Ah Yin

But now?

His clan had closed itself off because of him, Tang Hao. Who knew what had become of it?

His beloved Ah Yin had sacrificed herself before his eyes, her beauty and life extinguished, leaving behind only a single Blue Silver Grass seed.

And he, a man who had once stood at the pinnacle of the continent, could only hide in this remote border town like a rat in the gutter, numbing himself day after day with the cheapest liquor and fleeing from reality.

Even teaching his own son seemed so clumsy, so powerless, even irritating.

Ah Yin... if only you were still here. You would surely have taught the children well. They certainly would not be... so distant from me now.

Tang Hao could clearly sense the hidden dissatisfaction and impatience deep in Tang San's eyes.

That child craved strength, craved becoming stronger, but as his father, apart from this hammer technique, he seemed unable to offer him any real help. Instead, his decadence and drunkenness had become burdens and obstacles on his path to growth.

An unbearable bitterness and self-loathing surged into Tang Hao's heart. He suddenly tipped back his head and poured the last of the liquor from the wine jug down his throat.

He felt no warmth at all, only cold despair.

And Xian Di... that adopted little girl was sweet, obedient, and dependent on Little San for life. In this family, Tang Hao himself seemed more like an outsider.

"Heh... hahahaha..." Tang Hao let out a low, bitter laugh. It echoed through the empty backyard, carrying endless self-mockery and desolation.

He raised the empty wine jug, intending to take another swig, only to find that not a single drop remained.

Irritably, Tang Hao flung the jug aside with a deafening clatter.

He could not