The Fisherman's

Mu Tian'en had brought the books he wanted over to the tables and chairs set out in the library.

His little frame was hardly bigger than the books.

He climbed onto a chair and opened the books he had selected.

"Soul Power Cultivation Method: Rainbow Trout," "Soul Power Cultivation Method: Flying Fish"...

The little fellow took a small dictionary out of his schoolbag, one Yan Bohan had prepared especially for him.

Following the method Yan Bohan had taught him, the little fellow compared the characters in the books one by one and looked up those he did not recognize.

It was slow~

Even so, the sound of pages turning, one after another, brought a smile to the old man's lips, though Mu Tian'en's arrival had interrupted his thoughts.

He lowered his head again.

Without a sound, he withdrew his Martial Soul.

Once more, the old man immersed himself in his own world, continuing his attempt to communicate with the pioneers in his books.

The two of them, one big and one small, had no intention of disturbing each other.

Until~

When the sun had risen high in the sky, Mu Tian'en's stomach growled.

The old man glanced at Mu Tian'en.

Mu Tian'en held his stomach and gave the old man an embarrassed smile, then rummaged once more through his schoolbag, which was practically a bag of treasures.

A moment later~

The old man saw a distinctive dark green water cup in Mu Tian'en's hand, along with a small, tightly sealed jar.

Pop~

Mu Tian'en strained with his hand.

After removing the lid from the little jar, he reached in and took out the special beef jerky Old Suolong had prepared for him, taken from Old Xiu Nuo's share.

Mu Tian'en opened his mouth and put in the tough jerky, which carried a faint savory, spicy aroma.

But the jerky was a little too big.

Mu Tian'en couldn't fit the whole piece in his mouth.

He could only hold the long strip of jerky between his teeth and start chewing.

With one end of the jerky bobbing up and down, Mu Tian'en slowly worked it into his mouth, unwilling to waste even a crumb.

Finally, Mu Tian'en brought his oily fingers to his lips too, sucking on them for a while before wiping them with the strip of cloth he carried.

Then he closed his eyes~

Mu Tian'en's Soul Power, which came from his Martial Soul, the Black Hole Whale, and plundered nearly everything, sped up his digestion.

In just a moment~

What Mu Tian'en had eaten had been thoroughly transformed into nourishment for him.

He no longer felt weak all over as he had before.

A flush of heat rose from Mu Tian'en's face, leaving it slightly red all over.

Like a well-fed kitten, Mu Tian'en stretched out his body, then curled up and went back to reading.

It was only then that Mu Tian'en noticed that the old man, who had just been sitting at least ten chairs away, had come to his side.

"Old Suolong's beef jerky?" The library's caretaker, who was also Mu Tian'en's teacher, finally took a proper look at the little boy who had come here. "Little Tian'en?"

"Grandpa Ma~"

Mu Tian'en looked around, and only after confirming that no one else was nearby did he raise a little hand to greet the old man he called Grandpa Ma.

The old man's formerly cold expression melted in an instant. "Good boy, I thought you were still out running wild. What brought you over to this old man's place today? It doesn't seem to be time for our appointment yet."

Mu Tian'en nodded. "Grandpa Ma, it isn't time yet, but I can come here and wait until it is."

"I can't let you wait for me, Grandpa Ma."

Mu Tian'en's habit of punctuality, learned from Old Beita's words and example, was also steeped in the old man's wisdom about life.

For a fisherman, being punctual like this was, in a sense, both a blessing and a rule.

Only by delivering their catch on time could they gain more customers and make a better living.

And why was it a blessing?

Every time they went out to sea, the size of their catch was unknown, and with Sea Soul Beasts and pirates around, even the survival of these ignorant folk was in question.

If they could arrive on time every time, didn't that mean they had returned home safely and on time from every trip to sea?

Wasn't that what a blessing was~

Mu Tian'en didn't know all the twists and turns, spoken and unspoken, behind Old Beita's lessons. He simply thought that a promise was a promise, and he ought to do his best to keep it.

Even so, the old caretaker of the library whom he called Grandpa Ma looked at Mu Tian'en more gently because of it.

Although Mu Tian'en had been taken into Spirit Hall's main hall for some time now, at heart he was still the little fisherman raised by an old fisherman.

And that old fisherman named Beita had taught Tian'en well.

Old Master Ma reached out and stroked Little Tian'en's head, then pulled out a chair and sat down beside Mu Tian'en.

Looking at Mu Tian'en's face, Old Master Ma somehow thought he looked a little thinner than he had a few days ago.

But Old Master Ma didn't pay it much mind.

Old Suolong had already given him his jerky, and an old man like him, who merely looked after the library, couldn't possibly offer better food to nourish the body of a child like Mu Tian'en, who had yet to contract a Soul Ring.

But Old Ma looked at the beef jerky held out in front of him, and the corners of his mouth lifted. His long beard quivered as he cheerfully accepted the jerky from Mu Tian'en's hand, then looked at him with great solemnity.

"I noticed a fluctuation of Soul Power just now, but you don't have a Soul Ring yet, Little Tian'en. Have you grasped the basics of the Basic Soul Power Cultivation Method?"

"Yes, Grandpa Ma. Circulating my Soul Power is much better now than before, when I couldn't mobilize it."

At this, Mu Tian'en's eyes lit up.

He grew excited all over.

"Grandpa Ma, I haven't confirmed your theory yet, but I can guarantee that the Soul Power has helped me a great deal after circulating through my whole body."

As he spoke, Mu Tian'en said nothing at all about the ordeal he had suffered while circulating his Soul Power this way.

Of course, Mu Tian'en was at a loss for words.

He didn't know how to describe the feeling of being replenished and the feeling of emptiness brought on by the Soul Power that devoured, ground up, and then absorbed everything.

He simply raised his arm and showed Old Master Ma the little outline of muscle a six-year-old had.

But that display was enough to make Old Master Ma's expression change.

He leaned close to Mu Tian'en and examined the thin layer of muscle on his raised arm. He even reached out and pinched the skin over it, his expression growing somewhat serious.

"Little Tian'en, before you hunt your first Soul Ring, avoid training your body at the training ground as much as possible. Your foundation still isn't solid enough."

"You still need more food. Eat a little more."

As he said this, Old Master Ma's eyes shifted, and he let out an involuntary laugh.

But remembering that he was still in front of a youngster, Old Master Ma, who cared somewhat about his image, restrained his smile.

"If there isn't enough, I'll speak to Old Suolong and have him add a little more fat and oil to your meals. Grandpa Ma will pay for it."

Meanwhile, as he watched the bewildered Mu Tian'en start eating, the old man muttered under his breath, so quietly that only he could hear, about the envoy who should have arrived long ago to pick Mu Tian'en up and help him hunt his First Soul Ring along the way.

Why wasn't he here yet!