After Liu Erlong left, Han Li turned around, only to find the girls all staring at him.
"What scheme are you cooking up now?"
Dugu Yan asked bluntly, sensing a mischievous undertone in Han Li's words earlier.
"I'll tell you when we get back. This isn't the place to discuss such things," Han Li replied, glancing at the now mostly dispersed crowd. Still, many eyes occasionally darted toward their section of the spectator stands. He didn't give a direct answer.
Wherever they appeared in public, this was always the downside—they were constantly the focus of attention.
The group nodded and began walking out of the arena together.
As for Liu Erlong, to Han Li, this was just a minor episode. He had nearly forgotten about her until she showed up. Well, they'd meet again at the finals then.
It wasn't really because of Yu Xiaogang—he'd already been sentenced to death in Han Li's mind. Bringing Liu Erlong into the picture was mainly to see how Bibi Dong would react.
Yes, that's what he had decided. He'd arrange for Liu Erlong to be seated in a prominent spot, making it impossible for both Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong to ignore her. That would certainly be interesting.
Han Li was quite skilled when it came to making people uncomfortable.
After returning home and resting for a while, Han Li habitually entered his mental world, where he scanned through his special interests. That's when he noticed something unusual.
It seemed that Tang Hao had changed his hideout, and there were other people with him now.
Intrigued, Han Li focused on the scene.
In the top-floor loft of Moon Pavilion, the atmosphere was somewhat stifling.
Tang Hao had arrived late. After a brief trip to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he returned to Moon Pavilion to find that Tang Xiao had already arrived.
After a moment of silence, it was Tang Yuehua, the youngest of the three siblings, who tried to lighten the mood.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, how about I have the servants bring up some food?"
Tang Yuehua stood up, ready to head downstairs, but Tang Xiao reached out and stopped her.
Glancing at Tang Hao, who had his head down in silent contemplation, Tang Xiao sighed. He wasn't sure what expression to wear when facing his younger brother.
"Where have you been all these years?"
"The province of Fasinuo, Nuoding City," Tang Hao replied honestly, raising his head to look at his much older brother, who seemed to have aged considerably.
"That's the birthplace of the Spirit Hall's Holy Son, isn't it?"
Tang Xiao frowned. That was the only thing he associated with that place.
"Yes, but I didn't know that at the time. I only learned about it after the news spread. Otherwise, how could I have let him live until now?"
Tang Hao's voice was dark, filled with resentment, even though he had never personally encountered Han Li.
"Kill him? Are you planning to have the Clear Sky Clan attacked again?" Tang Xiao snapped, his voice agitated.
He had thought that after so many years, his younger brother's temperament would have become more composed. But the first thing out of Tang Hao's mouth was still about killing people.
"Big Brother, don't get angry. Second Brother is just saying it—he hasn't done anything," Tang Yuehua quickly stepped in to soothe the situation.
"If he does something, it'll be me who pays the price this time," Tang Xiao retorted sharply, unusually unwilling to spare their feelings. For years, he had borne the pressure of the incident caused by Tang Hao. He had only managed to keep the clan together by forcing his way through and winning over some of the elders. Without his efforts, the elders would have long since abandoned Tang Hao.
"Big Brother, I'm sorry."
On the other side, Tang Hao halted his sister's attempt to speak further and solemnly bowed to Tang Xiao.
"Alright, get up."
Tang Xiao grabbed Tang Hao's arm, pulling him upright before he could continue.
All these years, Tang Xiao had been protective of Tang Hao. Whether in the past or now, he had shielded his younger brother, shouldering all the consequences.
"Yuehua, go ahead and prepare some food and wine."
At this moment, Tang Xiao dismissed Tang Yuehua.
She glanced at her two brothers, nodded silently, and made her way downstairs.
Once Tang Yuehua left, the room fell silent again.
"Where is sister-in-law buried?"
Tang Xiao finally voiced the question that had been gnawing at him. This was the real reason he had sent their sister away.
Tang Hao's expression twisted with deep pain.
"When Ah Yin sacrificed herself, she left behind a seed. I replanted it, hoping she might be reborn."
Tang Xiao held his breath, fists clenched, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
But Tang Hao's next words shattered his hopes.
"But now, it's gone. Everything is gone..."
"While I was protecting Xiao San, the cave I had made for her was discovered by a group of Wind Baboon beasts."
Tang Hao didn't continue, but Tang Xiao understood the rest.
Useless! You're utterly useless!
He wanted to scream and punch Tang Hao in the face, but seeing the look of utter despair on his brother's face, he forced himself to hold back. The damage had already been done, and besides, it had only ever been a faint hope. Tang Hao was already suffering enough—what right did he have to lash out at him?
The dead were gone, and the living were more important now.
"Condolences," Tang Xiao finally managed to squeeze out the words after a long pause. He wasn't sure if he was saying them to Tang Hao or himself.
"Xiao San… Tang San, is that his name?"
Tang Xiao didn't want to dwell on Ah Yin's death any longer. It would only bring more sorrow to both of them. Remembering Tang Hao's earlier mention of Xiao San, he changed the subject. His expression, however, still darkened slightly.
