Chapter 36: Tang Hao's Wrath
He spoke in a trembling, helpless voice:
"Wang Dong'er… I told you, the moment you leave here, you won't be Wang Dong'er anymore. You'll become Tang Wutong. After what happened… there's no way Tang San would allow you to exist. You're nothing but a tiny shadow of his daughter. Do you realize… he hasn't even spared a thought for his real daughter? Have you considered that Tang Wutong's soul was split into three parts? That means Tang San… he killed his only daughter to complete his plan. Do you really think he'd show you mercy? You're just a fragment of consciousness, an insignificant shard of his daughter's soul… and you will be destroyed."
At that moment, shock struck Wang Dong'er, and she collapsed to the ground. I rushed forward, caught her, and gently settled her into my arms.
Then I spoke to her in a soft, tender voice:
"Even so… since I love you, I won't be harsh with you, Wang Dong'er. If you want to return to them… I will let you. Alright… my Wang Dong'er… what did you say?"
Wang Dong'er spoke in a broken, trembling voice:
"Ji Lin… will you… really… let me… go… will… you… make me happy…"
I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered softly:
"Yes… I will do that, in the end. You, my Wang Dong'er, are mine."
At that moment, her eyes shone with a faint glimmer of hope as she looked at me. Then she asked, haltingly:
"Will… we do that… how…"
Before she could finish, I cut her off with a quiet murmur:
"Alright, my love… I have a technique that will make you happy."
With that, I passed on to her the Multi‑Shadow Replication technique and explained:
"As I told you, when you use this technique you will know everything. A cloned copy will go to them, and when that clone dissipates you will receive all of its memories — you will feel everything that happened to it."
I went on, clarifying gently for her:
"Shadow copies are temporary clones of the user, carrying their memories and part of their energy. They act independently, then disperse once their task is complete or if they're struck down. When they disperse, all their experiences and remaining energy return to the original. This makes them perfect for reconnaissance and gathering information without placing the user in danger.
The most vital feature of the replication technique was experience acceleration — an hour of training for a shadow copy could grant the original multiplied experience. With hundreds of copies, weeks or even months of practice could be condensed into mere hours. But the cost was severe: creating copies consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and the accumulated experiences caused mental fatigue that demanded long periods of rest. A hidden link bound each copy to the original, allowing control and seamless network connection — yet it could also transmit pain and harmful effects to everyone at once.
The original always received the memories and experiences of a shadow copy after it dispersed.
When a copy vanished — whether destroyed by a heavy strike or dissolving by its own choice — everything it saw, heard, and felt instantly returned to the original's consciousness.
It wasn't just images or events, but the full sensory experience — as though the original had lived it firsthand.
However, there was a dangerous downside: if the copy endured pain or trauma, the original would feel it too the moment it returned, a shock that could be physically and mentally exhausting.
I leaned close and whispered to her in a gentle voice:
"Do you want me to use it and send the copy to them? I promise its actions will be your choice. I won't refuse, and I'll bear the consequences. I know it won't be easy for you… and in the end, they are your family."
Wang Dong'er answered in a steady, yet faintly trembling voice:
"Alright… I will use it.
(From a third-person perspective)
Not long had passed before Wang Dong'er managed to create a perfect copy of herself — as if her very soul had been mirrored into a living, flawless replica.
The moment the copy stepped out of the Miles Rivers and Mountains painting, Er Ming and Da Ming intercepted her instantly, as though they had been waiting for this moment from the very start.
Without a word, without a hint of hesitation, they lifted her into their arms and carried her straight to the Clear‑Sky Clan, their silence heavy with tension and dread.
Inside the clan leader's hall, all eyes turned to Wang Dong'er. Er Ming and Da Ming unleashed a torrent of questions, urgency dripping from every word, as if each passing second without an answer only fueled their growing panic.
Er Ming's voice quivered with worry: "Wang Dong'er… where have you been? You nearly gave us a heart attack — what happened to you? Did someone try to kidnap you? Tell us who it was… and we will avenge you, no matter the cost."
Wang Dong'er trembled, her voice laced with sorrow and confusion, as though it poured straight from the depths of her wounded heart: "Uncle Er Ming… Uncle Da Ming… no — no one kidnapped me. May I ask you something?
