Chapter 154: Your Father and Your Dad, Soul Devourer (5k)

That tremor in the heart, the one that appears at first sight, is definitely not a lie.

Of course, Pei Tugou hadn’t dwelled on these details; he simply trusted Wen Yan’s character. Once Wen Yan said it, he immediately believed Wen Yan’s words.

Looking at the melancholic expression on Wen Yan’s face, he understood that Wen Yan must also be slowly digesting this sudden incident.

"Where’s the child’s mother?"

"He doesn’t have a mother."

Upon hearing this, Pei Tugou dared not ask further.No mother... that meant she was undoubtedly gone. The circumstances must be complicated.

His own heart felt complicated too. He’d cared for the little one for so many days, watching him go from near death to seemingly having grown a little. Even without giving him a name, he’d grown attached.

"To be on the safe side, let’s do a DNA test first."

Wen Yan stubbed out his cigarette butt and made a decision.

So what if he didn’t even have a girlfriend yet and suddenly had a little rascal of a son? He’d just raise him. He couldn’t just abandon him, after all.

Although this little rascal had managed to stay hidden right under everyone’s noses, while various powerful factions fought to the death around him, and not a single soul had discovered him. It made Wen Yan feel like this little rascal had played them all for fools.

But this little rascal... he was truly closer to him than his own flesh and blood son, a son whose very Soul he had given.

They say a woman’s emotions are affected by hormones when she gives birth, but Wen Yan now felt like he too was on the verge of being overwhelmed by them.

Whenever he saw the child, he couldn’t help but feel an irresistible urge to hold the little fellow immediately.

Wen Yan saw Pei Tugou not speaking and patted him on the shoulder.

"Bro, if the DNA test confirms it, you’re still his dad. When he learns to say ’Dad,’ let him call you ’Dad.’"

"Ah..." Pei Tugou was somewhat surprised, thinking Wen Yan didn’t want the child.

But then he heard Wen Yan say,

"And then, I’m his other father; let him call me ’Father.’ We’ll each have our distinct roles.

"If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have had the chance to grow up safely and soundly.

"When you get old, let him care for you through your old age.

"If he’s unwilling, then I haven’t taught him right. I’ll break my own legs first, and then I’ll break his."

Pei Tugou didn’t know what to say for a moment.

He had assumed Wen Yan would either not want the child or would simply take him away. Either scenario would have deeply distressed him.

But now, he found Wen Yan’s idea surprisingly acceptable.

The child had found his biological father, yet he, Pei Tugou, was still his dad.

"Bro, where have you been working recently?"

"Nowhere. I haven’t had much work these days.

"My mother has recovered well from her illness and can move around more now. If the little one can be discharged from the hospital, we can take him too.

"My wife isn’t working at the moment either; she’s at home looking after the elderly and the children.

"If things really don’t work out, I was prepared to go back to our hometown. At least we have some land there."

Wen Yan lit another cigarette, thought for a while, and made a decision.

"Bro, I’m going to be honest with you.

"I definitely can’t bear for the child to leave, but I also know you can’t bear it either.

"And I especially don’t want the child to gain one father only to lose his other dad.

"Bro, come to Virtue City; I’ve got you covered.

"If you don’t mind, I work at a Funeral Home, and in related areas, I can help you find a higher-paying job.

"Our director at the Funeral Home particularly likes people like you—steadfast, hardworking, and honest.

"Alternatively, I have friends who can help find you a stable job; that won’t be a problem.

"Or, if you want a job where you earn more by working more and have flexible hours, that’s also an option.

"If you want to start a business, there’s no problem with that either.

"If your wife wants to work, we can find her a job. If she doesn’t want to work, that’s fine too.

"When your daughter comes to Virtue City, her schooling definitely won’t be an issue.

"Bro, what do you think? This is the best solution I can think of.

"Everything is for the child."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Pei Tugou had already made his decision.Wen Yan had laid things out so clearly that he found it impossible to refuse.

"I need to discuss it with my family first."

"That’s right, Bro. Discuss it with your family first."

Pei Tugou got up and walked towards the hospital building. After taking a few steps, he stopped, thought for a moment, and then turned back to call Wen Yan.

"Aren’t you going to see the child?"

Wen Yan grinned and followed him.

He had mulled over these decisions for a long time. Seeing the Pei Tugou family’s affection for the child, he truly couldn’t bear to just take him away.

Besides, how would he even know how to care for a child? Honestly, if he were to raise the child himself, it would be a miracle if the boy even grew up; it would mean the child had an incredibly strong constitution.

Furthermore, given the child’s special circumstances, Wen Yan didn’t dare casually hire a nanny.

The only optimal solution remaining was to let the child have a dad, and also a father.

With anyone else, Wen Yan might have hesitated, but this brother’s character was absolutely beyond question.

Following Pei Tugou to the pediatrics ward, they saw the little guy with his tiny fists clenched, sleeping soundly. His complexion was clearly much better than before, proving that the Yang Energy Wen Yan had blessed him with was indeed having some effect.

This was to be expected. As the Soul Devouring Beast’s transition to Soul Devourer progressed smoothly, the little humanoid fellow would continue to improve.

This little guy had likely held on this long because some of the traits from the original Soul Devouring Beast had already been transferred to him.

Pei Tugou pulled Wen Yan over and introduced him to his wife.

His wife immediately smiled warmly and expressed her gratitude for everything.

Pei Tugou pulled his wife outside to discuss matters, leaving Wen Yan alone. Wen Yan looked at the tiny patient on the small bed and cautiously reached out a hand to touch him.

In his sleep, the little fellow’s hand fluttered and then grasped one of Wen Yan’s fingers.

"Soul Devouring Beast → Soul Devourer (In Transition).

Literally your son.

You acknowledged him as your son, and he acknowledged you as his father.

The necessary procedures are complete, transforming him from an Invincible beast that only devoured the Souls of living Creatures into an intelligent, sentient being.

From this moment on, the very definition of a Soul truly began to undergo an unprecedented change.

This was a momentous, unprecedented transformation. For him, at least, it was an unparalleled opportunity for advancement.

But by the same token, the immense authority over the definition of a Soul also began to shift.

Are you ready for it?"