Chapter 242: Visit from Tang Yuehua — Persuasion

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"It's been a long time, Master Tang."

Tang San received Tang Yuehua in the living room, pouring tea for her, and courteously asked, "What brings you here this time?"

"Little San, aren't you willing to call me aunt?" Tang Yuehua's expression turned slightly bitter. "Your father has returned to the Haotian Sect, and the sect is willing to let you return to your roots..."

Was she here to deliver a message?

Setting down the teacup, Tang San's expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly, "If Master Tang is only here to inform me of this matter, then there's not much to say."

"For me, the Haotian Sect doesn't compare to the Hall of Souls."

"On the mainland, apart from sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School that are willing to recruit outsiders on a large scale due to their auxiliary nature, the rest prioritize direct disciples based on martial souls, overly emphasizing bloodline inheritance."

"Of course, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is only slightly better."

"These family sects, which prioritize martial souls, are excellent for 'small families,' but for the 'big family,' that is, the entire human population, it's not a good thing."

"Because of my own experiences, my gaze is focused on the 'big family,' so please don't confine my thoughts to the 'small family,' OK?"

Though it was his first time hearing the English word "OK," Tang Yuehua realized its meaning — not to disturb him again.

But —

"The Haotian Sect has given you bloodline after all! That's your root!"

Facing Tang Yuehua's earnest persuasion, Tang San patiently replied, "If the Haotian Sect is my root, then the Haotian Sect should be proud of me, not try to confine me to its small boundaries."

"Like trees, after growing, blooming, bearing fruit, and finally producing seeds, those seeds can grow into new trees... It's impossible for the tree to swallow the seed, right?"

"Furthermore, compared to the Haotian Sect, the Holy Soul Village is my root."

Tang Yuehua understood the first two sentences slightly, but couldn't grasp the third: "How could the Holy Soul Village be your root? The villagers there are not even of your kind!"

"Indeed, they are not soul masters, and in the eyes of you, the descendants of Haotian Sect and some soul masters, they may appear timid, stingy, and petty, with countless shortcomings, destined to toil in the fields for a lifetime with no chance of advancement."

Tang San's tone grew slightly heavier.

"But, my childhood was there —"

"For six years, I ate the same grains grown from the same land and drank water from the same well as them."

"Although I don't live there often now, I still visit every year. Maybe, even now, I might meet them in my dreams."

Though his words were simple, Tang Yuehua sensed Tang San's nostalgia for that period of life.

If she were born in such an environment, would she also have Tang San's mindset?

Unconsciously, a hint of longing arose in her heart.

"For me now, memories are a person's foundation, not the so-called bloodline."

Tang San's words struck a chord in Tang Yuehua's heart. "Although the Hall of Souls initially relied on bloodline inheritance, since Bibi Dong took office, there seems to be a sense of 'promoting the capable' in it. I lean towards this promotion based on merit, which is closer to fairness."

"This is also one of the reasons why the Hall of Souls has grown stronger in the past decade or so since Bibi Dong took over."

"Of course, there are many problems within the Hall of Souls... but which power doesn't have its issues? At least, I see the Spirit Hall striving to improve... as long as the pope doesn't go crazy, this tree of the Spirit Hall can bear abundant fruit in the future."

Silence.

After the words were spoken, there was a period of quiet.

After a while, Tang San continued, "Master Tang, I once analyzed the Ruyi Ring for you, but it seems that you still haven't let go of your pride, unable to live your own life."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yuehua opened her mouth, with a wry smile, "Indeed, I want to let go of my pride, but I don't even have the courage. This can't even be considered pride, just a pitiful sense of self-esteem..."

At this point, Tang Yuehua suddenly paused, murmuring "pitiful sense of self-esteem." It seemed like she had realized something, suddenly enlightened, "So, the pride of the Haotian Sect is just this pitiful sense of self-esteem?"

"So that's it!"

"No wonder, ever since my grandfather left the sect, the sect hasn't produced a peerless figure. My father, a prestigious Titled Douluo, actually died from not being able to bear the psychological pressure... It's not because of lack of talent, but because we haven't stepped out from under my grandfather's protection, still thinking that the Haotian Sect is the best in the world!"

"But in fact, the best in the world is my grandfather, not the descendants of the Haotian Sect!"

"I understand! I understand it all now!"

After realizing all this, Tang Yuehua seemed to have let go of something, feeling the shackles on her body shatter, a strand of soul power even emerged within her body and began to grow continuously.

"My soul power has reached level ten!"

Feeling her own condition, Tang Yuehua laughed and cried, "So, what you said was true."

"Congratulations, Master Tang," Tang San congratulated, "However, I see that Master Tang still hasn't completely let go. I estimate that when you reach level nineteen in cultivation, you'll be stuck for quite a while again."

"Being able to cultivate to the realm of Soul Master, I am already content," Tang Yuehua shook her head, confirming in her heart that Tang San's analysis of her was correct.

Truly letting go of pride, understanding martial souls, can lead to further progress on the path of a Soul Master.

