Chapter 268: The Tang Siblings
On the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City, a man in a black robe wandered aimlessly it was Tang Hao. He had just returned from Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where he had been secretly observing Tang San. Emperor Xue Ye's order to keep an eye on Tang San had affected him more than he expected. He could no longer visit his son freely. In a way, it was for Tang San's protection, but that didn't ease his frustration.
Today's match no, every match that Tang San participated in Tang Hao had hidden among the crowd and watched without missing a single one. As for Zhu Zhuqing, from the moment she first appeared, he had considered confronting her, but with Spirit Hall backing Tianshui Academy, he chose patience. It was not the right time to expose himself, and Tang San couldn't afford such a disruption.
But after witnessing Zhu Zhuqing's true strength today, Tang Hao could no longer sit still.
He had secretly observed Han Li and the others but couldn't determine their true strength. However, considering the timeline of Zhu Zhuqing's disappearance, she had managed to advance by twenty levels in just over six months. Even if this was an anomaly, it was still alarming.
First, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was clearly hiding something, and now Spirit Hall had revealed a method to accelerate growth. This made Tang Hao anxious about the state of the Clear Sky Sect. Who knew if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was also concealing some unknown power?
With his Bone Replacement Technique now in hand and Tang San exposing more of his abilities with each match, Tang Hao had no doubt today, his son had almost revealed the Hao Tian Hammer.
He hesitated. Should he reveal himself now? Should he persuade Tang San to quit the tournament and take him and Xiao Wu away immediately?
If they continued, it wasn't just Tang San's exposure that concerned him he could no longer guarantee that Xiao Wu's identity would remain hidden.
Up until now, Xiao Wu had managed to evade detection solely because of a soul skill granted by Ah Yin's ten thousand year spirit ring when she sacrificed herself.
But precisely because it was a soul skill, Tang Hao had no absolute confidence in it.
Previously, he had miscalculated how long the soul skill could last under scrutiny, leading to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect discovering Xiao Wu's true identity. He had been forced to offer them hidden weapons in exchange for their silence.
If they went to Spirit City, maintaining Xiao Wu's disguise would be nearly impossible. The sheer number of powerful Soul Masters there far outmatched those in Heaven Dou City. Unless Tang Hao stayed by her side constantly, there was no telling when she might be exposed.
Thinking about this gave him a headache. If the Clear Sky Sect were still active, things wouldn't be this complicated.
As he lifted his head, he suddenly realized that a woman was standing before him, staring at him with teary eyes.
Tang Hao stiffened, his gaze drifting above her head, where he saw the large, unmistakable characters: "Moon Pavilion."
At some point, he had unconsciously wandered here.
"Brother Hao, you've finally shown yourself... Did you come to see me?"
Just as he was about to turn and leave, Tang Hao hesitated at the sound of her voice.
Looking at the woman, whose eyes were filled with emotion, he sighed before speaking. "Yuehua... It's been a long time."
"Brother Hao..."
Hearing his response, Tang Yuehua could no longer hold back her emotions. She threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
Tang Hao sighed again. Before anyone on the street could notice them, he grabbed her by the waist and vanished from the entrance.
Inside Tang Yuehua's room on the third floor of Moon Pavilion, she had finally stopped crying. Feeling a little embarrassed, she handed Tang Hao a cup of tea as he sat at the table.
"Brother Hao, I already told you I didn't come here to see you. Running into you was purely a coincidence."
Tang Hao didn't accept the tea, letting her place it on the table before him.
Hearing his words, a trace of sadness flashed in Tang Yuehua's eyes, but she quickly composed herself.
"It doesn't matter if you didn't come to see me. Brother Hao, how have you been all these years?"
She looked at him with concern, her heart aching as she took in how much he had changed.
"Heh, look at me. Do I look like I've been doing well?"
Tang Hao chuckled bitterly, tugging at his tattered robe in self mockery.
Tang Yuehua opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words. The grace and eloquence she had honed over years of dealing with nobles utterly failed her in front of him.
The room fell into a heavy silence. After a long pause, she cautiously asked, "Brother Hao, I saw you frowning earlier. Are you troubled by something? Do you need my help?"
Tang Hao was about to refuse outright, but when the words reached his lips, he hesitated.
He had yet to make up his mind, but the truth was he wanted to reconnect with the Clear Sky Sect.
If not for this, as a Titled Douluo, no matter what, he wouldn't have aimlessly wandered near Moon Pavilion. Deep down, he had already made a choice.
