This brought a trace of puzzlement to Bibi Dong's face.
"They just both have blond hair. There's nothing to make a fuss about."
Xie Yue looked at Yan, then at Hu Liena. In the end, Hu Liena spoke.
"That child also has innate full Soul Power."
At this, Bibi Dong's gaze instantly sharpened.
Maxed-out innate Soul Power wasn't rotten cabbage left unwanted by the roadside. How many such people appeared across the entire continent in a year? How could one just happen to run into Hu Liena's group of three so casually? And have blond hair as well?
Was it a coincidence?
Or was it the handiwork of that undying old bastard, Qian Daoliu?
A coincidence like this today made it hard for Bibi Dong not to forcibly connect it to Qian Daoliu's unusual behavior that day.
"Hu Liena, tell me about the child you met."
Hu Liena immediately acknowledged the order and recounted everything about her time with Shi Lang without holding anything back.
The more Bibi Dong listened, the more her brows relaxed.
"So he's a well-behaved child. It seems they aren't the same person."
Bibi Dong lowered the significance of this trifling coincidence several notches in her mind and casually added a remark.
"Since the three of you want to take that well-behaved child to obtain his first Soul Ring, you might as well bring along that arrogant blond child with twin Martial Souls too. See if you can deepen your friendship."
Bibi Dong's idea was simple. To confirm whether they were the same person, she only had to bring both of them over and take a look.
After all, it was impossible for two of the same person to exist at once!
Once dinnertime arrived, Jing Shanshan, as a six-year-old child with both a father and a mother, naturally had to go home on time to eat.
Before he even opened the door, he heard a gentle, familiar voice. He went inside for a look.
Oh, sure enough, it was an old acquaintance.
Hu Liena was making his mother beam with laughter, while Yan sat to one side grinning foolishly, and Xie Yue stood by the door like a silent backdrop.
"Shanshan, you're here."
His mother turned, saw Jing Shanshan, and beckoned to him, enthusiastically introducing Hu Liena and the others.
"These people are from Spirit Hall. They've all come to see you, child! Hurry and fetch a few bowls of water."
"Shanshan, you're here. Since these people are from Spirit Hall, they've all come to see you, child! Hurry and fetch a few bowls of water."
Jing Shanshan's mother was an ordinary person without Soul Power. She had a gentle face and wore a plain apron, with flour still clinging to her hands. Fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes when she smiled.
Jing Shanshan's face instantly darkened! A trace of anger colored his voice, and the invisible pressure of a ruler precisely enveloped Hu Liena and the other two.
"Have this king serve others tea and water? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! These three should be serving this king tea and water!"
What a joke. As a king, how could he possibly do something so beneath his dignity right under outsiders' noses?
Yan, who had been grinning foolishly to one side as part of the backdrop, instantly tensed, a surge of killing intent spreading through his heart. Xie Yue remained expressionless, but in truth, all his attention immediately focused on Jing Shanshan.
Before the three could react further, his old father heard his son's arrogant words and immediately grabbed the rattan cane in the corner. His face flushed red with anger as he pointed at Jing Shanshan.
"You brat, I can let it slide when there's no one else around, but you're acting up even with people from Spirit Hall here! See if I don't beat you to death!"
Jing Shanshan: !!!
Jing Shanshan had already vanished from where he stood. His father raised the rattan cane high and chased him out of the house.
A flurry of chaos came from outside, mingled with Jing Shanshan's shouts of, "This king... cannot be wrong! They're the ones who are wrong! This world is wrong!" and the sharp swish of the cane cutting through the air.
Watching the father and son chase each other into the distance, then recalling that invisible majesty of a ruler just now, Hu Liena's gaze grew shocked and complicated.
He really was arrogant!
The moment she thought of Bibi Dong's instructions, and how she would have to deal with this child and befriend him for some time to come, her head immediately began to ache.
"Sorry about that. He's like this around outsiders, but he's very filial at home."
Jing Shanshan's mother came out carrying water, a somewhat embarrassed smile on her face.
Hu Liena nodded in understanding.
Her parents said much the same in front of outsiders, speaking well of their own child.
"Auntie, we understand. It's perfectly normal for children this age to be a little naughty. We were that age once too."
Hu Liena accepted the water, her tone sincere.
"Your child has innate full Soul Power. We came this time because we'd like to take him to obtain his first Soul Ring in seven days."
Jing Shanshan's mother froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened slightly.
In this world where everyone wanted to become a Soul Master, Jing Shanshan's mother knew very well what innate full Soul Power meant.
It meant the aptitude to become a legendary Titled Douluo!
A stepping stone to defying heaven and changing one's fate!
And now someone was telling her that Jing Shanshan possessed such potential,
Not to mention that for ordinary families like theirs, the first Soul Ring was often the hardest mountain to cross. How many geniuses from ordinary families like theirs had fallen before that mountain?
Jing Shanshan's mother was so overcome that tears kept streaming down her face.
"Thank you. Thank you to Spirit Hall for awakening Martial Souls for us commoners free of charge! Thank you for helping our child obtain his first Soul Ring!"
Having anticipated this, Hu Liena immediately caught Jing Shanshan's mother as she tried to kneel in thanks. She could not help recalling how her own parents had reacted the same way when she awakened, and her voice grew a little gentler.
"Auntie, please don't say that. This belongs to your child himself. We're only pushing the boat along with the current."
After exchanging pleasantries with Jing Shanshan's mother for a while, Hu Liena and the other two took their leave.
Jing Shanshan helped his panting father home. When he learned that they had left, he immediately flew into a rage.
"How dare they? How dare they!"
Would a six-year-old child pass up a chance like this to show off in front of his parents?!
And now Hu Liena had actually snatched it away!
How could Jing Shanshan possibly be happy?!
"Obtain my first Soul Ring?! This king needs no one else. This king can do it himself."
His parents certainly did not think so.
In their eyes, a six-year-old going out alone to obtain a Soul Ring was no different from going to his death.
They were ordinary people, too, and could not help their child with this!
Now that someone would take him, it was certainly safer than hunting Soul Beasts alone.
This was a tremendous blessing. How could they let him be fussy about it?
"The people from Spirit Hall are kind enough to take you, and you're still being picky?"
His father immediately felt his strength return and slapped the rattan cane onto the table.
"You're going! You must go!"
His mother gently urged him from the side, "Shanshan, listen to us. Soul Beasts aren't something to joke around with. Only with someone looking after you can Mom feel at ease."
Jing Shanshan's head instantly felt twice its size. A battle raged within him, and after weighing things in his mind for a long time, he finally agreed with his parents.
That night's dinner was destined to be more lavish than ever before, and it was also a day of headaches for Jing Shanshan.
Shi Lang and Jing Shanshan were both supposed to obtain Soul Rings in seven days, but there was only one of him!
He could not let Hu Liena and the others discover that Shi Lang and Jing Shanshan were the same person!
What should he do?
Late that night, Jing Shanshan lay alone in bed, tossing and turning. Finally, he sat up, a sacred presence emanating from his entire body.
Qian Renxue saw the surroundings outside, looked around curiously, and silently waited for Jing Shanshan to speak.