The Clear Sky Hammer Unearths the Past: Was Tang Chen in Slaughter City?
The woman in black veil led Tang Xiao and Tang Hao through a long street. Blue and purple lights shone on the walls, and the sound of clashing weapons could be heard from afar.
"This area is ruled by the King of Slaughter. The use of Soul Skills is restricted, but Soul Power and the power of the Martial Soul itself can still be used."
Tang Hao glanced down at the identity token in his hand and asked, "What if I want to leave after I come in?"
The woman turned her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said, "You'll know when you're qualified to leave."
Tang Xiao pressed down on his brother's arm, preventing him from asking further questions, and instead took out a portrait from his pocket.
"We came here to find an elder. He went to the city many years ago and we haven't heard from him since."
The woman glanced at the portrait, her expression unchanged. "People come in here every day, and people disappear here every day. I don't know the person in the painting."
Tang Hao continued to press for an answer:
Are there any elderly people in the city who will be staying for a while?
The woman in black veil said calmly:
"Of course they do. But whether they're willing to tell you depends on your own abilities."
For the next two days, the two brothers did not rush to participate in the battle in the Hell Slaughter Arena, but instead inquired about Tang Chen's whereabouts along the streets.
The answers I received were either that they didn't recognize me, or that I should exchange something for them. Some people said they had seen me before, but when asked about my appearance and age, they didn't match the portrait at all.
Tang Hao's frustration gradually built up.
That day, the two ventured deep into the inner city. Just as they emerged from an alleyway, a short knife suddenly stabbed at them from the side!
Tang Xiao dodged to the side, and Clear Sky Hammer Haotian Hammer solidified, pressing the handle against the opponent's wrist and twisting it outwards.
The dagger slipped from his hand.
Tang Hao then turned around and slammed another man who rushed at him into the wall with his hammer.
Moments later, the two people who had tried to take advantage of the situation were lying on the ground.
"This hammer..."
On the street, an elderly man with gray hair who was tidying up some odds and ends suddenly stopped what he was doing and his gaze fell on Tang Xiao's Clear Sky Hammer.
Tang Xiao looked in the direction of the sound and asked:
"Old man, have you seen him before?"
The old man did not answer. He first looked at the two people on the ground, and then pushed the wooden door in front of him open halfway.
"Come in."
The room reeked of dampness, and some broken weapons were piled up in the corner.
As soon as Tang Hao stepped across the threshold, he saw the old man extend his hand and say:
"It's for me to eat."
Tang Xiao took out a bag of dry rations and placed it on the table. Although the currency used for transactions here was Yellow Springs Dew, the food was still normal. It was impossible to rely on drinking this to fill one's stomach every day.
The old man opened the package, took two bites, and then looked at the two of them. "Many years ago, there was an old man who used a hammer like this."
"Others, after finishing a match, would love to hide away and rest for a few days. But he seemed to have never exerted himself and could keep fighting."
Tang Hao's eyes flickered, but he didn't rush to hand over the portrait.
What does he look like?
The old man thought for a moment and slowly described the man's features and build. The more the two brothers listened, the more solemn their expressions became.
Several characteristics actually match Tang Chen!
Tang Xiao then unfolded the portrait.
The old man leaned closer and examined the portrait for a while, then pointed to it. "That's him. Although it's been a while, and I can't remember the details, his appearance is quite accurate."
"Where did he go after that?" Tang Hao couldn't help but ask.
The old man said:
"Later, some men in black armor came looking for him, and he went with them. I only saw them heading deeper into the inner city, and I haven't seen them since."
Tang Xiao frowned slightly and said:
How do you remember it so clearly?
The old man glanced at him, then slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a slightly bent arm.
"Because back then, I also had designs on him."
"His hammer didn't even land properly; it just grazed my Martial Soul and broke my arm. By the time I knelt down, the hammer had already been put away."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands.
Tang Xiao's gaze froze instantly.
By exchanging force through impact and dissipating it with a wrist twist, the hammer's momentum can be delivered, yet it can still be stopped at any moment. This habit of using the hammer is quite similar to what their grandfather taught them!
After leaving the cabin, Tang Hao lowered his voice and said, "Brother, it seems that Grandfather did indeed stay here."
Tang Xiao nodded, but his expression didn't lighten much. "But that was many years ago. We still don't know who took him away or where he went afterward."
Tang Hao looked towards the end of the street.
Behind the black walls, several towering buildings could be vaguely seen, but the black-armored guards coming and going made it difficult to get close.
"Then let's start investigating from the person who took my grandfather away back then."
"Don't alarm them yet." Tang Xiao nodded, put away the portrait, and said in a deep voice, "Let's ask some more elders and verify what he said before we proceed."
Meanwhile, the original novel Douluo Continent...
Inside a secluded cave, Tang Hao sat leaning against the stone wall, his left shoulder wrapped in strips of cloth, his empty sleeve folded at his side.
He had just finished circulating his Soul Power for one cycle when a dull pain shot through his chest, forcing him to slowly stop.
His old wounds hadn't healed, and now he'd lost his left arm. Even though he'd temporarily shaken off his pursuers, he was far from recovered enough to fight again.
Outside the cave.
Tang San was squatting by the fire, boiling medicine, when Xiao Wu came over with a clean cloth. Seeing that the medicine pot was about to tip over, she quickly reached out to support it and then propped up the stones underneath Tang San.
Tang Hao didn't look at them.
His gaze was fixed on the sky high above the cave Sky Screen.
The sight of the two young faces in the video, along with the old man's earlier reply, made his breathing gradually become heavy.
"Grandfather? The Slaughter City..."
A memory from many years ago suddenly resurfaced from the depths of my heart.
When he first ventured into the Slaughter City, he briefly sensed a familiar aura. But when he went to look for it again, the aura had vanished.
At that time, he only thought he was in the midst of a killing, and his mind was affected, so he did not investigate further.
Looking back now, how could I easily dismiss it as an illusion?
The Sky Screen was ultimately another world, but that sense of familiarity that he had ignored for many years was something he had personally experienced!
"Could it be that Grandfather really has been there all along?" Tang Hao's only remaining right hand slowly clenched the hem of his clothes.
If we can find my grandfather, with his strength, we'll have hope of dealing with the threat posed by the Spirit Hall. Then I won't have to keep hiding with my two children anymore!
But just as he was about to lean against the stone wall to get up, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder.
Tang Hao grunted and sat back down. Even if he knew where to go in his current body, could he really set off immediately?
"Dad, the medicine is ready."
Tang San carried the medicine bowl into the cave, with Xiao Wu following behind, placing a clean strip of cloth to the side.
"Uncle, I'll change your medicine after you finish taking it."
Tang Hao looked up at the girl, but the eagerness that had just arisen suddenly stopped.
And her too.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast whose identity has already been exposed is now right in front of him. How can he leave her outside at ease?
The Spirit Hall is searching everywhere. If Bibi Dong finds them, wouldn't all their efforts to bring them out at the cost of their severed arm have been for nothing?
But if brought into the Slaughter City...
Tang Hao had personally walked that path and knew how that city would treat someone who lacked sufficient self-defense capabilities.
Just looking after Tang San already takes up a lot of his energy. How can he focus on searching for his grandfather while also taking care of Xiao Wu?
Moreover, if her identity were discovered by the people there, how many others would covet it?
As for taking action now, he's reluctant to do so.
While the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone can be preserved, what about the Soul Ring? Xiao San simply cannot withstand it right now; if it were to dissipate in vain, the loss would be too great.
And if I really did that, what would my son think of me?