Hammer Shadows, A Step Back

Another late night, moonless.

The wind was strong, making the woods outside the courtyard wall rustle, and the occasional caw of a crow sounded particularly jarring in the darkness.

Flender was not asleep; he stood by the window, watching the darkness outside, feeling that something was wrong.

His Cat Eagle martial soul was most sensitive at night, and in the wind tonight, something that shouldn't be there was hidden.

Then he saw it.

Outside the courtyard wall, several black shadows vaulted over the wall in silence.

One, two, three... they wore black night-traveling clothes, moving with extreme lightness, landing in the courtyard like ghosts.

Flender's eyes snapped open, his soul power erupting instantly.

"Enemy attack!"

His voice pierced the night sky, and the next second, the entire Shrek Academy exploded into chaos.

Zhao Wuji was the first to rush out, his Vajra Bear body expanding in the darkness, his bear paw slamming toward the nearest black shadow.

But the shadow dodged to the side and backhanded a palm against Zhao Wuji's chest; Zhao Wuji stumbled backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Flender's eagle screech tore through the night sky, his figure swooping down from the roof, his sharp claws aimed straight at another black shadow.

But the shadow raised a hand, and a barrier of soul power condensed out of thin air, deflecting his attack.

When Flender landed, his expression had already changed.

Soul Saints! And more than one.

More black shadows vaulted over the courtyard wall; they were well-coordinated with clear divisions of labor. Three Soul Saints entangled Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Shao Xin.

Four Soul Emperors held back Lu Qibin and Li Yusong, while the final two Soul Emperors headed straight for the student dormitory.

The target was Tang San.

Dai Mubai was the first to rush out, his White Tiger Vajra Transformation pushed to the limit, his golden fur shimmering in the darkness.

He smashed a fist toward a Soul Emperor, but the Soul Emperor simply dodged to the side and slapped a palm against his chest.

Dai Mubai went flying, crashing through a wall and collapsing into the rubble.

"Boss Dai!"

Oscar's voice came from behind, but before he could hand out his sausage, he was knocked to the ground by a wave of air.

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix flames erupted from the side, a streak of orange-red fire cutting through the darkness.

But the Soul Emperor pinched his hand, and the flames exploded in his palm, turning into a sky full of sparks.

Then he kicked Ma Hongjun in the chest; Ma Hongjun spat out a mouthful of blood and couldn't get back up.

Tang San stood at the dormitory entrance, Blue Silver Grass spreading wildly from beneath his feet, but the moment his Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the Soul Emperor's ankle, it was shattered by soul power, fragments of grass leaves splashing into the air.

His hidden weapons flew from his fingertips—steel needles, throwing darts, sleeve arrows—one after another, sealing the Soul Emperor's front.

But the Soul Emperor just waved his hand, and all the hidden weapons were deflected, pinning into the wall with a crisp clatter.

On Tang San's back, the Eight Spider Lances snapped open, the blue-purple spider lances glowing with a cold light in the darkness, the tips aimed at the Soul Emperor.

But he knew he couldn't hold on for much longer.

Xiao Wu rushed over from the side, her Waist Bow kicking toward the back of the Soul Emperor's neck, but the Soul Emperor didn't even turn his head.

He backhanded a slap onto her shoulder, and Xiao Wu went flying, slamming into the ground and sliding three or four meters away.

"Xiao Wu!"

Tang San wanted to shout, but the sound was stuck in his throat.

She lay on the ground, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, struggling to stand up, but her shoulder ached as if it had been shattered.

The Soul Emperor walked toward Tang San step by step.

Tang San's hidden weapons were exhausted, his Blue Silver Grass had been shattered, and his Eight Spider Lances were trembling slightly.

His soul power was nearly gone, his breathing as heavy as a bellows.

The Soul Emperor raised his hand and brought his palm down.

At this very moment, a black shadow descended from the sky.

No warning, no sound. Only a massive Clear Sky Hammer, carrying the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, slammed into the Soul Emperor, crushing him instantly.

"Bang!"

The other Soul Emperor didn't even have time to scream before he went flying like a cannonball, crashing through two walls and collapsing into the ruins, life or death unknown.

The moment the Clear Sky Hammer hit the ground, the earth cracked, gravel flew, and dust filled the air.

