Chapter 412: Seeing Off Guests

Facing Tang Wulin's declaration, Niu Tian furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice:

"Stay calm, Wulin, you're acting on impulse now."

"I'm not acting on impulse; I'm completely clear-headed now."

Tang Wulin said coldly:

"Niu Tian, right? I have a question for you now: Did Tang San regret his actions of massacring Yutong?"

Niu Tian nodded without hesitation.

"He regretted it."

Tang Wulin sneered:

"Why does he regret it? Is it because his massacre of Yutong made me hate him, rather than feeling guilty toward Yutong? Is that right or not?"

Niu Tian's brows furrowed even deeper; he sighed and advised:

"Wulin, you're just throwing a childish tantrum. You should know that things aren't always as they seem; he did this also for Yutong's own good."

"If he did it for Yutong's good, does that mean I have to accept what he did?"

Tang Wulin's voice suddenly rose in volume.

"Leaving aside whether Tang San did it for Huo Yutong's sake, even if he truly did, Tang Wulin could never accept his actions."

"His lover was treated this way, and he himself almost got killed; he seeks justice for both of them, which is only right and proper—no matter what Tang San says, he can't wipe the slate clean."

"Atonement is inherently countless; once a sin is committed, it cannot be undone. So-called atonement is often merely compensation the perpetrator gives the victim."

"Now it was Niu Tian's turn to be speechless."

"No matter how pleasant his words to Tang Wulin sounded, or how much he seemed to empathize with Tang Wulin, he was firmly on Tang San's side and could not sway Tang San's interests."

"If Tang Wulin were to truly clash with Tang San in the future, he would undoubtedly choose to help Tang San."

Tang Wulin, meanwhile, coldly stared at him, watching his every move.

"Now it seemed the talks had broken down; he had to be careful, lest Niu Tian, angered, try to attack him—then he'd have to quickly flee with Huo Yutong."

Niu Tian let out another long sigh.

"Wulin, are you really not going to change your mind?"

"Hmm."

"Then that's that."

"Unexpectedly, despite having broken faces, Niu Tian didn't look particularly angry."

He rose from his seat, patted Titan's shoulder, and said, "Let's go, Titan; we've disturbed this place long enough—let's head back."

"?"

"Now not only Titan, but Tang Wulin himself was dazed."

"Is it really over just like that?"

"He had just formed that thought when Niu Tian looked at him and gave him a friendly smile."

"Wulin, we'll come back to see you later; we hope you'll change your mind by then."

"... Impossible."

"Hehe, who knows?"

Niu Tian smiled mysteriously, tugging Titan out of the room.

Seeing the two off, Tang Wulin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"The pressure those two put on him was immense; even if Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong teamed up, or even if the entire present Shilake Academy went all out, they might not be able to handle these two top-tier experts."

"Fortunately, at least they didn't use Huo Yutong's dignity as a bargaining chip."

Huo Yutong gently tugged his sleeve, looking worried as she asked:

"Wulin, is this really okay? You don't need to hold back—" She felt Tang Wulin's behavior was a bit improper and wanted to advise him further.

But before she could finish, Tang Wulin suddenly cupped her face, leaned in, and sealed her words with his mouth.

After a long while, he finally released her, saying somewhat domineeringly:

"I don't want you to ever say such things again; if I were the one facing this, would you just let it go?"

"But..."

"There's no 'but' about it." Tang Wulin took her hand, earnestly saying, "Yutong, you're the most important person to me; I don't want you to keep belittling yourself like this—understand?"

Under his fervent, sincere gaze, Huo Yutong gradually gave in, averting her eyes as she murmured:

"I, I know already..."

"Her words sounded a bit discontent, but more so sweet; she felt genuine happiness that Tang Wulin valued her so deeply."

Tang Wulin smiled gently.

He leaned in again, lightly kissed Huo Yutong's lips, then held her in his arms, whispering, "Yutong, after the war ends, let's get married—how about that?"

Huo Yutong's eyes widened suddenly, caught off guard by Tang Wulin's sudden move.

When she saw his eyes and realized he was serious, her eyes involuntarily welled up.

She looked away, to hide her shyness and joy, joking, "Wulin, that kind of talk is really inauspicious."

Tang Wulin held her even tighter.

"What then? Should we consult the Eye of Fate for an omen? Or we could ask Yuner? As an Imperial Auspicious Beast, she must be highly sensitive to such things."

Huo Yutong shook her head vigorously, then buried her face in Tang Wulin's chest, hiding her expression.

But her voice still came out muffled.

"No need; if something inauspicious were to happen, I would even sacrifice my life to dispel it."

"Hey hey, that's putting the cart before the horse, isn't it?"

Tang Wulin couldn't help but wryly smile, gently stroking Huo Yutong's soft hair while daydreaming about a beautiful future.

Gentle sunlight showered down, bathing the room in extraordinary warmth.

In the air outside the Academy, Titan asked indignantly:

"Big brother, are we really just going to let this go like that? With our strength, even if we forcibly abduct him back, he wouldn't be able to resist, would he?"

Niu Tian rolled his eyes at him.

"Idiot, do you think this is a fight? No matter what, this kid is that person's son; this is their family matter. We just need to help mediate, not actually get involved in fighting. Besides, who knows if this will stir up their conflict? If Wulin later acknowledges his ancestry, do you think he'll have a good impression of you?"

Titan asked with a bitter face: "What should we do? It seems this kid is very repulsed by that person."

Niu Tian smiled faintly.

"It's fine; I can tell he originally was actually wavering, and would renew hostility toward that person purely because of that girl beside him."

Titan instinctively asked: "What should we do? Should we find an opportunity to get rid of that girl?"

Niu Tian twitched the corner of his mouth, then gave that blockhead a hard smack on the head.

"You call me an idiot and you still don't believe it? Think about what would happen if you killed Xiao Wu in front of that person. This kid Wulin has a temperament very like his father's; he absolutely would not tolerate anyone messing with his woman."

""

Titan didn't dare to speak anymore.

Niu Tian looked ahead and said lightly:

"In short, our breakthrough will be that girl. This time we came in a hurry, only asking about Wulin-related matters. When we go back, we'll ask about that girl's situation, then we'll make long-term plans."

(End of chapter)