Back before Ghost Sees Sorrow, if it hadn't been for his sloppy calculations—blowing up both the Tang Sect elders and the cliff they were standing on with Buddha Fury Tang Lotus—he wouldn't be suffering the consequences today.
Nowadays, he was extremely cautious in everything he did.
If he were still acting like his old self, he wouldn't just be treating Tang Hao like a stranger—he would've laced the old geezer's food with some of the Tang Sect's most savage poisons without blinking.
But after years of survival, Xiao Yan had become more careful. And that's when he noticed something off about Tang Hao.
A man who spent his days drowning in booze, yet when he picked up that hundred-jin iron hammer, he wielded it like a feral tiger—fierce and fast.
Even a brawny adult would struggle with that kind of weight, yet in Tang Hao's hands, it was like waving a feather.
There was only one logical explanation: Tang Hao wasn't just some ordinary guy.
From the villagers' gossip, Xiao Yan learned the name of this world—Douluo Continent. There were no traditional martial arts here, but instead something called Martial Spirits, and everyone had one. A select few could cultivate theirs and become powerful Soul Masters.
Xiao Yan didn't know exactly how powerful Soul Masters could get, but one thing was for sure: Tang Hao was likely a strong one—definitely not your average drunk farmer.
If he actually poisoned him? The first corpse would be his own.
After roasting the rabbit meat, Xiao Yan got to his feet and sprinted down the mountain.
His internal energy had advanced, and under his control, the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was eerily fluid. His movement technique made him look ghost-like and elusive. Compared to him, even grown men were left eating dust.
Once he reached home, Xiao Yan placed the roasted rabbit on two plates and used a knife to cut one of them in half.
Then he returned to the stove and scooped out two steaming bowls of rice. With everything ready, he cheerfully called out:
"Dad, time to eat!"
Though he was already an adult before crossing over, his maturity and understanding of Tang Hao's possible strength meant that he could fake the obedient son role flawlessly.
Ever since he started cooking at two years old, Tang Hao had fully embraced his inner deadbeat and never touched a pot again.
After Xiao Yan laid out the food and had already wolfed down his own bowl of rice, the curtain to the inner room finally lifted.
A tall figure staggered out.
He was a middle-aged man who looked like he was in his fifties or sixties—massive and broad—but dressed like a disaster survivor. His robe was tattered, full of holes, and didn't even have patches, revealing bronze-toned skin beneath.
His face, once decent-looking, was pale and waxy. His eyes drooped with sleep, his hair was a bird's nest of chaos, and his beard looked like it had gone untouched for days? weeks? decades?
His lifeless, yellowed eyes still carried the overpowering stench of alcohol from last night. Xiao Yan was sure that if he stayed near him for too long, he'd get drunk by proximity.
If Tang Hao hadn't raised him since childhood and called himself his father, Xiao Yan would've assumed this guy was his grandfather—at least.
Tang Hao slumped into the chair at the table and started shoveling food into his mouth like he was fireproof.
Every time Xiao Yan noticed that detail—zero reaction to piping hot food—he became more convinced: Tang Hao had to be a powerful Soul Master.
When Tang Hao emptied his bowl, Xiao Yan quickly gobbled the rest of his own, took Tang Hao's bowl, and said with a bright smile:
"Dad, take it slow. There's plenty more. I'll go get you some."
If mind reading didn't exist in this world, no one would've ever guessed:
This seemingly sweet and obedient son, deep down, had only one thought—the first person he wanted to kill after getting strong… was the same man he just called "dad" with a smile.
After Tang Hao finished gnawing his own rabbit leg, he casually reached over and grabbed the last one from Xiao Yan's plate, chomping it down without hesitation.
That move alone showed just how little love or care he had for his own kid.
But Xiao Yan didn't let any dissatisfaction show. He smoothly dished up another bowl for Tang Hao, then casually picked at a small piece of meat himself, burying his head back into his meal.
Just a rabbit leg. No big deal. He'd go shoot another one from the hill later.
Right now, he wasn't strong enough—and he only had a shallow understanding of what Soul Masters were capable of.
If they could fly or teleport or some other crazy stuff, and all he had was a few martial arts techniques? He'd look like a performing monkey, not a warrior.
Soon enough, a whole pot of rice and two rabbits disappeared into their stomachs.
After the meal, Tang Hao burped and stuffed the last bit of rabbit meat into his mouth.
"If work comes in, take the job first. I'll do it in the afternoon. Gonna go nap now." he muttered through a mouthful of meat.
Tang Hao had a strict daily routine: sleep in the morning, forge farm tools in the afternoon for income, and get drunk at night.
"Okay, Dad." Xiao Yan nodded obediently.
With a full belly, Tang Hao stood up. His steps were steadier now, and he actually seemed more awake.
"Dad…" Xiao Yan suddenly called out.
Tang Hao froze and turned, clearly annoyed and a little pissed off.
Xiao Yan caught that flash of irritation in his eyes, and silently, his desire to kill the old dog deepened again.
But none of that showed on his face.
Xiao Yan pointed at a chunk of raw iron in the corner, faintly shimmering with a dark light:
"Can I use that piece of iron?"
His martial skills had hit a bottleneck. Without some miraculous opportunity, further improvement would take slow, grinding effort.
However, the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Record contained many ingenious hidden weapons—some of which required no internal energy at all, and others barely used any.
If he could forge a few of those, his combat power would skyrocket.
And if Tang Hao ever tried to kill him, at least he'd have something to defend himself with.
The metals used for farming tools were usually junky iron full of impurities—not great for precision weapons.
But this chunk of iron was different. Just delivered yesterday, and to Xiao Yan's surprise—it actually contained refined iron essence, perfect for hidden weapons.
Tang Hao's gaze followed Xiao Yan's finger.
"Huh~ That's got iron essence in it?"
He walked over, lowered his head to take a look, then turned toward Xiao Yan.
"You planning to become a blacksmith in the future?"
Xiao Yan gave a goofy grin, scratching his head sheepishly:
"Dad, you're getting old. In a few more years, let me take over the forge. I'll make the tools—you can just sleep easy every day."
Forever.
"A blacksmith, huh? That… doesn't sound too bad." Tang Hao looked dazed for a moment, murmuring to himself.
(End of Chapter)