The stone chamber was utterly silent; even a falling pin could have been heard.
Lou Xu put the Soul Bone back into his Soul Tool, then casually called for Xiong Jun, who stood against the stone wall with his arms folded, to leave with him.
Xiong Jun pulled the two of them through the waterfall, and the three headed back along the rugged mountain path.
Xiao Wu carried the flowerpot at the rear, stealing glances at Lou Xu as she walked. Seeing him talking to Xiong Jun without paying her any attention, she dared not speak and followed silently behind him.
"Big Bear, can Ah Yin's seed be cultivated into a new Blue Silver Emperor?"
Xiong Jun smacked his lips and frowned in thought for a moment.
"Soul Beast bloodlines are passed down through the generations. If she dies, an emperor will probably emerge from among the other Blue Silver Kings. You definitely can't use her to cultivate a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor."
"Find a Soul Master to eat her as medicine, and there might be a chance of awakening a Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul. But even your Bear Lord can't say for sure about these flowers and grasses. The Myriad Demon King once refined an immortal herb. You'll have to ask him about this."
Lou Xu nodded and committed it to memory.
He was level twenty-seven now. If this trip to Heaven Dou City went smoothly, it would not be long before he needed his next Soul Ring. He could ask the Myriad Demon King then and decide what to do with Ah Yin afterward.
In any case, he would have to keep this plant alive for a while.
At a bend in the mountain path, Lou Xu suddenly stopped and glanced sideways at Xiao Wu behind him.
Xiao Wu jolted and hastily stopped in her tracks.
"I-I really learned my lesson this time..."
He turned, looked her up and down, then took a handkerchief from his ring and tossed it to her.
"Clean yourself up. You're as filthy as a mud-covered monkey."
Xiao Wu held the handkerchief, frozen in place.
"What are you standing there for? Wipe yourself clean before we go."
"If there's a next time, you won't get off with a few harsh words."
Lou Xu turned and continued down the mountain with Xiong Jun.
Does that mean he's forgiven me?
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. She carefully wiped the mud from her face, then hugged the flowerpot and trotted after them, finding her voice again.
"Lou Xu, wait for me! You've left your pet rabbit behind..."
Walking ahead, Xiong Jun suddenly curled his lips in a sneer.
"Humans are such a bother."
"A bout of crying, a round of scolding, then a handkerchief to soothe her. If you ask your Bear Lord, just give her a beating if she won't obey. If one isn't enough, give her two. Guaranteed to make her docile as can be. Why bother with all these twists and turns?"
Xiong Jun's words brought a reminiscent look to Lou Xu's eyes.
"She's a little too curious, but she's observant and kindhearted. Thanks to her, I haven't had to tidy my own room in ages."
At that, Lou Xu grew a little wistful.
His obsessive-compulsive habits from his previous life had crossed over with him. Everything in his room was always arranged by size, color, and category.
During the time they had all been researching rune forging together, he would fall straight into bed whenever he returned to his room. Yet when he woke, he always noticed signs that someone had tidied it.
At first, the arrangement had felt a little awkward, but gradually it had come closer and closer to his liking.
Lou Xu glanced back at Xiao Wu as she caught up, a faint smile on his lips.
"People ought to spare a little patience for their pets, shouldn't they? Big Bear, don't you think squabbling with a little rabbit is beneath you too?"
"Tch. She's hardly worthy."
Xiong Jun snorted, not bothering to say more.
The three descended the mountain and circled around the western end of the village to reach the main road.
The sun stood overhead. Farmers working in the fields were heading back to the village, and wisps of cooking smoke rose once more.
A young boy came toward them.
His coarse-cloth outfit had been washed pale. A bundle hung on his back, newly sewn cloth shoes covered his feet, and his steps were hurried.
The boy looked sallow and thin, as though he had suffered prolonged malnutrition, but his eyes held an uncanny purple glow and a composure beyond his years.
At that moment, however, those eyes were clouded with an agitation he could not shake.
Tang San had been unsettled for some time.
While absorbing his first Soul Ring, the agitation in his heart had nearly sent his Mysterious Heaven Skill along the wrong circulation route, almost killing him on the spot.
He had spent two days back at the academy, tossing and turning at night, always feeling that something at home was tugging at him.
So he had hurriedly asked the Grandmaster for leave and set out before dawn.
The instant he passed the three travelers, Tang San stopped and abruptly looked down at his palm.
His right hand felt warm. The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul within him had begun stirring on its own, as though it had sensed something and was desperately trying to emerge.
