Douluo Continent: The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? A Soul Beast Pagoda!

Chapter 39 Nottingham

The next day, early morning, Niuma Village.

Jiang Bai opened his eyes, stared at the familiar, somewhat blackened roof beams above his head for a moment, and then slowly sat up.

Although the bed beneath him was a hard wooden one, it gave him a long-lost sense of security.

This is his home.

When I came back last night, the house was covered with a thick layer of dust.

He gave it a quick clean, and although it was still shabby, at least it was habitable.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, a refreshing morning breeze rushed in.

Jiang Bai quickly washed up, tied her long hair back up, and changed into clean clothes.

After taking out the gifts he had prepared the night before from his storage bracelet, Jiang Bai went to Xi Hai's house first.

After leaving Xi Hai's house, Jiang Bai went to the village chief's house.

The village chief's grandmother's eyesight is not very good, and her hearing is also a bit impaired, but she is still in good spirits.

She sat alone in a wicker chair under the eaves, a thin blanket covering her knees, squinting in the sun.

As Jiang Bai approached, she seemed to sense something, slowly turning her head and straining to focus her cloudy eyes.

"Grandma Village Chief, I am Jiang Bai." Jiang Bai squatted down, grasped her withered hand, and spoke very softly.

The old lady was stunned for a long time before she shakily reached out and touched Jiang Bai's face.

Her fingers were rough like tree bark, but her movements were very gentle.

"Little White—is Little White back?" Her voice was soft, with the slurred speech characteristic of an elderly person. "Your mother—how happy your mother would be to see you like this—"

Jiang Bai's nose tingled with emotion, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes, I'm back."

He put down the gifts he had brought. He then chatted with the old lady for a while, telling her that he was doing well and that she could rest assured.

The old lady invited him to stay for breakfast, and this time Jiang Bai did not refuse.

It's a very simple meal of congee, pickled vegetables, and cornbread.

The old woman watched him eat, a contented smile on her face, as she chattered on about what had happened in the village over the years—who got married, who had a baby—

It took almost half an hour to eat breakfast.

When Jiang Bai left the village chief's house, the sun was already higher in the sky. Instead of going home, he headed straight towards the back of the village in the mountains.

There is a hillside there, which is the village cemetery.

Halfway up the mountain, on a relatively flat slope, dozens of graves are scattered.

Most of them are simple mounds of earth with wooden signs or stone tablets standing on them, some of which are crooked and some are half-hidden by weeds.

Jiang Bai stopped in front of one of the graves.

This grave was smaller than most of the ones around it, with sparse weeds growing on it, and the tombstone was a simple wooden plaque with crooked characters carved on it.

The writing was already somewhat blurred, and the wooden sign had cracked from wind and rain.

It's been six years.

Jiang Bai slowly knelt down, touched his forehead to the ground, and solemnly kowtowed three times.

"Mother," his voice was soft, yet it echoed clearly in the silent cemetery, "I'm back."

I've come to see you.

He knelt for a long time before slowly getting up.

He took out the prepared tools from his storage bracelet: a hammer, chisel, saw, and several bags of stone and quicklime. He also cut some sturdy timber from nearby and built a simple shed.

Next, Jiang Bai cleared away the weeds from the grave mound and used a shovel to shape the mound into a more rounded and taller shape.

Then, using a chisel and hammer, he shaped the granite stones he brought into shape one by one. This was not easy, after all, he was not a stonemason. Each stone had to be measured and chiseled repeatedly to ensure a perfect fit.

The burial foundation, stone tomb, and tombstone were completed in sequence.

The tombstone is made of a nearly two-meter-high piece of bluish-gray granite, with a fine texture and a serene color.

Jiang Bai used a chisel to carve the six large characters "Tomb of my beloved mother Jiang Ning" on the front, and then carved a line of smaller characters below it: "Erected by son Jiang Bai".

On the back of the tombstone, he simply carved some auspicious cloud and mythical beast patterns.

Finally, he used the remaining stones to pave a smooth circle around the grave.

It was two and a half days later when it was finally completed.

The newly built stone tomb gleamed with a bluish-gray luster in the sunlight, the tombstone stood solemnly upright, and the surrounding evergreen plants swayed gently in the breeze.

Jiang Bai neatly arranged the prepared offerings in front of the tombstone. Then he lit three incense sticks and placed them in the incense burner.

