Chapter 3: Identity

Xiao Tian sank into the great river, unconscious.

Various ferocious beasts approached to devour him. However, when the beasts were just a few meters away from him, Xiao Tian's body suddenly shone.

The light was so intense that it blinded the approaching beasts. They seemed confused and frightened, quickly retreating from Xiao Tian.

The scene was astonishing because these beasts were known to be extremely powerful and fierce. The weakest among them were level two beasts, equivalent to third-class warriors in the human realm. The strongest were beast kings, equivalent to earth king warriors in the human realm.

The beasts fled in fear from Xiao Tian's weak body. The light emanating from the minor child's body drove away all the ferocious beasts.

How could a child make such fearsome beasts retreat? What happened to Xiao Tian's body that allowed him to emit such powerful light?

After the beasts fled, the light disappeared from Xiao Tian's body.

****

At the calm riverbank, two figures were practicing together. One was a small girl, about eight years old, with her hair tied in a ponytail, fluttering in the wind. The other was an older man, standing tall and wise, watching the girl's every move intently.

The little girl was practicing sword techniques. Although the sword she wielded was just a wooden toy, her swings were lively and unpredictable. The wind complemented her swings, creating a mesmerizing rhythm.

"Ziyan Rouxi, it's time to go home. You've been practicing from morning till near sunset, making Grandpa waste a lot of time watching you," the old man sitting on a rock grumbled at the little girl.

"Grandpa, you finally have time to watch me practice, but you're already complaining so much. It seems you don't care about me at all!" the little girl pouted. Despite her young age, she looked lovely.

Before the older man could reply, he saw a small child's body drifting in the river's current.

"Wait, Grandpa!" the girl shouted.

"Where are you going? Don't...." Before Ziyan Rouxi could finish her sentence, she saw the child's body being carried by the current, not far from a high waterfall.

The older man ran into the water, retrieving the minor child's body—Xiao Tian.

After bringing him to the riverbank, the older man still heard Xiao Tian's heartbeat.

"This child is not dead." He immediately channeled his internal energy into Xiao Tian's body.

Xiao Tian suddenly coughed, expelling a lot of water from his mouth.

After continuous internal energy transmission, Xiao Tian began to open his eyes slowly.

When he fully opened his eyes, he saw the little girl's face very close to his.

Their eyes met.

"Are you the angel of death? Why isn't your face scary?"

Slap—

Ziyan Rouxi immediately slapped Xiao Tian's face.

"Ahh.... Why did you slap me?" Xiao Tian didn't understand why the angel of death slapped him.

"What did you just say? Angel of death? Do you want me to kill you?" Ziyan Rouxi was annoyed with being called the angel of death by Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian tried to get up but felt his whole body ache as if it were shattered.

After a while, he realized an older man was channeling his internal energy to heal his injuries.

"Don't move too much! Your body has suffered severe injuries. Let me heal you first."

Xiao Tian felt warmth as the older man continued channeling his internal energy into him.

The older man frowned, astonished by Xiao Tian's healing ability. Even if he hadn't treated him, Xiao Tian would have healed alone. If he had continued drifting in the river, his body could have been torn apart by the fierce water.

After some time, Xiao Tian woke up and clasped his hands.

"Senior, thank you for saving me."

Xiao Tian didn't call the old man grandpa because he felt that was only appropriate for his relatives, so he just called him senior.

Hearing Xiao Tian's thanks, the older man didn't immediately respond. He was still amazed by the child's healing ability. Moreover, he was perplexed; he couldn't discern the type of bones and specific areas in Xiao Tian's body.

The older man was sure this child was not ordinary. An ordinary child would have indeed died in that great river. Not to mention the ferocious beasts; even the fierce river current and hitting the rocks should have killed him.

Instead of answering Xiao Tian's question, the old man asked, "Child, how did you end up in this river? And where is your home? Let me take you back."

Xiao Tian shook his head until the old man asked again, "Do you not remember what happened?"

Xiao Tian shook his head again. "No, I remember. But I no longer have a home to return to. My village was attacked by bandits who not only looted but also slaughtered all the villagers and burned our houses. Both my parents were killed in that incident. I managed to escape by jumping into this river. Now, I have nowhere to go."

Xiao Tian's face, still that of a child, looked very sad. His sadness was genuine. Although he didn't tell the whole truth, fearing the older man might be a subordinate of the Wang kingdom, the mix of anger and sorrow on his face was not fabricated.

The older man understood Xiao Tian's feelings. Judging by his expression, the child wasn't lying. Besides, he was just a child, unlikely to be good at making up stories. The older man decided to take him. "If you have no home, come with me. I am the head of a Sect not far from here."

"If the senior allows it, I won't refuse." Xiao Tian saw this as an opportunity. If he lived in a Sect, he could train to become strong.

"Hahaha, good. However, in the future, don't call me senior; call me Grandpa Fa Wa. From now on, I'll take you as my grandson. Since you no longer have a family, there's no harm in me becoming your family. Now, tell me, what's your name?"

Initially, Xiao Tian didn't want to call him Grandpa. But Fa Wa's words were true; he no longer had relatives. As for Wang Chong, even though he was a relative, he was someone Xiao Tian wanted to eradicate from the world.

"Thank you, Grandpa. My name is Tian." Xiao Tian didn't want to mention his clan name, fearing the Wang kingdom would discover his identity.

"Hahaha, good, good. How old are you, Tian?" Fa Wa asked, smiling with his wrinkled lips.

"I am six years old." Xiao Tian answered honestly.

Fa Wa didn't expect the child in front of him to be only six years old because Xiao Tian's physical appearance was almost that of a ten-year-old. "This little girl is my granddaughter; her name is Ziyan Rouxi. You can call her sister when you are younger. Now, please wait a moment; Grandpa will catch some fish for us. Tian must be hungry."