Tang Hao: Damn It, Why Is It Them Again? Those Relentless Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos!
night.
The stronghold of the Strength Clan on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.
A high rammed earth wall encloses the entire courtyard, with stone houses arranged along the central axis.
The torches on the battlements swayed and roared in the night wind.
The sparks rolled down with the wind, hit the ground and hissed out, disappearing in a few wisps of smoke.
Inside the main house at the deepest part of the compound, the doors and windows were tightly shut.
A strong medicinal smell seeped out from under the door, mixed with the acrid aroma of burning pine resin, making one's throat tight.
The candlelight flickered inside the room.
Tang Hao leaned against the bed.
He kept his eyes closed, breathing heavily, occasionally letting out a muffled cough that made the bed creak.
The wooden door creaked open.
Tai Tan walked in quietly, carrying a bowl of steaming medicinal soup.
His rough knuckles gripped the rim of the bowl, and with each step he took, the wooden floor sank lower, emitting a low groan.
He silently waved away the young apprentice who was guarding the bedside, leaving only the two of them in the room.
He placed the medicine bowl on the wooden table beside his bed.
"Master, it's time to take your medicine."
Tang Hao didn't even lift his eyelids. "Put it there. Didn't I tell you to protect the Xiao San? Why did you suddenly come back?"
Tai Tan's knuckles clenched and unclenched, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down twice.
"Master, there's been a problem with the Young Master."
The folds in the bedding were suddenly clenched.
Tang Hao tightened his grip, the cotton and linen fabric twisting deep grooves in his palm.
He opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, like two dark, storm-suppressing seas.
"What's wrong with Xiao San?"
His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against rotten wood.
Over the years, his life on the run has ruined his voice and worn down most of his edges, thanks to the effects of smoking and drinking.
The mere mention of Tang San and Ah Yin would unleash a surge of resentment that was simmering deep within him, sending chills down his spine.
Tai Tan's brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice considerably, afraid of upsetting the person in bed:
"The Young Master's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is in serious trouble."
Tang Hao's body suddenly leaned forward, the wound on his broken leg was pulled, and a piercing pain shot up his spine to the back of his head.
He clenched his teeth, his facial muscles tensed like stone, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
"Explain clearly, what exactly is the problem!"
Tai Tan recounted the message he had brought back, word by word.
"The Young Master's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul has become very weak, resulting in poor Soul Power execution, weakened Soul Skill, and no progress in Soul Power cultivation."
"Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang tried every method—inducing growth, incorporating it into medicine, nourishing it with Soul Power —but nothing worked. The Blue Silver Grass seemed to have had its life force drained away."
What did Yu Xiaogang say?
"Yu Xiaogang is an incompetent man; he has no idea why the Young Master has encountered such a change in his life."
Tai Tan was very unhappy with Yu Xiaogang.
What right does a useless person who's stuck at level 29 his whole life have to teach the Young Master?
Tang Hao's mind went blank for a moment, as if he had been hit on the skull by a heavy hammer.
The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is the bloodline foundation that Ah Yin left to Tang San, and it is the inheritance of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor.
The Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline is so domineering and resilient, how could it possibly weaken so easily?
He gripped the blankets tightly with his fingers, his knuckles cracking, as all possibilities raced through his mind.
Is there a problem with bloodline inheritance?
Impossible!
Tang San's Twin Martial Souls awakened extremely smoothly, and his Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline remained as stable as could be.
That leaves only one possibility.
The seedling left behind by Ah Yin, and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.
When Ah Yin Sacrifice, only these two items remained.
He hid it.
But they were all gone.
Thinking of Ah Yin, Tang Hao felt as if a red-hot iron had been stuffed into his chest, burning his internal organs and causing them to spasm.
"Who... who did this?!"
Tang Hao slammed his fist on the solid wood bed frame.
With a crack, a thin line ran through the entire bed surface from the hard wood.
Sawdust flew everywhere, and the medicine bowl on the table was shaken so much that it jumped up, spilling most of the medicine.
"It must be the Spirit Hall!"
He forced out the heavy words through clenched teeth, each syllable dripping with the blood feud of over a decade.
Apart from the Spirit Hall, no one dared to touch his things.
Apart from the Spirit Hall, no one would go to such lengths to find Ah Yin's whereabouts.
They must have stolen Ah Yin's seedlings and Right Leg Bone.
It must have been something the Spirit Hall did to Ah Yin's sapling that damaged Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul essence.
Tai Tan's heart clenched as he watched him like this.
This matter is actually related to the behemoth that is the Spirit Hall?
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say to fill this hole.
"..."
Tang Hao closed his eyes, suppressing the surging anger in his chest.
My mind raced, calculating everything.
The Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass originates from the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline.
Now that his bloodline essence is damaged, apart from that one place, there is probably no one in the world who can help Tang San solve this problem.
He didn't want to show up so soon.
The Spirit Hall has been hunting him down for over a decade. Once he shows up in Heaven Dou City, those hyenas that have caught his scent will surely come out in full force.
In that case, it will only bring about Tang San's utter destruction.
But right now, Tang San's Martial Soul has a fatal problem.
If this drags on any longer, the Blue Silver Grass will be completely ruined, and the advantage of Twin Martial Souls will vanish.
Does he, as the father, not even dare to show his face?
There was no other choice.
"Tai Tan, prepare the car. I'm going to Heaven Dou City myself."
Tang Hao's voice deepened, like a boulder crashing into a deep pool.
We'll set off at dawn.
Tai Tan's expression changed drastically. "Master, your injury—"
"He won't die."
"But what about the Spirit Hall..."
"Kill them if they come."
Tang Hao cut him off, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Now that my son's Martial Soul is about to be destroyed, how can I face Ah Yin if I continue to hide?"
Tai Tan clenched his fist, and after a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a single word. "... Yes."
Just then, a flurry of shouts suddenly came from outside.
"Ah!!!"
"Who goes there?!"
Immediately following was a dull thud as a heavy object fell to the ground, breaking the silence of the night.
"Clan Head! Something terrible has happened!"
"Someone has broken in!"
Tai Tan whirled around, the worry in his eyes suddenly turning into a fierce fighting spirit.
"Who dares to trespass on the territory of my Strength Clan?!"
Tai Tan turned and rushed toward the door, his large, fan-like hand gripping the doorknob.
Tang Hao also propped himself up on the edge of the bed, landing on one leg, and summoned the Clear Sky Hammer with his other hand.
The two rushed out of the main house one after the other.
The yard was a complete mess.
The members of the Strength Clan lay sprawled on the ground, all lifeless, seemingly unconscious.
The torch fell to the ground, igniting the dry grass nearby. Flames leaped up, casting dappled shadows of people all over the ground.
"!!!"
Tai Tan's pupils suddenly contracted.
These clansmen are the elite of the Strength Clan, each possessing a cultivation level above Soul Elder.
He was taken down without anyone even noticing?
His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and a suppressed roar escaped Tai Tan's throat, "Which bastard dares to attack the territory of my Strength Clan!"
Tang Hao's face turned ashen as he looked up and scanned the air.
Two figures hung in the night.
He wore the black robes of a Spirit Hall elder, with golden patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs that were particularly dazzling in the flickering firelight.
"Damn it! It's them again?!"
Tang Hao gritted his teeth, his body tense like a bowstring stretched to its limit.
He would recognize these two people even if they were ashes!
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan!
Ghost Douluo: Gui Mei!