Douluo Dalu II: The Peerless Tang Sect

Chapter 123 Younger Brother? Zhu Ziguang!

Zhu Ziyang noticed that the door was unlocked and couldn't help but grin mischievously, preparing to sneak in and surprise his parents.

He held his breath, quietly pushed open the door, and went inside. Finding no one in the front room, he realized that Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying were in their room. So, he slowly walked into the courtyard, and there he saw Zhu Changhe.

"Dad!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes widened, and he pointed at Zhu Changhe with a shocked expression, shouting, "What... what's going on?"

"Hey! Ziyang, what brings you back?" Zhu Changhe was also very surprised to see Zhu Ziyang, but after seeing Zhu Ziyang's expression, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Perfect timing, come and meet your younger brother."

Zhu Ziyang is going crazy.

I was only away studying for a year, so how come I have a younger brother when I come back? So, love can fade, right?

Zhu Ziyang had no idea how he got to Zhu Changhe's side. Looking at the sleeping baby in Zhu Changhe's arms, he felt a surge of affection. Was this somewhat ugly little guy his younger brother?

"Dad, why did you suddenly give me a younger brother?" Zhu Ziyang asked, still somewhat unable to accept it.

"It was an accident, an accident." Zhu Changhe smiled sheepishly and said, "Your mother and I originally wanted to have a little sister for you, but we ended up having a boy. It was really an accident."

"..." Zhu Ziyang was speechless, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

"You're back just in time; your little brother will be one month old tomorrow," Zhu Changhe said with a smile.

"Honey, who are you talking to?" Liang Ying's voice came from inside the house. Her voice was full of energy, and it was clear that the effects of childbirth on her had disappeared.

"Ziyang is back," Zhu Changhe replied.

"Knock knock~" A sound came from inside the house, and then Liang Ying rushed out of the house. When she saw Zhu Ziyang, she excitedly hugged him.

"Mom!" Zhu Ziyang called out, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Don't worry, Yangyang. No matter what, you're still Mom's most precious eldest son," Liang Ying comforted him.

"Hmm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, unsure whether to be happy or sad, his feelings were hard to describe.

Zhu Ziyang didn't know how he got back to his room or into bed that night. He only remembered his head being a mess, his thoughts in utter chaos. The birth of his younger brother had caught him completely off guard. He should probably be happy, because then he wouldn't have to worry about his parents missing their son while he was at the academy, since his brother would be there for them. However, he had come back this time with the intention of persuading his parents to return to Shrek City with him. Although he knew his parents would most likely disagree, it seemed now that he didn't need to worry about whether they would agree or not, because they definitely wouldn't.

"Sigh!" Zhu Ziyang sighed more than once that night.

The next day, the younger brother's one-month celebration was a grand affair, with many friends in attendance. His return and Jiang Nannan's presence made the atmosphere even more lively. All the guests knew that the Zhu family's son had been admitted to Shrek Academy and was a proven genius Soul Master. Now that their second child was born, who knew he might be another genius? It was always beneficial to cultivate a good relationship beforehand.

Zhu Ziyang's younger brother was named Zhu Ziguang, with the nickname Xiaoguang. The origin of the name is obvious at a glance: Zhu Ziyang, Zhu Ziguang, means sunshine. This should be considered a comfort, Zhu Ziyang thought silently as he looked at Zhu Ziguang sleeping soundly in Liang Ying's arms.

And so, a week passed, and Zhu Ziyang finally got used to having a younger brother.

"Dad, Mom, wait a moment." That night, Zhu Ziyang stopped his parents from going back to their room, took out two spiritual herbs from his Star Flame Ring, and placed them in front of them.

"What are these?" The couple looked at the two spiritual herbs that Zhu Ziyang had taken out with a puzzled expression. They could tell that the two herbs were spiritual herbs, but they did not recognize them or know their function.

"The one on the left is a thousand-year-old snow lotus, it's for you, Mom. The one on the right is an Earthly Origin Fruit, it's for you, Dad," Zhu Ziyang explained with a smile. "Both of these are high-grade spiritual herbs that can improve your aptitude and soul power. By the way, do you still have the Spirit Gathering Pills I sent home?"

