On the Far North Ice Plains, Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er finished the final round of their Fourth Trial and rested by an ice cliff. At the same time, thousands of miles away on the official road, Jiang Lin led his four sons northward. The two places were thousands of miles apart, and each was moving forward on their respective paths.
Jiang Lin took out the Yu Feng Token, infused it with his Soul Power, and the grass patterns lit up. A dozen breaths later, Dean Feng's voice came out, tinged with surprise. "You've been out training for so long, and it's rare for you to contact me. What's wrong?"
"No problems." Jiang Lin paused. "There's something I'd like to ask the Dean. On my journey south, I encountered four children. They all possess Body Martial Soul — Scale Transformation, brain-type, Vein Vine -type, and leg-enhanced—four different types. The Spirit Hall either couldn't detect them or determined they were Trash Martial Soul, and their families couldn't support them. I took them in as disciples, intending to bring them back to my fiefdom and raise them in a stable manner."
There was a moment of silence. "Four of them, all Body Martial Soul."
"Yes. I would like to ask the academy to send a few people over ahead of time to clear the land. Level a training field, build a few houses, and make some basic training equipment. They are young, so the equipment needs to be suitable for their size."
"You have the land deed?"
"It's been kept there."
"That makes things easier," Dean Feng agreed readily. "The land is yours; I'll send people over to help you clean it up, so it's perfectly legitimate. I'll arrange the people in the next couple of days."
"Thank you, Dean."
The azure light on the token went out. Bai Lingyu slowed her pace, waiting for him to catch up, then turned her head and asked, "Did the Dean agree?"
"I agree." Bai Lingyu nodded, glanced back at the four children, and didn't ask any further questions.
For the next seven or eight days, the group headed north. The four gradually got used to the pace of the journey, but what was even more noticeable than the pace was that they started talking more.
"Master, what's that home like?" A Shan asked every now and then as he walked beside Jiang Lin.
"It's not finished yet; we'll only know when it's built."
Will there be a yard?
"Have."
"Is the yard big enough? Big enough to run around in?"
"Enough."
Xiao Man came up from behind and tugged at Jiang Lin's sleeve. "Master, will there be a tree? It doesn't need to be too big, just one will do."
What kind of tree do you want?
Xiao Man tilted her head and thought for a long time, but couldn't figure it out.
Yi Chen walked beside them without saying a word. But every time A Shan and Xiao Man asked a question, her steps would unconsciously quicken by half a beat. Lin Du walked at the back, never speaking, but Jiang Lin once turned around and saw that this child, who usually had the steadyest steps, was quietly closing the distance between himself and the group.
On the seventh day, the Yu Feng Token lit up again. Dean Feng's voice came. "The place is ready. The training ground is on the east side, with five rooms, and the equipment is made for a child of about ten years old."
Jiang Lin responded.
On the evening of the eighth day, a gentle slope appeared ahead. The weeds had been cleared away, and a low stone wall surrounded the area. Inside the wall, on the east side, was a sturdy training ground with wooden stakes, weighted stones, climbing frames, and balance beams arranged neatly. On the west side were five new houses with gray tiles and white walls, and wisps of smoke rose slowly from their chimneys.
Bai Lingyu stopped and squinted for a while. Jiang Lin stood at the bottom of the slope, not immediately going up.
A Shan peeked out from behind him, glanced at the houses, opened his mouth but didn't say anything. Yi Chen stood beside him, his gaze sweeping from the training ground to the houses, then from the houses to the stone walls, as if confirming that these things were real. Xiao Man had already run out, reached the stone wall, touched the surface, and shouted back, "Master! It's made of Shitou!"
Lin Du didn't run. He stood there for a long time, then silently lifted his bundle up and stepped forward.
Jiang Lin then lifted his foot. He walked slowly, step by step, up the slope, through the gap in the stone wall, and to the center of the training ground. The yellow earth under his feet was compacted and felt slightly heavy under his feet.
The four children followed one after another. A Shan walked to the wooden stake and patted it. Yi Chen stood at the edge of the training field. Xiao Man ran around the house and then came back. Lin Du squatted at the innermost part of the field and pressed his palm against the ground.
Jiang Lin looked around and said, "Starting tomorrow, you'll practice basic skills in the morning, and I'll teach you how to use your Martial Soul in the afternoon." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly. "The training ground is here, and the building is here. This will be your place from now on."
He paused, then said another sentence.
"It's your family too."
