Tang San joins the Seven Treasure Sect, recommending hidden weapons

On South Street in Nuoding City, inside a smoke-filled blacksmith's shop.

The clanging of hammers rang out without end.

In the farthest corner, Tang San stood on a low wooden crate with his arms bare,

holding a small iron hammer and striking a lump of pig iron again and again.

Half a month earlier, after witnessing his father being taken away in Holy Soul Village,

and injuring several meddlesome villagers, he had fled to Nuoding City overnight,

joining this blacksmith's shop as an apprentice doing odd jobs, both to hide and to obtain iron for making hidden weapons to defend himself.

Yet in all that half month, he had not enjoyed a single night of peaceful sleep.

He constantly feared that Spirit Hall would follow the vine to the melon, track him down, and tear out the grass by its roots.

His nerves were stretched to their limit. Even slightly hurried footsteps outside the shop could leave him drenched in cold sweat.

Just then, the light at the entrance to the blacksmith's shop suddenly dimmed.

Two sturdy men in close-fitting gray cloth outfits, travel-worn and dusty, entered the shop and stopped the owner to ask something in hushed voices.

With the roar of the furnace filling the shop, Tang San could not hear what they were saying.

But the next instant, he saw the blacksmith turn around and point toward his corner.

The two gray-clad men turned to look at him in unison!

The moment their eyes met, alarm bells blared in Tang San's mind, and every hair on his body stood on end!

Their steps were nimble and powerful, with faint traces of Soul Power circulating around them. They were clearly well-trained Soul Masters!

Had Spirit Hall's men caught up with him?!

Tang San's heart pounded wildly, and a vicious gleam flashed through his eyes.

The two men had spent a full half month searching around Holy Soul Village under orders. Having finally found him today, they felt a weight lift from their shoulders and strode toward Tang San.

"You're Tang San? We've finally found you."

Now!

Tang San did not even let the other man finish speaking before killing intent erupted in his heart.

He abruptly raised his left arm level and triggered the mechanism beneath his sleeve!

Pfft!

There was a barely audible sound.

They were too close, and the man in front was completely unguarded. In his eyes, Tang San was merely a five-year-old child who needed protection.

Two jet-black short arrows shot from his cuff like lightning and instantly sank into the man's eye sockets, their arrowheads piercing straight through the back of his skull!

Without so much as a grunt, the man toppled stiffly to the ground and died on the spot!

"Third Brother?!"

The other gray-clad man's pupils contracted sharply. Shocked and furious, he unleashed his Soul Power with a thunderous burst!

A cyan silhouette lit up behind him as his Azure Feather Swallow Martial Soul appeared.

He was a scout of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who specialized in reconnaissance and tracking, and his movements were exceptionally swift.

He closed in and kicked away the iron hammer beside Tang San's hand.

His huge, palm-leaf-fan-sized hands clamped down on Tang San's shoulders and slammed him to the ground!

"Ah!"

Tang San felt as though both his arms were about to be crushed. His Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal power was pinned down by the man's immense Soul Power, leaving him unable to exert any strength.

Looking at his companion lying in a pool of blood with his eyes still open in death, the scout's eyes turned red. He seized Tang San by the collar and roared:

"Have you gone mad, you little beast?! We're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! We spent a whole half month searching for you on the sect master's orders,

and you dared kill my brother with such a vicious hidden weapon?!"

At those words, Tang San froze.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Not Spirit Hall?

Some suspicion still lingered in his heart. He feared this was a trap to deceive him.

But he had not even awakened his Martial Soul, and with an enraged Soul Elder holding him firmly, he had no way to resist.

He could only grit his teeth and submit, waiting until they reached their destination to act as circumstances allowed.

Several days later, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Rongrong, who had been eagerly awaiting news every day, ran out on her short little legs as soon as she heard Tang San had been brought back.

But when she looked up, she saw that the Brother San she had been longing for was actually tied up!

Her little face fell on the spot. Her slender brows shot upward as she pointed at the scout and angrily rebuked him:

"Stop! How could you treat him like this!"

