Tang San Requests Support, Qian Renxue's Peculiar Train of Thought

Sitting outside Tang San's smithy, Xiang Yang leafed through the Martial Soul Newspaper in his hands, a little bored. It could be said to be the greatest source of information in this world.

Of course, Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire weren't fools who would simply let the other side control public opinion, but their reach was extremely limited.

Heaven Dou could only cover the area around its imperial capital and a few major cities firmly under its control. It couldn't gather reliable information from autonomous kingdoms and the like.

The Star Luo Empire fared a little better thanks to its national policies, but because its imperial family placed greater importance on raw strength, it was unwilling to spend too many resources on such matters. Most of the news it reported consisted of trivial chicken feathers and garlic skins, so it was hardly any better than the former.

"The latest theory published by the two grandmasters. Let me break it down for you..."

Xiang Yang was somewhat speechless. "Huh? Wasn't I clear enough? Does it really need explaining?"

Tap, tap... tap, tap...

Interweaving footsteps sounded, and Xiang Yang hurriedly stood up. Sure enough, Tang San was approaching with Tang Hao.

Tang San introduced the place with a hint of pride. "Dad, this is where I usually forge things. I made everything here myself."

Seeing the way his son was looking at him, Tang Hao turned away somewhat awkwardly. He looked over the shop, which was considerably larger than his home in Holy Soul Village, and nodded expressionlessly. "Mm, not bad."

Though the response was lukewarm, Tang San was already quite satisfied. After all, ever since he was little...

Oh, right. Tang San remembered what his father had just told him and looked at Xiang Yang solemnly. "Ah Yang, there's something I need to tell you."

He turned sideways. "This is my father, Tang Hao. I haven't seen him in six years. We were just talking about my mother..."

According to Tang San, his father and mother had fallen in love. Twelve years ago, when she gave birth to him, they had been hunted because his mother was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. Driven into a desperate situation, she had been forced to sacrifice herself to help them escape with their lives...

It was much the same as what Xiang Yang knew, or rather, Tang San knew even less than he did. Presumably, Tang Hao was still wary of Spirit Hall, so he hadn't explained everything.

That was indeed the case. Tang Hao had considered that, given Tang San's current strength, the time was not yet right. In response to his questions, he had only said that he would tell him once Tang San was strong enough. Tang San could only hold himself back, secretly vowing to cultivate harder so he could take revenge sooner.

"Sure, no problem. Uncle Tang Hao just needs to bring Auntie over." Xiang Yang readily agreed to Tang San's little request, as though it went without saying.

"Okay..." Though Tang San hadn't expected otherwise, he still breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Tang Hao spoke. "No, there are too many people here. It isn't safe. Let's do it at my place." He glanced at Tang San. "It'll be a good chance for Little San to see his mother."

Startled, Tang San swallowed, visibly nervous. In neither his previous life nor this one had he ever had a mother.

In his previous life, he had been an orphan adopted at a young age. Over those twenty or thirty years, he had devoted his affections to the Tang Sect. Perhaps the Tang Sect and some of its elders had played the role of a father.

In this life, he had Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang. The former was his biological father, while the latter was his master in name but treated him as a son, even more than the former... Uh, there was no point comparing them.

In any case, across both his lives, he truly had never had anyone to play the role of his mother.

Meanwhile, as the three prepared to set off, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, one of the rulers of Heaven Dou City, was looking at a copy of the same Martial Soul Newspaper Xiang Yang had.

"Pfft, what is this garbage?" He... or rather, she, sneered. "It's utterly nonsensical."

With a gentle wave of her hand, the refined, easygoing crown prince transformed into a tall woman with long black hair and a peerlessly beautiful face.

"Calm your anger, Young Master. Ever since Yu Xiaogang and that other Sun Grandmaster began putting out new theories year after year, a whole crowd of bandwagon jumpers has come crawling out of the woodwork. Most of them are nothing but clowns hopping about on the stage."

Since everyone in the secret chamber was one of their own, Snake Lance Douluo had no need to hide.

