On the way back, the three chatted casually on the broad back of the Charizard.
Dugu Yan leaned against Lin Mo's back, her arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed between his shoulder blades. Her long hair was blown about by the wind, and a few strands drifted onto Lin Mo's cheek, making him feel ticklish.
" A-Mo, did you grow up in Soul Emperor Village when you were little?" she asked.
Lin Mo nodded. "Yes, I've been there since I can remember. I was adopted by the village chief and stayed there until I awakened my Martial Soul at the age of six, and then I went to the Nuoding Academy."
Ye Lingling sat beside Lin Mo, her purple eyes filled with tenderness, and asked softly, "So when your Martial Soul Awakening, the Charmander was an egg?"
"Yes." Lin Mo smiled and reached out to touch the Charizard's neck, " Su Yuntao was terrified back then."
He'd presided over so many awakening ceremonies, but this was the first time he'd ever seen an egg-shaped Martial Soul. He even called it a Trash Martial Soul, wondering what use it was.
Dugu Yan pressed her face against his back, her voice tinged with laughter. "If he had known back then that the little guy that hatched from this egg would become Charizard in the future, he probably would have fainted from fright."
The Charizard let out a low growl, as if in agreement.
After this brief conversation, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling gained a better understanding of Lin Mo's childhood.
Orphaned, he was adopted and raised by the village chief.
After awakening his Martial Soul at the age of six, he remained mediocre and was regarded as Trash Martial Soul by everyone.
After hatching, it soared into the sky.
For some reason, Lin Mo felt that after he finished recounting his childhood, the way Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling looked at him was rather strange.
It was full of affection, like a mother looking at her child.
Lin Mo felt a little uncomfortable under their gazes and coughed lightly, "Don't look at me like that. I was doing well back then. Grandpa Village Chief was very kind to me, and everyone in the village was nice too."
Dugu Yan chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair, "Our A-Mo was so pitiful when he was little. I'll take good care of you from now on."
Lin Mo: "..."
Ye Lingling covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her purple eyes curving into crescents. She didn't speak, but the tenderness in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Lin Mo sighed helplessly, ignored the two women, and turned to look into the distance.
The sky was beautiful, without a single cloud.
The crops in the fields are lush and green, and occasionally you can see a few farmers working in the fields.
It's almost there, very close.
Before long, the familiar scenery of Soul Emperor Village came into Lin Mo's view.
The old locust tree at the village entrance is still there, casting a large patch of shade beneath its canopy.
Lin Mo did not fly directly into the village to land on Charizard, but instead landed slowly not far outside the village, and then put Charizard back into his body.
The Charizard's current aura is too terrifying. The village is full of ordinary people, and there are no Soul Master among them. This action is to prevent them from being frightened.
With a flash of red light, the Charizard's massive body vanished from its spot.
Lin Mo stood at the village entrance, gazing at the familiar dirt road, and took a deep breath.
Looking around at everything familiar, he felt a sense of loss, having been away for many years.
Dugu Yan noticed the confusion in his eyes, walked to his side, and asked softly, " A-Mo, what's wrong?"
Lin Mo frankly stated, "The village is still the same village, but it's different from what I remember."
The village has changed a lot; everything Refresh.
In the past, most of the houses in Soul Emperor Village were made of adobe, the roads were full of potholes, and you would be covered in dust on Sunny Day and mud on rainy days.
What comes into view now are rows of houses made of blue bricks and tiles, with gray tiles on the roofs and whitewashed walls.
The road was paved with gravel, clean and flat, and lined with trees on both sides.
At the entrance of the village stands a stone tablet with the three large characters " Soul Emperor Village " engraved on it in vigorous strokes and painted red.
Compared to its past poverty and backwardness, the village now appears cleaner and more impressive.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Could this be the feeling of being nervous about returning home?"
He shook his head, suppressing the inexplicable emotion, and quickly led the two women into the village.
They encountered some villagers along the way, who were not surprised by Lin Mo and his companions' appearance.
Ever since Lin Mo, the One-Character Prince Equal to the Emperor, became famous throughout the Heaven Dou Empire, many people have come to visit the village.
There were officials, merchants, Soul Master, all sorts of people.
Another reason is that Lin Mo Mo's appearance has changed drastically compared to when he was a child.
He hadn't returned for over ten years; the last time he left the village, he was just a seven-year-old child.
Seven-year-old Lin Mo was thin and small, but now Lin Mo is tall, handsome, and has a calm demeanor, completely different from the skinny boy he once was.