Tang Yuehua had only provided vague details in her letter, likely out of caution to prevent sensitive information from leaking. She hadn't written everything down.
"Yes, he's currently the captain of the second team at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, participating in the Soul Master Tournament."
Seeing that Tang Xiao had shifted the conversation to more pressing matters, Tang Hao collected himself. Right now, this issue is more important. He couldn't afford to let anything else slide—Tang San was his only son.
At that moment, Tang Yuehua also entered the room, carrying a box of food she had prepared earlier.
She had been waiting downstairs for a while. Only after hearing the silence did she realize they had finished their conversation, and now it seemed they were finally getting to the main topic.
Casually, she handed Tang San's profile over to Tang Xiao.
By the time Tang Xiao finished reading through the information, Tang Yuehua had already arranged the food and sat down with them.
"He's more talented than either of us were at his age, but it's still not enough. The issue with his twin martial souls can't be resolved, and the elders won't agree to anything until it is."
Tang Xiao was quite impressed with his nephew's abilities, but he knew better than anyone that talent alone wouldn't be enough. Unless Tang San could reach the heights of their grandfather, Tang Chen, there was no guarantee. Could Tang Hao make that happen? He couldn't.
And even if it were possible, how long would it take? Tang Hao wasn't willing to wait, which was why he had contacted him in the first place.
The crucial issue now was the secret technique mentioned in Tang Yuehua's letter and Tang Hao's explanation. Only with that could he convince the stubborn elders.
"The secret technique has already been tested by three people, including Xiao San. His fourth ring being a ten-thousand-year ring and his current strength is proof of its success."
"Yu Xiaogang has also successfully broken through to level 37 and absorbed a soul bone. As for that kid from the Dai family of Star Luo, although his fourth ring didn't reach ten thousand years, it's still eight thousand years old. He succeeded just yesterday."
Tang Hao didn't hide anything from Tang Xiao. He thoroughly explained the bone replacement process, including the success of several individuals and the minor side effects they had encountered.
Tang Xiao listened attentively, not interrupting once. Only after Tang Hao finished speaking did he glance at both him and Tang Yuehua.
"So, calling me here wasn't just to tell me all this, was it? If you simply wanted to return to the sect, there was no need for any pretense. Just the secret technique alone is enough to make those old fogies shut up."
Tang Xiao gave Tang Hao and Tang Yuehua a deep look, knowing they hadn't told him everything. Even the letter had been vague and evasive.
But he had come anyway. Even if it had only been about Tang Hao, he still would've shown up.
"Big Brother, you know me—I'm not willing to just let things go," Tang Hao said plainly, without hiding his intentions. His gaze, however, was filled with intense hatred.
"So, how much are you still hiding? What do you intend to do? You can tell me everything now. If you don't, I won't be able to agree to anything. I'm not just your brother—I'm also the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect."
Tang Xiao stared at him intently. Did he hate Spirit Hall? Yes, he did. He also resented Tang Hao. But Tang Hao was still his brother, so he had shifted all his anger onto Spirit Hall.
However, this wasn't a decision he could make based on hatred alone. Behind him were the lives of everyone in the Clear Sky Sect, and he had to be responsible for them.
"Alright, I'll tell you everything."
Tang Hao fell silent for a couple of seconds before looking at Tang Xiao.
"Beside Xiao San, there's someone who is just like Ah Yin."
With just his first sentence, Tang Hao dropped a bombshell on both Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua.
"What?!"
Tang Xiao couldn't control himself and immediately stood up, his gaze toward Tang Hao filled with disbelief. His right hand trembled—he wanted to crush this disaster of a brother with his fist.
Was Tang Hao trying to bring yet another catastrophe upon the Clear Sky Sect?
Tang Yuehua was equally shocked, her mouth wide open as she stared at Tang Hao. He hadn't mentioned this to her at all before.
"It has nothing to do with me. She took human form on her own and encountered Xiao San in the human world," Tang Hao weakly defended himself, then added, "But I've helped her conceal her aura, so no one has discovered her."
He conveniently left out the fact that he had reached an agreement with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Tang Xiao sighed in relief and sat back down, lowering his head slightly as he asked in a conflicted tone, "What do you plan to do with her?"
"I… I don't know. I haven't told Xiao San yet. I wanted to discuss it with both of you first before deciding what to tell him."
Tang Hao's brow furrowed deeply. He genuinely hadn't made up his mind.
Given what had happened with him and Ah Yin, he knew he should put an end to it and kill Xiao Wu outright. That would be the safest choice.
But precisely because of what he had gone through, watching Tang San and Xiao Wu grow closer made his heart soften. This wasn't just about Xiao San and Xiao Wu—it was like reliving his own story with Ah Yin.
So, all this time, he had been using his soul ring abilities and even disguising himself as a transformed soul beast to help Xiao Wu hide her aura.
He couldn't bring himself to do it. He really couldn't.
Upon hearing his answer, the room fell into a heavy silence.