"Dad, I've just been under too much pressure lately." Tang San stopped his shrill screams, panting heavily as he looked up at the star-strewn sky. A hundred-thousand-year soul ring—his mother's most precious legacy. As long as he obtained it, there was still hope for his future.
"I understand, Xiao San. Back then, I couldn't protect your mother either…" Tang Hao lowered his gaze, eyes filled with indescribable guilt.
Tang San may be ruthless and manipulative, but he had received rigorous teachings on loyalty and filial piety from the Tang Sect. His obsession with loyalty and love ran deep. As long as he could play the role of a dutiful son and faithful lover, he believed he was a good person in every sense.
Seeing Tang Hao so sorrowful, Tang San immediately stepped forward, knelt down, and cried, "Your unfilial son has not only failed to bring glory to the Clear Sky Sect but even lashed out in anger during hardship, causing you to recall painful memories."
Tang Hao's brow twitched. Why is this kid suddenly kneeling? His filial mode really turns on without warning…
What he didn't know was that this was just Tang San's nature. No matter how sinister he was inside, he always forced himself to put on a virtuous face. He would justify killing the Myriad Ant Emperor as punishing indiscriminate slaughter, condone Dugu Bo's mass poisoning without batting an eye, and take all of Xiao Wu's allowances while pretending to be her protector—just to maintain a 'righteous' persona.
Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, then forced down the disgust in his heart and spoke gently. "Xiao San, get some rest early. We've got a long journey ahead tomorrow."
"Father, you too."
Nothing more was said that night.
Early the next morning, Tang San once again carried the crippled Tang Hao on his back, limping his way deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
...
Saint Spirit Village was located in the southeast of the Douluo Continent, near the border town of Nuoding City, not far from Spirit Hall's territory. Though difficult, the father and son finally neared the village after months of trekking through the Star Dou Forest.
The village was prosperous, with fertile farmland and easy access to city markets. It was late summer, and though the sun still carried some heat, the breeze had a hint of autumn's coolness.
In the fields nearby, villagers were irrigating crops, their sweat dripping into the soil. Chickens clucked, dogs barked, and smoke curled from chimneys in the quaint houses.
Disheveled and dirty from months in the forest, Tang San and Tang Hao looked every bit like beggars, so no one recognized them.
When they reached the old forge they once lived in, a hoarse voice suddenly called out.
"You… You're Tang Hao?" A hunched old man stepped forward, scrutinizing the two ragged figures with doubt.
"You've got the wrong people, old man. We're just a couple of beggars passing through." Tang San's eyes flickered with dark light.
Though Tang San had grown taller, Elder Jack immediately recognized his voice—the child with innate full soul power. "You've grown so much…"
But before he could finish, he caught Tang Hao's murderous gaze. His face paled, and he quickly laughed it off. "I'm old and confused, must've mistaken you for someone else…" He turned to leave in a hurry.
Clang—before he could take more than a few steps, a sharp whoosh pierced the air. The old man froze in place.
"Xiao San, how could you just kill Elder Jack like that?" Tang Hao was stunned. Elder Jack wasn't just any passerby. Back when Tang Hao wallowed in despair, it was Elder Jack's kindness that ensured baby Tang San's survival. And yet, now Tang San had killed him without hesitation—such cruelty was beyond even the beasts of Slaughter City.
"I know Elder Jack was kind to us, Father. But to prevent our identities from leaking, to ensure your safety—he had to die." Tang San walked up, pulled out the crossbow bolt from Jack's corpse, and said calmly, "And I made sure it was painless, a swift shot to the vital point."
'Xuan Tian Record, Third Rule: Once the enemy shows signs of being a threat, do not hesitate to kill. Mercy only invites trouble.' Tang San's eyes remained cold—he felt nothing for Elder Jack's death.
"…What's done is done." Tang Hao sighed and looked toward the nearby mountains. "The most important thing now is retrieving your mother's soul bone."
Tang San put away the crossbow without sparing Jack a second glance, hoisting Tang Hao again and heading toward the forest behind the forge.
A tall waterfall cascaded from a cliff hundreds of meters high, crashing into a clear stream below. Beside it lay a verdant bamboo grove, whispering gently in the breeze.
Tang Hao had indeed found a peaceful resting place for Ah Yin. This was why he chose to hide in Saint Spirit Village to begin with.
