I am a human after all

After Old Jack left, grumbling under his breath, Tang Hao remained silent. He stared at Tang San for a while, eyes unreadable, before finally turning to hammer the half-finished tools. His voice was low and bitter as he muttered,

"What good is a soul master? Even a Titled Douluo can't escape their fate."

Tang San hesitated, conflicted. In the end, he chose not to reveal his Clear Sky Hammer in front of Tang Yin.

It had to be said—though Tang Yin harbored resentment, even hatred, toward this selfish younger brother who refused to share his mysterious cultivation method, he still reasoned that Tang San might be bound by the sect's strict traditions. Sharing such a secret, even with family, might have been forbidden.

But when he noticed Tang San intentionally avoiding him, the last of Tang Yin's doubts crumbled. His heart oddly light. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he smirked and whispered under his breath,

"Thank goodness. Tang San, you're really making it easier for me to bully you. If you'd shown me your twin martial soul, I might've believed you actually saw me as your brother—and that would've made it harder to destroy your life."

(As someone who had been reincarnated and orphaned in his past life, Tang San had always longed for parental love. His love for father ran deep whereas there was no need for siblings to share his father's love)

Not wanting to stay any longer, Tang Yin stepped outside with a falsely carefree voice:

"Baba, I'm going out to play!"

Watching his unreliable older brother leave, Tang San's face brightened. Seizing the moment, he eagerly revealed his twin martial souls to Tang Hao. The stoic blacksmith was stunned, his somber expression flickering with life for the first time in a long while.

Tang Hao gave a grave warning:

"Tang San, unless it's absolutely necessary, never reveal your second martial soul to anyone. Not even your brother. Do you understand?"

Tang San, relieved to hear his father's caution mirror his own idea, nodded cheerfully.

From that moment, Tang Hao began to guide him with earnest dedication.

"Do what you want with the Blue Silver Grass," he said, "but promise me—don't absorb a soul ring for the hammer until you reach the Titled Douluo level."

Tang San swore on it, and so began his training in basic hammer techniques and the Clear Sky Sect's forging methods.

Meanwhile, Tang Yin strolled to Old Jack's home. With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he asked coyly,

"Grandpa, does our village only get one spot for the soul master academy? Who's going—me or my brother? I really want to become a powerful soul master."

Old Jack sighed, moved by the seemingly innocent request.

"If you truly want to go, I can get you a spot from one of the neighboring villages. But will your father agree? If you can convince that lazy man, I'll help you get into Nuoding Soul Master Academy."

Three hours later...

Tang Yin returned to find Tang Hao diligently teaching Tang San how to generate power from the calves. Tang Hao didn't even glance at his eldest son.

He simply didn't care.

Since Tang Yin hadn't awakened a hammer—or the twin martial soul—Tang Hao had written him off entirely. In his eyes, Tang Yin was useless, unworthy of the Clear Sky legacy. From that day on, he didn't teach him a thing.

Though Tang Yin had lived in that house for six long years, he never imagined the rejection would hurt so much. But he was still human. And now, heart heavy, he finally resolved to take the step he'd hesitated over for years.

Suppressing his emotions, he stood before his father with a distant gaze.

"Dad," he said firmly, no longer using the affectionate baba, "I want to be a soul master. Even if you won't allow it. I refuse to rot in this village for the rest of my life."

Tang Hao was momentarily dazed. Both his sons used to call him baba—Tang Yin perfunctorily, Tang San with yearning. Now, the distance in Tang Yin's voice made it clear: the bond was broken.

Eventually, Tang Hao spoke coldly:

"Do whatever you like."

He turned back to teaching Tang San, as though Tang Yin didn't exist.

Whereas Tang San gloated inwardly, clearly pleased to have his father's full attention as he immersed himself in learning the forging techniques.