As night deepened, the bustle of the Eastern Market gradually died away.
After Ning Tian and Wu Feng left together, only the Tang Sect members remained in front of the barbecue stall.
The charcoal still held some warmth, its faintly flickering glow illuminating several young faces.
"We've been at it for so long. At least it finally feels a little like home." Lin Feng looked at the neatly tidied shop and sighed softly.
"Home?" Beibei suddenly chuckled, his laughter tinged with drink, dejection, and scorn.
"Haha, the Tang Sect has rotted through. Hidden Weapons, cultivation methods... they're all outdated junk. This is the age of Soul Tools. Who still cares about that stuff?"
"Beibei, you've had too much to drink." Tang Ya's hand stopped abruptly as she wiped the table. She didn't look up, but her voice had turned cold.
"I'm not drunk!" Beibei jerked his head up, his eyes slightly red.
"Isn't what I said true? Look around. Who still uses Tang Sect Hidden Weapons? Who still acknowledges the Tang Sect? Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sees through it. How can you not?"
"That's enough." Tang Ya set down the cloth and turned to face him.
"Not enough. Can a pile of worthless old books and useless sect rules put food on the table? Soul Tools are the future. The Tang Sect... the Tang Sect has no future anymore!"
"Whether the Tang Sect has a future isn't for you alone to decide." Tang Ya's voice was quiet, but every word was clear. "You should leave. I still have something to discuss with Xiao Feng, alone."
With bleary, drunken eyes, Beibei grabbed Lin Feng by the sleeve. "Lin Feng... you again. You—you'd better not get any funny ideas about Xiao Ya. She... she's mine!"
"Beibei, what are you talking about?" Tang Ya interrupted with a frown. "He's drunk. Yuhao, take him back."
"I'm not drunk!" Beibei shook off Huo Yuhao's helping hand, his voice filled with emotions he'd kept bottled up for a long time. "Xiao Ya, I joined the Tang Sect back then only because I liked you! It was never to revive the Tang Sect..."
"I've only ever seen you as a friend. Yuhao, take him away!" Pain flickered in Tang Ya's eyes as she spoke calmly.
"A friend? Haha! I'm not leaving. I said I'm not leaving—"
Before he could finish, a sharp slap rang out, cutting off Beibei's impassioned shout.
He froze. The burning pain on his face was nothing compared to the shock and chill that welled up inside him.
"Yuhao, sorry for the trouble." Tang Ya's voice was soft, but left no room for argument.
"I can leave on my own!" Beibei turned away, disappointment in his eyes, and walked off without looking back.
"Senior Brother Beibei!" Huo Yuhao hurried after him, afraid something might happen to him.
"Xiao Ya, what you did... wasn't that too cruel to him?" Lin Feng asked quietly, watching their figures vanish into the darkness.
"Cruel? You still don't understand how I feel?"
Intoxicated, Tang Ya's cheeks flushed. Her eyes hazy, she edged closer to Lin Feng...
Lin Feng didn't back away. He let Tang Ya's slender hands wind around his neck, then wrapped his arms around her waist. His heart was already pounding like a drum.
The emotions Tang Ya had suppressed for so many years finally burst their banks.
She had locked away matters of the heart for years, all for the sake of revenge. It wasn't until Lin Feng appeared that a crack opened in that seal.
Tang Ya tilted her face up. Her hot, hurried breath brushed past him. Lin Feng's Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered his head slightly and met her moist, soft lips.
First came hesitation, then certainty, and finally surrender.
Their breaths mingled, their lips and tongues entwined. Like a spark catching on dry grass, it was impossible to stop...
The night grew deeper, darker.
The final flicker of flame in the brazier was gently snuffed out by the evening breeze slipping in through the window.
The moment the light dimmed, Tang Ya, lost in the moment, slowly opened her eyes and drew back.
"I'm sorry. I... lost control after drinking." Tang Ya lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's, her cheeks flushed.
"It wasn't your fault." Lin Feng spoke softly. He lifted her chin gently and tenderly wiped the moisture from her lips with his thumb. "You've been through so much these past few years. You need to get some proper rest."
