Silence fell over the Council Hall for a brief moment.
Tang Xiao stood up. "He is alone?"
"Alone," the reporting disciple said. "He said he has business to discuss with the Sect Master."
Tang Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let him in."
"Sect Master!" an elder stood up. "Tang Hao severed ties with the sect long ago-"
"Then you go chase him away," Tang Xiao cut him off. "It was only for putting on a show for outsiders, yet you actually took it seriously."
Before long, Tang Hao followed the disciple into the Council Hall.
He had changed into a clean set of clothes, but the dust of his journey still lingered on him.
Seeing the hall filled with elders, his footsteps paused.
"Brother." Tang Hao looked around at both sides. "Yo, so many people here to welcome me? Had I known, I would have brought back some gifts."
Tang Xiao stared at him. "Walk over here and let me take a look."
"It is not like you have never seen me."
Despite saying that, Tang Hao still walked over.
Tang Xiao pressed a hand onto his shoulder, funneling Soul Power into his meridians.
Tang Hao did not resist.
A moment later, Tang Xiao gave Tang Hao's shoulder a heavy pat.
"How did you heal?"
"It is a long story."
"Then make the long story short."
"First it was like this, then like that, and then it got better."
Tang Xiao looked at him for a moment, the hammer in his hand flashing three times. "Indeed very short. You are more obedient than before."
However, an elder nearby could not help but speak up. "Sect Master, should we not ask about the matters in Spirit City first?"
Tang Hao turned toward him. "Do you wish to ask about me fighting Yue Heng, or about the marriage proposal?"
"You actually proposed?"
"I did."
The Seventh Elder slammed the table and rose. "Tang Hao! Do you even know what your status is?"
"The Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall have countless old scores to settle. How does going to propose to the Pope place the sect?"
"A moment ago, you were the one saying I am not a person of the Clear Sky Sect."
The Seventh Elder's face flushed. "Who told you that?"
"I guessed."
Someone in the hall failed to hold back and let out a laugh, then hurriedly straightened their expression.
Tang Xiao signaled for the elder to sit. "Bibi Dong agreed?"
"No, she told me to get lost."
Tang Xiao's mouth twitched. "And you are still quite proud of it?"
"At least she listened all the way through before telling me to get lost."
Tang Xiao did not want to listen to his nonsense anymore. "After you recovered, why did you not return to the sect, and instead ran off to see her?"
Tang Hao put away his smile.
"I want to cooperate with her to deal with Qian Daoliu. The proposal was a personal suggestion I made to her, and it has nothing to do with the sect. If I had returned to the sect first, the nature of it would have changed."
The Seventh Elder said coldly, "Then what have you come back for now?"
"Coming back to discuss it with my brother." Tang Hao looked at Tang Xiao. "And to discuss it with everyone here as well. If you are unwilling, I will sever ties with the Clear Sky Sect."
"You make it sound so easy," the Seventh Elder said. "Right now, rumors are flying everywhere outside that the Clear Sky Douluo went to Spirit City to propose to the Pope! Can outsiders tell the difference between you and the Clear Sky Sect?"
"They cannot." Tang Hao answered crisply. "That is why I am here, is it not? For the past six years I hid outside, and people did not separate me from the Clear Sky Sect either."
Silence fell upon the hall once more.
Tang Xiao looked at his younger brother. "How do you plan to cooperate?"
"Bibi Dong controls the Pope's Hall, and Qian Daoliu controls the Worship Hall. The two sides are not of one mind."
Tang Hao said, "I will have her lift the restrictions on the Clear Sky Sect, and we will join forces to deal with the Worship Hall."
"This will drag us into Spirit Hall's internal strife!" The Seventh Elder jumped out once more.
"If we do not get dragged in, they will join forces to beat us. You do not seriously think the Clear Sky Sect can stay out of this, do you?"
"What about this marriage business?"
Tang Hao paused. "Both sides need to establish a foundation of trust."
"But that is Bibi Dong, the Pope! Even if we need a marriage alliance, could we not swap someone else in?"
"Surely not. You old fellow actually wanted me to marry her daughter? I never expected you to be such an elder!"
"You..."
