The carriage rumbled steadily until it finally reached Holy Spirit Village.
As soon as they disembarked, Tang San led Qi Lin and Xiao Wu toward his old home.
Along the way, they passed several villagers who were still hard at work in the fields—this was, after all, a busy time for farmwork.
Seeing Tang San return, especially with two unfamiliar children in tow, many of them wore surprised expressions.
Tang Hao had disappeared over a year ago. Most had assumed that Tang San wouldn't return either.
Yet despite their initial surprise, the villagers still greeted him warmly, though many wore hesitant, unreadable expressions, as though unsure whether they should speak their minds.
Tang San didn't notice the strangeness. He smiled politely and nodded in return.
In his childhood, his father Tang Hao had spent nearly every copper coin on alcohol, often leaving them without food for days. If not for the occasional help from kind-hearted villagers—largely out of respect for Old Jack—Tang San might have suffered even more serious malnutrition.
After all, cultivating the mysterious Tang Sect arts and the profound Xuan Tian Skill consumed enormous physical energy, especially for a child.
Without proper nutrition, how could he possibly endure the training?
At the entrance to the village, Tang San pointed toward a dilapidated wooden sign in the distance and said with a faint smile, "That's my home."
But as his eyes fell on the house, a glimmer of doubt flashed across them.
The yard surrounding the house was completely overrun with weeds. It looked as though no one had set foot there for a long time.
Xiao Wu followed his gaze. Upon seeing the worn-down structure, her expression didn't change much, but she couldn't help commenting aloud, "Little San, isn't your father a blacksmith? How is your family so... poor?"
On the Douluo Continent, top-tier weapons usually came from tool spirit masters. Still, in remote villages like this, blacksmiths remained essential, creating cooking utensils, farming tools, and more.
Take Smith Lin from Radish Village, for example—he wasn't rich, but his family was never in want, and their house was one of the best in the village.
Tang San's mouth twitched awkwardly at Xiao Wu's words.
What was he supposed to say? That his father drank away all the money he earned from forging?
Qi Lin wasn't surprised at all. He simply patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and said cheerfully, "Alright, let's go in first."
Tang San pushed open the door, and immediately, a cloud of dust billowed out.
Cough! Cough!
"Ugh! What the heck?"
Xiao Wu started coughing, waving her hand in front of her face as she backed away—pulling Qi Lin out with her.
Tang San frowned.
The interior was a complete mess. Empty wine bottles were scattered everywhere, and the thick layer of dust told him clearly that no one had lived here for at least half a year.
No wonder the place was so overgrown.
But… where had his father gone?
Just then, a familiar, kindly voice called from nearby.
"Little San, is that you?"
The speaker was a short, elderly man with snow-white hair and a gentle smile. He leaned on a cane as he approached.
It was none other than the village chief of Holy Spirit Village—Old Jack.
"Grandpa Jack!"
"Do you know where my father went?"
Tang San's eyes lit up with hope as he quickly stepped forward.
Old Jack shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Little San. I don't know where Tang Hao went. He disappeared the day you left for Nuoding Academy."
"I didn't write to you about it because I didn't want to affect your studies."
Tang San's face went pale.
In both his past and present lives, it had taken so much for him to finally have a father, only for that man to vanish without a trace.
Gone for over a year… Was he already dead?
Damn it!
In an instant, Tang San's eyes turned red. His breathing grew ragged, and an icy killing intent radiated from his body, chilling the air around him.
Xiao Wu and Qi Lin were both stunned.
It was their first time seeing Tang San show such terrifying emotion.
Tang San stared straight at Old Jack and asked in a low, intense voice, "Grandpa Jack, please tell me—who in the village has ever had a grudge against my father?"
He wanted revenge.
If his father's fate was unknown, then he would interrogate every single person who had ever crossed him.
Someone had to know something.
Old Jack looked at the boy he had watched grow up and, for a moment, barely recognized him. Still, he could understand the concern Tang San felt.
He sighed and tried to soothe him. "Little San, I understand your worry."
"But you're still too young. This isn't something you can deal with yet."
"Tang Hao may not have been the best father, but he was still a member of Holy Spirit Village. I'll do my best to find news of him."
"No matter whether he's alive or dead, I promise I'll let you know the moment I hear anything."
Tang San took a deep breath.
"Alright, Grandpa Jack. I'll listen to you."
He smiled faintly, his expression returning to normal.
But in his heart, he scoffed at Old Jack's words.
If Jack had really been searching for a year with no results, then Tang San would take matters into his own hands.
The Tang Sect had countless methods for interrogation.
Old Jack, oblivious to the true thoughts hidden behind Tang San's calm eyes, smiled warmly.
"That's good!"
Then he turned to look at Qi Lin and Xiao Wu. "You two must be Little San's friends, right?"
"I'm glad to see he's made friends at the academy."
In the past, Tang San had always been quiet and withdrawn. He rarely interacted with other children.
Qi Lin smiled in return. There were rumors in his previous life about Old Jack—some said he was a hidden god-king, others a retired Titled Douluo. They painted him as a figure cloaked in mystery.
But in Qi Lin's eyes, Old Jack was simply a kindly old man, like Radish Village's Mayor Kelo.
A man truly worthy of respect.
"Hello, Grandpa. I'm Qi Lin, and this is Xiao Wu. We're classmates of Tang San."
Qi Lin spoke politely.
Xiao Wu chirped in sweetly, "Hello, Grandpa!"
"Haha! Hello, hello!"
Old Jack beamed.
He particularly liked Xiao Wu's lively personality—elders always favored cheerful children.
"Alright, children!"
"Little San's home has been abandoned for too long. Why don't you all come stay at my place?"
"There's plenty of room."
Old Jack's warm invitation made Xiao Wu's eyes light up. She exchanged a glance with Qi Lin, then turned to Tang San.
Ultimately, they were here because of Tang San. It was his decision.
Tang San looked at the house that had sat empty for a year. Sensing their gazes, he gave a calm nod.
Old Jack was delighted.
It seemed Little San really had grown.
At the same time, a cold glint flashed through Tang San's eyes. He had already started piecing together who might have held a grudge against his father.
With his keen intellect, it didn't take long to pinpoint one suspect:
Duke—the man who ran the village tavern.
His father had bought alcohol there often, sometimes on credit. Duke had come to collect debts more than once, and Tang Hao had beaten him up on at least a few occasions.
That gave him both motive and opportunity.
So tonight, Tang San planned to quietly sneak into Duke's home and drag him out for questioning.
If he turned out to be the culprit…
Tang San would never forgive him.