A luxurious carriage pulled by two powerful soul beasts moved steadily along the road.
Inside the carriage.
“Wen’er, from now on, this will be your home.” Ning Fengzhi spoke gently.
Beside him, Sword Douluo also smiled kindly.
Ning Wen nodded blankly, as if he were still dreaming.
A month ago, he had awakened the memories of his previous life, only to discover that his current life had begun with an absolutely disastrous hand.
His father had died when he was young, and his mother had passed away not long ago.
He had been barely scraping by doing odd jobs, often going hungry and rarely eating his fill, with all his hopes pinned on the free martial soul awakening ceremony that Spirit Hall would hold a few days later.
He had never imagined that today he would be told that his father had actually been a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the wealthiest sect in the world!
[Heh.
Sounds better than it really is.] Just then, a cold voice suddenly exploded inside Ning Wen’s mind without warning.
It carried an indifferent tone, along with the lofty arrogance of someone looking down upon the mortal world from above.
Ning Wen’s expression instantly froze.
The God King Voice Pack.
This was the cheat ability he had received after transmigrating into this world.
As long as he kept the voice pack activated, he could potentially receive various rewards at any time.
Unfortunately, the damn thing had been silent for half a month without saying a single word.
So far, the only reward he had received was a can of Coke.
And the voice itself was ridiculously chuunibyou.
Even Takanashi Rikka would have to admit defeat.
The very first thing it had said was: [I, the God King of Space-Time, have returned.
Tremble, mortals!] That had nearly given Ning Wen a stroke.
What kind of God-King voice was this?
It was obviously a ridiculously embarrassing voice pack designed purely for showing off!
Fortunately, after conducting various experiments, Ning Wen had confirmed that nobody else could hear it.
Otherwise, he would have died from embarrassment on the spot.
It was simply too embarrassing!
Even though he could only hear it inside his own mind, he was still so mortified that he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.
But for some reason…
Ever since he had reunited with his family and begun interacting with Ning Fengzhi and the others, the voice pack had started speaking one line after another.
[This will be my home from now on?
Heh.
How utterly hypocritical.] [You claim that my damned father once saved your lives, but in reality, I’m nothing more than some stray dog you picked up off the roadside.] [The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is so enormous that it certainly doesn’t lack someone like me to sit around and eat for free.
But the moment any real interests are involved, you’ll cast me aside without hesitation!] [Family affection among mortals?
How laughable.
How laughable!] The corner of Ning Wen’s mouth twitched.
No, seriously, bro?
How much are you capable of imagining?
What could he say about Ning Fengzhi?
Although Ning Fengzhi held a lofty position, he wasn’t arrogant at all.
He treated others warmly and was always eager to recruit talented people.
For the sake of the sect, he was willing to employ extreme methods, even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter’s happiness.
But the problem was that the two of them had only just met.
How could there possibly be any talk of abandoning him?
[Ding!
Congratulations, host.
You have received an additional reward: Constitution +3.] “The reward finally came!” Ning Wen’s eyes lit up.
He could clearly feel that his physical constitution had improved slightly.
His body had originally been thin and weak from years of going hungry, yet he could now faintly see a bit of muscle.
As long as the system actually gave rewards, that was enough.
The voice of this voice pack might be painfully embarrassing, but as long as it could provide rewards, who cared?
Besides, nobody else could hear it.
Just as he was thinking this…
That voice sounded once again.
[In my previous life, after I awakened a god-level martial soul, you even forced me to become engaged to your spoiled, self-centered daughter!] [That was the one thing I regretted most in my entire life!] [Do you really think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?] “…” Ning Wen was speechless.
This voice pack was getting more and more ridiculous.
It had even dragged a “previous life” into the story.
It really knew how to add drama to itself!
How come he had no memory of anything like that happening in his “previous life”?
And what did Ning Rongrong have to do with it?
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong was indeed spoiled and willful, with a tendency to put herself first.
