"You!" Tang Hao frowned and raised his hand to strike Tang San, but after holding it there for a few seconds, he lowered it again.
When he had questioned Xiao San earlier, Xiao San had sworn that not a single word was wrong. Now he was saying he might have remembered it incorrectly?
Tang San's face flushed bright red, and he dared not meet Tang Hao's eyes.
Earlier, he had not known that his mother's original body was still alive, or that there was hope of reviving her.
As far as he had been concerned, it was merely a blade of grass. Naturally, he could not give them entirely authentic techniques.
For example, he had slightly altered the sequence for guiding energy through key meridians in the Mysterious Heaven Skill's circulation route. It looked fine at first glance, but actually practicing it would cause cultivation deviation at the very least.
Likewise, he had left two connecting movements out of the footwork formula for Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track...
These changes were extremely subtle. Anyone who was not well versed in the Tang Sect's cultivation techniques would never spot them.
But now Tang Hao had told him there was hope of reviving his mother's original body.
What if the other party discovered the techniques were fake and not only refused to return her original body, but actually used his mother to refine medicine?
Then he would have personally destroyed his mother's only hope of revival.
"I... was too nervous at the time. I might have remembered a few parts incorrectly," Tang San insisted on explaining. "I'll spend these next three days thinking it over carefully. I'll definitely write out the correct version."
Tang Hao said nothing more, merely giving him a long, searching look.
He did not know whether Tang San had truly misremembered or had deliberately held something back.
If it was the latter, this child's scheming truly alarmed him.
A six-year-old child could still hold something in reserve while being beaten and berated?
Either he was a genius, or he really was...
Tang Hao took a deep breath.
Perhaps... perhaps it really was just a coincidence. Perhaps this child really had picked up a cultivation manual and practiced on his own for six years without a teacher.
As for being clever and sensible from an early age, unlike ordinary people, was that because he was the offspring of a human and a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?
This was also the first time Tang Hao had learned that love between a human and a beast could produce a child.
Perhaps a child of mixed human and soul beast blood was inherently different from ordinary children?
Besides, now that he thought about it, he really had paid little attention to Tang San's circumstances as he grew up.
All these years, he had wallowed in despair, spending his days drinking and forging, running from Ah Yin's death and his own helplessness back then. He had never asked about Tang San's daily life.
It was already a stroke of luck that the child had survived to this age.
"Xiao San." Tang Hao's voice suddenly grew quiet. "I'm sorry. All these years, I've... failed you. I haven't been a good father."
Tang San froze. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing. He merely lowered his head and let Tang Hao embrace him.
Father and son held each other.
Yet deep within each of them, an indelible fracture had already formed.
Tang Hao held his son in his arms, but he was thinking, Where exactly did this child's cultivation techniques come from?
He believed half of what Tang San had said, but the remaining half left him with doubts he could not shake.
Buried in his father's embrace, Tang San's mind was likewise filled with countless thoughts.
How could there be a Tang Sect in this world?
After reincarnating, he had thought his past life was behind him, and that there could not possibly be a Tang Sect in this world.
Yet the facts lay before him. Someone claiming to be a Tang Sect law enforcement elder knew he had secretly learned the Tang Sect Secret Arts.
How was that possible? Unless...
A bold conjecture arose in Tang San's mind. Once he ruled out the incorrect answer that someone with an omniscient perspective was deliberately messing with him, whatever remained naturally had to be the truth.
That was it.
A predecessor from the Tang Sect had transmigrated to this world before him.
Moreover, that person could somehow sense those who practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Most likely, he had not been detected before because his martial soul had not yet awakened, the soul power within him had not stirred, and the fluctuations of his Mysterious Heaven Skill had been too faint to sense.
But once he awakened his martial soul, he was exposed immediately.
Tang San grasped the key in an instant.
Just what I'd expect of myself.
This group of Tang Sect transmigrators still upheld the original Tang Sect's strict rules.
Secretly learning the Tang Sect Secret Arts was a path to death.
Then, if he claimed to be a core inner disciple of the Tang Sect who had transmigrated and been reborn, perhaps they could reach a reconciliation.
When that happened, he would not only recover his mother's original body and soul bone, but also gain a powerful patron.
Having another superpower backing him offered every advantage and no drawbacks.
The only problem was that he did not know how the Tang Sect of this Douluo World conducted itself.
But who am I, Tang San? Reading people and trimming my sails to the wind are skills already etched into my bones.
The truth will come out at the cave in three days. I'll simply act as circumstances dictate.
"Dad." Tang San released him and wiped the tear tracks from his face. "When you take the techniques to the cave in three days, I'm coming with you."
Tang Hao frowned. "What would you go for?"
"I want to see for myself exactly who they are." Tang San's gaze was earnest. "This started because of me. They can sense that I've practiced their cultivation techniques, and they don't come with good intentions. I have to explain things to them face-to-face."
Tang Hao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. But don't speak out of turn when we get there. Do everything I say."
"All right."
"And another thing." Tang Hao looked at Tang San. "About the cultivation techniques, if you really remembered them wrong, spend these three days thinking them through carefully and write out the correct version. Don't hand them over only for them to say they're fake. Then your mother really will be gone."
Tang San nodded solemnly. "I know."
Father and son exchanged a look, each harboring his own thoughts.
Spirit City, the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu's robes were undamaged, and his breathing was steady.
"Grandpa, are you all right?" Qian Renxue went up to meet him.
"I'm fine," Qian Daoliu said calmly. "Tang Hao may be strong, but he can't hurt me yet. By the way, what did that remark mean?"
Something stirred in Qian Renxue's heart. Cheng Ran had told her earlier not to ask.
"Grandpa, I can't tell you the specific reason yet. In short, it was meant to confuse Tang Hao so he couldn't trace this back to Spirit Hall."
Qian Daoliu glanced at her without pressing further.
He watched as Qian Renxue took two objects out of her Storage Soul Tool.
One was the original body of a blade of blue silver grass, marked with pale golden patterns of light. The other was a pitch-black lead box. When the lead box was opened, inside lay the deep-blue Right Leg Bone of a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor.
Qian Daoliu's gaze lingered on the two objects for a moment, his eyes filled with gratification. "Xue'er, you've done even better than I expected."
He sighed, then continued, "When I agreed to Bibi Dong's Infiltration Plan and had you go undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace, I thought it would be a chance for you to gain experience. But looking at it now, those years wasted your time and talent."
"And all these years, I had too many misgivings, and ended up letting Tang Hao and his son live carefree for so long. In the end, it still took you, Xiao Xue, to collect some interest for what happened to your father back then!"
Qian Renxue's heart jolted.
Qian Daoliu said, "With your current rate of growth and your judgment, victory in your battle against Bibi Dong three years from now may not be out of reach."
Qian Renxue's gaze was resolute. "Grandpa, I won't disappoint you."
Qian Daoliu nodded and said no more. He turned and headed toward the Secret Chamber to continue cultivating in seclusion.
Before you continue