Half the courtyard wall collapsed, roof tiles clattered down, the air was torn apart, the ground trembled, and everyone felt that power capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

A tall figure slowly walked out from the dust and smoke.

He gripped the hammer handle as if it were a straw; he wore tattered clothes, his beard was unkempt, and his hair was a mess, but his eyes were like blades.

It was Tang Hao.

He had been there the whole time. When Martial Soul Hall arrived, he did not intervene because he wanted Tang San to recognize reality, and he did not want to expose himself too early.

But for these black-robed men who dared to go for the kill, he did not need to show any mercy.

"Clear Sky Douluo!"

Someone exclaimed in shock.

The remaining black-robed men turned pale and fled in all directions; they had come like ghosts, but they left like stray dogs.

Tang Hao did not pursue. He crouched down, flipped over a corpse, and pulled off its mask to reveal a pale face with sunken eye sockets and black bloodstains at the corners of the mouth.

He recognized their origin: they were Evil Soul Masters, but they did not seem to be from Slaughter City.

Flender walked over, gasping for breath, blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Your Excellency Clear Sky, who are these people?"

"I don't know." Tang Hao stood up and was silent for a moment.

He did not tell the truth. He hated Evil Soul Masters, but he hated Martial Soul Hall even more.

Furthermore, he did not want twelve-year-old Tang San to come into contact with such darkness too early.

He walked up to Tang San and looked at him.

It had been six years.

Since joining Nuoding Academy after his martial soul awakening, he had not seen his father once.

That alcoholic, lazy blacksmith was actually a Title Douluo, and the youngest Title Douluo on the continent at that.

Tang Hao patted him on the shoulder.

"Be careful, you've been targeted."

Then he vanished, as suddenly as he had arrived, like a shadow melting into the darkness.

After Tang Hao left, Shao Xin silently handed out sugar beans to everyone.

No one spoke. The sugar beans tasted sweet in their mouths, but they carried the taste of blood when swallowed.

Tang San stood dazed on the spot, the warmth of his father's palm still lingering on his shoulder.

He looked in the direction where the man had disappeared, with only one question in his mind.

Why?

Why keep it from him?

Why leave him in Nuoding City for six years? Why make him think he was an orphan?

He thought of his mother, and the name his father never mentioned. He remembered that every time he asked about his mother, his father would only say three words: "The time is not yet right."

He suddenly realized that he knew nothing about his own background.

His hands clenched tighter, and he did not even feel the pain as his wounds began to drip blood.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu stood further away.

The moment Tang Hao made his move, her body had reacted faster than her consciousness, and she had taken a step back.

It was not to get closer to Tang San for protection, but to move away.

Her heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand; her breathing stalled, and her blood ran cold.

She looked at Tang Hao's back; that man had not looked at her once from beginning to end.

It was not that he had forgotten; it was that there was no need.

He had known all along, from the very beginning.

Then what about these past six years?

Every time Tang San protected her, every promise he made, every time he said "I will always be with you," was it genuine, or was it a script written long ago?

She dared not think, and she dared not ask.

She simply stood there, an invisible distance separating her from Tang San.

That distance was not wide, only a single step.

But she knew that this step might never be crossed again.

That night, Tang San did not sleep at all.

When dawn broke, Flender stood before the ruins, silent for a long time.

He looked at the shattered courtyard walls, the collapsed dormitories, and the rubble and bloodstains covering the ground.

He recalled the days when he started from scratch in Suotuo City, and the day that sign was first hung up.

But now, he couldn't even ensure the safety of his students.

He took a deep breath and turned to face everyone; his voice was hoarse, yet very calm.

"When I first took over this place, it was even more dilapidated than this. I thought I could build it up, to let everyone know how many monsters had walked out of Shrek."

He gave a bitter smile.

"It seems I was overthinking things."

His gaze swept over every student: Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.

"Pack your things; we are going to Tiantou City."

No one spoke.

Zhao Wuji lowered his head, his clenched fists slowly relaxing.

Tang San stood where he was, dried bloodstains still on his palms.

Xiao Wu stood at the edge of the group, her gaze hollow.

They packed their bags, preparing to leave this dilapidated academy that had held countless memories.

In the morning breeze of Suotuo City, Shrek turned a new page.

But some pages, once turned, can never be returned to.