Old Jack's Heart Turns Cold

"Get lost."

The six men offered a thousand thanks, dragging their broken limbs as they fled, looking as wretched as stray dogs.

Xia Yan's expression softened as he said to the middle-aged woman:

"Rest assured, I will pass by here occasionally from now on. If anyone intentionally bothers you, I will go find those six."

His tone was light, but in the quiet street, it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

It was both a comfort and a warning.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth, stars practically sparkling in her eyes, which were filled with the heroic image of Xia Yan from just moments ago.

Those words had been calm, yet filled with such deterrent power!

She hadn't expected Xia Yan to step in and help her!

Afterward, amidst the vendor's gratitude and the awe-filled gazes of the hundred people on the street, the two of them departed.

Once they reached a less crowded area, Xiao Wu walked with a light step, clasping her hands behind her back. Her lively, large eyes blinked as she stole glances at Xia Yan, a sweet, maiden-like smile playing on her lips.

"That auntie is a very good person. I often come to her stall to buy candied haws. It wasn't the first time those six came; they came once before, but there were only two of them, so I beat them back..."

Her voice suddenly turned very soft, and she lowered her head shyly:

"It's a good thing you were there..."

Xia Yan said:

"I was originally heading back to the academy and just happened to pass by. I guessed the reason they were so arrogant was most likely because they have soul power but no soul rings. You might not have been able to handle all six at once."

He's caring about me...

Xiao Wu's eyelashes fluttered, and her bright, watery eyes curved into crescent moons:

"Right, what have you been doing lately?"

"You ask for leave so often, I never see you at the academy..."

The courses at Notting Academy were far too superficial for Xia Yan. Aside from practical classes, he could learn the remaining theoretical courses much faster through self-study.

Therefore, he frequently requested leave, spending his time on cultivation.

By now, Tang San's soul power should be approaching level sixteen, while his own was nearing level seventeen. The Mysterious Heaven Skill was truly a top-tier cultivation technique that remained highly useful even ten thousand years later.

Even with that, he hadn't managed to widen the gap.

Only by constantly growing stronger could Xia Yan feel a sense of security.

Furthermore, taking leave also allowed him to keep his distance from Xiao Wu.

He could tell that Xiao Wu wanted to be closer to him.

Xiao Wu was very attractive, and Xia Yan was no saint, but under these circumstances, keeping his distance was the best choice:

"The academy's courses are too simple. I take leave to focus on better cultivation."

"Then..."

Xiao Wu asked tentatively:

"Then... the lessons are so hard, if I have questions I don't understand, could I... ask you to teach me when you're free?"

After speaking, she blinked her eyelashes, her little heart fluttering as she waited for Xia Yan's response.

Xia Yan could only refuse: "..You can ask the teachers. Those teachers certainly won't refuse."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu bit her pink lip, her gaze dimming. She was still smiling, but it was now tinged with the grievance of being pushed away.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed, and the holiday for Notting Academy arrived.

Every year at this time, it was graduation season. Sixth-year students would leave; some would go to intermediate Soul Master Academies to continue their studies, while others would join merchant caravans, soul-hunting squads, or other professions.

In short, the continent was vast, and some people might never meet again in this lifetime.

Carrying both longing and trepidation for the future, watching the dormitories and campus gradually empty out, it was inevitable to feel a bit sentimental.

However, this only applied to the sixth-year students. For the students in other grades, the time before the holiday was the most exciting and thrilling moment of all.

Who wouldn't be excited before a long break?

This was especially true for these students who had been pent up for eleven whole months, looking forward to their break every single day.

Although family members were allowed to visit, Notting Academy generally did not permit students to take leave at will; this month-long vacation was the only time the students had to truly relax.

They could finally go home to visit their families and have a good time wandering about.

Tang San wanted to invite Xiao Wu to return to Holy Soul Village with him, but Xiao Wu refused.

Xiao Wu wanted to go back to his village with Xia Yan, but Xia Yan politely declined.

In the end, Xia Yan and Tang San both departed, and Xiao Wu also said she was going home, though she did not say where.

After returning to his village, Xia Yan gave the copper and silver soul coins, totaling five Gold Soul Coins in value, to the village chief grandfather who had always looked after him.

Even when his foster parents were still alive, the village chief grandfather had taken great care of him.

In such a remote little village, even a single Gold Soul Coin was an absolute fortune, let alone five in total.

It was enough to last for several years.

In addition, Xia Yan also gifted some mild health supplements.

He hoped the village chief grandfather would live a long life.

The village chief grandfather's reaction could only be described as shocked; his first instinct was to refuse, thinking that it must have been very difficult for Xia Yan to save this money and that it would be a waste to give it to him.

However, in the end, due to Xia Yan's persistence, he accepted it.

He was moved to tears, running to the graves of Xia Yan's foster parents to excitedly tell them that they had a good child.

On the other side, Tang San pushed open the door to his home full of anticipation: "Dad!"

What he saw instead was Old Jack cleaning the room.

"Grandpa Jack, where is my dad?"

Jack sighed and pulled a piece of yellow paper from his bosom: "I came to find him this morning, wanting to go pick you up together, but when I pushed the door open, I saw this on the table."

Tang San took it with a puzzled look, it was a letter written in his father's scribbled handwriting.

After reading it, the letter trembled in Tang San's hands, and he stood there blankly, lifting his eyes in a daze: "Grandpa Jack, has my dad left?"

Old Jack sighed again and patted Tang San's head.

He had watched Tang San grow up and considered him half his own kin; in the past, he had often provided relief to Tang Hao and his son. Tang San was a very obedient child, but unfortunately, he had lost his mother at a young age, and now his father was gone too.

Thinking of how Tang Hao had spent these years drunk all day, doing nothing but drinking, sleeping, and throwing drunken tantrums, not even taking care of Tang San, and now even running away, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

He even said that if Tang San didn't want to be a Spirit Master, he should just return to Holy Soul Village to be a blacksmith.

Listen to that—he didn't even wish for his child to do well.

Was that something a normal father could say?

"San, don't be sad. Come to Grandpa's house; don't be sad for your dad. He doesn't do anything right, he isn't worth it."

Unexpectedly, Tang San's expression suddenly shifted.

He carefully folded the yellow paper in his hand and tucked it into his bosom.

"Thank you, Grandpa Jack, but the house is so messy, I need to tidy up, so I won't keep you."

Old Jack was stunned, his gaze flickering. He wanted to open his mouth but didn't know what to say, and the aged hand that had been patting Tang San's hair froze.

Was this... him being asked to leave?

Just because... he had said a few bad things about Tang Hao?

In a trance, Old Jack saw the shadow of Tang Hao in Tang San's eyes.

For the first time, he realized that Tang Hao and Tang San were actually so similar...

Yes, they were father and son, after all...

Old Jack's aged hand hung in mid-air for a long time.

Finally, he withdrew it in silence.

He sighed, as if helpless, and placed the rag on the table:

"...If you need anything, just come find me..."

Old Jack picked up his cane and slowly left the blacksmith shop.

Tang San did not say goodbye; he simply washed the clean rag again and resumed tidying the room that had already been more than half-cleaned.