He had left in good spirits and returned in silence.
After half a month, Wu Ling had already returned from Mooncell Village, but he was not as cheerful as usual. The reason was simple. He had attended a funeral.
Of course, the funeral was not Kiritsugu's. It was for Aunt Eight.
The day Wu Ling went back, the villagers happened to be holding her funeral. His excellent mood quieted the moment he saw it.
Afterward, he learned the details from Kiritsugu. Aunt Eight's son had died early. After her son died, her daughter-in-law ran off with her grandson, leaving the old woman alone in the house.
In truth, she had died at home several days earlier, but no one noticed. It was only after Kiritsugu went several days without seeing her that he found her in her house.
By the time Kiritsugu discovered her, the body had already begun to smell. That very night, Kiritsugu gathered the villagers to put things in order. The next day, they chose an auspicious hour and buried her. Wu Ling had returned at exactly that time.
Aging, sickness, and death were part of life. Wu Ling could accept Aunt Eight's passing. Of course, part of that was because he had never been especially close to her.
After the funeral, Wu Ling wanted to talk with Kiritsugu about bringing him to Spirit City, but Kiritsugu rejected the idea with the same hard refusal as before. He would not even accept the potions Wu Ling brought him. He even took out the bottles Wu Ling had given him two years ago and showed that he had never used them.
After a long silence, Wu Ling did not take those bottles back. Instead, he cooked Kiritsugu a meal himself and added the potions into the dishes.
Most of the medicinal effect faded after frying and boiling, but for Kiritsugu's old, worn body, what remained was still more than enough.
After all, Kiritsugu had raised him. Within the limits of what he could do, Wu Ling still hoped the old man could live well.
On his way back, Wu Ling also went to see Aurelia to adjust his mood. After giving her some cultivation potions, he had a friendly spar with her.
This time, even though both of them were Spirit Leaders, Aurelia could not even break through his defense before he easily pinned her beneath him. Under Aurelia's furious, embarrassed glare, Wu Ling left as if nothing had happened.
For a woman like Aurelia, Wu Ling had only one method. Beat her until she softened. In the original story, even Tang San's treatment of her had left her obsessed with him. Whether the Sea God's manipulation had anything to do with that was another matter. Either way, to Wu Ling, she was still not important right now.
Back at his home in Spirit City, Wu Ling sat in the courtyard and quietly drank tea. Rose and the other clones had all sensed the gloom in his heart, so every one of them behaved obediently.
As he drank, Wu Ling finally noticed the change inside himself.
"This is not right. It was only the death of someone I did not know well. Even if it reminded me of other things, it should not leave me unsettled for half a month. This feeling from deep inside... is a little like Mad Enhancement. Or rather, a remnant of partial Mad Enhancement."
Yes. Just as ordinary Martial Souls changed shape as Spirit Rings were added, the Unregistered Spirit Origin did not change its appearance, but it did subtly absorb portions of the summoned Heroic Spirits' abilities to strengthen Wu Ling's base attributes. Mad Enhancement was part of that.
More importantly, this portion had been absorbed before Wu Ling split off his clones, so the clones could not shoulder it for him.
Normally, Wu Ling's own mind, along with mental skills such as Transparency, balanced out that influence. But when certain things happened, it would surface.
"I still need to vent. After I settle this mood, I will spend some time having Rose help reorganize my mind. It would be best to reduce this influence to the lowest possible level. But the current problem is how to vent. Should I find a few more people and beat them up?"
Just as Wu Ling was planning to discuss the matter with Bibi Dong, Old Li the steward came over.
"Young Master, Miss Ivory and two young gentlemen are here to see you."
Wu Ling was slightly puzzled. Why would Serena Ivory come looking for him when she had nothing to do? As for the other two young gentlemen, they were probably Cassian Glaive and that three-fires guy, Vulcan Brand. The three of them could not have come together because they overestimated themselves and wanted a fight, could they?
"Invite them in."
If it had been Bibi Dong or one of the elders, Wu Ling would certainly have gone to receive them himself. But if it was only Serena Ivory and those other two, they did not yet have that qualification.
"Yes." Old Li bowed slightly, then walked toward the gate to lead in the three visitors waiting outside.
At the gate, the arrogant Vulcan Brand was already irritated that Wu Ling had taken so long to come out and greet them. He complained to Serena Ivory, "Nana, you and that guy are both His Holiness's disciples, but he is treating you with such neglect. You have to teach him a lesson later."
Serena Ivory had not spoken yet when Cassian Glaive stopped him from the side.
"Vulcan Brand, watch your words. The cultivation methods you practice and the spirit tools you use were all researched by him. One sentence from him might make you lose everything."
Even after Cassian Glaive's warning, Vulcan Brand was still dismissive.
"Hmph. He is just a bookworm. Why should he stand above us? The Spirit Master world demands strength, not all those flashy tricks. The cultivation methods are effective, sure, but a genius is still a genius whether he has a method or not. Even if he has reached Spirit Leader, that was definitely piled up by methods and resources. When it comes to real combat strength, who knows if he can even bring out half of it?"
Cassian Glaive did not think exactly like Vulcan Brand, but because Wu Ling currently had almost no public combat record, he could not find a way to refute him.
"Vulcan Brand, do not underestimate him," Serena Ivory said at last.
"Senior Brother Wu was accepted as Teacher's disciple. His strength cannot be minor. Otherwise, they could simply lock him up and make him research forever. There would be no need for Teacher to accept him as a disciple and give him so much autonomy.
"Recently, I have been building relationships with the elders. Since he and I are both Teacher's disciples, comparisons between us are unavoidable. From the elders' tone and from things they let slip, I learned that Senior Brother Wu's true strength lets him fight above his level with ease.
"And..."
She did not say the rest. She only remembered the first time she had seen Wu Ling. There had clearly been no killing intent on him, but the illusion that her head would fall in the next second remained vivid in her mind.
He was absolutely not just a bookworm.
This visit to Wu Ling had also been suggested by an elder after she improved her relationship with that elder. But now that she looked at the situation, she should never have brought Vulcan Brand.
Vulcan Brand had just become one of Spirit Hall's youngest Purple Record Medal recipients, and he was still riding that excitement. There was no telling what he might do.
Just as Vulcan Brand was about to say more, the gate suddenly opened.
Old Li walked out, bowed to the three of them, and said, "The Young Master asked me to bring you inside."