The villagers glanced at them a few times before continuing with their own tasks.
Lin Mo's gaze swept over those familiar yet unfamiliar faces, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
He could still recognize some of them, but they had aged considerably.
Some of the people he didn't recognize at all were probably the new wives who had married into the family or the children who had grown up.
Several young women walked past him, stealing glances at Lin Mo, whispering among themselves, and then blushing as they ran away.
He didn't go up to greet them, but just walked past silently.
Dugu Yan linked arms with him, while Ye Lingling followed on his other side. Both women remained quiet, not disturbing him.
Shortly after entering the village, Lin Mo's spiritual power keenly detected that there was actually a Soul Master living in the village, and that the cultivation level was not low.
Eight-Ring Soul Douluo.
Lin Mo did not sense any malice from him, and the Soul Master's Martial Soul type was also inclined towards light.
Therefore, although Lin Mo was pleased by his appearance, he did not rush to investigate the details.
He silently memorized the location of the aura, then led the two women towards the village chief's house.
Compared to the other villagers, the village chief's house differed somewhat from Lin Mo's memory, but overall the changes were not significant.
It was still the same little courtyard, with green vines climbing all over the walls, their lush leaves glistening in the sunlight.
The moment the door opened, the village chief, who was resting on a deck chair in the courtyard, immediately spotted the three uninvited guests.
The old man, dressed in a faded gray cloth robe, leaned back in a recliner, leisurely fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.
A pot of tea sat on a small table next to the recliner; the water in the teacups had already gone cold.
After a moment of stunned silence, he recognized Lin Mo he hadn't seen for many years, at a glance.
" Xiao Mo, is that you?"
The village chief's voice was trembling with disbelief.
He abruptly sat up in the recliner, his palm-leaf fan falling to the ground with a soft thud. His eyes were fixed on the tall figure in the doorway, his lips trembling slightly.
Lin Mo nodded and laughed heartily, "It's me, Grandpa Village Chief, I'm back."
He then joked, "I thought Grandpa Village Chief would be like everyone else in the village and wouldn't recognize me."
When Lin Mo saw the village chief again, his eyes welled up with tears.
He hadn't seen the old man who raised him for over a decade.
The current village chief looks much older than the old man Lin Mo remembers.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I raised you!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the village chief immediately refuted him.
He stood up, walked unsteadily toward Lin Mo, grabbed Lin Mo's arm, and looked Lin Mo up and down.
"You've grown up, you've grown up... Good, good."
The village chief uttered several "good"s, his voice choked with emotion.
After a brief moment of shock, the village chief's gaze shifted to the two extremely beautiful young women behind Lin Mo, and he said:
Who are these two?
Ye Lingling stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Hello, Grandpa Village Chief. My name is Ye Lingling, you can just call me Lingling."
Her voice was gentle, her purple eyes held a smile, and she exuded a graceful and gentle temperament.
Dugu Yan stepped forward with a smile, took the village chief's arm, and said naturally and affectionately, "Grandpa Village Chief, my name is Dugu Yan, you can just call me Yanyan."
I'd heard A-Mo mention you before; it's great to finally meet you today.
She paused, tilted her head to look the old man up and down, and then said, " A-Mo said your cooking is the best. Can we try some today?"
The village chief burst into laughter, his wrinkles smoothing out. "Alright, alright, Grandpa will make it for you, he'll make it for you."
Upon hearing this, the village chief, filled with anticipation, couldn't help but ask, " Xiao Mo, what's your relationship with these two girls?"
Lin Mo was straightforward. " Sister Lingling and Sister Yanyan are both my wives, but because I was so focused on cultivation before, we haven't officially gotten married yet."
If we ever get married in the future, we'll definitely invite you, Grandpa, to the wedding banquet.
The village chief was stunned. He looked at Lin Mo, then at the two women, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
"Wife? Both of them?" His eyes widened.
Dugu Yan nodded with a smile, "Yes, Grandpa Village Chief, we are all A-Mo's wives."
Ye Lingling nodded as well.
The village chief's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Lin Mo's face. A slow, satisfied smile spread across his lips.
"Good lad, you've got potential!"
He patted Lin Mo's shoulder forcefully, his voice booming, his eyes filled with pride.
The scene was quite harmonious, just like parents and elders caring for their children.
Judging from the village chief's behavior, he was clearly very satisfied with his two granddaughters-in-law.
Although he was extremely far from Heaven Dou City, he was aware of the identities of Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
The granddaughter of two Titled Douluo.
