An entire night slipped by as the newly reunited siblings and in-laws talked endlessly, catching up on years of separation.
By dawn, Tang Xiao resumed his usual salted-fish lifestyle, moving with lazy ease.
After a long bath, he scrubbed off every trace of the dirty makeup he had used earlier. With his hair freshly trimmed and his beard neatly shaped, he walked past the stunned, round-eyed maid Tang Ya and headed back to his room.
Standing before the mirror, Tang Xiao examined himself once more.
One word… Domineering.
Touching the healthy, baby-soft skin on his cheeks, he couldn't help but curl his lips like a crooked-mouthed soldier king.
His face hadn't become handsome—far from it. Even after the so-called marrow cleansing from the Ice and Fire Immortal Herbs, his features remained fundamentally the same. But anyone who knew him well would instantly notice the changes.
Didn't Tang Ya's expression already prove it?
"This baby-soft, healthy wheat-coloured skin without a single sunburn mark is way too eye-catching… But what can I do? It is what it is. I'll just have to spout some bullshit and fool anyone who questions me."
"I also need a proper excuse for my martial soul evolution. I can't hide it forever. Ugh… It's too much work for my tiny brain. Coming up with a reasonable explanation is really damn troublesome." Tang Xiao sighed inwardly.
He already had a rough story in mind, but he wasn't confident the elders would stop digging after hearing it.
"If anyone's going to nitpick and dig deeper, it's definitely that Seventh Elder… Others at least pretend to have manners, but that bastard doesn't even know what politeness is."
Tang Xiao felt a headache forming just thinking about him. The Seventh Elder was already on his mental blacklist, but eliminating him wasn't so simple.
Besides, killing him outright would be wasteful.
If the man had to die, his death should at least bring benefits to the Clear Sky Sect. As the future sect master, Tang Xiao had no intention of disposing of him without squeezing out every drop of usefulness.
If Tang Xiao were a generous person, his anger from months ago would have faded by now, and the Seventh Elder might still have a future.
But Tang Xiao was the very embodiment of pettiness and unreasonable grudges.
"If this world was also like Earth and had detonating bombs, I would have sent the seventh elder as a suicide terrorist to attack the Spirit Hall and make a badass entry there... But alas, this world doesn't have such items now, at least not in the Douluo Continent... What a pity" Tang Xiao thought dejectedly.
Shaking off these wicked fantasies, he returned his focus to the mirror.
"Hm? Would long hair tied in a man-bun look good on me? Maybe… I should try it someday."
With his thoughts drifting into childish territory, Tang Xiao changed into a simple but elegant robe and headed toward the mansion's dining hall.
---
Dining Hall
By the time Tang Xiao arrived, the others—Tang Zhen, Tang Hao, Tang Yuehua, and Ah Yin—were already seated, sharing light conversation while waiting for breakfast.
Ah Yin was naturally the center of attention as Tang Zhen subtly inquired about her situation. But he knew better than to pry too deeply.
Although it is an unprecedented and never-heard-of thing to have a soul beast as a daughter-in-law, Tang Zhen accepted it and acted like a good father-in-law to Ah Yin.
Maybe it was because of her human appearance.
Or perhaps because she looked like a pure fairy descended from the heavens.
Either way, the atmosphere was warm when Tang Xiao walked in—soft smiles, light chatter, no tension.
Tang Yuehua behaved as though this epoch-shattering marriage between a soul beast and a human was nothing extraordinary. Tang Zhen's face was bright and lively, completely different from the weak, death-fearing expression he had yesterday.
"It seems father received Ah Yin's treatment early this morning…" Tang Xiao guessed as he pulled out a chair next to Tang Zhen.
"Xiao'er, you're here. Sit down—the meal will be served shortly," Tang Zhen said with a vibrant tone, nothing like his frail voice from the previous day.
"Yes father. How are you feeling now?" Tang Xiao asked with genuine concern, greeting Tang Yuehua and the others politely before taking his seat.
"Haha! What's there to worry about? I'm perfectly fine. With my daughter-in-law here, even if I only have a few years left, I'll live painlessly and die peacefully. Hahaha! Don't bring up unpleasant topics again."
"The dishes have arrived—everyone, enjoy. Since this is our first family meal together, I specially ordered the best ingredients we have. Hahaha!" Tang Zhen announced, clearly in a joyous mood.
Seeing this, Tang Xiao relaxed.
No one mentioned his improved skin tone.
Is it really not obvious? Or am I just overthinking?
He silently muttered while eating.
In any case, it was better if they didn't ask.
As conversations flowed and plates emptied, the meal gradually came to an end.
At that moment, after carefully choosing his words, Tang Xiao spoke:
"Father, I have something important to tell you all…"