"Mm, I know." What angered Qian Renxue was that these people clearly had no real ability, yet still liked to spout things that looked like lengthy discourses but were actually nothing but nonsense. She kept a constant watch on them, and every time she saw their words, they irritated her.

"Honestly, is that person just going to let them do as they please?" But what truly angered her was that she had already written a letter specifically suggesting action, yet the person in that seat acted as though she hadn't seen it. No, perhaps she really hadn't read it!

The thought made Qian Renxue even angrier.

Snake Lance Douluo and the attendant beside him found it difficult to respond, so they could only treat silence as gold.

After a while, Qian Renxue calmed down and asked, "Still haven't found them?"

The attendant at the side stepped forward. "Reporting to you, Holy Maiden, this Yu Xiaogang only ever appears for a very short time, and his whereabouts are unpredictable. He also seems to have a highly cultivated agility-type Soul Master protecting him. Even when our people manage to catch him, they can't keep up. Presumably, it's Flying Horn. As for the other one..."

The man gave a wry laugh. "There hasn't been the slightest news of him. It even makes one wonder whether he exists at all."

They had been ordered to investigate the matter over a year ago and had originally thought it would be as easy as catching something by reaching out. After all, Yu Xiaogang's strength was common knowledge, so the person with him shouldn't have been much stronger. But what if that person's cultivation was high enough?

Though that was unlikely, since people who studied Martial Soul Theory were almost never very talented, they had also considered that the other party might be very old and therefore wished to benefit future generations or leave a name that would endure for ages. They had secretly searched among the Soul Master World's unaffiliated Soul Masters who met those conditions, as well as most Soul Master families.

All in all, they had turned over everything except the few places they couldn't touch—Titled Douluo, major sects, and the imperial families—but even then, they hadn't found a scrap of information about the other party.

"Mm, understood. Keep looking. Don't let up." Qian Renxue had expected his answer. Though dissatisfied, she had nothing more to say.

"Yes!"

After the man withdrew, Snake Lance Douluo saw the young master on her seat take out the Martial Soul Newspaper again. Unable to resist, he stepped forward and spoke.

"Young Master, in my opinion, there's no need to spend your efforts on such a minor matter. They put out new theories every so often anyway. You'd be better off devoting more of that time to cultivation. As long as you inherit—"

"Enough!" Qian Renxue frowned and cut him off at once.

Looking at the words "Martial Soul Evolution," "Compatibility," "Soul Ring combinations," "Soul Incantation," and so on in the newspaper, she retorted, "This is no minor matter. These are people who can change the entire Soul Master World. And if they've published some things, that means there are others they haven't published. If we're going to have them, we need all of them."

She clenched her left hand into a fist. "Besides..."

"What?" Snake Lance asked reflexively.

"Nothing. You have a point too. I'm going to cultivate now. You may all withdraw." After carefully putting away what she held, Qian Renxue gave him the order.

"Yes, Young Master." Snake Lance didn't know what she was thinking, but as long as she had listened, that was enough. As he saw it, what use were all these messy plans and schemes? No amount of power could compare to the words, "I am a Titled Douluo."

What? You were one too? Then what if he said, "I am a god"?

Qian Renxue watched their departing backs, then sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

Of course she understood what her followers were thinking. With her talent, even if she didn't become a god in twenty years, she could take it a little slower and still do it in thirty. But what then? Awe the continent into submission? Supreme power? Or... ascend to the Divine Realm?

It had to be said that those things sounded very appealing, but that was not the life she wanted in the end. Qian Renxue's wish was simple: to make that person acknowledge her...

Winning the loyalty of people who possessed both such fame and strength could greatly bolster her reputation as Xue Qinghe and help her ascend the throne sooner.

And then she could also say to her, "The people you couldn't find have already been conquered by me."

"Heh, heh." Qian Renxue really couldn't help chuckling at the thought.

Alas, if Xiang Yang had been there, he would surely have said, "Run away from your family of origin, kid!"

Elsewhere, after two long days of flying, Tang Hao had brought Tang San and Xiang Yang back to Nuoding City.

Looking down at the somewhat familiar route below, Tang San realized something. "Dad, is Mom in Holy Soul Village too?"