He had watched her go from laughter and chatter at the start, to babbling nonsense while pulling, and finally to utter silence.
Zhou Yang felt both helpless and amused. This was precisely why he loathed gacha games: at their core, they were no different from gambling. The tantalizing lure of unknown possibilities made people itch unbearably.
People always found themselves imagining, What if I'm the lucky one?
The end result was that gambling dogs ended up without a house.
The most classic example was a numbered Yu-Gi-Oh! booster box: three hundred turned into thirty. Rather than opening boxes, you were better off buying the cards outright. That was a lesson Zhou Yang had learned in his previous life after buying dozens of numbered boxes.
He could only hope Tang Wulin would learn that lesson through this experience.
All he could do for now was offer some consolation that served no practical purpose, to make the girl feel a little better.
Only when they reached a fork in the road did Zhou Yang politely decline Tang Wulin's invitation to visit, and they each headed home.
"Well, this is where we say goodbye."
"Mm, goodbye, Brother Yang."
Tang Wulin waved at Zhou Yang, forcing out a faint smile as she said goodbye.
Only after watching Tang Wulin head toward her home did Zhou Yang breathe a sigh of relief. Then-
He promptly packed his luggage and boarded a train bound for Eastsea City.
Zhou Yang: "I'm making a run for it, brothers. Making a run for it."
There were only so many chances in life to force a deal on someone. If they discovered it and brought the thing back later, that would be awkward.
Back home, Tang Wulin held the Spirit Soul ball, still looking somewhat downcast.
Although she had thought Zhou Yang seemed a little strange before he left, her low spirits had kept her from thinking any further about it.
After telling Tang Ziran and his wife what had happened that day, Tang Wulin received her family's heartwarming consolation.
"Wulin, you earned this money yourself through hard work. You've already accomplished all this while other children still don't know any better. You're Mom and Dad's pride."
But Tang Wulin's forlorn, disappointed appearance still tugged at Tang Ziran's heart.
As parents, how could they not want the best for their children? With their special occupations, they had concealed their identities and lived under assumed names all this time, wanting only a peaceful life.
Yet Tang Wulin's experience left their hearts aching again. They were merely ordinary people without any particular abilities, but that had limited their child's future.
No parent wanted to become an obstacle on their child's path of growth.
This made Tang Ziran silently reach a decision, even if it meant exposing himself.
Under her parents' consolation, Tang Wulin finally emerged from her dejection and gradually came to recognize and accept reality.
Of course, he also remembered one thing: never gamble!
She had not understood what Zhou Yang meant when he said that before. Now, she truly understood.
"Dad, Mom, I'd like some time alone."
After washing up, Tang Wulin returned to her room with the Spirit Soul ball in her arms.
After all, this was the first Spirit Soul she had earned through her own hard work, the fruit of her own efforts.
Mom and Dad have always worked so hard. I can't trouble them anymore.
When she thought about how a hundred-year Spirit Soul cost at least a million federal coins, how could an ordinary family like theirs possibly afford one?
Perhaps this was the truest face of the lives of countless ordinary Soul Masters. After all, where would the world find so many legends?
Drawing a gentle breath, Tang Wulin reined in her little emotions, calming herself as much as possible before slowly opening the Spirit Soul ball.
Something unexpected happened. The defective ten-year little white rabbit was gone?
In its place was a stalk of dark green bamboo, crystalline throughout, with a jade-like texture. Most importantly, its whole body was emerald green, yet a deep, inky green had condensed over its joints, an ink-dark color formed by countless layers of green deepening and overlapping.
Tang Wulin: "Who are you?"
An unexpected Spirit Soul had appeared, but Tang Wulin was no fool. She soon thought of what had happened and understood.
Her Spirit Soul had been secretly switched.
But who would secretly switch her Spirit Soul? Who would want her defective ten-year big white rabbit?
As she pondered, she suddenly recalled the moment Zhou Yang had handled it that day.
"It was Brother Yang!"
"Brother Yang switched my Spirit Soul ball!"
Although she did not know how Zhou Yang had done it, this was clearly no small matter.
After all, Zhou Yang had spent a million federal coins outright to buy a Spirit Soul and replace her defective ten-year one. What was more, she could sense that this Spirit Soul's strength far exceeded her imagination.
Judging its age from what she had learned, she discovered that it had actually reached an astonishing six hundred and forty-five years. The breath of life emanating from the Jade Spirit Ink Bamboo made Tang Wulin feel peaceful and comfortable.
As the saying went, the more expensive it was, the stronger it was. She dared not even imagine how high its price would climb.
As a good child, Tang Wulin immediately told Tang Ziran and his wife about this, explaining everything that had happened. This forced the couple to take the matter seriously as well.
"How could Little Yang... That child... when he himself clearly..."
Lang Yue rubbed her damp, reddened eyes and spoke in a voice brimming with emotion. Even Tang Ziran was moved by it.
Three years of acquaintance had already made the couple familiar with Zhou Yang.
Naturally, they did not think Zhou Yang was a bad child. He generally acted more mature than most people.
Although the incident at school had caused such a stir that even they had heard about it, what Zhou Yang had accomplished had undoubtedly exceeded ordinary people's imaginations.
In their eyes, Zhou Yang was simply a good child who was not skilled at expressing his goodwill, though his methods were always a little awkward.
When he first heard Tang Wulin say that Zhou Yang had switched her Spirit Soul, his mind had briefly short-circuited.
Why would Zhou Yang steal their family's Spirit Soul? Then his maturity as an adult quickly allowed him to work it out.
Sure enough, this Spirit Soul was far better than the defective ten-year one Tang Wulin had possessed before.
The meaning contained within needed no words.
His first thought was to return it, but just as he was about to act, he noticed a letter hidden beneath the Spirit Soul ball.
Tang Ziran gave a knowing smile, a trace of relief amid his helplessness, as though he had guessed something.
At Tang Ziran's prompting, Tang Wulin took out the letter and began to read.
[Wulin, by the time you read this letter, I probably won't be home anymore. I've gone to Eastsea ahead of time to scout things out. Every Soul Ring is extremely important to a Soul Master, and I hope you won't waste one on a defective product. That Spirit Soul is for you. Just consider it my investment in you for now. When Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon someone, it must first torment their will and toil their sinews and bones. Although your talent is lacking, your hard work has made up for that. I've seen everything you've done over the years to save money, and how your efforts far exceed those of your peers. Make good use of this helping hand and change your destiny. One more thing: Spirit Souls can't be returned once they leave the Spirit Pagoda.-Zhou Yang]
After reading the contents, Tang Wulin lightly bit her lower lip with her front teeth, her eyes unknowingly growing wet and red.
Lang Yue also saw what was written in the letter. Rubbing her eyes, which had reddened again without her noticing, she could not help sighing.
"What an awkward child. Couldn't he say some of these things to us in person?"
Of course, they also knew what would happen if he said it in person. That was why Zhou Yang had "run away."
Hearing this, Tang Ziran covered his face and chuckled softly.
"Yes, we really owe him a huge favor this time."
"A hundred-year Spirit Soul costs at least a million. That's a whole million."
"We can't afford to pay him back. We'll just have to give Little Wulin to Little Yang as compensation when the time comes."
"Exactly. Mommy thinks that would be pretty nice too. I've wanted to squish Little Yang for ages, but he always resists so fiercely and won't let me~" Lang Yue chimed in at just the right moment.
"Dad! Mom?"