Tang Hao Got Cheated On

Chen Xuan sat up from his rocking chair, his gaze turning profound.

He looked toward the night sky in the distance.

"Do you all know what the 'Dao' is?"

The five disciples were all stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

"The Dao?" Shi Mo scratched his head, speaking in a muffled voice, "Does it mean a road?"

"You could understand it that way." Chen Xuan nodded.

"Everyone, from the moment they are born, is walking a path that belongs to them alone."

"You are, I am, and those people from Shrek are as well."

"The path you walk is one I have paved for you; it is the righteous path, the Great Dao that leads to the heavens. As long as you continue along this path, your future achievements will be limitless."

Chen Xuan's gaze swept across his five disciples.

"But that Tang San—the path he walks is, at its very root, a crooked path, a path of theft."

"A path of theft?" Ning Rongrong blinked, asking in confusion.

"That is correct. A path of theft."

Chen Xuan's voice carried a faint, indifferent chill.

"He stole a life that did not belong to him, stole the paternal and maternal love that was never his, and stole the knowledge of another world, taking pride in it all."

"Such a person's heart and nature have long been twisted. He appears to value loyalty and emotion, but in reality, he is extremely selfish. Those who follow him prosper, and those who oppose him perish."

"Everything he possesses today—the bloodline of the Blue Silver Empress, his Twin Martial Souls—all of it was brought by this body. Yet, he has never once considered that this body should have had another master."

"He enjoys all of this with a clear conscience, even treating the resurrection of Ah Yin as his own responsibility and motivation. How laughable is that?"

"He is merely using this method to make his act of occupying this body appear 'justified and righteous'."

"He is not resurrecting his mother; he is satisfying his own inner demons."

Chen Xuan's words struck like bolts of thunder, exploding in the minds of the five disciples.

They had never thought about Tang San from this perspective before.

Recalling it now, the words spoken by Mistress Ah Yin during the day, as well as Tang San's reaction at the time, seemed to confirm their teacher's claims.

"Therefore, I need Yanzi to shatter everything he takes pride in, piece by piece."

Chen Xuan's gaze fell back upon Dugu Yan.

"Control? Before Yanzi's Jade Phosphorous Emperor Poison, his Blue Silver Grass is nothing but a pile of waste."

"Using poison? Does he even qualify to play with poison in front of the Poison Douluo's granddaughter?"

"External Soul Bone? That is merely a 'gift' attached to the life he stole. The Soul Bone Yanzi possesses was earned through her own hard work in hunting soul beasts."

"I want him to see clearly how fragile this 'path of theft' he walks is when faced with the true, magnificent righteous path."

"If he is not thoroughly awakened, terrified, and crippled today, then in the future, relying on this 'path of theft', he will only bring greater disaster to this world."

After Chen Xuan finished speaking, he picked up the teacup from the stone table and took a light sip.

The courtyard fell into silence once more.

Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong, and the others were all digesting their teacher's words.

They felt that their teacher's realm of understanding had already surpassed the scope of what they could comprehend.

What they saw was the outcome of a battle.

But what their teacher saw was a person's 'Dao' and the future of a world.

"Senior Sister."

Ning Rongrong suddenly tugged gently on Dugu Yan's sleeve.

"Hmm?" Dugu Yan returned to her senses.

"Teacher is right," Ning Rongrong whispered. "I... I shouldn't have had those thoughts just now. Compared to Tang San, Teacher and Mistress are my true family."

Dugu Yan looked at her, a soft smile appearing on her face.

She reached out and ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair.

"Silly girl, didn't Teacher say that keeping a kind heart is a good thing?"

"We cultivate the righteous path to the heavens, not the path of heartless slaughter."

"Mm!" Ning Rongrong nodded heavily, a sweet smile blooming on her face once again.

Ye Lengleng, standing to the side, had been listening quietly, and now she nodded as if in deep thought.

She recalled her teacher's command to keep Tang San conscious at all times.

So that was it—the teacher's goal was to make him watch clearly as his own "Dao" was ground into dust, bit by bit.

This was even more cruel than killing him.

But it was also more meaningful than killing him.

"That is enough."

Chen Xuan set down his teacup.

"You have all worked hard in today's battle; go back and get some rest."

"Yes, Teacher."

The five of them rose in unison, bowed respectfully, and then quietly retreated from the courtyard.

In the courtyard, only Chen Xuan and Ah Yin remained.

"Xuan."

Ah Yin stopped what she was doing, walked behind Chen Xuan, and extended her slender, jade-like hands to gently massage his temples.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her voice was as gentle as water.

"I am thinking about what Yu Xiaogang will do."

Chen Xuan closed his eyes, enjoying his wife's ministrations.

"He is a smart man, yet also a foolish one."

"He is smart in that he has perhaps already guessed Tang San's origins."

"He is foolish in that even if he has guessed, he will still choose to protect Tang San."

Ah Yin's hands paused slightly.

"Why?"

"Because Tang San is the only hope he has to realize the value of his theories."

Chen Xuan said indifferently.

"Throughout his life, Yu Xiaogang's strength has stagnated due to a failed martial soul mutation, and he has endured endless mockery and cold shoulders. He has poured all his heart and soul into martial soul theory."

"He craves to prove himself, to prove to the world that his theories are correct."

"And Tang San—this 'monster' who possesses Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, and a mind far beyond that of an ordinary person—is his best tool for proof."

"For the sake of this tool, he can abandon everything, including his so-called justice and conscience."

Ah Yin fell silent.

She recalled the way that man, the Grandmaster, looked at Tang San during the day.

That gaze did not look like a teacher looking at a student; it was more like a craftsman looking at his most prized creation.

"Will he give up?" Ah Yin asked softly.

"He will not." Chen Xuan opened his eyes, a trace of a smile flashing through them. "Not only will he not give up, but he will also try every possible means to make Tang San stronger, and then, come back to find us."

"Because only by defeating us can he prove that his 'masterpiece' is perfect."

"Then..."

"It is of no concern."

Chen Xuan took Ah Yin's hand and pulled her into his lap.

"They are merely clowns performing on a stage."

"The only reason I keep them around is to provide Yanzi and the others with a few more punching bags to practice on."

His tone was light and breezy, as if he were speaking of a trivial matter.

Ah Yin leaned against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body, and felt a sense of peace in her heart.

Indeed.

With this man here, even if the sky were to fall, what would there be to fear?

She looked up at his handsome face, so close to her own, and said softly, "Let's not talk about them anymore."

"Hm?"

"Are you tired today? I will fetch water for your bath."

Chen Xuan looked down into those affectionate eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Very well."