It was getting late. Wang Yang and his wife lay in bed. Wang Yang snapped his fingers, and the lights in the room went out. Rustling sounds followed.
"Keep it down. Little Sheng might wake up."
"Have a little faith in your skills. You designed this room, and it's very soundproof. Besides, he was exhausted from exercising earlier. He'll sleep straight through till morning."
"..."
In the dark, two little red snakes could be seen winding around each other in the water. Just then, a giant serpent suddenly emerged from the gloomy clouds. It pierced the thick cloud cover and coiled around two majestic peaks, the sound of its body rubbing against the mountains echoing through the world.
From afar, two indistinct clouds, neither jade nor copper, seemed to be entangled in an endless struggle.
They alternately overlapped and parted, seeming at once inside and outside. One moment they drifted high into the sky, the next they fell to the ground, joining and separating without end.
A faint hint of dawn gradually appeared in the sky. Sunlight spilled across the earth, and the hazy scene became clear in an instant.
The long-silent door to the master bathroom suddenly opened. A dainty little hand, fair and delicate, reached outside, groping weakly for something.
Just then, a strong arm reached out and grabbed the little hand, pulling her back inside. The door slammed shut right after, and a faint, coquettish cry came from within.
"Little Sheng's about to get up. I have to make him something to eat."
"Quiet. I think I sense an active volcano about twenty miles outside West City that's about to erupt. I wonder if it'll harm any innocent people." Wang Yang's expression was grave.
"Ah! You can sense something that far away? You wonder if it'll harm any innocent people?" Bulma's eyes widened. She covered her pale, chapped red lips with both hands and trembled with fright.
Before long, Wang Yang's solemn expression melted away, replaced by a look of relief.
"Phew! It's all right! No innocent people were affected."
After washing up, Bulma yawned as she prepared breakfast.
Wang Yang came up behind Bulma with a beaming smile and wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed his cheek against her fair, rosy skin, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"I'm so sleepy," Bulma said coyly.
"Watch this!" Wang Yang let go of Bulma and tapped her on the head. A glow flowed beneath his fingertip.
Bulma felt a cool sensation enter her mind, and the haze of mental exhaustion lifted at once.
"What kind of technique is that? It's amazing. I thought all you knew how to do was fight," Bulma said, staring at Wang Yang in surprise.
"It's a little trick I came up with using a soul-strengthening technique I learned on Yardrat—Spirit Light! It can restore a tired mind," Wang Yang said with a smile.
Elder Pybara had studied the mental arts in great depth. Wang Yang's soul was naturally powerful, and he had gained considerable expertise in this field as well.
He had developed more than just Spirit Light by applying his mental energy. He had also created several other little techniques, such as Soul Deterrence, which could subdue an opponent without fighting, and Soul Sword, which carried a mental attack.
"You're the best, honey!" Bulma kissed Wang Yang, then happily got back to work.
After breakfast, Bulma said goodbye to Wang Yang, then left with Wang Sheng in a small jet.
"Come back early!"
"Sure. I'll be back as soon as I'm done training."
Standing on the grass, Wang Yang raised his right hand and waved goodbye to the plane.
Once the plane vanished from sight, Wang Yang went to the bathroom to wash away the sweat and other traces of the previous night. He emerged feeling refreshed.
He pressed his right index and middle fingers together against his forehead. In a flash, his figure disappeared from the grass.
His figure appeared on several planets before he finally arrived on a green one.
Wang Yang appeared out of thin air in an old-fashioned courtyard.
In the garden, a woman in elegant clothes gazed up at the sky, her back radiating grace and beauty.
A little boy wobbled through the sky, flying back and forth. From the look of him, he seemed to have just learned how to fly.
In no time, the boy was flying up and down as he pleased.
Just then, the boy in the sky spotted Wang Yang and immediately shot toward him.
"Father..."
The woman in front instinctively turned around. Wang Yang's figure came into view.
"Brother Yang!"
"Little Yue'er!"
Meanwhile, Bulma carefully piloted the plane and slowly landed in a mountainous area.
Seeing the familiar surroundings, Bulma remembered the day she'd searched for the Dragon Balls and first met Goku on Mount Paozu. The corners of her mouth curled into a smile.
The naive boy from back then was married now and had a child of his own.
"Gohan! Gohan!"
Wang Sheng jumped out of the plane and called toward the house in the distance, taking the familiar route.
"Hm? Wang Sheng!" Gohan was doing his homework. At the sound of the familiar voice, a happy smile spread across his face. He put down his pen and ran outside without finishing his work.
The two boys were close in age and had plenty to talk about. They had a wonderful time playing together.
"Bulma, you're here!" Chi-Chi said with a smile.
"Yeah. Little Sheng gets bored at home by himself, so I brought him over to play with Gohan," Bulma replied with a smile.
As the two children ran around and played in front of the house, Bulma and Chi-Chi sat down to chat. Before long, their conversation turned to the children.
"I hope Gohan grows up to become a brilliant scholar." Chi-Chi clasped her hands in front of her and gazed at Gohan with longing.
"Bulma, do you hope Wang Sheng becomes a scholar, too? Then the boys could keep each other company." Chi-Chi took Bulma's hand and gazed at her without blinking.
What a respectable profession scholarship was. Chi-Chi was willing to endure any hardship or exhaustion to help Gohan pursue it.
"Me? I haven't decided what I want him to do yet. But Wang Yang hopes he'll grow up to be an excellent fighter." Bulma tapped her red lips with her index finger as she thought it over.
Her family was the richest in the world, so they didn't lack money. As for what Wang Sheng wanted to do in the future, she'd let him decide for himself.
"Fighting is so uncivilized. Being a scholar is much better. Goku's away from home every other day, and this time he's been gone for almost a year! It drives me crazy. I'll never let Gohan turn out like his father." Chi-Chi's face darkened with anger at the mention of Goku.
"Ha! Ha!" Bulma laughed awkwardly. As it happened, Goku's trip to train with King Kai had been her husband's idea.
I absolutely can't let Chi-Chi find out! Bulma thought to herself.
"Chi-Chi, we haven't seen everyone in ages. Why don't we go to Kame House and catch up?" Bulma hurriedly changed the subject.
"Hm? I'm not going to see that lecherous old man!" Chi-Chi snorted at the thought of Master Roshi's lecherous face.
"Then I'll take Gohan with me and bring him back tonight," Bulma said, glancing at the two boys, who were still playing.
"All right, but bring him back early. He still has a lot of homework to do." Chi-Chi hesitated. Seeing how happy Gohan was, she softened and agreed.
The three of them then boarded the plane and flew toward Kame House, leaving Chi-Chi home alone.
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