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Yu Xiaogang had no idea that Tang Hao had metaphorically stabbed him in the back.
Tang Hao wanted to use his spiritual power to probe Ye Wen's cultivation level, but he hesitated, wary of the non-existent supreme Douluo lurking in the shadows. In the end, he reluctantly gave up.
However, after calming down, Tang Hao quickly reconsidered. Though losing a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was regrettable, a far greater opportunity now presented itself.
"It seems it's time for Xiao San to stop pursuing this soul beast. Even if they can't become lovers, they can still be friends. When Xiao San seeks revenge against the Spirit Hall in the future, as friends, how could these kids refuse to help? Moreover, we might even drag their powerful elder into our cause."
Tang Hao mentally reviewed his plan several times, then nodded with satisfaction, increasingly convinced of its high probability of success.
But just as Tang Hao once thought his scheme to deceive Ah Yin was flawless—only to later implicate the Hao Tian Sect—this time, too, he remained self-centered, failing to consider Tang San's perspective. Given Tang San's personality and abilities, how could he possibly integrate into Ye Wen's circle?
Meanwhile, Ye Wen, caught in the whirlpool of schemes by this top-tier powerhouse, wasn't overthinking things.
"This is bad. How am I supposed to handle this? I don't even know if Tang Hao saw what happened. If he did, I'll probably end up dead in some dark corner within the next two days," Ye Wen thought anxiously.
But the two charming girls beside him kept pulling him back to reality, not allowing him to escape.
Finally, Ye Wen looked at Huo Yu'er with a mix of helplessness and affection and sighed.
"Alright, I'll let you have your way. But we're still young. It's too early to talk about marriage or anything like that. Let's spend more time together first before discussing such matters."
Seeing Ye Wen remain composed and principled despite the circumstances, Huo Yu'er felt deeply satisfied. Though she wanted to expand her faction, sharing her beloved with another woman was still difficult to bear.
However, Huo Yu'er failed to notice the deep-seated anxiety hidden within Ye Wen.
That night, Ye Wen slept restlessly. Though beautiful women were by his side, his mind was preoccupied with how to deal with the potentially deranged Tang Hao, who could appear at any moment.
The simplest solution, of course, would be to write a letter to Qian Renxue, reporting Tang Hao as a wanted criminal and requesting the Spirit Hall to eliminate him. However, a battle between Title Douluo could devastate the entire Nuoding City. Xiao Wu would either be captured or killed on the spot.
But Ye Wen didn't feel pity for her.
Still, after glancing at the peacefully sleeping Huo Yu'er beside him, Ye Wen sighed deeply and rejected this idea.
"I can die, even the entire Nuoding City can be destroyed—but I don't want anything to happen to this good girl who has cared for me for four years."
Ye Wen briefly considered groveling to Tang San, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, he hadn't interacted much with Tang San. If he suddenly did so, Tang San's suspicious nature would likely lead him to suspect Ye Wen and eliminate him preemptively.
With his mind in chaos, Ye Wen even contemplated confronting Tang Hao directly and using clever words to convince him to spare his life.
But clearly, this path wouldn't work. Tang Hao would wonder how a mere Soul Grandmaster like Ye Wen had discovered his presence without saying a word. He might suspect someone was plotting against him and decide to eliminate Ye Wen on the spot, then relocate with Tang San.
After exhausting countless ideas, all of which led to dead ends, Ye Wen finally couldn't lie still. Frustrated, he sat up from his bed and walked over to get a drink of water.
As he passed Tang San's bed, a flicker of killing intent flashed in Ye Wen's eyes.
"Or maybe I should just kill the protagonist. If I can't live, neither should you!"
Tang San's cultivation level was still low, and he hadn't experienced much killing, so he was insensitive to Ye Wen's murderous aura and continued sleeping peacefully.
After gulping down a large amount of water, Ye Wen calmed down again.
"No, I can't do that.
If a person still has ties in this world, it's one thing. But if they lose all hope and restraints, they're likely to go mad and start indiscriminately killing innocents."
Thinking about Tang Hao discovering that Ye Wen had killed his son, he would undoubtedly take revenge on Ye Wen's family, even the entire Holy Spirit Village. He wouldn't spare Huo Yu'er or the Huo family, who had treated Ye Wen kindly. Imagining everyone lying in pools of blood made Ye Wen tremble uncontrollably.
But as various negative emotions surfaced, Ye Wen, after enduring wave after wave of despairing thoughts, found himself strangely calm.
"It doesn't matter what happens to me, but the people I love mustn't be harmed." Ye Wen sighed deeply in his heart.
The next day at school, Ye Wen acted as if nothing unusual had happened, showing no signs of being affected by Xiao Wu's sudden affection.
This only fueled Tang San's frustration further.
But Ye Wen had no intention of engaging with the protagonist. He continued living his life meticulously. A few days later, Ye Wen gently asked Xiao Wu:
"Xiao Wu, tomorrow I'm going to visit the neighboring city. Would you like to come along?"
Xiao Wu, idly swinging her long legs on the bed, immediately perked up and exclaimed excitedly:
"Yes, yes!"
Ye Wen then went over the agreed-upon time and precautions with Xiao Wu. His concerned demeanor resembled that of a loving couple planning an outing.
But Ye Wen didn't notice that Tang San's eyes had completely lost their light. Yu Xiaogang had forbidden him from harassing Xiao Wu any further.
Yet it was Yu Xiaogang who initially encouraged him to pursue Xiao Wu, only to now forbid it.
Though Tang San had always adhered to the principle of "once a teacher, always a father," having never experienced true love, he fell into darkness after losing the object of his obsession.
"A date, huh? You agreed so readily, Xiao Wu. I thought you just liked hanging out with rich girls, but now you're acting like this even as someone's concubine. I don't want a woman like you anymore."
At this moment, Tang San abandoned everything and devoted himself entirely to pursuing strength.
From the shadows, Tang Hao watched Tang San, who was working harder than ever—or perhaps even harder—and nodded in satisfaction. Only such a "good" son could help him exact revenge on the Spirit Hall in the future.
"All ten-thousand-year spirit rings on his second martial soul, then detonating them… I can't wait to see that day." Tang Hao said with satisfaction.
The next day, after briefly informing Huo Yu'er, Ye Wen left with Xiao Wu.
Everything seemed so natural, as if it were just another ordinary day.
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