The scout was seething with anger, but he dared not defy the little princess. Gritting his teeth, he untied the hemp rope around Tang San's wrists.

Tang San rubbed his numb wrists, surveying the surrounding halls with their carved beams and painted rafters, then looked toward the refined middle-aged man descending from the dais and the two elders whose presence was unfathomable.

Drawing on the memories of his previous life, he immediately recognized Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

Only then did the heart that had hung in suspense throughout the journey settle.

However, he was deeply calculating.

He immediately put on the awkwardness of a child encountering such grandeur for the first time, neither offering a greeting nor giving his name.

After all, he was only five and had never left Holy Soul Village. His rebirth was his greatest secret, and he could not reveal the slightest hint of it.

At that moment, the scout knelt before Ning Fengzhi, holding the bloodstained Sleeve Arrow high as he tearfully complained in grief and outrage:

"Sect Master, the two of us went to Nuoding City under orders to find Tang Hao's son.

When we found him, this brat raised his hand and fired a hidden weapon without a word. Third Brother... died horribly on the spot!"

At those words, Chen Xin frowned, his gaze taking on a measure of scrutiny as he looked at Tang San.

A five-year-old child had actually struck with such decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Beside him, Gu Rong also clicked his tongue with an odd expression, looking the small, thin Tang San up and down.

Seeing everyone looking at Tang San with suspicion, Ning Rongrong immediately stepped in front of him, planted her hands on her hips, and berated the scout:

"He didn't fire the hidden weapon on purpose!

You looked so fierce and wanted to take him away. Shouldn't you have explained things clearly first?

His father was just taken away by Spirit Hall. What was wrong with him defending himself?!"

The scout's mouth fell open as he listened. His eyes reddened, and he could not utter a single word.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, their expressions differing, but neither said anything.

Ning Fengzhi, on the other hand, had kept his gaze on that metal cylinder from beginning to end.

With his discernment, he could naturally tell that this was an ingenious device powered purely by mechanical triggers and spring strips.

A five-year-old child with no Soul Power had actually used this little iron cylinder to shoot a Soul Elder dead in a single strike?

Ning Fengzhi was greatly astonished inwardly, but his face betrayed nothing as he gave instructions in an even tone:

"Rise. This was a misunderstanding on both sides. Withdraw for now, collect triple the bereavement compensation from the accounts office, and make proper arrangements for the deceased's funeral and family."

Despite all his unwillingness, the scout could only kowtow and withdraw once the sect master had spoken.

After the subordinate left, Ning Fengzhi finally picked up the Sleeve Arrow and smilingly introduced himself, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Ning Rongrong to Tang San.

He then explained gently:

"Child, there's no need to be afraid. Our families have been on friendly terms with your father's for generations.

A few days ago, we learned that your father had been captured by Spirit Hall. Your uncle Tang Xiao also came to visit.

Knowing your circumstances, we naturally couldn't stand by and do nothing. That's why we sent people to bring you here."

Having finished the pleasantries, Ning Fengzhi changed the subject, raising the Sleeve Arrow and asking with keen interest:

"Still, I'm rather curious. Just where did this extraordinary defensive device of yours come from? How could it possess such power?"

Tang San's thoughts raced.

Having lived two lives, he thoroughly understood how to navigate the world.

Ever since his father had gravely wounded the Pope, everyone in the Clear Sky Sect had regarded father and son as harbingers of disaster.

Now, although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was outwardly courteous, he was ultimately living under someone else's roof.

There was no free lunch in this world. If he wanted a say within the Seven Treasure Sect, he had to demonstrate his value!

At that thought, Tang San stopped concealing his abilities. Meeting Ning Fengzhi's gaze, he answered neither servilely nor arrogantly:

"Uncle Ning, this is called a Silent Sleeve Arrow. It's a defensive device I worked out myself. Devices of this kind are collectively called hidden weapons."

"Hidden weapons?" Ning Fengzhi's eyes brightened slightly. "You actually developed this yourself?"

"Yes."

PS: Please keep reading and urge me to update. Starting a new book isn't easy. Thank you all for your support!