Douluo Continent: The Twin Holy Dragons of Light and Darkness, the Dragon Emperor Breaks Through the

"I just passed by the city gate and saw someone had just brought it up, so I bought one on the spot."

Shall we make soup tonight?

Qian Renxue said, "Go ask the kitchen if they're going to handle the fish or if you'll do it yourself."

Jin Chen carried the fish toward the kitchen: "I'll do it."

I can still make fish soup.

Qian Renxue's gaze fell on the courtyard, continuing to look at the old locust tree: "In the past, winter came early, and that tree would be bare for several months after it lost all its leaves."

Ling Feng didn't reply; he also looked at the tree.

He could feel the energy within the tree flowing slowly at its own rhythm, as if it were adapting to the changing rules in its own way, storing more energy deep in its roots during the intervals of photosynthesis, preparing to grow denser leaves next spring.

The courtyard was quiet for a while.

The evening breeze blew from the south, brushing past the treetops and ruffling the rim of the empty teacup on the stone table, making a very soft sound, like the final note of a short sentence being carefully placed in its proper place.

The fire in the blacksmith's shop in the east of the city was reignited at dusk.

Tang San took a piece of iron from the furnace and placed it on the anvil. The hammering was neither too fast nor too slow, and the intervals between each strike were even.

Ah Yin sat on a low stool at the shop entrance, folded clothes resting on her lap. Occasionally, she would glance up at the firelight and the movement of shadows inside the shop, then lower her head to continue folding her clothes.

The vegetable basket beside her was empty; the vegetables had been washed and placed on the kitchen counter, and the picked leaves had been gathered together, waiting to be taken away.

An old man who grows vegetables next door walked into the shop, carrying a bag of freshly picked radishes.

"Xiao Tang, take some of today's radishes home."

The radishes are growing exceptionally well this year; they're juicy and crisp.

Tang San put down the hammer and took the bag of radishes: "Thank you, old man. I'll make you a new hoe later."

The old man waved his hand: "No rush."

Your little hoe will last me a while.

Tang San placed the radish next to the cutting board, picked up the hammer again, and continued to forge the piece of iron in his hand.

The old man stood in the shop for a while longer, looked at the hoe that had already been made by the wall, nodded, and turned to leave.

Ah Yin put the folded clothes into the bamboo basket at the door, stood up and glanced into the shop: "Dinner is ready."

I made radish soup with a little pork rib added.

Tang San said, "Coming right away."

He put the last piece of iron back into the fire, took off his apron and hung it on the rack, and washed his hands.

In a corner of the Tiandou Academy's martial arts arena, the boy with curly hair was still there.

He sat against the wall, the stream of water gone. He looked down at his outstretched palm, as if recalling the sensation of his fingertips when the water was compressed.

The examiner slowed down as he passed by him: "Still thinking about what just happened?"

The boy looked up, his gaze hesitant: "I only succeeded once; the next few times it fell apart."

The examiner squatted down beside him: "If you can succeed once, you can succeed again."

The boy nodded seriously.

The examiner stood up, dusted off his robes, and walked toward the exit of the training ground.

The boy did not stand up immediately. He opened his palm again, and the stream of water was slowly gathering in his palm, becoming more stable than before, with clearer edges.

He stared at the stream of water for a while, then put it away.

He didn't rush to stand up, but simply sat by the wall, watching the students practicing in the distance.

After nightfall, the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard of the offering hall cast long, slender shadows under the moonlight.

Ling Feng sat on the veranda. The sounds he had heard countless times during the day were being replaced by other sounds: the footsteps of the changing of the guard on the distant city wall, the rustling of the wind through the dry branches, and the soft sound of the wind lifting the tiles on a roof in the distance.

Qian Renxue came out of the house and sat down beside him, without holding any tea.

After she sat down next to him, she didn't speak immediately, as if waiting for the voices to settle down on their own.

After a while, she spoke up: "The child who bought herbs today is an unregistered rogue cultivator, whose household registration is in a village outside the city."

He awakened his martial spirit five years ago, but due to his family circumstances, no one has guided him in cultivation.

Only recently, when he felt the soul power flowing freely within his body, did he begin to practice controlling it.

Ling Feng asked, "So, to what extent has he figured it out on his own?"

Qian Renxue said, "He is already able to collect herbs and sell them for money on his own."

Although they were only low-level herbs, he figured out the routes and methods for gathering them all on his own.

Ling Feng did not respond.

He sat on the veranda for a while longer, feeling the night breeze getting cooler and the shadows of the branches and leaves moving more slowly.

Those subtle sounds are gradually being replaced by new ones.

Ling Feng leaned against a pillar and slowly closed his eyes in the night breeze.

He knew that tomorrow people would still pass by that old locust tree, that people would still set up new stalls at the city gate, and that people would still try to compress that stream of water into an even smaller shape at the drill ground.

Those things will continue to happen where he isn't looking.

All he needs to do is sit in the right place and watch them slowly grow into the shape they are meant to be.

