Xiao Wu grinned and held the tanghulu up to Chu Men's mouth again:
"Creepy uncle, you should try this White Spirit Fruit too. It's much sweeter than Blue Silver Fruit."
Chu Men took the opportunity to bite one off. It was sweet, all right, but without the sourness, it somehow felt like something was missing.
But as he watched Xiao Wu's happy expression and took in the brightly lit night market, he found a rare moment of peace.
What a wonderful world!
[Congratulations to the streamer and Xiao Wu on growing even closer! The Wu Sect fans' banner flies high in the wind!]
[Good grief, this is the most badass kidnapper and hostage I've ever seen.]
[Waaah, I impulsively ordered another tanghulu. My diet plan has failed!]
Lin Xiaoyu was sucking on a hawthorn berry just then. She read the comment, then glanced at the tanghulu A-Xue had just bought her.
A powerful sense of kinship welled up inside her!
Then she ate another one.
Little Lin tried to use the sweet taste to drive away her worries about gaining weight!
Chu Men was about to generously buy up the whole stall, replenishing his perilously low snack supply after Xiao Wu's arrival.
But when he saw the children gathering around, his hand froze as he reached for his money.
He had to leave some for the children. Sometimes, the smiles on their faces were sweeter than tanghulu.
Beside the old man selling tanghulu, a little boy of seven or eight was hunched over beneath the stall, stringing tanghulu nonstop.
His Martial Soul was probably something like a wooden skewer or stick. A faint glimmer of Soul Power flickered in his hands, and his movements sped up a little.
Looking around at the other stalls, he saw plenty of diligent little children rushing about beside their parents.
Behind a stall selling grilled skewers, a little girl was squatting on the ground, washing greasy plates. She had no Soul Power.
He also saw several even younger children chasing and playing between the stalls.
They had tied straw and wood together to make swords, imitating Soul Masters as they fought.
Their Soul Power was barely perceptible, yet they still shouted, "First Soul Skill!" and "Second Soul Skill!" as they played with abandon.
Chu Men blinked, bought a few more skewers of tanghulu, then turned and left.
He faintly heard a childish voice behind him: "Grandpa, two skewers of tanghulu, please!"
"Coming right up, little one~"
[I'm so jealous of these children, carefree and without a worry in the world. To the childhood we've lost.]
[They're so little, yet they already have to help the adults with work. My heart aches~]
[Do you think those kids shouting about their Second Soul Skill will ever get the chance to have a Second Soul Skill of their own?]
The heart-wrenching words left the comments silent for a moment.
Lin Xiaoyu looked at the screen and sighed softly. "Many people never become Soul Masters in their entire lives. They just live ordinary lives."
That was reality.
Even Su Yuntao, a perennial background character and only a Soul Grandmaster, was already better off than most people.
Chu Men and Xiao Wu kept walking.
A sign not far away caught Chu Men's eye.
It was a signboard made of black wood, bearing four gilded characters—
Light and Shadow Theater!
They were already near the end of the street. The clang of gongs and drums mingled with the melodious sound of a zither, drifting through the air.
Xiao Wu stopped and craned her neck to look. "Creepy uncle, what's that sound? It's so pretty!"
"A theater. How should I explain it to you...? Come on, why not go see for yourself?"
Chu Men wiped the sweat from Xiao Wu's hands, took her hand again, and headed toward the two-story building.
A wooden board stood by the entrance, like the kind used to list performances outside a theater.
Today's show was Descent of the Angel God. Carved along the edge was a winged angel.
Quite a crowd had gathered already, mostly couples with children, along with a few young people dressed in coarse cloth.
Through the open doors, beneath the warm yellow lights, shadowy figures could be seen moving across a white screen.
People bustled through the lobby, which was quite lively.
[Wow! A theater in the Douluo World? It looks so atmospheric!]
[Streamer, hurry inside and take a look! I've never seen what a play in the Douluo World is like.]
