Tang You's Invitation

"Crafting Bureau..." Huo Yuhao repeated in his heart, feeling that the name had an inexplicable similarity to the Tang Sect.

Tang Shan walked to the main entrance and placed the card printed with his identity information onto the square device beside the door.

"Welcome, Crafting Bureau - Tang Shan."

Accompanied by a mechanical voice, the main door slowly opened, and Tang Shan led the two children inside.

"The Crafting Bureau is the department of the Martial Soul Hall in charge of mechanical research and manufacturing. Of course, besides civilian machinery, these devices also include... weapons."

While heading toward their destination, Tang Shan began to explain the specific functions of the Crafting Bureau while observing Huo Yuhao's reaction. He was just like every other child who came here for the first time, curiously examining every corner of the corridor.

A very normal reaction, though he was quieter than most children.

He remembered... a few years ago, when Director Tang You first brought Tang Ya here, she was so boisterous, shouting to see this and wanting to go there; Tang Shan, who was responsible for looking after her at the time, had suffered quite a bit.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was also observing the surrounding environment. What caught his attention most were the devices hanging on the doors; he remembered these things were called... access controls.

In his past life, a large portion of Soul Tools were used as combat support. This kind of civilian Soul Tool... he had only ever seen them in the Sun Moon Empire.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered a few people wearing white coats; they looked to be about the same age as Tang Shan. But whenever they saw Tang Shan, they would pause for about half a second and nod at him.

It seems Uncle Tang Shan's status is not low; he must be a relatively high-level technical staff member, Huo Yuhao thought to himself. After all, Tang Ya was now the daughter of that Director, and whoever could stay by her side certainly wasn't just a simple nanny or butler.

Before long, the group arrived in front of a wine-red wooden door.

Unlike the ones he had glimpsed earlier, this wooden door was incredibly ordinary; it was the only door Huo Yuhao had seen in the Crafting Bureau so far that did not have an access control system.

Knock, knock, knock—

Tang Shan knocked on the door, and a voice soon came from inside:

"Come in."

The voice was very steady and deep, sounding like that of a man in his thirties or forties, which made sense given Tang Ya's age.

Huo Yuhao took a few deep breaths. In his past life, Tang Ya's parents had died early, and Tang Ya had never mentioned them. In other words, Huo Yuhao had no information about Tang Ya's father.

To win his favor... it would depend on Huo Yuhao's own improvisation.

The wooden door was slowly pushed open by Tang Shan. What came into view was a white-haired man leaning against the window, looking at something outside. Under the setting sun of the evening, not a single wrinkle could be seen on the man's face; he didn't look like a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties at all.

Hearing the sound of the wooden door opening, he slowly turned his head to look at Tang Shan, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao, his lips curling into a slight smile.

"Daddy!" A loud shout broke the atmosphere. After yelling, Tang Ya ran toward the man and threw herself into his arms.

"Did you follow them halfway again?"

"Yup!" Tang Ya answered righteously.

The man rubbed his forehead helplessly, then continued:

"Forget it. I have some urgent matters to attend to later; go play in the storage room with Uncle Shan for a while."

After saying this, he leaned into Tang Ya's ear and whispered something. Tang Ya's face turned red instantly, and Tang Shan immediately stepped forward with Huo Yuhao to take Tang Ya from Tang You's arms.

"Then I shall take the young miss away first, Director."

"Mm." After saying this, Tang Shan led the still-blushing Tang Ya away, not forgetting to close the large door behind them.

At this moment, only the man and Huo Yuhao remained in the room.

"Apologies, my daughter made a spectacle of herself," the man smiled and looked up at Huo Yuhao, who was standing before him.

"Let me introduce myself first. I am Tang You, Director of the Martial Soul Hall Crafting Bureau."

"Don't be nervous, find a place to sit." Tang You pointed to a sofa nearby. Huo Yuhao bowed slightly and sat in the spot Tang You had indicated.

"Um... hello, I am Huo Yuhao."

As Huo Yuhao spoke, he and Tang You sized each other up.

It had to be said that this face really didn't match his voice. If Huo Yuhao were to judge based on this face alone, Tang You's age would definitely not exceed twenty-five.

But more than his face, what caught Huo Yuhao's attention was his legs. He had vaguely felt something was off earlier, and at this moment, he channeled his soul power to use his martial soul, only to see that in a small corner slightly exposed beneath the trouser leg, what was hidden was not a human ankle, but a piece of cold metal.

Noticing Huo Yuhao's gaze, Tang You began to explain:

"I had some grudges with others in my early years, which cost me my legs. Fortunately, the Pope spared me, allowing me to stay in the Crafting Bureau with these iron legs and continue serving as Director."

"Looking at your eyes... you are very interested in them?" Tang You asked, resting his chin on his hand.

Huo Yuhao nodded but remained silent.

Tang You simply assumed Huo Yuhao was still nervous and didn't mind.

"I heard that you used some... strange techniques during the martial soul awakening ceremony."

Huo Yuhao thought to himself, As expected. The other party had noticed him precisely because of those three Tang Sect secret techniques.

He lowered his head further, preparing to see what Tang You was thinking before deciding what excuse to use.

"Remember what I said just now? Back then, these legs were lost because of a traitor who wanted to steal and spread the secret techniques of my Crafting Bureau. But in the end, he escaped from the Crafting Bureau and remains a wanted criminal of the Martial Soul Hall to this day..."

Tang You said every word clearly, and Huo Yuhao lowered his head even further.

Something is wrong! This was Huo Yuhao's only thought. He could never have imagined that such a coincidence could exist in the world.

However, the next moment, Tang You's words pulled his pounding heart back from the brink.

"However, according to Zhang Peng's investigation... your mother was once a servant at the White Tiger Duke Mansion in the Star Luo Empire, and she had no connection whatsoever to that traitor."

"Perhaps he scattered these secret techniques among the common folk, and you simply happened to learn them. Or perhaps there is some other reason... regardless, the explanation matters little, but to have mastered all three of these secret techniques at the age of six is practically impossible."

Tang You tapped his fingers against the tabletop, producing a rhythmic, hollow thumping sound.

"In other words, while I initially wanted to see you because of the three secret techniques you used, I find you yourself to be even more interesting now."

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao felt a wave of relief wash over him, followed immediately by an 'incredulous' look toward Tang You.

He knew that, however inexplicable it might seem, he had already cleared this first hurdle.

"A formidable capacity for learning, an Innate Full Soul Power Body Martial Soul... you are exactly the kind of talent our Crafting Bureau needs."

"Little Huo Yuhao, would you be interested in joining our Crafting Bureau?"