Yu Tianheng was silent for a moment, then nodded. "You could say that."
He slowly said, "Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has always been proud of our Martial Soul. But sometimes I wonder, is this pride or a shackle?"
Zhou Qiubai looked at him, lost in thought.
Yu Tianheng continued, "From a young age, I knew that I was the young master of the family, the heir, and that I had to be steady and reliable, shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the family. However, I gradually discovered that this 'should' sometimes became 'only'."
He paused, a resolute light flashing in his eyes. "We can only go this way, not that way. We can only do things that benefit the family, not things we truly want to do."
Dugu Yan gently took his hand from the side.
Yu Tianheng glanced at her, his gaze softening considerably, then turned to Zhou Qiubai: "My family has given me a superior status, and I should be proud of it, but for some reason, I find myself somewhat envious of Brother Zhou."
Zhou Qiubai did not deny it.
Yu Tianheng said, "You can go whichever way you want. But I'm different. I'm a member of the sect, carrying the expectations of my family. But at least I have a choice: whether to hide in the Promotion Tournament and wait for others to challenge me, or to go to the Qualifying Tournament, hone my skills, and push myself."
"I don't want to look back decades from now and find myself living up to that uncle's image."
After listening, Zhou Qiubai remained silent for a moment, then smiled, "Brother Yu, do you know what I was thinking just now?"
Yu Tianheng shook his head.
Zhou Qiubai said, "I'm thinking, if your uncle had half your level of sobriety, perhaps he wouldn't have ended up in this situation today."
Dugu Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Shi Mo Shi Mo his head sheepishly, while Shi Lei patted him on the shoulder.
Zhou Qiubai said, "Alright, I agree to this."
A glimmer of hope shone in Yu Tianheng's eyes. "Thank you."
Zhou Qiubai waved his hand. "Don't rush to thank me, there's something we need to clarify first."
Yu Tianheng listened.
Zhou Qiubai said, "According to the competition rules, if you want to switch teams, you have to wait until tomorrow's game is over and then report to Salas. After all, this is an official competition, and procedures need to be followed."
"I understand." Yu Tianheng nodded, then looked at the people behind him.
Dugu Yan shrugged. "I'm fine with it. I'm going with Tianheng anyway, wherever he goes, I'll go."
The others nodded in agreement.
Yu Tianheng turned to Zhou Qiubai: "Okay."
Zhou Qiubai smiled, "Then it's settled. After the match tomorrow, we'll go find Salas together."
A faint smile finally appeared on Yu Tianheng's face, though it was genuine.
Dugu Yan suddenly said from the side, "Hey, after talking for so long, why don't you invite us to sit down?"
Zhou Qiubai was taken aback, then chuckled, "Sorry, I overlooked that."
Everyone took their seats, and the room, which was already small, felt even more crowded.
Yang Guyun suddenly asked, "Did you come here just to talk about these things?"
Yu Tianheng nodded. "That's right."
Yang Guyun hummed in agreement and said no more.
Suddenly, Shi Mo asked in a simple-minded manner, "Um, which academy are we playing against tomorrow?"
Zhou Qiubai thought for a moment, "The draw hasn't been completed yet, so the details are unclear."
Shi Lei raised his chin. "It doesn't matter which one, as long as we win."
Zhou Qiubai glanced at him. "So confident?"
Shi Lei puffed out his chest. "The three of you can take on seven opponents at once, so we can rest assured."
Zhou Qiubai chuckled, "That's not necessarily true. There's always someone stronger than you, and besides, the restrictions have been relaxed this time. Who knows, a genius might suddenly emerge."
There are countless geniuses in this world; who knows, a prodigy might suddenly appear at any time.
Only those who are immersed in their own world every day would think they are the boss of the world.
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid?"
Zhou Qiubai shook his head. "I'm not afraid, but I respect it."
Yu Tianheng nodded. "That's right."
The atmosphere in the room gradually relaxed as the group chatted about tomorrow's match and shared their cultivation experiences.
Zhou Qiubai suddenly asked, "By the way, have you eaten?"
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Dugu Yan said, "Not yet, I was so busy talking that I forgot."
Zhou Qiubai laughed and said, "That's perfect, we haven't eaten either. There's a small restaurant downstairs with good wine. Captain Yu, you said you'd treat us, is that still true?"
Yu Tianheng nodded. "Of course it counts."
Zhou Qiubai stood up. "Then let's go, let's drink and chat."
The group got up and hurried downstairs.
The shopkeeper, who had been dozing behind the counter, opened his eyes at the sound and, seeing Zhou Qiubai and his group, quickly greeted them, "Sirs, why are you out so late?"
Thanks to Zhou Qiubai's presence, the profits of his old shop have been soaring in the past few months.
Although the revenue of various inns in Heaven Dou City usually increases during the Soul Master Tournament, this time is different.
That's more than ten times the previous profits!
"Let's go to that little restaurant across the street for a few drinks. Owner, could you hold the door open for us?"
The shopkeeper nodded. "Okay, okay."
The group of eight crossed the street and entered the small tavern across the street, where the lights were still on.
The tavern owner, an old man in his fifties, greeted the large group of people warmly, saying, "Gentlemen, please come in."
These individuals are currently among the most sought-after figures in Heaven Dou City; they must be treated with utmost care.
Moreover, putting aside the power of these big shots, just considering the identities of some of them, if something really happened, several heads wouldn't be enough to cover their losses.
Zhou Qiubai found a large table by the window, and the group sat around it in a circle.
Dugu Yan poured wine for everyone, raised her bowl, and said, "Come on, let's drink this bowl first, wishing us a resounding victory tomorrow."
Shi Mo, looking rather simple-minded, raised his bowl and exclaimed, "Cheers!"
Zhou Qiubai took a sip, put down the bowl, and turned his gaze to Yu Tianheng: "Brother Yu, regarding your uncle's matter, although it's over, I still want to ask one more question: do you hate him?"
Yu Tianheng was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't hate him, but I feel sorry for him."
Zhou Qiubai nodded.
Yu Tianheng said, "He is actually very intelligent. If it weren't for the Martial Soul Mutation, he might have really achieved great things. But he cares too much about what others think and is too afraid of losing face. One wrong step leads to another."
Dugu Yan, standing nearby, said, "I think he's just being stubborn. So what if his Martial Soul Mutation? If he can mutate, he can forge a new path. But he's the one who's denying himself first. Who can he blame?"
Zhou Qiubai looked at him and suddenly said, "Brother Yu, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
Yu Tianheng looked at him.
Zhou Qiubai smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "Your uncle's matter is his own choice and has nothing to do with you. Being able to see the problems in him and avoid them is already much better than him."
Yu Tianheng was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, a grateful smile appearing on his lips, "Thank you."
Dugu Yan was standing next to him, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Did you hear that? They're praising you!"
Yu Tianheng's lips curled up slightly, a small smile, yet revealing a warm feeling.