Lin Zhechen had been waiting for quite some time.
He'd left the noise of the city behind, and now sat calmly on a stone slab by the road.
Dressed for travel, he looked like any other quiet traveler.
But there was a storage-type soul tool strapped to his left wrist.
And despite the pitying looks he'd gotten along the way, he wasn't sad. Not even close.
If anything, he looked... almost excited.
The idea of stepping out into the world—of finally seeing for himself what lay beyond—made something in him stir.
A good kind of tremble.
He was tossing a pebble up and down in one hand, trying to let his soul power flow a bit more freely before throwing it with all his strength.
It didn't go far.
Didn't even make it past the edge of the road.
But still, he was satisfied.
He could feel it—the way soul power helped extend the body's limits.
Weak... but useful.
He pressed his lips together in thought and tilted his head slightly.
Without even looking to the side, he said,
"No need for you to keep standing around, Maid Ma."
The maid flinched upright, clearly startled. She'd been nervously fiddling with her robe.
"Please don't say that, Young Lord. Until your grandfather arrives, it's our duty to stay by your side."
The Soul Engineer standing farther off gave a respectful nod.
He had brought both of them here using flight—something usually forbidden, but temporarily allowed today.
Lin Zhechen shrugged. "Do whatever you want."
The wind blew his hair across his face. He didn't bother brushing it aside.
It had been a week since they told him he was being expelled from the clan.
And in that whole time—not once had his father come to see him.
Well... it wasn't just this week.
Even from infancy, Lin Zhechen could remember faces. And the only time he'd ever seen his father... had been from a distance.
If he were just some ordinary kid, maybe all this would've scarred him.
But he wasn't.
Inside this six-year-old body lived the soul of someone far older.
He let out a breath through his nose and flexed his hands.
Since his Martial Soul had awakened, his body had started to stabilize. It felt like the tree inside him had finally stopped draining him so much.
Then a dark thought crossed his mind.
You're the one who killed her... aren't you, Tree?
He glanced briefly at Maid Ma, then looked away again.
She had told him. How, in the final months of her pregnancy, his mother had begun to fade—bit by bit.
And now, just imagining what it would be like to meet this so-called grandfather of his... made his head ache.
He rubbed his temples gently.
"Young Lord, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Come here, Maid Ma. I want to ask you something."
Even though he didn't look at her, he could feel her draw closer and stand by his side.
There was a pause. Then:
"What's his name?"
She hesitated. "Whose, Young Lord?"
"My grandfather."
Understanding flashed in her eyes.
"I believe it's... Feng Yanlou. I've heard he lives in the Star Luo Empire. Your mother was from there, after all."
Zhechen raised an eyebrow.
"And my father actually let me go to Star Luo? Into enemy territory?"
Her voice fell to a whisper. "I don't know, Young Lord."
A bitter grin tugged at Lin Zhechen's lips.
"Guess he really wanted to get rid of me."
A voice roared through the air.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Something dropped from the sky like a cannonball—but slowed just before landing, hitting the ground with a solid thud.
The figure who landed stood tall and broad—arms crossed over a muscular chest.
His gray hair whipped in the wind.
And there was a fierce, almost wild grin on his lips.
"With me around, no one's going to hurt you, kid."
Zhechen blinked.
He had absolutely no idea how to respond to this over-the-top old man.
Maid Ma, on the other hand, stepped forward, bowed slightly.
"Lord Feng. I'm glad to see you again."
Feng Yanlou's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. For a moment, something softened in his expression—something like grief.
Then his gaze turned back to the boy, and that fire returned.
"You were one of Xiao Liru's attendants, weren't you?"
The maid's face fell. "Yes, I was. I didn't expect you to remember me."
She looked to Zhechen, eyes glassy.
"I suppose... it's time to leave the Young Lord in your care."
She bowed deeply—to both of them.
As she turned to leave, she heard his voice behind her.
"We'll meet again, Sister Ma."
Her shoulders shook. And through quiet tears, she answered,
"Yes, Young Lord. We will."
The Soul Engineer stepped forward and activated his flying tool. Wings of pure energy burst from his back, and he lifted Maid Ma into the air.
Then they were gone.
Silence returned—for a while.
Feng Yanlou's eyes narrowed. And finally, Zhechen stood, walking toward him with a bit of hesitation.
He cleared his throat. Bowed slightly.
"My name is Lin Zhechen. It's an honor to meet you, Grandfather. You can call me Xiao Chen."
Feng Yanlou's eyes nearly disappeared from how tightly he was squinting—then suddenly, he burst into laughter.
"Hah! No need to be so formal, kid!"
He slapped Zhechen on the shoulder—hard. Then again. And again.
Zhechen wobbled with each blow, like a leaf in the wind.
But before he could fall, the old man grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, holding him level with his own face.
Up close, Zhechen saw the full sharpness of those searching, penetrating eyes.
Feng Yanlou's grin faded slightly.
"That worthless bastard of a father clearly didn't raise you. You're the scrawniest little thing I've ever seen."
Still held midair, Zhechen scratched his head awkwardly.
"…yeah."
The old man snorted, then laughed again.
"Don't worry. I'll whip you into shape myself. Hope you're ready."
He set the boy down.
From his own storage device, he pulled out another soul tool—strapped it to his waist—and then picked the boy up again.
Both tools activated at once.
A glowing bubble wrapped around them. Wings of energy exploded from Feng Yanlou's back.
Zhechen opened his mouth, about to speak—
But before a single word could leave his lips, they launched upward.
The world blurred. The colors smeared around them. The sky rushed past.
And all at once, that earlier excitement vanished.
Only nausea remained.
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Sorry this chapter was a bit short! Lately, I've had a lot of ideas buzzing in my head—fragments, emotions, pieces of something bigger. I'm slowly letting them grow, shaping them into something more.
One day, I hope I'll be able to write a truly great story. Thank you for reading this far—it really means a lot. 🙏