Lao Bei's Withdrawal

The night deepened, and the bustle of the East Market gradually faded away.

After Ning Tian and Wu Feng departed, only the members of the Tang Sect remained before the barbecue stall.

The residual warmth of the charcoal fire had not yet dissipated, its faint, flickering light reflecting upon several young faces.

"After working for so long, it finally feels a bit like a home," Lin Feng remarked softly, gazing at the neatly tidied storefront.

"Home?" Beibei suddenly let out a low chuckle, his laughter laced with the intoxication of wine, and even more so with decadence and mockery.

"Ha, the Tang Sect rotted away long ago. All those hidden weapons, those cultivation techniques... they're all archaic relics. This is the era of Soul Tools; who even cares about those anymore?"

"Beibei, you've had too much to drink." Tang Ya's hand, which had been wiping the table, came to an abrupt halt. She did not look up, but her voice had turned cold.

"I'm not drunk!" Beibei snapped his head up, his eyes rimmed with red.

"Am I not speaking the truth? Look around now, who still uses Tang Sect hidden weapons? Who even recognizes the Tang Sect? Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sees through it—can't you see it?"

"That's enough." Tang Ya set down the rag and turned to face him directly.

"It's not enough! Clinging to a pile of tattered manuals and useless sect rules—can you eat those? Soul Tools are the future, and the Tang Sect... the Tang Sect has had no future for a long time!"

"Whether the Tang Sect has a future is not for you alone to decide." Tang Ya's voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "You all go. I still have some things to discuss with Xiao Feng alone."

Beibei, his eyes hazy with drink, grabbed Lin Feng by the sleeve. "Lin Feng... it's you again. You—you'd better not harbor any crooked thoughts toward Xiao Ya. She... she is mine!"

"Beibei, what nonsense are you spouting!" Tang Ya frowned, cutting him off. "He's drunk. Yuhao, help him back."

"I'm not drunk!" Beibei shook off Huo Yuhao's attempt to support him, his voice carrying emotions suppressed for far too long. "Xiao Ya, I only joined the Tang Sect in the first place because I liked you! It was never to revitalize the Tang Sect..."

"I have only ever regarded you as a friend. Yuhao, take him away!" A look of pain flickered in the depths of Tang Ya's eyes as she spoke calmly.

"A friend? Ha, I'm not leaving! I said I'm not leaving—"

Before the words could finish, a crisp sound of a slap rang out, cutting off Beibei's agitated roar.

He froze, the stinging pain on his face far less intense than the shock and chill surging within his heart.

"Yuhao, I'll have to trouble you." Tang Ya's voice was very soft, yet left no room for doubt.

"I'll go myself!" Beibei's eyes were filled with disappointment as he turned and walked away without looking back.

"Senior Brother Bei!" Huo Yuhao chased after him, fearing something might happen to him.

"Xiao Ya, doing that... wasn't it too hurtful to him?" Lin Feng watched their figures disappear into the darkness and asked in a low voice.

"Hurtful? Do you still not understand my heart?"

Emboldened by the wine, Tang Ya's cheeks flushed, her eyes misty as she leaned in toward Lin Feng, inch by inch...

Lin Feng did not retreat, allowing Tang Ya's slender hands to wrap around his neck. He immediately reached back to hold her willow-thin waist, his heart beating like a drum.

The emotions Tang Ya had suppressed for many years finally broke their dam at this moment.

For the sake of revenge, she had locked her feelings deep within her heart for years, only for a crack to form upon the arrival of Lin Feng.

Tang Ya tilted her face up, her hot, hurried breath brushing against him. Lin Feng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he lowered his head slightly to meet that moist softness.

It was a test, a confirmation, and then an immersion.

Their breaths intertwined, lips and tongues clinging together, as if dry grass had been ignited by a spark, spiraling out of control...

The night grew deeper and heavier.

The last flickering flame in the brazier was gently extinguished by the evening breeze slipping in through the window.

The moment the light dimmed, the lost-in-the-moment Tang Ya slowly opened her eyes and pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I... lost my composure after drinking." Tang Ya lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's, her cheeks flushed.

"It is not your fault." Lin Feng said softly, lifting his hand to gently cup her chin, using his thumb to tenderly wipe the moisture from her lips. "You have suffered too much over these years; you need a good rest."

