After a long while, the laughter in the courtyard faded and quiet returned.
Then Tang Xiao put away his smile. His face turned solemn. "With the first matter finished, the second follows. Xiao San!"
At that, Tang San stepped forward, bowed to those around him, and said in a deep voice, "Greetings to the elders and all clansmen."
"Who are you?"
The long-browed elder at the head of the five elders frowned after a glance at Tang San.
"I am Tang San. My father's name is Tang Hao."
An uproar swept the crowd.
Tang Hao?
That name was all too familiar. Many present had never even seen him, but aside from a very few who were too young, none had failed to hear the fame of the Haotian Douluo of this age, or of his "glorious deed" of hammering to death the former Pope of Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji.
In an instant, the looks cast at Tang San changed. A small fraction turned unreadable, while most became hostile.
"Hmph. What is the son of that wretch Tang Hao doing back here? My Haotian Sect cannot bear it. Lest the inheritance of our sect of several thousand years be ruined in a day!"
A tall, thin elder sneered.
"Whatever the case, Haotian blood flows in me. I, Tang San, am willing to seek pardon on my father's behalf and to give my all to help the sect regain its might. I ask the Sect Master and elders to permit me to acknowledge my lineage and return to the sect."
Filtering out the thin elder's mockery, Tang San bowed to Tang Xiao and the five elders one by one.
At that, the thin elder flared up. "Nonsense! For what your father did, don't ever think of returning to the sect! You are the son he had with that wretched soul beast. You're nothing but a bas—"
Before the two characters for "bastard" could leave his mouth, an unmatched aura surged up in the courtyard. A terrifying soul power pressure targeted him alone and crashed down, forcing this elder, whose soul power rank was only 89, to shut his mouth.
"Elder, you are a senior, but please mind your words.
When that incident happened, Xiao San was a newborn infant. Even if Tang Hao was at fault, you cannot lay the blame on Xiao San.
Besides, Xiao San is Yuehua's nephew, which makes him my nephew as well."
Chu Chengzhou clasped his hands behind his back. Nine soul rings—black, black, black, red, black, red, red, red, red—flared around him. His face was calm as he spoke.
The message was obvious: old man, Tang San is my eldest nephew. He's under my protection.
Tang San: Uncle-in-law is the best!
"Nine-ring Titled Douluo?!"
As gazes swung to Chu Chengzhou again, exclamations broke out in the yard.
It was no longer what he was saying that drew attention, but the four-black five-red configuration blazing on a youth who looked not even twenty.
"Brother-in-law, you… you…"
Tang Xiao stared at the nine rings around Chu Chengzhou, so shocked he tripped over his words.
"Big brother-in-law, no need to make a fuss. There's something more surprising later."
Chu Chengzhou waved a hand, then withdrew the soul pressure aimed at the thin elder.
He swept his eyes around and settled his gaze on the long-browed elder at the head of the five—clearly the most senior by standing. "Xiao San carries the Haotian Sect's blood. That cannot be changed. Elders, will you hear me out?"
Perhaps with some sense of the situation, the thin elder who had just been cowed by Chu's pressure kept his anger from spilling over. He said nothing more, and did not let more insults tumble out.
"Please speak."
The long-browed elder, Second Elder of the Haotian Sect, Tang Bo, cupped his hands.
If, a moment ago, Chu Chengzhou had been a young "country tycoon" and a junior in Tang Bo's eyes, now he was a powerhouse of the age, and one far stronger than Tang Bo.
With a four-black five-red configuration, whatever Chu Chengzhou's precise rank, he could toy with Tang Bo, whose ring mix was "optimal" but who had only just entered rank 94 as a Titled Douluo.
The five elders together would likely still not be his match. Such a man, even if not one of their own, merited respect.
"May I have the elders' names?"
Chu Chengzhou cupped his hands.
"I am Tang Bo, Second Elder of the Haotian Sect, title: Vast Sun Douluo."
"I am Tang Yan, Third Elder of the Haotian Sect, title: Blazing Sun Douluo."
"I am Tang Ling, Fifth Elder of the Haotian Sect, title: Soaring Sun Douluo."
"I am Tang Li, Sixth Elder of the Haotian Sect, title: Heavenly Sun Douluo."
"I am Tang Lie, Seventh Elder of the Haotian Sect."
The five elders reported their names in turn.
Chu Chengzhou gave an extra glance to Seventh Elder Tang Lie, the one he had just cowed.
Because events had shifted forward several years from the original timeline, Tang Lie had not yet broken through and was still an 89th-rank Contra.
Tang Lie: What are you looking at? I'll break through soon enough!
"On this continent, strength is revered. Do the five elders agree?"
Chu Chengzhou asked with a smile.
"You—"
No sooner had he spoken than Seventh Elder Tang Lie, who bore the greatest prejudice against Tang Hao and his son, could not hold back.
But before he could bluster on, Second Elder Tang Bo, at the head, held him back and answered Chu Chengzhou in a deep voice, "Agreed. The continent does indeed take strength as the standard, as Spirit Hall once did.
Nephew-in-law, are you trying to force us to bow our heads? If so, we will accept it."
If Chu Chengzhou were a mediocre junior, Tang Bo would not have bothered with him. But Chu Chengzhou was a young Titled Douluo whose displayed potential surpassed even the once-invincible ancestor Tang Chen.
Such a present powerhouse and future peerless powerhouse, and their nephew-in-law besides, must not be offended. Who knows if, when the sect rises again, they will need this nephew-in-law's help.
Compared to restoring the sect, it was clear to Tang Bo which mattered more—letting go of prejudice against Tang Hao and his son and accepting Tang San back into the sect.
"No, elder, you overstate it."
Chu Chengzhou quickly waved his hand. "I, Chu Chengzhou, am ruthless to enemies.
For example, I had a feud with the Star Luo Empire. Star Luo sent experts time and again to assassinate me. To date, the Titled Douluo of Star Luo and Titled-level Netherworld White Tigers who have died by my hand number over a dozen. The empire's downfall is a matter of days. But to my own people, I, Chu Chengzhou, have always been very kind—very 'nuclear' kind."
Chu Chengzhou: The "nuclear" of nuclear bomb.
At that, the five elders shuddered. Their eyelids twitched.
Good heavens. Over a dozen at the Titled level killed? The Star Luo Empire about to be annihilated? A ruthless man indeed.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle