"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Xiao Wu." Looking at Xiao Wu's exquisite face, Tang San could not help feeling a pang in his heart. Golden sunlight spilled down upon her delicate figure, making her look even more beautiful, like a jade beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
Yet this beautiful Xiao Wu wanted to sever ties with him. How could that not break his heart?
The six years he had spent with Xiao Wu at Nuoding Academy had been the happiest time across his two lives. In his previous life, as a Tang Sect disciple, he had wanted nothing but to study hidden weapons and the Tang Sect's supreme techniques. That life had been dull and tedious. After transmigrating, he had lived with his drunkard father, without even enough food to fill his stomach. At only three or four years old, he had already had to wash his own clothes and cook his own meals.
He had originally thought his life would pass in such uneventful fashion. But then he had met Xiao Wu at Nuoding Academy. Xiao Wu had been the most beautiful girl there, with lustrous, snow-white skin, a long scorpion-tail braid, and large, limpid eyes as beautiful as gemstones. From that moment on, Xiao Wu had found her way into his heart.
Across his two lives, Xiao Wu had been the first girl by his side, and the only one. There had been times when, upon hearing Xiao Wu call him her big brother, he had wanted more than anything to protect the girl before him. He had even been unable to stop a bold thought from sprouting in his mind.
He had heard Wang Sheng and the others say that a brother and sister unrelated by blood did not necessarily have to remain siblings; their relationship could go further. If Xiao Wu's way of calling him "brother" turned into a tender "big brother," their relationship could become even more intimate than it was now.
He had been unable to resist giving Wang Sheng a beating then. His face had shown no expression at the time, but there had been a certain joy in his heart. Xiao Wu had grown up now, with the gentle swell of her chest and a pronounced curve to her pert bottom. Sometimes, even he could not help turning his gaze toward her. Simply looking at her figure was a pleasure.
Yet now Xiao Wu actually wanted to cut all ties with him. How could he accept that?
"Xiao Wu, tell me what your brother did wrong. I can change." Tang San took a deep breath as he spoke. No matter what, he had to do his best to restore his image in Xiao Wu's heart. An upright body need not fear a crooked shadow. He did not believe a few slanderous words from a mere outsider could affect their bond.
"Change? How can some things be changed? Besides, the one who needs to change isn't you, but me. From your perspective, there's nothing wrong with anything you've done over the years," Xiao Wu said, tear tracks marking her lovely cheeks.
Yes, she was a soul beast. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast who had undergone human transformation. Even if Tang San had exhausted every scheme to stay by her side and wait for a chance to kill her, what was wrong with that? Humans killing soul beasts was as natural as heaven and earth.
The Auspicious Beast was right. Such actions could not be described in terms of right and wrong. One of them was a soul beast, and the other was human. From Tang San's standpoint, everything he had done was right.
But why did her heart feel so shattered? Even knowing the outcome, she still refused to believe any of it.
Why did Tang San have to be the son of that demon, Tang Hao? If he were not, perhaps she would still trust him as she always had.
"Xiao Wu, don't cry. What exactly did I do? Tell me, and I'll change it all. I'll do anything you want," Tang San said anxiously. Even now, he did not understand what he had done wrong. Why was Xiao Wu so heartbroken? He asked himself and could think of nothing he had done to hurt her.
He could hardly protect Xiao Wu enough. How could he possibly hurt her?
"You still won't admit it? If you really want to prove your innocence, put the Hat of Destiny on your head. Everything will be clear then. If I've misunderstood you, I'll apologize." Xiao Wu took a deep breath and forced back the tears in her eyes. She held up the Hat of Destiny in both hands, a trace of reverence and hope on her lovely face.
She hoped Tang San would put this green Hat of Destiny on his head. As long as he put the divine Hat of Destiny on, everything would become clear.
The Hat of Destiny could detect everything.
Xu Ran had said that if the Hat of Destiny shone with green light on Tang San's head, it meant he had been deceiving her all along. Xu Ran was an Auspicious Beast, a Soul Beast Emperor. His words carried absolute authority. An Auspicious Beast could not possibly deceive her about this.
"Xiao Wu, this isn't some Hat of Destiny. It's a green hat-a great big green hat."
"Look, the closer it gets to me, the greener it becomes. Now it's even turned blackish green. It couldn't possibly get any greener." Tang San shuddered, staring at the green hat in profound terror. He would never believe this was some Hat of Destiny.
Xu Ran had asked Xiao Wu to give it to him.
Clearly, Xu Ran wanted to set him up.
Having Xiao Wu personally put a cuckold's green hat on him-Xu Ran was truly ruthless.
Tang San was furious, his face turning green with anger. Had Xiao Wu not still been there, he would have whipped out his hidden weapons and unleashed a volley straight at Xu Ran's face, leaving him dead without a burial place.
He, Tang San, had never been so enraged. But Xu Ran had made him lose his composure completely. If he did not kill Xu Ran in this lifetime, he swore he was not a man. Having the person he liked personally give him a cuckold's hat-Xu Ran was humiliating him, trampling on his dignity.
"You still won't wear it? Of course. You already know what this green means. Naturally, you won't put it on." Seeing that Tang San still refused to wear the Hat of Destiny, Xiao Wu's heart turned to dead ashes. In her eyes, Tang San already knew what the Hat of Destiny did. His repeated excuses had to mean he was afraid of truly being exposed.
But did he think she would fail to see through him just because of that?
With all the signs so obvious, did Tang San really think she was a fool? His father, Tang Hao, had already used the same method to bring about Sister Ah Yin's death, and now he wanted to play the same old trick again?
With Sister Ah Yin's fate serving as a warning, would she really be that foolish? If she truly believed Tang San, she might end up sacrificing herself just like Sister Ah Yin. She might even cause Da Ming and Er Ming to sacrifice themselves as well.
Even if she was too naive and would believe Tang San, she still had the Auspicious Beast by her side. The Auspicious Beast would not deceive her as Tang San did. With the Auspicious Beast there to remind her, she would not believe Tang San, however foolish she might be.
"Xiao Wu..."
"I'll wear it."
Tang San's voice was trembling. When he saw Xiao Wu looking at him as though he were a stranger, he became afraid.
He was afraid Xiao Wu would leave him. He did not know what this green hat actually represented, nor did he know what bewitching potion Xu Ran had fed Xiao Wu.
He only knew that if he did not put on this green hat, Xiao Wu really would break with him.
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