He whipped around, following his Martial Soul's guidance until his gaze landed on the flowerpot in Xiao Wu's arms.
"Please, wait a moment."
The three stopped at his call and turned to look at the boy.
Lou Xu studied the boy's features for a moment. A suspicion stirred in his mind, and an intrigued smile curled at his lips.
If he remembered correctly, Tang San was the same age as him.
Xiong Jun seemed to notice something and regarded the boy with an unfriendly expression. Only after seeing Lou Xu's composure did he lower his guard slightly.
Tang San approached and politely cupped his hands in greeting.
"Sorry to interrupt. My name is Tang San. I'm the village blacksmith's son. May I ask what... this young lady is holding?"
"A stalk of blue silver grass we dug up in the mountains. It looked unusual, so we're taking it home to grow."
Lou Xu moved Xiao Wu behind him and spoke to Tang San, who was half a head shorter than he was.
"Blue silver grass..."
Tang San's gaze settled inside the rim of the pot, as though glued there, unable to move away.
The soil had been freshly added. The blue silver grass's leaves drooped limply, but faint golden threads showed among their veins. It was indeed unusual and rare.
With a single glance, the agitation in his chest suddenly subsided, followed by an indescribable sense of emptiness.
It felt as though something was missing, or something was calling to him from afar.
"May I take a look?"
He glanced at the burly man as he asked.
Xiao Wu looked at Lou Xu. He smiled and stepped aside.
"Go ahead."
Tang San bent down.
The Blue Silver Emperor in the pot began trembling gently. Her golden leaf veins brightened and dimmed, pulse after pulse, as though she were calling out.
Tang San reached out.
Before his fingertips touched the leaves, Xiao Wu took a step back with the flowerpot.
His hand met empty air.
Tang San straightened as though waking from a dream.
"I'm sorry. I lost my composure. I don't know why, but this blue silver grass feels strangely familiar."
He paused and raised his eyes.
"You said you dug it up in the nearby mountains?"
"On a mound of earth in the cave behind the waterfall outside the village."
Lou Xu answered openly.
"When we dug her up, she'd already been growing there for years. She didn't look like she was thriving, so we decided to give her a new home."
Tang San's pupils contracted slightly.
He had visited the waterfall in the mountains behind the village, but he had never known there was a stone cave behind it.
This boy was not from the village. How did he know?
"I haven't asked your name yet. What should I call you?"
Lou Xu had already taken two steps away. At the question, he turned his head.
"Lou Xu."
Tang San quietly repeated the name twice. For some reason, it lodged in his memory at once.
He called out to the retreating figure.
"Young Master Lou, have we met somewhere before?"
"No."
Lou Xu waved a hand, his voice drifting back on the breeze.
"But we'll meet again."
Tang San stood on the main road, watching the two figures, one taller and one shorter, and the burly man recede into the distance. He remained there, touching the Sleeve Arrow on his wrist, his brows drawn tight.
Another wave of heat spread through his palm.
He opened his hand, and a stalk of blue silver grass emerged from his palm. Its three-finger-wide leaves unfurled, but their tips stubbornly pointed in the direction the three had left, swaying gently.
As though pointing the way, or bidding farewell.
Tang San closed his hand and turned toward the village, his steps more urgent than ever.
Dad, are you home?
At the other end of the road.
Xiong Jun turned toward Lou Xu and spoke in his deep, rumbling voice.
"When that brat looked at you, his eyes kept flicking toward your weak points-your eyes, throat, and heart. Your Bear Lord really didn't like that look."
At his words, Xiao Wu looked back and committed the small, thin figure, barely visible as it disappeared at the far end of the road, to memory.
"And why did you tell him where the cave was?"
Lou Xu kept his eyes ahead, his tone level.
"It's fine. He can't hurt me."
Tang San's tricks amounted to little more than the Silent Sleeve Arrow. With primal fire protecting Lou Xu, any hidden weapon would be stopped before it could get near him.
"There's nothing in the cave. What's there to fear?"
"Someone has to repay the debt his father owes. I'm letting him remember who I am now, so he won't fail to recognize his creditor when we meet again."
Xiong Jun seemed to understand. He pointed at the flowerpot and asked another question.
"What about her?"
Lou Xu glanced at the Blue Silver Emperor in Xiao Wu's arms, her leaves limp and utterly motionless.
"The child has never seen her before. Let him recognize his own family with his own eyes. Later on, he may never get another chance."
Sunlight fell across them, gradually stretching their three shadows.
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