Chapter 77: 91.92. The Prelude to Haozi's Grand Escape
In the distance, a Title Douluo of the Spirit Hall hiding in the dark watched the scene. Originally he had intended to snatch the prize from Tang Hao's hands, but under Huo Yuhao's influence his eyes shifted and he thought: a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast taking humanoid form—this is a major event. I must report back to His Holiness the Pope and make plans. Then he left.
After sending Tang Kai away, Tang Hao felt stifled inside.
Spirit Hall, where did your Title Douluo go? Why did a Title Douluo from the Haotian Sect show up instead?
If a Spirit Hall Title Douluo had appeared, Tang Hao wouldn't be so vexed; he would have slammed down the Haotian hammer with full force, maimed him, left him barely alive to go tell Qian Xunji to come over.
He even had his showpiece lines ready for after crushing that Title Douluo: "Go tell Qian Xunji that the trash, A Yin, is my wife. If your Spirit Hall dares to covet my wife, come how many you want—I'll kill however many until you tremble in fear. Even that old geezer Qian Daoliu, I Tang Hao fear him not."
But why—tell me why it was my Haotian Sect's Title Douluo who showed up.
Tang Hao returned with a gloomy face, picked up Tang San, and to A Yin said, "A Yin, we should go. After Uncle Kai reports back, the Haotian Sect will surely send people after us."
Born of twenty thousand years of sect servitude instincts, Tang Hao really didn't want to make war with his own sect, but reality was that the enemy he had dreamed of using to make his name—the Spirit Hall—didn't show up. It was the Haotian Sect instead, and Tang Hao had to make new plans.
A Yin teased, "I think your uncle did remind me of something—how come you've been at Level 90 for so long and haven't obtained a soul ring? Could it be you were waiting for this very soul ring of mine?"
Hearing A Yin's question, Tang Hao felt a twinge of guilt. Indeed he had his eye on A Yin's hundred-thousand-year soul ring, but his plan wasn't to kill the beast for its ring directly. Instead he'd hoped to fall under Spirit Hall pursuit, move A Yin to desperation, and have her willingly sacrifice herself to him.
He righteously declared, "A Yin, how could I be the sort of man who covets a wife's soul ring or soul bone? If I wanted your soul ring, I would have been a Title Douluo two and a half years ago—why would I not have killed you for your bone then?"
"Because of that bastard," A Yin looked at Tang San with undisguised disgust. "Everything you've done stems from him. I felt such a strong sense of purpose coming from you—I didn't know what you schemed for, but it all began because of him. Now—"
"This bastard is born, and you've accomplished your goal. Now you could kill me and take your ninth soul ring."
Tang Hao put on a hypocritical smile. "A Yin, how could I be that kind of person? My love for you can be witnessed by heaven and earth, by sun and moon. I, Tang Hao, swear on my martial soul I will never kill you to take your soul ring or bone. Never. If I break this oath, then let my martial soul be shattered."
Tang Hao had already plotted: leave here, hide from the Haotian Sect, and ideally head somewhere that would draw the Spirit Hall's attention, lure their Title Douluo over, repeat the events of his former life—this way he could both showcase his devoted, responsible image to A Yin and use Spirit Hall corpses to forge his reputation. In a desperate situation, A Yin would surely be moved and sacrifice herself to him.
Then, when Tang San rises to godhood in the future, he would resurrect A Yin and wipe her memories of Tang Xiao, making A Yin belong only to him.
Thinking of his coming triumph, Tang Hao decided to butter up A Yin a bit more to lay the groundwork for his plan: "A Yin, I love you. I know you are a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form, and people disdain unions of human and spirit beast—but so what? You walk among humans in a form of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast; one misstep and a Title Douluo will notice you, and many will come to kill you. If that day comes and many try to kill you and I can't stop them, what then? I'll tell them to step over my corpse."
To win A Yin's favor, Tang Hao shamelessly borrowed a line that his son had said.
