Chapter 251: Reactions from All Sides (Part 1)

After soothing Ning Rongrong, Ning Fengzhi found an excuse to let her return to cultivate first, then left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Bone Douluo.

Heaven Dou City, notice board.

"Second Brother."

In a private room of a restaurant beside the notice board, Tang Yuehua looked at the corpse of Tang Hao on the city wall, tears suddenly streaming down her face. Her delicate body trembled, and she covered her mouth with one hand to keep from making a sound.

On the street, Titan's eyes were wide, the veins on his forehead bulging, his face full of anger. "Slander, it's all slander! How could the Master commit such an act!"

But he could only clench his teeth tight, not daring to say it out loud at all.

"Isn't that Clan Head Titan of the Force Clan?"

"Didn't the Four Great Clans get ruined by Tang Hao back in the day?"

"No wonder he's so excited; it looks like he must be overjoyed."

"Rest assured, I will have people investigate Tang San's whereabouts. As for the Clear Sky Sect, I speculate they won't dare to act rashly. On one hand, there is the existence of the Spirit Hall; on the other, if they dare to make a move against you, the Empire will not easily forgive them."

"I don't think he looks happy; he looks angry instead, doesn't he?"

Outside Yuexuan.

Tang Hao's corpse was to be hung on the city wall for a day and a night, and it was guarded by heavy troops. If she wanted to retrieve Tang Hao's corpse, she would have to wait until after the day was over to have a chance.

"Xiao Quan, it's good to see you're alright." Upon meeting, Ning Fengzhi put on a look of relief. At the same time, a brilliant seven-colored light bloomed from his hands, seven Soul Rings appeared, and the seventh, sixth, and fourth rings lit up in succession.

"Hmph." Titan let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Shi Quan put on the appearance of someone just recovered from a serious illness and thanked him: "Uncle Ning, thank you for the healing."

A peculiar radiance enveloped Shi Quan and the others. While helping them recover, he did not forget to step on Tang Hao: "I never expected that the dignified Clear Sky Douluo would actually commit such a villainous act. It is truly despicable. No wonder he indulged his own child to become an Evil Soul Master."

In the restaurant's private room, Tang Yuehua's eyes flickered. She gritted her teeth and also turned to leave.

"What else can I do? I can only continue to research and cultivate properly at the academy." Shi Quan shrugged with a helpless look. "If Uncle Ning is willing, you could help investigate Tang San's whereabouts and keep an eye on the movements of the Clear Sky Sect. Tang San knows his father died at our hands; with his vengeful personality, he will definitely find a way to take revenge. At that time, in order to increase his strength, I fear Tang San will become even more insane."

On the other side, Dugu Bo's courtyard.

At the same time.

Originally, Ning Fengzhi wanted to chat with Shi Quan about the evolution of martial souls, but Shi Quan had just recovered from his injuries and needed time to recuperate, so it was not good to disturb him too much. After a brief chat, Ning Fengzhi took his leave.

Hearing this, Titan turned his head with angry eyes, but all he saw were human heads; he couldn't tell who was who at all.

Outside the room came the sound of Ning Fengzhi knocking on the door.

"Clan Head." A disciple lowered his head and whispered a reminder; he felt the unfriendly gazes coming from the people around them.

"And the Clear Sky Sect. Although Tang Hao was expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, he is, after all, the younger brother of the current Clear Sky Sect Master, Tang Xiao. If Tang Xiao learns of this, there is no telling what extreme actions he might take."

Ning Fengzhi nodded. "This Tang San is indeed a hidden threat. Evil Soul Masters grow at an extremely fast rate, and he also possesses Twin Spirits. If he is allowed to grow unchecked, he will inevitably become a hidden danger in the future."

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "No worries. Xiao Quan, what are your plans for now?"

"It's just that Tang San is still missing," Dugu Bo said indifferently.

"..."

The crisp sound of horse hooves came continuously as Xue Qinghe personally led a large detachment of the Royal Knights to surround Yuexuan completely.

"His Majesty has ordered a search of Yuexuan."

Xue Qinghe spat out these eight words coldly, without explaining any reason.

"Has Yuexuan committed a crime?"

The nobles inside Yuexuan were suddenly in an uproar.

"Damn it, this move by Xue Ye is a warning to my Clear Sky Sect." Hearing this, Tang Yuehua could only be angry but dare not speak; she could only bow and accept the order.

Xue Qinghe's party had been grand and imposing along the way, attracting plenty of attention, and now, seeing Yuexuan being searched—

The people all around immediately began to discuss it.

"The owner of this Yuexuan, Tang Yuehua, is a member of the Clear Sky Sect."

"It seems she is also Tang Hao's younger sister."

"Although Tang Hao was expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, they must still be secretly connected, not to mention the bond of siblings."

"Do you think this Yuexuan has been secretly harboring Tang San and Tang Hao?"

"Hard to say, otherwise why would it suddenly be searched?"

"A place that harbors Evil Soul Masters like this—let alone searched, it should have been sealed off long ago."

The rumors in the city spread more and more intensely. For a time, the public sentiment in the city was agitated, especially among the commoner Spirit Masters.

After all, the spirit master theories published by Shi Quan, especially the Zhou Tian Cultivation Method, were of immense help to them, which could be called a debt of rebirth. How could they not be angry that Tang Hao snuck in to murder Shi Quan? Such a person deserved to die.

Listening to the discussions outside while inside Yuexuan, Tang Yuehua's chest heaved rapidly, her delicate body trembled slightly, and her overflowing rage had nowhere to vent.

