Disappointed Tang Hao

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Tang San had always believed what Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang told him about Ning Tian, that he'd taken some dangerous drug with crippling side effects, trading his future for fleeting power. That was, until the Shrek Academy entrance exam, when Tang San realized he'd been utterly mistaken.

Ning Tian hadn't taken any drugs at all. Under Master Zhu Qing's guidance, his martial soul had evolved into a top-tier tool martial soul, and his soul power had skyrocketed, surpassing Tang San's own. Even so, Tang San, armed with the Tang Sect's peerless techniques, didn't think Ning Tian could truly rival him.

But that was when he'd made a fatal error: apprenticing under Grandmaster. The teachings had backfired, leaving his martial soul plagued with side effects that weakened him constantly. From that moment, the gap between him and Ning Tian widened at a staggering pace. Even Zhu Zhuqing had left him in the dust.

Now, if he hadn't switched to cultivating his second martial soul and gained four soul power levels, he'd still be languishing at the Spirit Elder rank. Meanwhile, Xiao Wu, who'd started at the same soul power level as him, had already reached level 43 Spirit Ancestor. It was painfully obvious how much Grandmaster's guidance had held him back.

If he didn't have twin martial souls, he'd likely be ruined beyond repair by now.

The more he thought about it, the deeper the hatred burned in Tang San's heart. The more he dwelled on it, the more restless he became, yet he couldn't muster the will to cultivate.

"Little San!"

A sudden, aged voice broke through his spiraling torment, yanking him from the abyss of his thoughts. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten or drank in three days, or perhaps something else, but the voice felt familiar, though he couldn't place it right away.

Shakily, Tang San rose and staggered out of the barracks. When he saw who it was, a faint spark returned to his hollow eyes. "Father!"

Standing before him was none other than Tang Hao. But he looked different. The filthy, tattered robe was gone, replaced by a gray outfit stained with blood. It was the blood of beggars who'd wronged him.

While unconscious, Tang Hao had been robbed of his soul tool and clothes, then assaulted by a group of lowly beggars. Too injured to resist at the time, he'd only managed to reclaim his soul tool and seize a decent garment after regaining some strength. He'd slaughtered those beggars, putting an end to his humiliating ordeal.

So, naturally, his mood was black as night.

His gaze flicked to the wound on Tang San's waist, where Zhu Zhuqing's clone had struck. Though the Heaven Dou Empire's healers had treated and bandaged it, Tang San hadn't used his soul power to recover over the past few days, leaving the injury stagnant.

Seeing his son hurt, Tang Hao's anger flared, but he forced down the urge to lash out. "Don't speak yet," he said in a low, steady voice. "I'll heal you."

Tang San didn't resist as Tang Hao guided him back into the barracks. Under the restorative might of a Title Douluo's soul power, his body finally began to ease.

"Father, where have you been all this time?" Tang San asked, managing a weak smile.

"Forget about me. What happened to you?" Tang Hao's tone was stern.

He assumed it was Ning Tian who'd injured him. In this soul master tournament, only Ning Tian seemed capable of reducing his son to this state. If that were true, he'd have to teach that brat a lesson.

Tang San didn't hold back, recounting his clash with Zhu Zhuqing in full.

When Tang Hao learned it wasn't Ning Tian but Zhu Zhuqing who'd bested Tang San, his anger morphed into bitter disappointment.

His son, a prodigy with twin martial souls, had fallen so far that he couldn't even defeat a mere girl from the Zhu family. How could he possibly hope to avenge their family or bring down the Spirit Hall like this?

And Tang Hao himself was running out of time. His strength was fading, his life flickering like a dying candle. How long did he have left, three months? Six? A year? Could he hold on long enough to see the Spirit Hall crumble, to exact revenge for Ah Yin and the Clear Sky Clan?

A tide of sorrow crashed over him.

Tang San spoke earnestly, "Father, I suspect Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Tian stole my external soul bone. Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, I encountered a nearly two-thousand-year-old Black Widow. But because of my martial soul's side effects at the time, I couldn't absorb it…"

Tang Hao cut him off. "You said it yourself, you only suspect."

If Tang San had shone as brilliantly as he did in the original story, giving Tang Hao real hope of toppling the Spirit Hall, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate Ning Tian and Zhu Zhuqing. But now, seeing Tang San in this pitiful state, and knowing Ning Tian was tightly allied with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, Tang Hao realized he needed to unite every force against the Spirit Hall to achieve his vengeance.

"Still, Father, are we just going to let it slide?" Tang San pressed, his voice thick with reluctance.

"Enough," Tang Hao snapped. "I know what you're thinking, but listen to me: the ones who killed your mother are the Spirit Hall. Killing Ning Tian now would only play into their hands. What you need to do is grow stronger fast. After the soul master tournament, I'll take you for special training. Be ready. And now isn't the time for petty grudges. You should be forging bonds with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and even the Star Luo Empire. They all share our common enemy."

With that, Tang Hao shot him a look of deep disappointment and turned to leave the barracks.

"Father…" Tang San scrambled after him, but Tang Hao had already vanished.

Panic gripped Tang San's chest. In his father's expression, he'd seen something he hadn't faced in years; disappointment. It was the same look Tang Hao had given him when he first awakened the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, before they discovered his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer.

No, he couldn't let his father down. He couldn't lose his father's love.

Tang San was like a child starved for affection. In that moment, desperate to hold onto Tang Hao's approval, he finally set aside his grudges; at least for now. Even his festering hatred for Grandmaster was buried deep.

His father was right: their true enemy was the Spirit Hall. Killing Ning Tian and Zhu Zhuqing now would only benefit them. And he wasn't doomed to lag behind forever.

After all, once he mastered his twin martial souls, his second martial soul would boast at least seven ten-thousand-year soul rings; something Zhu Zhuqing could never match. Even if his martial soul couldn't rival Ning Tian's, he still had his hidden weapons. Those top-tier Tang Sect techniques weren't something a native like Ning Tian could counter. Especially the Guanyin's Tear.

He could bide his time, destroy the Spirit Hall first, then settle the score with those who'd crossed him.

With that realization, Tang San's spirits lifted. Confidence and resolve reignited in his eyes.

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