Tang Hao, Inseparable

Seeing Tang San react this way, Xiao Wu acted in her usual carefree, nonchalant manner. She waved a hand at him and said, "San, Lin Mo and I are just moving up to a higher school, not dying. It's not like we won't see each other again!"

Xiao Wu picked up her chopsticks, stuffed another piece of braised pork into her mouth, chewed a few times, and continued indistinctly, "Just think of it as Lin Mo and me going ahead to scout the path for you and seeing what this so-called Shrek Academy is actually like."

At this, Xiao Wu swallowed the meat in her mouth, her tone growing increasingly excited as she looked eager to get started.

Hearing this, a look of helplessness appeared on Lin Mo's face.

That's right, Xiao Wu was preparing to move up to the next school with him.

This was something Lin Mo had never expected.

He had originally assumed that Xiao Wu and Tang San would follow the path of his memories, staying at Notting Academy until they were twelve before setting off for Shrek Academy.

According to the original trajectory, the two of them should have spent a full six years at Notting Academy.

Six years.

That was enough time for a lot of things to happen.

He hadn't expected that the wings of this little butterfly—himself—would cause such a massive deviation.

Xiao Wu was planning to leave early.

And she had made up her mind so decisively.

Lin Mo sighed inwardly, his gaze falling on Xiao Wu's face, which was filled with excitement, before looking at the silent Tang San across from him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

His own cultivation had now reached the level of a level twenty quasi-Soul Grand Master.

Xiao Wu's cultivation was slightly inferior, sitting at the peak of level nineteen Soul Power.

She was just one step away from a breakthrough.

In Xiao Wu's own words, she would naturally complete her breakthrough during this vacation and then have her family take her to obtain her second soul ring.

By then, they could meet up at Notting Academy, and Lin Mo would take her to report to Shrek Academy.

This was the arrangement Xiao Wu had proposed.

However, Lin Mo could tell that Xiao Wu had undergone quite a bit of mental preparation to choose to go to Shrek Academy.

During that time, Xiao Wu had repeatedly asked him and Grandmaster, confirming the cultivation levels of the teachers at Shrek Academy over and over again.

Only after confirming that the strongest teacher at Shrek Academy was only at the Soul Saint level, and that there were no Spirit Douluo or higher-level powerhouses, did Xiao Wu finally make up her mind to go with him.

Yet, Lin Mo had a slight suspicion that Xiao Wu was intentionally keeping her Soul Power level stuck at nineteen, refusing to break through immediately.

After all, if Xiao Wu's cultivation had also reached the level twenty quasi-Soul Grand Master stage, Flender certainly wouldn't have minded taking one extra person to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a soul ring.

Taking an extra student along to obtain a soul ring would have been a mere trifle for him.

But Xiao Wu absolutely did not want Flender to discover the secrets she was hiding.

Tang San's cultivation was slightly inferior; he had only just broken through to level nineteen not long ago.

This speed was actually already very fast.

Among the ordinary students at Notting Academy, Tang San's cultivation speed belonged to the very top tier!

But compared to Lin Mo and Xiao Wu, it seemed a bit slow.

Tang San's situation was different from his and Xiao Wu's.

In addition to studying with Grandmaster every day, Tang San had to devote a large portion of his energy to working part-time at the blacksmith shop.

He would stand in front of the furnace for two or three hours at a time, sweat pouring down like rain.

For one, it was to earn some extra money, and at the same time, to practice the craft Tang Hao had passed down to him: the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.

For another, it was to take the opportunity to craft some Tang Sect hidden weapons for self-defense.

Tang San's storage Soul Tool already contained quite a few finished products.

Besides the Silent Sleeve Arrow, Tang San had recently crafted some new Tang Sect hidden weapons.

Bone Piercing Needles as fine as ox hair, Coin Darts as thin as cicada wings...

But in Lin Mo's view, the power of most of these hidden weapons was nothing special.

These weapons might be effective against ordinary people or low-level soul masters, but they would struggle once they encountered a defense-type soul master.

These hidden weapons still couldn't break through the defense of his first soul skill.

"I know." Tang San responded vaguely, then shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth.

He lowered his head, his expression desolate, not wanting Lin Mo or Xiao Wu to see his face clearly.

If he could, he really didn't want Xiao Wu and Lin Mo to move on to the next school just like that.

They were the only two friends he had at Notting Academy.

From the moment they enrolled until now, the three of them had been almost inseparable, attending classes together, cultivating together, and going to the cafeteria to eat together...

Yet both of them were preparing to advance their studies and leave, meaning he would be all alone once again.

To Tang San, the disappearance of Lin Mo and Xiao Wu was slightly better than when his father had left Holy Soul Village without a word.

But the result was no different; he had become a person on his own once more.

Seeing the expression on Tang San's face, a look of helplessness immediately surfaced on Lin Mo's.

He set down his chopsticks, leaned forward slightly, and said to Tang San, "San, my thoughts are the same as Xiao Wu's. Since Grandmaster wants you to stay by his side and cultivate for a few more years, you should just honestly follow him."

"Grandmaster is your teacher, and you are his only disciple; he won't harm you."

"Mm, I know, Brother Mo." Tang San nodded and repeated the words.

He looked up, forcing a particularly strained smile.

Seeing Tang San's expression, Lin Mo sighed inwardly and stopped trying to persuade him further.

He picked up his chopsticks, plucked a piece of meat, and placed it into Tang San's bowl.

Tang San was stunned for a moment, and as he watched this, the corners of his mouth finally twitched.

In a place where the three of them did not notice.

Right on the roof of a building not far from the Notting Grand Hotel where they were staying, a disheveled figure in a black robe stood silently.

The Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao.

The conversation between the three in the restaurant was being heard by him with perfect clarity, every single word reaching his ears.

He had been standing there for quite some time.

He had been there since the moment the three of them walked into the hotel.

Tang Hao's gaze pierced through the layers of obstruction and landed on Tang San.

Tang San was bowing his head, poking at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, his entire being radiating an indescribable sense of dejection.

Seeing Tang San's crestfallen expression, Tang Hao couldn't help but mutter to himself.

His son's heart was still not strong enough.

Although he had become a Spirit Master and possessed cultivation far exceeding his peers, he still seemed to have the mindset of a young boy.

He was reluctant to part with his friends.

Tang Hao could understand Tang San's feelings, but he was not very satisfied with his reaction.

Tang San's behavior made Tang Hao even more convinced that his original choice to leave Tang San and protect him from the shadows had been the right one.

He had chosen to leave that letter and walk away from Holy Soul Village without looking back not because he didn't care about his son.

On the contrary, it was because he cared too much.