"What's that old geezer up to now?"
Watching Tang Hao lost in his own reverie, Tang Yin's mouth twitched.
It was true that the Speed Clan would be better for cultivating his Sharp-Tailed Swift Martial Soul than Nuoding Academy, but was that his only Martial Soul?
Tang Yin even suspected that Tang Hao had no idea what the Speed Clan's current situation was, and had simply come up with this rotten idea on a whim.
Although the original story never clearly stated where the Speed Clan was currently based, it definitely wasn't in the Heaven Dou Empire. It was in the Star Luo Empire.
What kind of place was the Star Luo Empire? The original story barely described it, but if the imperial family treated its own people with such brutality, what could you expect for everyone else?
Most importantly, most of the advantage he had from knowing the story in advance lay in the Heaven Dou Empire. Why on earth would he go to the Star Luo Empire?
"You're right about everything, but I refuse!" Tang Yin had no intention of even considering it.
"You..." Tang Hao's face darkened the instant he heard Tang Yin's refusal, his lovely daydream shattered.
"I'm doing this for your own good. You're different from Third Sister. She has Twin Martial Souls, and in the whole Douluo Continent, there are only two people qualified to teach her. Grandmaster is one of them. Otherwise, why would I let a mere Soul Grandmaster, that useless piece of trash, teach Third Sister?" Tang Hao drew a deep breath, doing his best to steady himself.
"But you clearly have better options. Why won't you take them?" Tang Hao pleaded earnestly. Apart from Ah Yin, he swore this was the first time he'd ever been so patient with anyone.
Tang Yin shook his head slightly, then stared at Tang Hao with a serious expression. "Do you really trust that so-called Grandmaster that much?"
Tang Yin had long since guessed why Tang Hao was acting so strangely tonight. It seemed Yu Xiaogang had ultimately decided that the reason Third Sister didn't want him as her teacher was Tang Yin's fault.
But how could Yu Xiaogang know that the Tang Sanmei of today wasn't the naïve little white rabbit who'd just walked out of Holy Soul Village in the original story? She wasn't that easy to fool.
In fact, if Tang Yin hadn't needed to look through Yu Xiaogang's collection of books, he wouldn't have had any chance to guide Third Sister at all.
Faced with Tang Yin's rare show of seriousness, Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, but his expression soon turned impatient.
"If I don't trust him, who am I supposed to trust? You? A little brat who just turned seven and is barely a fifteenth-level Soul Master?"
"I let all those things you did before slide, but..." A glint of menace flashed in Tang Hao's eyes. "Third Sister's future lies at the very summit of the Douluo Continent. I won't allow anyone to become a stumbling block on her path as a Soul Master—not even you, even if you're my son."
"You're going to kill me?" Tang Yin narrowed his eyes slightly. He could feel a kind of killing intent from Tang Hao that he'd never sensed before. If the old man had merely been trying to scare him in the past, this time it felt like a genuine wisp of murderous intent.
That was beyond anything he'd expected, and a chill rose in his heart.
After all, no matter how much he'd disliked Tang Hao before, he'd never thought Tang Hao would actually lay a hand on him.
"You're my son!" Tang Hao was jolted awake by Tang Yin's icy words. He seemed to realize that the killing intent he'd just released wasn't something he should direct at his own son. He reined in his aura a little, but his expression remained dark.
"You don't need to remind me." Tang Yin's expression was indifferent, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness the old geezer hadn't completely lost his mind. Still, judging from Tang Hao's attitude, he wouldn't get out of this without agreeing tonight.
Originally, he'd planned to follow the original story: stick with Third Sister until they graduated from Nuoding Academy at twelve, then head to Shrek, ride on Third Sister's coattails to get a few Immortal Herbs, enter Slaughter City, and finally go to Sea God Island to take the God Trial.
He'd follow Third Sister the whole way, with practically no risk.
It could be called a safe, fast, and flawless route to becoming a Titled Douluo. As for a divine position, that wasn't something he needed to worry about yet.
Tang Yin's gaze flickered as he began weighing his options. The courtyard fell silent.
"I can leave Third Sister..." After a long while, Tang Yin finally reached a decision.
He was confident that even without him, Third Sister was unlikely to be led astray by Yu Xiaogang.
Tang Hao clearly wasn't going to let this end peacefully. He had no choice but to agree.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
I'm not strong enough yet. Once I am, things will change!
He silently marked this debt down, and the last glimmer of hope he'd held for Tang Hao vanished.
"Good. I'm glad you understand!" Tang Hao relaxed as well. After all, Tang Yin was his son. Unless it came to the worst, he really didn't want to resort to force.
"But we'll wait until my Soul Power Level reaches twenty. Then I need you to help me get my Second Soul Ring in the Heaven Dou Great Forest. And I won't go to the Speed Clan. Where I go is none of your business." Tang Yin stated his terms.
This was also a chance for Tang Yin to secure himself a little benefit. The Soul Beast he needed to hunt for his Second Soul Ring was rather unusual, and traces of it could only be found in the Star Dou Great Forest. Since he had Tang Hao, a Titled Douluo, to do the heavy lifting, he might as well put him to use.
He'd made a concession, and Tang Hao probably wouldn't refuse at this critical juncture.
Tang Hao froze at Tang Yin's demand, then looked at his son deeply. "Looks like you've figured out quite a few things?"
He'd never revealed his identity in front of his children. He didn't know how Tang Yin had figured it out, but he supposed the boy didn't know much. Otherwise, he wouldn't be acting like this.
If a Titled Douluo was like a billionaire, then imagine a poor kid suddenly finding out his father was a billionaire. He'd be over the moon.
"I'm already at level fifteen. There's no problem with me breaking through to level twenty within two years at most. Your main goal is to keep me from influencing Third Sister. Surely you can wait two measly years."
"Two years?" Tang Hao furrowed his brows slightly, then hesitated. "You really won't consider going to the Speed Clan? I'm genuinely thinking of what's best for you, at least on that point."
"I'm asking you: yes or no?" Tang Yin couldn't be bothered to waste any more words.
"Fine." Tang Hao thought it over briefly and agreed. Subduing the Four Affiliated Clans had only been a spur-of-the-moment idea. His real goal was to separate Third Sister and Tang Yin, but he couldn't let Third Sister know that, so he added, "And I want this to stay between us. There's no need to tell Third Sister. As for her... I'll still say I'm sending you to the Speed Clan."
"Now that's a convenient little plan you've cooked up." Tang Yin gave a mocking smile. He didn't really care about that.
"Then it's settled. When you reach level twenty, I'll come find you!"
Tang Hao left him with those words, then vanished into the night.
"Heh." After a long while, Tang Yin gave a cold laugh. He was about to head back to his room when a door opened behind him, followed by a soft, drowsy voice.
"Brother, why are you sitting in the courtyard so late?"
Tang Sanmei rubbed her sleepy eyes, looking at Tang Yin in the courtyard with some puzzlement.
Tang Yin paused mid-step on his way back to his room, then put on a relaxed expression. "A rat ruined my sleep, so I came out to have a look!"
"A rat?" Tang Sanmei mused over it, but soon broke into a smile again and rushed over to wrap both arms around Tang Yin's.
"I want to sleep with you tonight, Brother. Sister Xiao Wu sleeps so badly, and the bed at home is too small."
"Fine, fine!"
Before you continue