After a moment, Xiao Wu finally withdrew her gaze from Huo Yuhao, as if pressing myriad thoughts into that single, soft sigh.
When she spoke, her voice was gentle, carrying a hint of an elder's approval for a Junior: "Is that Yuhao?"
On the way here, the God of Destruction had already briefly introduced the person they were going to meet this time, so Huo Yuhao naturally knew that the person before him was Tang Wutong's mother and his future mother-in-law.
Hearing this, he immediately stepped forward and replied respectfully: "Auntie, I am Huo Yuhao."
Xiao Wu nodded, her gaze lingering on him for a fraction of a moment as she said: "Thank you for taking care of Xiao Qi when she was on the Douluo Continent."
Huo Yuhao hastily waved his hand, his tone earnest: "Auntie, you flatter me; this was all something I should have done."
Finishing this sentence, he glanced slightly to the side, his line of sight passing over Xiao Wu's shoulder to look at the tightly closed door not far behind her.
Lowering his voice, he asked tentatively: "How is Wutong... doing?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu's gaze also dimmed correspondingly. She sighed softly, her tone carrying an undisguised heartache: "She has been staying inside the room and won't come out, seeing no one."
"The blow of this matter... is simply too great for her."
Huo Yuhao fell silent for a fleeting moment, then raised his eyes to look at Xiao Wu and asked softly: "Then... may I go see her?"
Xiao Wu glanced at the unsettlingly quiet room behind her, hesitated slightly, and ultimately nodded: "Go. If Xiao Qi is willing to see you, help me properly comfort and persuade her. She has bottled up too many words in her heart; someone needs to open an outlet for her."
Huo Yuhao nodded heavily without saying more, turning around and walking toward that door.
He arrived before the door, raised his hand to gently knock twice on the wooden panel, and kept his voice as gentle as possible: "Wutong, it is me."
Before long, a soft sound finally came from the tightly closed door.
The door hinges turned, and a familiar face slowly appeared within Huo Yuhao's line of sight.
Tang Wutong stood inside the doorway, her powdery blue long hair scattered somewhat disheveledly across her shoulders at this moment.
Her usually lively and bright large eyes were red and swollen now, with undried tears seemingly spinning in her eye sockets, and her eyelashes soaked wet, as if she had just finished crying.
Her entire face was written full of pain and exhaustion, and that helpless expression made Huo Yuhao's heart tighten abruptly.
The instant she saw Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong seemed as though she could finally hold on no longer, all her grievances and breakdowns finding an outlet for release at this very moment.
She abruptly lunged into his embrace, her arms tightly wrapping around his waist as she buried her face in his chest.
Tears could no longer be controlled as they surged out, wetting a large expanse of his lapels in the blink of an eye.
Huo Yuhao didn't say much, merely raising his hand to gently stroke her back, his movements slow and tender.
He lowered his head, speaking in a gentle voice by her ear: "It's alright, I am here."
Watching the two of them embrace as they walked into the room, the God of Destruction withdrew his gaze, turned to Xiao Wu standing aside, and said: "Only between young people do they have their own topics; you shouldn't worry too much either. That child Yuhao is steady and will properly comfort Xiao Qi."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu withdrew her gaze from the newly closed door and let out another soft sigh.
She remained silent for a moment, ultimately just nodding and saying in a low voice: "I hope so."
Inside the room, Huo Yuhao held Tang Wutong's hand, and the two sat side by side on the edge of the bed.
He turned his head slightly to observe her expression, seeing that although her eye rims were still red, her emotions were much steadier than before, and her breathing had gradually calmed down, before he deliberately spoke: "Did you... meet your father?"
Hearing this, Tang Wutong's body stiffened slightly, her eyelashes lowering as she fell silent for a good while, her fingers unconsciously clenching the fabric over her knees.
Ultimately, she gently shook her head, her voice low and hoarse: "No."
A trace of surprise flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Back when Tang Wutong left the Douluo Continent to return to the Divine Realm, she had clearly stated that she wanted to ask everything clearly, confront Tang San face-to-face, and figure out the causes and consequences of all his actions completely.