A Yin replied with disdain, "If you truly love me, then you should set me free—not imprison me here."
Not swaying A Yin left Tang Hao a little disappointed. But thinking ahead to a future where a whole pack of Spirit Hall Title Douluo hunt them down, and how then his unique heroic demeanor would move A Yin to willingly sacrifice herself, Tang Hao felt impatient with excitement.
So Tang Hao hugged Tang San, burned down his small house, and set off with A Yin on his grand escape.
Haotian Sect
Although Tang Chen had left, the sect's foundation remained. From Tang Chen's generation to Tang Tian's, talent flowed and the sect possessed the most Title Douluo in the land, incomparable to the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus Sect which relied on a single titled Douluo.
When Tang Kai returned to the sect, the first thing he did was call an elders' meeting to pressure Sect Leader Tang Tian.
At the meeting Tang Kai recounted everything about Tang Hao.
When Tang Kai mentioned that A Yin was a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in humanoid form, greed flickered in every elder's eyes. When he described Tang Hao's outrageous actions, everyone present found it unbelievable.
"What did you say?" Elder Tang Qi exclaimed in shock. "Tang Hao actually—paired with a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast and even birthed a beastman?"
"Absurd, utterly absurd," Elder Tang Mie said.
"A spirit beast actually lured two of Haotian Sect's most promising talents into mutual slaughter and bewitched Tang Hao so thoroughly that he sired a beastman," Elder Tang Po said.
"This matter must not be spread. If the public learns this, where will Haotian Sect's face be?" Elder Tang Zhe said.
On Douluo Continent human-spirit beast unions weren't unheard of. Wolf Thief—born of a gale wolf and a human—was notorious. If the heir of the world's premier sect, Tang Hao, married a spirit beast and sired a beastman, Haotian Sect would become a laughingstock.
Tang Tian slammed his fist on the stone table; the soul power in the strike shattered it.
"Bastard, Tang Hao is a bastard." Tang Tian's breathing grew ragged. He said solemnly to the elders, "Everyone, Tang Hao has committed this disgrace. I, Tang Tian, will give the sect an explanation. I will personally act and capture that bastard child."
"Sect Leader," Tang Mie said, "this is a scandal. We must not only retrieve Tang Hao but also cover this matter up. Family shame cannot be made public. Relying on only you could be risky."
"Right." Tang Po said, "Sect Leader, I suggest the elders and the sect leader act together. Before Tang Hao's scandal spreads, capture Tang Hao and the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, and execute that beastman. That would be the safest approach."
Tang Tian watched the elders' eagerness, well aware of their intentions.
Fine wine and pretty faces, wealth that stirs the heart—one hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts mean a ten-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone.
Although they belonged to the same sect, each branch guarded its own interests. While Tang Chen lived, his line dominated; now Tang Chen was gone and the Haotian twins had been born. It was impossible for these elders not to desire such a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.
As sect leader, Tang Tian couldn't just ignore it.
Thinking of Tang Hao's antics made Tang Tian's head throb. You say you loved a spirit beast and even fathered a beastman; fine. You've done the shameful deed and now you're Level 90 and still haven't killed the beast to take its bone—are you keeping the spirit beast for New Year? Now your paternal uncles are coveting it.
In the end it was decided: the sect leader and the four titled elder Douluo would move together to capture Tang Hao and the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast and execute the beastman, covering the scandal before it became public.
After the elders' meeting, a despondent middle-aged man in a wheelchair rolled out from a corner; he had just heard the meeting's contents.
"A Yin… actually a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast?" Tang Xiao was astonished, but his longing and love for A Yin quickly softened his surprise.
"So what if she's a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast? I still love her." Years apart and many hardships had idealized A Yin in Tang Xiao's mind. He imagined her delicate form and gentle face, and could not help but be melancholy over his current situation.
"Tang Hao, wait and see. Even if I must give my life, I will save A Yin from your clutches." Tang Xiao said with hatred—over the decades his feelings for Tang Hao had soured into bitter enmity.
