Tang Xiao looked at the younger brother he had not seen in years, his mind failing to process the words for a moment.
"What did you say?"
Tang Hao panted and spoke instinctively,
"Sanmei really is serving as a maid for some kid now, but it's completely voluntary. There's no stopping her."
Tang Xiao's breathing turned heavy.
"Say that again?"
Tang Hao realized something was amiss, but his mind still lagged behind as he blurted out,
"Big Brother, listen to me. That kid is called Huo Yuhao, and for some reason Sanmei got her mind bewitched by him, crying and shouting to serve him. Right, Big Brother, do you know about Tang..."
"Tang! Hao!"
Tang Xiao's voice squeezed through his teeth, the soul power on the Clear Sky Hammer not retracting in the slightest, growing even denser instead.
"You mean to tell me that the daughter Ah Yin gave her life to bear for you, the young lady of my Clear Sky Sect, has ended up living as a maid under your supervision?"
Tang Hao finally noticed what was wrong with what he had said, and cold sweat broke out directly across his forehead.
"Big... Big Brother, listen to my explanation, things aren't the way you think."
He knew his eldest brother far too well.
He valued bonds and loyalty above all, and he was fiercely protective of his own.
Yet his feelings for Ah Yin were no less than his own.
Hearing now that the flesh and blood left behind by Ah Yin was not only not properly raised by him, but had actually become a maid, if he didn't explain, he would likely get a thorough beating.
"Explain? The hell I'll listen to your explanation!"
Tang Xiao's face turned red with rage.
The massive Clear Sky Hammer was grasped back into his hands, the hammer head aiming straight at Tang Hao's face.
"It's one thing that you failed to protect Ah Yin, and it's one thing that you've hidden your name for so many years and refused to return to the sect, but you actually raised Sanmei to be a maid-if I don't give you a thrashing today, I am unworthy of being the Clear Sky Sect master."
Tang Xiao was filled with both rage and heartache.
He was furious that his own younger brother had gone all these years without even a single message.
Yet his heartache was also for his own younger brother, who had gone all these years without even a single message.
He looked at the second brother before him with his messy hair and the scent of cheap ale and rust radiating from his body, and a stifling sensation gripped his chest.
One of the Clear Sky Twin Stars who had shaken the continent back in the day, the youngest Titled Douluo in the world, had actually ended up living like this.
For all these years, Tang Hao had dragged a severely wounded body alone to evade Spirit Hall's hunt, endured the agony of losing Ah Yin, and laborantly raised an infant in swaddling clothes.
How could an older brother not feel heartache?
Tang Xiao's eye rims turned red, the Clear Sky Hammer in his grasp dropping to the ground as he strode forward to pull Tang Hao into a tight embrace, his voice trembling,
"Hao, my brother... all these years... you've suffered..."
Tang Hao's body shuddered, a layer of mist welling up within his bloodshot eyes as well.
The two brothers hugged one another.
Yet this warmth lasted for less than a few seconds.
Tang Xiao took a deep breath, released his shoulders, and drove his right fist straight into Tang Hao's face.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Tang Hao was struck into a stagger, retreating three steps while clutching his face as a layer of fresh blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Big... Big Brother! What are you hitting me for now?"
Tang Hao covered his swollen face in shock and anger.
"I'm hitting you for this! This punch is for Ah Yin!"
Tang Xiao withdrew his fist, his heartache once more morphing into fury as he pointed at him and cursed,
"You hid your name and didn't return to the sect; Big Brother felt sorry for you and didn't blame you. But you raised your own woman to be a maid! I'm going to beat you to death today!"
As he spoke, Tang Xiao rolled up his sleeves to throw another punch.
"Stop! Big Brother! I'm wronged! Utterly wronged!"
Tang Hao was so startled he hurriedly dodged, waving his hands repeatedly and aggrievedly saying,
"How could I ever let her suffer! It's just that that little bastard named Huo Yuhao is too bizarre!"
Seeing that he was about to get a beating, Tang Hao simply spilled everything out in one go,
"Who knows what soul-bewitching soup that girl was fed, her head is full of some grand enterprise of the Tang Sect, insisting that the kid is a orthodox maiden and that she's a sinner! She fought to become the senior maid to serve him and atone for her sins, and I couldn't stop her even if I tried!"
"I warned her to keep her guard up, but what did she do? She blushed and told me it'd be fine even if she gave birth to that kid's children!"
"After arriving at the Sunset Forest, she even started arranging to pick concubines and consorts for that kid! She even scoped out Dugu Bo that old fellow's granddaughter!"
Tang Xiao was left completely dumbfounded by what he heard, the punch he had thrown halting rigidly in mid-air.
This...
What on earth was this.
Was it because the Clear Sky Sect had closed its doors for years, falling behind the times outside?
Had the outside world already gone this crazy?
"Um... the two His Excellency Haotrians..."
Beside them, Dugu Bo cautiously shrank his neck and weakly raised a hand to break the silence.
"Since the misunderstanding is cleared up... can this old man go change into a clean set of clothes? And repair the mountain peak you two smashed to pieces, while you're at it."
Tang Xiao snapped back to his senses, an old blush coloring his face as he pulled back his fist.
The usually dignified Howling Sky Douluo had actually made such a massive blunder today, nearly pounding an innocent Dugu Bo to death on the spot.
He gave two dry coughs, cupped his fists toward Dugu Bo, and said,
"...Dugu Bo, today's affair was due to my rashness in my eagerness to rescue my niece. I took action against you without investigating the truth, and I offer you my apologies. Once I return to the sect, I will surely prepare a generous gift and personally visit your home to apologize."
"No no no! Absolutely not!"
Dugu Bo was so startled he waved his hands frantically, his face full of panic:
"If you people from the Clear Sky Sect stay far away from this old man in the future, that will be the greatest generous gift you could give me! Hurry up and leave, get out of here! This old man gets a headache just looking at you lot."
Tang Xiao's mouth twitched, choked speechless by those words for a long time.
"Big Brother, let's leave this place first. Sanmei is at the Moonlight Pavilion right now, don't you want to go see her?"
Tang Hao sighed and immediately spoke up.
At those words, Tang Xiao's body shook, and he gritted his teeth with a cold snort,
"Let's go! I must see just what kind of background that brat has, and I will definitely make Sanmei turn back from her misguided path!"
Tang Hao shrugged, not taking those words to heart in the slightest.
Two figures soared into the air, heading straight for Heaven Dou City.
Dugu Bo watched the disappearing figures and let out a long breath, touching his head with lingering fear as he couldn't help cursing in a low voice,
"Goddamned Clear Sky Sect. If this old man ever lets anyone surnamed Tang in here again, I'll take your surname!"
Heaven Dou City, Moonlight Pavilion.
The curtains inside the room were drawn tightly shut, leaving the light somewhat dim.
"Cousin! Sanmei! Where on earth did you two go? I was getting bored to death."
Xiao Wu sat by the table, swinging her slender lower legs, biting on half a carrot as she looked eagerly at the two of them.
Tang Yuehua wore a helpless yet aching expression as she let out a sigh,
"You two children, going out on a trip like this scared your aunt out of her wits. If anything had truly gone wrong, your aunt would have had no face to face your father for the rest of her life."
Huo Yuhao walked up to the table, pulled out a chair to sit down, and smiled.
"We've made Aunt and Xiao Wu worry. But on this trip out, the harvest wasn't small either."
Before you continue