Both Er Ming and Da Ming responded immediately, faint relief softening their stern expressions.
"Yes, little one… you may. Since no one kidnapped you, ask us whatever you wish."
At that moment, Wang Dong'er slowly lifted her head, her gaze locking onto theirs. Her voice rang with unwavering determination, slicing through the heavy silence like a sharpened blade:
"Who is… Tang Wutong?"
The two giants froze as if time itself had stalled. Shock was written clearly on their faces, and they exchanged a tense, wordless glance, the air thick with restrained anxiety.
Finally, Da Ming's voice broke through, slow and hesitant, each word seeming to struggle to escape:
"Dear… what are you talking about? Who is this Tang Wutong? Have you… met someone by this name? Where… where did you hear it?
When she saw their reaction, Wang Dong'er froze, her fingers trembling as she clutched her veil tightly against her chest, as if searching for something to hold on to amid a storm of despair. Sorrow filled her eyes as she whispered, her voice fractured, breaking with every breath:
"Am I… a clone of Tang Wutong?"
Er Ming stepped forward, his voice quivering with anger as he tried to deny it, his eyes narrowing with rising unease:
"Dear… what are you talking about? Who told you this?"
Wang Dong'er answered bitterly, tears streaming from her eyes like a flood:
"I know everything… why do you still deny it?"
Her tears fell even harder, her voice trembling between broken sobs, as if every word cut her from the inside:
"Am I just a tool? Just a small fragment with a sliver of Tang Wutong's soul, nothing more? Are they only using me? Is that the truth?"
Er Ming and Da Ming stood still for a moment, their faces heavy with sorrow. Then they both stepped toward her slowly, with silent solemnity. One of them gently reached out, pushing her slightly aside as if to protect her, his voice soft but weighed with pain:
"Little one… listen. That's not true. Whoever told you this is lying to you."
Wang Dong'er shot back, her shock bursting out in a bitter voice that pierced the hall:
"You… are you still lying to me?"
Da Ming leaned forward, his hands trembling slightly, his voice calm but taut, every word bearing a crushing weight:
"Listen, little one… I'll tell you everything. You are not a tool. Brother Tang San never wanted this to happen… what happened wasn't his intention. You chose this yourself… you felt bored and decided to go to the Douluo Continent to play. Brother Tang San didn't want you to cause trouble, so a seal was placed on your power and memories—to protect you… or to prevent mistakes or harm—and then you were brought here."
Wang Dong'er collapsed to the ground, her body shaking with heavy sobs, her voice choking between ragged cries:
"Is this… true? I… oh… you're hiding and using me… why… why did you lie to me…
At that moment, the emptiness around them seemed to shiver, as if time itself had paused for a brief instant—before men appeared from nowhere.
A tall man stepped forward, his face stern, his eyes carrying an austere gravity—Tang Hao, the current Master of the Air.
He stood before the collapsed, crying Wang Dong'er, his voice cold and decisive like a thunderbolt:
"You now know what happened… which means our plan has failed. Other measures must be taken before Tang San's plan is completely ruined and spoiled."
He reached toward Wang Dong'er without hesitation, as if to lift or calm her, but before his hand could touch her…
Something unexpected happened—
Boom… boom!
Wang Dong'er's body erupted into smoke, and the ground where she had stood turned into a solid void. No trace of her remained, only dust swirling in the air, as if she had never existed.
The hall fell silent, a long, suffocating silence filled with horror and astonishment, faint whispers echoing off the walls.
Tang Hao's outstretched hand froze in midair, trembling slightly, as if silently questioning whether what had just happened was merely the beginning of greater consequences… or the prelude to a dark tragedy yet to be revealed.
Tang Hao screamed in thunderous rage, his voice shaking the very foundations:
"Find this stubborn girl! Bring her to me immediately… Tang San's plans must not be ruined!"
The entire continent trembled beneath the force of his anger, and dark clouds swirled above, as if heralding the coming storm of the Master of the Air's wrath.
Suddenly, a suffocating pressure descended upon the land, as if the earth itself bent beneath his power. The black clouds thickened, twisting with terrifying force. Everything around him seemed to buckle under his weight and authority, and the silence that followed was heavy with fear, as if the entire world had paused, holding its breath before the full onslaught of his overwhelming fury.