After he finished speaking, the four of them fell silent for a moment.
Xiao Man stood at the doorway, looking down at his toes, his shoulders slightly hunched. Then he slowly raised his head, staring at the door before him—gray tiles, white walls, the grain of new wood still visible on the doorframe. He suddenly ran over, pushed open the door, and leaned inside. After several breaths, he withdrew, his voice a little muffled. "Master, it's empty inside."
"I'm going to town to buy furniture tomorrow."
Xiao Man nodded vigorously, her eyes a little red, but she didn't cry.
A Shan turned around from the wooden stake, looked at the house, then at Jiang Lin, grinned, and didn't say anything, but the smile was bigger than usual.
Yi Chen walked to the edge of the training field, put down the pack on his back, and neatly placed it next to a weighted stone, as if placing himself there as well. He squatted down, touched the surface of the Shitou, and whispered something, but no one heard him.
Lin Du walked back from the innermost part and paused briefly as he passed Jiang Lin.
"Thanks."
He spoke in a low voice, then pushed open the door and went inside.
Bai Lingyu leaned against the gap in the stone wall, watching this scene without making a sound. The evening breeze blew up from the slope, carrying the coolness of the twilight. He turned his head to look at Jiang Lin, who was standing in the center of the field— Jiang Lin was looking down at the booklet in his hand, the pen tip hovering, not falling for a long time.
Bai Lingyu smiled and didn't go over to disturb them.
As dusk settled, lights came on one by one in the windows of the five rooms.
Jiang Lin knew that after this night, some things were not over yet.
The unexpected turn of events occurred on the evening of the fifth day of their return journey. As the group passed through a mountain hollow, Lin Du suddenly stopped, staring at the woods to his side. Yi Chen immediately spoke up, "Something is watching us."
Bai Lingyu turned and sheathed her bow, looking at Jiang Lin. Jiang Lin activated his Spirit Eyes, piercing through the shadows in the forest, and saw a small, thin figure behind a tree.
A boy, about seven or eight years old, huddled behind a thick tree. One arm was wrapped in a gray-black bandage, the texture of flesh beneath the bandage not being flesh. His other hand pressed tightly against that arm, and a dark red light flickered between his fingers.
That light was exactly the same as when Yi Chen's Martial Soul Awakening.
Jiang Lin spoke up, "Stop hiding, come out."
The boy shuddered and turned to run, but stumbled and fell as soon as he moved his leg. His bandaged arm hung limply, and the dark red light flashed and then went out. He curled up on the ground, panting heavily. A Shan was the first to rush over, followed closely by Yi Chen, Xiao Man hesitated for a moment before following. Lin Du didn't run, but when he took a step, he covered a much greater distance than usual.
Jiang Lin crouched down and pressed against the burning hot arm. Something was throbbing violently beneath the bandages. Bai Lingyu crouched down on the other side, her voice low. " The Martial Soul is out of control. No one guided it after awakening; it's been suppressed for too long."
Jiang Lin took out a Meridian-Warming Pill, crushed it, and used his Soul Power to envelop the medicinal properties, pushing it along the meridians. "Steady your breathing, don't be afraid."
The boy opened his cloudy eyes, his pupils reflecting a dark red light. He looked at Jiang Lin, his lips moved but he didn't say anything, but the hand gripping the bandage slowly loosened a little.
Bai Lingyu stood up and stepped back to the four men. "Take two steps back, all of you."
In the twilight, Jiang Lin squatted down in front of the emaciated boy, pressing down on his out-of-control arm with one hand and slowly channeling his Soul Power into the other. Bai Lingyu's gaze swept across the surrounding mountains and forests, making sure there was no other movement before returning to Jiang Lin. He didn't speak, his hand resting on his waist.
Where did this child come from? Why was he lying alone in the desolate mountains? What is the Body Martial Soul on his arm? Nobody knows.
On the evening of the eighth day, the group had one more person than when they set out. The boy was carried on A Shan's back, his bandages were re-wrapped, and the dark red light was temporarily suppressed, but it would throb slightly every now and then. He remained silent, his eyes half-open and half-closed.
Jiang Lin closed the booklet and turned to look at the boy leaning against the wooden stake. The boy was staring at his bandaged arm, motionless.
There are still four children. But this child's situation is different from the four children. The four children's Martial Soul Awakening is chaotic and its essence is still. But this child's Martial Soul is alive and is rushing outward, which cannot be suppressed or coaxed.
He hasn't decided how to settle things yet.