance at Tang Hao.

His father's hair was still messy and his clothes were stained with dust, but those eyes no longer held the turbidity of the past.

"Dad..." Tang San spoke hesitantly, his voice still a bit raspy. "Why... aren't you drinking today?"

Tang Hao's movements paused, then he scratched his head, an unnatural flush appearing on his face. "Not drinking anymore. Alcohol leads to mistakes... I won't drink anymore from now on."

He picked up a spoon, scooped up some clear chicken soup, and blew on it before bringing it to Tang San's lips. "Drink up, it'll build up your strength."

The warm chicken soup slid down his throat, carrying a rich, savory fragrance that made Tang San feel warm all over.

He couldn't help but take a few more sips, his eyes never leaving Tang Hao's face.

His father being this good to him was something Tang San was truly unaccustomed to; he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with his father.

Tang San drank the soup in small sips, his peripheral vision constantly darting toward Tang Hao.

The chicken in the bowl was stewed until soft and tender, melting the moment it touched his tongue, and the egg yolk was smooth and delicate. This was the most delicious meal he had ever eaten in his life.

Yet, the doubts in his heart surged like a tide.

In the past, his father would either be hammering away in the smithy or clutching a wine jar, dead drunk. He rarely looked him in the eye, let alone simmered chicken soup for him by hand.

Even when he offered a word of concern, his tone was always gruff, nothing like the cautious tenderness in his eyes now.

"Dad, where did this chicken... come from?" Tang San couldn't help but ask, his voice tinged with probing.

Tang Hao was being too good to him, so good that he began to doubt reality.

He knew the state of their household; even money for rice was tight, so where would they have extra money to buy a chicken?

Tang Hao, who was using a cloth to wipe the oil from the corner of Tang San's mouth, paused at the question, his gaze flickering. "...I bought it on credit from Butcher Wang next door. Once I finish that batch of farm tools in a few days, I'll be able to pay him back."

Tang San gave an "oh" and didn't press further, but the knot of suspicion in his heart only grew tighter.

After finishing the soup, Tang Hao took the bowl and left, leaving Tang San alone in the bedroom.

Tang San couldn't help but let his imagination run wild; he truly couldn't understand what had caused Tang Hao to change like this.

But he had to admit, he quite liked this version of Tang Hao, as it allowed him to feel a deep sense of paternal love.

Before, he naturally held some grievances toward Tang Hao, as the man had never really paid him any mind.

After a while, Tang Hao walked back in and sat down beside Tang San.

Looking at Tang San, Tang Hao sighed inwardly and said, "San, in a while, I'll teach you how to forge."

Tang San was, after all, the child of him and Ah Yin; he needed to be taken care of properly.

"Forge?" Tang San was stunned, his dark eyes filled with surprise.

Since he was small, he had watched his father drenched in sweat in the smithy; the clanging of the hammer against the anvil was the most familiar background noise of Holy Soul Village.

Yet, his father had never mentioned teaching him, and even when he leaned in to watch, his father would impatiently wave him away.

"Yes." Tang Hao nodded, his rough palms gently rubbing against his knees as if organizing his thoughts. "Learning a trade is never a bad thing. Even if you don't become a Spirit Master in the future, you can still survive with this skill."

He had noticed before that Tang San always liked to tinker with small gadgets and enjoyed watching him forge, but he hadn't paid it much mind.

Thinking that Tang San would be going to school in a while, he intended to teach him blacksmithing so that Tang San would at least have a way to earn a living.

Tang San looked at Tang Hao's earnest profile, momentarily forgetting how to speak.

The sparks flying from the anvil, the dull thud of the hammer falling, his father's sweat-drenched back... these images surged in his mind, both strange and familiar.

"Why... suddenly want to teach me?" Tang San's voice was very soft, tinged with disbelief.

Tang Hao thought for a moment and said, "You're going to school soon. If I teach you, you'll have a way to make money."

Tang San nodded vigorously, burying his face in the quilt to secretly wipe away the moisture in his eyes.

It wasn't an illusion after all; his father had truly changed.

On the other side, in the cave.

"That was a comfortable sleep."

Xu Yuan climbed up from the ground and stretched his body.

He truly hadn't expected that he would fall asleep while absorbing a Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.

That was truly unprecedented.

Yet, he considered that he could now fly and possessed the divine skill, Wildfire Cannot Destroy, Spring Wind Brings Life.

One must know that this divine skill, Wildfire Cannot Destroy, Spring Wind Brings Life, allows the body to self-repair; even severed limbs can regrow on their own.

Within the Blue Silver Domain and places filled with Blue Silver Grass, the performance of this soul skill is extremely advantageous.

God King Tang San appeared before Xu Yuan and said, "Very well, let us return. Once we return, I have other things to teach you."

"Yes, my Lord." Xu Yuan composed his mind and replied respectfully, though a flash of realization darted through his eyes.

God King Tang San was clearly afraid that if he lingered outside for too long, complications might arise.

Xu Yuan followed behind God King Tang San as they exited the cave; the night was like a piece of ink-soaked velvet, wrapping the mountain forest tightly.

The chirping of insects in the woods rose and fell, and occasionally, a night bird would flutter its wings as it swept past, stirring up a faint, rustling wind.

"My Lord, was that drowsiness while absorbing the soul bone a normal reaction to the soul bone fusing with the body?" Xu Yuan could not help but ask, his footsteps crunching softly on the fallen leaves.

God King Tang San nodded slightly and said, "That is correct."

Xu Yuan nodded to show he understood, then utilized the flight ability of the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone to fly rapidly toward the village.

Xu Yuan's body skimmed lightly over the low bushes, the whistling of the wind rushing past his ears.

He deliberately controlled his speed, following at a moderate distance behind the blue phantom of God King Tang San.

After a while, Xu Yuan returned to his home.

The first thing Xu Yuan did upon returning home was to go to the kitchen and start cooking himself a meal.

Because he had not eaten lunch, Xu Yuan felt exceptionally, ravenously hungry.

God King Tang San took one look at Xu Yuan cooking before returning to Xu Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.

When he first awoke, it was precisely within Xu Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.