Finally, he could leave.
Eager to be alone, Jiang Chen stepped out the door, itching to get home and study his zombie martial soul in peace.
Tang San and his father had been quietly observing the entire time. As Jiang Chen exited, they immediately followed.
"Little one, wait a moment," Tang Hao suddenly called out, holding Tang San's hand as he spoke.
Jiang Chen turned back in confusion, surprised to see that the one calling him was none other than Tang San's father—Tang Hao.
Though he had seen Tang Hao from a distance before, this was the first time he'd ever been this close to a real Title Douluo.
Tang Hao looked just as disheveled as the rumors said—his hair was like a bird's nest, looking like it hadn't been washed in weeks. His face was weathered, his frame imposing, and his clothing full of patches.
Tang Hao was the only blacksmith for several villages around. By rights, his life shouldn't have been so difficult, but most of his earnings went straight into alcohol. His days were steeped in drunken stupor.
"Uncle, is there something you need from me?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Now that he could freely control the corpse aura within him, he no longer feared Tang Hao. He didn't think someone like Tang Hao would resort to smashing a child with a hammer anyway.
"Two days ago, you gave my son Xiaosan a fish, didn't you? That was thoughtful of you. Why don't you come to our house today? You and Xiaosan are about the same age—you should spend more time together," Tang Hao said with a rare smile.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
Tang San, standing beside him, was stunned. In all his years, he had never once seen his father smile—yet here he was, smiling because of that irritating Jiang Chen.
He stared at Jiang Chen as though seeing a monster. Still, deep in his heart, he felt grateful.
His father had long drowned his days in sorrow and wine, stumbling through life like a shadow of his former self. But now, because of Jiang Chen, he was smiling again. That was no small thing.
Seeing Jiang Chen agree, Tang Hao's expression grew even more gentle. He reached out, intending to take Jiang Chen's hand—but Tang San quickly grabbed his arm tightly.
Tang San used both hands to grip his father, his waist and legs bracing with strength as he poured all his energy into holding him back, practically performing the "Thousand Catty Drop" technique to stop Tang Hao from getting closer to Jiang Chen.
"Dad, don't go near him! He's dangerous!" Tang San shouted urgently.
Even he had nearly fallen victim to Jiang Chen's toxins before. How could he not worry about his father? If Tang Hao got infected by Jiang Chen's corpse poison, it would surely lead to a serious illness.
And that black fog emitted by Jiang Chen's newly awakened martial soul—its toxicity was far worse than anything he'd seen before. In Tang San's eyes, Jiang Chen's danger level had just jumped an entire tier.
"Hm?" Tang Hao looked down in surprise. He knew Tang San had strength, but he hadn't expected a six-year-old to be this strong.
With just a bit of force, Tang Hao easily lifted Tang San off the ground, despite his son using every ounce of strength he had—including his internal energy—to resist.
Tang Hao chuckled. "What danger could a little boy possibly pose?"
Dangling midair, Tang San was shocked by his father's strength. He had just used soul power to exert several hundred jin of force, and yet his father had lifted him as if he weighed nothing.
With no other choice, Tang San released his grip and dropped to the ground.
"Dad, you don't understand. Jiang Chen has a nickname—'Plague Bringer.' Anyone who gets too close to him could get poisoned!" Tang San said anxiously.
Jiang Chen wore an amused expression. His bright, obsidian-like eyes sparkled mischievously as he suddenly ran up and threw an arm around Tang San's shoulders.
Caught off guard, Tang San froze. His whole body tensed like a frightened hen, stiff as a board.
"Uncle, let's go," Jiang Chen said cheerfully, one arm hooked tightly around Tang San's shoulders, his smile bright and carefree.
Tang Hao chuckled and nodded, leading the way.
"Let's go, Xiaosan." Jiang Chen leaned in close to Tang San's ear, licked his lips, and whispered.
Seeing Jiang Chen's little fangs just inches from his neck, Tang San couldn't help but recall the moment Jiang Chen had transformed under martial soul possession. A chill ran down his spine.
He could almost imagine Jiang Chen's teeth sinking into his neck, piercing his arteries, and drinking his blood with gusto.
Most people on the Douluo Continent didn't know what a zombie truly was—but he did. They were blood-drinking creatures.
Tang San immediately activated his internal energy, twisting his body free from Jiang Chen's grip and darting to his father's side in a flash.
Jiang Chen was speechless. Was Tang San really this timid? He'd only bared his teeth a little—was that such a big deal?
Still, he muttered under his breath, "But that kid's neck did smell kinda nice…"
He gulped, unable to stop the reflex. Though he'd never tasted human blood before, getting that close to Tang San had stirred a primal craving inside him. Tang San's neck had looked just like a juicy, roasted drumstick.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the thought, Jiang Chen forced the desire down and quickly caught up to Tang San and his father.
He had no idea why Tang Hao had suddenly invited him over—it all felt a bit too unusual.
"Could it be that Tang Hao sees my incredible talent and wants me to befriend Tang San?" Jiang Chen wondered.
As they passed a group of villagers, the once-curious crowd now shrank back in terror. In the past, they dared to approach Jiang Chen within five meters. Now? They wouldn't even go near him from fifty.
"That Tang Hao is really reckless. Doesn't he fear death?"
"Exactly! I don't think we should go to him for our farm tools anymore."
"Yeah, you're right. I'm also going to tell my kid to stay far away from Tang San."
...
Tang Hao walked calmly down the path, holding one hand each of Tang San and Jiang Chen, leading them toward his home.
Tang San kept glancing back nervously at Jiang Chen from behind his father, peering around his father's waist like a wary kitten. He was genuinely afraid Jiang Chen might do something shady and hurt Tang Hao.
In fact, he was already mentally preparing solutions to deal with corpse poison.
Although he hadn't encountered corpse poison in his previous life, he had read about it in the Manual of a Hundred Poisons.
According to the book, a mild case of corpse poison wasn't too serious—it could be neutralized with glutinous rice.
"Luckily, we still have some glutinous rice at home," Tang San thought with a sigh of relief.
...
Once they arrived at the house, Tang Hao smiled warmly. "Xiao Chen, right? Make yourself at home—don't be shy."
Jiang Chen responded with a friendly smile and sat down comfortably.
Suddenly, Tang Hao remembered that he'd invited Jiang Chen over but hadn't prepared anything to serve him.
"Ahem… Xiaosan, come in for a moment," Tang Hao said as he walked into the inner room.
Tang San followed quickly. "Dad, what is it?"
Tang Hao raised a finger to his lips, motioning for silence, then asked in a low voice, "You know how to catch fish, right?"
Tang San nodded, puzzled as to why his father was suddenly asking this. Though he hadn't caught fish before and lacked practical experience, with his mastery of hidden weapons, catching a couple of fish would be no problem.
"Ahem… Since we have a guest, go catch a couple and bring them back for dinner," Tang Hao said, his weathered face turning slightly red.
Tang San finally understood. He gave his father a strange look—what had gotten into him today? He seemed like a completely different person.
Though confused, he couldn't deny it felt… nice.
He had never seen his father this cheerful before.
"Maybe I should be grateful to Jiang Chen," Tang San thought silently.
As he stepped out of the inner room, Tang San leaned in close to Jiang Chen and whispered a warning, "Don't you dare hurt my father. Got it?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "Relax, I'm a good guy."
Tang San shot him one last warning look before walking out the door.
Jiang Chen could only shake his head, speechless. "Your father's a hidden powerhouse. How suicidal would I have to be to try and bite him? That's just asking for death."