"If you like her, your elder brother can go through the motions. Once the deed is done, she'll become your wife."

Tang Wei, First Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, led Tang Xiao toward a different direction from Star Luo City.

The two had only just left Star Luo City.

Suddenly, Tang Xiao stopped and tore the human-skin mask from his face, revealing the countenance of a man around thirty.

It wasn't Tang Xiao at all!

But he did bear a strong resemblance to Tang Xiao.

This was Tang Hao!

"I was suffocating!"

He rubbed his cheeks hard and let out a long breath, his voice full of irritation. "Isn't Chen Fan just relying on Chen Jianjun to back him up?"

"What a smug little toady! If Grandfather were here, he'd pin Chen Jianjun to the ground!"

Tang Wei stopped and turned around, shooting him a glance. "The Sect Master has plenty on his plate. Why would we bother him with something this trivial?"

"I just can't stand that look on his face, like he's already won!"

After a pause, Tang Hao curled his lip. "And this human-skin mask feels awful, too."

"And they made me look so young. I can't believe it!"

Tang Wei ignored his complaints and changed the subject, his tone turning more serious. "Tang Hao, what do you think of the Dai Family's eldest princess?"

Tang Hao froze for a moment. "First Elder, what do you mean?"

"Your elder brother may not want to marry, but this was an agreement between the previous Star Luo Emperor and your grandfather..."

"The Sect Master's eldest grandson and the previous Star Luo Emperor's eldest granddaughter would make a powerful match—a union between their families."

Tang Chen's eldest grandson was Tang Xiao.

And Dai Yue was the previous Star Luo Emperor's eldest granddaughter.

The thing was—

Tang Xiao was currently focused on setting out on a journey of cultivation in the second half of the year. Marriage was the last thing on his mind.

But an agreement made by their ancestors couldn't be broken. Besides, the Clear Sky Sect was now in a difficult position, with no one besides Tang Chen who could match a Titled Douluo above Rank 95.

After weighing things over, the young Sect Master, Tang Cang, came up with a plan!

He found a Soul Master to make a human-skin mask of Tang Xiao. The original idea was for Tang Hao to wear it and simply go through the motions.

Even if he was found out, they could claim Tang Hao had acted on his own, with no connection to the sect's position. They wouldn't fall out with the Star Luo Imperial Family.

But who could have expected—

For some reason, the Soul Master made the mask far too young, so that it looked like the face of a boy of only fifteen or sixteen.

But there wasn't enough time to make a new one.

After much deliberation, Tang Cang finally decided to have Tang Hao wear the mask and go through the motions anyway.

As for why they didn't just send Tang Xiao...

Tang Xiao was already forty-five, and his Soul Power Level was Rank 78. He was a Power Attack System Soul Saint.

If he went in his real face, Tang Cang feared Dai Li would renege on the marriage agreement. Given the current situation, he couldn't afford to antagonize the Star Luo Imperial Family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come up with this plan in the first place.

Having Tang Xiao wear the mask wasn't suitable, either!

Dai Li was a renowned Soul Douluo at Rank 89. At close range, he could easily notice Tang Xiao's true Soul Power fluctuations, and there was a risk of being exposed.

On top of that, it was ridiculous for someone wearing the face of a teenager to have the Soul Power fluctuations of a Soul Saint above Rank 70. That only made exposure even more likely.

And once the ruse was uncovered, Tang Cang couldn't claim Tang Xiao had acted on his own by wearing a young man's mask. It would be all too easy to fall out with the Star Luo Imperial Family.

That wouldn't serve Tang Cang's interests when he took over as Sect Master.

Tang Hao, on the other hand, was thirty-five, with a Soul Power Level of Rank 62. If he was exposed, they could say he'd acted on his own and distance the sect from the whole affair.

"If you like her, your elder brother can go through the motions. Once the deed is done, she can become your wife."

Hearing this, Tang Hao furrowed his brows even more and was about to refuse.

Tang Wei waved a hand and continued, "The Spirit Hall has its eyes on both you and your elder brother. If we can form a marriage alliance with the Star Luo Imperial Family, at least it'll give them pause."

"After all, although the Star Luo Empire no longer has a Titled Douluo guarding it, it has a very strong force of mid-level Soul Masters. That's an aid the Clear Sky Sect can't afford to ignore."

"I think that's also why the Seven Kill Sect doesn't dare act rashly."

"The Dai Family controls at least forty percent of the Soul Masters in the Star Luo Empire. If the Seven Kill Sect really dares to wipe out the entire Dai Family, those Soul Masters will trample the Seven Kill Sect flat."

"Even if they can't, from now on, unless every Seven Kill Sect disciple has a Titled Douluo protecting them, the moment one of them is caught alone, heh..."

That was probably why, even though the two great empires were rotten to the core, no one dared challenge their authority.

The Han dynasty had produced loyalists and blindly devoted followers across its three or four hundred years of history. There were surely no shortage of such people in Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire, though there might have been other reasons, too.

After Tang Wei finished speaking, he stared straight at Tang Hao.

The air fell silent for two and a half seconds.

Tang Hao shook his head. "Forget it. I'm going out to train with my elder brother in the second half of the year. As for getting married... we'll talk about it later."

He hadn't seen much of the world, and Dai Yue's smile earlier had nearly sent his heart tumbling.

But the thought of a political marriage like this made Tang Hao uneasy.

So...

Tang Wei glanced at him but said nothing more.

The two of them walked one behind the other, and their figures soon disappeared from sight.

By the time they reached the Clear Sky Sect, the sky was already growing faintly bright.

When the disciples guarding the mountain gate saw Tang Wei and Tang Hao return, they hurriedly saluted. "First Elder!"

"Has the Sect Master returned?"

At that, the disciples' expressions turned strange. They looked as if they were hiding something, hesitating to speak.

"What is it?"

The guards exchanged glances. In the end, their leader steeled himself and spoke. "First Elder, not long after you left yesterday, the Sect Master came back. But..."

"But what?"

"After returning, the Sect Master immediately announced that he was officially stepping down, and that the young Sect Master would take his place."

Tang Wei froze.

He stood motionless, his expression locked in place as if frozen in a single moment.

Behind him, Tang Hao was also stunned. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

"Yesterday, we had only just left... and the Sect Master came back?"

"Yes."

"Did he say anything?"

"The old Sect Master said... he was getting on in years and needed to rest."

Tang Wei took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

But...

There was no suppressing it!

Tang Chen had stepped down, and Tang Cang had taken over as Sect Master!

So what about the Seven Kill Sect now?

Without Tang Chen, the Clear Sky Sect had no one capable of standing against Chen Jianjun on equal terms!

The might of those two sword strikes Chen Jianjun had unleashed in Taihe Hall of the Star Luo Imperial Palace had been enough to crush any thought of resistance!

In all his years, Tang Wei had felt that kind of pressure from only one person.

That person was Tang Chen!

But now... Tang Chen was gone. What were they supposed to do?