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After a long while, Tang Yuehua's crying finally subsided. She glanced at the young Tang San beside her and turned to Tang Hao, asking, "Big Brother, is this your child with her?"
Tang Hao silently nodded.
"Little San greets Aunt!"
Seeing that his aunt had finally noticed him, Tang San quickly greeted her.
"Little San?"
Tang Yuehua was momentarily stunned. What kind of terrible name had her older brother given this child?
(Translator Note: 'Little San/Three' or 'Xiao San' in Chinese means a third party in a relationship, the 'side chick' essentially. If someone has multiple side chicks, it'll be 'Little Four', 'Little Five' etc.)
But it didn't matter—so long as this boy was her nephew, that was enough!
Uh… was this really her eldest nephew?
Though her older brother now looked unkempt, in his younger days, he had been handsome and dignified, and Tang San's mother had been a stunning beauty. How could their son look so ordinary?
If Tang Hao hadn't been present, Tang Yuehua would have found it hard to believe that this plain-looking child was her own flesh and blood.
"Little San, you've suffered so much!"
Gently patting Tang San's head, Tang Yuehua's eyes welled up with tears again.
Just by looking at Tang Hao's current state, she could imagine how hard life must have been for her nephew over the years.
"Aunt, I haven't suffered!"
At this, Tang San's eyes reddened as he recalled the many times they had gone hungry after barely scraping together a meal.
Fortunately, those difficult days were behind them now, and there was no need to dwell on past sorrows.
Tang Yuehua said nothing but silently vowed to treat her nephew well from now on.
Then, taking Tang San's small hand, Tang Yuehua led the two into the Moon Pavilion.
As they reached the staircase, about to ascend, Tang Yuehua turned to the maids and said, "Forget everything you just saw, understood?"
"Yes, Madam."
The maids replied in unison.
Let us set aside the reunion of siblings and aunt-nephew for now. Far away, at the edge of the Star Dou Forest, a poignant farewell was unfolding.
"You two stay hidden deep in the forest, alright? I'll miss you!"
At the forest's edge, a little girl with bunny ears and a scorpion-braid ponytail gave instructions to two enormous creatures before her.
One was a towering gorilla-like beast, standing over ten meters tall, resembling a small mountain.
The other was even larger—a massive snake with a bull's head, its waist as thick as a large water barrel, and its body stretching over a hundred meters long.
A tale of an unlikely bond between a bunny-eared loli and two colossal beasts?
No—this was Xiao Wu bidding farewell to her two younger brothers: the hundred-thousand-year-old Sky Azure Bull Python Da Ming and the hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape Er Ming.
"Xiao Wu, take good care of yourself."
Da Ming's deep voice echoed from his serpent mouth, filled with reluctance.
"Roar~"
Er Ming, whose brain seemed to be made entirely of muscle, let out a low growl, unable to speak.
"Don't worry! Xiao Wu will take care of herself. I'm leaving!"
With a determined expression on her youthful face, Xiao Wu waved goodbye and resolutely stepped out of the forest.
Her demeanor carried the solemnity of one embarking on a perilous journey: The cold wind blows over the Yi River; a hero departs and never returns.
A long while passed before Xiao Wu's figure completely vanished from sight. Then, Da Ming flicked his tail and nudged his younger brother: "Er Ming, let's go back."
"Roar~"
Er Ming growled softly once more and followed Da Ming back to the heart of the forest.
Although Da Ming and Er Ming were reluctant to part ways with Xiao Wu and worried endlessly for her safety, they both knew that ever since Xiao Wu decided to transform into human form, separation was inevitable.
After all, once a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast transforms, they must integrate into human society to continue their growth.
Originally, Xiao Wu's journey into the human world wouldn't have been so dangerous.
With Rou Yi (Mother Rabbit), who had already transformed and regained much of her strength, around, they could have settled in a remote place. As long as they avoided encountering Title Douluo-level humans, even if Xiao Wu's identity as a transformed spirit beast were discovered, Rou Yi could have protected her.
Unfortunately, not long ago, a powerful woman accompanied by two Title Douluo entered the forest. She discovered Rou Yi and Xiao Wu, who had just transformed, as they were preparing to enter the human world.
Coincidentally, neither Da Ming nor Er Ming were present at the time. Rou Yi fought to the death to protect Xiao Wu, buying her a chance to escape.
When Da Ming and Er Ming sensed Xiao Wu's presence and rushed to the battlefield, all they found was Rou Yi's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood.
After burying their mother's body by the Life Lake in the center of the forest, Xiao Wu mourned for three days before making the resolute decision to venture into the perilous human world despite the dangers.
Xiao Wu's determination couldn't be stopped, nor could it be hindered. Moreover, as spirit beasts, Da Ming and Er Ming couldn't accompany her into the human world—it would surely become a grand feast for soul masters across the continent.
The two brothers understood that while Xiao Wu's initial reason for entering the human world was purely for growth, her purpose now also included revenge.
"Oh, great Beast God, please protect Xiao Wu!"
Raising his massive bull's head and gazing at the bright moon in the sky, Da Ming silently prayed.
As for who the Beast God was? That wasn't important.
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More than a month passed, and it was soon time for Nuoding Academy to begin its new semester.
Near noon, dressed neatly and carrying his bedding, Chu Chengzhou walked toward Nuoding Academy with anticipation.
The spatial jade stone he had swindled from Yu Xiaogang last year wasn't very useful—it couldn't even fit a single bedroll inside.
"I wonder if my plan succeeded. Hopefully, Tang Hao and Tang San have already left town."
On his way to the academy, Chu Chengzhou thought to himself.
At this moment, he had no idea that he had already earned Tang Hao and Tang San's heartfelt gratitude.
Tang Hao was grateful to Chu Chengzhou for sending the letter, which had helped him avoid disaster from the Spirit Hall.
Similarly, Tang San was thankful to the person who delivered the letter to his father—if not for that, he would still be worrying about whether there'd be rice for tomorrow's meal.
Unfortunately, Chu Chengzhou was unaware of Tang Hao and Tang San's gratitude, just as Tang Hao and Tang San had no idea that the sender was a seven-year-old boy they had never met or interacted with.
"Boss Chu!"
"Boss Chu!"
"Boss Chu!"
As Chu Chengzhou entered Dormitory Seven, the work-study students who had already arrived greeted him warmly.
Ever since "I have a principal-grandpa" Chu Chengzhou joined Dormitory Seven, incidents of bullying against work-study students at the academy had decreased significantly, though not completely eradicated.
As a result, Chu Chengzhou naturally earned the respect of the work-study students.
It was only because the work-study students came from poor families and couldn't afford much that Chu Chengzhou wasn't flooded with protection money.
Bullied? Call Boss Chu!
Whenever Chu Chengzhou invoked his grandfather's name as a mediator to resolve conflicts, the opposing side immediately backed down.
Of course, there were always stubborn troublemakers everywhere—like Xiao Chenyu, who boasted, "I have a city lord father."
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