Wisps of smoke rose, swirled, and dissipated.

He knelt down again, his forehead pressed against the cold stone surface.

"Mother," he said softly, his voice unusually clear in the silence, "I'm sorry I can't stay by your side forever. I have revenge to take, a path to walk, and I have to leave again to venture out into the world and become stronger."

"It is safest for a ship to dock at the pier, but that is not the purpose of building ships. Giant ships will eventually have to withstand the test of strong winds and waves."

"Lying at home is the most comfortable thing, but that's not the meaning of life. Life must be tempered in the storms before it can shine."

"Mother, I will definitely become a powerful Soul Master. Not just for revenge, but also to live up to the life you gave me, to live up to those who are good to me, and to live up to myself."

"I will make you proud of me in heaven."

After saying that, he solemnly kowtowed three more times.

Jiang Bai slowly stood up, took one last look at his mother's tombstone, and gently brushed away a speck of dust from the surface, as if stroking his mother's cheek.

"Wait for me to come back next time, Mother."

After saying that, he turned around and walked down the hillside step by step along the path he had come from.

There was no turning back.

After returning from the cemetery, Jiang Bai first went to Xi Hai's house to say goodbye.

Then we went to see the village chief's grandmother.

When the old lady heard that he was leaving, she silently squeezed his hand, said nothing, and simply stuffed a small cloth bag into his hand. Jiang Bai opened it, and inside were several pieces of rice cakes she had made herself, still warm.

"I'll eat on the way," the old lady said softly.

Jiang Bai nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Grandma."

I walked alone along the dirt road to the village entrance and stood for a moment under the old locust tree.

My hometown remains the same, but I am no longer the boy I once was.

Jiang Bai took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the village.

In an open space several miles from the village, he summoned a wind dragon.

"To Nottingham." He pointed in a direction, then mounted the dragon, his voice calm.

The dragon spread its wings and soared into the sky.

Two and a half days later.

On the outskirts of Notting City.

Jiang Bai landed outside the city, put away the wind dragon, and walked into the city.

He first found a clean and tidy-looking hotel, the Oak Inn, a simple three-story building.

The receptionist was a young waiter who, upon seeing Jiang Bai enter, quickly stood up to greet him: "Sir, are you checking in?"

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"I'd like a superior room," Jiang Bai said, taking out a money pouch from his storage bracelet.

"Alright! Superior room with meals included!" The waiter quickly registered the room and handed over a brass key. "Third floor, innermost room, south-facing window, quiet."

Jiang Bai paid the room fee and had just taken the key to go upstairs when he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask the servant.

"By the way, has the new student enrollment period at Notting College ended yet?"

The attendant paused for a moment, then thought for a moment before speaking.

"Notting Academy? Uh—it seems like a few weeks have passed. The academy should be officially open by now. Do you have a relative who wants to enroll?"

"Just asking." Jiang Bai nodded. "Thanks. Send up dinner later, something light will do."

"Yes, sir! Dinner will be served to you around 3:45 PM!" the servant replied attentively.

Jiang Bai turned and went upstairs. The wooden stairs creaked slightly underfoot, and the third-floor corridor was covered with an old carpet and was dimly lit.

He used the key to open the door to the innermost room, which was more spacious than he had imagined.

A large bed, a table and chairs, a wardrobe, and a south-facing window that is currently open, offering a view of a corner of the street outside.

The room was very clean, and the sheets and blankets were newly changed, smelling of sunshine.

Jiang Bai closed the door and walked to the window.

He pondered how to make Yu Xiaogang feel disgusted.

He was never some saint who repaid evil with good. He remembered the grudge that Bibi Dong had for killing him once.

If we can't beat Bibi Dong now, then we'll start by taking some interest from the person she cares about most.

We can't kill Yu Xiaogang now; that would be too easy on him and would make us too vulnerable to being exposed.

Tang Hao had been secretly protecting Tang San. If Tang San were to attack Yu Xiaogang in person, it would be difficult to avoid attracting Tang Hao's attention.

Moreover, Tang San needs this "Master of Gods" to guide him onto the "right path"!

Therefore, Yu Xiaogang cannot die so easily now.

There are many ways to disgust him, the key is to do it naturally and without leaving a trace.