She was also prone to throwing tantrums whenever things didn’t go her way and definitely had princess syndrome.
But she was beautiful!
And she was an extremely wealthy heiress!
Other than having a bit of a young lady’s temper, she seemed pretty good in every other respect.
If he could live off a woman like that, then no matter how he looked at it, he would be the one benefiting.
Fortunately, nobody could hear this voice.
Otherwise, how could he ever hold his head up in front of Ning Fengzhi?
Ning Fengzhi had kindly taken in an orphan who might not even have a tomorrow, yet this kid was secretly badmouthing him behind his back.
[Ding!
Congratulations, host.
You have received an additional reward: Intelligence +1.] At that moment, Ning Wen felt as though his mind had suddenly become much clearer.
That only made his embarrassment even worse, and his face couldn’t help but heat up slightly.
However, Ning Wen failed to notice that…
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were both looking at him with complicated expressions.
Just moments ago, the two of them had been shocked to discover that they seemed to be able to hear this little brat’s inner thoughts.
At first, Ning Fengzhi had been completely bewildered, thinking that someone was playing a trick on them.
But then Chen Xin had secretly shaken his head, indicating that no one had tampered with anything.
Ning Fengzhi trusted Sword Douluo Chen Xin completely.
After all, Chen Xin was a rank 96 Super Douluo.
There were absolutely no more than five people in the entire world capable of deceiving Sword Douluo Chen Xin and tampering with things right under his nose.
And experts of that level had no reason to bother with something like this.
For now, they could only take things one step at a time.
But the more they listened, the more bewildered they became.
God King?
Twin martial souls?
A previous life?
And he was supposed to become engaged to Rongrong?
What kind of ridiculous imagination was this?
What left Ning Fengzhi even more helpless was the enormous misunderstanding and hostility Ning Wen seemed to harbor toward him and the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In Ning Wen’s mind, Ning Fengzhi was apparently some hypocritical villain who said one thing and meant another.
The truth was that Ning Fengzhi had happened to find Ning Wen and bring him back purely because he remembered the life-saving favor Ning Wen’s father had once done for him.
He intended to bring the boy into the sect and nurture him properly.
He had never even considered marrying him to Rongrong, much less using or sacrificing him.
After all, Ning Wen was a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
There was a very high chance that the martial soul he awakened would also be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Even if it wasn’t the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, it would most likely be another auxiliary-type martial soul.
And the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had an unwritten rule: its core disciples had to marry powerful battle soul masters.
Ning Wen’s father had violated this rule by eloping with his lover, who was also an auxiliary-type soul master.
That was ultimately what led to both of their deaths.
Ning Fengzhi’s heart filled with guilt.
If he had been more decisive back then, perhaps his clan brother wouldn’t have died, and his nephew wouldn’t have grown up with such an overwhelming lack of security.
And now he was imagining himself as some kind of god-king?
This was complete nonsense!
That’s right.
Ning Fengzhi didn’t believe for a second that Ning Wen was the reincarnation of a God King.
No deity had appeared on this continent for tens of thousands of years.
The most recent known deity had been the Angel God, the ancestor of Spirit Hall, who had existed twenty thousand years ago.
It seemed that from now on, he would have to make it up to this little brat twice over, helping him let go of his prejudices and truly accept the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as his home.
Half an hour later, the luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
“Sect Master, Elder, you’re finally back!” An old man had been anxiously waiting at the entrance.
The moment he saw Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, he hurriedly called out, “The young miss is throwing a tantrum in her room.
She hasn’t eaten anything for an entire day and night!” “What?
She hasn’t eaten all day?!” Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin’s expressions both changed.
The two instinctively forgot about Ning Wen, whom they had just brought back to the sect, and immediately prepared to go comfort their sulking little princess, Ning Rongrong.
Just then, that cold voice exploded once again.
[Hmph!
Just as expected.
