Douluo Continent: From Internal Martial Arts to the Law of Heaven and Earth

Upon reaching the rooftop and pushing open the door, two figures sitting side by side on the edge of the roof came into view. The last rays of the setting sun gently bathed them in a warm golden glow, and the peaceful scene made Xiao Kuang's previously tense expression somewhat dazed.

……

"Oh, there are people up there. Sorry to bother you."

A smile tugged at his arrogant face, all his domineering air vanished. At this moment, he was just an ordinary, thin middle-aged man, with nothing special about him except for a hint of gloom in his face from years of pent-up resentment.

"It's alright. This place doesn't belong to anyone, so there's no question of disturbing it."

Tang Shan originally thought that even if the middle-aged man in front of him didn't make a move immediately, he would at least say a few harsh words to show his power. However, he never expected that the other party's attitude was not bad.

Since there was no direct confrontation, Tang Shan was happy to chat with the other party. In any case, Gu Yue could summon Xiong Jun and Zi Ji at any time, so he didn't care about any of the Star Luo Empire's schemes.

With a stiff, arrogant smile, he didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on a stone chair in the pavilion, staring blankly at the steaming buns on the table.

Gu Yue tilted her head, watching the two's inexplicable conversation, completely bewildered. Didn't Tang Shan clearly say that this person was full of cold malice? How come they're chatting like old acquaintances now? She couldn't help but gently tug at Tang Shan's sleeve, clearly very puzzled.

Tang Shan naturally knew Gu Yue's confusion, but did not explain immediately. He simply patted her hand gently to comfort her, then turned over and stood up from the edge of the rooftop, walking towards the pavilion.

Gu Yue quickly stood up as well, taking small steps to follow Tang Shan into the pavilion. The two sat quietly on two other stone chairs.

"May I have one?"

The question came so abruptly that Tang Shan was momentarily confused, but out of curiosity about the middle-aged man's identity and purpose, he nodded in agreement.

Gu Yue had no objections. Compared to the delicious food in front of her, she was more interested in understanding why Tang Shan could chat and laugh with someone who was clearly an enemy.

Xiao Kuang picked up a huge steamed bun, took a bite, and chewed it slowly. He ate very slowly, chewing each bite nearly a hundred times, as if reliving a long-forgotten memory. Tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

This scene completely stunned Gu Yue, who had already picked up another steamed bun and was enjoying it immensely.

The black-haired girl glanced at the middle-aged man with red eyes, then looked down at the fragrant meat bun in her hand. Her round eyes blinked repeatedly. Was it really that delicious? What did the other person want?

Would you like to hear my story?

His arrogant voice was hoarse and dry, each word sounding as if it were being squeezed out of his throat.

"If you're willing, we're all ears."

Tang Shan spoke calmly. At this moment, he finally realized that the middle-aged man's appearance on the rooftop was purely coincidental. If he and Gu Yue hadn't chosen this hotel, they most likely wouldn't have encountered him at all.

As for any tracking methods, they simply don't exist. Gu Yue was half right before; the other party's target was indeed him, Tang Shan, but their encounter here was purely accidental, and the other party clearly hasn't recognized his true identity yet.

“I am Xiao Kuang, the owner of this hotel, and I built this rooftop pavilion for her myself.”

Tang Shan didn't interrupt, and Gu Yue subconsciously slowed down her chewing, listening quietly to the other person's story.

“My wife comes from an ordinary family, with no wealth or power. My family is high and mighty and simply does not accept this marriage that is not a good match between our social classes. However, I was extremely firm in my attitude, and since I was not valued by my family to begin with, after several stalemates, they finally reluctantly agreed to my marriage with her.”

The gaunt middle-aged woman took a deep breath, her voice choked with emotion and complex: "My family is powerful and influential, while I am a respected Soul Master. The difference in our status is enormous. When she walks among people, she is often pointed at, criticized, and given the cold shoulder by others."

Tang Shan seemed to have a vague idea of ​​what would happen next, but what the other party said next was quite unexpected.

“She volunteered to go to the front line. I originally thought she wanted to prove something to those who ridiculed her. At the time, I tried my best to stop her and didn’t want her to get involved in these conflicts, but one sentence from her made it impossible for me to refuse.”

I don't know when, but her arrogant hands were now clenched tightly, her emotions almost out of control: "She said, 'I don't care about my own reputation, nor do I care what others think of me, I only care about your reputation. I can be ashamed, cowardly, and despised, but I will never allow my husband to be ridiculed because of me.' I tried everything to persuade her, but her mind was made up."

Our last meeting was at this hotel, and we ate steamed buns from the decades-old shop downstairs. She was born in this city and couldn't stomach those fancy delicacies; she just thought these steamed buns were the best food.

"Did she die on the battlefield?" Tang Shan couldn't help but ask, even though he knew the outcome was probably tragic.

