On the morning four days later, sunlight filtered through the mist and fell across the tiles of the Yang Family residence. The courtyard, usually rather quiet, had come alive early that day.
Before long, steady footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by children's laughter and several hearty chuckles, as tall figures filed into the courtyard.
They were sturdy and imposing, men and women alike, each with a few bright-eyed children at their side. Their auras were steady and weighty.
"Hahaha, Wushuang! This old ox hasn't arrived late today, has he?"
A great laugh burst out like thunder. At the head of the group strode a burly man as large as a small hill, wearing a gray short coat washed nearly white. His bronze skin gleamed in the sunlight, and his arms were as thick as an ordinary man's thighs. With every step, the flagstones beneath his feet seemed to tremble.
Most striking of all, two fingers were missing from his left hand, and his right ear had been severed at its base, leaving only a faint scar. Yet these injuries did nothing to diminish his fierce valor; instead, they added a sharpness honed on the battlefield.
At the sight of him, Yang Wushuang, who had been standing by the entrance all this time, finally relaxed his stiff expression, and a smile curved his lips.
"What are you saying, elder brother? Having you here is all I could ask for. The wine and meat are already prepared inside. Come in, come in."
As soon as Yang Wushuang finished speaking, the burly man grinned, revealing two rows of strong white teeth. His voice rang like a great bell.
"Wine and meat? Wonderful! This old ox has been craving them the whole way here!"
As he spoke, his gaze passed over Yang Wushuang and settled on Yang Chang'an beside him.
Yang Chang'an wore a navy-blue outfit that day, which made him look all the more upright and sturdy. His eyes shone like stars.
"Well now, little Chang'an! It's only been a few days, and you've grown sturdier again!"
The burly man looked at Yang Chang'an with affection filling his eyes, and his tone softened.
Yang Chang'an immediately broke into a brilliant smile, showing his neat little white teeth. He stepped forward, tilted his head back, and tightly hugged the burly man's lowered right hand.
"Grandpa Yue, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you for ages!"
This burly man was Niu Yue, head of the Niu family of the Defense Clan. Back when Spirit Hall had encircled them in an attempt to wipe them out, Yang Wushuang had led the others in breaking through, while Niu Yue and his clansmen brought up the rear.
The Soul Breaking Spear was famed for its unrivaled offense, while the Armored Giant Rhinoceros martial soul boasted astonishing defense. With their martial souls complementing each other, the two families had simply chosen to travel together.
On that perilous escape, had Niu Yue not led a group of Armored Giant Rhinoceros Soul Masters in holding off countless assaults with their formidable defenses, there was no way they could have kept their branch's losses to a minimum.
Feeling the strength of the grip on his hand, Niu Yue looked down at the little face tilted toward him. He could not help reaching out with his other hand to gently stroke Yang Chang'an's hair.
"Good lad! Now that's a proper little man. You're much sturdier than those little calves in our family!"
"Brother Niu is right. Children ought to eat and drink as they should. Only after they take good care of themselves will they have the ability to care for others."
A gentle female voice rang out. The speaker was an elderly woman standing nearby. Her graying hair was gathered into a simple bun, and she wore a plain cotton dress. She looked kindly and benevolent, yet remarkably spry. Her eyes were not sharp, but they held the clarity of someone who had seen through the ways of the world.
This elderly woman was a senior member of the Yang Family named Yang Xue. A few years younger than Yang Wushuang, she commanded considerable respect within the family and had always doted on Yang Chang'an.
As she spoke, she cast a pointed glance at Yang Wushuang beside her.
Yang Wushuang's expression remained calm, a faint smile still on his lips. But a clear flicker of evasiveness crossed his eyes, and his fingertips twitched slightly. He said nothing.
Sensing the slight stiffness in the air, Yang Chang'an hurriedly lifted his face toward Niu Yue and deliberately raised his voice.
"Oh, right, Grandpa Yue! Did Brother Wenchuan come? I haven't seen him for days. I've really missed him!"
