They Left Without Waiting for Me?

In the days that followed, Chu Chen stuck to the same routine: eat, cultivate, sleep, repeat.

Two and a half months passed in a blink, and the day came to report to Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy.

That morning, Chu Chen had planned to head to the river to cultivate, as usual.

But after breakfast, before he could leave, Old Jack stopped him.

"Chu Chen! Today's a big day for you. No running off!"

"It's just that lousy academy..."

Chu Chen muttered under his breath, sounding utterly unconcerned—and a little annoyed.

Over the past few months, his Dou Qi had reached the fifth stage. In recent days, he had felt himself closing in on another bottleneck.

He couldn't say exactly how long it would take to break through, but the sixth stage of Dou Qi was within reach!

Wasting a whole day of cultivation when he was this close to a breakthrough naturally rubbed him the wrong way.

"You little brat, what are you muttering about?"

Old Jack gave Chu Chen an exasperated pat.

"Stay home and behave. I'll go to Tang Hao's place in a bit, pick up Tang San, and then we'll—"

"Wait a second, Grandpa!"

Chu Chen cut in before Old Jack could finish laying out the day's plans.

"Why are we bringing that ungrateful brat? Did his whole family die or something? Why does he have to go with us?"

"Because of that shameless Tang Hao..."

The subject made Old Jack angry too.

"What his family did over the place was rotten, but I could at least understand it. They were looking out for their child."

"I thought the man had finally come to his senses and started acting like a father. Turns out he couldn't even keep up the act for long. Within days, he was right back to his old ways!"

"He's stopped looking after the boy and spends every day drinking. If Tang San doesn't come with us, that place might go to waste..."

"Then let it go to waste!"

Chu Chen cleared the dishes as he spoke, his tone casual.

"What happens in their family is their business. Stop trying to save people who don't want saving, and let them deal with their own choices. Grandpa, you haven't forgotten what that little ingrate said about you, have you?"

"I know you have a kind heart, Grandpa, but some people don't deserve that kindness. We don't owe them anything!"

"Whatever happens, I'm not going with him. Honestly, if you weren't worried about me, I'd have gone to report in by myself. I hate making you go all that way!"

"Oh, it's hardly any trouble..."

Old Jack waved a hand as if dismissing the thought, though he couldn't hide his smile.

Holy Soul Village wasn't far from Notting City. It was only twenty or thirty li in a straight line, close enough to reach in a morning.

But what grandfather could resist hearing his grandson worry about him?

So after smiling to himself, a deeply pleased Old Jack hesitated only a moment before accepting Chu Chen's suggestion.

"All right. I was getting ahead of myself. We'll do it your way—just the two of us, no one else!"

"That's more like it, Grandpa!"

Chu Chen finally smiled too. He quickly finished clearing the dishes and headed for the door.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go, Grandpa. Once we reach Notting City, I need to get back to cultivating!"

"What you need now is a Soul Ring. What good is more cultivation? Always fussing over nothing!"

Old Jack tapped Chu Chen's head in mock annoyance, then picked up the luggage he had packed earlier with a smile.

"All right, enough talk. We'll do it your way—leave early and come back early!"

With that, he opened the door and led Chu Chen out of the village.

Half an hour after the grandfather and grandson left, a small, thin figure arrived at Chu Chen's door.

It was Tang San, who had waited ages for someone to invite him along!

As the saying went, injured bones and sinews took a hundred days to heal. Tang San had only recently recovered from the serious injuries Chu Chen had dealt him, and his face was still deathly pale.

Those injuries, combined with Tang Hao's return to drinking himself senseless every day after what had happened two and a half months ago, had also cost Tang San the chance to practice forging before starting school, as he had in the original story.

Naturally, the Silent Sleeve Arrow he should have forged by now in the original story was nowhere to be found either.

Tang San had no idea what he had missed. But losing three months of cultivation time was enough to infuriate him and deepen his hatred for Chu Chen.

And two and a half months ago, Tang Hao's sudden change in temperament had brought the warmth of fatherly love Tang San had only just begun to feel to an abrupt end.

Tang San had no idea what had happened then, either. He simply added another mark against Chu Chen in his mental ledger.

Whatever had happened, blaming Chu Chen was the right move!

Of course, everyone knew the pure and virtuous Tang God King had always been a pragmatist.

No matter how much he hated Chu Chen and his family, he would never hesitate to make use of them when he could.

Now, for instance, Tang San had seen Tang Hao drunk into a stupor and plainly unable to take him into the city, so he had hurried right over.

For the sake of my future path, and to live up to Father's hopes, I, Tang San, can endure this humiliation and bow my head to my enemies for now!

Tang San thought this through, steeled himself, and waited outside Chu Chen's home.

In Tang San's view, it was better to wait patiently and quietly follow Old Jack and Chu Chen when they set off for Notting City than to knock and give Chu Chen a chance to mock and humiliate him.

In short, he wouldn't invite abuse. He would merely travel the same road.

That way, it wouldn't count as asking Old Jack to lead him there. I, Tang San, will owe no one a favor!

At that thought, Tang San felt as though he had risen above it all. He even lifted his chin a little higher as he looked toward Chu Chen's door.

The villagers passing by could only stare in confusion.

Wait, there's no one home at the village chief's place. Why is that little ingrate posing outside their door?

The villagers found it strange, but thanks to the reputation Tang San and his father had earned, not one of them bothered to tell him.

They simply watched as Tang San stood proudly outside the village chief's gate for hours on end.

Why hasn't there been a sound from Chu Chen's house?

It wasn't until noon, when his legs were aching from standing, that Tang San finally thought to ask himself that question.

He hesitated for a while, then called out.

"Grandpa Village Chief, are you home?"

"Tsk. What an ingrate. Now he's calling him Grandpa Village Chief? Bet he wants something again."

A young villager passing by gave a derisive snort and shot the ashen-faced Tang San a look.

"Stop waiting. The village chief took Chu Chen out first thing this morning. They're probably already in the city!"

With that, he went back to his work, leaving Tang San staring in disbelief and muttering to himself.

"They've... already left?"

"They left without waiting for me?!"

"Old Jack! Chu Chen! You've both earned yourselves a death sentence!"