"Haven't found it yet, it's still early."
Though that's what he said, when Little Hedgehog learned he wasn't here to hunt for treasure but to find Tang Rao's child, it was more focused than before.
"Got it!"
Just as he thought he couldn't find the child, Little Hedgehog reacted.
"Right up ahead, it's the house with chimney smoke."
Little Hedgehog pointed forward to a small house with smoke coming from it. Tang Rao didn't know if they were boiling water or cooking, but seeing the smoke made him uneasy.
"I feel sothing big happening inside."
"Wow, it slls like roast at in there, so fragrant."
One mont Tang Rao felt sothing big was happening, the next, Little Hedgehog dropped a bombshell.
Fragrance? Roast at?
Could they have mistaken Tang Xiaobai for Tang Xuanzang and roasted him?
This thought made Tang Rao's scalp tingle.
His feet moved as fast as a Wind Fire Wheel; he had never run so fast in his life.
"Is anyone inside?"
"Open the door."
Tang Rao shouted outside a few tis but heard no response, which made him even more anxious.
He started ramming the door, not knowing how this shabby house was built, after several attempts, the door stood firm, and the house was undamaged.
"Who's there?"
Just as Tang Rao wanted Supre Power to step in, a voice finally ca from inside.
And then, the door was opened.
Inside, there was indeed a delicious sll of at and the scent of brewing dicine. Tang Rao rushed in without a second thought and narrowly avoided being hit by the old woman's sudden slap.
Luckily, he avoided the unexpected blow perfectly.
"Old lady, where's my son?"
Tang Rao didn't want to waste ti exchanging pleasantries with the old woman; he only wanted to know where Tang Xiaobai was.
"What son of yours? There's no child here."
The old lady denied it, naturally, knowing if you were caught stealing, you'd feign ignorance and claim innocence.
"My son Tang Xiaobai isn't here?"
Tang Raoming knew Little Hedgehog's judgnt was never wrong, but he wouldn't stand a chance against the feisty older woman.
He needed to know why she took Tang Xiaobai and what she planned to do with him.
"Not here."
The old woman was worldly enough to lie without batting an eye.
"Sorry to bother you, old lady, may I have so water here? I'm too tired searching for my son and quite thirsty."
When Tang Rao expressed his thirst, his lips cracked open, and the wound started to bleed.
"I'll get your water; wait here."
The old lady wasn't very trusting of Tang Rao, took the container he handed her, and watched him as she left for water.
Thankfully, Tang Rao stood still and started singing a nursery rhy in the room.
The pleasant tune had an effect.
As the song ended, giggles erged from within the house.
The sound was not loud, but it didn't hinder Tang Rao's ears.
Sure enough, Tang Xiaobai was there, and he seed alright from the sound.
"Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai?"
Tang Rao whispered quietly. anwhile, the old woman returned with the water.
"I told you, there's no one you want to see here, so don't waste your effort!"
The old woman shot Tang Rao a scornful glance, with evident displeasure in her eyes.
"There, there."
Tang Rao clenched his fists tightly but kept a smile, finishing the dialogue with the old woman amicably.
"You've got your water, now you can go."
The old woman's face remained calm, but Tang Rao's heart crawled with anxiety.
Technically, she should've been dead by now, how is she still enduring?
"Waiting for the poison on the water bag to kick in?"
As Tang Rao stalled, the old woman began to exert herself, thinking his little tricks could fool her? He underestimated this King of Ten Thousand Poisons!
"You found out!"
Tang Rao was genuinely impressed.
He thought his newly developed poison was undiscoverable, but the old woman knew all along and had precautions against him.
"Your petty tricks, boasting such small skills in my presence?"
Being belittled as having insignificant skills by the old woman made Tang Rao's heart nearly crumble.
He only wanted to shout, "Where's my knife?"
"Old lady, let's be candid, why did you take my son? To test poisons on him?"
Tang Rao cautiously asked.
"You think everyone is as wasteful as you? Now that you know your son is here, I might as well say it straight—your son is a born poison master, and his fate aligns with mine. I'm taking your son as my Closed-door Disciple!"
Closed-door Disciple? Just stealing a child like that? Completely disregarding Tang Rao, wasn't it?
"Just taking my son? Have you ever respected my opinion as a father? If you want a disciple, can't you have one with a fate that matches yours yourself?"
It's the old woman's pain, she wished she could, but Tang Rao was unaware of why she ventured down the path of poison.
Because of a man who betrayed her trust, after being abandoned, the old woman chose poison-making, an accident left her unable to bear children.
Tang Rao cruelly salted her wounds, making the old woman's heart ache.
"Shut up!"
The old woman sneered.
"You'll never take your son back! I have no son; neither shall you!"
Whether she wanted Tang Xiaobai as her disciple or had ulterior motives, she decided to keep him and wouldn't let him go.
Tang Rao wouldn't get to see Tang Xiaobai even a glance again.
"What? You're crossing the line, old lady!"
Knowing he might never see Tang Xiaobai again, Tang Rao got anxious.
He began to stride in, unfettered, and the old woman readied herself against him. Her hard-won prize was hers alone; tang no one else could touch.
"Boo hoo hoo!"
Tang Rao heard Tang Xiaobai crying inside, following the sound to see the child cradled in a basket.
"Old lady, I don't want to kill in front of my son, so do yourself a favor and step aside, don't force ."
Tang Rao felt unusually reconciliatory, one reason being Tang Xiaobai was in her grasp, and another being Tang Rao was no match for her.
"Tang Rao, are you really challenging this old woman?"
Supre Power saw Tang Rao's stance and couldn't hold him back!
"Not a real fight? Pretending?"
Pretending would be mocked to death by her.
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