"Yes and no."

His arrogant voice was hoarse, and his eyes were filled with resentment and hatred: "That day, the Tiandou army broke into the city, and the chaotic soldiers burned, killed, looted and committed all kinds of atrocities. When I rushed back here to find her, all I saw was a cold and broken corpse, her body a mess, a terrible sight."

Tangshan remained silent, only able to say that the burning, killing, and looting that followed the fall of ancient cities were equally brutal in both worlds. War accumulated too much negative emotion and mental pressure; without iron discipline and strict psychological guidance, the soldiers entering the city at that time would have been far more terrifying than the most ruthless bandits.

Originally, it was thought that the story had ended there, but unexpectedly, there was an even more explosive twist. The truth was truly an eye-opener for Tangshan.

"The moment I saw her body in the distance, I froze, my mind going completely blank. But just then, several disheveled deserters from Xingluo ran back, searching for valuables. As they passed my wife's body, they pointed and whispered, their words vulgar and their expressions lewd and obscene, even with a hint of satisfaction..."

Shocking! Absolutely shocking! If the plots in novels are already ridiculously absurd, then reality is often more magical than even the most outlandish fiction.

The other person didn't finish speaking, but Tang Shan already completely understood the unspoken meaning of the arrogant man. The ones who had violated and killed his wife were not enemy soldiers who had stormed the city, but rather deserters from his own country, soldiers of Xingluo who were supposed to protect their people!

This is utterly absurd, as ridiculous as a city being breached and the defending soldiers not fighting to the death, but instead naturally joining the looting.

Gu Yue was completely stunned. Her round eyes widened suddenly, her little face filled with disbelief, deeply shocked by the complexity and darkness of humankind.

Fortunately, she is the supreme ruler of all soul beasts, and all the soul beasts under her command are in awe of her, submit to her, and are loyal to her. There is absolutely no possibility of her rebelling or disobeying her.

Moreover, even if some soul beast were to dare to rebel, she was absolutely confident that she could completely suppress it with her unparalleled strength, and everything would be under her control.

Thinking of this, Gu Yue was in a great mood. She opened her mouth and buried herself in the steamed buns on the table again, as the fragrant meat buns were the most comforting.

Since I don't have to worry about being betrayed by soul beasts at all, what else do I need to consider?

If Tang Shan knew what Gu Yue was thinking at this moment, he would probably be speechless, and might consider asking her a question.

Soul beasts will not betray you, but what if one day you choose to betray all the soul beasts that trust you?

Chapter 317 Rejecting the Invitation

"Sorry, I got a little excited."

Xiao Kuang took a deep breath, barely managing to calm himself down, and his eyes gradually returned to calm.

"It's okay. Ultimately, it concerns myself, so it's normal to have some emotional fluctuations."

Tang Shan shook his head slightly and said calmly.

"You are Soul Masters, right? I wonder what your cultivation level is. Of course, if you don't want to say, that's fine too."

Xiao Kuang tentatively asked, then, seemingly realizing that it was inappropriate to inquire about someone's cultivation level so abruptly, quickly added.

"There's nothing to hide, we're both Soul Masters."

Tang Shan answered with a faint smile. Gu Yue glanced up at Xiao Kuang, but didn't say anything more. She simply picked up a large steamed bun again and began to savor it. Her cheeks were bulging, and her eyebrows and eyes curved into crescent moons. She was clearly in a very good mood.

"Judging from your age, you should be under twenty. To reach the Soul Sect level at such a young age is truly extraordinary."

Xiao Kuang's emotions had completely calmed down by now. If you ignored the fact that his voice was still a little hoarse, no one would be able to tell that he had almost lost control of his emotions just now.

"Just lucky."

Tangshan has always been low-key, and in the face of the lavish praise, he humbly replied.

“A genius is a genius. Unless you are a fallen one, there is no such thing as luck. I wonder if you would like to join my family? Rest assured, all cultivation resources will be provided, and you will not be treated unfairly.”

After much arrogance and preamble, he finally revealed his purpose and extended an invitation to Tangshan and Guyue.

"May I ask what your cultivation level is, senior? And what your family is...?"

Tang Shan was definitely going to refuse the middle-aged man. Not to mention that the other party couldn't offer any decent cultivation conditions, even if he could, he wouldn't join the Star Luo Empire. After all, the angel lady was so good to him.

"I am a Soul Saint. As for my family, I can only tell you after you join. But I can tell you that even in the Star Luo Empire, where the Dai family dominates, my family still holds a pivotal position. Not to mention ordinary cultivation resources, even soul bones are not impossible for you to obtain if you make a contribution."

Gu Yue, who had just swallowed a bun, couldn't help but curl her lips when she heard the arrogant promise. A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes: "You have to make merits to get a soul bone? The conditions are too poor."

