Uncle Bearded Man

Tang San heard there was a blacksmith shop nearby and intended to give it a try, so he turned into a small alley, though for some reason, he felt a chill run down his back.

"Little friend, wait a moment!"

The shout that suddenly rang out from behind him made him instantly alert.

He turned around to look.

He saw a middle-aged Bearded Man dressed in noble court attire, his trouser cuffs tucked into white stockings, walking toward him with a round, plate-like face.

"Uncle, is something the matter?"

Tang San slightly raised his right sleeve, ready to counterattack at any moment.

His subtle movements naturally could not escape the eyes of a Soul Saint.

However, the Bearded Man did not care.

What kind of waves could an eight or nine-year-old child possibly make?

"Uncle heard you want to make some money?"

The Bearded Man took out a money pouch, weighed it in his hand, and looked at him with a beaming smile.

Seeing the money pouch, Tang San's eyes lit up.

"Yes, I want to make money. Is there something you need my help with, Uncle?"

Tang San asked, his eyes full of anticipation.

The Bearded Man laughed: "Of course. If you are willing to help me, I can give you anywhere from several tens to a hundred Gold Soul Coins each time. I just don't know if you are willing."

"Several tens to a hundred Gold Soul Coins each time?"

Tang San's eyes widened sharply; he was truly shocked by the other party's extravagance.

One had to know, an ordinary person might not even earn that much in an entire year.

What kind of job paid such a high wage?

The Bearded Man smiled: "That's right. And if you perform well enough, I can even add more money; a hundred Gold Soul Coins is definitely not the limit."

He had been secretly following Tang San and knew that the boy was currently in desperate need of money.

Thus, an idea had sprouted in his mind.

That was to use money to forcibly bend him; that would be much more interesting than taking him by force.

Tang San probed: "May I ask, what exactly is the job?"

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Since the other party was offering such a high price, it certainly couldn't be an ordinary job.

"Huu..."

Hearing this, the Bearded Man took a deep breath, and his eye sockets inexplicably turned red.

Tang San was full of confusion.

I only asked about the job content, why is he getting sentimental?

The Bearded Man said: "I had a son, about your age, and he looked somewhat similar to you, but he passed away unexpectedly."

"Just now, when I saw you, I couldn't help but think of him."

"I don't actually have any work for you; I just wanted to ask if you would be willing to accompany me for one night to satisfy the longing in my heart."

Some things could not be said directly; they required a gradual approach.

Speaking directly would only result in a refusal.

"Ah? You don't mean you want me to pretend to be your son, do you?"

Tang San stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I know this request is a bit excessive, but I really have no choice. I miss him so much. You can make any demands you want."

As the Bearded Man spoke, tears uncontrollably welled up in his eyes.

Seeing this, Tang San's heart softened.

He deeply felt the longing a father had for his deceased son.

It was just that...

The bond between father and son was something he felt could never be profaned.

Even if it were just an act, it wouldn't do.

The Bearded Man saw the resistance in Tang San's heart and quickly added: "You don't need to act as father and son, you just need to accompany me for one night."

Tang San was stunned and subconsciously asked: "Are you sure?"

The Bearded Man nodded: "I am sure."

Tang San hesitated instantly.

Accompanying him for one night could earn him anywhere from several tens to a hundred Gold Soul Coins.

This was not something that could be earned through mere labor.

"Fine, pay up first!"

Tang San ultimately compromised, but he kept his guard up.

He had to ensure the man wouldn't withhold payment later.

The Bearded Man beamed with joy and immediately counted out fifty Gold Soul Coins from his purse.

"This is the deposit; we'll discuss the specifics tomorrow."

Tang San took the Gold Soul Coins, a trace of genuine delight appearing on his face despite himself.

The Bearded Man patted him on the head.

"Come on, let's go buy you some clothes and get something good to eat."

Tang San's eyes lit up, thinking to himself, there's such a good deal?

"Thank you, Uncle!"

After offering his sincere thanks, Tang San trotted happily after the Bearded Man.

The Bearded Man took Tang San all over the city, acting just like a father with his son, buying him clothes and treating him to food and entertainment.

It wasn't until the sky grew dim that the Bearded Man brought him back to the hotel.

"We've been running around for so long and worked up a sweat; go take a bath."

The Bearded Man swallowed hard.

"Alright."

Tang San didn't notice anything unusual and, after answering, took his new clothes into the bathroom.

"Hoo!"

The Bearded Man let out a heavy breath and couldn't help but lick his lips.

He took out a stick of incense and lit it.

It was a special sedative incense he had concocted, capable of making anyone obediently submit to his will.

He had overestimated his own patience and ultimately decided to take him by force.

A moment later.

Tang San emerged from the bathroom and caught the scent of the fragrance permeating the air.

He didn't have much of a reaction.

The ingredients of the sedative were things that simply didn't exist in his original world.

Naturally, he had no way of identifying it.

"Come over here and let's chat."

The Bearded Man sat on the sofa and patted the spot beside him.

Tang San didn't think much of it and walked over.

The Bearded Man chatted with him while waiting for the drug to take effect.

However, he soon noticed something amiss.

The lack of effect meant that Tang San's mental strength must be far beyond that of his peers.

Could he be a genius of the mental attribute?

At this thought, the Bearded Man became even more excited.

He had never "harvested" a genius before.

"Uncle is also a Spirit Master, and a Spirit Saint at that."

"Do you want to see Uncle's Spirit?"

The Bearded Man looked at Tang San with a faint smile on his face.

"A Spirit Saint?"

Tang San stared at him, dumbfounded, feeling utterly shocked.

The man was actually a Spirit Saint.

"I do!"

Tang San nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with both curiosity and anticipation.

"Good."

The Bearded Man stood up and extended his right hand. As his spirit power surged, a pink flower appeared in his palm.

Then, seven Spirit Rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—emerged from beneath his feet.

Seeing that he also possessed a plant-type Spirit, the light in Tang San's eyes grew even brighter.

The Bearded Man chuckled, "Let me let you experience one of Uncle's Spirit Skills. Don't worry, this skill doesn't cause any real harm."

Tang San didn't think much of it, waiting with eyes full of anticipation.

Knowing full well that his mental power was extraordinary, Bearded Man channeled his spirit power directly into his sixth Spirit Ring.

His sixth spirit ability was called Lustful Illusion, capable of trapping anyone in a state of bewilderment and infatuation; even a Spirit Saint of the mental attribute could not withstand it.

No matter how strong Tang San's mental power was, it couldn't possibly be stronger than a mental-attribute Spirit Saint, could it?

As Bearded Man's sixth Spirit Ring lit up, specks of pink halo were released from his martial soul, drifting entirely toward Tang San and enveloping him completely.

Tang San closed his eyes to feel it, his body inexplicably growing feverish, his mind subsequently becoming dazed, and his self-will was quickly swallowed up.