Holding Xiao Wu's hand, Chu Men made his way through the crowd and entered.
The theater wasn't very big. Around thirty long wooden benches filled the first-floor hall, with people sitting in small groups.
Only when he got closer did he see the white screen hanging at the front. It was nearly five zhang wide.
It had been fashioned from the hide of some animal, though he couldn't tell which. It was as thin as a cicada's wing and let the light through beautifully.
Several Soul Tool projection lamps had been set up behind the screen. They now cast a soft white glow, illuminating it.
Chu Men looked at Xiao Wu, then weighed the coins in his pouch before choosing a private box upstairs, flush with money.
Calling it a private box was generous. It was just an area sectioned off with wooden railings, with a table set inside.
It was open on all sides, but still much quieter than the hall.
The teapot and cups on the table were a little more refined, and the theater had provided a few plates of dried fruit and candied snacks for free.
"This is a perfect view!"
Chu Men took out a black folding fan labeled "Don't Get Angry" from the supplies A-Zheng had sent him and began to fan himself gently.
Xiao Wu sat in the seat beside him, holding a little bamboo basket. She was turning a piece of fried carrot over and over in her hands.
"Hic~ Creepy uncle! I think I'm full."
"You've barely eaten anything!"
With a snap, Chu Men folded his fan, pinched a fried vegetable ball from Xiao Wu's basket, and popped it into his mouth.
"Kids are supposed to eat a lot. Eat more, and you'll grow taller!"
"But what if I get fat?"
Chu Men came up with another absurd argument on the spot. "Then you can lose weight afterward. And if you don't eat your fill, how will you have the strength to lose weight?"
Xiao Wu stared at him with wide rabbit eyes, as if to say, Are you messing with me?
Chu Men curled his lip. Kids were like that. Pull them along, and they wouldn't follow; beat them, and they'd go backward.
If he really let her eat as much as she wanted, she'd lose interest.
Of course, she might simply have been full.
Before long, the images on the screen changed, and the gongs and drums fell silent.
A golden silhouette of an angel appeared on the screen, wielding a holy sword and spreading six pairs of wings, with countless points of light circling around her.
The performer's voice rang out, rich and compelling, in a cadence like recitation:
"Now, ten thousand years ago, on the Douluo Continent, demons and monsters ran rampant. The people suffered grievously, and all was desolation. The Angel God took pity on the world and descended into the mortal realm..."
Chu Men yawned, a little bored, and called for more tea and snacks.
The most widely circulated folk tale on the continent, and the myth that had been adapted more than any other—
Descent of the Angel God!
It had been written by Spirit Hall to promote its doctrine, and had become the most popular show at the Heaven Dou City night market.
Strength was justice; the strong deserved to be worshipped!
That was simply one of the fundamental rules of the Douluo World.
Still, this shadow-play-like performance was much more popular with ordinary folk than dry written words.
The performer behind the screen was highly skilled. He worked the gongs, drums, and cymbals with his feet while chanting, his delivery rhythmic and full of feeling.
The shadow puppets moved smoothly and naturally. When the angel swung her sword, golden Soul Power flashed across the screen.
When the evil Soul Beasts were slain, they turned into wisps of black smoke and vanished, drawing exclamations from the audience below.
Even Xiao Wu seemed entranced. She forgot to eat the rice cake in her hand, staring fixedly at the screen and occasionally showing an excited expression.
It was hard to tell whether she was thrilled or hateful.
[Spirit Hall's got some nerve, promoting the Angel Family in the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire. They're practically dancing on a grave!]
[I think it's probably the people doing it of their own accord. Spirit Hall awakens Martial Souls for free, so it's pretty popular with the people.]
[The Spirit Hall pope is either a hypocritical angel or a vicious spider. How does that sound like a good person?]
"Xiao Wu, you've got a grudge against Spirit Hall, don't you?"
Seeing her expression, Chu Men hesitated for a long while, but finally couldn't help asking in a quiet voice.
Before you continue