Xiao Wu Is Taken In

After obtaining the Meteor Hammer, Hu Jiu could not wait to test its power. He found Tang San and Xiao Wu, intending to spar with them.

Unfortunately, the moment they saw the spikes on his Meteor Hammer, both of them waved their hands in refusal. Neither would agree to spar with him.

Just looking at the spikes on the Meteor Hammer sent chills down their spines. Though they trusted Hu Jiu not to hurt them, with such concerns weighing on them, they were not confident they could win even if they fought.

Neither Tang San nor Xiao Wu had any interest in a battle they could not win.

"Xiao Jiu, I helped you forge your weapon. Now it's your turn to help me. I need to make some weapons too," Tang San said with a grin.

With Hu Jiu around as free labor, he could at least produce some simple, practical Hidden Weapons over the remaining half month.

Willow Leaf Sabers, Money Darts, Bone Piercing Nails, Sand Shot, Back-mounted Flower Crossbows, Godly Zhuge Crossbows... all sorts of Hidden Weapons flashed through his mind. Exploiting Hu Jiu was his specialty.

"Sure, no problem!" Hu Jiu readily agreed. Tang San had made the Meteor Hammer in his hands, after all. Helping out a little was nothing.

Besides, he wanted to see just how many Hidden Weapons Tang San could make. Whether they were useful did not matter; he mainly wanted to witness the famous Hidden Weapons of the Tang Sect.

For the next while, Hu Jiu entered full laborer mode. He had never expected Tang San to be this kind of person.

Tang San made him temper all kinds of iron ore every day without allowing him a moment's rest.

Hu Jiu even wondered whether the Hidden Weapons made from all that ore would fill Tang San's Twenty-Four Bright Moon Bridge.

Tang San was not human!

After making him work like a laborer for so many days, he did not even have time to spend with Xiao Wu.

Speaking of Xiao Wu, Hu Jiu revealed a strange smile.

His mother, Emma, had been incredibly capable. For some unknown reason, while he and Tang San spent their days working diligently in the Blacksmith Shop, Emma kept Xiao Wu company every day. And before they knew it, she had taken Xiao Wu in as her goddaughter.

Hu Jiu had been quite shocked when he first learned the news.

Xiao Wu had suddenly gone from being raised by him to becoming his god-sister. It caught him completely off guard!

On the spot, he asked a question that made Emma laugh at him for a long time.

"Mother, if Xiao Wu is my god-sister now, can we still get married in the future?"

The words slipped out before he could stop them. Even though Hu Jiu considered himself fairly thick-skinned, his little face still turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Hehehehe..."

Emma's laughter nearly made Hu Jiu crawl beneath the table.

But Hu Jiu soon received an explanation.

"I knew you little brat was up to no good. Don't worry, I'm helping you."

"Think about it. You may be studying at the same academy now, but who can say what will happen in the future? What if you go your separate ways in a few years? Then you'll have plenty to cry about."

"So you took Xiao Wu in as your goddaughter ahead of time, so that with this relationship, we'll stay in touch no matter where she goes in the future, right?" Hu Jiu looked at Emma with a helpless smile.

Sigh, this was what it meant for mother and son to be of one mind. Hu Jiu had not thought as far ahead as Emma, but he had planned to keep sticking to Xiao Wu anyway. As long as he was around, Xiao Wu would not be able to run away even if she wanted to.

After all, he had not been called her caretaker for nothing.

"Of course. From now on, just wait peacefully. Xiao Wu will be yours sooner or later." Emma looked smug, proud of her own methods.

"Fine, Mother, you're amazing!" Hu Jiu gave her a thumbs-up. He felt that he must have inherited his scheming nature from Emma. Otherwise, how could someone as pure and kind as him have such filthy thoughts?

Emma's family taking such an adorable little girl as their goddaughter was a tremendous joyous occasion in the village.

It was no less lively than when Hu Jiu had awakened his martial soul.

In Holy Soul Village, which had over three hundred households, excluding those who were away, they set more than a hundred banquet tables.

Watching Xiao Wu sweetly and shyly call him Brother, Hu Jiu's heart was filled with sweetness.

What's so special about Brother? Just wait until you call me your lover.

"Xiao Wu!" Hu Jiu called.

"What is it, Xiao Jiu?" Xiao Wu's way of addressing him had not changed. Aside from calling him Brother on the day she was taken in, he had never heard it again.

"Could you let your hair down so I can take a look?" Hu Jiu remembered how, when Xiao Wu grew up, his heart had nearly melted the moment she let her hair down. He had never seen what she looked like with her hair loose before.

Now that he was her god-brother, it was not too much to ask to see Xiao Wu with her hair down, was it?

"Y-you, what are you trying to do?" Xiao Wu tilted her head at Hu Jiu, her face full of confusion.

Could it be that her Scorpion Braid was no longer pretty?

"Ahaha, I just want to see!" What excuse could Hu Jiu give? Could he say that in his previous life, he had been captivated by Xiao Wu with her hair down?

"Hmm, I'll have to think about that." Xiao Wu tapped her lips with a finger and spoke playfully.

"Oh, you're hungry, huh? Here, have a carrot." The instant Hu Jiu saw Xiao Wu's gesture, he understood.

He had discovered that Xiao Wu had a little habit: whenever she wanted to eat a carrot, she would tap her lips with a finger. It was incredibly cute.

"Hehe, that's more like it."

"If you want to see, then go ahead and look. Untie it yourself! It's such a hassle to do this braid every time."

Xiao Wu gnawed on a carrot, tilted her head, and exposed the Scorpion Braid behind her, signaling for Hu Jiu to do it himself.

Hu Jiu did not stand on ceremony. After fussing with it for a long while, he finally worked up a full sweat before turning Xiao Wu into a girl with her hair down.

"Beautiful!"

Looking at Xiao Wu's gentle, refined aura, Hu Jiu immediately felt that all his hard work had been worthwhile.

"Does it look good?" Xiao Wu asked softly.

"It does!"

Vacation days always passed quickly. A month went by in the blink of an eye.

Before their departure, both Xiao Wu and Emma were reluctant to part. Faced with such an adorable little girl as Xiao Wu, Emma truly treated her as her own daughter.

"Xiao Jiu, protect Xiao Wu after you get to the academy. If you treat her badly, just see how I deal with you when you come back," Emma said sternly as she stood before Hu Jiu.

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll take good care of Xiao Wu."

If he remembered correctly, he was a Support Soul Master, wasn't he? Xiao Wu was a combat-type soul master. How was he supposed to protect her?

Hu Jiu did not dare say it, nor did he dare ask.

After bidding Emma farewell, Hu Jiu and Xiao Wu found Tang San. The three of them headed together to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

This year, they were already second-year students. Tang San's Soul Power was Level 22, Hu Jiu was Level 22, and Xiao Wu was Level 21.

That was right. During this one-month vacation, Tang San and Hu Jiu had each advanced by one level.

Tang San had already been close to Level 22 after obtaining his Second Soul Ring, while Hu Jiu was the one who had truly advanced a full level.

The AFK Panel allowed him to increase his Soul Power nonstop for twenty-four hours a day. His First Soul Ring, "Absorption," also helped increase the AFK speed. Together with his mighty Level Seven Soul Power Meditation Method, it was impossible for him to advance slowly.