Chapter Eighteen: The Golden Wheel of the Quadriga

"Oh, there's something else. Do you know about your background?" Tang Luo suddenly asked.

Fang Han was taken aback, instantly feeling like his thieving past had been dug up by Tang Luo. He thought to himself that this was bad, after all, who would want a habitual thief as a retainer, let alone entrust him with precious items.

His previous speculation had indeed been a test, it seemed he had performed well. He responded calmly: "I've had a past that I would rather not recall, but I have amended my ways and severed all ties with that part of my life."

Avoiding the question, this man has too many things on his mind.

Shaking his head, Tang Luo placed a wooden box from his arms in front of him and said, "Open it and take a look."

Fang Han, not understanding why, took the box and opened it.

Inside the box was a round piece of warm white jade, engraved with cloud patterns and bats. The cloud patterns flowed like ruyi, continuous and unending; the bats surrounded the cloud patterns, symbolizing auspiciousness. In the center of the warm jade, a large and powerful character for Han was encircled by the cloud patterns and bats.

This must be a priceless piece of jade, Fang Han thought to himself. If it weren't for the character, it would definitely be priceless.

After all, his years as a thief had at least taught him who to steal from and who not to. If he came across someone wearing this kind of jade, it was best to keep as far away as possible.

But what did Tang Luo mean by this? Fang Han looked puzzled and didn't understand.

"To be precise, this piece of jade is related to your background." Tang Luo didn't plan to keep him guessing; he explained it straight away.

"You were abandoned under Lingjiang Bridge as soon as you were born, and this piece of white jade was in your swaddling clothes."

"You were picked up by an old beggar surnamed Fang. Unless there was an error, your family name should be Han."

"......"

"So, do you understand?"

Listening to Tang Luo's words, Fang Han's expression became increasingly uglier, and his heart was greatly shocked. His left fist, which was resting on his knee, clenched tightly.

At this moment, many of his past questions were finally answered.

So, he wasn't actually the old beggar's grandson!

No wonder those little beggars called him a wild child.

No wonder he had always felt different from others.

So, his birth was also of extraordinary status.

At this moment, apart from being at a loss, Fang Han was also filled with an overwhelming sense of resentment!

Why did they abandon him!

Why did he have to compete with stray dogs for food since he was young!

He should have been one of the best amongst people, so why did he end up as a servant.

Resentment! Resentment! Resentment!

The shock on his face concealed the resentment in his heart, and his lowered head made it impossible for people to see the viciousness on his face.

Seeing Fang Han's hand trembling slightly as he held the jade piece, Tang Luo also felt a bit uncomfortable. He said, "In the future, if you want to find out about your background, I will support you."

Now both of them had limited abilities, but with this jade piece as a medium, there should still be some clues. Once their strength increased in the future, it would be easier to find clues from the past. At the very least, they needed to find out where they came from and why they were abandoned.

Fang Han lifted his head.

"Thank you, Young Master Tang Luo." This might have been the only time he genuinely said 'thank you.' But from today onwards, his definition of himself was completely different.

Of course, Tang Luo couldn't feel these complex changes in his psyche, only considering it as a huge shock. He nodded and didn't say anything more.

Fang Han bid farewell and took the jade piece away.

Happy times always go by quickly, and it was time to say goodbye.

The end of the month came in an instant, and Tang Luo was going to take the little boy back home.

As soon as they walked out the door, they saw a battle chariot of the palace parked at the entrance of the Martial Hall, with Uncle Fu standing beside the carriage waiting.

Having a car pick them up was, of course, a good thing, but it depended on the situation. How far was Tang Sen's residence from the Martial Hall? So to speak, the two brothers would walk out of the Martial Hall gate, turn left, continue straight. Turn left again, and they could knock at the door.

"Isn't it a bit extravagant to be so grand?" Tang Luo felt a bit awkward. After all, everyone knew where the Sect Head's house was, and as they looked at the clan warriors standing guard outside the Martial Hall, occasionally glancing at the chariot and the two brothers with stunned looks, the feeling was a bit too much.