"That's all." Zhu Changhe said somewhat blankly. He didn't expect that his son, who had only been away from home for a year, could produce two high-grade spiritual herbs for them without batting an eye. Thinking back to the pills and gold soul coins he had sent home, Zhu Changhe realized that he could no longer see through his son.

"Yangyang, you should keep this spiritual herb for yourself. Your father and I don't need it," Liang Ying said without thinking much about it. "We're already in our thirties or forties. Giving us these resources would be a waste. You might as well keep them for yourself."

"It's alright, Mom," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile. "Didn't I tell you? I've been accepted as a disciple by the Dean of Shrek Academy, and these two spirit herbs were specially chosen for you."

Regarding his becoming Mu En's disciple, Zhu Ziyang only subtly told his parents that he had been accepted as a disciple by the dean of Shrek Academy. In reality, Mu En was indeed the true dean of Shrek Academy, so his statement was not inaccurate. However, in a more practical sense, this statement could be interpreted by those with ulterior motives as him being Yan Shaozhe's disciple. Being Yan Shaozhe's disciple and being Mu En's disciple are two completely different things.

"This..." The couple still hesitated.

"Don't hesitate any longer," Zhu Ziyang said. "Look, I'm already a Soul Master, why would I care about these few spiritual herbs?"

When Zhu Ziyang returned home, he revealed his spirit rings to his parents for the first time. The four spirit rings—yellow, purple, black, and ornate—dazzled Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying, filling the couple with shock, excitement, and joy. This was their son, a twelve-year-old Spirit Master!

They finally stopped hesitating and accepted their son's gift without hesitation.

Liang Ying immediately began absorbing the spiritual herb, but Zhu Changhe had no intention of absorbing it now. He planned to use the Earthly Fruit after obtaining his fourth soul ring.

Over the course of a year, both Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying's soul power had improved. When Zhu Ziyang left home, Zhu Changhe's soul power was level 37. With the help of the Spirit Gathering Pill, he had already reached level 40 a few months ago. However, because he needed to take care of Liang Ying, he was unable to go out and hunt for soul rings. Liang Ying's soul power only increased by two levels. Even with the Body Spirit Pill, it was to no avail. Because of her pregnancy, she had no heart to cultivate, so she only increased by two levels in a year, barely reaching level 35.

Zhu Ziyang guessed that once Liang Ying absorbed the thousand-year-old snow lotus, her soul power should be able to increase by about three levels, and she might reach the Soul Master realm within this year.

"Dad, let's go hunt for your fourth spirit ring in a few days," Zhu Ziyang suggested.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Zhu Changhe readily agreed, "I'll entrust Dad's fourth spirit ring to you!"

"Don't worry, Dad, I've already decided on a suitable soul beast for you," Zhu Ziyang said confidently. "Just follow my arrangements!"

The father and son chatted until Liang Ying finished absorbing the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. As Zhu Ziyang had predicted, after absorbing the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, Liang Ying's soul power indeed increased to level three, reaching level 38.

This made her extremely happy, as it boosted her soul power by three levels at once. Anyone would jump for joy.

-

About three days later, at Zhu Ziyang's house.

"We're ready to go," Zhu Ziyang said, with Zhu Changhe, Jiang Nannan, and Hong Zhen beside him.

In terms of soul power level alone, Hong Zhen should be the strongest present, a level 57 Soul King. That's right, Hong Zhen is already a Soul King; he broke through to the Soul King level two years ago. Recently, with the help of a high-grade ice-attribute spiritual herb gifted by Zhu Ziyang, his soul power broke through from level 53 to level 57 in one fell swoop. He is expected to reach the Soul Emperor realm within three years, at which time he will become the first Soul Emperor-level city lord in the history of Anyang City.

Jiang Nannan was overjoyed during her return, as her mother's heart ailment had been cured. A Bright Fire Pill, coupled with a week of nourishing her soul power, had finally eliminated the chronic illness that had plagued Bai Xinyi for years. With a weight lifted from her heart, Jiang Nannan was naturally overjoyed, and with her spirits lifted, her soul power naturally broke through to level 36.

The group of four set off, their destination naturally being the Tianhui Grand Canyon.

(End of this chapter)