Gazing at the view and then at his missing legs, Tang Hao seemed to recall his once-proud past. His face filled with regret. "Xiao San, put me down here."
Tang San gently set him down beside a tree, waiting quietly.
Tang Hao sighed again. "Back then, after your mother sacrificed herself, her spirit survived—because the Blue Silver Grass is the plant of life. I planted her body in a cave behind the waterfall, and placed her soul bone beside her. Go retrieve it, Xiao San."
Nodding, Tang San extended his Eight Spider Lances and climbed the waterfall like a giant arachnid.
Through the pounding curtain of water, he entered a damp, dim cave. Using Purple Demon Eye, he scanned the entire cavern.
'Nothing… Not even a plant… Let alone a soul bone?'
His heart sank. 'Could it have been stolen? After everything I've endured, is fate playing with me again?'
Anxious, Tang San quickly climbed back down and approached Tang Hao. "Father, I think you remembered wrong. There's no trace of Mother's body or her soul bone."
"What?! That's impossible! Ah Yin was planted in the center of that cave!" Tang Hao roared, panic in his eyes.
Even he hadn't checked in years, busy sabotaging Spirit Hall. Could someone really have stolen it?
Tang San didn't hesitate. He picked up the crippled Tang Hao and climbed back into the cave.
Tang Hao forced himself free and crawled to where he had once planted Ah Yin. There was only a small pit. Nearby, beneath a thin layer of dust, an empty groove remained. The soul bone was gone.
"Xiao San… your mother's soul bone… someone must've taken it…"
Already weak and exhausted, this realization broke him. Tang Hao fainted on the damp cave floor.
Tang San stood there, frozen. 'Gone… everything I worked months for… gone…'
He stared at his unconscious father, mind awhirl:
'You let Xiao Wu go to Shrek, to Heaven Dou… All because of you, she was taken by Yu Tianming. All because of you, her soul ring and soul bone are no longer hers. And now this? You left Mother's soul bone unguarded in this dump?'
His eyes turned bloodshot. The thought of losing two hundred-thousand-year soul bones due to his father's negligence filled him with an uncontrollable rage.
'Tang Hao still has four soul bones… perfectly suited for the Clear Sky Hammer… If I kill him now…'
But just as his killing intent reached its peak, Tang Hao stirred.
Seeing Tang San's face, he sighed. "Xiao San, maybe this is fate. I never thought Xiao Wu would be taken, or that your mother's soul bone would be stolen. But now… for your future, there's only one path left."
"What path?" Tang San's voice was cold, all reverence gone.
Tang Hao didn't mind. "Go to the Blue Silver Forest. Your mother's kin are there. Perhaps they can heal you. I'll wait here. No matter what happens, return afterward—I still have something to give you."
Tang San stared at him, his voice sharp. "You'll wait here?"
Tang Hao nodded silently.
Without another word, Tang San leapt out of the cave, spider legs clicking against the rock.
Half an incense stick later, Tang Hao suddenly opened his eyes. Summoning his Clear Sky Hammer, he struck the ground and launched himself out of the cave like a cannonball, vanishing into the forest.
...
Five days later, Tang San reached a dense forest marked on the map—Blue Silver Forest.
The moment he stepped in, he felt a strange aura. It wasn't hostility exactly, but it wasn't welcoming either. Despite the discomfort, he pressed on.
Blue Silver Grass was everywhere, far denser and more vigorous than elsewhere on the continent.
As he ventured deeper, he realized the ill will was coming from the grass itself. It rejected him, recoiling beneath his steps, as if the entire forest wanted him gone. Where once he'd felt empowered by this plant, now it loathed him. The rejection was unbearable.
Then, without warning, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Evil one—how did you come here? How can you possess the King's bloodline?"
'Evil one? Me?' Tang San was stunned. 'I'm clearly a good person! And… King's bloodline? Could it be because of my mother's Blue Silver Emperor blood?'
Suddenly, a powerful spiritual force surged through the forest, connecting with his own like two ropes binding together. The voice grew urgent.
"Stranger! You have the King's bloodline! Do you know where our King is now?!"
Without hesitation, Tang San leapt up and followed the pull of that spiritual connection.
The Blue Silver Grass recoiled at his feet, trying to push him away, but none could stop his ghostly movement technique.
(End of Chapter)
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