"Oh, is little Yue'er sad? Is she upset that second brother didn't let her choose the bride... Haha."
When Tang Xiao's words reached her ears, Tang Yuehua returned to her senses, her dull eyes regaining some color.
"Elder Brother guessed right... I thought I would be the one to choose the sisters-in-law for both my brothers... But I didn't expect second brother to suddenly find a wife on his own..."
Although she was young, Tang Yuehua was, after all, a master at controlling her emotions... So even when she felt as though her soul had left her body upon learning that Tang Hao, her incestuous lover and second brother, had fallen in love with another woman, she forcefully buried all the pain stabbing her heart within herself and restrained her emotions within seconds so no one would notice her anomaly.
Tang Xiao, seeing Tang Yuehua's expression return to normal, sneered inwardly...
"What a pathetic younger sister..." Tang Xiao felt as though all the brotherly affection he had showered upon this woman had been in vain.
Even if it was only for a short time, likely no more than an hour... it was still genuine affection, wasn't it?
He felt as if his brotherly feelings had been trampled upon...
In his anger, a thought he normally would never have entertained flickered across his mind... But he quickly shook his head, forcefully cleansing his heart back to purity, unwilling to debase himself to such a degree for revenge.
"But... I don't want to leave it so easily either..." Tang Xiao felt a trace of unwillingness. Being a petty man from birth, he thought that if Tang Yuehua wasn't punished for wasting his feelings, he would never feel at peace. But coming up with an appropriate way to teach her a lesson seemed difficult... after all, she was a woman... and beautiful one at that...
Turning to look at her breathtakingly beautiful appearance, Tang Xiao felt a strange pang of pity..., and so, for one last time, he chose to be magnanimous toward this woman.
"I'll let bygones be bygones... Everyone has the right to choose whom to love and what to pursue... Just because I despise Tang Yuehua's decision doesn't mean it is fair for her to be punished by me. I simply won't think of her as my younger sister from now on... That's all,"
At that moment, Tang Zhen's warm, indulgent voice rang out:
"Haha... My dear Yue'er, forget about that brute of a second brother... It seems that after meeting a beautiful woman outside, he forgot all about our family bond... But don't worry, isn't your eldest brother still here? You can choose the bride for him yourself... Isn't that right, Xiao'er?" Tang Zhen, who always pampered his daughter and couldn't bear to see her sad, hurried to soothe her mood.
Tang Xiao, hearing his father's words, also chimed in with a coaxing smile, though his thoughts remained a mystery, "Yes... My bride will be chosen by my little sister."
Then, under Tang Yuehua's questioning gaze, Tang Zhen explained to her how Tang Xiao was now willing to marry and about other matters of the past...
Hearing this, although Tang Yuehua was still heartbroken over her second brother, she genuinely felt happy for her elder brother.
She hadn't expected her elder brother, who until now cared only about cultivation, to willingly accept marriage... but all in all, she was happy for him and smiled sweetly:
"Then, I will choose the bride for my elder brother... Don't worry, elder brother, I'll pick the most beautiful and perfect sister-in-law for myself."
"Haha. As long as little Yue'er is happy..." Tang Xiao said with a smile.
Although he no longer acknowledged her as his sister, at least, for now, he had to play the role of an elder brother before others. That much could not be changed...
---
The border between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire.
At this moment, a beautiful woman and a burly man walked hand in hand, full of affection, unaware of the fate awaiting them.
They were none other than Tang Hao and Ah Yin.
"Ah Hao~ Your family won't oppose us, right? I fear that once they learn of my identity, they won't accept me." Ah Yin spoke nervously, worry plain in her eyes.
A week earlier, when they visited Lover's Lake in the Heaven Dou Empire, Ah Yin had confessed her true identity to Tang Hao out of love and trust. And Tang Hao had not betrayed her trust... When he learned that Ah Yin was a soul beast, he declared that he didn't care and that his love would never change. There, they confessed their love to each other.
Now, under Tang Hao's assurance, they were heading to the Clear Sky Sect to seek approval for marriage.
"Ah Yin, don't worry... I know my father and the elders. They will surely understand our love and grant us their blessings. And there's also big brother— even if Father gets angry, he'll handle it. Not to mention, I'm the future sect leader... Before I left the clan to gain experience, my grandfather Tang Chen appointed me as the next clan head, so my authority is second only to my father." Tang Hao patiently reassured her.
As someone born a sect slave, even though he cherished Ah Yin more than his life, his loyalty and love for the clan were only slightly less than his love for her.
Thus, he wanted to marry Ah Yin with the sect's blessings... Only then would his heart feel complete.
Understanding his father's character and his own importance to the sect, he wasn't worried about their opposition.
"Hmm... I hope so." Ah Yin murmured, though unease lingered in her heart, as if this journey would be filled with peril and misfortune.
Seeing her anxious expression, Tang Hao continued to coax and reassure her.
But before they had taken even a few more steps, an evil laugh echoed—
"Hahahahahaha.... Wahahahaha!"
Startled, Ah Yin and Tang Hao turned to the source of the laughter...
To their shock... at some point, a man had already appeared behind them, watching with a mocking smile... And when his gaze fell on Ah Yin, it carried naked greed.
Tang Hao's pupils shrank to pinpoints as he realized the man's strength—
A Titled Douluo.
And from the emblem on the man's robes, it was clear where he came from: Spirit Hall.
Ah Yin realized it too—fear gripped her heart as she instinctively hid behind Tang Hao. "Ah Hao... What should we do?"
Tang Hao didn't speak. His body tensed as he shielded Ah Yin behind him, his eyes fixed coldly on the Titled Douluo before him, with hidden worry deep within.
He knew a battle was inevitable... But the fight itself didn't trouble him. What troubled him was that now, with Ah Yin's identity exposed, returning to the sect was no longer possible...