From Now On, We'll Be Family

Evil Demon Forest, outer region, elsewhere.

Xu Tianming had not given much thought to the relationship between the holy relic and the Soul Bone.

He could absorb a ten-thousand-year Left Arm Soul Bone, but there was no need to rush.

Just as the uncle and nephew were preparing to leave the Evil Demon Forest, Kong Deming suddenly looked southeast. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if deep in thought.

Seeing this, Xu Tianming grew curious and asked:

"Uncle, is something happening over there?"

Kong Deming thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Nothing. Just a few rats from the gutter causing trouble under cover of night. Pay them no mind. Let's go home."

With Kong Deming's strength, he could naturally sense the tragedy unfolding two thousand meters away. If he chose to act, he could put a stop to it in an instant.

But the Sun Moon Empire's relationship with the Holy Spirit Cult was rather ambiguous at present. If he rashly intervened and left them with leverage, he might disrupt the delicate balance the two factions had only recently reached.

Besides, they were quite far away. Since no one had asked for his help, it was better not to get involved. After all, protecting his nephew was the most important thing to him now.

His answer might have fooled a child his own age, but it certainly could not fool Xu Tianming, who had lived two lives.

If his uncle had called them "rats from the gutter," then they were probably Evil Soul Masters causing trouble.

Just as Xu Tianming was following this line of thought, Columbina suddenly spoke again from within his Mental Sea of Consciousness.

"Southeast... There are some presences I really dislike... About eight hundred meters from us, there seems to be a little girl running toward us. She's running very fast, and she seems terribly upset..."

After saying this, Columbina fell silent once more.

Though she had not said so outright, Xu Tianming could sense that she wanted to help the unfamiliar girl. But perhaps she was afraid of causing him trouble, so she had only told him what she sensed and made no direct request.

Oh, what a thoughtful little dove!

Xu Tianming couldn't stand the Holy Spirit Cult's gang of inhuman gutter rats either. Since he had run into them, they were just unlucky!

With that thought, Xu Tianming's resolve firmed. He pointed southeast.

"Uncle, it looks like a girl over there is in trouble. Can we go help her?"

Within his Mental Sea of Consciousness, Columbina was deeply moved when she heard Xu Tianming's words. She thanked him.

Xu Tianming waved it off and looked at her newly opened eyes, his tone earnest.

"Columbina, we're bound together in a symbiotic relationship now. We don't need to be so formal with each other. I hope you'll think of me as family from now on. If something's on your mind, just tell me, all right?"

Columbina thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Family? All right. I'll try to put myself in that role from now on... But how do family members get along? I haven't learned about that yet. Could you teach me?"

Her first response delighted Xu Tianming, but her second left him stunned.

Teach Columbina how to be his family?

How should he teach her?

Should he take a proper approach, or an improper one?

What a difficult choice!

Just as Xu Tianming was wavering, Columbina suddenly furrowed her brow and asked, puzzled:

"I feel like you're thinking about something you shouldn't. Did what I just said put you in a difficult position? If so, I can try to teach myself."

At that, Xu Tianming's thoughts instantly returned to propriety.

"No, no! You didn't put me in a difficult position. I was just thinking about something else..."

But just as Xu Tianming was about to continue, Mavuika, who had been recovering her strength nearby, suddenly stood up and put an arm around Columbina's shoulders. She gave Xu Tianming a knowing look and a mischievous smile, then addressed the little dove, whose snowy shoulder she had clasped, in a serious tone:

"I think this fellow has to cultivate his Soul Power to get stronger, so he probably won't have much time to teach you how to be family. But I happen to have experience with this, and plenty of time on my hands. How about I teach you how family members should get along?"

For some reason, Xu Tianming felt as though Mavuika had just seen right through him. For a moment, he didn't dare continue the subject, in case she said something that would ruin his image in Columbina's eyes.

"Well, since Mavuika's willing to teach you, let her do it. I'll go see what's happened to that girl with my uncle!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Tianming's consciousness withdrew from his Mental Sea of Consciousness faster than ever before.

Kong Deming hadn't wanted to meddle in other people's business.

But when he saw the hopeful look in his nephew's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

After thinking it over, he realized those rats weren't very powerful. As long as he was careful and didn't leave them any leverage, this wouldn't affect the Sun Moon Empire.

Having convinced himself, Kong Deming nodded.

"Very well. We'll help her. Let's call it doing a good deed and praying for your mother's blessing."

With that, Kong Deming wrapped Xu Tianming in Soul Power and raced toward the girl.

Though Ye Guyi was far tougher than other children her age, she was still only a seven-year-old girl who had yet to obtain her First Soul Ring.

Even with her strong will, after running four hundred meters at full speed, she was nearly out of strength. Her legs were growing numb, and her throat burned fiercely.

Still, she didn't dare stop. She knew that if she did, all hope of saving her parents would be lost.

But perhaps Heaven had taken pity on her. Just as she was about to run out of strength, two figures, one old and one young, appeared before her without warning.

The boy looked about her age, but he was handsome. After one glance, Ye Guyi couldn't help feeling a little fond of him.

Those scattered thoughts lasted only a moment. After catching her breath for two seconds, she had no time to wonder how the two had appeared, or whether they were good or bad. She steeled herself, dropped straight to her knees, and pleaded through her tears:

"Please, save my mom and dad! I really can't find anyone else to ask for help. Please, have mercy. If you can help my parents, I'll do anything!"