"Father."

  That single word brought everything to a standstill. The spirit master fleards, and his feet touched the ground as he wandered forward.

  "Father." Tang Yin said again in shod then corrected herself. "Tang Hao." This man had hardly been a father to her.

  "Little Yin." His coarse voiswered her, and he went down to his ko better look into her eyes. "You have grown."

  "And you haven't ged. I am not waiting. But brother is, Tang San still waits for you...he loves you." Tang Yin said, shrugging her shoulders. "...you should not have vanished like you did."

  "I had my reasons."

  "Sorry. But reasons .... don't t in that case. He loves you, and you keep kig it into his face." She growled and the her arms da her side. "We don't even know anymore who you really are. Although it doesn't matter to me anymore. Who cares." She had lned when it came to that man. All he did was her, and the few times he showed care did not weigh it up to her. She knew what family was supposed to be like; it wasn't all sunshine and roses, but not like he had treated them.

  "As Frank as always."Tang Hao said, and Yin shrugged her shoulders. Then she poi Zhao Wuji. "leave him alive though he is supposed to bey teacher, teically. Since you are apparently a Titled Douluo, I have a question."

  "Mhh." Tang Haos Hammer vanished.

  "Haishen Isnd. Poseidon Pavillion, do they have a way to permaly deal with this?" She held up her gloved arm. "I have a solution by now on my own it's doing a good job, but I wouldn't call it ideal." "I am surprised you have made it this far. In some ways, I couldn't be prouder. How have you been?" "Not with him in hearing distaang Yin poi Zhao Wuji. Tang Hao Was an Ass, but she did trust him because she didn't uand herself.

  "Scam." Tang Hao thu Zaho Wuji, who pulled an impressive speed retreat.

  "Now."

  Tang Yin jured up her Spirit Ring and dissolved the illusion around it until it appeared in its true crimson color. Her back twitched as she had her torso spirit bone appear as well. A turquoise pair of little wings. They were too small to fly with but certainly looked impressive.

  "They grow with my spirit power. I hope to gain flying or diffusion with my spirit ability." Tang Yin told him.

  "A tury millennium spirit ring and bone." He said, a sad timbre in his voice.

  "Yes, the tale of how I have e to own it is a secret tough. It's keeping me alive by abs all the spirit power I'm uo handle. I have up to level 35 and ting now. I should, only on spirit power, be around ten levels higher, more or less, but my body 't hahose; I may have to slow down too. Having two supporters who excel at support has its back draws for me. I must wait until I'm fully grown to access it without killing myself. So until I'm 21 or so." "eight years."

  "eight years to ght? It helped that number enormously; for a while, I stubbornly put my head into the sand, saying I wao be a spiritual master and not really doing something for it since I was afraid. Now where I have a goal and a perspective, it has bee...easier."

  "I see." Her Father's voice sounded rough as he kneeled doatted her head. "You are doing well, little Yin."

  Tang Yin stepped back from him and tried to be strong, or at least appear to be. "I know." She answered him. "I'm a big girl. I take care of myself. I'd rather you worry for Tang San; he needs you more than me."

  "I uand." Tang Hao whispered and stepped back. "I uand. Tang Yin, don't tell him I have been here, please. One day, I will expin it all."

  Tang Yin looked at him, her fists balled.

  "Why, fod's sake? Why should I?"

  "Please, Tang Yin. You will uand one day."

  "I don't know if I will be alive one day..." She argued back, but her Father was already gone leavianding there. She stared into the sky and pushed down all that fusing sadness and helplessness into Anger. She'd rather be angry than hurt; it was better to be angry. At least when she was angry, she was doing something productive. Staring at her hands, she balled it to a fist. Poseidon Court. She o know more about it, it couldn't go on like this, and it was starting to be too.

  "Might as well go exerg." She muttered when a leathery wing curled around her. She twirled and saw Jiang standing there, he was still in his boyish form, but all human sembnce was gone. He had rge wings and scales scattered on him, and his eyes were pure dragon. She looked up at him and put a smile on her lips. Jiang instead shook his head and hugged her.

  First, she stiffened up, but then she felt tears drop from her eyes, and for the first time in forever, she permitted herself to be sad. To cry.

  "Why....why...why....?" She wailed. "Why....?"

  "Shhhhh....it's fine. You o cry sometimes, Yin. Cry it all out. You be optimistid smiling once you are finished." He said, and she g to him. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

  "Imma going to make yret it if you tell...." she pined, and he hummed deeply in agreement. She tinued g until the sun had fully risen, and she rubbed her puffy eyes. "...why do you always catch me when I'm shaky....?" She asked, sorely defeated and tired, and all the things she hated to be."Mhhh, maybe I just have a talent for it." He said and grinned. "Or I am being a bad drag to devour your soul...." He jokingly raised his cws at her. "...and keep it all for me."

  "Dork." She shot bad punched him. With him, she didn't have to watch how hard she hit.

  "Your favorite." He shouted while she started running.

  "Well, my favorite now may as well exercise before breakfast. Bro and Ning Feng will have my ass if I don't." She shouted back, and Jiang hurried after her.