The next day.
While the sky was still dim with the first light of dawn, Du Hao, hiding beneath his covers, heard the system chime.
"Choice One [White]: The morning is the most important part of the day, and the early bird catches the worm. Run twenty kilometers around the village and do two thousand push-ups.
Reward: Advanced cultivation technique (random)."
"Choice Two [Black]: Heh heh heh. Go see how this world's chosen one cultivates, then watch him for a while.
Reward: Innate Full Soul Power."
He opened his eyes blearily.
Looking at the two options that had popped up on the panel before him, Du Hao finally managed to rouse himself a little.
He took a careful look at the options.
"Huh? Ah..." After yawning a few times, Du Hao finally got out of bed and got dressed.
The covers beside him had long since gone cold. By now, he was used to getting dressed by himself, putting on the clothes that had been laid out for him.
Still half-asleep, he made his way to the dining table and started eating the breakfast Zhu Zhuqing had prepared long ago.
"I really do want that peerless cultivation technique, but the difficulty of doing all that might be a bit..." He was still just a little kid, after all. Forget twenty kilometers—even those two thousand push-ups would be too much for him.
He'd probably be completely wiped out by the time he finished running.
Looking at the second choice, Du Hao now had the impression, based on what he remembered, that Tang San in this world wasn't as dark as he'd once imagined.
Whenever he went up the mountain for a stroll,
he often saw Tang San on the hillside in the middle of the day, staring at the sun with tears in his eyes.
And he even picked the time when the sunlight was strongest to do it. He looked for all the world like a young man with something wrong in his head.
Du Hao hadn't sensed that reputed air of maturity, either. Tang San seemed just like an ordinary little boy.
At most, he did some things that other people couldn't understand.
Based on these conclusions, Du Hao surmised that Tang San in this world might never have succeeded in taking over someone else's body. Perhaps this world's Tang San had instead devoured some Buddha.
Why was Du Hao so sure?
Just what transmigrated soul would spend every afternoon running wild through the hills with a bunch of little kids? And playing with cow dung all the time?
(PS: Du Hao, before awakening his memories, was one of them too.)
Over the years, the village kids had grown several notches more mischievous. They were a scourge to both people and dogs, and everyone was afraid that Tang San, that "idea guy," would lead the whole gang of little brats to their house to throw cow dung.
Thinking of this, Du Hao couldn't help laughing. He nearly choked while eating.
A little while later.
After breakfast, Du Hao set off at a brisk pace toward the nearby hillside.
That was where Tang San showed up most often, from morning until noon.
Unless it was windy or raining, Tang San was sure to be there again, crying his eyes out...
Today was no exception. As soon as Du Hao reached the hillside, he spotted Tang San, eyes wide open, flirting with Grandpa Sun.
Hearing the noise, Tang San didn't turn around. He just kept staring up at the sky and called out, "Brother Rat? Is that you?"
"It's me. Flirting with the sun again today? How long are you planning to keep at it this time?" Seeing Tang San's bloodshot eyes, Du Hao greeted him with a laugh.
Hearing Du Hao tease him,
Tang San didn't so much as budge. "What do you mean, flirting with the sun? I'm practicing!"
"When I asked you guys to practice with me, none of you would do it. Just you wait—you'll be green with envy someday!" By the end, Tang San was practically gritting his teeth.
Ever since he was little, he'd had memories of certain techniques in his mind. They weren't very complete, but his dad had said they were top-tier techniques.
They'd be useful for cultivating Soul Power in the future.
So when he'd first heard that good news, the innocent Tang San had shared it with his little friends without a second thought. His good intentions had been taken for donkey's liver and lungs.
That very night, a whole crowd of parents had surrounded his house, saying he was doing the kids harm. More than a dozen brats had nearly gone blind...
If it hadn't been so serious—and if his dad, Tang Hao, hadn't compensated everyone with a few Gold Soul Coins—he was afraid the village kids wouldn't have dared play with him anymore.
Remembering how his dad had beaten him that night, Tang San's rear end started aching faintly.
Du Hao, who had already sat cross-legged nearby, watched Tang San's expression and snickered.
After all, back then, Tang San had put him through the wringer too.
"Brother Rat? Why do you keep staring at me? Is Little Chicken and the others out plowing the fields today?" The village kids' nicknames were mostly animal names, except for Little San, the odd one out.
Everyone agreed on that nickname; nobody objected. It just seemed to suit him especially well.
"No, I just feel like today's a good day to sunbathe." Du Hao came up with a random excuse so he could keep an eye on Tang San for an hour.
After all, at their age, they didn't have much in the way of worldly concerns.
Hearing his little friend say that, Tang San didn't ask any more questions. He still had to practice the techniques in his mind, after all.
He didn't remember them very clearly. But the technique seemed to say that if he stared at some kind of sun, he could practice some kind of Purple Pupil and increase some kind of mental power?
His dad had said it seemed pretty impressive.
And so the two fell quiet. One stared intently at the sun, while the other lay in the grass, foolishly staring at the figure in front of him.
Time flew by, and noon arrived.
Du Hao, eyes unfocused and staring straight ahead, was suddenly roused by a crisp voice calling to him.
"A-Hao? Xiao Hao!!"
At the final, louder call, Du Hao, who'd been daydreaming, abruptly sat up.
He stared blankly at the black-haired figure beside him.
"Huh? What's up?" Du Hao's head was still fuzzy, and he instinctively asked in a daze.
Looking at her young master, Zhu Zhuqing helplessly rubbed her forehead. "Do you know what time it is? Aren't you coming home to eat?"
"I've been looking for you for ages." By the end, Zhu Zhuqing sounded a little exasperated.
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing say that, Du Hao finally came to his senses and sprang to his feet.
He looked around for Tang San.
"Hey, you don't have to act so excited. I'm right behind you..." A familiar voice, tinged with exasperation, came from behind him.
Seeing Tang San standing behind him, Du Hao let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought you'd left me behind and gone home by yourself."
"I shouldn't have bothered showing you the way. I should've left you here to sleep until nightfall." Tang San's eyes were still a little swollen, and he wore a thoroughly disgusted look.
"And what's with you? Having fun in such a weird way? Who's this young lady?" His suspicious gaze moved back and forth between Du Hao and Zhu Zhuqing.
Going by the incomplete memories in his mind, could he conclude that his little friend was some kind of perverted little brat?
And this black-haired girl in a maid outfit—why did she seem familiar from a snowy field one winter?
Had he remembered wrong?
Before you continue