Over something this trivial, you’re going to leave me here all alone again.] [Do you know how embarrassing it was for me back then?] [Because of this incident, not a single person in the sect took me seriously!] It was as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over Ning Fengzhi’s head.
He immediately regained his composure.
There was no doubt that Ning Wen was a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But people in this world had always been inclined to curry favor with the powerful.
Ning Wen’s father had died young, so whether Ning Wen could establish himself within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect depended entirely on the attitude of its sect master.
If he left Ning Wen here all alone today, there was a very real possibility that things would turn out exactly as the boy feared.
Meanwhile, Ning Wen himself didn’t take the voice pack’s words seriously at all.
He was merely marveling at how Ning Rongrong truly deserved her reputation as the little witch.
She had actually gone on hunger strike.
He just wondered whether she had secretly sneaked something to eat.
“Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, you two go ahead.” Ning Wen spoke considerately.
He had never thought that he was particularly important to Ning Fengzhi, so he still had to build up some goodwill whenever he had the chance.
Seeing how sensible and considerate Ning Wen was, Ning Fengzhi couldn’t help thinking of his own willful and mischievous daughter.
He secretly shook his head.
There was no comparison without contrast.
Ning Fengzhi knew exactly why Ning Rongrong was throwing a tantrum.
Wasn’t it simply because he and Uncle Sword hadn’t stayed with her to celebrate her birthday?
But in the next second…
That cold voice sounded once again.
[Go ahead!
Once I awaken my martial soul and gain the strength to protect myself, I’ll immediately leave this sect!] [From now on, you walk your single-plank bridge, and I’ll walk my broad road!] Ning Wen: “???” No, seriously, bro!
Where did you get the confidence to think awakening a martial soul would give you the strength to protect yourself?
Even if you awaken with innate full soul power, what are you going to do about your first soul ring?
Are you planning to make these tiny arms and legs of yours hunt soul beasts?
Not everyone is Tang San, that cheating bastard, with hidden weapons to protect himself!
And you’re planning to leave the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Leaving was impossible.
He wasn’t leaving in this lifetime.
He had finally returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, going from a penniless orphan to a top-tier second-generation heir.
He hadn’t even gotten the chance to experience the extravagant life of nobility yet!
And this guy wanted him to pack his bags and run away?
Was he sick, or was Ning Wen sick?
The pleased smiles that had just appeared on Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin’s faces suddenly froze.
This kid was way too good at acting!
In front of others, he was obedient, sensible, perceptive, and considerate.
Yet deep down, he was already planning to leave sooner or later.
That expression.
That acting.
It was practically flawless.
“Silly child, what are you talking about?” Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart.
He spoke gently.
“Today is your first day back in the sect.
How could we possibly leave you here alone?” The moment he said this, the old man beside them nearly wondered if he had misheard.
He knew all too well how much the sect master normally doted on the young miss.
He was always afraid that she might fall if he held her in his hands and afraid that she might melt if he held her in his mouth.
That was precisely why the Young Miss had developed her fearless personality.
But today?
Even knowing that the young miss was throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat, the sect master had actually chosen to stay behind and accompany this country boy who had just been brought into the sect.
The old man secretly glanced at Ning Wen.
Could this little fellow be the sect master’s illegitimate son?
Several outer disciples standing guard quietly put away the contempt they had initially held toward Ning Wen.
They even began considering whether they should curry favor with him.
Perhaps this was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s future young sect master.
After all, Ning Rongrong was a woman, which gave an illegitimate son an opportunity to rise to power.
Of course, the prerequisite was that this illegitimate son had to possess sufficiently outstanding talent.
“Uncle Ning, I—” Ning Wen hadn’t noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere around him.
Instead, he simply felt warm inside.
“Rongrong has been going too far lately.
Letting her go hungry for a while might do her some good!” Before he could finish speaking, Ning Fengzhi waved his hand decisively.
Chen Xin opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but Ning Fengzhi stopped him with a glance.
End of Chapter