Whose Father Is Whose

"Achoo..."

"What the, can a Titled Douluo catch a cold?"

Tang Hao rubbed his nose. "Someone must be cursing me."

"Could it be that Bibi Dong is thinking of you?"

Tang Xiao leaned closer to Tang Hao and muttered, "I heard Bibi Dong is breathtakingly gorgeous, the kind of beauty who could ruin a kingdom."

"She is indeed gorgeous."

"Then between her and Ah Yin, who is better looking?"

Tang Hao's heart tightened. This guy wouldn't happen to have recorded anything to stab him in the back, would he?

He thought for a moment and replied, "Each has her own merits, each has her own merits!"

"You punk."

Tang Xiao slapped the back of Tang Hao's head. "You're a grown man now, so big brother won't lecture you, but I just hope you don't trip and fall in the same place twice."

"Don't worry, Big Bro, I definitely won't be brain-rotted by love this time."

"What kind of brain?"

"Nothing, I'm heading out first. See you outside Spirit City in seven days."

"Rest assured, I'll definitely pull out all the stops and make this marriage proposal glorious for you!"

Just as Tang Hao walked a few steps away, he heard these words and marched right back.

"Big Bro, hold on a second." He eyed Tang Xiao suspiciously. "When you say pulling out all the stops, what kind of glorious display are you talking about?"

Tang Xiao stood with his hands behind his back. "I will personally lead a team to the outside of Spirit City, and the betrothal gifts will be prepared by the sect. It won't do for you to carry a hammer to propose all by yourself."

"The sect is footing the betrothal gifts?"

"Or are you?"

"...Go on, then."

Tang Xiao glanced at him. "Also, you are to speak as little as possible once we get there."

"I'm the one going to propose, wouldn't it be weird if I didn't speak?"

"You can speak, but let me hear it first. Once I think it's fine, you can go say it to Bibi Dong."

Remembering the reason he was chased out of the Pope's Hall last time, Tang Hao unusually refrained from arguing.

The Seventh Elder was still waiting for Tang Xiao in the discussion hall.

Tang Hao didn't linger any further. After descending the mountain, he hurried toward Nuoding City.

He had originally planned to finish the sect's affairs before seeing Tang San, but all along the way, the teahouses and post stations were talking about him and Bibi Dong.

Some said the Pope had already agreed, while others claimed the wedding date was set for next month.

The most outrageous one claimed his son had already moved into the Pope's Hall.

After paying the tea money, Tang Hao flew toward Nuoding City through the night.

He was afraid that if he didn't go now, Tang San might hear from someone else that he suddenly had a younger brother.

Tang San walked out of the school gates and happened to see Tang Hao leaning against the stone archway like a hoodlum.

Passing students looked at him with curiosity, none of them able to associate this ruffian with the image of the Clear Sky Douluo.

Ingratiatingly, Tang Hao handed over a paper package of flatbreads. "Bought them on the road, eat them while they're hot."

Tang San hesitated for a moment before taking them.

"Dad, where have you been these past few days?"

"I went back to the Clear Sky Sect for a look."

"And where else?"

"Spirit City."

"What did you go there for?"

Wait, I'm the father here, why does this brat look like he's interrogating a prisoner?

Tang Hao slapped the back of Tang San's head.

"You punk, interrogating your old man like a prisoner?"

Tang San looked straight into Tang Hao's eyes. "Dad, are all those rumors outside true?"

"Partially." Tang Hao looked at him and gave a dry cough. "Actually, Bibi Dong didn't agree to the proposal."

"So the proposal itself is true."

"...True."

Students constantly walked past outside the school gates. Tang Hao glanced at a small path nearby. "Let's find a quiet place to talk."

Father and son walked to the small woods behind the academy.

Tang San sat down on the familiar stone, while Tang Hao didn't sit, habitually leaning against a tree.

"You told me before that Mom left to save you." Tang San asked, "Now you want to marry someone else. Have you forgotten her?"

"No."

Tang Hao answered quickly, so Tang San waited for him to continue.

"I will always remember Ah Yin," Tang Hao said. "The debts owed by those who drove her to that step have not been forgotten either."

"My initial visit to Bibi Dong was to find someone to cooperate with in order to deal with Qian Daoliu."

"So the marriage proposal is a condition of the cooperation?"

"It was a method I proposed." Tang Hao rubbed his nose. "Seems like I stepped a bit too big this time."

Tang San looked up at him. "Then do you like her?"

Tang Hao couldn't answer immediately this time.

When he spoke of a political marriage inside the Pope's Hall, he had thought of the Clear Sky Sect, the Worship Hall, and even thought of Tang San and Qian Renxue ten years down the line.

The one thing he hadn't seriously considered was Tang San asking him this question.

"I'm not yet at the point where I can say I like her."

Tang Hao rubbed his chin and continued, "However, we both need each other. Joining forces is the best approach."

"Dad, I don't blame you."

These words startled Tang Hao.

"I won't demand that you stay single for my sake, or for Mom's."

"But I also don't want you to marry someone you don't like just for us."

"You punk."

Tang Hao ruffled Tang San's head. This brat really was sensible enough to make one's heart ache.

"Don't worry, your old man isn't getting the short end of the stick here."

Tang San thought for a moment and asked, "If Her Holiness the Pope agrees to your proposal, do I need to move to Spirit City?"

"No, you can go wherever you want. I told her you aren't part of the transaction."

Only then did Tang San set his mind at ease and take a bite of the flatbread in his hand.

"By the way Dad, if you and the Pope get married, will I no longer be able to collect the Spirit Hall's subsidy in the future?"

Tang Hao scratched his head. He really hadn't thought about this question.

It indeed seemed rather inappropriate for the nominal son of the Clear Sky Douluo and the Pope to go around collecting low-income relief.

Come to think of it, he only had his own poverty to blame; running around everywhere lately had made him forget to secure some spending money for his son.

"We won't collect that junk anymore. In a few days, I'll have your big uncle send you some money."

"Alright."

Tang San's mood seemed somewhat deflated as he just buried his head in eating his bread.

Seeing this, Tang Hao decided to change the subject.

"Little San, is there someone named Xiao Wu among your classmates?"

Hearing this, Tang San looked up. "Dad, you know Xiao Wu?"

"Uh, met her, I suppose."

Tang Hao arched an eyebrow. "Little San, do you like her?"

"Dad, I'm still a child. I'll only turn 7 after the new year."

"So what if you're a child? Who says children can't fall in love?"

Tang San put down the flatbread in his hand and looked earnestly at Tang Hao.

"Dad, I don't want to fall in love. I want to become stronger, and I want to help you."

Hearing this, Tang Hao found himself in a difficult spot. According to the original plot, it would take about twenty years for Tang San to fully mature.

Was he just supposed to lie flat and wait for twenty years?

Was he going to do absolutely nothing for these two decades and just go play house with Bibi Dong and make little kids?

Wait!

Tang San was the protagonist of this world. If I do all his work for him, can this world even go on?

He couldn't take that risk! So he really only had lying flat left as an option, damn it!

Screw it all, he would marry Bibi Dong first and talk later. At worst, he could really just pop out a Tang Four.

Yep, let's happily decide on that!

"Dad, what are you thinking about? You're smiling rather lewdly."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Tang Hao flicked him right on the forehead. "Didn't you say you want to become stronger? Your dad is thinking of a way for you."

"Did you think of one?"

"Not yet."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"Help you bring a stepmom home first."

"And then?"

"Then we'll think about it together!"