But the little boy didn't feel that way at all, he was over the moon. This chariot was the vehicle he had always dreamed of; he couldn't believe he was able to ride in it today, and he was beyond excited.

Such a magnificent chariot also attracted the attention of passers-by. While they didn't dare to get too close to the Martial Hall, they all watched from a distance, with more and more people gathering around.

This chariot, with four animals and guilded wheels, was one of the three main assets of the family. The chariot was drawn by a lion-tiger beast clad in scale armor and three pure-blooded Suanni. The leading lion-tiger beast is called "Fu," and the three Suanni positioned in the middle and on both sides are called "one for use and two for ancillary," collectively known as "si."

The si beasts are the signature spirit beasts of the Beast Taming Sect. The leading lion-tiger beast has the power of tens of thousands of catties and, with secret techniques, can even fight fierce realm warriors. The three Suanni behind has no strength less than five thousand catties and can contend with the peak of Transcendent realm.

The chariot frame is huge and can carry a battle squad of one class, with three Transcendent realm armoured warriors arranged from left to right, situated behind the Suanni. Behind them is the carriage the size of a small room, the entire body guilded and shining in the sunlight. The carriage is extremely sturdy, with countless hidden threats on its surface, which are not visible in peacetime.

The price of this chariot is around one hundred million gold, not including the cost of maintenance.

Only the wealthy and powerful families on the continent could afford such a huge expense.

This chariot was only used when attending important occasions or when it was necessary to show off military power. It was unexpected that it was used to pick up the two brothers from home, parked at the entrance of the Martial Hall. This was a clear sign of... extravagant favoritism.

The little boy's eyes were filled with stars.

"Brother, hurry up and get in! Look at this Suanni." He didn't care about anything, had already climbed onto the carriage frame, looking at the Suanni in the middle with longing eyes, wanting to touch it.

But the agile Suanni beast turned its head, scaring the little boy, who then remembered that he needed help, and quickly called his brother.

"Mm-hmm, I'm coming." Tang Luo also stepped forward. It was best to leave as soon as possible. He still felt quite awkward about this ostentatious display.

Uncle Fu bowed his head courteously to Tang Luo and opened the door of the chariot. Tang Luo grabbed his little brother's collar and entered the chariot.

"My dear babies, mommy missed you so much."

As soon as the two brothers entered the carriage, they were engulfed in a fragrant and warm embrace. Xu Shuhui couldn't wait to see her two sons and had been waiting in the car for a long time.

"Let go, let go, Mom. I'm choking." Tang Luo felt a surge of heat flush his face and quickly escaped Xu Shuhui's embrace.

Unlike his older brother, the little boys rushed into their mother's arms, cramming his small head against her chest. His hands wrapped around Xu Shuhui's slim waist, he murmured, "Mom, Mom, I missed you so much."

Good teammate, divine assist! If not for his continuous snuggling, how could I have freed myself from the embrace of the Mortal Realm?

Tang Luo stepped away and sat down at the tea table, preparing to calm down with a cup of clear tea.

Looking at his mother, he figured she'd be fussing over Tang Xing for a while longer.

After finally calming down, Xu Shuhui took her younger son's hand and sat beside Tang Luo, beginning to inquire about their recent progress at the Martial Hall. Though she had already heard about it once from Tang Sen, her lumbering son's voice didn't match the pleasing tones of her darling boys.

Tang Luo found it difficult to speak; after all, the person sitting in front of him was a wielder of a spiritual power of 6198 points at Mortal Realm. He felt embarrassed talking about the insignificant fights at the Martial Hall.

But bravery often comes from ignorance, and the little boy had no qualms about starting his non-stop chatter.

"Mom, do you know? Brother is already a Martial Hall instructor, and I want to be an instructor too."

"Wow! Is Luo Er this amazing? Let mom see if you've lost weight, isn't being an instructor very hard?" Xu Shuhui exclaimed as if discovering a new world, her eyes beaming as she gazed at her eldest son. She clasped her hands tightly across her chest, seemingly full of admiration.