The Seventh Elder was so furious he could not find a response for a moment.
Tang Xiao forcibly held back a laugh. "And Ah Yin?"
Tang Hao turned his head. "This matter has nothing to do with her."
"Having evaded it for six years, now I only want to do something for the sect and for Little San."
Tang Xiao gazed at him, speaking only after a moment. "You used to never say things like this."
"A person always has to learn some memory."
"That is not what I meant." Tang Xiao glanced at him sideways. "You used to not be this punchable."
Tang Hao smiled. "That is because you have not seen me in six years and forgot."
The atmosphere in the Council Hall loosened slightly, only to sink again shortly after.
Tang Xiao returned to the main seat without immediately expressing a stance.
"Whether the Clear Sky Sect cooperates with the Pope's Hall is not something the two of us brothers can decide behind closed doors."
"The esteemed elders need to know what Bibi Dong can bring to the table, and they also need to know what you can do for the sect."
"There are also the old accounts from all these years, which will not simply vanish just because your injuries are healed."
"I know," Tang Hao said. "Today I am not pressing you for an answer."
Tang Xiao nodded. "Tell me about Yue Heng. I heard his martial soul can counter the Clear Sky Hammer."
"Where in this world is there an absolute counter?"
Tang Hao said, "His martial soul is a shield. As long as the strength is great enough, it can be smashed to pieces. It is not a big problem."
"You injured him? How are his injuries?"
"I left him with enough to go back and report for duty."
The elders exchanged glances.
These words did not sound as simple as Tang Hao made them out to be. Being able to pull his punches and control the outcome proved that Tang Hao was still handling it with ease to spare.
Was Tang Hao too strong, or was Yue Heng too weak?
Tang Xiao looked at him. "What is your current strength?"
"Brother, stand up."
Tang Hao gave a light cough and gestured toward the elders. "Everyone sitting here is trash."
"Tang Hao, are you out of your mind?"
"It has already been cured."
Tang Xiao pressed his hands downward, desperately holding back his laughter. "Everyone calm down. We are all our own people, do not harm the harmony."
"Who is your own person? Today this old man is going to teach this brat who does not understand respecting elders and cherishing the young a lesson!"
An elder stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to throw down.
"I am at level 95. Ah Yin's soul ring and soul bone are both on me."
"Cough, cough. What I said just now was a bit heavy. Since Hao'er has managed to return with such difficulty, I will go prepare the welcome banquet."
"Wait for me, I am going too."
The elders fled in a single stream of smoke, leaving the space behind to the two brothers.
"Hahahaha..."
Tang Xiao patted Tang Hao's shoulder while laughing wildly without restraint.
"Good, good, good. As expected of my, Tang Xiao's, brother."
"Brother, actually you are trash too. I just left you some face a moment ago, so do not take yourself too seriously."
"Stinking brat, today I will hammer you to death!"
"Ah... Big Brother, no!"
Outside the door, the elders listened to Tang Hao's miserable screams, the expressions on their faces turning solemn.
"He did it on purpose. He is establishing his might before Tang Xiao."
"So what if we know? With Tang Hao's current strength, there are very few people in the entire continent who are his match."
"Yet he could pit the Clear Sky Sect once for a woman; there is no guarantee he will not do it a second time."
"Then why did you not voice objections just now?"
"We cannot beat him."
"If you cannot beat him, keep it to yourselves." The Second Elder let out a cold snort, making the final decision. "In our Clear Sky Sect, whoever's hammer is harder gets the final say."
"Right now Tang Hao's hammer is the hardest, so we listen to him."
"Number Seven, I know you find him unpleasant. If you can beat him into submission, we will listen to you from now on."
"Second Brother, we have no grudges, do we?"
"What, you do not dare? If you do not dare, why are you not hurrying off to prepare the welcome banquet."
Inside the house, the two brothers also heard the conversation outside and could not help but exchange a smile.
This was also the reason why Tang Hao was willing to return to the Clear Sky Sect. They might have disagreements on certain matters due to differing opinions.
However, a sect of military generals always operated on the rule that whoever had the bigger hammer had the final say, which ultimately spared them a lot of scheming and backstabbing.
Before you continue