Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the family's Library Pavilion, Yu Xiaogang was bent over a pile of yellowed books.
Several books lay open before him: Basic Martial Soul Theory, Analysis of Advancement Paths for Beast Martial Souls, Compilation of Mutated Martial Soul Cases, and several even older handwritten volumes documenting all sorts of obscure Martial Souls.
His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess. He had clearly been holed up here for several days.
"Devour... evolve..." he murmured, tracing the lines of text with his finger. "Could it be... that I really was wrong?"
At his feet, the pale-gold Luo Sanpao lay listlessly, occasionally letting out a dejected "ro."
Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and pulled a small piece of jerky from the cloth bag he carried.
He had snuck it out of the family dining hall: jerky made from a hundred-year Wind Wolf. It wasn't high-grade, but it was Soul Beast meat.
He hesitated for a long time, then finally held the jerky out to Luo Sanpao.
"Eat." His voice was a little hoarse.
Luo Sanpao raised its head in confusion, looking first at him, then at the jerky. It cautiously crept closer, sniffed, opened its mouth, and took a bite.
"Crunch."
The jerky was chewed up and swallowed.
A faint layer of pale-gold light flickered across Luo Sanpao's body. It vanished in an instant, but Yu Xiaogang had seen it clearly!
His pupils abruptly contracted.
"It really... works..."
He slumped into his chair, his face clouded with conflicting emotions: shock, confusion, resentment, and a defeat he was unwilling to admit.
Just then, the study door swung open.
Yu Yuanzhen stepped inside. He saw the ancient books spread out before his son, the half-eaten piece of Soul Beast jerky in his hand, and the faint golden light that had yet to fully fade from Luo Sanpao. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, then gave way to a complicated, pleased expression.
"You... discovered it too?"
Yu Xiaogang jerked his head up. He looked at his father's familiar yet unfamiliar face, his lips moving a few times, but no words came out.
Yu Yuanzhen came over and looked down at him. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Devouring Soul Beasts to strengthen itself—this may truly be the right path for Luo Sanpao to cultivate."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of gentleness that was hard to detect. "Now that you've discovered it, don't waste this talent."
In the Library Pavilion, candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of father and son across the mottled walls, where they stretched long and long.
Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, clutching the half-piece of Soul Beast jerky so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His voice came out muffled, weighed down by a despondency close to giving up on himself:
"Yes, my Luo Sanpao really can devour Soul Beast meat... but so what? The effect is negligible. After eating for ages, it only gained the tiniest bit of strength. Compared to Yu Tianlong's golden one, there's no contest! His Golden Luo San Pao swallowed an entire thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear! An entire bear! It didn't even leave a scrap of bone!"
He raised his head, eyes bloodshot and filled with resentment.
"He's got all those resources from the family, too... ten thousand Gold Soul Coins a month, unlimited high-grade Soul Beast meat, free access to the Mimicry Cultivation Ground, and the freedom to browse the Library Pavilion! What about me? A hundred Gold Soul Coins a month. I have to pinch every coin just to buy a few decent books! How am I supposed to compete with him? I'll never catch up to him in my whole life!"
His voice grew louder and louder, until he was practically roaring, despair pouring out of him.
Yu Yuanzhen listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after Yu Xiaogang had finished venting and bowed his head, panting, did he speak, his voice so even that it revealed nothing.
"No. You'll surpass him."
Yu Xiaogang jerked his head up, stunned. "What?"
"I said, you'll surpass him." Yu Yuanzhen repeated himself. His tone remained even, but a glimmer of light appeared in his deep eyes—the likes of which Yu Xiaogang had never seen before.
It was the resolve of someone who had plotted for a long time and finally decided to lay his cards on the table.
"Father... what do you mean?" Yu Xiaogang sensed something, and his heart began to beat faster.
Yu Yuanzhen stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at his son. He fell silent for a moment, as if choosing his words—or perhaps making one final confirmation of his resolve. At last, he spoke, his voice low and clear.
"Why do you think I gave Yu Tianlong so many resources? Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins a month, unlimited high-grade Soul Beast meat, free access to the Mimicry Cultivation Ground—do you really think it's because of his talent, because I value him and want to cultivate him?"
Yu Xiaogang froze. "Could it... not be?"
"Of course not." A cold curve lifted the corner of Yu Yuanzhen's mouth. "I gave him all that because I was fattening a pig."
"Fattening a pig..." Yu Xiaogang repeated the words under his breath, his pupils widening slightly.
"Since his Luo Sanpao has the ability to devour and evolve, then let him devour, let him evolve, and let him make his Luo Sanpao stronger and stronger."
Yu Yuanzhen's voice held no emotion, as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.
"Once he's cultivated it to a certain level and fully brought out the potential of his Gold-Silver Luo San Pao, your Luo Sanpao will devour it. All his efforts will become your wedding clothes."
"Boom!"
Yu Xiaogang felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind, leaving him dizzy, his ears ringing. His mouth fell open, but no sound came out. He could only stare at his father with something close to terror.
Devour... Yu Tianlong's Luo Sanpao?
His father hadn't given Yu Tianlong all those resources because he valued him. He had treated him as fodder to nourish Yu Xiaogang?
"Th-this..." Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled. "How can you... He's still my cousin..."
"Your cousin?" Yu Yuanzhen gave a soft laugh, devoid of warmth.
"So what? His parents are dead. The family raised him, fed and clothed him, and gave him resources to cultivate. We've already done more than enough for him. Now it's time for him to repay the family."
He stepped closer and placed a hand on Yu Xiaogang's shoulder. The pressure wasn't heavy, yet Yu Xiaogang felt as if a mountain had settled on him.
"Xiao Gang, remember this: in this world, nothing matters more than strength. Family? Righteousness? Those are just comforts the weak tell themselves. As long as you possess absolute power, no one will care how you got it. People will remember only your strength. They'll only know to bow at your feet."
"But..." Yu Xiaogang tried to say more, but deep inside, a voice told him that his father was right.
He thought of Yu Tianlong's two imposing Gold-Silver Luo San Pao, and how they had shown off their might in the Star Dou Forest.
He thought of how Dugu Bo had lavished praise on Yu Tianlong, and how everyone in the family envied and fawned over him... while he, Yu Xiaogang, could only curl up in a corner like a rat in a gutter, ignored by everyone.
If only he could have that kind of power... If only those two Gold-Silver Luo San Pao were his...
An indescribable longing coiled around his heart like a venomous snake.
"B-but... what if he finds out?" Yu Xiaogang's voice still trembled, but he was no longer resisting. He was weighing whether it could be done.
"Find out?" Yu Yuanzhen scoffed.
"He's an orphan with no parents. What can he possibly do against us? Even if he finds out, so what? As long as you're stronger than him, even if he knows, he'll have no choice but to accept his fate. Besides—"