Shi Lang and the rest of the people took Tao home with them. The first thing the elders did was to set up a room and get clothes and other things for Tao. The girl was young but she was too thin and her clothes, well, you can call them to be ragged.
Amelia gently took the little one to take a bath and personally cleaner her up properly. She made sure to check her body for any trauma signs or injuries. After she made sure that everything was fine, she took her back to the room prepared for her wrapped in a pink towel. Tao did not speak, but she did not resist either.
It could be because she did not sense any malice coming from these guys. Shi Lang was not in a hurry, he wanted his parents to go to bed and then he will proceed with his further plan. Amelia spotted him sitting in deep thought and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Shi Lang woke up and shook his head with a smile. Amelia, however, did not budge and said, “Can you fool me?”
The young man was left speechless at this. He sighed and said, “Well. Tao may not live long if this continues.”
Amelia’s expression underwent a change and she asked, “What do you mean?”
Shi Lang said, “Her physique attracts the spirit energy naturally, and if this energy is allowed to go inside without proper channels, Tao will become an overpressured box that could explode at any moment.”
Amelia took a deep breath and asked, “What is the cure?”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “Seals, spirit seals to stop the body from absorbing any more spiritual energy, in the meantime teach her to cultivate with the energy inside her. In the later stage gradually remove the seals to allow a stable spiritual overflow. If we remove them all, the body will not last.”
Amelia nodded and asked, “What is the problem if you know the solution?”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “It will have to be monitored regularly. Since you do not know the spirit seals, you might miss the changes in her body during an emergency situation.”
Amelia nodded and said, “I know what you mean. I do not mind, think of it as training for having a child in the future.”
Shi Lang smiled and placed his arm around the lady and said, “Let us get some rest. “
Amelia leaned against his shoulders and gradually, she fell asleep. Although she was a core condensation realm cultivator, she was still used to sleeping. Their cultivation path had changed, and the modernization of the world had put too many variables on the table.
In ancient times, the bloodshed was so heavy that the people would rather run to a forest than sleep in the city. In the modern age, the cultivators were at peace with each other, but Shi Lang knew that this peace was just the calm before the storm. The entire world will slowly change, and if there was no one to manage things, the civil war caused by similar interests will destroy the Federation.
In a world where strength was supreme, one must be strong, only then will the people follow him or her. Shi Lang might be at the peak of the Federation at this moment, but if a talented guy had some fortunate encounter, and managed to surpass him in one fell swoop? What then? Shi Lang could not grow complacent.
Strength was only temporary, he knew very well, that there were people who were stronger than him, and to take those people on, he needed to become strong. He carefully carried Amelia to their room, tucked her in, and came back outside. He found that Tao had yet to sleep.
He thought that wasting time was not a good thing and walked over. The door of the room was not locked, and with a gentle push, it revealed a gap. Shi Lang found the child laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. The room had a dim light turned on. He walked inside after the girl cast him a gaze.
He sat down next to her and asked, “Cannot sleep?”
Tao shook her head and said, “Gramp, come, wait.”
Shi Lang was surprised but then he patted her head gently. The girl was like a porcelain doll, delicate and fair. He said, “He will be upset if he saw you like this.”
Tao cast him a glance and asked, “Gramp, sky?”
The young general sighed and since Tao will find out sooner or later, he decided to tell her about it now. As a young child with low intellect, she will be able to get over it soon, and if she realized things in the future, she will be strong enough to deal with it.
Tao fell silent. Not like she was speaking much anyway, but her eyes had come to a standstill as well. Shi Lang did not speak again, he just sat there, looking at her, calmly and patiently. The room was filled with the breathing sound of the two people.
After a few minutes, Shi Lang said, “I will now give you a treatment. Your body will stop attracting the energy…”
The young man told her everything, and the girl nodded at him repeatedly. Then they sat up in front of each other in the lotus position. Then Shi Lang made some seals with his fingers and then cast some seals on the girl’s body. The effect was obvious, the vitality radiating from Tao had been suppressed.
Shi Lang said, “You are not alone here, I am with you okay?”
Tao looked at him and said, “Tired.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Come, time to sleep and rest.”
The girl nodded and Shi Lang tucked her in. He just wanted to leave when he saw this girl holding his arm. He smiled and said, “I am here, you sleep.”
Only after he coaxed her did she let him go. He sat down on the floor and began to meditate. Since the seals were placed, the spiritual energy stopped pouring into the body, and Tao experienced tiredness.
She gradually fell asleep and the new day came. Shi Lang told his parents that Tao was not supposed to move around for anything other than going to the washroom. If she did, she will fall sick. This was a way for him to train her body. She already has energy stored in her body, this way her body will be forged from the inside out. This will be a stronger physical ability than the others.
The parents agreed to Shi Lang who went out of the house to deal with a few issues. He wanted to find out a few people and discuss his thoughts with them at great length. Such a person was the former general, and now, Principal Edwards.
Shi Lang wished for the federation to rise to another level, and this will be possible when the foundation was laid for the younger generations. This will only be possible in the academies where the children spend the most vital time of their lives. However, this was all good and gold to talk but the problems in such a change were obvious as well.
With greater power, the mindset of the people will also change. Shi Lang walked on the sidewalks, slowly looking at the world around him. With the hustle of the early morning, he felt a wave of nostalgia as he boarded the train heading for his old school. The people might have gone nuts if Shi Lang was to come out in his complete facade attire. However, since he was dressed in common blue denim and a white shirt with a navy blue peeked cap, he just looked like a handsome boy next door.
After he got off the train and came to the school gates, he found the same person guarding the gates, who has been guarding it since he was a student there. The man saw Shi Lang and said, “The school has not opened yet.”
The young man chuckled and said, “Andre, when are you going to give up the facade of being tough in front of me?”
The man looked at him and said, “As long as I stand guard, slacker.”
Shi Lang looked at the faint smile on his face and laughed, he was quite famous for being late for school. Thus the guards called him a slacker. The guard smiled and asked, “What brings you here? Not enough work on the frontline?”
Shi Lang shook his head and said, “You said it yourself, I am a slacker. I came here to find the new prince, about time we work together.”
The guard nodded and said, “Hmm, Mr. Edward is a good guy.”
Shi Lang chuckled and said, “Wait till those first fleet blokes hear you say this.”
The two bantered around with each other before the flock of students came in flowing through the gates and Andre said, “Get going slacker, quit being late.”