Tang San Niang pivoted, blocking Xiao Wu before she could reach her brother.
Without a care in the world, Xiao Wu tackled her to the ground.
She completely failed to notice Tang San Niang's tightly knitted brows.
Why did my chest feel a little tight...?
It felt as though someone had taken half of something precious from me.
Tang San Niang was puzzled.
"San Niang, you smell so nice. You have this fresh scent of grass and trees."
Xiao Wu buried her face in Tang San Niang's neck and sniffed.
The tips of Tang San Niang's ears turned pink.
"Xiao Wu, stop fooling around."
An airhead really was a tsundere's natural nemesis. What an ill-fated bond.
Tang Yin shook his head and walked aside with Tang Hao, who was signaling him with his eyes.
"Little Yin, that child is the daughter of an old friend of mine. Take good care of her from now on."
"I understand."
Tang Yin inwardly rolled his eyes.
Who knew how this old geezer had managed to talk things over with Da Ming and Er Ming?
Given those two Soul Beasts' temperaments, it was already strange enough that they hadn't fought Tang Hao.
Yet somehow, the old geezer had even taken Xiao Wu as his adopted daughter.
Tang Yin noticed that the corners of Tang Hao's mouth were harder to keep down than an AK's recoil.
His gaze flickered.
"Looks like you picked up quite a few benefits on this trip, too."
The group rested for a few days in a nearby town.
One morning, Tang Yin noticed that Tang Hao was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Let's go. Time to head home."
Tang Hao waved his large hand and laughed heartily.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought his wife had come back to life.
Tang San Niang had never seen her father looking so radiant.
She was somewhat surprised.
"Why is Dad so happy?"
Did he get his hands on the goods? Tang Yin wondered.
With the lively, restless Xiao Wu joining them on the return trip, the atmosphere among the family grew livelier as well.
Tang Hao's stern face held absolutely no power to intimidate Xiao Wu.
It could only frighten Little San Niang.
It didn't work on Xiao Wu at all.
Because she couldn't read the room to save her life!
"Adoptive Father, what's that animal with the blue-green stripes?"
Tang Hao rested with his eyes closed. "..."
"Adoptive Father, Adoptive Father, are you asleep?"
Tang Hao answered helplessly, "That's called an Azure Sun Horse. It can travel a thousand miles a day. It's quite a good means of transportation."
"I'm going out for a bit. Little Yin, look after your two little sisters."
Tang Hao greased his soles, tossed out that remark, and fled.
You fucking...
A dog really can't stop eating shit...
Inside the carriage, Tang Yin's face darkened.
None of the family were particularly talkative.
Now that a chatterbox of a little rabbit had joined them, the whole picture had changed.
All day long, she was either teasing Little San Niang or asking about anything and everything, as though her energy were inexhaustible.
"San Niang, we're the same age. Why are you so tall?"
Xiao Wu clung to Tang San Niang like a koala.
Tang San Niang was completely at her mercy, her face filled with helplessness.
"Why is it so puffy here?"
A restless little hand reached out.
Smack!
Tang Yin knocked her hand away and said irritably,
"Xiao Wu, you can't go touching other people's bodies."
"Then mine..."
"You can't let other people touch yours either!"
Tang Yin said sternly, "Little San Niang, teach Xiao Wu some common sense when we get back."
"Yes, Brother."
Tang San Niang took Xiao Wu's hand, her face serious. "Xiao Wu, an eldest brother is like a father. You must listen to Brother."
Xiao Wu froze.
"An eldest brother is like a father? But don't I already have an adoptive father? How many fathers do I have, then?"
Tang San Niang was at a loss for words.
"Anyway, you have to listen to Brother, or I won't talk to you anymore."
"All right, I'll listen to you."
Tang Yin helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.
Tsk. This batch of little sisters is really hard to manage.
After they returned to the Blacksmith Shop, Tang Hao gave Tang Yin a wristband-style Storage Soul Tool containing some Gold Soul Coins.
"Little Yin, look after your two little sisters. I'm going to get Xiao Wu some Whale Brain as a gift."
Although Xiao Wu chattered nonstop and didn't seem like his offspring at all.
Well, she wasn't his offspring to begin with.
Still, the way she acted reminded Tang Hao of when he had first met Ah Yin. Back then, Ah Yin had been just as innocent and lively, filled with curiosity about everything in the world.
A first meeting that set the heart aflutter was always so unforgettable.
Besides, he would have to rely on his connection with this adopted daughter to assemble a full set of Soul Bones for his precious son.
The Sky Azure Bull Python had managed to find two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Then surely it was perfectly reasonable for him to find more Soul Bones if he spent a little more time searching?
Tang Hao understood the difference between eating his fill once and eating his fill at every meal.
So there was certainly nothing wrong with treating this adopted daughter a little better.
Tang Yin slipped the black Storage Soul Tool onto his wrist.
With a Storage Soul Tool, carrying things around would be much more convenient.
Generous with money and short on words.
Tang Yin had to admit that the old geezer looked pretty cool when he coughed up coins.
"But why does the old man come back richer every time he goes out?"
What Tang Yin didn't know was that this world had no shortage of roving bandits and evil Soul Masters.
With Tang Hao's cultivation, they were all perfectly legal ATMs.
He could slaughter them without the slightest burden on his conscience.
Meanwhile, after leaving Holy Soul Village, Tang Hao paused, then turned and flew toward Nuoding City.
That useless fool who led his students astray.
It was time to settle accounts with him, too.
Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
In a secluded faculty apartment, Yu Xiaogang was sorting through documents in his room.
After marking a large cross on the student profile in his hand,
Yu Xiaogang leaned back wearily in his chair, a trace of bitterness on his face.
"Another failure!"
It had been fourteen years since he had come to Nuoding Academy. Thanks to his personal friendship with its headmaster, he could always obtain firsthand information on incoming students.
Over the years, Yu Xiaogang had taken in quite a few disciples with unusual aptitudes, yet not one had successfully proven his great "theory of the ten core competencies of martial soul." How tragic.
Those students had been unable to shoulder his ideals and had failed his expectations. Naturally, they no longer deserved to remain his disciples.
Thus, Yu Xiaogang now had not a single disciple under him.
"Hmph. As expected, this tiny Nuoding City can't produce any outstanding talents."
"If I still can't find a suitable disciple this year, I'll have to look elsewhere."
Yu Xiaogang's expression soured.
It was all those mediocre students' fault for wasting so many years of his life!
Fourteen years!!!
Yu Xiaogang was heartbroken. How many fourteen-year stretches did a person have to squander in a lifetime?
Bang, bang, bang!
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Yu Xiaogang frowned. Who could it be at this late hour?
Surely it wasn't those clueless students' parents coming to stir up trouble again?
Yu Xiaogang shook his head and said indifferently, "Come in!"
Creak!
A tall, hooded figure pushed the door open and entered.
"You're Yu Xiaogang?" The newcomer's face was hidden beneath his hood, revealing only a jawline that looked carved by blades and axes.
Yu Xiaogang sensed no Soul Power fluctuations from him.
There were two possible explanations. The first was that the other man's cultivation far surpassed his own.
But this was the exceedingly remote Nuoding City, a city barely the size of a small town.
Over the past dozen or so years, the only people he had met whose Soul Power Level exceeded his own were Nuoding Academy's headmaster and the old man at the Nuoding Spirit Hall Branch.
So this man was very likely just an ordinary farmer.
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help feeling displeased.
He frowned and said gravely, "When addressing an esteemed Soul Master, the most outstanding theoretical expert in the Soul Master World, you should show at least a basic level of respect."
"Now, please address me as-Grandmaster!"
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