"Old Jack, this is none of your business."
Tang Hao frowned, not wanting to argue with these crude, ignorant villagers. Every word felt l like a waste of time, but since he was in Holy Soul Village, he had to give some face.
Moreover, Tang San was present.
But at that moment, Tang San didn't try to defend Tang Hao as he had before in front of the villagers.
Family ties?
Tang San didn't feel them with Tang Hao, but he had found them with Zhou Qing.
A goal?
To rebuild the Tang Sect on the Douluo Continent, surpass the Tang Sect, study soul guide inscriptions and soul guide core arrays, and create stronger Tang Sect hidden weapons.
And to become a Soul Master.
At this point, Tang San acknowledged that while his father might have his reasons for his actions, if it hindered him, there was no need to defend him. Everything was now done to make his father face the truth and strive harder.
No matter what his father's identity had been before coming to Holy Soul Village—whether a noble or a Soul Master—right now, he was just a down-and-out man in the village. If he didn't want to be ridiculed, he needed to stand up again and live with dignity. As long as he was alive, there was still a chance to turn things around—why should he wallow in self-pity?
"What do you mean, 'it's none of our business'?" Old Jack retorted. "Little San is your son, no doubt, but he's grown up here in Holy Soul Village. As the village head, I have the right to take care of everyone in this village."
Tang Hao's face darkened, speechless.
He had no response. While it was technically true, he was still a Title Douluo, and being scolded by a man who wasn't even a Soul Master was humiliating. But what could he say?
"If Little San grows up and takes care of you in your old age, that's only natural. But he's only four years old, five if you count his 'virtual' age. Luckily, he has innate strength and is already capable of making money on his own. And yet, you, as his father, not only don't support him, but also want to take his future bride-money?"
"Don't think I don't know you just want to buy wine!"
At this point, Old Jack grew more agitated, coughing twice, paying no attention to Tang Hao's increasingly dark face, and continued to scold, "I don't know what you went through before coming to Holy Soul Village, but I have to say—if you keep going like this, you'll ruin yourself!"
"Exactly," an old farmer chimed in. "The son doesn't work and still relies on his father—that's one thing. Fine, let's say it's a debt from a past life. But I've never heard of a father taking money from his son, especially from a child's savings."
With one person speaking up, others soon followed.
"Tang Hao, go find some work."
"Zhou Qing's land is empty. You could rent it and split the harvest fifty-fifty. Not a bad deal."
"You used to make a living by fixing our farming and kitchen tools... Don't you think you should consider Little San's future?"
Tang Hao clenched his fists, the bones cracking.
At this moment!
He really wanted to punch these villagers of Holy Soul Village, who didn't know anything, yet had the audacity to speak so arrogantly in front of him.
"Hmph!"
In the end, Tang Hao kept his dignity, snorted coldly, and walked away.
"Little San," Old Jack said earnestly, "If your father comes back and asks for money, just tell us. You can't keep indulging him."
"Mm."
Tang San nodded, thanked Old Jack and the others, and watched them leave before turning back toward his home. He then lit the forge and began remelting the scrap metal that the villagers had sent him.
Previously, Holy Soul Village didn't have a blacksmith. When their farming or kitchen tools broke, they had to ask someone from the city, who sold them grain, to buy new ones. For the villagers, it was more economical to buy new tools than to pay the city blacksmith to repair the old ones.
As a result, many families had accumulated old, irreparable iron tools in their warehouses and cellars.
When the villagers asked Tang San to help repair them, they could pay in either copper soul coins or with these old, broken tools that couldn't be repaired. Tang San would then remelt these tools and refine them into raw materials for making low-quality hidden weapons in the future, or use them for practicing soul guide inscriptions and core arrays.
Time passed like this, and Tang San's daily life became increasingly fulfilling. He practiced the Xuantian Gong, forged tools, cared for the Lingyun Turtle, created hidden weapons, inscribed soul guide inscriptions, and—
Tended to Zhou Qing's health.
Since he began circulating his inner energy through Zhou Qing's body using the Xuantian Gong, Tang San had taken on this additional task. Every day at noon, he would make his inner energy circulate through Zhou Qing's body.
Zhou Qing called it: enhancing Tang San's control over soul power.
In reality, Tang San knew very well that Zhou Qing just wanted him to massage him.
But Tang San didn't refuse. After all, this would indeed help him improve his control over soul power. Moreover, over time, his inner energy could also heal the hidden injuries in Zhou Qing's body.
Hidden injuries?
Zhou Qing had often pushed his body too far, exercising in strange and unusual ways. Although children recovered quickly, there were still lingering issues in his muscles and bones.
With Tang San's help, these injuries would definitely heal.
"Ah~ So relaxing! Harder! A little harder~"
Hearing Zhou Qing's moans, Tang San's face involuntarily darkened. He muttered, "I've taught you the method for cultivating the Xuantian Gong, told you all the acupoints and meridian locations, explained how to adjust your breathing, and even circulate my inner energy through your body every day... You should've learned by now, right?"
The implication was clear: he wasn't sure he wanted to continue.
It was mostly because Zhou Qing's sounds of pleasure were simply too distracting. If someone passed by outside and heard, they'd probably give them strange looks.
Tang San realized that, on the Douluo Continent, kids matured earlier. Even the six or seven-year-olds in the village knew a bit about relationships between men and women.
"I remember, but in a little over a year, I'll be awakening my martial soul. Maybe then, my martial soul will grant me innate soul power."
Zhou Qing was feeling quite smug.
With over three million gold soul coins, he had more than enough for the time being, and his original dreams were temporarily sidelined.
But when he thought about this being a world of martial souls and soul power, Zhou Qing took some time to regain his enthusiasm. After all, he had spent so much time buying books and learning, and had developed a habit of it.
[After all, power is what I need...]
"Ah! Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
Tang San deliberately increased the pressure, breaking Zhou Qing's train of thought, causing him to cry out in pain. Immediately, Zhou Qing said, "I'll really practice hard from now on, I swear! I won't lie to you!"
"That's good," Tang San finally nodded in satisfaction, returning to the previous, comfortable pressure as he massaged Zhou Qing, circulating his inner energy through his joints, and helping him feel the path of soul power in the meridians so that he could better control the Xuantian Gong's circulation.
Zhou Qing, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself...