99. Cut the Roots.

Tang San wiped the sweat from his forehead, finishing his morning cultivation. He had been diligent as always, refining his skills and pushing his limits. But he wasn't a native of this world—he was a reincarnated soul.

In his previous life, he had been a member of the Tang Sect, an organization specializing in hidden weapons, poisons, and assassination. Though merely an outer sect disciple, he had committed the ultimate crime—stealing the sect's core secrets. For this betrayal, he was hunted down and ultimately chose to end his own life by leaping off a cliff, only to awaken in the body of a newborn child.

From that moment, he had been raised by his father, Tang Hao. Yet, life had been far from ideal. As soon as he could walk and talk, he began cultivating while also shouldering the responsibilities of household chores. Cooking, cleaning—everything fell on his small shoulders. His father, a drunken wreck of a man, was either engrossed in blacksmithing or drowning in cheap wine, barely acknowledging his son's existence.

As Tang San turned to head back home to prepare breakfast, a flash of red light struck him squarely in the back. His body stiffened before slumping forward, unconscious. An unseen figure materialized, grasped his body, and the two vanished into thin air.

---

"Imperio. Rennervate."

The boy's glassy eyes fluttered open as the mind control took effect. He stood motionless, his will bent under my command. Without hesitation, I placed an ancient stone talisman in his hand and issued a silent directive.

"Record the entire Tang Sect inheritance."

Being directly connected to the talisman, I watched as new books and manuals began appearing within its dream space, accompanied by countless new shadows. One by one, the secrets of the Tang Sect were laid bare.

Mysterious Heaven Inner Qi Cultivation. Purple Demon Eyes. Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps. Hidden weapon blueprints. Alchemy. Poisons. Assassination techniques. Martial arts. Heavenly Treasure Records…

Every last bit of knowledge Tang San possessed flowed into the talisman. The process lasted no more than thirty minutes, and when it was done, the boy simply stood there, hollow and unmoving.

I stepped forward, looking at him with cold detachment. "Goodbye."

A flash of green light struck his chest, and his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground. Without hesitation, I stored the corpse within the Gate of Babylon, ensuring no chance of resurrection. Later, I would incinerate it completely back in the Harry Potter world, leaving no trace behind.

Some might argue that he was just a six-year-old child. But that didn't matter to me. In his past life, he had been an assassin, undoubtedly with blood on his hands. He had betrayed his sect, and his future path in this world was one of hypocrisy and bloodshed. He was not a kind protagonist. He was ruthless, repaying even the smallest slights with death and destruction. Even those who stood by his side often met tragic ends.

The worst of his sins, however, lay in what he would eventually do—freeing a prison full of evil soul masters, unleashing a catastrophe that would result in the deaths of millions, perhaps billions, over the next thousand years.

I narrowed my eyes. "No, let's solve this completely."

I took the corpse out of the Gate.

The Deathly Hallows activated, and a spirit rose from the corpse—a young man with long black hair, clad in flowing white robes. The very image of a cultivator. The Resurrection Stone glowed in my palm, and with a simple flick, I captured his soul within it, ensuring he could never return.

With a final glance at the lifeless shell, I raised my hand. Thunderfire erupted, consuming the body in an instant, leaving behind only ash.

One obstacle removed. Now, the path ahead was mine to shape.

"Still a few more pieces to solve." With that I turned invisible using my cloak hallow and exited the inner world.

With that I headed to the nearby Nuoding City as my next target was there.

~~~~

Yu Xiaogang, the current son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan leader, was a man of wasted potential. His martial spirit had mutated, leaving him with an abysmal 0.5 innate spirit power. For decades, he had been stuck at rank 29, unable to break through.

Despite this, he styled himself as "Grandmaster," a so-called master of spirit theory. In truth, most of his theories had been plagiarized—stolen from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall in his youth. With a few minor edits, he shamelessly published them under his own name, earning undue recognition.

Currently, he was freeloading at Nuoding Primary Spirit Academy. He made no effort to teach classes or take on students, deeming none worthy of his so-called wisdom. Yet, for all his failures, his luck with women had been extraordinary. He had once won the hearts of Pope Bibi Dong and his own cousin, Liu Erlong—both remarkable beauties. But in true cowardly fashion, he abandoned them both, leaving behind only regrets and broken hearts.

Ungrateful to the clan that had raised him and hostile toward Spirit Hall—despite the financial support he received from them—he repaid generosity with theft and betrayal. Had fate not intervened, he would have become Tang San's master. A fitting pair—trash attracts trash, and both were hypocrites of the highest order.

Tracking him down was simple. Like Tang San, he was caught off guard, stunned from behind. Every ounce of his knowledge was extracted, his spatial tool Twenty-Four Moonlight Bridges taken, and anything of value stripped from him.

However he couldn't be killed, that would more than likely drive Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong to insanity or death.

However I intended to attend this academy in the future and didn't want myself or my girls to be bothered by the man.

He still had his uses however. A drop of Draught of Living Death and he was sent into an enchanted sleep and I would keep him in my Gate of Babylon.

He could be used as a bargaining tool or leverage later on. But one thing was sure, he wouldn't become Tang San's teacher.