met free Chapter 8 The Scars of the Past
Chapter 8 The Scars of the Past
Yan Zu's pupils contracted slightly.
"He didn't dare to actually make a move; the Spirit Hall also has its pride." Yan Hu's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth. "But he said some... nonsense. He said that if your mother wanted to register, she would have to 'make several trips to the branch hall' and 'receive his individual guidance.' He also said... he also said that with your mother's qualifications, if she were 'sensible,' he could help her apply for a higher subsidy..."
Yan Hu did not continue.
But Yan Zu understood.
That's the kind of tactic old foxes use. They don't make definitive statements or go to extremes, but the meaning is crystal clear—if you want benefits, you have to pay a price.
What fear and helplessness must a young woman in her early twenties, a new mother, feel, all alone in such a place, facing a powerful, scheming old man?
Yan Zu clenched his hands tightly under the covers.
"And then?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
"And then?" Yan Hu smiled bitterly. "Then your mother ran away. She didn't do anything, she just ran back. When she got home, she held you and cried for half the night."
Su Qing's tears finally fell. She raised her hand to wipe them away and didn't say anything.
"Father wanted to go to Nottingham the next day to settle accounts with that old bastard," Yan Hu said, his voice laced with suppressed anger. "But your mother stopped me. She said we can't afford to offend him. He didn't leave any evidence against us for what he said, and if we cause trouble, we'll be the ones who suffer in the end. Besides..."
He looked down at Yan Zu, his tiger-like eyes filled with complex emotions:
"And what about you? If the Spirit Hall holds a grudge against us, what will you do then?"
Yan Zu remained silent.
He recalled the butler named Matthew from the original story. An insignificant extra, in Tang San's story, he was merely the kind old man who greeted him at the entrance of the Spirit Hall. Many readers even had a "not bad" impression of him.
Yet, the same person played a completely different role in the story of another young mother in this inconspicuous little mountain village.
Human nature is never simply black and white.
But that doesn't matter to the victims.
The important thing is that the existence of that person made their family of three live in constant fear for five whole years.
A deathly silence fell over the room. Only Yan Hu's heavy breathing and Su Qing's soft sobs echoed in the air.
This past event, like a heavy boulder, weighed on the hearts of this family for many years. It explained the root of their poverty, forged the dignity that Yan Hu upheld with his backbone, and the forbearance hidden beneath Su Qing's gentleness.
Looking at his angry and pained parents, the frustration he felt from the "hellish start" suddenly dissipated, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility and a more determined resolve.
He stepped forward, gently took his mother's cold hand, and then looked up at his father, who was still like a trapped beast.
"Father, Mother, you did the right thing." Yan Zu's voice was not loud, but it carried a comforting power. "That kind of money, once taken, can never be truly cleansed. Our family is poor now, but we are poor with integrity, poor with dignity. That is more important than anything else."
He paused, then returned to the original question: "So, that's why I can't go to the Spirit Hall to awaken my powers."
Yan Hu sighed heavily. After the initial anger came a deep weariness and the harsh reality of his situation: "Awakening at home… Awakening Stones? Those things aren't cheap." Having dealt with other Soul Masters for years, he knew the market price. "Even the lowest-grade Awakening Stone costs a full fifty gold Soul Coins. For our family…"
Su Qing also looked troubled. Most of the family's savings came from Yan Hu's hunting of soul beasts. They had saved up a little by being frugal, amounting to only about thirty gold soul coins, far short of fifty. Moreover, if Yan Zu were to attend Notting Academy in the future, the tuition and living expenses would be a considerable expense.
The scars of the past are reopened, but the harsh realities of life still stand coldly before us.
Yan Zu noticed his parents' predicament, took out a small cloth bag from his storage bracelet, and handed it to them: "There are fifteen gold soul coins in here, which I saved up."
Since the sign-in reward isn't much, these are the remaining ones after giving Yan's father 100 gold coins last time.
Yan Hu and Su Qing opened the cloth bag and looked at the golden soul coins inside, their eyes filled with surprise.
"Grandpa, this money of yours..." Su Qing started to say, but then swallowed her words. She knew her son had too many secrets, and the rewards given by "Grandpa Whitebeard" always came in handy at crucial moments.
Yan Hu was silent for a moment, then pushed the cloth bag back: "Keep this money for yourself. I'll figure out how to get the Awakening Stones." He stood up, a determined glint in his tiger eyes. "I'm already a level 30 Soul Master, and your mother has broken through to level 26. Let's join forces and hunt a soul beast over 300 years old deep in the nearby mountains. Sell the materials, and we can easily raise at least 50 gold soul coins, maybe even 100!"
Deep within the suburban mountains and forests lies a far greater danger than the outer areas, where spirit beasts over three hundred years old frequently roam. Correspondingly, the price of spirit beast materials has increased several times over. After breaking through to level thirty, Yan Hu's third spirit skill, "Immovable Vajra," combines offense and defense, greatly enhancing his strength. Coupled with Su Qing's Qinghe support and the enhancement from the Nine Yin Manual's Green Wood Chapter, he is confident in his ability to handle three-hundred-year-old spirit beasts.
"But it's too dangerous," Su Qing said with some worry. "The soul beasts deep inside are much more powerful than those on the outer perimeter."
"Don't worry, wife." Yan Hu patted his chest. "I'm a Soul Master now, and I also have the cultivation techniques taught by Ancestor. There's definitely no problem. Besides, for Ancestor, this risk is worth taking."
Looking into his father's resolute eyes, Yan Zu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew that his parents had always been willing to give everything for him.
"Father, Mother, I have something here; please take it." Yan Zu took out a porcelain bottle from his storage bracelet. "This bottle contains three high-grade healing pills. No matter how severe the injury, taking one will quickly restore your soul power and heal your wounds."
This bottle of high-level healing pills was a rare reward he received when he checked in for a full month.
Yan Hu took the porcelain bottle, feeling its warmth in his hand: "Good lad, you always manage to surprise us."
Su Qing's eyes were full of seriousness: "We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning and try to be back within three days."
"Father, Mother, please be careful," Yan Zu instructed. "If you encounter a soul beast you can't handle, don't fight it head-on; come back first."
"Understood." Yan Hu rubbed his son's head and laughed heartily. "Your father is a Soul Master; things won't happen to me so easily."
As night deepened, the oil lamp in the simple hut finally went out.
Yan Zu lay on his small bed, gazing at the dark beams of the roof.
He silently repeated that name in his heart—
Matthew No.
Steward of the Notting City Martial Spirit Hall Branch.
remember.