13 Chapter 13: Tang San, I've Come

In the courtyard outside Zhu Zhuqing's private chamber, Zhu Zhuqing sat gracefully on a stone chair, her slender legs elegantly stretched out onto a stone table. She was lost in thought, her eyes fixated on the distant sky.

She had just spoken with her father to clarify the situation, and only now did she fully grasp the extent of Xu Ran's genius.

At just twelve years of age, Xu Ran had already achieved the rank of Soul Elder—a feat so rare in the history of the Star Luo Empire that it could be counted on one hand. Xu Ran was one such prodigy. Even the prestigious Zhu family couldn't resist the allure of allying with such a talent, thus arranging for her to marry him.

Her mind began to play vignettes of her interactions with Xu Ran. She found herself uncertain about the nature of her feelings for him. After all, she was just a young girl, yet to understand the nuances of love. She couldn't say for sure if what she felt for Xu Ran was actually love.

Then there was Dai Mubai. Though she had no wish to even utter his name, she couldn't deny that he was the third prince of the Star Luo Empire. His matrimonial choices would carry the weight and dignity of the royal house. Even if her family agreed to her relationship with Xu Ran, they would still have a long and complicated road ahead of them.

Influential figures within the Star Luo Empire would certainly not take kindly to any actions that might tarnish the royal family's reputation.

"Forget about all this. Whatever happens in the future, I'll always stand in front of you, protecting you," Xu Ran whispered, approaching Zhu Zhuqing from behind. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his embrace. As he felt the soft, fragrant girl in his arms, a sense of contentment washed over him.

"Don't worry. I just want to hold you, nothing more," he added, sensing her struggle. Unconsciously, his grip tightened a bit, pulling her delicate form closer against his chest.

He buried his face in her soft, black hair, inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers.

'Zhuqing truly is beautiful', he thought. At least for now, she's the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in the Zhu family.

And what's more, Zhuqing was his fiancée, bonded to him by an official marriage contract. She belonged to him and him alone. If anyone dared to harm her, they would meet the edge of his sword.

Zhu Zhuqing felt a bit rigid as she found herself in Xu Ran's embrace. Her heart pounded, and she scarcely dared to breathe. Although she initially wanted to pull away, she felt the sincerity of Xu Ran's affection and care—a feeling she had always yearned for but seldom experienced. Consequently, she was reluctant to break the embrace.

"Xu Ran, will you protect me in the future? Will you always protect me?" Zhu Zhuqing whispered softly. She didn't know what the future would bring, only that their journey together would be fraught with challenges.

"I will, unless I die," Xu Ran said without hesitation, his eyes filled with unwavering conviction. Although he coveted Zhuqing's beauty, his feelings for her were far from superficial. For the woman he loved, just lying securely in his arms would suffice. If he couldn't protect his own woman, what was the point of his existence?

"Don't say things like that," Zhu Zhuqing interrupted, covering Xu Ran's mouth with her hand, unwilling to let him speak further. She didn't want to consider the possibility of anything happening to him.

"Alright, I won't say it anymore," Xu Ran chuckled, his gaze inadvertently drifting towards a particular view.

Zhuqing really is... big.

From his vantage point, following the contour of her fragrant shoulder and smooth, fair skin, he could even…

"Don't you dare ogle me like that," Zhu Zhuqing said, feeling his breath upon her skin and noticing the direction of his gaze. She was immediately embarrassed and slightly irritated.

Placing her hand over her chest, she shot him an annoyed glance.

Shameless Xu Ran. And to think he claimed not to be lecherous, yet here he was, sneaking peeks at her.

"A gentleman loves a virtuous lady. It's not like I'm deliberately lecherous, and anyway, it's human nature—I can't change that. Besides, I'm only looking at my beloved Zhuqing, not anyone else," Xu Ran replied, amused. Zhuqing was indeed cute. Her aloof demeanor was a result of the neglect she felt within the Zhu family. However, no matter how distant she seemed, he knew he could warm her up.

"Who's your 'beloved'?!" Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face flushed. Why had she not noticed before how shameless Xu Ran could be, calling her his 'beloved' and even having a lewd gaze?

"Who else but you? You're my fiancée; we even have a marriage contract. If you're not my beloved, then who is?" Xu Ran said lightly, twirling a lock of Zhuqing's long hair between his fingers, reveling in its soft texture.

"I'm not won over yet. If you don't treat me right, I won't marry you," Zhu Zhuqing retorted, a touch of pride and irritation in her voice.

"Understood. In the future, I'll treat you so well that you'll willingly lie in my arms, as my beloved," Xu Ran assured her.