The wind blew in from outside the courtyard, passing through the vines on the wall, carrying a hint of damp earth, like a period of time being quietly extended, borrowing some lingering charm from those unwritten chapters.

Ling Feng sat under the eaves for a while longer, listening to the wind whistling past the walls, past the things that were growing, past the courtyard that was breathing quietly in the center of the continent.

The sound of changing of the guard echoed from the distant city wall, neat and light, as if paving the final stretch of the road to mark the end of the day.

He stood up and walked into the house. The wooden door closed with a very soft sound, as if something was being carefully put back in its original place.

The shadows of the trees stretched a little longer in the moonlight, like shadows being slowly lengthened by the wind, making enough room for growth tomorrow morning.

The atmosphere in the entire courtyard slowed down in the night, no longer needing constant inspection, because the roots had already penetrated deep enough.

Chapter 358 New Ore

The next morning, when Ling Feng woke up, there were already birds chirping outside the window.

It wasn't just one, but a whole group. Their voices came from the branches of the old locust tree, sometimes high, sometimes low, as if they were confirming a message in their own way.

He got dressed, pushed open the door, and saw Qian Renxue already sitting on the veranda, holding a cup of tea in her hand, the tea leaves slowly unfurling on the surface of the water.

Did you hear that?

Qian Renxue didn't look up, her gaze fixed on the water in the cup. "Those birds have been coming more often lately than before."

In previous years, they would have flown south at this time of year, but this year they stayed.

Ling Feng sat down beside her: "Perhaps sensing the change in spiritual energy, even the birds are more willing to stay for the winter than in previous years."

Qian Renxue pushed the teacup in front of him: "Then next spring, they may start building their nests even earlier."

Ling Feng took the teacup and took a sip: "Then let them build."

This old locust tree is big enough to support several nests.

Jin Chen walked in from the courtyard, carrying a steaming bowl containing fish soup, with a few scallions and ginger shreds floating on the surface.

He placed the bowl on the stone table: "The fish from yesterday was cooked, it tasted alright, you guys should try it."

Qian Renxue glanced at him: "Did you cook this?"

Jin Chen said, "I cooked it."

Following a method my cook taught me a long time ago, I added ginger slices and scallion segments after the water boiled, and then put the fish in after the soup boiled again.

Qian Renxue picked up the bowl, took a sip, and put it down: "It's not bad."

Jin Chen grinned: "I told you I can cook."

He sat down on the stone bench, poured himself a bowl, and drank a few sips. "When I passed by the east side of the city just now, I saw several people lined up in front of Tang San's shop, all waiting for his newly made short sword."

Ling Feng said, "Then let's go take a look after we finish breakfast."

There were three people lined up in front of the blacksmith's shop: one carrying an old hoe, one holding a broken iron chain, and the other holding a pottery jar.

Tang San was in the shop, with a newly sharpened short knife on the shelf next to him.

The man at the front of the line stepped forward and placed the old hoe on the counter: "Master Tang, this hoe has been used for six years, and the blade has several cracks. Do you think it can still be repaired?"

Tang San picked up the hoe, turned it over, and glanced at the blade: "It can still be repaired."

However, the blade edge is rolled too deeply and needs to be reforged and quenched again. We'll pick it up the day after tomorrow.

The man nodded, left the hoe in the shop, and left.

The second woman carrying the earthenware pot stepped forward: "Master Tang, this earthenware pot is what my family uses to boil water. There's a crack in the bottom of the pot. Could you see if you can repair it?"

Tang San took the pottery jar, turned it over to examine it, and ran his fingers along the crack: "The crack isn't deep. It can be patched by pouring in a layer of iron mortar. We can pick it up this afternoon."

The woman thanked her repeatedly, left the pottery jar, and departed.

The third man carrying the iron chain stepped forward: "Master Tang, this iron chain is what I use to haul goods. It's broken in two sections. Can you fix it?"

Tang San took the iron chain and tugged at both ends: "It can be connected."

After the connection, it will be slightly thicker than the original part, but it won't affect the load-bearing capacity. It can be connected in a maximum of 15 minutes.

The man stood aside and waited.

Ling Feng stood at the base of the wall opposite the blacksmith's shop, watching Tang San busy in the shop. After he finished connecting the iron chain, he handed it to the man, then picked up the pottery jar, poured a thin layer of molten iron into the crack, let it cool, and then rinsed it clean with water. After confirming that it was leak-proof, he handed it back to the woman.

Ah Yin walked in through the back door of the shop and placed a plate of freshly made scallion pancakes in the corner of the counter: "Eat something first, don't go hungry."

Tang San wiped his hands on his apron, picked up a scallion pancake, took a bite, and continued working.

When Ling Feng entered the shop, Tang San was just finishing connecting the last iron link.

He put down the hammer and took off his apron: "You've come."

"Perfect timing! A new piece of iron just came out of the furnace this morning, hasn't had time to be forged yet. What do you think of this piece?"

He took a dark piece of iron from the shelf inside the shop and placed it on the counter.