Such a status is more than enough to match Lin Mo.
The village chief took the two women's hands and sat them down in the courtyard, asking them all sorts of questions.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling sat on either side of him, answering his questions with smiles.
After exchanging some pleasantries, the village chief took Lin Mo's hand in his, looked up at him, and said:
Why did you suddenly decide to come back this time?
Lin Mo scratched his head and said, "Grandpa Village Chief, you must have heard that I took Sister Yanyan and the others to a very, very far place to cultivate for a while."
I just finished my cultivation recently, so I thought I'd stop by to see you, Grandpa.
The village chief was silent for a moment, then asked, " Xiao Mo, how long will you be able to stay in the village this time?"
The village chief's tone carried a hint of expectation.
Lin Mo didn't hide anything. "I really want to spend more time with you, Grandpa, but although my training is over, I still have other things to do."
"I'm afraid I'll only be able to stay with you in the village for two or three days this time."
"That's good, that's good." The village chief nodded repeatedly, as if comforting himself.
After a moment of silence, Lin Mo inquired about the village's current situation and some recent developments on the mainland.
The village chief did not hide anything and told him everything he knew.
"The situation on the mainland is currently very turbulent, and even we insignificant figures can sense something amiss."
The village chief's voice was deep. He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of the cool tea, and moistened his throat.
"However, our little village is alright; it hasn't been affected by the turmoil. And it seems we've heard that the Spirit Hall has declared the establishment of a nation, the Spirit Hall Empire."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mo was startled and then asked, "Are there any others?"
The village chief shook his head and said, "That's all I know. But I've heard that although the Spirit Hall has established a nation, it hasn't clashed with the two great empires, and the two sides are currently coexisting peacefully."
At this point, the village chief paused, his tone becoming particularly wistful. "It's good that no war broke out. If a war really broke out, people would always die."
If the three great empires were to go to war, countless Soul Master and countless people would die on this continent.
He had lived most of his life and had seen it all, including countless partings and deaths.
Upon hearing the village chief's words, Lin Mo, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling exchanged bewildered glances.
This is perhaps the tragedy of ordinary people.
Faced with this overwhelming trend, the vast majority of people can only be swept along by the wheels of history, with no room for resistance.
All they could do was pray that war wouldn't befall them.
Lin Mo couldn't help but ponder this.
In such a remote place, it's almost impossible to find out more detailed information about the Spirit Hall Empire. We'll have to wait until we return to Heaven Dou City to investigate further.
While Lin Mo remained silent, the village chief on the other side hesitated for a moment before asking:
"In the past few years, a very beautiful girl has come to visit this old man twice. She said she was an old friend of yours?"
"An extremely beautiful girl?"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling keenly grasped the key words and looked at Lin Mo at the same time, their eyes filled with questions.
"My old friend?"
The village chief's words left Lin Mo with many doubts.
He does have some acquaintances, that's true, but if you limit the scope to pretty girls, then there aren't many left.
Not to mention that he would even come to the village to see the village chief on his behalf, which made Lin Mo wonder, just who was this person?
The village chief didn't hide anything and continued, "My understanding of your situation over the past few years has all come from that young girl..."
At this point, the village chief smiled and looked at Lin Mo, saying, "Judging from your expression, Xiao Mo, don't you recognize her?"
But that shouldn't be the case. When she came to see me, she seemed very familiar with you...
Lin Mo said, "It's not that I don't know her, it's just that I can't quite remember her right now. Grandpa Village Chief, who exactly is she? Could you tell me more about her?"
The village chief continued, "That girl is the prettiest I've ever seen. But she didn't tell me her name, she just told me to call her Xiao Xue."
"The first time she came was three or four years ago. She came alone, without any entourage. She brought me a lot of things, including food, clothes, and some tonics."
"The second time I came was last year, again alone. This time I stayed shorter, just had a cup of tea and left. Before I left, they told me to take care of myself and to come again if I had the chance."
Xiao Xue.
Upon hearing the village chief's words, Lin Mo's eyes widened in shock.
This effectively eliminates everyone else.
Xiao Xue is also an exceptionally beautiful girl, so it can only be Qian Renxue!
Lin Mo remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to think.
He was now somewhat confused about what Qian Renxue was trying to tell him.
She actually came to the village to visit the village chief in her original appearance on his behalf.
However, judging from the village chief's words, it seems that Qian Renxue did not arrive at Da Zhang's place.
Lin Mo feigned surprise and said, "Now I know who she is. She is indeed an acquaintance of mine, but I didn't expect her to come here on my behalf..."
