Xiaoya, You Don't Have Parents Either? That's Great!

"What did you call me?"

Tang Qi shot Tian Meng a sidelong glance.

Haki Meng had turned the tables on him, even daring to stick a "jailbird" label on him too. She was asking for trouble.

"Oh, come on. I was just joking~"

Tian Meng giggled and reached over with a slender hand to pat his shoulder a few times.

Her touch was soft and cool.

"Hm?"

Tang Qi paused.

Seeing that, Tian Meng thrust out her chest smugly.

"I used spiritual power to form a solid body of energy, then wrapped it in a layer of ice. Well? Feels nice, doesn't it? Hehe."

"You still haven't answered my question."

Tian Meng changed tack, pouting as she floated back and forth beside Tang Qi. "Do you want another Martial Soul or not?"

"You mean..."

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow. "You want to use your source power to carve out an ice-attribute Blank Martial Soul Slot for me?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing Tang Qi catch on at once, Tian Meng smiled even wider. "I originally prepared it for Yutong. But you already opened up an obviously powerful Second Martial Soul for her, so she doesn't need it."

She floated in front of Tang Qi and folded her arms, launching into a serious analysis. "Yutong already has to learn the cultivation systems of two different worlds. That's enough pressure. Give her another one, and she might bite off more than she can chew."

"So you'll give it to me?" Tang Qi chuckled. "Aren't you afraid I'll bite off more than I can chew too?"

"That's different!"

Tian Meng rolled her eyes at him, floated to his right, and pointed at the Blue Silver Emperor in his palm. "This is your First Martial Soul, right?"

Tang Qi nodded.

She floated to his left and patted her ample chest, still shaken. "And you can use this Second Martial Soul without adding Soul Rings, right?"

The Clear Sky Nine Absolutes?

"More or less," Tang Qi said truthfully.

Finally, Tian Meng floated behind him and nodded toward the hovering "Tang San Plus." "And this one can't even take Soul Rings, can it?"

"Probably."

The Sea God Martial Soul was probably much like the Holy Necromancer from the original story.

With a whoosh, Tian Meng floated back in front of him. Their eyes met.

She poked Tang Qi in the chest with a delicate finger and declared, "Look how weak you are! Compared with real geniuses, you're almost down to the third tier. And you think you don't need another Martial Soul?"

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow and drew out his words. "Oh, so I'm that weak now. Tian Meng, you really are a good person, giving me another Martial Soul."

Tian Meng blushed and turned away, trying hard to look serious. "Of course. You've done so much for Yutong. As one of her family, I ought to thank you properly."

"Oh? You're her family now?" Tang Qi laughed.

"You bet!"

Tian Meng planted her hands on her hips and called toward Huo Yutong, "Little Yutong, call me Mama Tian Meng—"

Before she could finish, Tang Qi grabbed her and tossed her aside without another word.

"What was that for~"

Tian Meng rubbed her arm and pouted, looking utterly aggrieved.

Tang Qi ignored her.

He truly hadn't expected Tian Meng to be this thoughtless.

Huo Yutong's mother had died only recently, and she was at her most emotionally vulnerable.

And Tian Meng wanted to play at being her mother?!

Tang Qi looked away and continued, "You want to give me another Martial Soul. Is the Ice Empress your target?"

Tian Meng's aggrieved expression vanished instantly. She darted back in front of Tang Qi, brimming with excitement. "If it were Yutong, I'd want the Far North's second heavenly king, the Ice Empress, to become her Martial Soul."

"But for you..."

She looked Tang Qi up and down, a hint of pickiness in her eyes. "I don't think Bingbing is good enough for you."

"What do you mean?"

Tang Qi was baffled.

"Bingbing may be 390,000 years old and the ruler of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan."

Tian Meng sounded increasingly disdainful. "But she doesn't even have her clan's Ice Explosion Technique. What a washout! She can't compare to one of my toes!"

Tang Qi laughed despite himself.

Tian Meng abruptly stopped smiling. A sly, fervent gleam flashed in her beautiful eyes. "The one I'm going after is the ruler of the Far North: the Heavenly Snow Woman, the Snow Empress!"

