"System, the answer to this question is: Tang San descended to the Douluo Continent, broke the law, tried to kill Xu Yunhan, and threatened Juzi to return the Star Luo Empire to prevent Juzi from unifying the Douluo Continent, thereby preserving his faith and influence on the continent."
After piecing together what he thought to be the most logical answer, Lin Yu quickly presented it to the system, feeling a mix of confidence and anxiety while awaiting a response.
To Lin Yu, this question was particularly tricky because, at first glance, it seemed like two separate issues. But based on past experiences, he reasoned that if the system posed two questions, there should be two distinct answers, as was the case during the live broadcast in Slaughter City.
But since there was only one, Lin Yu deduced that, despite appearances, both parts of the question had a single, unified answer. Therefore, he believed his answer had a high probability of being correct.
Soon, the system's cold, mechanical voice responded.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. Your answer is correct."
"I got it right!"
Excitement surged through Lin Yu. Without wasting any time, he submitted his answer to the virtual screen. At that point, no one else in the live chat had yet posted their response.
Most likely, no one was aware of the power of faith in the Douluo Continent or how it could consolidate into divine power.
This ignorance prevented others from realizing that Tang San's hypocritical and two-faced behavior wasn't about protecting his daughter, Tang Wutong, nor was it out of loyalty to his brother, Dai Mubai, or his son-in-law, Huo Yuhao.
No, it was entirely for his benefit.
[Lin Yu: Tang San descended to the Douluo Continent, broke the law, tried to kill Xu Yunhan, and threatened Juzi to return the Star Luo Empire to prevent her from unifying the Douluo Continent, thus preserving his faith and influence over the continent.]
After posting his answer, the live chat system obscured the content, leaving only Lin Yu's name visible to the other participants.
Once again, it was Lin Yu who answered first!
Seeing Lin Yu's name pop up, many in the chat felt a surge of frustration. Based on past experiences, whenever Lin Yu answered first, it was almost always correct. And with him now being the first to respond, it meant the top reward was practically already in his grasp.
This left the other participants scrambling to secure the second and third rewards. Anxiety gripped them, as now only two prizes remained up for grabs.
Observing that no one else had responded yet—most likely due to their struggle to find the right answer—Lin Yu, realizing the difficulty of the question, decided to act quickly. Not wanting the rewards to go to waste, he rose from his seat in his room and headed toward the library in the Duke's Mansion.
Even though he was pulled into the live broadcast, his physical body could still move freely, though it was somewhat inconvenient. Watching the broadcast was akin to a VR experience, allowing people to multitask. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a reason for major factions to recruit scholars for these events.
Upon reaching the library, Lin Yu telepathically relayed the correct answer to Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, urging them, "Quick, submit your answers before all the spots are taken!"
After informing them of the answer, Lin Yu immediately encouraged them to act fast.
Meanwhile, after Lin Yu's initial response, others from Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Star Luo Empire, and the Heaven Dou Empire also began submitting their answers, though with less certainty about their accuracy.
In the library of the Duke's Mansion, both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan hastily entered the answer Lin Yu provided, noticing that five of the ten answer slots had already been filled.
Elsewhere, in Slaughter City, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had been enduring hardship for over half a year. Their pale faces and gaunt figures bore testament to their struggles, their bodies weakened by the toxic food and lack of nutrition.
Tang San wasn't particularly interested in the first or second prize from this round. However, the third prize, the Xuan Shui Dan, piqued his interest immensely. Even though the description stated that the pill was most beneficial for soul masters below level 20, Tang San knew it still had great potential.
Living in Slaughter City had taken a toll on both him and Yu Xiaogang. They had lost their supplies to the ruthless Five Sins Gang, leaving them reliant on the city's food, which was both malnourished and laced with poison.
The food's toxicity, though mild, had slowly degraded their bodies. Coupled with the monthly tribute of two cups of Bloody Mary, both men were severely depleted.
This depletion had even affected Tang San's ability to cultivate. Desperate for anything that could boost his strength, Tang San knew the Xuan Shui Dan was his best chance. Even if it didn't increase his soul power, its ability to cleanse the body would undoubtedly help restore his vitality.
In the past, Tang San would have avoided answering such a question, as his instinctive response would be to claim that his actions were for his daughter, Tang Wutong, and because Juzi had broken her promise. He might have added that his threat to Juzi to return the Star Luo Empire was for his brother, Dai Mubai, or his son-in-law, Huo Yuhao.
But even Tang San himself didn't believe that was the real reason.
If he had submitted such an answer, it would have been blatantly false, and the resulting punishment would have been severe. In previous situations, he would have chosen not to answer at all.
However, the prolonged suffering in Slaughter City had worn down Tang San's resistance. Now, he was willing to confront the hypocrisy within himself.
He forced himself to confront the truth. By putting himself in the mindset of the Tang San from the broadcast, he realized the actual answer was simple. Tang San descended to Douluo not to protect his family, but to prevent Juzi from unifying the continent and to ensure Huo Yuhao could lead the Tang Sect to its peak.
In Tang San's mind, nothing was more important to him than the Tang Sect. His allegiance to the sect was the key to understanding his actions.
However, Tang San, fearful of the consequences if his answer was wrong, opted not to submit it himself. Instead, he had his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, submit it on his behalf. After all, if Xiaogang lost his soul power or a soul ring, it wouldn't matter much.
Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 332 at patreon.com/MythMosaic.