Fooled Him Silly

This was the first time Zhu Rong had truly faced this world head-on.

Ever since he had obtained the Bond System at the age of four, his familiarity with the original story and understanding of the characters' personalities had allowed him to grasp people's hearts with precision. His plans had almost always unfolded according to his wishes.

That included his scheme against Tang Hao this time.

This was, after all, a real world. Variables were common. Because of him, Tang San's Innate Soul Power was only rank eight.

Tang San's personality had also undergone some subtle changes...

All of this had been caused by Zhu Rong, this little butterfly.

"If I'd shown a smug smile just now and cursed Tang Hao for being stupid, I'd probably have been captured already, right?"

Zhu Rong's expression remained unchanged as his mind raced, recalling whether he had done anything foolish after Tang Hao had "left."

"Phew, thankfully I haven't done anything stupid! Since you want to watch, I'll make you mad for a while. Hopefully I won't get beaten up!"

He acted as soon as he decided. Tang Hao was the one who had first abandoned all sense of fair play!

Zhu Rong was not foolish enough to look toward Tang Hao's hiding place. He muttered to himself instead:

"I wonder what Martial Soul that blacksmith has. He ran surprisingly fast. He's a blacksmith, so his Martial Soul should be..."

Tang Hao: This kid has a brain. He knows to start with my profession. Not bad, not bad. Just as expected of...

"...a mallet!"

Tang Hao: I'll give you a fucking mallet! It's a hammer, a hammer! Pah... the Clear Sky Hammer!

"I also wonder what exactly my relationship with Tang San is. We have the same Martial Soul, and we both have two Martial Souls. If I'm not his father..."

Tang Hao: That's fucking enough!

"Forget it, I won't think about it. Tang San and I should be very close, right? But he beat me up for two whole years. I can't just let that go!"

"His talent is worse than mine. I'm going to beat him up every day!"

Hearing Zhu Rong say this, Tang Hao, hidden in the shadows, could not stop the corners of his mouth from twitching. Still, he nodded, agreeing with Zhu Rong's words.

A real man could not just let a beating slide...

If Zhu Rong did not even have that much fighting spirit, then no matter how talented he was, Tang Hao might not have acknowledged him.

But Tang Hao was conflicted now. The person this kid wanted to beat up was his son!

"Little San has those strange soul skills. At the Soul Master stage, he may not necessarily lose, but this kid's cultivation speed is beyond Little San's reach. Once they become Soul Grand Masters, Little San may not even have a chance to fight back..."

Tang San thought he had hidden himself well, but how could he have known that Tang Hao had long since noticed something unusual about him?

However, the world of soul masters had no concept of possession and rebirth, so Tang Hao had never grown suspicious. He simply believed Tang San had encountered his own fortuitous opportunity.

Tang Hao thought for a moment, then roughly calculated their "combat strength."

Tang San mainly cultivated Blue Silver Grass, while Zhu Rong mainly cultivated his Mutated Sword Martial Soul. How could Blue Silver Grass possibly be cultivated to rival a sword Martial Soul?

In dreams! Anything was possible in dreams!

"Unless Little San cultivates the Clear Sky Hammer first, he'll have a chance to match this kid. But if he cultivates the Clear Sky Hammer first, wouldn't that waste Little San's talent?"

"Forget it. Let the children settle their own affairs."

"This kid knows Little San is someone close to him, so he probably won't be too ruthless. But Little San seems to have a deep prejudice against him. No, I need to talk some sense into Little San!"

"They can fight, but he absolutely must not try to kill him. Zhu Rong is the hope for the rise of my Clear Sky Sect once more. Even Little San's talent falls short of his by two levels."

"If Little San tries to kill him, heh, then I, Tang Hao, won't have this son!"

With that thought, Tang Hao no longer had any interest in listening to Zhu Rong. In an instant, he had already reached the foot of the mountain.

In Tang Hao's heart, the sect had always come first.

If not for his plans being overtaken by unforeseen changes back then, he would now be the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, and a Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect with a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring at that.

Only after a while did Zhu Rong realize Tang Hao had already left. Just as he was about to sigh in relief, he recalled what had happened before...

"Sure enough, once a lie is born, countless lies are needed to patch it up."

"Tang San, it's all because of you! Wouldn't it have been fine if you'd just stayed at the back and awakened your Martial Soul last? You just had to cut in line..."

"Once this young master grows stronger, just wait and see how I deal with all of you!"

For now, Zhu Rong only dared to think these words. He did not want to take the risk of saying them aloud and gamble on Tang Hao not being nearby.

After sitting atop the mountain for a while longer, Zhu Rong finally strolled down the mountain as though nothing had happened.

Bang!

Tang Hao shoved open Tang San's front door, startling Tang San, who was forging iron.

"Dad?"

Tang San was puzzled. What was wrong with his father? He did not seem very happy.

"Little San, do you have a deep prejudice against Zhu Rong?"

Facing his son, Tang Hao did not waste any words and went straight to the point.

"???"

Tang Hao's words stunned Tang San. You said you were going to deal with Zhu Rong, so how had it suddenly become whether he had a deep prejudice against Zhu Rong?

Of course Tang San had a deep prejudice against Zhu Rong. He wanted nothing more than to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin...

His talent had been damaged because of Zhu Rong, his spot had been taken by Zhu Rong, he...

How could he not hold a grudge against Zhu Rong?

Though Tang San was confused, he still nodded and said:

"Dad, if Zhu Rong isn't eliminated, he'll become a grave threat!"

Tang Hao: His prejudice is that deep?

Tang San: You have the nerve to say that about me!

"Little San, I support you and Zhu Rong fighting and squabbling, but remember one thing: you must never try to kill Zhu Rong!"

Tang Hao did not care what Tang San might think. He stated it plainly.

"???"

His eyes widened like bronze bells, and Tang San's mind filled with question marks.

Tang Hao had left the house radiating killing intent, yet after returning, he was lecturing him not to try to kill Zhu Rong?

"Remember, you absolutely must not try to kill Zhu Rong! There are many things I can't tell you yet, but I can tell you clearly: Zhu Rong is our relative, a blood relative!"

Since the other party possessed the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, even in the worst case, they were blood relatives within three generations!

If Zhu Rong's Martial Soul had not been copied, Tang Hao's reasoning would indeed have been correct.

The Clear Sky Sect had only risen to power in Tang Chen's generation—Tang Hao's grandfather's generation—becoming the number one sect in the world.

Almost all the direct descendants within the current Clear Sky Sect who possessed the Clear Sky Hammer were descendants of Tang Chen's lineage.

Before Tang Chen, the Tang Family had not been prosperous. Their bloodline had almost always been passed down through a single branch.

The probability that Zhu Rong was descended from some other ancestor was minuscule, practically zero.

"What?"

Tang San swallowed hard, his head buzzing. He had imagined countless possibilities, but he had never expected this!

There was no need to doubt Tang Hao's words. Whatever Tang Hao said, Tang San believed.

"Blood relative?"

Tang San understood what a blood relative meant!

Zhu Rong was one of only two "blood relatives" he currently knew in this world!

"Blood relative? So what if he's a blood relative? Dad, let me be willful this once..."

The hatred of blocking one's path was irreconcilable!