"Could you... stay here tonight?" Tang Ya took the hand still resting against her cheek. "I'm a little afraid of the cold."
"All right. I'll stay with you." Lin Feng bent down and lifted her securely into his arms.
Tang Ya gave a soft gasp and instinctively looped her arms around Lin Feng's neck, letting him carry her toward the cramped little bedroom behind the counter.
The bed was tiny. When they lay down, their shoulders were almost touching.
Yet in that small space, there was a comforting warmth that felt like home.
The following morning.
The Tang Sect shop hadn't opened yet.
"Beibei came by this morning. He announced that he was leaving the Tang Sect."
Tang Ya wiped a cup in her hands, her voice so calm that it betrayed not a trace of emotion.
Lin Feng had only just gotten up after sleeping in. He fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "Perhaps... this is better for him too."
He understood that Beibei's increasingly obvious contempt for the Tang Sect's heritage was the most complete denial of all Tang Ya's efforts.
That rift had taken deep root long ago.
And Lin Feng knew that sooner or later, he and Beibei would have to fight.
Tang Ya's heart already belonged to him, anyway.
If it came to a fight, he, Lin Feng, had never been afraid.
"Xiao Ya, Yuhao does have limitations when it comes to his talent as a Soul Master. Why don't you let me take charge of advancing the project to combine Hidden Weapons and Soul Tools?"
"I don't agree. It would take up too much of your time and hold back your Martial Soul cultivation."
Tang Ya's hand paused as she wiped the counter. She looked up at Lin Feng, her voice gentle but firm.
"How about this, then? Once the academy truly commits to developing the Soul Tool Department, the Tang Sect can join in. Until then, what matters most is building a solid foundation in Soul Master cultivation."
"That... sounds good too. For now, the academy is still focused on traditional Martial Soul cultivation. The Soul Tool Department really hasn't received enough attention."
Hearing Lin Feng's compromise, Tang Ya's tense expression eased a little. She sighed softly.
Lin Feng added, "Also, Yuhao's Mental Attribute Martial Soul makes him well suited to the Soul Tool Department. We could recommend that he become Fan Yu's disciple. After all, he won't get far with Martial Soul cultivation."
Tang Ya brightened. "Good, that's a great idea. You really are my think tank."
Several days later, around dismissal time.
Lin Feng and Tang Ya heard Beibei's name once more in the academy cafeteria.
"Have you heard? Senior Brother Beibei was specially promoted to sixth year."
"He just advanced to Soul Ancestor, right? A sixteen-year-old Soul Ancestor can do whatever he wants in the Outer Court."
"What do you mean? He already did whatever he wanted before. Now he's doing it standing upright..."
Tang Ya remained composed.
Lin Feng, however, couldn't help feeling wistful.
If Beibei hadn't insisted on staying in fourth year back then, just to accompany Tang Ya while she was still trying to break through,
then with Beibei's talent, he would probably have become a prominent figure in the Inner Court long ago.
Beibei and Xu Sanshi were known as the "Outer Court Twin Stars." Their record of breaking through level thirty at thirteen was still a popular topic of conversation.
"Xiao Ya, I need to speed up my cultivation too. We really don't have much time left."
"Xiao Feng, don't push yourself too hard." Tang Ya took hold of Lin Feng's sleeve, her eyes full of concern. "If your cultivation advances too quickly, it might shake your foundations. Your Blue Silver Emperor bloodline... isn't nearly as important as your safety."
"Don't worry. I'm tough, and I know my limits." Lin Feng sounded relaxed.
Tang Ya gazed at him, a flicker of heartache passing through her eyes. Her voice was soft but solemn. "You said the same thing last time. Promise me once more, all right? No matter what happens, don't risk your life."
"Okay, I promise." Lin Feng smiled and nodded, then met her gaze with equal seriousness. "Then Xiao Ya has to promise me too: whatever you do, don't overreach yourself."
"That's the second time you've reminded me. I haven't forgotten." Tang Ya nodded and clasped Lin Feng's small hand.
"After dinner, I'll go talk to Senior Brother Huo about joining the Soul Tool Department."
"Okay. I bought some supplements. Take some along for him..."
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