After speaking, Tang Xiao pushed his wheelchair away.
Spirit Hall
Qian Xunji also learned of the matter through the Spirit Hall's Title Douluo.
A derisive look passed his eyes. "A few years ago Tang Hao caused a scandal for a woman and slew his own brethren to gain fame. Now this woman turns out to be a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form. What a joke."
Title Douluo Jinzhong chuckled, "It's not just that, Your Holiness. They supposedly even had a child."
Title Douluo Yinchui said matter-of-factly, "A child born of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast and a human—what would that child even be?"
"It's a beastman!" Qian Xunji stroked his chin and laughed. "Who knows what kind of bastard would be born from a human-spirit beast union? The wolf thief comes to mind."
"Wolf thief? True." Qian Xunji's expression turned morally indignant. "The wolf thief is infamous. That's the rotten nature of the offspring of human-spirit beast unions. This beastman—born of Haotian Sect's heir and a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast—will surely be worse. If left to grow in the world, it will bring disaster. 'Not our kind, their hearts must differ.' For the future of humankind, we should imprison this beastman."
"Your Holiness, why don't we put a slave collar on the beastman and raise it to a certain strength, then hold an annual beast-fight?!" Title Douluo Yinchui's eyes gleamed with business-minded scheming. "A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast and a beastman born of Haotian Sect blood—what a spectacle that would draw!"
Qian Xunji laughed. "Ha ha ha—good, good idea. The hundred-thousand-year spirit beast will belong to the Spirit Hall. The beastman—so we prevent it from causing harm in the future, the Spirit Hall will imprison it as well."
Thus the Spirit Hall assembled their forces under Qian Xunji personally, leading Title Douluo Jinzhong and Yinchui and an entourage of beast Douluo and Soul Masters to set out.
Before departing, Qian Xunji went to see Bibi Dong. "You're already Level 90, just one soul ring short of entering Title Douluo. This spirit beast will just happen to be your ninth soul ring."
Bibi Dong's face showed a false smile. "Thank you, Teacher."
"You just need to understand Teacher's kindness. Let go of useless feelings and you'll have a future better than mine." Qian Xunji knew Bibi Dong's insincere look but he didn't care.
He turned and left.
Bibi Dong wiped the tenderness from her gaze; in her eyes flickered hatred.
Divine Realm, Shura God Temple
The Shura God watched what was happening in the lower realms. According to his plan, the Spirit Hall was the tool he had selected to shepherd that hundred-thousand-year spirit beast into motion.
His plan was meticulous: this hundred-thousand-year spirit beast was allocated a clear role in the Shura God's plan—the beast's body would gestate the child of the Great Baby, and when she died the Blue Silver Emperor's position would be vacated for the Great Baby to inherit later. The spirit rings would first be used by Tang Hao as a protector, and the soul bone would be reserved for the Great Baby to use when it grows.
Complete, all-around, three-hundred-sixty-degree utilization.
Originally, the Spirit Hall's Title Douluo who had discovered Tang Hao and A Yin had returned to report the matter.
But the plan encountered a twist: the Haotian Sect unexpectedly intervened and found Tang Hao.
Now two groups were pursuing Tang Hao and A Yin simultaneously—what a mess.
The Shura God calculated with his finger and paused in surprise: "This is actually an accident?"
"No matter," he thought. "Haotian Sect or Spirit Hall, your job is to force the death of this hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor so my Great Baby can get a spot." In the Shura God's heart, the Great Baby's interests always came first; the Spirit Hall and Haotian Sect were tools he could use or discard.
Since the Haotian Sect had foolishly involved themselves, he didn't care. Use the tools to the fullest.
When he was satisfied everything was arranged, the Shura God looked at Tang Hao, A Yin, and their Great Baby as they fled and said, "Haozi, run without worry. There is a God King watching over you—count yourself blessed."
(END CHAPTER)
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