Tang Hao's Two Letters

"Y-you!!"

Xiao Wu was instantly choked by Han Yu's words. Puffing out her cheeks, she turned away and folded her arms to show how angry she was.

Han Yu's response was that she could be angry if she wanted-who couldn't do the same? So he turned his head and looked the other way.

Seeing this, Xiao Wu grew even more annoyed. Her pearly teeth ground together with a repeated "creak, creak," and she let out a cold snort from time to time, yet she never stopped watching Han Yu out of the corner of her eye.

The three of them were not alone in the carriage. A family of three sat opposite them, and their child was staring at them curiously.

"All right, stop being angry. Have a carrot."

To keep Xiao Wu from doing anything more drastic, Han Yu helplessly took a washed carrot from his Soul Tool and stuffed it into her mouth.

Xiao Wu chewed on the carrot while glaring at Han Yu with her big, watery eyes.

Tang San sat nearby, watching it all with a smile. His clenched hands were hidden in his sleeves. A moment later, his fingernails pierced his palms, and the faint pain jolted him awake. He grew even more confused.

He's my brother, and Xiao Wu likes my brother. How could I... how could I be so jealous, so unwilling to accept it? Why? Could it be that, deep down, I'm a petty, jealous person?

No, impossible. I'm the Tang Sect's Third Young Master. How could I be that kind of person? Something must be interfering with the bond between my brother and me.

Tang San raised his head, and a strange glint flashed deep in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Wu. But then his beating heart seemed to stop for an instant, and his face turned pale.

Fortunately, he was sitting in the corner with his head lowered, so no one saw his expression.

No, how could this be? Could it be that, in my heart, Xiao Wu is already more important than the brother who has cared for me since I was little?

I've only known Xiao Wu for such a short time, but my brother has been with me for more than six years.

Crushed by his own thoughts, Tang San was engulfed by guilt. He could not believe he was that kind of person.

At that moment, the child noticed something was wrong with Tang San and asked his parents,

"What's that big brother doing?"

The child's young voice struck Tang San like a bolt of lightning, dragging him out of his thoughts. He looked up to find all five people in the carriage staring at him, and a smile uglier than a grimace appeared on his face.

"What's wrong, Little San?"

Han Yu held back Xiao Wu's little hand as she attacked him, then turned to ask.

Tang San took a deep breath, shook his head, and said,

"Brother, I was thinking about Dad."

He had lived two lives, yet he was thinking about his dad.

Han Yu nearly lost his composure at the answer. Caught off guard, he let Xiao Wu grab the soft flesh at his waist.

"Heh heh, call me Sister Xiao Wu, and I'll spare you."

Like a victorious rooster, Xiao Wu held her head high and puffed out her chest as she looked at Han Yu, her eyes full of the joy of victory.

But Han Yu merely glanced at her chest and clicked his tongue in disdain. Xiao Wu froze, then a red blush instantly spread across her cheeks. She lunged at Han Yu, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws as she snarled, "I'm going to kill you!"

In Han Yu's eyes, Xiao Wu's movements were full of openings, and he easily blocked every move she made.

No one was paying attention to Tang San anymore. The young couple watched the two of them tussle, covering their child's eyes as they smiled and whispered to each other about something.

Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing for him that no one was watching him. But he still felt doubt and fear about his own character.

He was afraid that his own father, Tang Hao, would find out what kind of person he was. He was also afraid that Han Yu would learn what kind of person the younger brother he had always "pampered" was.

He was even more afraid that Xiao Wu would learn of the thought in his heart, the thought of wanting to take Han Yu's place. His heart filled with panic and helplessness.

No matter what, I won't take my brother's place. Even if all I can do is watch you from afar, even if you become my sister-in-law.

Watching Xiao Wu play and tussle with Han Yu, Tang San's heart was full of guilt. His hands, which he had loosened, clenched again, and he gradually retreated into his own world.

The carriage traveled quickly. The group had set off in the morning, and before lunchtime, they had already reached Holy Soul Village. After Xiao Wu said goodbye to the child, they entered the village on foot.

Thin wisps of white smoke were already rising from the villagers' homes as they prepared lunch. As the smithy drew closer, Tang San grew more and more excited.

"Dad, Brother and I are back!"

Pulling ahead of Han Yu and Xiao Wu, Tang San ran to the entrance of the smithy, pushed the door open, and shouted happily.

But the inside of the smithy was no different from when they had left, except that there was more dust on the table and floor.

"Old man's not home?"

Han Yu and Xiao Wu came over just then. Seeing Tang San standing dazed in the doorway, Han Yu asked casually.

"Dad... Dad seems to have gone out."

Tang San could hardly believe what he was seeing. He stood rooted to the spot and murmured.

"Old man moved? Without telling us?"

Han Yu saw Tang San's reaction and found it a little funny. He looked at the dust inside the smithy and spoke.

"Cough, cough. There are letters here."

Xiao Wu, who had already gone inside, covered her nose and mouth to keep out the dust floating in the air. She spotted the envelopes on the table, picked them up, and handed them to Han Yu as she spoke.

The first letter read, "For Han Yu to open."

The second read, "For Tang San to open."

As for why he had not used Tang Hanyu, Tang Hao knew him well enough to know that if he used the name Tang Hanyu, Han Yu would certainly throw the letter away, or even burn it, without so much as looking at it.

"One for each of us. Here's yours."

Han Yu looked at the two letters in his hands, handed the one marked "For Tang San to open" to Tang San, and went to one side to read his own.

"Han Yu:

By the time you read this letter, I will have left. Don't look for me. You won't be able to find me.

You're still young, but you can take care of yourself. I'm not worried about you. Your luck and your current strength are both greater than those of your peers. Even I couldn't compare to you at your age.

You seem never to have called me Dad. I understand. I've been an unfit father and haven't taken good care of you.

Don't worry about me. Dad (crossed out) I need to take back some things that should have been mine. One day, we, father and son (crossed out) you and I will meet again.

If one day you grow tired of being a Soul Master, take this letter to Heaven Dou City and go to the Court Etiquette Academy to find a person named Tang Yuehua. Give her this letter, and she will arrange everything for you.

Don't worry about me.

Tang Hao."

After reading the letter, Han Yu felt another piece of paper inside the envelope and took it out to look.