But, how difficult is it to truly let go of pride?

Even now, her ability to raise her soul power by one level is only a sense of relief in her heart.

"San'er, how about Auntie stays at your place for a few days?" Tang Yuehua asked tentatively.

"To pass information to the Haotian Sect? To monitor me?" Tang San asked bluntly, "Also, isn't your Yuexuan Pavilion still open?"

"Just as you said, I have to live for myself," Tang Yuehua smiled.

"Is that so?"

Tang San couldn't discern what Tang Yuehua was thinking. He slowly got up, preparing to see her off, but then suddenly asked, "Has Tang Chen returned to the Haotian Sect?"

"How did you know..." Tang Yuehua immediately covered her mouth, looking at Tang San incredulously, not understanding how he knew about this.

"It seems he has returned to the sect."

After the visit to the City of Slaughter, Tang San had speculated whether Tang Chen had regained his sanity, but he wasn't sure if he would go to see his old lover, Bo saixi, or return to the Haotian Sect.

Initially, Tang San guessed it would be the former, considering that Tang Chen had been parasitized by the Blood Colored Nine-Headed Bat King, and even if he got rid of it, his body was riddled with injuries and wouldn't last long.

But now, instead of going to see Bo saixi, he had returned to the Haotian Sect —

It seemed his body hadn't deteriorated to the point of being beyond saving. Probably, it was different from the original plot; the toxins in his blood hadn't been triggered by the kiss of the Blood Colored Swan... But Tang Chen shouldn't be in his prime either, otherwise the Haotian Sect would have made a high-profile announcement.

"Please don't tell the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall, can you?" Tang Yuehua pleaded.

"Hmm~ I seem to be a Holy Son of the Spirit Hall," Tang San responded evasively, but it was already clear to Tang Yuehua his stance: he stood with the Spirit Hall.

"Consider it as giving Auntie a face because we share the same bloodline," Tang Yuehua pleaded.

"I'll give face to Master Yuexuan, naturally," Tang San seemed to agree, but Tang Yuehua felt even more sorrowful because it meant Tang San still didn't acknowledge her as an aunt.

Giving face to Master Yuexuan.

Not giving face to Auntie.

Big Brother, what on earth did you do back then?

"However, do you really think the Hall of Souls doesn't know?" Tang San continued, "After all, the City of Slaughter has always been under the surveillance and guard of members of the Spirit Hall."

"What does this have to do with the City of Slaughter?" Tang Yuehua didn't understand.

"It seems the sect doesn't trust you much."

Sensing that Tang Yuehua seemed to truly know nothing, Tang San smirked —

Tang Chen returning to the sect, even if he didn't say where he had been all these years, Tang Hao, who had awakened him, must know. Given his understanding of Tang Hao, he would definitely tell Tang Xiao.

And Tang Yuehua passing on information must be in contact with Tang Xiao —

But now, it seemed Tang Xiao hadn't told Tang Yuehua, his younger sister, where their grandfather had been all these years.

If it were an ordinary person, they might think it was to prevent the woman from worrying.

But for Tang Yuehua, born in the Haotian Sect, this was looking down on her!

In fact, the situation was even worse than what Tang San imagined. Currently, almost all direct disciples of the Haotian Sect knew where Tang Chen had been all these years, but Tang Yuehua was kept in the dark alone.

Though she was the biological child of the former Haotian Sect Master, her martial soul wasn't the Haotian Hammer, so she was treated somewhat differently.

"Tang Chen is the King of Slaughter in the City of Slaughter," Tang San revealed the truth, then provided some false information, "Do you think the Spirit Hall wouldn't know about this? If it weren't for fearing the strength of the King of Slaughter, with so many Titled Douluos in the Spirit Hall, they would have taken down that city capable of bestowing the Killing God's Domain and controlled it long ago."

Tang Yuehua was stunned, cursing herself for being foolish, for not thinking of this point.

"Recently, there has been trouble in the City of Slaughter. All the fallen have been killed, and the King of Slaughter is also missing. Do you think the Spirit Hall wouldn't speculate that Tang Chen returned to the Haotian Sect?" Tang San continued to deceive, "Also, as a Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, I received a piece of information that Tang Chen was in the City of Slaughter to undergo the God Examination of the Asura God, trying to break through to level one hundred and become a deity."

"You didn't know any of this, did you?"

"You can organize the information I've given you as intelligence you obtained from relevant members of the Spirit Hall and pass it on to the Haotian Sect to see how your elder brother reacts."

As Tang Yuehua left the Silver Blue Manor, her eyes refocused only then. Glancing back at Tang San waving to her, she suddenly realized that he was "sowing discord."

But this was a blatant conspiracy.

He had seized upon her weakness — proving her pride to the Haotian Sect, and her desire to gain full recognition from the Haotian Sect... If she couldn't gain the trust of the Haotian Sect and they even hid the truth from her brother and grandfather, then wasn't the effort she had put in for most of her life utterly ridiculous?

For a moment, Tang Yuehua dared not pass on this "information" to the sect...

(End of this chapter)