"Tonight... can you stay here?" Tang Ya gripped the hand that still lingered on her cheek. "I'm a little afraid of the cold."

"Very well, I will stay with you." Lin Feng leaned down and lifted her steadily into his arms.

Tang Ya let out a soft gasp, instinctively wrapping her arms around Lin Feng's neck as she let him carry her toward the small, simple bedroom behind the counter.

The bed was small, and when the two of them lay down, their shoulders were almost touching.

Yet, in this cramped space, there was a reassuring warmth that belonged to a home.

The next morning.

The Tang Sect shop had not yet opened.

"Beibei came by this morning. He announced his withdrawal from the Tang Sect."

Tang Ya was wiping a cup in her hand, her voice so calm that not a ripple could be heard.

Lin Feng, who had just woken up from sleeping in, fell silent for a moment before sighing softly. "Perhaps... this is for the best for him."

He understood that the growing disdain Beibei showed for the Tang Sect's heritage was, to Tang Ya, the most thorough negation of all her efforts.

This rift had been deeply sown long ago.

And Lin Feng also knew clearly that a battle between him and Beibei would come sooner or later.

Anyway, Tang Ya's heart had long since belonged to him.

When it came to battle, Lin Feng had never known fear.

"Xiao Ya, Yuhao is ultimately limited in his talent as a Soul Master. Why not let me take charge of the project involving the integration of Hidden Weapons and Soul Tools?"

"I disagree. This will take up too much of your energy and delay your martial soul cultivation."

Tang Ya paused in her task of wiping the counter and looked up at Lin Feng, her voice soft yet firm.

"How about this: when the academy truly decides to commit to developing the Soul Tool Department, the Tang Sect will join in then. For now, our priority remains building a solid foundation as Soul Masters."

"That... is also fine. The academy's focus is still on traditional martial soul cultivation, after all; the Soul Tool Department hasn't received enough attention yet."

Hearing Lin Feng's compromise, the tension in Tang Ya's expression eased, and she let out a soft sigh.

Lin Feng added, "Also, Yuhao's spiritual-attribute martial soul is well-suited for the Soul Tool Department. We can recommend he apprentice under Fan Yu. After all, it will be difficult for him to go far in martial soul cultivation alone."

Tang Ya said happily, "Good, that's a great suggestion. You really are my think tank."

Many days later, at the end of the school day.

Lin Feng and Tang Ya were in the academy cafeteria when they heard Beibei's name once again.

"Have you heard? Senior Brother Beibei has been promoted to the sixth grade as an exception."

"He just broke through to become a Soul Ancestor, right? A sixteen-year-old Soul Ancestor—in the Outer Court, he can basically do whatever he wants."

"What do you mean? He could already do whatever he wanted before; now he can just do it even more..."

Tang Ya's expression remained calm.

Lin Feng, however, felt a sense of emotion.

If it hadn't been for Beibei's insistence on staying in the fourth grade back then, just to accompany Tang Ya who had yet to break through at the time.

With Beibei's talent, he would likely have been a prominent figure in the Inner Court long ago.

Beibei and Xu Sanshi were known as the "Outer Court Twin Stars," and the record of him breaking through to level thirty at the age of thirteen was still a common topic of conversation for many.

"Xiao Ya, I need to accelerate my cultivation progress as well. The time left for us is truly running short."

"Xiao Feng, don't push yourself too hard." Tang Ya grabbed Lin Feng's sleeve, her eyes filled with worry. "If your cultivation rises too quickly, it might shake your foundation. The bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor... is far less important than your safety."

"Don't worry, I have a tough life; I know what I'm doing." Lin Feng's tone was relaxed.

Tang Ya looked at him, a flicker of heartache passing through her eyes, and she said softly but solemnly, "You said that last time, too. Promise me one more time, will you? No matter what happens, you are not allowed to risk your life."

"Fine, I promise you." Lin Feng nodded with a smile, then looked seriously into her eyes. "Then Xiao Ya must also promise me to act according to her own strength in everything she does."

"This is the second time you've reminded me; I've always kept it in mind." Tang Ya nodded and held Lin Feng's hand tightly.

"After dinner, I'll go find Senior Brother Huo to discuss him joining the Soul Tool Department."

"Alright, I bought some supplements; you can take them to him while you're at it..."