"Wow! So this is the mountain village where you grew up, Xiao San? The scenery is so beautiful!" Xiao Wu offered heartfelt praise as she gazed at the quaint, old-fashioned village before her.
At Tang San's invitation, Qi Ling and Xiao Wu had accompanied him to Holy Soul Village.
Old Jack, the village chief, looked especially delighted to see that Tang San had actually brought two classmates home.
"Oh! Isn't this Xiao San? My, I was just talking about going to the academy to fetch you, but you've come back on your own!" Old Jack said warmly. "These two must be your classmates? What fine-looking youngsters!"
Qi Ling and Xiao Wu greeted Old Jack, after which Tang San asked, "Village Chief, where's my dad? Is he still at home?"
At this, Old Jack's expression grew awkward. "I originally planned to go with your father to fetch you, but when I went over this morning, this was all I found in your house."
As he spoke, Old Jack handed Tang San a sheet of paper. The handwriting on it belonged to Tang San's father, Tang Hao.
The letter essentially told Tang San to take care of himself, while his father needed to go away to handle some personal matters. In other words, it was a farewell letter.
Looking at the paper in his hands, Tang San sank into endless dejection. He had thought he would finally see his father again after returning home, but who could have known that hope would come to nothing? At that moment, Tang San was filled with helplessness and loss.
"Hey! Xiao San, what are you spacing out for?" Qi Ling suddenly clapped Tang San on the shoulder, then put an arm around him. "We've come all this way to your village. Aren't you going to invite us over?"
Xiao Wu chimed in from beside them, "That's right, Xiao San! Hurry up and take us to your house! My stomach's already growling. You have to make me a whole heap of delicious food!"
Watching the two pull Tang San away, Old Jack smiled in relief. "What good children! With friends like these by Xiao San's side, I can rest easy!"
When the three arrived at Tang San's house and stepped inside, they were stunned by the mess!
Tang Hao had never been a man who paid attention to details, and he had only grown worse after Tang San left. Expecting him to clean the house carefully was undoubtedly a pipe dream.
"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us!" Qi Ling said helplessly. "Unless we want to sleep in a pile of dust tonight, we'd better get started."
The three fetched water, scrubbed, and cleared away the dust. After they finally managed to clean the house, Tang San showed off a little of his skill and made the three of them a delicious dinner.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, the three sat at the entrance to the smithy, watching the gradually setting sun. Suddenly, Tang San laughed.
"Xiao San, what's wrong? Did you eat something bad?" Xiao Wu asked with concern.
"No, I'm just very happy today," Tang San said slowly. "Today, I felt what it was like to have a home. I haven't felt that in a very long time."
"Thank you, Brother Qi, Xiao Wu. Today has been the happiest day of my life!" Tang San said, his face filled with longing. "If only you really were my family."
"Hey, silly boy, what's so hard about that?" Qi Ling said, leaning against the doorframe. "You've been calling me Brother Qi all this time. Why couldn't I be your big brother?"
"And me! I, Sister Xiao Wu, can be your big sister too!" Xiao Wu added.
"Of course I have no objection to Brother Qi being my big brother. Honestly, I can't even imagine him as a little brother," Tang San said with a smile.
What Tang San said was true enough. At the academy, no matter how old the students were, they all greeted Qi Ling as Brother Qi, and none of them found it awkward.
This was a bearing Qi Ling was born with, naturally giving others a sense of security and making them willing to treat him with greater respect.
"As for you, Xiao Wu, you can be my little sister," Tang San said. "Wouldn't you be even happier with two big brothers to protect you from now on?"
At this, however, Xiao Wu's expression suddenly grew forlorn. Lowering her head, she said, "Then... what if bad people want to kill me someday, and they're people you can't beat? What would you do?"
Tang San turned to glance at Qi Ling and found him looking back. The two exchanged knowing smiles.
"If that day really comes," Tang San said.
"Then they'll have to step over our corpses!" Qi Ling finished.
Looking at the two utterly serious men before her, Xiao Wu's eyes gradually reddened! It was not just Tang San-today was also the happiest day of Xiao Wu's life.
"Brother Qi, Brother San!" Xiao Wu suddenly called out. "This is wonderful! I have big brothers now!"
Hearing what Xiao Wu called them, Tang San grew excited, and even Qi Ling smiled.
"All right! Since the three of us have become sworn siblings today, how could we not celebrate?" As Qi Ling spoke, he suddenly took a jar of liquor from his infinite space.
"Xiao San, don't say I never gave you a chance! If you can outdrink me today, I'll let you be the eldest brother! How about it?" Qi Ling said with a grin.
Tang San smiled too. "All right! Then I'll risk my life to keep a gentleman company today!"
The two set out large bowls and filled them with baijiu. Beside them, Xiao Wu said with a smile, "Then I'll be the judge! Brother Qi, Brother San, you'd better be ready. Judge Xiao Wu is iron-faced and impartial!"
"Hahaha! Don't worry. Even if Xiao San resorts to tricks, he's still no match for me. I'm definitely going to be the eldest brother today!" Qi Ling said confidently.
And that was indeed the case. Though he was the Tang Sect's most outstanding genius, Tang San truly had a poor tolerance for alcohol. After three bowls, his eyes were already beginning to glaze over.
"Hahaha! Well, Xiao San? Do you concede?" Qi Ling asked after draining another bowl.
"I... I concede, big brother..." With those words, Tang San toppled headfirst to the ground, and no amount of calling could wake him.
"Hahaha! Brother San, you're no good at this!" Xiao Wu said, patting Tang San on the back. "Oh well, Brother Qi. I'll drink with you!"
"Sure! Come on, fill it up!" Qi Ling said with a laugh.
In the end, Qi Ling carried Xiao Wu and Tang San off the ground and back into the house, one after the other. Looking at the two sleeping soundly, he sighed. "Ah, being invincible really is lonely!"
The three then spent the entire vacation in Holy Soul Village, catching fish and birds every day, finally getting a taste of childhood life.
After they returned to the academy, five years passed in a flash, and before they knew it, it was time for the three to graduate.
Looking at the three outstanding youngsters, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang could not help saying proudly, "All right, you three. Get ready to leave for Shrek today."
"Grandmaster, do we really have to go to that Shrek Academy?" Xiao Wu asked in puzzlement.
"There are so many intermediate Soul Master Academies willing to admit us unconditionally! Is that Shrek really so good?"
"Hahaha! Don't worry, Xiao Wu-and you too, Xiao San, Qi Ling. Shrek Academy definitely won't disappoint you!" As Yu Xiaogang spoke, he seemed to think of someone.
"After all, it's that person's academy. How could it possibly be dull?"