Tang Luo twitched at the corner of his mouth, not knowing how to respond.

Damn...my mother really is the queen of encouragement, her expressions seemed like she's hearing this for the first time. Even if she didn't know before, surely father Tang Sen, with his bronchitis, must have mentioned this to her before.

Women, they are born actresses indeed.

The little boy didn't understand these complexities, and seeing his mother also admiring his brother, he decided to show off himself by launching into a performance mode.

"Mom, let me tell you, I sparred with someone, and I went like this... like this... like this, and defeated him!" The young boy huffed and puffed as he showed off a few of his cool starting moves, and began bragging about his skills.

"Oh, is Xing Er also this powerful? Come here, let mom give you a kiss. Mua~" Xu Shuhui pulled the little boy into a hug and kissed his flushed face.

Inspired by the encouragement, Tang Xing's passion skyrocketed,

"Uncle said I'm learning martial techniques very fast, I am a genius too."

"Really? Xing Er is really excellent."

"I formed a small team with Tang Man and Tang Zheng, whoever reaches the Mortal Realm first will be the team leader~"

"My darling Xing Er will surely be the first to reach the Mortal Realm, mom believes in you, mua~"

"I have been practicing very diligently, brother has seen it."

"Xing Er is the best."

"I... I am very good at eating, I ate a lot even when the food wasn't good! Because brother said, if you don't eat enough, you can't grow."

"Let mom see if you have lost any weight, I can't believe the food at Martial Hall is so bad. It breaks mom's heart."

Tang Luo sipped water while observing the intimate mother and son pair beside him, feeling somewhat moved.

Such deep mother and child affection, perhaps that is the perfect portrayal of what he was witnessing.

The fledgling bird wobbled in front of the adult bird, flapping its tender wings. The adult bird watched the little one's progress with delighted eyes.

How deep must her love be to find joy as if receiving a treasure when the child says something so naive.

Being parents is indeed a remarkable thing.

Tang Luo finished his cup of tea in one gulp.

.........

Tang Family Dining Hall

After a month of emptiness, the dining hall was finally lively again. Tang Nuannuan, appearing especially excited, began waving her spoon around.

Xu Shuhui turned into the designated food server. Tang Luo and Tang Xing's chopsticks never had to reach far.

The moment the brothers lifted their chopsticks, Xu Shuhui was able to immediately spot it and accurately serve food into their bowls.

The keen eyes and swift speed made Tang Luo somewhat believe that Xu Shuhui was once an extraordinary heroine and her high score was not just for show.

"Eat more, eat more." Mother Xu Shuhui dominated the table talk.

Tang Luo stole a glance at his father, Tang Sen. The usually reticent man continued to eat steadily, but today, he seemed particularly dejected.

Why? Surely, it wasn't because his wife didn't serve him any food?

He suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. The arrival of children really could be the biggest obstacle in a couple's relationship. He decided to give his father a hand.

After all, in this martial-art-cherishing world, dedicated men were hard to come by.

Tang Luo picked up the long strip of rib that his mother just handed over, and offered it to his father, "Father, you eat this piece of rib."

Tang Sen, who had been eating silently, heard Tang Luo's words. He raised his head calmly, but was a little too eager. His face showed a hint of delight as he was about to reach out to take it.

"Clack! Ahem!" It wasn't that his son wasn't willing to help.

The long rib Tang Luo was serving was pushed back into the bowl by Xu Shuhui, as she said, "Ah, baby, you eat yours, your dad will take care of himself."

He can take care of himself.

He can.

Himself.

Tang Luo could do nothing but help, he thought his mother would help serve a piece, but it seemed like he made things worse.

Tang Sen remained silent, seemingly indifferent to the rejected rib. He just raised his head to reach for the food, silently picking up a piece of meat and put it in his bowl, and continued to lower his head to eat.

But seeing how his chopsticks stuck deeply into the flesh, his mood was probably less than calm~