A flaw in his character

Ah Yin's affection +1, current affection: 32.

"What?"

Liu Hao wondered if he was hearing things.

"I said, I actually always knew Brother Hao wanted a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring."

Ah Yin's voice was calm and gentle, her softly spoken words carrying a reassuring warmth.

Ah Yin's affection +1, current affection: 33.

This time, Liu Hao was the one left dumbfounded. He stood rooted to the spot, speechless.

Had my scheming come to nothing?

Tang Hao, meanwhile, was shaken to his core. He spun around and looked with complicated feelings at the woman who had once made him regret his actions.

Of course, what he regretted was not scheming against Ah Yin, but how his scheme had caused Spirit Hall to target the Clear Sky Sect, forcing it to seal its mountain and withdraw from the world.

Ah Yin gazed adoringly at Tang Hao and said, "Back then, I was nearing maturity. I couldn't resist leaving the forest, and happened to meet Brother Hao and Brother Xiao. They were both exceptionally talented and outstanding, as well as gentle, kind, and righteous.

"Brother Hao, in particular, had a certain quality that made my heart flutter. They invited me to travel the world with them. Since I thought it would be a good chance to familiarize myself with human society, I gladly agreed."

Hearing this, Liu Hao felt his scalp tingle. He rubbed his forehead with his right hand, feeling a headache coming on.

As Tang Hao listened to these words that sounded almost like a declaration of love, his eyes began to sting despite himself.

"Traveling and living alongside Brother Hao and Brother Xiao made me so happy. It was something I had never experienced in the forest."

Ah Yin fondly recalled those wonderful days for a while before continuing, "During that time, Brother Hao occasionally mentioned his dream to me. He wanted to obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and become the first Titled Douluo in the Clear Sky Sect's history to possess one. That way, he could surpass every prodigy the Clear Sky Sect had ever produced and become a legend of the sect!"

"Even then, I considered sacrificing my soul ring to him. After all, my life force was powerful enough that I could still come back to life." Ah Yin pursed her lips and continued:

"But I didn't completely trust Brother Hao yet, so I decided to observe him a little longer and test him."

"How did you test him?" Liu Hao's eyes were vacant, his voice hollow, as though drained of all emotion.

He wondered whether this had actually been Tang Hao probing her.

Ah Yin's affection +1, current affection: 34.

Delighted that someone had responded, Ah Yin felt that her experiences were being acknowledged. Her face filled with pride as she said, "I laid my cards on the table. I told him I was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the Blue Silver Emperor. I wanted to see how he would react."

"..."

Liu Hao fell silent. He recalled the incantation the system had made him shout when it resurrected Ah Yin earlier.

Could there really be something wrong with Ah Yin's intelligence?

"It was precisely because I laid my cards on the table that I saw Brother Hao's true feelings. He showed no intention of attacking me at all. He even confessed his love to me outright, saying he wanted to marry me, have children, and start a family."

At this point, a bashful expression appeared on Ah Yin's face.

"..."

Liu Hao remained silent. Ah Yin really isn't all that bright. She calls laying her cards on the table a test? What if he failed? Would she just drop dead?

"From then on, my heart belonged completely to Brother Hao. What did it matter if I gave my life for his dream? I could come back to life anyway," Ah Yin said, gazing adoringly at Tang Hao.

And how did Tang Hao react to Ah Yin's devoted words? Was he moved?

No. He did not dare move at all.

Looking at Liu Hao's increasingly icy, murderous gaze, he felt his heart turn cold.

Ultimately, his feelings for Ah Yin had been more about lusting after her body.

When it truly came down to life and death, he was still perfectly rational.

"So you always knew Tang Hao was deliberately taking you places where Spirit Hall would discover you and hunt you down? Even being driven into sacrificing yourself in the end was something you'd expected?"

Liu Hao's voice was cold, but unfortunately, Ah Yin seemed too immersed in her memories to notice.

Ah Yin's affection +1, current affection: 35.

"Yes. Brother Hao wanted my Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, but he wouldn't take action himself. That proves he loved me. He simply had a dream of his own. As his wife, I was willing to help him fulfill that dream. After all, I could come back to life. All I lost was a little time."

"Heh... hehe... hahahaha... hahahahaha... keh keh keh keh keh keh keh..."

Liu Hao suddenly burst into laughter.

His laughter grew longer and louder, shifting from ordinary amusement into madness.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful! What a devoted, lovesick fool! What a man you are, Tang Hao!"

This jolted Ah Yin out of her memories.

It also made Tang Hao's expression change dramatically. Trembling all over, he hesitated over whether to run.

Tang San, however, merely frowned slightly. He was deeply disappointed in his mother. Ever since her resurrection, she had not asked a single question about him.

She was nothing like the mother he had imagined, who would love him, worry about him, and take care of him.

"Brother~ What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Xiao Wu's gentle voice rang out. Like a spring breeze bringing nourishing rain, it calmed Liu Hao, who had nearly lost all reason.

Huh?

What just happened to me? Only then did Liu Hao realize something was wrong.

He had seemed completely ruled by his emotions just now. Could some god have been interfering?

"System, what happened to me just now?"

"You damned host, take a good look at yourself. Don't you know you have serious flaws in your character?"

"What? Flaws?"

"Host, you were born into misfortune in your previous life. Your parents died young, and after you were sent to an orphanage, you endured endless bullying. Although nine years of compulsory education kept your thinking from becoming completely warped, deep inside, your feelings had long been suppressed beneath an unbearable weight.

"After growing up, fate still kept you from finding a soulmate who truly suited you. You encountered nothing but rotten romances and suffered heartbreak after heartbreak. After stumbling through such a life, you even unexpectedly got off halfway through, ending your journey.

"Host, with experiences like yours, do you think the foundation of your character could be healthy? Could it possibly be free of flaws?"

"..."

Liu Hao froze.

Ever since transmigrating into the world of the Douluo Continent, especially after his system awakened, he had deliberately tried to forget the pain of his previous life.

He wanted to start over and enjoy a wonderful life in this world.

He had never expected the system to drag it all back up now, incident by incident.

It even clearly recounted things he himself had already forgotten.

Huh?

"Damned system, were you following me around in my previous life? How else could you know everything so clearly?"

"Ptooey! Don't think you're that special."

"Fine..."

Liu Hao did not particularly care about the system's origins, so he did not press the issue. He had asked before, after all, without getting anywhere.

Flaws in my character...

Liu Hao recalled the state he had been in just now.

Ah Yin seemed to have set him off.

Was I jealous that a scumbag like Tang Hao had a beautiful, foolish, hopelessly lovesick wife like Ah Yin, who loved him so purely?

That was why he had nearly lost his reason and spun out of control.

Fortunately, Little Rabbit had called out in time, bringing him back to his senses.

"Brother? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Seeing Liu Hao remain silent, Xiao Wu grew worried and called out to him again.

"N-nothing's wrong. Thank you, Xiao Wu." Liu Hao shook his head and smiled.

Xiao Wu's affection +1, current affection: 88.

"Huh? Thank me? What for?" Xiao Wu looked puzzled.

"Anyway, you helped me. I'll resurrect your mother as soon as possible."

Xiao Wu's affection +3, current affection: 91.

"Really? That's wonderful! Brother~ Thank you."

As she spoke, Xiao Wu threw herself into Liu Hao's arms.

Clearly, her affection for Liu Hao had already reached a very intimate level.

Huh?

Liu Hao suddenly frowned, noticing that Ah Yin was running toward Tang Hao again.

He immediately sent a voice transmission to that foolish blade of grass:

"Madam Ah Yin, if you don't want to lose Tang Hao for good, stop right there~"