Three Years, Then Three More

The Aolai Coast beach still glittered beneath the starry night, with the moon shining high above.

As the smoke cleared and a shower of rain came down, all that remained beneath the Sea God Trident was a few pieces of scrap metal?!

Tang San immediately understood. The culprit had most likely escaped, and both of his chances to strike had gone to waste.

Standing tall beneath the open sky, Tang San crushed the bullet in his palm and let the night wind carry it out to sea. No matter how helpless he felt, all that remained was a sigh from an old steed in the stable, longing to gallop a thousand miles.

Tang San could only hope that nothing else went wrong in the days ahead. He had to save his final chance to strike for killing the Abyssal Sage King and completing his ten-thousand-year plan...

Glancing down at the couple huddled motionless on the beach, trembling from the explosion, Tang San instantly saw their entire lives.

Ordinary people, clean records, no major stains on their lives, and devout believers in the Sea God. They'd make a fine foster family!

So Tang San changed direction and flew over to Tang Ziran and Lang Yue. At the same time, his power began to fade as he voluntarily released Tang Wulin from his possession. The world-weary, calculating look vanished from Tang Wulin's eyes, replaced by a baby's innocent naivety.

His incoherent wails soon caught Tang Ziran and Lang Yue's attention. What was a baby doing here?

Hey!

Tang Wulin's adorable appearance quickly stirred Lang Yue's maternal instincts. If he was a wild, unclaimed baby, then the heavens had bestowed him upon the Old Tang family!

It was just the thing to make up for their regret at reaching middle age without a child.

Three years later.

Shrek City, the Leng Family.

Under Leng Yaozhu's attentive care, Su Jiu's injuries healed quickly. It still took him three whole years to wake up.

He just couldn't understand why his kidneys felt so sore and weak...

When he opened his eyes, he saw a red-haired woman dozing with her head on the bedside. Time hadn't left a mark on her face. She was still beautiful and captivating, and somehow had gained a mature allure.

Yaozhu had shed the decisive, formidable air of a career woman. Now she was nothing but a gentle, sweet big sister next door. The faint dark circles beneath her eyes sent a quiet warmth rippling through Su Jiu's heart.

She must have exhausted herself taking care of him.

"Good morning, Yaozhu!"

"Huh?! A-A-Jiu, you're awake?!"

The familiar voice jolted Leng Yaozhu awake. She sprang up, and her first reaction wasn't excitement but the guilty look of someone caught red-handed. Yet it lasted only an instant before she returned to her usual gentle, refined self, a soft smile on her face.

Su Jiu noticed, but didn't think much of it. He kept his eyes on Leng Yaozhu's face. Had something changed about her?

"A-A-Jiu, is there a flower on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Leng Yaozhu joked, but inside she was panicking. Had Su Jiu found out she'd been sneaking little A-Jiu a taste for three years straight?

Well, it didn't matter. She could just marry him. She'd already prepared the bride price. Sure, she was a little older, but older women knew how to treat someone right. She could make it up to him later.

Su Jiu chuckled. His bright, youthful appearance was just what Leng Yaozhu had always longed for.

"Nothing. I just think you're even prettier than before, Yaozhu. You seem more womanly now..."

"What-what are you saying? You're bold enough to make dirty jokes to your big sister now, are you?"

"Huh? N-no!"

Leng Yaozhu turned away, her cheeks faintly flushed. Good thing he hadn't noticed. Still, she wouldn't be able to sneak a taste anymore. How upsetting...

"By the way, A-Jiu, who did this to you? I'll get even with them for you!"

"Hey, hey! Sis, I forgot to tell you. Your little brother found himself a child bride. She's really cute~ But then we ran into a blond punk, and who knew the guy would be so strong? Haha, that's how I ended up covered in injuries..."

Su Jiu's half-joking words sent a storm surging through Leng Yaozhu's heart. The smile at the corner of her lips stiffened, and her phoenix eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly. The child groom she'd raised had been stolen away by some blonde girl?

That was too much!

Wasn't this just bullying an honest person?

You couldn't just swoop in and steal him like that. She'd worked so hard to raise that little pig, and had long since abandoned her unrealistic hopes about Yun Ming. All she needed now was the right moment to make the raw rice into cooked rice and live happily ever after.

But disaster struck halfway through!

"Yaozhu, why'd you go quiet? By the way, what year and month is it? Sis..."

"Huh?!"

"A-Jiu, what did you just say? I didn't catch that."

Su Jiu sighed. Could it be that Yaozhu was getting on in years and her reactions weren't as quick anymore? His heart ached for her. She'd raised him, and before he'd had the chance to repay her, she'd already fallen ill...

He'd have to extort a Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew from the Tang Sect someday and make sure she got her strength back.

But the two of them weren't even on the same wavelength.

"It's nothing important. What year is it?"

"Federation Calendar Year 10003. Why do you ask, A-Jiu?"

"Looks like I was unconscious for three years. Three years... So there are still three years left..."

Su Jiu examined himself internally. The worst of it was that his Three-Word Battle Armor, Night Wanderer, was nearly wrecked—completely unwearable!

(Phantom Night Wanderer in the game, for reference only)

As for the rest, only his physical condition remained an issue. He'd need rehabilitation exercises to recover.

The good news was plentiful: his Soul Power hadn't fallen but had instead reached level 92. His bones, muscles, and meridians, shattered by the powerful recoil of Flame Demon Roar, had not only healed completely but become tougher than before. His spiritual power had also reached the middle stage of the Spirit Domain Realm. It seemed A-Qi hadn't been slacking off behind the scenes...

A-Qi: ...

Helping you train your spiritual power counts as me slacking off, huh...

"Yaozhu, thanks for taking care of me these past three years. In another three years, I'll bring your future sister-in-law home."

Leng Yaozhu: "..."

"Haha, th-that'd be wonderful..."

Three years later, in an alley somewhere in Aolai City.

"A-Jiu, Na'er's hungry..."

"Heh heh~"

A-Jiu snickered to itself. This was exactly what it had been waiting for. Its screen displayed a very serious yet helpless pixel expression.

"Na'er, do you hate being hungry?"

"A-Jiu, who likes being hungry? You're always asking Na'er these weird questions, hmph~"

Little Na'er puffed out her cheeks and turned away in a huff, looking just like Auntie Puff when she was angry.

"Na'er, here's an opportunity. If you act cute, you can get a handsome young man to cough up some cash, and then you'll never have to worry about food or drink again!"

"Huh? A-Jiu, w-wouldn't that be a little wrong?"

Na'er was tempted, but her kind heart made her hesitate.

"Wait... Do you want A-Jiu to act cute instead? Looking like this, people would just look down on me..."

A-Jiu's face once again showed a helpless, aggrieved look.

"Opportunity knocks but once, Na'er. Would A-Jiu ever lead you astray?"

"A-all right..."

Su Jiu hadn't expected the Little Silver Dragon to trust A-Jiu so much. She'd sealed away all her memories but hadn't erased her memories of A-Jiu. Now Su Jiu didn't even need the Silver Dragon Reverse Scale.