Meanwhile, Tang Hao was flying toward Nuoding City.
"Little San, don't blame me. I did this for your own good. Once you know the truth of what happened back then, you'll understand your father's good intentions."
During the flight, Tang Hao kept trying to justify himself in his mind, attempting to cover up his guilt over striking his son.
When Tang San had questioned him about abandoning Ah Yin, his mind had gone blank because what his son said was true; he hadn't gone to look after her properly in years.
Because he couldn't find a way to refute the accusation, he became enraged and lashed out physically.
Now, although he regretted hitting him so hard, he didn't think he had done anything fundamentally wrong in principle. As a father, he had the right to discipline his son for disrespect.
As for Ah Yin, whom he had left in the cave, he felt he hadn't done anything wrong either.
He placed Ah Yin behind the waterfall to ensure her absolute safety; the waterfall was a natural barrier that few could penetrate or even notice.
After a long journey, Tang Hao finally arrived at Holy Soul Village.
"I hope nothing goes wrong."
Tang Hao gazed into the distance, looking toward the mountain where the cave was located.
Ever since Tang San's personality changed drastically and he began to question his father, Tang Hao had a bad feeling, fearing that Lin Mu had already interfered with Ah Yin.
He quickly suppressed his anxiety, telling himself he was probably overthinking it. 'How could Lin Mu possibly know Ah Yin's location?'
And even if he did, what difference would it make? Lin Mu wouldn't be interested in a mere Blue Silver Grass; even he probably wouldn't bother tending to a plant.
After this self-reassurance, Tang Hao immediately quickened his pace, heading toward the waterfall.
Before long, Tang Hao arrived at the roaring cascade.
"Ah Yin..."
Looking at this place he hadn't visited in years, a trace of deep pain flashed in Tang Hao's eyes. He drowned his sorrows in alcohol every day, largely because he was unwilling to accept the reality of Ah Yin's death-like state.
Although Ah Yin hadn't truly died, only lost all her cultivation and reverted to a seed, given the slow growth rate of the Blue Silver Grass, it would likely require 100,000 years of cultivation to transform back into human form without external help.
For humans, 100,000 years was an eternity. So in Tang Hao's eyes, Ah Yin was effectively gone. That's why he preferred to wallow in despair rather than tend to a blade of grass that he would never see speak again.
After hesitating for a moment, Tang Hao exhaled a breath of stale air and leaped through the 200-meter-high waterfall.
Entering the dark, damp cave, Tang Hao smelled a musty odor in the air and frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "This is no place for a human... I'm sorry, Ah Yin."
He continued walking into the cave, stopping after only a few steps. He saw clearly visible, relatively fresh footprints on the muddy ground. His pupils dilated in shock, his ominous premonition growing stronger.
Without time to think, Tang Hao rushed forward.
When he saw that only a small, empty pit remained in the mound of earth where Ah Yin had been rooted, his heart stopped for a second. His eyes filled with horror and disbelief.
"NO!"
Tang Hao roared hysterically, slamming his fist into the stone wall beside him. With a loud "BANG", the entire cave shook violently.
No matter what, Ah Yin was his wife.
Even if she had become a blade of grass, she was still his soulmate, and he absolutely wouldn't allow anyone to harm her.
After a long while, Tang Hao took a few ragged breaths, suppressing his rage. He began to calculate, "Judging from the footprints, the intruder was here recently. Less than a month ago... Lin Mu is the only one likely to have done this."
Although he didn't know how Lin Mu knew this location, the evidence now pointed to him.
Nuoding City was just a small, remote place that almost no powerful figures would visit. Plus, the waterfall served as a perfect concealment.
Lin Mu was not only powerful but also incredibly fast; he wouldn't need much time to travel from Heaven Dou City to Nuoding City, perfectly fitting the timeline of his recent absence.
"Lin Mu... you'd better not have any ulterior motives. Otherwise, even if you're Little San's master, I will never let you go."
A sinister glint flashed in Tang Hao's eyes, his tone ruthless and decisive.
Compared to Ah Yin's safety, he was more worried about Lin Mu's hidden agenda.
Previously, he had completely trusted Lin Mu in teaching Little San, but a few days ago, his son had actually spoken disrespectfully to him, citing Ah Yin's neglect. It was hard not to suspect that Lin Mu was poisoning his son's mind against him.
"Right! There's also the hundred-thousand-year right leg bone!"
Thinking of this, Tang Hao hurried to the hidden mechanism in the wall. He triggered it, only to find the compartment empty. The long black lead box he had placed there had disappeared.
Confirming that the box had been taken, Tang Hao was furious.
That was a hundred-thousand-year soul bone! A treasure of immeasurable value. If he hadn't already absorbed a full set of limb bones (or simply lacked a matching slot), he would have taken it himself long ago.
A moment later, Tang Hao suppressed his anger, a thought flashing through his mind. He muttered to himself, "Could it be... that Little San awakened the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and found this place through the Blue Silver Domain's sensing ability?"
The Blue Silver Domain's perception ability was extremely strong regarding its own kind; finding the cave through resonance made sense.
"In that case, Lin Mu taking Ah Yin away might not have been for malicious purposes. If he gave the bone to Little San... there's still room for maneuver."
Tang Hao naturally didn't want to stand against Lin Mu unless absolutely necessary.
A few months ago, Lin Mu had single-handedly stormed the Supreme Pontiff's Palace; in terms of both strength and shared enemies, he was Tang Hao's best potential ally against Spirit Hall.
Moreover, if he forced a confrontation, Little San would likely side with Lin Mu over him right now.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Upon receiving a notification from the Three Educational Board Members, Lin Mu immediately went to their office. Upon arrival, he found a middle-aged man present besides the three elderly board members.
Seeing Lin Mu appear, the three board members hurriedly stood up to greet him, and the middle-aged man followed suit, looking curious.
"Teacher Lin Mu, I apologize for troubling you to come over."
Faced with Meng Shenji's polite words, Lin Mu waved his hand and interrupted directly, "What do you three want with me?"
Even though he was interrupted, Meng Shenji wasn't angry; his face remained smiling.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man beside him was utterly astonished.
As a mere teacher, Lin Mu actually commanded the deference of the Three Board Members? But then, thinking about it, given Lin Mu's strength, rumored to be comparable to a Super Douluo, it all seemed quite reasonable.
At this moment, Meng Shenji spoke up, "Teacher Lin Mu, Prince Xue Xing would like to invite you to a private dinner. When are you free?"
"Board Head Meng, please refuse any noble who wants to see me," Lin Mu said without hesitation.
Ever since his feat of single-handedly storming the Supreme Pontiff's Palace became public knowledge, the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire had been frantically trying to shower him with gifts and invitations, including Prince Xue Xing, who was now desperate to make amends.
Clearly, these nobles all wanted to curry favor with the new powerhouse.
Previously, Lin Mu had simply ignored them or had the gifts sent back. He naturally didn't want to engage in political maneuvering and was simply too lazy to entertain them one by one.
As for the gifts he did keep (mostly rare herbs), he gave the excess to the Academy's treasury.
Seeing Lin Mu's resolute refusal, a hint of regret flashed in Meng Shenji's eyes, but he could only nod in agreement. He turned to the middle-aged man, Prince Xue Xing's messenger, and shrugged helplessly.