She had spent her life managing Yuexuan, and the reputation she had painstakingly accumulated was now ruined by a single search. Not only was she labeled as harboring an Evil Soul Master, but all her prestige was destroyed in one fell swoop. The unshakable status that Yuexuan held in the etiquette circles of the Heaven Dou Empire would also crumble along with it.

The search lasted for a full half-day.

Only then did Xue Qinghe lead the Royal Knights back to the roadside. With the search yielding no results, Xue Qinghe should have left directly according to protocol.

But before leaving, Xue Qinghe spoke again in front of everyone: "Dean Tang, Yuexuan only recruits one hundred students every year, right?"

"That is correct." Tang Yuehua nodded in response.

"If my investigation is correct, during your teaching at Yuexuan last year, you had an extra companion student by your side for no reason?" Xue Qinghe's gaze fell slowly upon Tang Yuehua. "This search discovered that this person's background is unknown. I wonder if Dean Tang can enlighten me?"

The companion student in Xue Qinghe's mouth was Tang San, but he had used a special technique to disguise himself, which was why no one had discovered his identity.

Tang Yuehua's expression did not change as she explained: "That person is named Tang Yin, a member of my sect. It is only because he lacks talent as a Spirit Master that he came to study by my side."

"Is that so?" Xue Qinghe sneered. "Dean Tang, you had best not let me find evidence."

Having said that, Xue Qinghe then led the many Royal Knights away.

And these words from Xue Qinghe added even more fuel to the many rumors.

Tang Yuehua watched Xue Qinghe's back, took a deep breath, and tried hard to calm herself down, her thoughts flying.

"The Empire has already begun to suspect Yuexuan. Fortunately, Xiao San has gone to Slaughter City; I don't need to worry about his safety for the time being."

"And the sect, I must first send back the news of Second Brother's fall; at a time like this, the Clear Sky Sect absolutely cannot lose its footing, otherwise, with the Empire and the Spirit Hall both applying pressure, the Clear Sky Sect would absolutely be unable to withstand it."

"As for Second Brother's corpse..." Thinking of this, Tang Yuehua's tears welled up uncontrollably; she gritted her teeth, turned, and walked into the room.

With the crowd currently in such an agitated state, if she went to collect the body, not only would Yuexuan be branded with the name of harboring an Evil Soul Master, but even the sect would be affected.

But if she did not collect the body, she could hardly imagine how the Empire would dispose of Tang Hao's corpse.

"Second Brother, I have failed you." Thinking of this, Tang Yuehua could not help but cover her face and weep bitterly.

The next day.

At the notice board wall of Heaven Dou City.

Titan appeared beneath the city wall with a gloomy expression; ignoring the gazes of the crowd, he stepped forward, took Tang Hao's corpse down from the wall, placed it into a Soul Guidance Device, and then turned and left.

"What does the Force Clan want to do?" The eyes of those from various major factions who were secretly tailing them were fixed firmly on Titan's departing figure.

Tang San did not appear, and with the Force Clan collecting Tang Hao's corpse at this moment, they instantly became the focus of attention for numerous factions.

"The Force Clan?" Hearing this news, Shi Quan finally remembered them; in the original story, the Force Clan could be said to be utterly devoted to Tang Hao's family.

That Tang San was eventually able to establish the Tang Sect was inseparable from the help of the Force Clan; after all, the initial origins of the Tang Sect were the four clans: Strength, Defense, Agility, and Break.

"I was going to leave you alone, but you have to come out and court death yourself." A sharp glint flashed through Shi Quan's eyes.

For the next few days, they kept a low profile in Dugu Bo's small courtyard.

The incident of Tang Hao's assassination attempt spread ever more widely.

Inside the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Xiao received the letter from Tang Yuehua.

"Brother Hao, how could this be?" Tang Xiao glanced at the contents of the letter, his pupils constricted, his whole body stiffened, and then he swayed.

"Sect Master, what has happened?" Seeing that Tang Xiao's expression was not right, the Three Elders in the assembly hall could not help but ask.

Tang Xiao tightened his fingertips on the letter paper, his face filled with grief, his voice somewhat hoarse, "Brother Hao... is dead."

"How is this possible!?" The elders below all changed color.

Although most of the elders did not like Tang Hao, they still had great confidence in Tang Hao's strength; not to mention that Tang Hao bore the sect's two great Inheritance Soul Bones, Tang Hao also possessed the inheritance of the Haotian Nine Absolutes and the Great Sumeru Hammer—with such strength, how could he have fallen?

"You elders see for yourselves." Tang Xiao, also unable to believe it, read the contents of the letter again, and after confirming there was no mistake, he could only cover his face, trembling as he reached out his hand to push the letter paper out.

The Great Elder, who was the leader, frowned and reached out to grasp it; a powerful force instantly sucked the letter paper from Tang Xiao's hand into his own, and the other elders also crowded around to watch together.

"How could this Tang Hao be so muddled!" The Great Elder roared in a tone of frustration that he could not turn iron into steel.

In the letter, according to Tang Yuehua's speculation, Tang Hao's choice to assassinate Shi Quan at such a time might have some connection to the Nine Heart Begonia Family incident; perhaps Tang Hao wanted to frame Shi Quan's death on the revenge of the Nine Heart Begonia Family.

At such a sensitive time, while risking one's life to sneak in and assassinate was feasible, penetrating deep into the enemy camp carried extremely high risks; this was undoubtedly a massive gamble.

It would be fine if he could succeed and retreat, but his actions not only got himself planted at the academy, but also brought great trouble to the entire sect once again...