Days passed by.
It had been nearly three weeks since Tang Xiao last met Tang Yuehua.
In the outside world, many events had taken place.
Three weeks ago, Tang Hao clashed with a Titled Douluo of Spirit Hall, breaking that Douluo's leg with his full strength before fleeing with his beloved, Ah Yin.
That day, the entire border city met a tragic end… miles of land turned barren and tens of thousands of lives were lost.
And two weeks ago, Spirit Hall declared Tang Hao the sinner of humankind and issued a wanted order for him and his lover. The bounty alone reached one hundred million gold coins—just for information on their whereabouts.
Yet, despite such turmoil, none of this news had reached Tang Xiao.
For the past three weeks, he lived a carefree life. Cultivating… eating three meals a day… and occasionally being summoned by his father or his so-called little sister to choose a bride from among the many portraits delivered to them.
So far, every woman Tang Xiao had seen suited his tastes. Each was as beautiful as Earth's most famous celebrities—some even surpassing them. If possible, Tang Xiao wished to have them all and savor the company of each one.
But since it was about his marriage, he wanted only the best as his wife.
Although a few surpassed Earth's supermodels, compared to Ah Yin and Tang Yuehua, they still fell slightly short.
Moreover, his wife had to possess a good bloodline and martial soul. Even if it could not rival his Clear Sky Hammer and lineage, it at least had to reach the highest level.
Thus, after stating his requirements to Tang Yuehua, he entrusted the task entirely to her.
He believed that Tang Yuehua, this so-called younger sister, would not let him down. As such, he spent his days immersed in cultivation and enjoying fine food.
As a salted fish in his past life, he quite enjoyed this kind of life. The only thing missing was the company of a few women, which would have made it perfect.
And on this day… Tang Yuehua came to him and dragged him toward the mansion's main hall.
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Mansion Main Hall
Tang Xiao sat on the sofa. In front of him were three portraits of women spread across the table.
"Big Brother, after searching through countless outstanding women, these three ladies are the most excellent I found," Tang Yuehua said.
Tang Xiao glanced at the portraits… indeed, their appearances were outstanding. Though each had a distinct style, their overall beauty was on the same level—no less striking than the sister before him.
Seeing Tang Xiao's eyes light up, Tang Yuehua, understanding that her brother was satisfied, began elaborating on their details.
""This lady is from the Zhu family. She is the youngest daughter of the old patriarch, thirty-two years old, with innate soul power at level seven and a current cultivation of rank fifty-one. Because there were only two princes born in the last generation of the Star Luo Empire, and she was born later, she escaped the Imperial Queen contest and avoided royal disputes. Her personality is also excellent—she would make a fine wife."
Tang Xiao nodded slightly.
"Zhu family… Hell Civet Cat martial soul… Though it cannot compare to my Clear Sky Hammer, it is still among the top martial souls. And her figure is… mind-blowing." He thought silently.
For offspring to inherit twin martial souls, both parents' martial souls needed to be of a similar level.
Although Tang Xiao could ensure his offspring had innate full soul power—or even higher—using immortal herbs, he couldn't guarantee they would inherit twin martial souls.
Still, increasing the chances was worth it. Even if the child inherited only one martial soul, what was the harm?
"Once I consume immortal herbs, my Clear Sky Hammer will likely evolve… widening the gap between it and the Hell Civet Cat. Alas… let's see the next two first," Tang Xiao mused.
"Mm… Tell me about the next one."
"Yes, Big Brother."
"This one is from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She is the younger aunt of Brother Ning Fengzhi. Because of the adventurous spirit of Fengzhi's grandfather, she and Brother Fengzhi are the same age—forty-one. Her cultivation has reached rank seventy-one, and her innate soul power was level eight. Her talent is only slightly below Brother Fengzhi, who has already reached rank seventy-nine."
"Her current personality is steady, though in her youth she was mischievous and infamous throughout the sect for arrogance. With age and maturity, however, she has changed greatly."
"Oh… interesting." Tang Xiao picked up the portrait, studying it closely.
The woman looked no older than her twenties, with a pure and innocent face. Though she was forty-one, time seemed to have left no trace on her. Yet… her figure was not as voluptuous as the Zhu family woman's, which lessened her appeal in Tang Xiao's eyes.
"Continue, with the last one."
"Mmhm, Big Brother. This lady is the younger sister of the current Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. She is famed for her beauty. Her martial soul is the White Swan of the royal family, but her cultivation talent is poor. Born with innate soul power of level six, she is currently only rank thirty-five at the age of thirty-one."
Tang Xiao fell into deep thought.
"From the royal family… tempting indeed…" he mused.
With royal bloodline, his future child would have the chance to vie for the throne. Tempting indeed, as she was the little sister of Emperor Xue Ye. Yet the drawbacks were obvious—the probability of their child inheriting twin martial souls was perhaps lower than five percent.
He considered the other two, each with distinct advantages. A child with twin martial souls—one tool, one beast—would complement perfectly. And if the Hell Civet Cat truly awakened, pairing with the Star Luo royal family could even produce a martial soul fusion skill. That was the greatest advantage of choosing the Zhu family woman.
The candidate from the Ning family was not inferior either. If the child awakened twin martial souls, even if both were tool-type, one was attack and the other auxiliary. Moreover, Tang Xiao had a method to evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—possibly even seizing control of the sect in the future. The benefits of a marriage alliance with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were plenty: reliance on their two Titled Douluo, financial support if they relocated to Heaven Dou Empire for refuge, and more.
"In all… all three offer valuable benefits, but the royal woman provides the least. The other two are nearly on the same level." After pondering for nearly an hour, Tang Xiao still could not reach a decision.
In the end, he decided to leave the matter to Tang Yuehua, for she was known for her wisdom and worldly knowledge.
"Little Yuehua, who is your favorite?"