36: Chapter 36 I'm Going to Take Away Your Custody Rights (Fourth Update)
The Awakening ceremony concluded, and the gathered villagers gradually dispersed.
Old Jack was still so excited that his face was flushed. He pulled Tang San with one hand and patted Lin Yue's shoulder with the other, smiling as he said, "Little Yue, girl, you go home first and prepare yourself properly. Spend these next few months stabilizing your Soul Power. When school starts, Grandpa will take you both to Nuoding City. I'll take Little San home first to talk to that unreliable father of his about school. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble that drunkard might cause."
Lin Yue weighed the que xie battle spear in her hand, nodded with a smile, and said, "I understand, Grandpa Jack. Please go ahead."
Watching Old Jack's back as he led Tang San toward the west end of the village, Lin Yue couldn't help but curl her lip, secretly grumbling to herself, "Tang San's father is truly heartless. The child is six years old, and he hasn't cared for him for a single day, just drinking every day. If it weren't for Grandpa Jack looking out for him, who knows how much hardship Tang San would have suffered. If he dares to stop Tang San from going to school this time, he really deserves a good scolding."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to vent this frustration, and it will affect my Dao Heart."
"I hate parents who are this irresponsible and torment their children the most."
Old Jack led Tang San toward the blacksmith shop. His mouth didn't stop the entire way; one moment he was muttering about preparing luggage for Tang San's schooling, and the next he was repeatedly admonishing him to listen well to his teachers once he arrived at Nuoding Academy, and to never waste this once-in-a-century Innate Full Spirit Power talent.
Tang San followed quietly by the old man's side, clutching the Spirit proof in his hand, his heart in a chaotic mess.
The truth of his background pressed down on his heart like a giant boulder, preventing him from feeling even a trace of joy at becoming a Spirit Master; only boundless confusion and panic were growing within him.
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the blacksmith shop.
The shop door was wide open, and a strong smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of rust rushed out to meet them. Tang Hao was sprawled on a chair next to the blacksmith furnace, holding an empty wine jar in his arms, dozing off with bleary, drunken eyes. His wooden prosthetic arm hung by his side, swaying slightly with his breathing. He looked completely decadent, like a pile of mud.
As soon as Old Jack saw him like this, the anger he had just suppressed flared up again. He struck the ground hard with his cane and shouted sternly, "Tang Dachui! Look at yourself! Every day you only know how to drink, drink, drink! Such a good child has been ruined by you!"
Tang Hao was startled awake. He lifted his cloudy eyelids, swept a glance at Old Jack and Tang San, and let out a muffled grunt. He then picked up the half-finished jar of wine at his feet and took a large gulp, completely disregarding Old Jack's words.
"You!"
Old Jack was so angry his beard stood on end. He took a deep breath, suppressed his temper, pulled Tang San forward, and said loudly, "Tang Dachui, I'm telling you something! Today, the deacon from Spirit Hall came to awaken the children's Spirits. Our Little San awakened a powerful, mutated Blue Silver Grass Spirit, and it is Innate Full Spirit Power! Level Ten! He is a once-in-a-century Genius!"
"Innate Full Spirit Power?"
Tang Hao's drinking action paused. His cloudy gaze fell on Tang San, a trace of extremely faint surprise flashing through it—too fast to catch—before he returned to his muddled, lethargic state. He scoffed, "Blue Silver Grass? No matter how much it mutates, isn't it still Blue Silver Grass? It's a trash Spirit. Even with Innate Full Spirit Power, what use could it possibly be?"
"You know absolutely nothing, you stubborn old fool!"
Old Jack exploded on the spot, pointing at Tang Hao's nose and scolding, "This isn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass! The deacon said it's a beneficial mutation, with golden veins. Have you forgotten? Six years ago, that 100,000-year Spirit Beast Blue Silver Emperor that caused such a stir across the continent—wasn't that the emperor of the Blue Silver Grass? Little San's Spirit must be that emperor of the Blue Silver Grass; otherwise, it couldn't be Innate Full Spirit Power! His future achievements will be limitless!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tang Hao's body stiffened violently. The hand gripping the wine jar tightened instantly, veins bulging on the back of his hand. In his cloudy eyes, monstrous hostility and pain surged instantly; he looked like a beast whose reverse scale had been touched, nearly erupting on the spot.
But looking at Old Jack's angry face, he forcefully suppressed this hostility.
He could not expose his identity, absolutely not!
He gritted his teeth tightly and forced out a muffled sentence: "Even if it is, so what? If he goes to study, what happens to this home? Who will cook and do laundry for me? Who will help out at the shop? Who will take care of me?"
Hearing this, Old Jack almost fainted from anger.
"Damn you, Tang Dachui, listen to yourself—is that even human talk?!"
Old Jack struck the ground hard with his cane, his voice trembling: "Tang San is only six years old! You are a grown man, with hands and feet—how can you rely on a six-year-old child to take care of you? I'm telling you, Tang Dachui, Little San is a great Genius with Innate Full Spirit Power. He absolutely cannot stay in this broken blacksmith shop and waste his whole life following a drunkard like you!"
He stepped forward, staring at Tang Hao, and said word by word, "The Elementary Spirit Master Academy in Nuoding City accepts work-study students, but for someone with Innate Full Spirit Power like Little San, tuition is waived. You don't need to pay a cent. When school starts in a few months, I must take Little San to enroll. Whether you agree or not, I am taking him away from you. Think about it carefully—don't ruin the child's life!"
After finishing, Old Jack lowered his head and patted Tang San's shoulder, saying softly, "Little San, don't worry. Grandpa Jack will definitely arrange everything for you. I will never let you stay here and suffer."
Looking at the old man's eyes filled with heartache and expectation, Tang San felt a warmth in his heart and nodded heavily: "Thank you, Grandpa Jack."
Old Jack glared fiercely at Tang Hao one last time, then leaned on his cane and stormed off in a huff.
The blacksmith shop instantly went quiet, leaving only Tang Hao's heavy breathing and the rustling of wind blowing through the leaves outside the window.
Tang Hao gulped down wine, one swallow after another, his gaze sweeping over Tang San from time to time. His eyes were frighteningly complex—filled with resentment, expectation, pain, and a trace of confusion even he himself hadn't noticed.
He had almost lost control of himself just now; Old Jack's mention of the "100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor" was like a knife, stabbing fiercely into the most painful place in his heart.
Tang San stood where he was, watching him. The guess in his heart became clearer and clearer, and the chill grew heavier and heavier.
He remained silent for a long time before finally looking up at Tang Hao and speaking softly: "Dad, the deacon said that my Blue Silver Grass is indeed different from ordinary ones."
"And... I also have a second Spirit..."
Tang Hao's drinking action stopped abruptly. He looked up at him, his tone tinged with impatience: "What second Spirit? Blue Silver Grass is already trash enough; what else could there be..."
His words had not yet finished when they came to an abrupt halt.
Tang San slowly extended his left hand. A pitch-black light shone from his palm, and a small yet incredibly heavy phantom of a hammer slowly emerged. The hammer's body was covered in ancient, simple patterns. As soon as it appeared, it carried an incomparably domineering pressure, causing the blacksmith furnace nearby to emit a faint humming sound.