"Tang San went to Shrek Academy, and Flender has a death wish?"
Ye Hao suddenly understood. "Tang San plans to eliminate Flender before leaving Douluo Continent. After all, Yu Xiaogang died by Flender's hand. There's no way Tang San would let the murderer live."
Although Flender had killed Yu Xiaogang by accident, in Tang San's eyes, Flender was the culprit. He only believed in facts—what he saw with his own eyes.
"Tonight is destined to be sleepless."
First, the Spirit Hall destroyed the Clear Sky Clan. Then, Tang San fled from the Clear Sky Clan. Now, he was heading to Shrek Academy alone.
Ye Hao glanced at Tang Yuehua, who had fainted from fear on the bed behind him.
"Seriously? This timid?" He sighed, then picked her up, tucked her under the blankets, and made sure she was comfortable.
Then, he leaped from the balcony and headed toward Shrek Academy under the cover of night.
Tang San killing Flender—such a spectacle was not to be missed.
Nightfall.
Under the shroud of darkness, Ye Hao moved swiftly. Guided by the Death God's Heart, he soon arrived at Zhuer's side within Shrek Academy.
The campus was desolate. Moss crept up the trees, and the ground was littered with dead leaves. Since the academy had closed, no one had bothered to clean.
The place was in ruins, devoid of life.
"Master, Tang San has already entered the back mountains of Shrek Academy," Zhuer reported.
"Ah—" Ye Hao yawned and nodded. "What about those Clear Sky Clan members chasing Tang San?"
"They're already on their way here. They should arrive soon," Zhuer said hesitantly. "Master, the Clear Sky Clan has numbers on their side. You and I might not be a match for them."
The Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others had already returned to the Spirit Hall to report. Currently, only Ye Hao and Zhuer were in Heaven Dou City. Zhuer and Xie Hu were still en route and wouldn't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.
Ye Hao smirked. "You're underestimating Tang San. That guy has the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, which has a skill similar to my Dark Shroud—it can completely conceal his presence. Ordinary Titled Douluo wouldn't be able to sense him unless they have extremely strong spiritual power."
"Let's go. Follow him."
Under the protection of the Death God's Heart, Ye Hao and Zhuer quietly made their way toward the back mountains.
The scenery was bleak. The once-beautiful hillside, where Vice-Principal Liu Erlong had lovingly cultivated flowers, was now overgrown with weeds taller than a person. Since Yu Xiaogang's death, the garden had been abandoned.
In front of a wooden cabin in the mountains, Tang San stood with a dark expression, the Clear Sky Hammer in hand.
Across from him were Liu Erlong and Flender, both uneasy about his sudden appearance.
"Xiao San, why are you here?" Liu Erlong frowned.
"I'm here to kill someone," Tang San said through gritted teeth.
"Kill someone?" Flender's back went cold, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Xiao San, are you in the wrong place? This is the academy. There's no one here you'd want to kill," Liu Erlong forced a smile. She was just an ordinary person now—her martial soul had been crippled, and she was no longer a soul master.
"The person I want to kill is right in front of me." Tang San's killing intent surged, and the Slaughter Domain erupted around him.
"Xiao San..." Flender's face twisted in bitterness. He had already guessed.
"Is it... because of Xiaogang?" he asked hoarsely.
"Flender, you killed my teacher. Today, I will make you pay with your blood!" Tang San's eyes burned red. Today, Flender would die—for his teacher's spirit in the afterlife.
"Tang San, don't go too far!" Liu Erlong snapped. "Xiaogang was framed by Ye Hao! Flender killed him by accident! How can you be so unreasonable? Have you forgotten everything your teacher taught you?"
"A life for a life—that is justice. I will kill Ye Hao, but before that, even if Flender killed my teacher by mistake, my teacher still died by his hand. Today, Flender will die!"
Without another word, he hurled the Clear Sky Hammer.
At the same time, blue light flickered in Tang San's right hand. Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground, its vines coiling around Liu Erlong and tossing her aside.
As Yu Xiaogang's former lover, Tang San had no intention of harming her.
"No!" Liu Erlong screamed.
