Back in the cramped bedroom.
Tang Tian flopped onto the hard little bed.
He stretched his limbs comfortably.
"Ah! Nothing beats lying flat."
Meanwhile, Tang San followed him inside.
But he did not rest.
Instead, he sat cross-legged on his own little bed.
He quietly began circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
Even at night, he refused to waste a single second.
After cultivating for a while, however, Tang San simply could not settle his mind.
He opened his eyes and saw that his older brother, on the opposite bed, had actually summoned his Blue Silver Grass.
And...
He was talking to a blade of grass!
He was even gently stroking its leaves with his fingers!
Tang San finally could not hold back.
He took a deep breath, stopped cultivating, and said in an extremely serious tone:
"Brother."
"I think you should go apologize to Dad."
Tang Tian was busy observing the Blue Silver Grass's condition.
Without even turning his head, he asked:
"Apologize? What for?"
"Well..."
Tang San gathered his words:
"Admit your mistake to Dad and show him where you stand."
"Let him know that even though your Martial Soul isn't good, you still want to better yourself."
"It wasn't right to just walk away like that today."
Tang Tian laughed at that.
He turned over, propping his head on one hand.
He looked at his rigid little brother.
"San, you've got one thing wrong."
"I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I admit fault?"
Tang San froze. "But..."
"No buts."
Tang Tian cut him off calmly:
"He thinks I have a Trash Martial Soul and that my life is over."
"That's what he thinks."
"I don't want to change his mind."
"If he won't give me resources, I'll train on my own; if he won't teach me, I'll learn on my own."
Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to argue.
Yet he found himself with nothing to say.
That was right.
He was the one enjoying preferential treatment.
He had reaped the benefits, yet he was urging his wronged brother to be magnanimous.
That really was a bit like standing and telling someone else their back should not ache.
In the end, Tang San sighed and closed his mouth, saying no more.
But what he did not know was this.
Tang Tian's words had unexpectedly struck a chord with a certain prickly young lady.
Little Iron Hammer, who had been sulking.
Suddenly stopped cursing.
[Little Iron Hammer] [Huh?] [That idiot host actually sounded halfway decent just now.] [Exactly! Why should we apologize?!] [That drunken old man was clearly the one in the wrong! He's the one with eyes but no sight! He's the one who can't recognize quality!] [Why should we bow our heads?] [Apologize, my hammer! I hate this spineless so-called filial piety more than anything!] [Hmph! I didn't expect that bastard Tang Tian to have such a stiff backbone.] [He's still an idiot, but at least he's not a spineless idiot.] [That pride of his, refusing to beg anyone for anything, barely qualifies him to be my host.] [Ding! Little Iron Hammer appreciates your backbone!] [Affection Level +3] [Current Affection Level: 0/100 (cold)]
Tang Tian watched the Affection Level rise from a negative number back to zero.
He secretly found it amusing.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. She really is a prickly teenage girl with delusions of grandeur.
So all I have to do to win her approval is give off that melodramatic "my fate is mine, not heaven's" aura?
Looks like Little Iron Hammer is a typical rebellious teenager. The more I defy tradition, the more she likes it.
With the prickly one dealt with.
Tang Tian returned his attention to the Blue Silver Grass in his hand.
Compared with Little Iron Hammer's intense reaction.
The Blue Silver Grass's panel showed no activity at all.
There was not even a whisper of an inner voice.
"Hmm? Why isn't there any response?"
Tang Tian was a little puzzled.
He lowered his head to look at the Blue Silver Grass in his palm.
Its leaves, which had originally been spread out.
Were now curled tightly together.
Tang Tian opened the details page and immediately grinned.
[Blue Silver Grass's current state: overloaded with shyness...] [B-bed... bed... on the bed?!] [Master actually summoned me onto his bed?!] [Even though I'm a Martial Soul, this is still too...] [What is he going to do? Is he going to sleep with me?] [I know I'm not worthy, but Master's presence is so close!] [I'm going to faint!!]
"..."
Looking at the screen full of exclamation marks, Tang Tian could only marvel inwardly.
Where has her mind wandered?
I only summoned you to get some air, and you've already thought that far ahead?
But since your reaction is this strong!
That means this really works on you!
Tang Tian's gaze shifted, and he decided to administer a stronger dose.
For a gloomy girl like Blue Silver Grass, who was desperately insecure yet desperately craved intimacy.
Conventional methods worked too slowly.
He had to get her into the habit of relying on him.
He had to make her understand her special place in his heart.
And so.
Tang Tian did not withdraw her.
Instead, he slowly lowered his head.
He leaned close to the little blade of grass curled into a ball in his palm.
His movements were extremely slow, carrying a pressure that made the heart race.
Then.
He gently lifted one of her most tender leaves.
As though taking a girl's slender fingers.
On the tip of the leaf.
He gently planted a kiss.
At that instant, his warm breath drew close to the cool leaf.
Tang Tian said softly:
"Goodnight, Little Blue."
"Early tomorrow morning, I'm taking you out to cultivate."
"Remember to wake me up. I won't be able to get up without you."
Boom!!!
At that moment.
Tang Tian seemed to hear the hiss of steam.
The Blue Silver Grass in his hand trembled violently.
Then, at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye.
With an instantaneous whoosh!
She shrank back into Tang Tian's body!
Like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, she fled straight back into her nest.
[Your "goodnight kiss" dealt tons of critical damage to Blue Silver Grass!] [Affection Level +3!] [Current Affection Level: 36/100 (ordinary)] [Blue Silver Grass's inner voice] [K-kissed?!] [Master kissed me?!] [Aaaah!] [Master needs me! He said he can't get up without me!] [I must wake him up! Even if it costs me my life, I'll wake him on time!]
"Heh, your mouth says no, but your body tells the truth."
Tang Tian felt the surging emotions inside him.
He lay back on his pillow in satisfaction.
This was the power of the Affection Level.
Once he broke through her psychological defenses, this little blade of grass was clingier than anyone.
Yet while some households rejoiced, others grieved.
Just as Tang Tian was basking in delight.
Little Iron Hammer, who had only just quieted down in his mind, completely exploded.
[Little Iron Hammer] [???!!!] [What did you do?! You perverted host!] [You actually kissed a blade of grass?!] [We're both Martial Souls, so why does that useless grass get treated so well?] [You just forcibly stuffed me back inside, but she gets a goodnight kiss?] [Preferential treatment!] [This is blatant preferential treatment!] [You're a biased bastard, just like that old drunk Tang Hao!] [I'm furious! I'm furious!] [Ding! Little Iron Hammer feels extremely unfairly treated and is consumed by jealousy!] [Affection Level -3] [Current Affection Level: -3/100 (disgust)]
Watching the Affection Level instantly drop back down, even lower than before.
Tang Tian did not panic at all; instead, he wanted to laugh.
"Getting worked up?"
"Good. That's exactly right."
Before you continue