"Senior, let's forget about it. Besides, you don't even know our strength and martial spirit yet, so it's really unsettling for you to recruit us like this."

While declining, Tang Shan found a loophole in the other party's words, and he wanted to see how the other party would respond.

"It doesn't matter if I don't know your name or martial soul. I recruit talent based on first impressions. Even if you have mediocre talent, as long as you are to my liking, why not give you a hand? Of course, even if I don't like someone, as long as their talent is suitable, I will definitely not hesitate to help them."

The arrogant reply was delivered without the slightest hesitation. With his superior mental strength and sharp perception, Tang Shan could easily determine that everything the Soul Saint of the Star Luo Empire had said was true, even the seemingly fabricated story. This only piqued Tang Shan's interest further.

"Thank you for your kind offer, senior, but I'm used to being free and easy, and I still prefer a life without constraints. I appreciate your kindness."

Tangshan refused again, which made Xiao Kuang's brows furrow slightly. He took a deep breath before his brows relaxed again.

"Well, everyone has their own ambitions. Since you don't want to join, I won't force you."

Xiao Kuang shook his head and looked up at the sky.

As night gradually fell, the last rays of the setting sun sank completely into the sky, and the darkness slowly spread like ink.

He stood up and walked towards the stairwell: "It's getting late, and I haven't found a place to stay yet, so I'll be leaving now."

"Senior, can you tell me why you are so concerned about us?"

Seeing Xiao Kuang about to reach the bottom of the stairs, Tang Shan couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Kuang paused slightly before walking straight down the stairs, leaving only a complex voice that dissipated in the wind.

"Because I see the younger versions of my wife and me in you. Kid, protect the girl next to you."

The rooftop fell silent again. The night breeze, carrying a cool scent, gently blew past the railing, ruffling a few strands of hair and bringing a chill to the bone.

Gu Yue stopped chewing at some point, her dark eyes fixed on Tang Shan, her gaze clear, as if the entire world consisted only of the person before her.

Feeling the gaze of the black-haired girl, Tang Shan couldn't help but touch her head. What he touched was a smooth, black tuft of hair, as soft as the finest silk.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." The voice was gentler than ever before, which instantly softened Gu Yue's expression. There was no shyness, no blushing. She simply moved her body slightly and gently rubbed her cheek against Tang Shan's palm. The warm, soft touch conveyed complete trust and made a silent response.

"Tangshan, do you think he's figured out who we are?"

Gu Yue nestled beside Tang Shan, resting her cheek gently on his shoulder, and looked up at the starry sky gradually appearing in the night, asking softly.

"No." Tang Shan's answer was very firm. "Would you mistake a handsome young man you meet on your journey for the Crown Prince of Tiandou or the Crown Prince of Xingluo? Obviously not."

Similarly, since he didn't expose us the moment he went upstairs, it can only mean that he hadn't deduced our identities, and my perception clearly confirmed this; his malice was directed at Tang Shan, not the young man in front of him.

"I see. So when do we deal with him?" Gu Yue asked.

Tang Shan was silent for a moment, then gently shook his head: "If he doesn't come looking for us in the future, then let him go."

This was the first time Tang Shan had shown leniency towards the Soul Masters he was about to deal with. It should be noted that when dealing with those Star Luo spies before, although he spared the ordinary people, he had basically wiped out all the Soul Masters.

He had a clear understanding of himself; he was just an ordinary person who couldn't slaughter the world, but he also didn't want to be a saint who would hold back when retaliating.

He couldn't bring himself to wipe out an entire family at the drop of a hat, but he was quite willing to let the Star Luo Empire lose some Soul Masters and suffer a minor but insidious loss.

As for the fact that the death of each Soul Master may represent the collapse of one or even two families, this has never been within Tang Shan's consideration; that is a matter for the Star Luo Empire to worry about.

If something were to happen to him, Su Yuntao and Su Haichao would also be heartbroken, which would cause great harm to Gu Yue and Dugu Yan as well. At that time, no one would care about him.

To put it bluntly and inhumanely, the number of families he destroyed by killing those Soul Masters was far less than the number of families destroyed in retaliation after his death in the Star Luo Empire.

There is no doubt about this. Tang Shan is certain that if he really dies here, the Star Luo Empire will be crippled or even destroyed.

He wasn't bragging; Dugu Bo, who was behind Dugu Yan, was already enough to give the Star Luo Empire a run for its money, not to mention the power of the entire Star Dou Great Forest under Gu Yue's command.

If either of these two girls were to lose their temper, it would bring annihilation to the Star Luo Empire.

After all, you can underestimate Dugu Bo's maximum combat power, but you should never underestimate Dugu Bo's area-of-effect damage.

You can underestimate the intelligence of soul beasts, but you should never underestimate their numbers.