Chapter 110: The Legend of Hou Yi Shooting the Suns

The man in the suit was the owner of a local manor and was incredibly wealthy. By his own account, he wanted to adopt a child because he had none of his own.

Feng Tianlin had grown tired of staying at the orphanage. The nightmare entity had vanished without a trace, and the mysterious, powerful creature from the Sunset Kingdom he had been waiting for had yet to show up. Seeing another potential target present himself, Feng naturally did not refuse and immediately instructed Long Mengting to go with the man.

Shortly after, the man in the suit completed the adoption paperwork, and Long Mengting was taken away. When she left, the orphanage director was so moved she nearly wept; she had finally gotten rid of that jinx. It hadn't been easy. However, before she could enjoy her relief for long, the smell of something burning reached her, followed by an unbearable, scorching heat. Looking back, she saw the entire orphanage engulfed in raging flames. As she tried to flee, she was surrounded by the fire and eventually reduced to ash along with the rapidly consuming blaze.

Long Mengting carried a teddy bear in her arms and a doll on her back, a sight that was inexplicably terrifying at first glance. The man in the suit smiled the entire time, only pausing when they passed a toy store to ask if she wanted any toys, as she seemed to take a liking to them. Naturally, she declined. The man in the suit smiled and said, "I insist on picking one for you as a gift for our first meeting and for joining my family." After Feng Tianlin translated this for her, he added, "If he wants to give you a gift, let him." So, Long Mengting nodded.

The man in the suit entered the store and, rather than picking out a gift, walked up to the counter and asked, "Are you the owner?" The cashier behind the counter grew terrified the moment he saw the man. "Oh my god, it is an honor to meet you, Manor Lord Westford. I am not the owner, but I can contact him immediately." Westford nodded, and the cashier pulled out a phone and dialed. After speaking with his boss, the cashier handed the phone over. Westford took out a handkerchief, elegantly handled the phone with it, and after offering the cashier a polite smile, said, "How much for this toy store? I'm buying it."

After hanging up, he looked at Long Mengting and said with a smile, "This is the first gift I am giving you." Long Mengting looked on with disdain, while Feng Tianlin was stunned. Just how rich was this guy? Long Mengting begrudgingly picked out a Garfield doll and prepared to leave. Westford smiled, told the cashier his butler would handle the acquisition, and departed with Long Mengting. As they reached the store entrance, a stretched luxury sports car was waiting outside; the vehicle felt almost cartoonishly extravagant.

Once inside the car, they sped toward the affluent district. As they entered, Feng Tianlin’s eyes lit up. This was a completely different world from where he had been staying. Villas, gardens, and luxury cars were the norm here. Finally, the car stopped at the base of a luxurious hillside. Upon stepping out, they were greeted and transferred to a smaller vehicle that took them up the slope.

Atop the hill sat a sprawling manor. A golf course, a soccer field, a swimming pool, gardens, and an ancient castle—it had everything. All of this dazzled Feng Tianlin; he briefly wondered if he had traveled into a Western film. After disembarking, a butler-like figure greeted them and led them into the castle. The decor was incredibly luxurious, a classic European style. Feng was left speechless by the interior as soon as they stepped inside.

They entered the dining room, where servants had already prepared a lavish lunch. Looking at the table, Feng could only think, "Good grief, why is this table so long? How many people live here?" Westford gestured for Long Mengting to sit beside him. After the butler poured him a glass of red wine, he signaled that they could begin their meal. Long Mengting placed Feng Tianlin and the Explosive Berserker Bear on a chair next to her, and Westford said nothing. Feng noticed that only Westford and Long Mengting were seated at the table; besides them, the only others in the room were a few servants and three spirit-guardians. The three guardians had concealed themselves, but Feng could sense from their auras that they were all D-rank. Did Westford live in such a massive manor all alone?

Suddenly, Westford spoke in fluent Chinese: "You are Chinese, aren't you?" His remark shocked both Long Mengting and Feng Tianlin—how was his Mandarin so standard? Long Mengting stopped her pretentious eating and nodded. "Yes." Hearing her confirmation, Westford continued, "I lived in China for over a decade and am very interested in your culture. Was the name Long Mengting given to you by your parents?" Long Mengting shot him a sideways glance. "Does that concern you?" Westford’s smile stiffened, but he forced a laugh. "You're quite humorous." "No," Long Mengting said with cold eyes, "I just don't think it's any of your business."

Westford shook his head. He didn't mention that they were legally father and daughter now, but instead changed the subject. "In your country, there is an ancient legend called 'Houyi Shoots the Suns.' Have you heard of it?" "No," Long Mengting replied bluntly. Upon hearing "Houyi Shoots the Suns," Feng Tianlin suddenly realized something was wrong. Wasn't that an Earth myth? How could it exist in this world?

Westford continued, "Legend says that one day, nine suns appeared in the sky. Eight of the extra suns turned into powerful demons that attacked humanity. But a god-like man named Houyi appeared in the East; he drew his bow and shot arrows, killing all eight demons and saving mankind." "So, what are you trying to tell me?" Long Mengting asked, still staring at him expressionlessly. Westford narrowed his eyes. "Don't you know?" "Know what?" Long Mengting looked confused.

Westford stroked his chin, walked to the window, and pulled down the curtains. Beyond the window, aside from the eerie starry sky, there were a moon and two suns! Feng Tianlin was dumbfounded. He had been cooped up in the orphanage for so long that he hadn't stepped outside, and he had no idea when the sky had gained a second sun. However, Long Mengting was not interested in this at all. "Then go find this 'Houyi' person. Why are you looking for me?" Westford was speechless.

After dinner, Westford had the servants take Long Mengting to her new room, which was filled with girlish decorations, suggesting he had been preparing for her adoption for a long time. Once she had returned to her room, the three spirit-guardians appeared by Westford's side. "Well? Are those toys she carries supernatural entities?" The three guardians looked at each other and shook their heads. "They have no aura of supernatural entities; they are just ordinary toys."

He was visibly disappointed upon hearing this. "Then keep observing her and report to me immediately if anything happens." With that, he walked to a bookcase, pulled out a specific volume, and revealed a secret basement. The three guardians left without a word. As soon as he entered the basement, torches automatically ignited, casting a faint glow. Following a path deep inside, he found an exquisite longbow hanging on the wall, which featured a relief carving of a yellow-skinned human aiming that very bow at nine bird-like suns in the sky.