Under her despairing gaze, Flender's body was sent flying like a broken kite. The moment the Clear Sky Hammer struck, Flender felt his life rapidly draining away.
His chest caved in, his organs shattered. Blood gushed from his mouth as his breathing grew weaker—he was on the verge of death.
"Flender!" Liu Erlong sobbed, rushing to his side.
"Flender! Wake up! Don't leave me alone!" she wailed. But after taking the full force of the Clear Sky Hammer, Flender had already reached the end.
"Erlong... don't cry. You're not pretty when you cry," Flender murmured weakly, raising a trembling hand to wipe her tears.
"No! Flender! Don't die! You're the only family I have left!"
"..."
Not far away, Ye Hao, who had witnessed everything, sighed.
"Tang San's bloodlust has taken over. To him, nothing in this world matters anymore. What a pity—Flender was doomed from the start."
"Master, I sense them—the three elders from the Clear Sky Clan have entered the back mountains. They'll be here soon," Zhuer warned.
"Let's go. The show's over."
Shortly after Ye Hao and Zhuer left, chaos erupted in the mountains.
"Tang San! Prepare to die!"
The three elders, leading sixty Clear Sky Clan disciples, charged in...
Dawn.
The rising sun bathed Heaven Dou City in golden light.
Inside a luxurious room in the imperial palace, Tang Yuehua groggily sat up, rubbing her throbbing temples.
The moment she regained full awareness, her body stiffened. She frantically checked herself, relieved to find her clothes untouched.
"You're awake," Ye Hao said as he walked in.
"Ye Hao, last night..." Tang Yuehua stammered, unsure whether anything had happened.
"Nothing happened. You can relax." Ye Hao smiled faintly before slumping onto the sofa, exhausted.
He hadn't slept all night.
"Come here," he commanded.
Then, Tang Yuehua's body moved uncontrollably towards Ye Hao.
"Yesterday, your precious nephew really made a scene, stirring up a storm in Heaven Dou City," Ye Hao said with a smile, resting his head on Tang Yuehua's slender thighs and gazing up at her elegant face with amusement.
"Xiao San... what have you done to Xiao San?" Tang Yuehua frowned. Tang San was practically her last hope.
"Tang San went to Shrek Academy and personally killed Flender—his former academy dean. Tell me, isn't he insane?" Ye Hao chuckled, studying her reaction with interest.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Tang Yuehua shook her head in disbelief. Her nephew wasn't that kind of person.
She knew Flender well—he had been Tang San's dean at Shrek Academy and had treated him with great care. The idea that Tang San would kill Flender was something Tang Yuehua refused to believe.
"Ye Hao, don't even try to deceive me. One day, my nephew will destroy the Spirit Hall and avenge the Clear Sky Clan," Tang Yuehua declared firmly.
"Is that so?" Ye Hao sneered. "What makes you so confident?"
"A woman's intuition."
"Ridiculous intuition," Ye Hao scoffed.
Tang Yuehua's chest heaved with anger. The thought that her enemy was now lying on her lap made her wish she could kill Ye Hao with her bare hands.
"Thinking about killing me?" Ye Hao raised an eyebrow, then nuzzled his head against her bosom.
"You—!" Tang Yuehua's face flushed red with shock and fury.
"Don't even think about harming me. Unless you want me to really do something to you next time," Ye Hao warned. "I mean what I say."
"..." Tang Yuehua bit her lip and endured in silence. As a prisoner, she had no choice but to swallow her pride.
"Master, Tang San has left Shrek Academy. Uh..." Zhuer's voice suddenly interrupted, sounding awkward.
"Did I come at a bad time...?"
Ye Hao: "..."
"Just report. Where did Tang San go?" Ye Hao asked, unconcerned about what Tang Yuehua might do.
"After killing Flender, the three Clear Sky Clan elders who were pursuing him arrived. After a bloody battle, just as Tang San was about to be killed, he used the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to escape. He's now heading for Dragon Prosperity City," Zhuer reported.
"Dragon Prosperity City?" Ye Hao pondered. "Isn't that the territory of the former Clear Sky Clan's four subsidiary clans—specifically the Defense Clan? Is Tang San seeking refuge with them?"