"By the way, I have to leave tomorrow. There are some things I need to attend to," Xu Ran added, his gaze shifting to the horizon. Nuoding City was in the Heaven Dou Empire, which was a considerable distance away. He needed to set off early.

"When will you be back?" Zhu Zhuqing asked anxiously, feeling a bit resentful. They had just signed their marriage contract, and Xu Ran was already planning to leave. They had hardly had a chance to understand each other properly, so why was he in such a hurry to depart?

"Very soon. Once I return, we'll leave this place together and go to the Heaven Dou Empire. I'm worried that staying here might expose our relationship, putting us at risk from the royal family," Xu Ran said, gently stroking Zhu Zhuqing's long hair. In a few months, it would be time for Shrek Academy's admissions, and he fully intended to show up and 'greet' Dai Mubai.

"Alright, I'll wait for you to come back," said Zhu Zhuqing, nodding her head. A sense of longing filled her eyes, revealing her own desire to explore the world outside.

"Then, I'll be going now," Xu Ran said with a smile. He gave Zhu Zhuqing a warm embrace before turning around to leave.

He had an urgent mission: to rescue the young girl Xiao Wu, who was currently ensnared in a perilous situation.

Xiao Wu, for now, remained blissfully unaware of Tang San's true nature—a man pretending to be virtuous.

T/N: Brace for impact! Profound insight incoming!

Tang San always professed himself to be a beacon of justice, advocating the destruction of the Martial Soul Hall and the annihilation of the City of Slaughter. But in reality, his actions were motivated by personal vendettas.

He gained benefits from the City of Slaughter and even acquired the Killing Domain. Yet, he turned around and destroyed the city without a second thought, causing even the inheritance of the Asura God to vanish without a trace. His conduct embodied the saying, "Eat from the bowl, then turn around and curse the cook." Moreover, he had been an Asura God in the Divine Realm for tens of thousands of years, with no intent to pass on his role. Has he doomed his own lineage?

After he destroyed the Martial Soul Hall, he made no effort to help soul masters construct a beneficial organization. Consequently, countless ordinary soul masters couldn't awaken their martial souls. During the era of the Unrivaled Tang Sect, Huo Yuhao, who possessed a body martial soul, had to venture alone into the far north to obtain a soul ring. Jiang Nannan, one of the 'Seven Monsters,' even contemplated selling herself for a meagre ten gold soul coins to obtain a Mysterious Water Pill.

True, the subsidies given to soul masters by the Martial Soul Hall were extracted by force from the two empires. But without the Hall, the empires would never have willingly offered such funds. As rulers, they'd prefer their subjects to be mediocre to maintain their grip on power. Why would they encourage forces they couldn't completely control to become stronger? If that were the case, historical incidents like "Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars," "Banishment of the Hundred Schools of Thought," and the "Eight-Legged Essay" wouldn't have occurred.

And what good has Tang San really done?

During the era of the Unrivaled Tang Sect, a great catastrophe befell the continent, and Tang San was not without fault. The destruction of Martial Soul Hall led to the eradication of countless lineages, even affecting divine positions like the Angel God and the Rakshasa God, leaving them with no successors. The evil soul masters lost their governing Rakshasa God, while the virtuous ones lost a powerful nemesis in the form of the six-winged Angel with three attributes of light, holiness, and flame.

Self-proclaimed as a man of justice, Tang San has ironically become the biggest villain in the world of Douluo. The Divine Realm restrictions on descending to the mortal realm meant nothing to him. He sent his daughter and later his grandson down to the mortal realm. Every ten thousand years, after the Douluo Planet regained its vitality, he would send descendants to exploit it yet again.

In Xu Ran's eyes, Tang San's pretentious claims to justice made him no different from Yue Buqun.

T/N: Yue Buqun was the leader of the Mount Hua School in the novel "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer". Although he was nicknamed "Gentleman Sword" for his gentlemanly conduct, he gradually reveals his true personality – a bigoted, narcissistic and power-hungry hypocrite.

Furthermore, Tang San was a show-off. He only took action when his teammates were in peril. Whenever Xiao Wu faced danger, his power surged, and he'd swoop in, capturing her admiration in the process.

However, Tang San's fate was already sealed the moment Xu Ran appeared.

Tang San was destined for failure, and perhaps even the fate of being cuckolded!

Xu Ran planned to steal Xiao Wu away, to give Tang San a taste of real cruelty.

And once he succeeded, Xu Ran intended to flaunt it in front of Tang San, letting him experience the unbearable pain of watching the woman he loved being held in another man's arms.