The Past, a Family Feud

"This is the Spirit Hall's Basic Meditation Method. Though it's only a basic method, it's still not something we share with people outside Spirit Hall."

"I'm making an exception and giving it to you."

Su Yuntao thought, You'll find out soon enough what it means to have a powerful backer!

"Once you've practiced the Basic Meditation Method, you'll start wanting to learn the Intermediate Meditation Method and the Advanced Meditation Method!"

Ling Yun stared at Su Yuntao in surprise. So this was what Brother Tao was like—he even dared to break Spirit Hall's rules!

"Brother Tao, take it back! The teachers at the academy will teach me after I enroll. It's not worth breaking Spirit Hall's rules."

"If I'm giving it to you, then take it!"

Su Yuntao stuffed the booklet into Ling Yun's arms. Deep in his eyes, a glint of triumph flashed and vanished.

The bait was already in the water. He refused to believe a mere six-year-old could resist the temptation of the Intermediate Meditation Method and the Advanced Meditation Method.

"Thank you, Brother Tao!"

Ling Yun didn't think much of it. Su Yuntao's sudden gesture had touched him.

Seeing this, Su Yuntao was even more pleased. He led Ling Yun out of the room used for Martial Soul Awakening.

The village chief, Shi Niu, hurried forward warmly. He had already learned how the Martial Soul Awakening had gone from the children who had come out earlier.

At last, Stone Mirror Village had a child with the talent to cultivate. How could the village chief not be delighted?

"Thank you for your hard work, Esteemed Spirit Hall Officer! We've prepared a meal in the village. It's simple fare, but we hope you won't mind."

"Don't mention it. It's my job."

"I'll pass on the meal. There are still many villages waiting for me to help them awaken their Martial Souls."

"By the way, is Ling Yun's family here?" Su Yuntao had been so thrown off by Ling Yun's maturity that he'd only just remembered: if he wanted to persuade Ling Yun to join Spirit Hall, he could start with the boy's elders.

"To answer you, Esteemed Spirit Hall Officer, Xiao Yun is an orphan! If you're talking about family, the whole village is his family!"

"I see!" Su Yuntao imagined the life Ling Yun had led and sighed inwardly. No wonder Ling Yun was so mature. That explained it!

"Esteemed Spirit Hall Officer, is there something you need to discuss with Xiao Yun's family? This old man can help."

"Oh! Children can be immature in their thinking. Tell him more about Spirit Hall." After saying this, Su Yuntao hurried off to the next village.

Shi Niu watched Su Yuntao leave, then turned to Ling Yun. "Xiao Yun, what did the officer mean by that last remark?"

"He kept you behind alone. What did he say to you?"

Ling Yun carefully recounted everything without hiding much. Shi Niu had always looked after him and was a good village chief.

After his father died, Shi Niu had taken care of the funeral arrangements himself.

"If you don't want to join, then don't. You're stubborn, kid, so I won't try to talk you into it. Come on, let's eat."

"Mm!"

Shi Niu took Ling Yun by the hand and led him to the center of the village, calling everyone over to eat.

During the meal, the villagers treated Ling Yun much more warmly. Even those who usually looked down on him wore a different face.

The village was small, but people's hearts were still complicated!

On the whole, the villagers were simple and honest, but people's hearts were ever-changing.

He kept in mind everyone who had truly treated him well. As for those with ulterior motives, he answered each of them with a smile.

After the meal, he went to a small hillock north of the village. Two little mounds lay there in silence.

Beneath them rested the parents of this life.

He looked first at the tombstone on the right. It bore only seven characters: "Tomb of My Beloved Wife, Ye Shuang'er."

Every stroke of those seven characters carried his father's love. More than once, Ling Yun had seen his father stare blankly as he stroked them.

He had carved the stone on the left himself. The first marker had been made of wood; by then, the villagers had already gone out of their way to help bury his father, and naturally no one had been willing to go to the trouble of carving words into a stone.

This was a new stone marker, bearing only six characters: "Tomb of My Late Father, Ling Feng."

He had never seen what his mother looked like. His father had fallen ill from grief and died when Ling Yun was three.

After carefully clearing the dirt from the two little mounds, he knelt between the tombstones. As he looked at the inscriptions, his thoughts drifted back three years.

"Xiao Yun, come with Dad to visit Mom!"

"Xiao Yun, wake up. Dad's taking you to Nuoding City today! I'll buy you some new clothes!"

"Xiao Yun..."

"..."

"Xiao Yun, Dad's body is failing. There are some things I didn't want to tell you this soon, but I'm afraid I won't have another chance!"

By the head of the bed, Ling Feng leaned against the pillow, his face deathly pale. He coughed now and then, his frailty plain to see.

He held Ling Yun's hand and said, "I'm sorry, son. I won't be able to watch you grow up!"

Ling Yun's heart was heavy with sorrow. Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill, but he forced them back.

"Dad, you'll be all right!"

"..."

"Xiao Yun, let me tell you about your mother again!"

Ling Yun had heard the story many times, but this time Ling Feng went into far greater detail, including things he had never mentioned before.

"Your mother was the kindest, prettiest, and bravest person in the world. She was a Level 33 Soul Elder. We met by chance. She was covered in wounds, and I spent most of my savings to find someone who could treat her."

"After her external wounds had been bandaged, I carefully cleaned her up. I had all sorts of feelings at the time. When I was done, I looked at her, and my heart was beating faster than ever."

"Three days later, she woke up, furious and embarrassed, as if she wanted to eat me alive. I explained what had happened, and she shyly thanked me."

"Over the next few days, I carefully looked after her. I was happy to do it. Once she was able to move around on her own, she left me ten Gold Soul Coins and went away. I just stood there, watching her leave, feeling a little lost! Less than five days later, she came back. Her wounds had healed by then; she'd found a healing Soul Master to treat her."

"She told me, 'I guess I really do owe you! My friends in the Left-Right Soul Hunting Group are all dead, and I don't know what to do for now. I'd like to stay here with you. Do you mind?'"

"I was over the moon!"

"And so, little by little, we became a family. One night three years ago, a burly man carrying a baby in his arms passed by."

"He was like a bird startled by the twang of a bow! A crushing aura rolled off him. I was so terrified I froze right in front of him. To him, I was blocking his way, even if only for a moment."

"Your mother was nearby. Her belly was already swollen with you. Her Soul Power surged, and she stepped in front of me."

"The burly man sensed the Soul Power on her. Perhaps he thought your mother was about to attack. He glared at her, and just that one look made my skin ache. The blood in my veins seemed to freeze. Your mother quickly lowered her head and apologized. He glanced at her pregnant belly and warned us."

"He said, 'You've never seen me. Understand?'"

"I didn't dare breathe. Your mother nodded again and again, promising him. After giving us one last look, he vanished into the night."

"Your mother was less than a month from giving birth!"

"She used her Soul Power to suppress the labor pains that had been stirred up and told me that the burly man's strength was unfathomable. When he glared, it was terrifying killing intent—killing intent made tangible, powerful enough to hurt people."

"Your mother suffered internal injuries."

"If the burly man hadn't withdrawn his killing intent at the last moment, perhaps we would have died that very night."

"Half a month later, your mother gave birth to you, then passed away!"

"..."

Before the tombstones, Ling Yun thought back over those past events. He kowtowed several times, each bow thudding heavily against the ground. "Dad, Mom, I'll avenge you both for sure."

"Once I become a god, I'll bring you back to life!"