Niu Wenchuan was Niu Yue's youngest grandson, only three days older than Yang Chang'an. His Martial Soul Awakening should originally have taken place three days earlier, but Niu Yue had thought that, since today was Yang Chang'an's birthday, the two children might as well awaken their martial souls on the same day. Hoping for the auspicious omen of double blessings arriving at their door, he had postponed Niu Wenchuan's Martial Soul Awakening by a few days.
Hearing Yang Chang'an mention his youngest grandson, Niu Yue snapped back to attention and immediately said:
"That little rascal? He came along ages ago. He's probably out at the mouth of the alley now, boasting with the other boys. I'll call him in!"
With that, Niu Yue turned toward the courtyard entrance and let out a sudden roar.
"You little bastard! Get your ass in here right now!"
His voice thundered, instantly shaking dust loose in the courtyard. Even the distant birds were startled into taking wing.
As his roar faded, a flurry of panicked footsteps immediately sounded outside. Apparently, the children gathered there had all jumped at the shout.
After calling out, Niu Yue turned toward the main hall behind Yang Wushuang, rubbed his belly, and chuckled, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"Well, Wushuang, after coming all this way, I'm starving. Let's not stand around here. We'll go inside and talk over a meal. Talk over a meal!"
Without waiting for Yang Wushuang's answer, he slung an arm around his shoulders and half pulled, half guided him toward the main hall. At the sight, Yang Xue gave a soft, chilly snort at Niu Yue's retreating back, though a helpless smile lingered in her eyes. Then she turned and beckoned to Yang Chang'an with a kindly smile before following them into the hall.
In an instant, Yang Chang'an was left alone in the courtyard. He was just about to follow when hurried footsteps drew closer, accompanied by a breathless shout.
"Coming, coming! Grandpa, I'm here!"
A little chubby boy as sturdy as a calf came rushing in from outside. He wore a red short coat, his round face flushed crimson. His short legs churned rapidly, and the flesh on his body jiggled gently as he ran.
Niu Wenchuan's chest heaved, but when he looked up, he saw only Yang Chang'an standing in the courtyard, smiling at him. His grandfather was nowhere in sight. He stopped, blinked his round eyes, swallowed, and looked at Yang Chang'an in confusion.
"Chang'an, where's my grandpa? Didn't he call me in? Where'd he go?"
Seeing him drenched in sweat, Yang Chang'an could not help laughing. He lifted his chin and gestured toward the main hall with his lips.
"Where else? He went inside for wine and meat. He's probably already forgotten all about his grandson."
"What? He's gone drinking?"
Niu Wenchuan's eyes widened at those words. The confusion on his face instantly turned to urgency. Hastily wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said:
"Then what are we waiting for? If we're late, all those uncles will eat every scrap of meat on the table!"
With that, he grabbed Yang Chang'an's wrist and tried to drag him toward the main hall.
After two steps, he stopped again and looked Yang Chang'an up and down, his face full of bewilderment. He reached out and poked Yang Chang'an's arm.
"Seriously, Chang'an, how exactly have you been training? It's only been a few days, and you're almost bigger than me. Look at those arms of yours. They're even sturdier than mine."
"Anyone who didn't know us would think your surname was Niu and mine was Yang!"
As he spoke, Niu Wenchuan looked down at his own round arms, his face full of defiance.
Yang Chang'an raised an eyebrow, shrugged with a show of smugness, and flashed his neat white teeth. His tone was practically begging for a punch.
"Can't help it. Talent. I was born this way."
"Oh, give me a break!" Niu Wenchuan immediately rolled his eyes and shoved Yang Chang'an, disbelief written all over his face.
"Don't give me that. As if you could have more physical talent than me! Our clan is naturally sturdy. You just train harder, that's all. If you've got the guts, let's compete today and see who's stronger!"
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of whom? The loser has to give the winner his pork knuckle at the table today!"
Yang Chang'an refused to back down, lifting his chin, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
"It's a deal!" Niu Wenchuan agreed at once and high-fived Yang Chang'an. The crisp slap rang through the courtyard.
Then the two little boys headed toward the main hall with their arms around each other's shoulders, bickering back and forth all the way.