Appointment in Heaven Dou City

"Your surname is Shui, so you must be from Skywater Academy—or the Shui Family?"

Tang Chuan pretended to analyze the situation. Shui Bing'er nodded upon hearing this, confirming that he was right.

"Then here's the question: most of your martial souls are ice-type, so why did you come to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"The Far North is too distant and dangerous. Unless it's for a crucial soul ring, we generally don't go there."

Shui Bing'er explained that she had originally come to obtain a soul ring for her younger sister, Shui Yue'er. Since it was only her second soul ring, the two of them had come here with a steward from their family.

Unexpectedly, they had encountered this Fallen One committing evil along the way. Such a thing was extremely rare, because nearly all Fallen Ones were in Slaughter City during this period.

"My steward was also because of this..."

Shui Bing'er's voice trembled as she spoke. If they had not encountered the benefactor before them, she and her sister might have suffered misfortune.

Tang Chuan slowly said, "In that case, come out with us. This is my disciple. I brought him here to hunt for a soul ring as well."

"Disciple? You became a teacher at such a young age?"

Shui Bing'er froze upon hearing that. Tang Chuan looked no older than sixteen or seventeen. By all rights, he should still have been cultivating at this stage, yet he had already become a teacher—and his disciple looked quite young too.

"May I ask your name, benefactor?"

"Tang Chuan. My disciple is called Tang San."

"Tang Chuan and Tang San..."

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both began examining the two in front of them.

The same hair color, the same color of eyes—even their temperaments bore some resemblance. Were they really master and disciple rather than father and son?

"Big Brother, you two are father and son, not master and disciple, right?"

Shui Yue'er said quietly. Tang Chuan's looks were completely her type, but Tang San looked far too much like him.

"Of course! We are master and disciple, but we are also father and son!"

Before Tang Chuan could speak, Tang San eagerly revealed the truth.

He could see it now—the Shui sisters had such sweet mouths. Not only that, but they had excellent judgment, seeing at once that he and Tang Chuan were father and son.

"Little San!"

"Hehe."

Tang Chuan called out sternly, though Tang San merely scratched his head and chuckled.

Now Shui Bing'er and the others understood. Didn't this look exactly like a father and son? Shui Yue'er felt a little regretful. She had just started to feel as though she was falling in love, only to find that he already had a family?

Noticing Shui Yue'er's disappointment, Tang San's heart tightened. Oh no. He had gotten too excited and blurted it out without thinking. What if she no longer liked Father because of this?

"Don't misunderstand. Father Tang Chuan is my adoptive father. My biological father has already died."

Tang San's mind turned, and the moment the words formed, he spoke them without the slightest hesitation.

"Ah? Then we were presumptuous."

Shui Bing'er took Shui Yue'er's hand, and the two bowed together in apology. They had not expected Tang San's background to be so tragic.

Tang Chuan's expression became somewhat strange. Was what Tang San said really appropriate? If Tang Hao had not left and were still nearby, he would probably have slapped him across the face.

"Let's go first. It's getting late."

Tang Chuan summoned the Blue Silver Emperor, wrapped up the Fallen One's corpse, and slowly lowered it into the ground.

The four of them headed together toward the exit of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Along the way, Shui Bing'er remained cold and quiet, but her beautiful eyes would occasionally sneak glances at Tang Chuan. Shui Yue'er, on the other hand, stared fixedly at Tang Chuan's profile.

"Brother Tang Chuan, may I ask what level your... disciple Tang San is?"

At this moment, Shui Bing'er spoke up. Tang San looked to be only six years old, yet he was hunting for a soul ring in the inner zone beneath the hundred-year soul beast area—the habitat of thousand-year soul beasts.

"He just broke through to Rank 24."

"Rank 24?!"

Even Shui Yue'er could not help looking at Tang San. Six years old, yet already Rank 24—he was no genius, but a monster.

And if he could obtain his second soul ring at this age, then aside from Tang Chuan's teachings, the most likely explanation was that Tang San's Innate Soul Power had definitely been Rank 10!

"If you can have such an outstanding disciple as Tang San, then Brother Tang Chuan must be very strong too, right?"

"Not really. I'm only in the seventies. Just lucky."

The Shui sisters were completely dumbfounded now. What kind of monsters were this master-disciple pair?

One was Rank 24 at six years old, while the other had already reached the seventies before turning eighteen?

Besides, they had noticed that when Tang Chuan buried the corpse, the martial soul he summoned had been Blue Silver Grass. Could a useless martial soul actually be cultivated to such a level?

"There's no need to be so surprised. Any martial soul can be cultivated—it just depends on whether you're willing to seek out your own opportunity. Except Pigs."

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er did not understand the latter half, but that did not stop them from looking at Tang Chuan with envy.

If Tang Chuan himself had not possessed the system, he would probably have had to find a way to seek his own opportunity right now. He certainly would not have come to take Tang San as a disciple.

After all, by the way of thinking on the Douluo Continent, no one would take on a disciple at this age. It was supposed to be the golden period for cultivation.

As they spoke, the four of them had already walked out of the Star Dou Great Forest. A group of people dressed in Skywater Academy uniforms were waiting outside, apparently there to find Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.

"The steward sent out a distress signal before he was killed, but sadly, it was still too late."

Thinking of the steward, the Shui sisters' moods sank. Still, they sincerely thanked Tang Chuan.

"Brother Tang Chuan, I wonder... will we ever see each other again?"

Shui Yue'er asked in a sweet voice. She was reluctant to part with Tang Chuan; his looks and temperament were simply the best she had ever seen.

Shui Bing'er felt the same way, a hint of expectation in her eyes as she looked at Tang Chuan.

"I think so. In the future, I'll take Little San to Heaven Dou City. We'll have a chance to meet then."

"Heaven Dou City? Are you taking Tang San to Heaven Dou Royal Academy too?"

"That's right. The resources there are abundant, and it's more suitable for Little San's development."

Tang Chuan confirmed it. Beside him, Tang San's eyes filled with anticipation. Heaven Dou Royal Academy—just hearing the name, it had to be an advanced Soul Master Academy.

No wonder Father had said he should graduate early. So it was because of this. But Tang San soon shook his head. There had to be other reasons; a single academy wasn't worth Father making such plans.

"That's wonderful. I hope we can see you again next time!"

"Goodbye, Brother Tang Chuan!"

Only after Tang Chuan nodded did Shui Bing'er pull Shui Yue'er toward the people from Skywater Academy. Watching the two little girls look back every few steps, Tang Chuan inexplicably felt a pang of guilt.

"Let's go too, Little San. There should still be carriages available for hire."

After watching the Shui sisters leave, Tang Chuan took Tang San aboard a carriage back to Nuoding City.