The teachers around him nodded one after another, their faces full of righteous indignation as they condemned Yu Xiaogang's shamelessness.
But Tang San could no longer hear what they were saying.
Scenes from the Soul Hunting Forest kept replaying in his mind.
The young man seated on the throne.
The man with such formidable strength, who had casually destroyed the Ten-Year Lone Bamboo and mercilessly exposed Yu Xiaogang's deception.
The powerhouse who had made him tremble.
He was... the Blue Silver King?
He was... his own brother?
Tang San's heart began to pound.
He remembered how, despite the man's cold words, everything he had done had kept Tang San from taking the wrong path.
If he had not stepped in at the crucial moment, destroyed the Lone Bamboo, and berated Tang San into seeing sense...
Tang San might already have become a sacrifice to Yu Xiaogang's theories.
So that was it.
He had not been arrogant. He had not been rude.
He had been trying to save me!
To keep that worthless teacher from ruining me!
For Tang San's sake, he had crossed half the Heaven Dou Empire and mobilized the Royal Knights.
He had even accepted being branded overbearing, all to shake Tang San awake.
What kind of devotion was that?
Was this what it meant for blood to run thicker than water?
Tang San had always thought he was an orphan with nothing but a drunken father who spent his days drinking and working the forge.
He had never imagined that somewhere in the world, he had such a powerful brother, quietly watching over him and protecting him.
A warmth unlike anything he had ever known suddenly enveloped the heart that his experiences in his previous life had left cold and suspicious.
Tang San's clenched fists trembled slightly, but this time it was not from anger or fear.
It was excitement.
It was gratitude.
His eyes reddened, tears welling in them.
Across two lifetimes, this was the first time he had felt what it was like to be protected so completely, so fiercely.
Even when he did nothing.
Even when he had once misunderstood him.
His brother had still stood before him like a mountain, sweeping every obstacle aside.
Tang San drew a deep breath and tilted his head back, refusing to let the tears fall.
He made a silent vow.
He, Tang San, would never forget this kindness or this bond between brothers.
No matter what, even if a thousand hardships and ten thousand dangers stood in his way.
He would find Lord Blue Silver King.
He would call him brother to his face.
And thank him in person.
At the center of the Royal Knights' encampment stood an enormous palace tent.
Though it had been erected temporarily during the march, its grandeur rivaled the council hall of any city lord's manor.
Golden drapes hung in layer upon layer. Every ten paces stood a royal knight in heavy silver armor, and a killing chill filled the air. Not even birds dared fly over the encampment.
Tang San stood outside the great tent and drew a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart.
He straightened his rumpled clothes. Though they were still stained with a little dirt from the forest, he did his best to look presentable.
"Go in. His Highness is waiting for you."
Ying Qi, standing by the entrance, gave Tang San a cold glance and stepped aside.
Tang San nodded and walked into the tent.
Inside, it was not nearly as dim as he had imagined. Dozens of fist-sized Luminous Pearls were set into the ceiling, lighting the entire space as brightly as day.
A thick red carpet made from Soul Beast pelts covered the ground. It yielded softly underfoot, muffling every step.
At the far end of the tent stood a raised platform.
Tang San looked up, and his gaze froze.
Tang Yuan sat in a broad chair atop the platform.
Tang Yuan had shed his earlier casual air. He wore a suit of dark-gold armor that guarded only his vital points rather than covering his whole body, with a deep-blue robe beneath it.
Intricate, mysterious Blue Silver Grass patterns had been embroidered across the robe in silver thread. As Tang Yuan moved, they seemed to come alive, shimmering with a faint glow.
Regal.
Magnificent.
Simply sitting there, he radiated the authority of one accustomed to command, making it difficult to look him in the eye.
Tang Yuan held a crystal-clear jade cup and watched the boy enter with a calm gaze.
His eyes were as still as an ancient well. They held neither the mockery of before nor any deliberate warmth, as though he were looking at an ordinary visitor.
Looking at that young, handsome face, Tang San felt a deep reverence rise within him.
He hesitated no longer and hurried to the foot of the platform.
Thud.
Tang San dropped heavily to both knees and pressed his forehead against the soft carpet, bowing more deeply than he ever had before.
"I, Tang San, thank Lord Blue Silver King for saving my life."
The boy's voice trembled, but he stressed every word, his sincerity as firm as nails driven into iron.
If he had not come here and made this bow, Tang San knew his conscience would never have let him rest.
Silence filled the great tent.
A moment later, Tang Yuan set down his jade cup.
He raised a hand slightly, palm upward.
Hum—
A gentle yet irresistible surge of Soul Power appeared from nowhere. Like a soft cloud, it supported Tang San's arms and lifted him firmly to his feet.
"It was nothing."
Tang Yuan's voice was even, revealing little emotion.
"That trash theory was riddled with holes. It grated on This King's ears, so I disposed of it while I was there. You needn't dwell on it."
Tang Yuan spoke lightly, as though he really had done no more than swat a fly.
But as Tang San stood and looked at him, the light in his eyes burned even brighter.
Tang Yuan could make it sound effortless, but Tang San knew what it meant.
For the so-called "Grandmaster," Yu Xiaogang, it meant the destruction of a lifetime's work.
But for Tang San, it meant his whole life had been saved.
Without the Blue Silver King, he might already have absorbed that Ten-Year Lone Bamboo and become a true weakling, doomed to struggle at the very bottom of the Soul Master World with no hope of ever rising.
He had been given a second chance at life.
Tang San parted his lips, wanting to offer more words of thanks, but found that words felt painfully inadequate.
Tang Yuan looked at his still-youthful younger brother and tapped a finger lightly against the armrest.
"Since you're here, This King will speak plainly."
Tang Yuan leaned forward slightly, his gaze resting on Tang San.
"A remote backwater like Nuoding City isn't right for you."
"That so-called Junior Soul Master Academy lacks capable teachers and has a narrow view of the world. Apart from Yu Xiaogang, who knows only how to swindle people, it has nothing but a pack of mediocrities eating their fill while waiting to die."
"Your talent shouldn't be buried in that mud pit."
Tang Yuan paused, then extended Tang San an offer.
"Would you come back to Heaven Dou City with me?"
"There, you would have a better place to train, the finest Mimicry Training Grounds, and guidance from true experts."
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