Then Lin Mo changed the subject, asking, "Grandpa Village Chief, have a lot of outsiders come to the village lately?"
How did I sense a Soul Master in the village when I entered it?
Upon hearing this, the village chief was stunned for a moment, but quickly recalled who Lin Mo was referring to, and said:
"Oh, Xiao Mo, you mean Doctor Qian? He's been in the village for several years now, about three or four years."
He was a barefoot doctor with quite good medical skills, but whether he was Soul Master, I really wasn't sure...
" Doctor Qian lives at the west end of the village, in the old Old Li family's house. He rarely goes out; he only comes out when someone asks him to treat a patient."
The villagers all say she has excellent medical skills and has cured many people's chronic ailments.
"He didn't talk much, but he was very kind. He treated poor people for free and often gave them medicine."
"Oh, I see."
Lin Mo nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.
The doctor surnamed Qian is also a Soul Master with a powerful Light Martial Soul, so it seems he has an inextricable relationship with Qian Renxue.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
The village chief interrupted Lin Mo's thoughts, stood up, and dusted himself off.
"You can stay at home tonight. I'll go and cook for you. You must be hungry after your long journey."
Hearing this, Lin Mo and the other two exchanged glances, and then Lin Mo said, "It's been so many years since we've had Grandpa's cooking, we've been missing it."
He stretched and then said, "Grandpa, you can cook for me today, and I'll cook for everyone tomorrow."
"Grandpa, I'll trouble you to inform everyone in the village then. I'll treat everyone to a meal."
The village chief was taken aback. "You cook? You can cook?"
Lin Mo smiled and said, "I'm Fire-type Soul Master, so cooking isn't difficult for me. Don't worry, Grandpa."
The village chief shook his head, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance, then got up and followed, saying, "Grandpa Village Chief, we're here to help you."
Lin Mo was the only one left in the courtyard.
He looked up at the sky, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
Time flew by, and it was noon the next day.
With the village chief's intervention, and the return of Lin Mo, One-Character Prince Equal to the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, everyone in the village came here.
The courtyard was filled with tables, chairs, and benches, with men, women, and children crowding together, creating a lively atmosphere.
Children darted through the crowd, playing and laughing.
The women huddled together, chattering away, while the men gathered in a corner, smoking and drinking, discussing this year's harvest and the crops in the fields.
Lin Mo was currently acting as a chef, distributing the prepared food to everyone.
These foods are a specialty of Sea God Island, made from the meat of some delicious Sea Soul Beast.
The Soul Beast undergoes special processing; ordinary people who eat it will only feel nourished and will not experience any discomfort, and it is very beneficial to their health.
A large pot was placed on a makeshift stove, with firewood burning brightly underneath. The meat broth inside bubbled and steamed, filling the entire courtyard with its aroma.
Lin Mo stood in front of the pot, holding a long ladle, scooping the broth into bowls one spoonful at a time and handing them to the villagers who were queuing up.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling helped pass out bowls and chopsticks, both women with smiles on their faces, chatting and laughing with the villagers.
"Young lady, you're handsome and beautiful. You must be Lin Mo's wife?"
"Yes, ma'am, I am his wife."
"Tsk tsk, Lin Mo is a lucky guy, marrying two such beautiful wives."
Dugu Yan responded with a smile, not shy at all.
Ye Lingling was quieter, only smiling slightly and occasionally saying a few words softly.
The villagers were full of praise, their faces beaming with smiles.
Just as the food was about to run out, Lin Mo finally met the elderly man surnamed Qian, who had a very good reputation among the village chief and villagers.
The old man looked to be no more than sixty years old. He was thin, dressed in a washed-out blue robe, with gray hair and a gaunt face, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
Compared to others his age, he appeared remarkably energetic.
Unlike the others who were bustling around, he stood quietly at the end of the line, neither in a hurry nor impatient.
When it was almost his turn, Lin Mo handed him the food, which was more than the others.
Before he could leave, Lin Mo pulled him aside and asked, "Senior, would you mind telling me your identity?"
"This junior has no recollection of a barefoot doctor like you, with the cultivation of Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, living in the village..."
Without hesitation, the old man replied frankly, "My surname is Qian, and my given name is Shan. I am here on Miss's orders."
"Miss?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.
Lin Mo was silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "Your young lady is Qian Renxue?"
The old man neither denied nor admitted it, but smiled slightly, "It's good that Young Master Lin already has the answer in his heart."