Shi Hao was currently fake sleeping, his small hand stealthily creeping under Aunt Hua's dress like a sneaky little thief.
Feeling the softness of her peak against his palm, he instinctively pressed his head in further, inhaling her scent deeply. A satisfied hum escaped his lips.
For a moment, an absurd thought crossed his mind—should he act like a newborn and put it in his mouth?
No, no! He was a good boy, not some shameless pervert!
…But his hands clearly had a different opinion. They moved entirely on their own, ignoring his pure intentions.
Realizing this, Shi Hao quickly yanked his tiny hands back. But in doing so, the previously hidden peaks peeked out even more from her clothes.
Now faced with an even bigger problem, he did what any responsible child would do—he used his head to cover them.
"I'm just protecting Aunt Hua's dignity... Since her dress won't help, I will!"
Feeling proud of his noble sacrifice, Shi Hao finally fell asleep—his mind at ease, his mission to safeguard Aunt Hua's peaks fulfilled.
...
Near the northeast end of Heaven Dou City, close to the Sunset Forest
A figure carrying a child on his shoulder whooshed past, moving at an unimaginable speed. It was hard to believe that a burly man could move this fast.
He was none other than Haotian Douluo, Tang Hao—currently fleeing after a battle with Spirit Hall.
After detonating four of his soul rings and using the explosive power boost, Tang Hao had made his escape at record speed.
Only after traveling hundreds of miles through the night did he finally slow down.
Tang Hao's breathing was a little ragged—his body had reached its limit.
He wasted no time blasting open a cave, staggering inside before coughing up a mouthful of blood. His soul power was nearly depleted.
Placing the bewildered Tang San down, who was watching his father cough up blood with deep worry, Tang Hao sat cross-legged, forcing himself into meditation.
His internal organs were in shambles, and his meridians were damaged in multiple places.
Quickly recovering a sliver of soul power, he used it to forcibly suppress his injuries from worsening.
Coughing out a mouthful of black blood, his appearance seemed to age another ten years.
"Dad, are you alright?" Tang San asked anxiously.
Tang Hao didn't reply. He simply gazed at the sky, which was beginning to brighten, lost in thought.
"Ah Yin…"
If not for his not-wife, he wasn't sure whether he would have survived today.
His ninth spirit ring, which came from his wife, had a peculiar harmony with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass.
In times of danger, they would subtly warn him. It was an almost spiritual connection—subtle yet miraculous.
Had he reacted even a second too late, he wouldn't be here right now.
Of course, knowing Spirit Hall, they probably would've wasted precious time monologuing instead of killing him instantly.
Still, if they had any tactical sense, they would have set up a near-inescapable ambush.
If that had happened, escaping wouldn't have been so simple. He would've lost far more than just blood.
"I have to see Ah Yin..."
With that final thought, Tang Hao's vision darkened. His body swayed before he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Tang San panicked, rushing over and desperately channeling the little Qi he had cultivated over the past year to check his father's injuries.
His expression shifted into one of shock.
Tang Hao's body was like an empty shell—outwardly intact but internally wrecked.
He tried using his Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy to help, but it was useless.
Although his technique had healing properties, it was like trying to fix a torn battleship with a roll of duct tape.
A level 20 healing-type soul master could mend broken bones for someone of their level, but even if they drained all their soul power, they couldn't heal a scratch on a Titled Douluo.
Tang San's current cultivation couldn't even heal a fraction of Tang Hao's damaged tissue.
Feeling helpless, Tang San exhausted himself again and again in futile attempts, before eventually passing out as well.
...
Three Days Later…
News of the Holy Soul Village incident had started spreading, though it hadn't reached far yet.
However, in the nearby Balak City, the information arrived on the third day.
The rumors were… dramatic.
Apparently, when Spirit Hall came to arrest Tang Hao, he had threatened to kill the entire village.
Spirit Hall, being so noble and righteous, had no choice but to step back to protect the innocent villagers.
But even after that, the heartless Tang Hao—who had killed their former Pope—broke his word and destroyed half the village anyway.
When Spirit Hall tried to protect the villagers, Tang Hao used the distraction to escape with his son.
And even sadder news was that the village chief, Old Jack, known for his kindness, was dead. His death had been gruesome—bleeding from all seven orifices before dying.
Spirit Hall had also issued a wanted warrant, offering a bounty of one million gold coins for Tang Hao's whereabouts.
When Shi Hao heard about it from his parents at the dinner table, he was dumbfounded.
"So… they let Tang Hao escape?"
Although he had guessed as much, it was still unacceptable. Even after his repeated warnings in the letter, those fools in Spirit Hall had failed.
Hu Rong and Shi Chen exchanged uneasy glances. Fear gripped them.
Hadn't they visited the same Holy Spirit Village just two months ago? Hadn't they met a blacksmith named Tang Hao? And, most importantly, hadn't their son mentioned "Haotian Douluo" and a letter just a month ago?
They had barely missed a trip to the underworld…
And yet, something felt off. It didn't seem like a mere coincidence. It felt as if someone had been following them since their visit to Holy Spirit Village, deliberately leading their little Hao to deliver that letter.
Hu Rong and Shi Chen repeatedly warned Shi Hao never to speak about the letter to anyone again. If Tang Hao had died, it wouldn't have mattered. But now that he had escaped, what if he believed their family had snitched on him?
Faced with his parents' fear, Shi Hao simply nodded and remained silent.
But inside his mind, he thought:
"There's no need to be afraid. Whether it's Tang Hao or Spirit Hall, no one will suspect us..."
"After all, I was the only one who saw Tang Hao's face. He would never suspect that a mere child recognized him. Even if he did, how could he possibly find me among billions of people? Heh."
"Spirit Hall has even less of a chance than Tang Hao. The content of the letter and all those precautions—there's no way someone as weak as me or my family could have written it."
All in all, there was no real threat to them. No need for unnecessary fear.
"Since the wanted notice with Tang Hao's current bearded appearance has already spread across the continent, the two Tangs will have to live in hiding for a while… Haha."
"I wonder how my interference will change the world… Will Xiao Wu fall in love with someone else? Will the Shrek Seven even form in the future?"
Shi Hao mused, enjoying the thought.
"Whatever happens, I'll have more time to plan my target's death..."
With that thought, Shi Hao finished his meal, said goodbye to his parents, and left for Aunt Hua's house to sleep.
Although there was no longer a need to visit Aunt Hua—since the baby-making was already done—he still wanted to spend a few more days with her.
Once his sibling was born in nine months, they would take his place between their father and mother anyway. Though the thought displeased him a little, he still chose to yield. After all, it was his sibling—they needed their mother's milk to grow up healthy.