Chapter 40

"Tian Yu, what are you doing out?"

In Bai Ran's home, seeing this old friend go out in the middle of the night,

After returning, his clothes were wet, and Bai Liang looked somewhat doubtful.

Bai Liang: "You went out to wash your feet? No way, you didn't even call me for something like this, Xiao Feng, you've changed."

"I went out for a stroll, and speaking of it, Elder Brother Bai, are you really content to stay in such a small town?"

Actually, given the prestige of Bai Ran's father in the military, even if he has now practically become a cripple, it wouldn't be necessary for him to stay in this small town as a lowly guard of the city lord's mansion.

"What if I am willing, what if I am not?"

Such days are already good enough for me."

"Moreover, what the empire needs is a dead Bai Tianming."

So, I am now Bai Liang, merely an ordinary Soul Elder realm soul master.

Ten years ago, Bai Tianming, who was under forty, not only broke through to Titled Douluo, becoming the marshal commanding the empire's Southern Army Corps,

At the same time, relying on the powerful area-enhancement of his banner martial soul and his strong military command ability.

He successfully dealt a heavy blow to the elite corps that the Star Luo Empire had sent to attack the border of the Tian Dou Empire, causing the Star Luo Empire to dare not launch another attack on the Tian Dou Empire's border for at least five years.

The then Marshal of the Empire, Ge Long, evaluated Bai Tianming thus: "The empire's most shining general; given time, Tianming's achievements may surpass mine."

Unfortunately, Bai Tianming chose the wrong path.

After winning this battle that could excite the entire empire,

Bai Tianming refused the noble title bestowed upon him by the empire's high ranks.

And he said, having risen from the common folk, guarding the border was only for the peace and prosperity of the empire's people; this so-called noble title, he did not need.

In fact, Bai Tianming's original intention was not to become a great noble who exploits the people, but in the eyes of the empire's high ranks, this imperial general is disobedient.

For a bunch of peasants, you actually dare to give up the status granted by those noble lords?

A few days later, this imperial general was transferred to the Northern Border Army Corps.

He unexpectedly encountered the massive beast tide erupting in the Far North.

To protect the people of the northern lands, he exhausted his soul power and ultimately died beneath the endless beast tide.

Of course, the above is the empire's official report; in fact, Bai Tianming did not die.

His subordinates risked their lives to send him out,

He woke up in the ice and snow, seeing his shattered martial soul, corpses scattered everywhere, and towns destroyed by soul beasts.

In an instant, the nearly crippled Bai Tianming's heart was filled with a desire to die.

Just as Bai Tianming felt his body growing colder and the little soul power left within him was about to dissipate.

In this vast expanse of snow, he actually heard the cries of an infant.

At that moment, Bai Tianming no longer wanted to die; at the very least, he had to send this innocent child to a safe place.

"Little guy, you have no home? Neither do I."

"Look at your chubby white self, with a longevity lock on you; you must be a child from a wealthy family."

"Forget it, look at how likable you are; why don't I just adopt you?"

"From now on, you will follow my surname Bai; as for your given name, how about Anran?"

"Uh, Anran sounds like a girl's name; then let's call you Bai Ran."…

Relying on one-sided conversations with the infant along the way, Bai Tianming miraculously walked out of the Far North.

After that, he headed to the southern part of the empire.

Of course, he did not choose to return to the Southern Army Corps to report for duty.

Leaving aside that Bai Tianming supposedly died in the Far North beast tide, with only thirty-plus levels of soul power left, even if he returned to the corps he couldn't do anything.

Moreover, he had adopted a little child.

Afterward, he assumed the name Bai Liang and settled in the small town of Nuoding in Fasno Province.

Perhaps to ensure the child would not lack maternal love from a young age, Bai Tianming spent a hundred gold soul coins as a betrothal gift and married a woman who was a soul master of the great soul master rank.

The soul of "Bai Ran" came over after the original Bai Ran suffered a serious illness at the age of one.

Therefore, from Bai Ran's perspective, his father is miserable, the so-called mother is also just a "person"; of course, that woman is indeed heaven-defying, despising Bai's father for his lack of ability and even bringing along a child.

Thus, when faced with an empire viscount's declaration of love, that woman without hesitation boarded the viscount's carriage.

Such a plot, even if placed in a clichéd novel from five years ago, would probably seem hackneyed,

but since art comes from life, such authenticity actually feels genuine, right?

Afterward, Bai Tianming never expected that the picked-up son would awaken the same banner martial soul as his own.

At the time, Bai Tianming even wondered: had he incurred a romantic debt somewhere?

But no matter how he racked his brains, Bai Tianming could not figure out the reason.

Moreover, before marrying that woman from Nuoding City, Bai Tianming had never kissed a female friend, and even due to his inexperience, he elicited her mockery. (Old virgin) Perhaps Bai Tianming only knew a couple of moves, lacking the viscount's flourishes, which led that woman to choose to abandon Bai Tianming.

I just want to pursue happiness; what's wrong with that!

That punch directly silenced the iron-blooded men in the army.

Upon seeing Bai Ran not only awaken the banner martial soul but also possess innate full soul power, Bai Tianming was overjoyed at that time.

However, recalling his own past experiences, Bai Tianming did not instill in Bai Ran the notion that nobles are bad.

He merely advised him to be loyal to the empire, and when he becomes strong in the future, to well protect the empire's people.

As for those high-ranking nobles of the empire, while one should not associate closely with them, one must absolutely avoid becoming enemies with them.

After all, for the current Tian Dou Empire, even a constitutional monarchy would be too advanced, and Bai Tianming's action ten years ago of relinquishing his noble title to defend the people's rights practically meant opening a republican system.

The empire's high ranks certainly do not want to end up on the guillotine like Louis XVI, so they would rather abandon the hope of the empire's rise than nip this threat in the bud.

……

"Old Bi Deng, this is the pill I refined, come try it, maybe it can repair your shattered martial soul."

"Inside the room, just as Bai Tianming and Feng Tianyu were recounting their past experiences, Bai Ran suddenly pushed the door open, holding in his hand something that looked like a candy pill."

"Just then, hearing Lao Bi Deng say that he himself had been picked up, Bai Ran was stunned for a moment."

"No way, their martial souls are roughly similar, and their faces also look somewhat alike."

"Could it be that Dad isn't actually suffering from some fatal illness, deliberately saying this in order to have himself adopted by Uncle Feng?"

"Fortunately Bai Tianming doesn't know what this little brat is thinking; otherwise he'd surely whip out his belt and make this damned kid know what paternal love like a collapsing heaven and earth means."

"(End of chapter)"