Holy Soul Village, Old Jack

Although, according to the memories he had reviewed, she had originally held the position of Pope of Spirit Hall and had done quite well.

But reviewing memories was one thing; no memories related to management had been transferred over at all.

The knowledge she had once learned from Qian Xunji was about to truly fall into her hands, and she could not help feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Big Brother, you can't just let go like that. There still needs to be a transition period." Qian Chenzhou noticed the concern on Bibi Dong's face and offered a timely reminder.

"I know, you brat." Qian Xunji waved a hand and said impatiently, "I've been Pope for so many years. Do you really understand these matters better than I do?"

"Fine."

Seeing that matters had gradually gotten on track, Qian Daoliu stroked his beard and looked at Qian Chenzhou. "Chenzhou, the day after tomorrow is when you'll awaken your martial soul. Don't get nervous then."

"Alright, Father."

Qian Chenzhou was not particularly excited about his martial soul.

After all, the system had rewarded him with the [Human Emperor Body] martial soul. Presumably, his other martial soul would be the Qian Clan's Six-Winged Angel. Twin Martial Souls were impressive, but they were still far from enough to attain godhood.

On the white jade steps, one large and one small figure slowly walked toward Saintess Hall.

"Why did you hand the position of Pope directly to me?" Bibi Dong looked at Qian Chenzhou, an amused smile curling her lips. "Aren't you afraid I'll destroy Spirit Hall outright?"

With his hands behind his back, Qian Chenzhou raised his head and looked at the full moon overhead.

"Because there's a problem with time. I can only correct it as soon as possible and reduce unnecessary complications."

"A problem?" Bibi Dong could not quite understand what he meant.

"Based on our current course, you should have given birth to Qian Renxue." Qian Chenzhou counted on his fingers, his brow filled with gravity. "And Tang San should only have been born nine years from today. Yet in these nine years, you have already reached the level of a Titled Douluo."

"According to the original timeline, you should only be receiving the Rakshasa God's attention now."

Bibi Dong grew somewhat tense upon hearing that.

She had always been intelligent and immensely talented; otherwise, she would never have been chosen as the Saintess.

From Qian Chenzhou's words, the thought that someone might be manipulating the timeline behind the scenes sent a chill from her head to her toes, making her shudder.

"Your guess?"

Qian Chenzhou tugged at Bibi Dong's skirt, his little palm gently patting her thigh. "It's fine. I'm here. Tang God King isn't the only player."

"I suspect Tang God King forcibly tampered with time and causality before his rebirth." Qian Chenzhou frowned, stroking his chin as he looked toward Holy Soul Village. "Forcibly meddling with causality brings immense backlash. I just don't know whether the current Tang God King is still normal or has become an idiot."

"By the way, how far along is my niece Qian Renxue, whom I haven't even met yet?"

Bibi Dong picked Qian Chenzhou up in her arms, forcefully giving him a faceful of her chest.

"She should be due any day now."

"Mm."

Southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasino Province.

Holy Soul Village was merely a small village. Its fields were filled with crops, totaling barely a hundred mu, with over a hundred households. At night, the chirping of insects and calls of birds never ceased.

Old Jack, the village chief, wore plain cloth clothes. After saying something to his old wife, he carried a bowl of goat's milk toward a certain house at the eastern end of the village.

Before he even got close, he could smell the alcohol wafting from inside, along with the sound of bottles rolling and clinking across the floor.

Old Jack pushed the door open directly and immediately covered his nose and mouth.

The furniture inside was old. There were two rooms, but no wooden doors.

A baby lay swaddled on the bed. The muscular man lay beside the child, gripping a wine bottle, his haggard and bewildered face staring at the ceiling.

Beside the infant rested a blue, ping-pong-ball-sized "seed," its blue-gold patterns clearly extraordinary at a glance.

"Tang Hao, this isn't how you raise a child!"

Old Jack stepped forward, lifted Tang San from his swaddling clothes on the bed, and sat down at the table. Using a wooden spoon, he carefully scooped up goat's milk and brought it bit by bit to the baby's lips. "Keep raising him like this, and the child will starve to death sooner or later!"

Old Jack berated him in a tone of exasperation, though his movements remained exceptionally careful.

Tang Hao, drunk on the bed, still had a dazed look in his eyes and offered little response. The image of Ah Yin sacrificing herself for him kept replaying in his mind.

Now, he truly regretted it. He felt that he was nothing but a beast!

But what had happened could not be undone. There was no way back.

Only the child in the swaddling clothes and the final seed Ah Yin had left behind remained.

After feeding the last drop of goat's milk from the bowl, Old Jack stood while holding swaddled Tang San. "Seeing you like this, I'm truly worried the child will starve to death. I'll take him back with me for now and bring him back to you after he turns one."

"By then, he'll be able to eat some rice porridge, and it'll be easier for you to feed him."

With that, Old Jack prepared to leave with Tang San.

Suddenly, a burly figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path and obscuring his vision.

Old Jack smelled the strong scent of alcohol. He held Tang San tighter, then looked up and saw Tang Hao's murderous eyes. He shuddered in fright.

"Give him to me."

His voice was not loud, but as one of the continent's foremost Titled Douluo, the aura and killing intent Tang Hao had gained from killing people and spirit beasts over the years were not something Old Jack, a stooped old man, could withstand.

"You!"

"Give him to me!"

Tang Hao held out his hand, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart. He did not release any pressure, worried that he might directly kill this old man who served as a free nanny.

"Ah."

Old Jack sighed and placed Tang San from his arms into those rough, large hands. He waved a hand. "From now on, I'll bring the child some goat's milk every day. But it won't last long. If there isn't enough goat's milk, he can only have some thin rice porridge. Take care of yourself."

As he spoke, Old Jack carried the bowl and turned his stooped back toward the road he had come from.

A Gold Soul Coin landed precisely in Old Jack's palm.

When he turned back and saw the Gold Soul Coin, his eyes widened. He looked at Tang Hao in disbelief.

He could hardly understand how such a slovenly man could possibly produce a Gold Soul Coin.

One Gold Soul Coin was several years' income for a family in Holy Soul Village!

"This is your payment for helping me take care of Xiao San." As Tang Hao spoke, he bent down and placed Tang San back on the bed. Once he saw the child sleeping soundly, he grabbed the Blue Silver Emperor Life Seed beside him.

"Y-you..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Do as I say."

Tang Hao said nothing further. In two or three strides, he walked out of the house and headed toward the waterfall in the back mountain.