It wasn't until the appearance of this super genius—Xiao Yan—that things began to change.
Having pieced together the likely truth of the situation, Xiao Yan's view of Tang Hao didn't really improve much.
Harboring the hatred of his wife's death and the fall of his sect, and yet, as a dignified Title Douluo, all he did was drink all day...
Drinking—can that kill the enemies from Spirit Hall?
And if not for his own transmigration and the internal skill Xuan Tian Gong that could heal injuries, a normal child in Tang Hao's hands wouldn't have lived past a year old.
Not being able to avenge a blood feud might be blamed on the enemy's strength.
But being unable to care for even a child—forcing a two-year-old to take care of a Title Douluo—that's just plain pathetic.
If that transformed soul beast, the Blue Silver Empress, knew about all this, she'd probably crawl out of the grave in fury.
Now that he knew about his relationship with Tang Hao, Xiao Yan naturally wouldn't go as far as to kill his own father.
But he also didn't consider a man like Tang Hao worthy of being called "father."
As the Analects says: "To be born but not raised, a finger can repay; to be born and raised, even a head cannot; to raise without birthing, a hundred lifetimes won't be enough to repay."
A two-year-old child took care of a man for about four years. Those four years of support—Xiao Yan figured—had already paid back the debt of life.
Staring at the paper in his hand, Xiao Yan thought to himself: From now on, there is no longer any connection between me, Xiao Yan, and you, Tang Hao.
Learning that the person he'd harbored hatred for since childhood was actually his biological father left Xiao Yan with mixed emotions.
After composing himself, Xiao Yan looked up and said, "Grandpa Jack, the house is a mess, so I won't trouble you to stay. I still have to tidy up."
Knowing how deep the father-son bond between Xiao Yan and Tang Hao once was, Old Jack sighed, "Alright. If you need anything, just come find me."
After Old Jack left, the only ones left in the forge were Xiao Yan and Xiao Wu.
The truth about his lineage didn't trouble Xiao Yan for long—he'd never had any emotional attachment to Tang Hao to begin with.
Now that Tang Hao was out of the picture, Xiao Yan actually felt quite relieved.
"Xiao Wu, help me tidy up the house first. I'll make you something tasty afterward."
"Tasty food? Then what are we waiting for? Hurry and bring out your cleaning tools!" As soon as she heard "food," Xiao Wu lit up with excitement.
After arranging the room and wiping away the dust, Xiao Yan opened the door to let in some fresh air and took Xiao Wu to the slope where he usually trained.
It also happened to be his current rabbit-breeding base.
Both of them were soul masters, so despite the rugged mountain path, reaching the top wasn't much of a challenge.
"There are so many rabbits here!" Seeing so many of her kind, Xiao Wu gleefully squatted down and scooped up a little white bunny munching on grass.
Xiao Yan chuckled. Thankfully, rabbits breed like crazy—otherwise, he wouldn't be able to meet Notting City's demand.
He raised his hand and fired off two Six Meridian Divine Swords, instantly taking down two grazing rabbits.
Xiao Yan picked up the rabbits and headed to the well, beginning to wash and skin them with practiced ease.
"You'll have delicious rabbit meat in just a bit."
Watching Xiao Yan's skilled movements, Xiao Wu stood dumbfounded.
What kind of person is this classmate of mine?
"Rabbits are so cute, how can you eat them!" she protested.
Xiao Yan paused, "Do you avoid certain foods? I can make you some vegetarian dishes instead."
A lot of people are averse to eating beef, dog, or cat meat—that's personal preference, and Xiao Yan had no strong opinions about it.
There were plenty of things to eat—avoiding a few kinds was perfectly reasonable.
Seeing the two adorable rabbits swiftly skinned and cleaned as they chatted, Xiao Wu was momentarily speechless.
Xiao Yan set up the rabbits over the fire and pulled out a few pre-cooked rabbit heads from his storage jade belt, tossing them into the pot with the fresh ones.
If you're eating rabbit but skipping the spicy rabbit heads—that's basically a crime against flavor.
Thanks to his long-standing cooking experience, and especially his year of running a food stall, Xiao Yan moved with speed and efficiency.
As the clay pot simmered slowly, Xiao Yan turned his attention to preparing food for Xiao Wu: a serving of stir-fried Blue Silver Empress, and a plate of cold Blue Silver Empress salad.
As the only soul master to awaken the Blue Silver Empress martial soul, food made from this plant was essentially a delicacy unique to Douluo Continent.
Smelling the spicy, aromatic fragrance in the air, Xiao Wu looked down at her two plates of vegetarian food.
They were quite tasty, different from the thousands of types of grass she'd eaten—but after ten thousand years, even the most delicious dishes can start to feel bland.
She couldn't help licking her lips while eyeing the savory delights Xiao Yan was enjoying.
"Want to try it?" Xiao Yan asked casually, glancing at her staring at him.
Xiao Wu quickly shook her head, "No, I'll stick with grass..."
Xiao Yan smiled. Clearly you want it but don't want to admit it.
He grabbed a rabbit head and shoved it into Xiao Wu's mouth.
"Just give it a try. It really is delicious—once you've tasted it, you'll be hooked."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened as her tongue touched the rabbit head. A flavor she'd never experienced before seemed to surge through her body instantly.
She trembled slightly—it was that good!
The rich, spicy, numbing taste pierced right into her soul. It was heavenly.
Taking a bite of the rabbit head's cheek meat, Xiao Wu let out a satisfied moan.
"Well? How's it taste?" Xiao Yan asked with a grin.
Xiao Wu nodded furiously like a pecking chick, "So good!!!"
Staring at the eight rabbit heads in the pot, Xiao Wu pulled it all in front of her, "You've probably had these a bunch already—just let me have them all!"
Eight rabbit heads? Can you even eat that much?
Xiao Yan tore off a rabbit leg, stuffed it into his mouth, and quietly waited for Xiao Wu to get full.
Unfortunately, reality far exceeded Xiao Yan's expectations.
Xiao Wu's mouth worked like a rabbit-head crusher—one after another, she demolished all eight rabbit heads.
And despite it being her first time, she knew exactly where the best parts of each rabbit head were, no guidance needed.
Even Xiao Yan, with over twenty years of rabbit-eating experience, felt a little outclassed.
After polishing off all eight heads, Xiao Wu fully embraced the indulgence and set her sights on the roast rabbit.
Lying on the grass, rubbing her now-round belly, Xiao Wu looked every bit the satisfied foodie.
A whole roast rabbit, eight spicy rabbit heads, and two plates of Blue Silver Empress—completely cleaned out.
"That hit the spot..." Xiao Wu said contentedly, rubbing her belly. "Xiao Yan, make more of those spicy rabbit heads this afternoon, okay? I haven't had enough yet."
She ate that much and still wanted more?!
Xiao Yan could only nod in admiration.
....