"Lord Duke, do you know that the third son is my second brother's child?"
Regaining her senses, Tang Yuehua activated her innate ability—Noble Circle.
The gentle yet natural force of her domain allowed her to regain some clarity and rationality. Speaking in a tone that was half a plea and half a threat, she said to Lin Rong:
"The third son is supported by the Haotian Sect. Do you not think it's excessive to pressure him like this?"
"Besides, this is a matter of debt and responsibility. The third son is only standing up for his subordinates, and that is his duty as the sect master."
"Now that Bai He is dead and the third son has already taught him a lesson, how about we let this matter rest? It would be better for both your Lin family and our Haotian Sect."
Tang Yuehua had regained some rationality, but not much.
Her repeated mentions of the Haotian Sect were enough to darken the face of Niu Gao, who was standing by.
"Is that so?" Lin Rong, after hearing her, pretended to be enlightened and sneered:
"So, it turns out that Tang Sect is an affiliated sect of the Haotian Sect! My apologies!"
"But, didn't I hear that Tang Sect is an independent sect?"
"Madam Yue, are you trying to frame me?"
Tang Yuehua, who had not yet fully regained her composure, was rattled by Lin Rong's words, and she spoke her true thoughts without realizing:
"Yes, that's right."
"My second brother, my elder brother, and I—the three siblings—only have the third son as our heir."
"No matter what, the third son is the only heir to the Haotian Sect's position of Sect Master."
"Therefore, the third son is not only the sect master of Tang Sect but also the future sect master of Haotian Sect."
"The strong rule, the weak serve. Since Tang Sect's founding, it was destined to be a subsidiary of Haotian Sect."
"Even though our Haotian Sect has sealed the mountain, my second brother and elder brother are both titled Douluo."
"On your side, even with the addition of Dugu Bo, it is just enough to equal us."
"One is the weakest titled Douluo, and the other has just recently broken through. How can they be compared to my two elder brothers?"
"The third son is the apple of our hearts. If you dare harm him, don't you fear my two elder brothers seeking revenge?"
"Madam Yue." Lin Rong, still with that calm expression, retorted:
"I don't need to tell you, but you should know that publicly attempting to assassinate an imperial hereditary duke will lead to severe consequences."
"Putting that aside, Madam Yue, your Moon Sect is not going to continue operating."
"Haotian Sect is sealed, and without the Moon Sect as your sole source of income, is it possible that the once-greatest sect in the world will have to resort to begging on the streets?"
"Ah, no, wait, since the Haotian Sect dares not even leave the mountain gate, they won't be able to beg on the streets. They'll be stuck in the deep mountains, gnawing on tree bark."
"And as for your elder brother, Tang Xiao, the current Sect Master of Haotian Sect, he can't leave the mountain until the sect declares itself open again."
"As for your second brother..."
"Tang Hao is undoubtedly a peerless genius. Before he fought with the Pope Qian Xunjie, his soul power was well known to be that of a Soul Douluo."
"After that battle, news spread that Tang Hao had broken through to Titled Douluo."
"Even though he severely wounded the Pope of Wuhun Hall, Qian Xunjie, and achieved the title of the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent, this only represents the surface level of the story."
"Anyone with some brains would know that, even though Tang Hao managed to severely injure the Pope, how could he possibly come out of that battle unharmed?"
"Therefore, the true outcome of that battle should have been a mutual defeat between Tang Hao and Qian Xunjie."
"The Pope Qian Xunjie died from his wounds, but even if Tang Hao didn't die, how could he escape unharmed?"
Lin Rong's logical analysis left Tang Yuehua speechless.
As a core disciple of the Haotian Sect, Tang Yuehua understood better than anyone how outdated the sect's elders were.
One point Lin Rong made was true: As long as the Haotian Sect didn't announce its return, those stubborn elders would never allow her elder brother to leave the mountain.
As for Tang Hao's injuries, Tang Yuehua had never considered them before.
Because in her mind, her second brother was such a genius, and no one of the same age had ever been his match.
When the news broke that Tang Hao had become a Titled Douluo and had heavily injured Pope Qian Xunjie, Tang Yuehua, who had been infatuated with her second brother since childhood, had never thought that her second brother would also be wounded in that battle.
However, her remaining rationality made her realize one thing.
Since Lin Rong was willing to explain so much to her, it meant that he didn't want to take the third son's life. After all, injuring someone and killing them were two very different things.
When both sides were evenly matched, the former often meant turning a big issue into a small one. The latter, however, would result in an irreversible feud.
Once she figured this out, Tang Yuehua felt more settled and at ease. With a calmer tone, she asked:
"Lord Duke, what exactly must we do for you to stop?"
"Simple." Seeing that Tang Yuehua was willing to soften, Lin Rong spoke plainly about his demands:
"Haotian Sect's secret technique: The Godly Hammer of Great Sumeru, one of its ultimate moves, the Exploding Ring!"
"Impossible!" Tang Yuehua reflexively shouted, but then she realized the current situation was stronger than her position. She quickly adjusted her tone.
"Lord Duke, you just mentioned that this is a secret technique of the Haotian Sect, and it is always passed from sect master to sect master. As a woman who hasn't awakened the Haotian Hammer, how could I possibly obtain it?"
"Therefore, please offer another condition!"
"Is that so?" Lin Rong raised his hand and grabbed the unconscious Tang San, lifting him into the air.
"Then, I'm afraid it's too bad. Madam Yue, you might as well let your good second brother come to seek revenge on me!"
Tang San, suspended in midair, was moved to the spot where Bai He had fallen.
The ground there was covered with a large pool of lethal venom, sizzling as it corroded the floor.
"Wait!" Tang Yuehua shouted in panic.
"Let go of the third son, I agree to your condition."
"The Exploding Ring... my elder brother knows it. I will claim that the third son wanted to learn the ultimate moves of the Great Sumeru Hammer in advance and got the technique from my brother."
"Heh!" Lin Rong, still holding Tang San, extracted another drop of Snow Swan's Kiss essence from the vial.
"I trust Madam Yue's words, but I don't trust the Sect Master of Tang Sect."
"To ensure that this goes smoothly, I have to leave a hand in case things go wrong."
Pure life force, glowing faintly in pale blue, wrapped around the drop of Snow Swan's Kiss essence.
Then, Lin Rong flicked his fingers, sending the drop of essence into Tang San's slightly open mouth.
"There, your sect master is back for you!"
With a wave of his hand, Lin Rong tossed Tang San over to Titan.
Seeing Tang Yuehua and Titan's panicked expressions, Lin Rong calmly explained:
"Don't worry. That drop of essence was wrapped with life force."
"As long as that life force remains intact, the essence will not take effect."
"However, that layer of life force can only last for seven days before it dissipates on its own."
"Within these seven days, if Madam Yue hands over the Exploding Ring's ultimate move to me, I will remove that drop of essence from Tang San."
"Time is of the essence, Madam Yue. It's best to set off right away."
"After all, traveling back and forth will take a considerable amount of time."
"Here's a final friendly reminder: My life force can only be sustained by contact with a corresponding power."
"If you try to break it, the life force will immediately vanish."
"When that happens, the essence will spread throughout Tang San's body, and you know what the consequences will be."
"This is why I advise you not to make any rash moves, or else the consequences will be on you."
These words made Titan pause in his examination of Tang San's body, filled with hesitation, and he dared not take further action.