Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot, It Really Is Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot (Reset Version)

"At that time, your mother refused, but I agreed. In order to ensure the Nine Heart Begonia clan wouldn't be implicated, I even considered having your father take you away as well, because you also carry a portion of the Clear Sky Sect's bloodline."

"In the end, for your sake and your father's, and to avoid dragging the Nine Heart Begonia family into trouble, your mother took you and left with your father. There has been no news since, and this remains my greatest regret. Half a year later, Martial Soul Hall ceased its pursuit of the Clear Sky Sect. I sent people to Emperor Soul Village to look for you several times, but the last piece of information I received was ten years ago—the tragic news of your parents' passing."

"A-Si, how have you lived all these years? If Lingling hadn't told me, I would have always thought you..."

By the end, the once gentle and refined Ye Renxin was streaming with tears, and even Ye Lingling, standing to the side, had reddened eyes, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

Lan Si lowered his head, offering no reply. The room fell into an eerie silence.

He had originally thought it was dramatic enough that his mother came from the Nine Heart Begonia clan, but he hadn't expected his father's background to be even more absurd—he was actually an illegitimate son abandoned by a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect. Did this mean his two martial souls were mutations derived from the Nine Heart Begonia and the Clear Sky Hammer?

No wonder even Uncle Otto didn't know his mother's name and only referred to them as brother and sister-in-law; it turned out that period had been a special time.

And the root of all this was Tang Ritian and Qian Xunji.

However, since Qian Xunji was already dead, the debt died with him. At worst, he could just marry his daughter later and inherit the estate.

But Tang Ritian could not be let off, and neither could Tang San; this father and son were each worse than the other.

The former had hidden away like a rat in a sewer after his battle with Qian Xunji, using the excuse of not wanting to implicate others, but in the end, he not only worried his own father to death but left a mess for those around him to clean up.

The latter went without saying; after becoming a god, he rarely did anything human.

Lan Si raised his head and looked at Ye Renxin: "Mr. Ye Renxin, while I can understand your predicament back then—wanting him and me to leave the Nine Heart Begonia clan after learning of my father's background, and knowing it was his own request—I have a few questions for you before I can call you uncle."

"Please, ask." Ye Renxin wiped away his tears, his eyes still red.

Lan Si asked solemnly: "The first question: according to my adoptive father, my parents died at the hands of soul beasts during a hunt for a soul ring. Is this true?"

Ye Renxin replied: "That is indeed true. At the time, someone angered the King of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Titan Giant Ape, causing a riot in the forest. Some ten-thousand-year soul beasts were driven to the outer perimeter, and your parents died in that chaos. I have verified this through many channels; it cannot be false."

A riot in the Star Dou Great Forest?

Could it have been the time Bibi Dong hunted Xiao Wu's mother? The Titan Giant Ape arrived, but Bibi Dong and her group had already left, leading to its impotent rage?

It wasn't impossible. The original Douluo Dalu was riddled with contradictions; the first book stated Xiao Wu's mother died at the hands of Bibi Dong, yet never specified the time. Later, the setting changed to her being eaten by high-level soul beasts in the core area. Tang San's settings were always inconsistent.

But as long as they didn't die at the hands of Martial Soul Hall, it was fine. Otherwise, he wouldn't know how to face Qian Renxue in the future. After all, while the pursuit of the Clear Sky Sect disciple was triggered by Tang Hao, the orders came from Qian Renxue's grandfather, Qian Daoliu, and her mother, Bibi Dong.

As for the Titan Giant Ape, Lan Si had long ago earmarked it as the soul ring for his second martial soul.

Lan Si continued: "The second question: at the time, besides you, did anyone else know my father's background? Did Martial Soul Hall know, and did they ever hunt them down?"

Ye Renxin shook his head and sighed: "That they did not. Because your grandfather died in the conflict between Martial Soul Hall and the Clear Sky Sect, and because your father's martial soul was not the Clear Sky Hammer, very few people knew he had the Clear Sky Sect bloodline, aside from your mother and me. After the storm passed, the Clear Sky Sect sealed its mountain, and Martial Soul Hall stopped its crusade. Your parents were never discovered. Otherwise, my Nine Heart Begonia clan would have been targeted by Martial Soul Hall long ago and annexed."

At this point, Ye Renxin seemed to recall something and hurriedly advised: "Child, you must not seek revenge on Martial Soul Hall because of your grandfather's death. The power of Martial Soul Hall is beyond your imagination."

"To give birth without raising is the act of a thief. A piece of human trash who abandoned his wife and son—if he's dead, he's dead. In fact, even if he hadn't died at the hands of Martial Soul Hall, I would have gone to settle the score with him sooner or later." Lan Si shrugged slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"As for seeking revenge on Martial Soul Hall? Why would I? Martial Soul Hall never hunted my parents, and they didn't die because of Martial Soul Hall. If anything, it was because of that so-called Clear Sky Douluo and that so-called 'Number One Trash Sect' that abandoned their own. If not for them, my parents wouldn't have had to hide and flee."

"A-Si, are you thinking of...?" Ye Renxin looked at him in disbelief.

"Rest assured, I'm not that foolish. Even if I settle the score, it will be after I become a Title Douluo." Lan Si smiled and shook his head. The smile gradually faded from his face as he stared intently into Ye Renxin's eyes, his expression serious: "You said earlier that for the sake of the Nine Heart Begonia clan, you considered having my father take me away. Now, let me ask you: if I were just an ordinary person with average talent, not even a Soul Master, would you still have come to acknowledge me?"

"I would have. For all these years, Dad has never given up on finding you, whether openly or in secret. He used every channel he could, but..." Ye Lingling, who had been silent, finally spoke. Her voice was beautiful, yet carried a hint of desolation.

Lan Si continued: "Then did you ever send anyone to Nuoding City?"

Hearing this, Ye Renxin was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but ask: "The year before we received the tragic news of your parents, we went to look... wait, you said you were in Nuoding City? That Nuoding City less than a hundred miles from Emperor Soul Village?"

Lan Si nodded slowly, "Before my parents went to hunt for their soul ring, they left me with a childhood friend of my father's. He later became my adoptive father."

"I really am..." Ye Renxin was filled with regret. It was right under his nose, yet he hadn't realized it. He never imagined Lan Si was in Nuoding City. Why hadn't he stopped by Nuoding City to check while he was already heading to Emperor Soul Village?

Ye Renxin left and returned to the Nine Heart Begonia family. Until the very end, Lan Si never called him uncle; after all, it was difficult for anyone to suddenly gain an uncle and feel comfortable with it.

Likewise, he didn't call Ye Lingling cousin. It wasn't that Lan Si disliked her; on the contrary, he admired her, as she was one of the few girls in the original story who never fell for Tang San.

Instead, after confirming that he was her relative, Ye Lingling became much more cheerful. The loneliness and solitude in her eyes faded, replaced by a sense of intimacy and joy.