Tang San: Teacher, You Were Right... Women Really Do Turn Their Backs on You!

The tiny spark of hope that had just risen in Xiao Wu's heart was snuffed out in an instant.

"I don't understand. Is this our fate? Why?"

Her voice trembled. The emotions she had held back for so long finally spilled out. "Why must humans and Soul Beasts always be hunters and prey?"

Hearing the rasp in Xiao Wu's voice, Ning Wen did not know how to answer.

Humans were complicated creatures, and human nature was more complicated still.

Some people meant well and were willing to live alongside Soul Beasts in peace.

But others were driven by desire and would do anything for power.

It might be possible to create a way to obtain Soul Rings without hunting Soul Beasts, but restraining the greed in people's hearts was far harder.

[Humans do have admirable qualities, but greed and desire are far more common.]

[It was that very greed and desire that allowed them to grow so quickly. In the end, they even broke beyond the heavens to explore the unknown universe.]

[As for why?]

[It's simple. Placing your hopes in others is the worst choice you can make.]

[The pleas of the weak can only ever win pity, and pity breaks all too easily. Only with enough strength can you protect everything you hold dear.]

"..."

Ning Wen fell silent.

The Voice Pack's words were cruel, but they were the plain truth.

In both his previous world and this one, humanity had developed step by step in just that way.

And in either world, strength ruled. For humanity to advance, it had to squeeze other creatures out of their habitats.

Then, when a species neared extinction, human pity would see it kept in captivity for people to view or even study. Was that not another kind of cruelty?

[But humanity's excessive exploitation of this continent also brought a backlash from the will of the plane. A Child of Destiny who stood for Soul Beasts and nature appeared.]

[Unfortunately, he still failed. All he could do was take the surviving Soul Beasts to another planet.]

[From then on, humans and Soul Beasts lived worlds apart.]

[Perhaps that was the best outcome.]

[Even This Seat would have been powerless to change it, let alone that Child of Destiny.]

Xiao Wu froze for a moment.

A Child of Destiny had appeared?

What was a Child of Destiny?

Could it mean the Imperial Auspicious Beast?

In truth, it was not just Xiao Wu. Even Titled Douluo like Chen Xin, and even the people of Spirit Hall, had no idea what a Child of Destiny actually meant.

A strange look crossed Ning Wen's face.

The Child of Destiny ten thousand years later was almost certainly still Huo Yuhao, that absurdly overpowered cheat.

But as for the Child of Destiny twenty thousand years later, he had no idea.

Judging by the original story, Tang Wulin, the protagonist of Legend of the Dragon King, did not count as a Child of Destiny in the strict sense.

After all, by that time, Tang San's schemes had already replaced the will of Douluo Continent with Tang Hao and Ah Yin.

And according to the Voice Pack's account, Tang San had died at his hands long ago, so Tang Wulin would never be born.

In that case, who would be the Child of Destiny in that era?

Whoever it was, if he represented Soul Beasts, he was bound to be connected to that Dragon God with a screw loose. He might even be the second Dragon God.

"Believe me. One day, humans and Soul Beasts will live in peace!"

Ning Wen looked down at the bewildered girl in his arms and spoke gently to comfort her.

[If This Seat wished it, This Seat could change the rules themselves and put an end to this twisted relationship between humans and Soul Beasts, rather than merely ease the conflict between the two through Soul Spirit Contracts.]

Ning Wen rolled his eyes.

Anyone could boast!

Could the Voice Pack at least think it through first?

Even Huo Yuhao, with all his ridiculous advantages, could not manage that. And the Voice Pack thought it could?

If it really could, why had it spent all that time watching from the Divine Realm?

And what was all this talk about rules?

What a joke.

[Hmph. In This Seat's previous life, This Seat ascended too hastily, and once in the Divine Realm, that bastard Asura kept a close watch on This Seat.]

[By the time This Seat could defeat anyone in the Divine Realm, everything had already been decided.]

"Mm."

Xiao Wu rested her head gently on Ning Wen's shoulder. She did not doubt him. She simply trusted him.

It was nearly noon the next day.

Sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps around the wooden window.

Ning Wen was still fast asleep, his breathing steady.

Beside him, Xiao Wu lay curled into a little ball, her head resting against his shoulder and both arms wrapped tightly around his arm. She slept just as soundly.

[Why won't this Little Rabbit let go even in her sleep? This Seat's pure and spotless divine body has been violated again and again!]

[This Seat will remember this grudge!!]

So loud!

Ning Wen frowned and slowly opened his eyes.

His head was still a little heavy with sleep. Feeling something soft against his arm, he turned and met Xiao Wu's misty eyes just as she woke.

Their eyes met.

A faint blush swept across Xiao Wu's cheeks. "You're awake," she murmured.

"Mm," Ning Wen answered quietly. He sat up a little, his joints giving a series of soft cracks.

A short while later, the two had gotten ready and left the small hotel side by side.

They had not gone far when they ran into Tang San, who was on his way to the blacksmith shop to work at the forge.

Ning Wen and Xiao Wu walked side by side with their fingers intertwined, at ease in their closeness.

At the sight, pain stabbed through Tang San's heart. His expression froze, and he could not hide the bitterness in his eyes.

A voice screamed inside him.

No, that's my Xiao Wu!

It hurts!

It hurts so much!

"Xiao..."

Tang San parted his lips, wanting to greet her.

But Xiao Wu did not so much as glance at him. To her, Tang San standing by the roadside might as well have been a stranger.

Ning Wen was not particularly surprised that Tang San was still in Notting City.

Once Tang Hao's identity was exposed, Spirit Hall would hunt him relentlessly.

Staying with Tang Hao would bring Tang San nothing but trouble.

And although Tang Hao had attacked Ning Wen, he believed Tang San's identity remained secret.

In fact, if Ning Wen had not been a Transmigrator, he would never have guessed that Tang San was Tang Hao's son.

After all, who would imagine that the son of the mighty Clear Sky Douluo had awakened Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul?

Tang San watched the two of them walk away, rooted to the spot, his mouth still half-open.

Xiao Wu's name caught in his throat as though an invisible hand had seized it there. He could neither say it nor swallow it.

His hand clenched at his side until his knuckles went white. Only after a long moment did he slowly let it relax.

He found himself remembering something Grandmaster had once said, and a bitter, self-mocking sadness rose in his heart.

"Teacher, you were right... Women really do turn their backs on you without a second thought!"

Tang San stared after Ning Wen and Xiao Wu as they disappeared into the distance, his gaze dark and frightening.