Na'er? That's a really pretty name. Your voice is pretty, too.
Tang Wulin said warmly, helping her up from the ground.
Na'er lowered her head and fell silent again.
"Where are your mom and dad? Where do you live?"
Tang Wulin asked curiously.
Na'er shook her head.
Then, suddenly—
Grrrr!
An awkward rumble sounded, completely ruining the mood.
Tang Wulin quickly looked down at his stomach, only to realize it wasn't his. Na'er's small face, though still covered in dust, had turned slightly red from embarrassment.
"You're hungry, huh? If you don't have a home or parents, you can come back with me! My mom's cooking is amazing!"
Tang Wulin beamed as he gently grabbed Na'er's hand and headed toward his home.
Meanwhile, Nan Fusheng, who had been quietly watching from the side, stood frozen in place—his face blank, like an old man staring into the void. Meme: Grandpa on the subway looking disappointed.jpg.
Bro, come on.
Sure, maybe we'll be enemies someday due to opposing fates or whatever… but seriously? You're gonna ditch me like this for a girl you just met?
Didn't you say those exact words to me earlier? What happened to your loyalty?!
"Mom, I'm home!"
Before they even reached the front door, Tang Wulin was already shouting. Behind him were Nan Fusheng—finally remembered—and Na'er, whose face was still smudged with dirt.
"You little rascal, keep your voice down! Don't wake the neighbors!"
Tang Wulin's mother, Lang Yue, answered from inside with a teasing tone as she opened the door.
Lang Yue wasn't a stunning beauty, but she had a refined, mature charm about her.
"So, how was school today? And why are you all covered in dirt?"
She frowned when she saw her dusty son, then noticed the girl he was holding hands with, and Nan Fusheng standing quietly nearby.
"Mom, I ran into some bad people today…"
Tang Wulin launched into a dramatic retelling of the entire event.
Naturally, Lang Yue dragged him inside for a stern lecture. But after some pouting and sweet talk from her son, she, of course, forgave him.
Then Lang Yue squatted down to speak to Na'er and Nan Fusheng, who had been quiet the whole time.
"So your names are Na'er and Nan Fusheng, right? Where are your parents?"
Just like before, Na'er only shook her head without saying anything.
Nan Fusheng, however, replied politely.
"Hello, Auntie. I live in the house right next door. My mom's at home... and my dad…"
He trailed off and didn't finish the sentence.
The atmosphere turned heavy.
Lang Yue realized she had touched a sensitive topic and quickly changed the subject.
"Look at the three of you—filthy! Let's get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes."
At five or six years old, kids didn't yet worry about gender differences. Lang Yue pulled the three little mud monkeys into the bathroom and gave them all a good wash.
When Tang Wulin curiously asked why Na'er's body looked different from his and Nan Fusheng's, Lang Yue just smiled and said nothing. Meanwhile, Na'er blushed deeply and tried to hide behind her.
"Wow, Na'er, you're so pretty!"
Innocent as ever, Tang Wulin rested his chin in his hands at the dinner table and blurted it out while staring at Na'er, now clean and dressed in his oversized clothes.
The clothes were loose on her, but they didn't hide her beauty.
Her skin was even fairer than Tang Wulin's—soft and dewy like porcelain. Having just bathed, she carried a faint fresh scent. She looked like a living doll, exquisitely carved from jade.
It wasn't dinner yet, so Lang Yue brought out three plates of cookies and three glasses of milk to feed the hungry little ones.
Though Na'er was quiet, she had no hesitation when it came to food. She devoured her cookies and milk with astonishing speed, finishing everything in front of her in moments.
Nan Fusheng, seeing this, calmly pushed his plate toward her.
"You can have mine. I ate a lot at lunch—I'm not hungry now."
Na'er hesitated, but the cookies were too tempting. After a moment, she gave in and started eating again.
Nan Fusheng quietly sipped his milk while watching Lang Yue gently ask Na'er about her background. In the end, the only thing she learned was that Na'er was five and a half years old—nothing else.
"In a bit, I'll take Na'er to the local administrative office. We'll see if we can find her family.
Wulin, you and Fusheng stay home and play for now."
Lang Yue took Na'er by the hand and left. Na'er didn't say anything, simply following behind her.
"Auntie, it's getting late. I should head home now—otherwise, my mom might worry."
Nan Fusheng spoke up softly.
"Alright, but you're welcome to come over anytime."
Knowing his house was just next door, Lang Yue wasn't concerned. She turned back and gave Nan Fusheng a gentle pat on the head.
Nan Fusheng's home wasn't large. A small living room around ten square meters, a modest kitchen and bathroom, and two bedrooms, each no bigger than ten square meters. That was the entirety of his world.
He went straight to one of the rooms—the one that had originally belonged to his parents.
Opening the door, he saw a figure lying on the bed. The subtle rise and fall of her chest confirmed she was alive—his mother, Lan Yuxi.
Seeing that she was safe and sound, Nan Fusheng let out a quiet breath of relief. Then he raised his right hand.
A semi-transparent insect slowly appeared in his palm—his martial soul.
He gently placed the martial soul on Lan Yuxi's body, and the insect began to fade and dissolve into her. Moments later, it completely vanished.
Nan Fusheng closed his eyes, sensing the changes within his body. Suddenly, a surge of vitality and energy appeared inside him—blood essence—and slowly began integrating into his body.
"Just as I thought."
Nan Fusheng opened his eyes and left the room, leaving Lan Yuxi alone in bed.
Sitting in the living room, Nan Fusheng pondered his next moves.
For now, sticking with the protagonist group is smart. It makes it easier to track the plot and stay close to the main events—that's one of my biggest advantages right now.
As for his relationship with Na'er, he didn't think too much about it. It was obvious that her attitude toward him was completely different from how she treated Tang Wulin.
No—more precisely, her attitude toward Tang Wulin was unlike how she treated anyone else.
That was understandable. After all, he didn't have the Golden Dragon King bloodline or a divine core. But… maybe that would change in the future.
That was part of why he chose to be friends with Tang Wulin.
It's easier to guard against open attacks than hidden ones.
He also discovered something new about his martial soul—it could slowly absorb the blood essence of others.
Though the effect was subtle, it was happening. Of course, this ability had some strict limitations:
He had to be near the target,
He had to place his martial soul directly onto them,
And the absorption rate was quite slow.
Those were the downsides.
Also, this ability's effect on living people—especially actual soul masters—was still unknown.
After all, Lan Yuxi was already his "marionette." Whether it would work on normal soul masters… was yet to be tested.
Finally, there was one big concern:
This ability… makes me look exactly like an Evil Soul Master.
And truthfully—in a certain sense,
I kind of am one.