Since Ancient Times, Sincerity Cannot Keep a Heart; Only Schemes Can Win It!

"Brother Qing?"

Xiao Wu had actually called Qin Jiuxiao "Brother Qing."

Then what did that make him, her "Third Brother"?

Had they known each other for a long time?

If that was the case, why did she even bother coming to his side?

Tang San felt a tightness in his chest, a surge of blood rising to his throat.

He had no family in his past life, and upon arriving on the Douluo Continent in this life, he had hoped to experience a father's love.

But his father was a hopeless drunkard, even leaving the cooking to him.

His father never asked about his cultivation or gave it a second thought, as if he had been picked up off the street.

It wasn't until he awakened his twin martial souls and met Xiao Wu and his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, that he felt loved. For the first time, he felt as though his life had hope.

Those days had been so beautiful, and the memories so blissful.

But now, that happiness seemed to be shattering.

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu with eyes full of anticipation, his voice laced with cautious probing and pleading.

"Xiao Wu, I beg you, come with me."

"Let's not go to Shrek Academy. Wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you from now on, okay?"

"I'll take you to meet my father. I'm sure he will like you very much."

The first part of his plea had been fine, and even Xiao Wu had felt a twinge of sympathy.

After all, the two of them had gotten along quite well over the past few years.

But the moment Tang San mentioned taking her to see Tang Hao, a look of terror appeared in Xiao Wu's eyes.

Even the way she looked at Tang San was filled with deep suspicion.

Taking her to see a Title Douluo—how was that any different from a sheep walking into a tiger's den?

Seeing this, Qin Jiuxiao struck while the iron was hot.

"When you left Holy Soul Village, your father disappeared."

"Now, you say you want to take Xiao Wu to see him."

"It seems your father didn't disappear at all, but has been following you the entire way."

"He wouldn't happen to be near the Rose Hotel as well, would he?"

As these words fell, Xiao Wu's gaze turned icy.

She looked at Tang San with chilling indifference.

"Qin Jiuxiao, shut up!"

"Xiao Wu, don't listen to his nonsense."

Seeing the look in Xiao Wu's eyes, Tang San roared at Qin Jiuxiao before hurriedly explaining.

"I really don't know where my father went!"

"You saw it yourself back then, Xiao Wu."

Qin Jiuxiao looked at Xiao Wu with profound meaning and mentioned casually:

"I once heard a story."

"More than a decade ago, a pair of brilliant, talented brothers traveled the continent to hone their skills, only to fall in love with the same woman."

"But the woman preferred the younger brother. To support him, the older brother returned to their sect to cover up the news."

"Little did they know, the younger brother later discovered that this woman was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form."

"You must know that once a soul beast in human form reaches maturity, it cannot be detected."

"The only chance for exposure is when she is pregnant and about to give birth, as the need to nourish the fetus causes her to leak the aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."

"That genius was hailed as the most gifted of his generation on the Douluo Continent."

"He was quite ambitious and wanted to obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring for his ninth slot."

"As expected, the woman became pregnant."

"The genius took her traveling across the continent, but they were accidentally discovered and hunted down."

"The genius had just reached level 89, exactly the point where he could absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring to break through to Title Douluo."

"They fled, and their trail eventually drew a Title Douluo."

"In a desperate situation, the innocent woman had no choice but to sacrifice herself to the genius."

"In the end, it secured his status as the youngest Title Douluo on the continent."

"The woman eventually turned into a seed, buried by that man in a cave that only received a sliver of sunlight at noon."

"Their child was also left to fend for himself, ignored and neglected."

"Because of the powerful Title Douluo faction he had provoked that day, he could only hide in a remote village, living in constant fear."

"The genius's father also suffered endless condemnation because of this incident and eventually died of grief."

"He went from being a high-and-mighty genius to a homeless stray dog."

"He had intended to hide for a few more years until the major factions stopped paying attention to him."

"But one day, he discovered that a young girl had appeared by his son's side."

"And that girl, just like the woman from before, was also a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form."

"He seemed to see his former self, and that dormant ambition burned once again."

"He couldn't topple that powerful faction alone, but if he let his son obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring just as he had..."

"Then, with father and son joining forces, who on the Douluo Continent could stop them?"

"His son did not disappoint him, as his feelings for the girl grew stronger."

"So much so that when he was only a Soul Emperor, he dared to provoke a powerful Title Douluo faction, eventually drawing out experts to surround and kill them."

"The girl, like the woman before her, sacrificed herself to his son."

"Not only the girl, but her two hundred-thousand-year soul beast friends also became his soul rings, and their soul bones were all absorbed by him."

"He became the strongest of the new generation, breaking through to become a Title Douluo younger and stronger than his father."

"He even became a legendary god and ascended to the God Realm."

"He held the authority of a god, sending his descendants down to the Douluo Continent generation after generation."

"The Child of Destiny was held in his palm, and the soul beasts were played with like toys."

"They would never be able to turn the tables for all eternity."

As the story ended, the surroundings fell into a dead silence.

Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips and spoke with great indignation.

"That father and son are disgusting! How could they do such a thing?"

"If I ever meet them, I'll definitely have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone teach them a lesson."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement, equally filled with righteous anger.

But Xiao Wu had fallen into a daze.

Everyone else was just listening to a story, but she felt as if she were the girl in the tale.

If things followed the path of Qin Jiuxiao's story, would she one day truly sacrifice herself for Tang San?

Then how could she ever avenge her mother?

Moreover, she also had two hundred-thousand-year soul beast friends, Da Ming and Er Ming.

Would she cause them to sacrifice themselves for Tang San as well?

Thinking of this, Xiao Wu felt a chill run through her body, and the look she gave Tang San was no longer soft.

"Tang San, leave. Let's not see each other again."

"And I hope we can keep a certain distance from now on."

When these words were spoken, Tang San was completely stunned.

What was going on?

Hadn't Qin Jiuxiao just told a story?

Although he had been somewhat captivated by it, even beginning to imagine himself as the one who became a god—wielding divine authority and playing with soul beasts in the palm of his hand—did Xiao Wu really have to say such things to him?

"Xiao Wu, it's just a story. Why have you changed so much?"

Tang San was anxious.

Xiao Wu took a deep breath, still holding a sliver of hope for Tang San in her heart.

She asked:

"Then let me ask you, if you were the son in that story and you met that girl who was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, what would you do?"

"Would you want her soul ring and soul bone?"

To this question, Tang San did not hesitate.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Those are hundred-thousand-year soul rings and soul bones."

"As for the methods used, they aren't even worth mentioning compared to those soul rings and bones."

"Xiao Wu, why would you ask that?"

He looked at Xiao Wu, only to find that her eyes were colder than he had ever seen them.

"Heh, well said!"

Xiao Wu let out a miserable laugh and gave up completely; there was no longer any trace of Tang San in her eyes.

A profound look flashed in the depths of Qin Jiuxiao's eyes. The story was, of course, fabricated.

It was meant to ignite the conflict between Tang San and Xiao Wu, using the gap in their information as a weapon.

He was no saint.

As the saying goes:

Since ancient times, sincerity cannot keep a heart; only schemes can win it.

Little San, I'll be taking Xiao Wu now. Hehehe!