He had originally thought her very first matter upon returning to the Divine Realm would be to go see Tang San, yet he hadn't expected that she actually didn't go see that "culprit".
Perceiving the doubt in Huo Yuhao's eyes, Tang Wutong's gaze dimmed slightly as she slowly spoke: "Actually... many things were already certain from the very moment I returned to the Divine Realm."
"I don't need to go see him, nor do I need a face-to-face interrogation; in my heart, I am already very clear that all of this... was done by him."
Speaking up to this point, her brows involuntarily knitted together, a trace of undisguised sorrow leaking from her tone: "Therefore... there is no longer any need to see him now."
Huo Yuhao listened quietly, not rushing to reply.
He could tell that although Tang Wutong was saying "there is no need to see" with her mouth, deep within those lowered eyes, there was clearly still an undissipated entanglement and struggle hidden.
She simply didn't know how to face him—to face the father who once stood like a titan in her heart, yet now had personally torn apart her Soul.
If she couldn't truly move past this matter, her future Heart-Nature's knot would only wind tighter and tighter, keeping her forever trapped in today's inescapable state.
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate and directly spoke: "Go and see him."
Hearing this, Tang Wutong abruptly raised her head to look at him, a trace of surprise and hesitation flashing in her eyes.
Huo Yuhao met her gaze with an open expression: "I will accompany you there. Coincidentally... I also have some questions I want to ask him face-to-face."
Tang Wutong stared blankly at him for a long while before finally nodding slowly and letting out a soft "Mn."
When the door opened once more, Huo Yuhao walked out holding Tang Wutong's hand.
Xiao Wu's gaze instantly landed on her daughter's face, examining it thoroughly and carefully.
Although her eye rims were still tinged with a faint red and a few traces of exhaustion remained between her brows, compared to her previous distraught appearance, Tang Wutong's expression was now noticeably much better, and there was a bit more light in her eyes.
Xiao Wu's heart relaxed slightly, like a stone hanging for a long time finally dropping to the ground.
She couldn't help but look toward Huo Yuhao, her gaze carrying a trace of gratitude.
Tang Wutong walked up to her mother, looking at that face which appeared slightly pale due to days of worry, and a wave of soreness inevitably welled up deep inside her heart.
Only now did she realize that recently, by locking herself in the room and only caring about wallowing in pain, she had neglected her mother's feelings.
Tang Wutong reached out to take her mother's hand, her fingertips applying a slight force as she said softly: "Mom, let's make a trip to the heavenly prison."
What they were going to the heavenly prison to do was something everyone present knew well in their hearts.
Xiao Wu didn't ask much, simply nodding with an expression carrying a trace of complexity amidst its calmness: "Alright, let's go together."
The heavenly prison of the Divine Realm was vastly different from those dark, damp cages of the Lower Realm. It was not crude here; the four walls were clean and neat, even exuding a sense of pure simplicity.
Yet the layout was extremely austere; each cell was merely a small room of less than ten square meters, with no superfluous furnishings.
The Divinities locked into the heavenly prison would all have their entire cultivation sealed. However, a deity's physique was extraordinary after all, coupled with the nourishment of the Divine Realm's rich immortal spiritual Qi, even if imprisoned here, they would never harm their lives by neither eating nor drinking.
Yet it was precisely this punishment of "solely losing freedom" that was the heaviest torment for many Divinities who were accustomed to being high above.
Initially, Tang San hadn't taken it to heart either. In his view, it was merely changing a place to stay; with his worldly wisdom and Heart-Nature, staying quietly for a period of time was no difficult task.
Yet as days passed one by one, when he could truly only hole up in this cramped cell, unable to go anywhere and unable to do anything, he gradually grew irritable.
Once upon a time, he was a God King of supreme status, capable of determining the life or death of countless living beings in the Lower Realm with a single thought, acting as the Master over the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of myriad planes.
Yet nowadays, he couldn't even step out of this space measuring less than ten paces square.
The huge disparity caused unwillingness and melancholy to surge within his heart, nibbling away at his patience day after day.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.