"What about the Clear Sky Clan elders?"
"They're still chasing him. I left them some clues before leaving," Zhuer replied.
"Set off for Dragon Prosperity City," Ye Hao ordered.
A speeding carriage soon departed Heaven Dou City, heading straight for Dragon Prosperity City. Ye Hao had a feeling that this was where he could finally eliminate the Clear Sky Clan remnants—and perhaps gain some unexpected rewards along the way.
Inside the carriage, Ye Hao lay with his head on Tang Yuehua's lap, resting his eyes.
After the battle that destroyed the Clear Sky Clan and witnessing Flender's death at Shrek Academy the previous night, he was exhausted.
Tang Yuehua, with reluctant grace, used her jade-like fingers to massage Ye Hao's temples.
So comfortable...
Why did Xiao San go to Dragon Prosperity City? Tang Yuehua wondered silently.
"What else would he be doing there?" Ye Hao suddenly spoke, startling her.
"I told you, your every move—even your thoughts—are under my surveillance. Stop overthinking," Ye Hao chuckled.
"..." Tang Yuehua remained silent, clearly seething.
"Let me tell you a secret: Tang San isn't Tang San. And he's definitely not your nephew," Ye Hao said cryptically.
"?" Tang Yuehua was baffled.
"What do you mean?" she asked, sensing deeper implications behind his words.
"The real Tang San died long before Ah Yin gave birth. The current Tang San is just an imposter—or rather, someone who doesn't belong to this world," Ye Hao continued.
Tang Yuehua frowned.
"What... does that mean?" she asked after a long pause.
"Ever heard of a saying?"
"What saying?"
"Rebirth." Ye Hao smiled faintly, sitting up slightly to look at Tang Yuehua's shocked expression before gently pulling her into his arms.
"Y-You—what are you doing?!" Tang Yuehua panicked, her face pale with fear.
"The journey to Dragon Prosperity City is long. Having someone to chat with makes it easier," Ye Hao said casually, simply resting his arm around her shoulders.
After all, Qian Renxue was still at the Spirit Hall, and Ye Hao had his... needs.
"If you want to talk, then talk properly. Don't get handsy," Tang Yuehua said shakily, her heart racing.
"If I wanted to do something, I would've done it long ago," Ye Hao sighed. "Now, where were we...?"
"Ah, yes. Your nephew is no ordinary person. He's a reincarnated soul with memories of his past life," Ye Hao revealed, disclosing some of Tang San's secrets.
"That's... impossible. Reincarnation doesn't exist in this world," Tang Yuehua denied. Death was final—such absurd claims held no weight.
"You don't believe me?" Ye Hao studied her.
"If you want to sow discord, at least come up with a convincing lie. How am I supposed to believe this?" Tang Yuehua wasn't foolish.
"Fine. By the time we reach Dragon Prosperity City, I'll expose Tang San's true identity. In his past life, he was a disciple of the Tang Sect—a world completely different from Douluo Continent. The Tang Sect specialized in hidden weapons. Haven't you seen your precious nephew's arsenal?"
Tang Yuehua nodded silently. She had witnessed Tang San's hidden weapons—the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, Silent Sleeve Arrows, Flying Sky Claws, and others. At the time, she had praised him as a genius for creating such sophisticated weapons and had pinned her hopes for the clan's revival on him.
"He stole the Tang Sect's techniques, was discovered, and was hunted down. In desperation, he jumped off the Hell Peak and ended up in this world."
Ye Hao glanced at Tang Yuehua. "Has Tang San ever mentioned the Tang Sect to you?"
"The Tang Sect..." Tang Yuehua stiffened, her eyes widening in horror as she stared at Ye Hao in disbelief.
"So he has mentioned it," Ye Hao noted with satisfaction. "Just watch. Your precious nephew won't bother cleaning up the Clear Sky Clan's mess. And all that nonsense about 'having a death wish'? Just him reciting the Profound Heaven Treasure Record's teachings. In his past life, Tang San was already a cold-blooded killer. And you saw him as the clan's hope? You're beyond saving."
Tang Yuehua remained silent, her heart heavy with turmoil...