Farewell to Son Gohan

Son Gohan shook his head. "No, no. This child is still so young, and his parents aren't here. How could I bear to put him through that kind of suffering? I'll remember what you said. I just need to keep him from seeing the full moon."

Jiang Nan had thought he was kind enough, but Son Gohan was practically a god of softheartedness.

Perhaps he could give fate a little push and shove Kid Goku off a cliff ahead of schedule, making him lose his memory. That would make things easier for Son Gohan, too.

But Jiang Nan immediately rejected the idea. If he misjudged the force and Kid Goku died in the fall, his good intentions would only cause disaster. Son Gohan had spent his whole life alone and had finally found himself a grandson in his twilight years. If he lost the boy just like that, who knew how long it would take the old man to recover?

Better to let events follow their original course. Jiang Nan was an outsider, after all, and his greatest goal right now was to leave this world as soon as possible. It was best not to meddle too much in the lives of the Dragon Ball protagonists.

That was also why Jiang Nan had spared Mercenary Tao. Unfortunately, he had been so focused on leaving this future stepping stone for Kid Goku that he had no idea Mercenary Tao had stumbled upon Mr. Satan and his master after fleeing back to South City.

This was fate at work. In the original story, Mr. Satan's master would still die at Mercenary Tao's hands, but several years later than this. Jiang Nan's interference as an outsider had brought the tragedy forward by several years.

This was a part of the story Jiang Nan knew nothing about. In other words, even if he had known, he might still have let Mercenary Tao go, because he had little fondness for most people in this world. The evil here far surpassed that of his original world.

Criminals who robbed people in broad daylight, gangs everywhere, the corrupt Earth Federation, and killers like Mercenary Tao, who used their strength to place themselves above the rules and earned money through murder-this world was full of things Jiang Nan despised.

Respect other people's fates, let go of the urge to save everyone, and enjoy a life without scruples.

That was all well and good, but Jiang Nan was a kind person at heart. All he could do was deal with the injustices he saw. As for the corners he couldn't see, whatever happened there could happen.

He was already a poor soul who had been dragged into this world by accident. Who had time to meddle in everyone else's business? The fact that he hadn't become the Demon King Jiang Nan was proof enough that he was handsome and kindhearted.

Seeing that Son Gohan didn't care in the slightest that Goku was an alien, Jiang Nan said no more. He had already given his warning. If Son Gohan still couldn't escape the fate of being trampled to death by his grandson, then he could only accept it.

Son Gohan invited Jiang Nan to stay for a few days before leaving, and Jiang Nan readily accepted without standing on ceremony.

Mount Paozu had clear waters, lush mountains, and distinctive terrain. The place Son Gohan had chosen for his secluded life was also the most scenic spot on the mountain. Back in his original world, Jiang Nan had always been busy with work. He hadn't even managed to spare the time for a romantic trip when he got married.

After arriving in this world, he had first been trapped in North City for three years. Once he finally escaped, he had spent another year amid the bustle of everyday life in White Cloud City. A chance to spend a few leisurely days in a secluded paradise like Mount Paozu was rare, and Jiang Nan certainly didn't want to miss it.

On the other hand, Jiang Nan also wanted to spar with Son Gohan once the old man had recovered his energy. He was sorely lacking in actual combat experience, and actual combat was the fastest way to improve his battle power.

The only downside was sleeping at night. All three of them squeezed onto one bed, and neither Son Gohan nor his grandson Goku stayed quiet. The old man ground his teeth, snored, and farted, while the boy kicked, rolled over, and talked in his sleep. Jiang Nan couldn't stand it after just one night, so the next day he pitched his tent beside the house.

Goku had also realized that Jiang Nan hadn't been sent by Frieza. Although he couldn't understand why Jiang Nan knew Frieza's name, he was still not even four years old, and there were far too many things his little head couldn't make sense of. After just one night, Goku stopped worrying that Jiang Nan would take him away and gradually began showing his true nature.

Jiang Nan discovered that Goku was very stubborn at this point. Whatever Son Gohan said, his first response was always a cold retort. He had probably inherited that from his father, Bardock.

But when he played, Goku's laughter was utterly genuine. His radiant smile was full of childish innocence, making people forget his irritating personality for a while.

By the third day, Son Gohan's battle power had returned to its peak. After breakfast, Jiang Nan asked to spar, and Son Gohan readily agreed. They decided to use only hand-to-hand techniques and stop short of hurting each other.

Compared with Pei Hu, Son Gohan's every move was simple and unadorned. None of his attacks were flashy, yet each struck directly at Jiang Nan's weaknesses. If Jiang Nan's battle power hadn't been much higher, he reckoned he would have been reduced to defending himself against an evenly matched Son Gohan.

After sparring for a while, Jiang Nan would stop to reflect. With these repeated pauses, their sparring continued until noon. After lunch and a short rest, they resumed, and by the time they finished at dusk, Jiang Nan's battle power had soared to 195.

An increase of 12 points in battle power in one day-Jiang Nan had never improved so quickly before!

Delighted, Jiang Nan stayed with Son Gohan for several more days.

That morning, Jiang Nan, whose battle power had now reached 210, prepared to say goodbye. While Kid Goku was still asleep in bed and Son Gohan was outside gathering wild vegetables for breakfast, Jiang Nan secretly hid the jewelry and cash he had prepared in the rice jar inside Son Gohan's house.

He had enjoyed Son Gohan's food and hospitality for seven or eight days without paying a thing, and the old man had even given him the Four-Star Dragon Ball. Jiang Nan felt he ought to leave something in return.

The jewelry could make up for the missing ornament on top of Son Gohan's hat. As for the cash, if Son Gohan ever left Mount Paozu to buy something in the city, he would have some money on hand.

The main reason was that Jiang Nan didn't have anything else worth giving. There was still an antigravity motorcycle in his Capsule, but he needed to keep that for his travels.

"Mr. Son, thank you for your hospitality these past few days. All good things must come to an end. You don't need to see me off any farther!"

Jiang Nan bowed to Son Gohan, who had accompanied him for several kilometers, then reminded him once more, "And please be sure to remember what I said. Don't let Goku see the full moon on nights when it's full."

With both hands tucked into his sleeves, Son Gohan nodded slightly. "Then this is where we part, my young friend Jiang Nan. The road ahead will be difficult. Take good care of yourself."

His words carried a double meaning. Son Gohan was old and perceptive, and he could see the powerful Jiang Nan's desperate desire to grow stronger. This young man must have been carrying some heavy burden. Otherwise, why would someone already invincible under heaven still work so hard?

Unfortunately, Jiang Nan couldn't read minds. If he had known what Son Gohan was thinking, he would surely have sighed helplessly.

Invincible under heaven?

Unfortunately, the enemies came from above it!