Seeing his silence, Tang Yuehua's heart filled with hope. She knew Tang Hao's personality well if he didn't refuse outright, it meant he was seriously considering it.
Carefully observing the changes in his expression, she tentatively suggested, "Do you want me to secretly contact our eldest brother first? I won't inform the rest of the clan just you two can discuss it first, and we'll decide on the next steps later."
Tang Hao glanced at her. This little sister had always followed him around since childhood, trying to guess his thoughts. He hadn't expected that ability to come in handy now.
His reaction gave Tang Yuehua even more confidence, and her emotions surged. Quickly recalling recent events, she searched for a possible reason behind his visit. After carefully eliminating other possibilities, she locked onto one answer the Soul Master Tournament.
The tournament, young participants… Could it be? She thought of past rumors and how their eldest brother always avoided talking about certain things. A possibility surfaced in her mind.
She had met Ah Yin once. Back then, she and Brother Hao had been like a match made in heaven. A trace of sadness flickered in Tang Yuehua's eyes, but she hid it well.
"It's about the Soul Master Tournament, isn't it? Brother Hao, you came to Heaven Dou City because of this, didn't you?"
Suppressing her emotions, Tang Yuehua displayed her keen insight.
"Mm."
This time, Tang Hao didn't remain silent. Since she had already deduced so much, there was no point in denying it.
"Then… when can I meet my nephew or niece?"
Though there was a hint of sorrow in her voice, Tang Yuehua truly wished to see Tang Hao's child. Neither she nor their eldest brother had ever married, so she had no children of her own.
"It's a son. But there's no rush you shouldn't meet him just yet."
Tang Hao shook his head. Tang San was under tight protection at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. If Tang Yuehua suddenly approached him, it could backfire.
"A son… Could it be Tang San?"
Identifying key figures and compiling intelligence was the very reason Tang Yuehua had established Moon Pavilion in Heaven Dou City. Given what Tang Hao had just said, she quickly connected the dots and linked him to the already well known Tang San.
"Mm."
Tang Hao awkwardly tugged at the corner of his robe, his voice gruff.
Tang San had just lost a match badly. He had been defeated one against seven. Someone as well informed as Tang Yuehua would surely know. The thought made Tang Hao uneasy.
However, Tang Yuehua wasn't concerned about that. Instead, she quickly reviewed everything she knew about Tang San.
Unlike Tang Hao, she understood the true nature of the Soul Master Tournament it was a grand showcase, a talent selection stage for major factions. Winning or losing wasn't everything.
Fifteen years old, rank 43, an innate full spirit power Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master, with remarkable combat ability this was the information she had gathered.
"As expected of your son, Brother Hao. His cultivation speed must be even faster than yours, right?"
Tang Yuehua smiled, but then sighed regretfully. "It would have been perfect if his martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer."
To her, martial souls were a permanent mark of identity. Tang San's situation mirrored her own perhaps his martial soul would always be a source of pain. But at least, unlike her, he could still cultivate.
Hearing this, Tang Hao suddenly sat up straight.
Glancing at his sister, who seemed to be subtly comforting him, he spoke calmly. "I forgot to mention Xiao San did inherit the Clear Sky Hammer. He has twin martial souls. I've had him keep the hammer hidden to protect his identity."
"What?! Twin martial souls?!"
Tang Yuehua's eyes widened in shock, and she sprang to her feet, even bumping her arm against the table in her excitement.
"Mm, you heard correctly. Twin martial souls. That's also why I came here."
Tang Hao was pleased with her reaction this was exactly the message he wanted their eldest brother to receive.
"Oh, and when you send word to our eldest brother, tell him that Xiao San and I have discovered a way to increase the overall strength of the Clear Sky Clan."
Before she could ask, he added, "It might even help you, Yuehua. It could break the curse that prevents you from cultivating."
He recalled how Yu Xiaogang had broken through to Soul Elder after the Bone Replacement procedure. If it worked on him, why wouldn't it work on Yuehua?
Tang Yuehua covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.
The ability to cultivate again wasn't what moved her most. It was seeing this version of Tang Hao a man with ambition, determination, and purpose.
For the first time in years, he reminded her of the proud twin stars of the Clear Sky Clan from long ago.
As their conversation continued, perhaps because the floodgates had been opened, Tang Hao no longer held back. He spoke at length about his plans and ideas, laying everything out for his sister.
Tang Yuehua, meanwhile, listened with a radiant smile. Her eyes sparkled with joy.
She was just happy to finally be able to help her brother.
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