She grew more excited as she spoke. "The Snow Empress has always wanted to survive her 700,000-year tribulation, but I don't think she stands a chance. Instead of letting heavenly lightning strike her dead, she should keep the good stuff in the family and become your Martial Soul!"

She leaned close to Tang Qi's ear. "Well? Aren't I good to you? Heh heh heh..."

Meanwhile, Huo Yutong had woken up.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Tian Meng chattering away beside Tang Qi, excited about who knew what.

Tian Meng noticed Huo Yutong was awake and waved enthusiastically. "Yutong! Come here, come here!"

The girl hurried over, blinking in wide-eyed confusion, just about to ask what was going on.

In the next instant, two cool, slender arms wrapped around Huo Yutong's neck and Tang Qi's.

Tian Meng pulled all three of their heads together, her face full of hope.

"Whatever happens, the three of us living well together as a family matters more than anything!"

"When little Yutong becomes a god, she'll take Tang Qi and me with her. When you become a god, Tang Qi, you'll take Yutong and me."

"Become a god..."

Huo Yutong tilted her head, a thoughtful look flickering in her eyes.

Becoming a god seemed fine too. Of course, first she had to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

"Since neither of you said anything, I'll take that as a yes!"

Tian Meng spread her arms and gazed up at the sky, her voice trembling. "What a wonderful start!"

As she moved excitedly, the twin peaks on her chest—far too large for her frame—bounced up and down.

Did she add gravity Simulation too?

"Someone's coming."

Tian Meng's expression sharpened, her excitement vanishing at once.

Soon, two figures burst out of the bushes, one after the other.

They were Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

The anxiety on Tang Ya's pretty face vanished the moment she saw Tang Qi, replaced by undisguised delight.

A moment later, her pink lips pursed, a trace of reproach entering her expression.

Before Tang Qi could speak, Tang Ya strode up to him, lifted her face, and demanded, "Tang Qi, why did you leave without a word?"

Tang Qi froze.

"Oh, and who's this?" Tang Ya turned her head, her gaze falling on Huo Yutong.

Huo Yutong instinctively drew back. Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. "Hello. I'm Huo Yutong."

"Yutong..."

Tang Ya blinked and looked over Huo Yutong's small, visibly malnourished frame.

"Yutong, what's your Martial Soul?" Tang Ya asked.

Huo Yutong glanced up at Tang Qi, then said softly, "My Martial Soul is Spiritual Eyes."

"Spiritual Eyes? A Body Martial Soul?!" Tang Ya cried, her beautiful eyes flashing.

This girl belonged in the Tang Sect!

She suppressed her excitement and looked between Tang Qi and Huo Yutong, trying to appear friendly and harmless. "I meant to ask earlier: what plans have your parents made for you? Would you be interested in joining a great sect?"

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have parents anymore," Huo Yutong said quietly, her gaze going distant for a moment.

Tang Qi said, "Mine are up in heaven."

Huo Yutong paused and turned to look at Tang Qi. A softness born of shared grief welled in her eyes.

So Brother Tang Qi...

Tang Ya froze for a moment, then lit up. "That's great!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Huo Yutong's face turned cold.

"No... no! That's not what I meant!"

Tang Ya waved her hands frantically. "I wanted to invite you to join the Tang Sect!"

"The Tang Sect?"

Huo Yutong paused. "The World's Number One Sect from ten thousand years ago?"

Seeing that someone still remembered the Tang Sect's name, Tang Ya's nose stung and her eyes reddened. Her voice caught.

"That's right! But the Tang Sect fell long ago... Our grounds were seized, and everyone in the sect, including my parents... was killed by our enemies."

By the end, her whole body was trembling.

"The Tang Sect fell? That's great," Tang Qi said with a smile.

Tang Ya jerked her head up and stared at him in shock.

"You misunderstood me. I meant you have to break something down before you can rebuild it."

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

Huo Yutong looked at Tang Qi, then at the puffed-up Tang Ya, and seemed to have an idea.

"Xiaoya, you're an orphan too? That's great!"

Tang Ya whipped around. Huo Yutong was blinking at her with complete sincerity.

"Don't misunderstand! I mean we're in the same boat!"

Tang Ya: ?

Bei Bei: ?

Tang Qi: That was brilliant.