Tang Hao's Breakdown

He stepped back half a pace, dodging Xiao San's proactive attack. Looking at his adorable yet timid little appearance, Lin Yue truly didn't know whether to be angry or amused.

Having missed his strike and fallen onto the bed, the little guy actually hid his head beneath the blanket like a quail. Yet he still turned toward Lin Yue, toes curled inward and hands clutching the sheets, looking timidly prepared to receive his favor.

At the sight, the veins on Lin Yue's forehead throbbed, and his temples pounded...

Seriously, he was at his wits' end. He didn't know how to explain it.

He wanted to give the little guy a lesson or two, but he was afraid of hurting his fragile self-esteem. All he could do was soften his voice and coax him gently.

"Be good. I didn't mean that. This is Whale Rubber. Using it can strengthen your body, making it easier to absorb Spirit Rings and allowing you to obtain a higher-level first Spirit Ring."

"What?"

Timidly poking his head out, he pressed his legs together and turned them to the side. At last, Xiao San's overloaded little brain understood what Whale Rubber was for...

So Brother Lin wasn't thinking about that sort of thing... He only wanted to strengthen the Spirit Ring he might obtain tomorrow...

In an instant, a powerful sense of disappointment spread through Xiao San's heart.

He knew Brother Lin Yue was doing this for his own good, but it still wasn't...

Wah, then everything I did...

The moment he realized it had all been wishful thinking on his part, the little guy turned as pink as a half-cooked shrimp, radiating extreme embarrassment from head to toe. Steam practically rose from his little head.

"Alright, alright. I understand how you feel, but now isn't the time to talk about that."

Knowing that if he didn't comfort him now, the little guy might withdraw into himself completely, Lin Yue could only soften his tone. He gently patted his shoulder and gave him a warm hug.

"Be good. Thinking about such things so early isn't good for your body. Come on, refine the Whale Rubber."

"Mm..."

Ashamed to the extreme, Xiao San kept his head lowered, not daring to look into Lin Yue's eyes. He could only circulate the Mysterious Heaven Skill with all his strength, suppressing the stray romantic thoughts rising from his dantian.

Seeing that he had finally entered a cultivation state, Lin Yue let out a long breath.

Sigh, this is even more exhausting than coaxing a girlfriend... Though I was a single loser in my previous life, so I don't know how hard it is to coax a girlfriend. Still, it probably isn't any worse than this...

Once the little guy had finally settled down, Lin Yue sat cross-legged and began refining the medicinal power of the Whale Rubber.

If he'd known it would cause this kind of mess, he should have explained it to him beforehand. Sigh, who knew this little guy never read anything proper, yet had somehow read about the effects of Whale Rubber and come up with such a misunderstanding?

Wait, if Xiao San misunderstood, then Tang Hao, who had been secretly monitoring Xiao San all along...

A terrifying thought flashed through Lin Yue's mind, but before he could think further, the vast medicinal power of the Whale Rubber bore down on him, leaving him no room for distraction...

Before long, as the last trace of medicinal power was absorbed into his flesh, blood, and bones, Xiao San opened his eyes and immediately found that his body and skin emitted a faint glow.

The young man's petite body had somehow shot up several centimeters, making him noticeably taller.

In particular, his skin, which had not been especially fair before, now possessed a milky-white sheen. He seemed completely reborn, his complexion and temperament both rising several levels.

For a time, Tang San forgot all about his earlier embarrassment and irritation. He could only marvel at the changes in his body!

Such powerful medicinal strength! This tempering effect was practically comparable to some of the extremely rare precious medicines recorded in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record!

Brother Lin Yue had worked himself to the bone in the pharmacy for half a month. So it had all been for this moment.

With the help of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San's refining speed naturally far surpassed Lin Yue's. Thus, with nothing else to do, Xiao San could only sit there and study the young man sitting cross-legged before him, his pearly teeth lightly biting his red lips. His thoughts became incomparably complicated as his mind began to wander.

Why had Brother Lin Yue rejected him? Was it because he didn't like him, or was he truly afraid of hurting him?

Could it really be because he didn't like him?

The instant that thought surfaced, Xiao San's face went pale. All color drained from his lips, while his eyes filled with terror and panic.

No, that couldn't be. Brother Lin Yue definitely liked him. Otherwise, how could he have rejected Spirit Hall's invitation for his sake? Yes, it had to be that way.

At the thought that Lin Yue's care for him might have been nothing more than familial affection, Xiao San's body stiffened, and he began trembling uncontrollably.

He absolutely could not accept it. Whenever he imagined Brother Lin Yue one day looking at him with indifference before throwing himself into another woman's arms, it felt as though his heart were being sliced apart. Even breathing became difficult.

But he believed it would never be like that.

Brother Lin Yue had even brought out a treasure comparable to a ten-thousand-year spiritual medicine for his sake. Surely... surely he would never leave him.

Gazing at Lin Yue, who sat quietly refining the medicinal power, the little guy finally could no longer suppress the surging emotions in his heart. He leaned forward, carefully approached the other's cheek, and pressed his cherry-red lips against it, leaving behind a light kiss.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

Tang Hao, sitting atop a mountain and gasping for breath, finally suppressed the pain in his heart. The agony of his old injury flaring up had at last been forcibly pushed down.

But when he opened his bloodshot eyes, panting like a bull, the scenes in the hotel room nearly made him vomit three liters of blood and suffer another relapse!

At some point, his daughter's face had gained several traces of undisguised tenderness and love. It was as though she had suddenly grown several years older, becoming even more beautiful. An indescribable charm radiated from her.

Damn it, damn it! That brat! It had only been a few minutes, and he had already done it with her... And he'd used Whale Rubber! It had taken that long even with Whale Rubber! No, his Xiao San!!!

Spitting out another mouthful of blood, Tang Hao gritted his teeth. The aura of a Titled Douluo was nearly impossible for him to suppress any longer.

The intense hatred and humiliation made his eyes split with rage. He nearly picked up the Clear Sky Hammer, flashed straight to the hotel, and smashed that damned brat into meat paste with a single blow.

But even if he truly did that, what could it change?

Clutching his chest in agony, Tang Hao felt the last traces of strength in his body being completely drained away.

Xiao San's heart had long since belonged entirely to that brat. He would never refuse any of the boy's demands. If Tang Hao truly did this, not only would it change nothing, but he would completely turn against Xiao San and forever lose his chance to return to the sect and revive the Clear Sky Sect.

Heavens, why were they so cruel to him, Tang Hao?

Huge tears streamed from his eyes. Overwhelmed by grief and fury, Tang Hao raised his head again, only to see that in the inn, his most precious daughter had reddened cheeks and was actively offering a kiss, pressing her lips to the cheek of the young man cultivating cross-legged.

"Pfft—"

Another mouthful of blood spilled out. Tang Hao staggered to his feet, squeezing his eyes shut, his heart shattered beyond measure.

He couldn't stop anything. He couldn't stop anything at all!!!

He could only watch that face, which looked increasingly like Ah Yin's, nearly ninety percent identical to hers, draw close to that brat and reveal a deep love Tang Hao himself had never seen before.

Deep within Tang Hao's heart, something seemed to quietly shatter...

Fine, fine. Let it be. Things had come to this, and he had nothing left to say.

In unbearable pain, Tang Hao swayed as he prepared to find a dark corner. After completely suppressing his injuries, he would return to the waterfall, visit his Ah Yin properly, and tell her all about the outrageous things their unfilial daughter had done.

But when he cast one last glance toward the inn, his expression changed once more.