"Didn't you say you could open the Heaven and Earth Sleeve using the ' Fire Lotus Mark '? Perfect, I can give it a try."
"Grandpa, this is too expensive!" Lu Ming was slightly taken aback and quickly declined.
"Aren't all the most valuable things in this house meant for you? I'll keep them at the Thunderfire Hall and won't need them for now, but you might need them while you're traveling," Lu Jin said with a smile.
"Furthermore, I've placed 300,000 Heavenly Gold Sand inside this Heaven and Earth Sleeve. If you encounter the Spirit Fire you desire in the city, you can try to obtain it."
Recently, the Golden Gang Sword Hall's resources were confiscated, instantly making the Thunderfire Hall's foundation abundant and rich, which is why Lu Jin was able to gather so much Heavenly Gold Sand.
Looking into the old man's gentle and earnest gaze, Lu Ming ultimately said nothing more. He took the " Heaven and Earth Sleeve " and curiously stuck it inside his sleeve; to the naked eye, nothing was visible.
Lu Ming then activated the " Fire Lotus Yuan Qi " within his body, channeling it into his " Heaven and Earth Sleeve ".
The next moment, he flicked his sleeve, and a flash of light appeared.
A box appeared before them, filled with dazzling Heavenly Gold Sand.
Lu Ming waved his sleeve and put it back into the " Heaven and Earth Sleeve ". He tried several times and succeeded each time. He was overjoyed and smiled from ear to ear. To be able to activate the " Heaven and Earth Sleeve " at the level of Great Divine Ability Practitioner was a skill that was probably unique in the world.
Thank you, Grandpa.
Lu Ming played with it for a long time with great enjoyment before finally putting it away with satisfaction and thanking Lu Jin.
"Well, tell your parents about this tonight. If I remember correctly, your grandfather's birthday is coming up soon. You can hear their plans," Lu Jin said after thinking for a moment.
Is it Grandpa's birthday?
Lu Ming was taken aback. When it came to a sense of belonging, he would definitely lean towards the Lu Clan. After all, he grew up here and lived with his grandfather and the others, so they naturally had a deep bond. As for his maternal grandfather, to be honest, the bond was very weak. He hadn't even seen his maternal grandfather for many years and had almost forgotten what he looked like.
However, he didn't have any ill feelings towards his somewhat unfamiliar maternal grandfather. In the years since his birth, the grandfather would send gifts every year. In fact, the old man missed his grandson quite a bit, but he was too embarrassed to ask. In addition, he was the head of a Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall, a prominent figure in the entire Fengyang City. Over the decades, he had become accustomed to being strong and domineering, so it was naturally difficult for him to take the initiative to bow down to his daughter.
However, despite her seemingly gentle demeanor, Zhong Ying is actually quite stubborn. Perhaps she feels wronged that her father ignored her when she got married, which is why she has never visited Fengyang Prefecture in recent years.
The two of them were so stubborn that Lu Ming felt quite awkward.
As for the grudges between the elders, Lu Ming really couldn't comment. He could only say that there were differences in closeness, so he definitely had to stand on his mother's side.
"Good."
Lu Ming nodded in agreement.
That evening, when the family was having dinner at home, Lu Ming brought up the matter.
"You're going to Fengyang Prefecture?" Upon hearing Lu Ming's words, Lu Qingyan and Zhong Ying immediately looked up, staring at him in surprise.
Lu Ming nodded, looking at Zhong Ying whose expression shifted under the lamplight, and said, "Mother, I heard that Grandpa's birthday is coming up soon. I remember that you usually just send someone to deliver a gift. If you're sending one this year too, then I can go and deliver it."
Zhong Ying remained silent, eating with her head down.
Lu Qingyan remained silent. Lu Mengmeng, who was diligently eating, sensed that something was amiss, so she secretly squatted under the table with her bowl in her arms.
After a long silence, Zhong Ying suddenly said, "Let's go together, our whole family should go."
Lu Qingyan and Lu Ming were both surprised, looking at Zhong Ying. They clearly did not expect her to go to Fengyang Prefecture in person. They knew that she had not set foot in Fengyang Prefecture for nearly twenty years because of her inner conflict.
Looking into their eyes, Zhong Ying said with a complicated expression, "When you all went to the Black Rain Zone this time, I also figured out some things."
"If something really happened to you all, I would have nowhere to go. But for Mengmeng's sake, I can't give up. So you know what? I made up my mind back then that if you didn't come back, I would take Mengmeng to the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall. No matter if people laughed at me for having the face to go back, I would face it calmly. I could even kneel down in front of my father and apologize to him. As long as they can protect Mengmeng, I can give up all my stubbornness and dignity."
Hearing Zhong Ying's whisper, Lu Ming felt a lump in his throat.
"Waaah, Mom." Lu Mengmeng, who was under the table, didn't even want her bowl anymore. She crawled over and snuggled into Zhong Ying's arms, sniffling.
Zhong Ying smiled indulgently as she wiped the grease from her face, then scolded, "Stop crawling around like that, you're not a puppy."
Lu Ming smiled and said earnestly, "Mother, you don't need to belittle yourself. You're not the same person you used to be. Back then, our family was down on its luck, and no one could bring you honor. But things are different now. You have me. Who am I?"
" Lu Clan's Divine Ability Child, having only been in the Bone Opening stage for half a year, has already cultivated eleven Divine Ability Dharma Mark. I have also Major Accomplishment mastery of the Thunderfire Hall 'Upper Divine Ability, and I also possess the Dao of Alchemy. Among the veteran Great Divine Ability Practitioner who have died at my hands, there is now Han Feng, who has cultivated twenty-six Divine Ability Dharma Mark runes."
"If I were to casually reveal even a little of my talent, as long as not everyone in the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall is an idiot, they should understand the significance of it."
"In their so-called Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall, if anyone dares to call themselves a prodigy in front of me, I'll make them understand what it truly means to feel ashamed of their own inferiority."
Lu Ming, with his current Divine Ability Dharma Mark below twenty runes, could, even against a prodigy like Zhou Fuling with a powerful background, confidently contend with her in a true duel. However, with Divine Ability Dharma Mark above twenty runes...
Then go and talk to his Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus.
"So Mother, you can go to the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall with peace of mind. With your son here, no one will dare to laugh at you," Lu Ming said confidently.
Looking at the boy's earnest and confident face, Zhong Ying couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears. She realized that, without her noticing, the little boy she had raised had become someone who could support her and stand up for her.
"Alright, then let's go together while you're going to Fengyang Prefecture, Qingyan, what do you say?" Zhong Ying nodded and asked Lu Qingyan.
Lu Qingyan smiled gently and said, "Alright, wherever you want to go, I'll go with you."
He had felt guilty all these years, after all, Zhong Ying had left the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall without hesitation for him, and had been gone for nearly twenty years. He knew that Zhong Ying cared about her reputation and did not want to go back.
Thunderfire Hall faced difficult circumstances in those years, struggling to even establish itself, so it was impossible for them to become Zhong Ying's backer.
His own talent was only average, and due to the lack of cultivation resources, he had been stuck at the level of Great Divine Ability Practitioner for many years. He did not have the ability to make Zhong Ying proud in front of the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall, so Zhong Ying had never mentioned going back all these years.
Fortunately, although Lu Qingyan's talent was only average, his son was a true Divine Ability Child!
The people from the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall may laugh at Lu Qingyan for being ordinary, but when they see Lu Ming, hopefully their mockery will continue.