Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 267: Tang San's Sunshine

Asura watched her departing figure, his heart filled with reluctance. He could only comfort himself silently, knowing she had waited for him for several hours, at least acknowledging their connection. But with her departure, he didn't know if it would be a month or two, or even a year or two before she returned.

Regardless of the time, he resolved to wait here for her.

That night, unusually, neither Asura nor Tang San engaged in cultivation.

He just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, silently reminiscing about her voice and smile from past and present lives. Sometimes, a sweet smile would appear on his face, and at times, he felt so heartbroken he could barely breathe.

That night, he was sleepless.

In the early morning, with dark circles under his eyes, Tang San climbed onto the rooftop.

"You're late today!" Du Bai glanced at him and said. Wu Bingji and the others had already begun practicing the Purple Demon Eyes.

"Mmm, I didn't sleep well last night," Tang San said.

"What's with you? You’re always confident and sunny, I’ve never seen you not smiling. Now you look as if your girlfriend broke up with you, hahaha. Eh, just kidding. You're just a kid. What breakup?" Du Bai laughed heartily to himself.

Tang San glanced at him, wanting to kick him off the roof. "You're the kid. Your whole family are kids! Anyway, when we’re done with this, give me a full dose of luck. I feel like my luck hasn't been great recently,"

"Sure!" Du Bai agreed without hesitation. To him, Tang San was his lucky charm; ever since Tang San had arrived, his Celestial Fox Vision had made leaps and bounds in progress.

The fifth-order Celestial Fox Vision now had actual practical use, and his status within the team had correspondingly been elevated. The teachers treated him as a precious treasure to be guarded. Before the ban, he had to be accompanied by at least one teacher to enter the city. All of this was thanks to Tang San. If it weren't for the fact that Tang San often wasn't around at night, he would have dearly wished to cultivate with him every day for even more effective progress.

After the cultivation session, with luck bestowed by Du Bai, Tang San left the Redemption Academy and headed back to Kali Academy to continue his sweeping.

Now, at the seventh order and having grasped the universal conditions of this world, studying at Redemption Academy held little meaning for him. The environment at Kali Academy was more suited for his cultivation and consolidation. More importantly, he could wait there every day for her return.

Upon entering Kali Academy, the air immediately felt different. A richer aura of heaven and earth permeated every corner of the academy. Breathing in the familiar air on the fresh, moist morning, Tang San went to Old Mao's cabin for his routine report.

"Here you are!" Old Mao greeted him, his attitude having warmed considerably compared to their first meeting. Tang San was diligent and meticulous in his work, earning numerous praises from the academy's management. Naturally, Old Mao shared in this honor. Any important cleaning task was entrusted to Tang San, and he did his job to a more than satisfactory standard.

"Good morning, Old Mao," Tang San said with a forced smile.

"Ah, good morning to you, too!"

Tang San picked up his tools and said, "Old Mao, I'll get to work."

"Oh, wait a moment," the old man suddenly interjected. "I have something for you."

"Something for me?"

As Old Mao walked to his desk, picked something up, and turned towards Tang San, Tang San was taken aback.

As Tang San saw what was in his palm, he couldn't look away. Despite having lived three lifetimes, his vision blurred with a mist of tears in that instant.

"A young lady asked me to give this to you this morning. She's a beautiful human," Old Mao said, handing the item to Tang San.

Tang San took it, a cup still filled with warm milk tea—or rather, milk tea from the Mei Gongzi Tea Shop.

The cup that Asura had failed to obtain yesterday, today was in Tang San’s hands.

At that moment, his heart was filled with happiness, and all the misgivings and oppressive feelings of the night before were swept away.

Tang San smiled, though his smile was tearful. In that instant, everything before him seemed bathed in sunlight.

Xiao Mei, Xiao Wu, thank you.

He drank the milk tea as if it carried the warmth of Mei Gongzi, soothing his heart and every cell within him.

Then, he carefully put the cup away, a keepsake that would accompany him until her return.

Bathed in sunlight, he swept the ground. Everything seemed to become better. The core of his spirit became more transparent, and his soul core solidified even more. It was as if, at that moment, his fragile divine consciousness had been injected with a booster, clearly bursting with more vitality.

Sister Mei, I'm waiting for your return!

***

The city lord's mansion, in a quiet room.

The Peacock Great Demon King sat pale-faced in his chair, and Mei Gongzi stood before him.

The Peacock Great Demon King looked at his daughter, whose features were as beautiful as a painting, with a complex mix of emotions in his eyes.

"You resemble your mother when she was young," said the Peacock Great Demon King.

Mei Gongzi did not speak. She just looked at him. She was actually rather fond of this father of hers, as he had always treated her well. Despite the rest of the Peacock Demon clan being hostile and antagonistic toward her, he had always been good to her.

But her mother always warned her to be wary of all demons. To humans, all demons were enemies, beings that oppressed humanity. Thus, she had always harbored a sense of fear toward her father, and she didn’t spend much time around him.

The one time that surprised her was when he announced that she would become one of the heirs.

This decision caused a massive uproar within the Peacock Demon clan, facing unanimous opposition from the entire clan. Later, he overcame all objections, convened a meeting of the elders, and managed to persuade them. Ultimately, she became one of the heirs.

"Well, in my heart, you are not as beautiful as your mother was when she was young. Perhaps their beloved is always the most beautiful in a lover's eyes. As you grow older, you will surely become even more beautiful," the Peacock Great Demon King said, his usual majestic presence nowhere in sight.

Mei Gongzi looked at his pale face. "Father, your health..."

The Peacock Great Demon King shook his head, "I'm fine, not dying just yet. There are still many things I need to arrange. And accompanying you in seclusion is of utmost importance. Have you made all the arrangements with the academy?"

"Yes, I've taken a temporary leave," Mei Gongzi nodded. "How long will our seclusion be this time?"

The Peacock Great Demon King said, "It depends on how long I can hold on and how quickly you can progress. It also depends on how much time the Ancestral Court will give us. I hope for as long a time as possible. Ten years should be about right."

"Ten years?" Mei Gongzi's pupils suddenly constricted. She was only fourteen this year; was she supposed to stay in this room until she was twenty-four?!

"It probably won't be that long. They won't give us so much time. And I don't know if my body can hold out for that long."

"Is your injury that serious?" Mei Gongzi asked.

"Yes. After all, that man is a Demon Emperor. How could I repel him without paying any price? He came too quickly, and I wasn't fully prepared. During the battle that day, I was ready to die and drag him down with me or, at the very least, knock him back down to the Great Demon King level. Fortunately, that Sea God appeared out of nowhere. He bought us some time, quite a good amount of time actually, and that allows me to arrange some matters without rushing."