Night — Hetian City
When the sun completely set and Hetian City turned dark, Tang Xiao silently disappeared from Hetian Academy and appeared at a residence hidden in an unknown corner of the city.
In the sky, thunder rumbled faintly. Lightning occasionally streaked across the clouds, hinting at an impending rain.
Releasing his spiritual power, Tang Xiao carefully confirmed that he had not arrived at the wrong place. After sensing the familiar aura inside, he smiled coldly, then directly infiltrated the house without making the slightest sound.
Inside the main room, on a wide and comfortable bed, a couple were sleeping.
The man was burly, more than two meters tall, nearly reaching Tang Xiao's own height. However, the soul power aura emanating from him clearly showed that he was nothing more than a Spirit Elder at the thirties.
To Tang Xiao, such a person was no different from a mortal.
He slept peacefully on one side of the bed, completely unaware that an intruder had already stepped into his home.
The woman beside him… was the one Tang Xiao had come for.
Even in the dim moonlight that entered through the window, her face still looked delicate and attractive. Yet what truly made Tang Xiao pause was not her face, but her figure. It was plump, mature, and unbearably tempting—so much so that even Tang Xiao, who had seen many women, had to admit that such a body was rare.
And to think, such an endowment had fallen upon a mortal woman.
"Alas… what a pity." Tang Xiao sighed softly.
"If she was unmarried, I wouldn't have minded taking her as a maid."
Tang Xiao had only seen such a figure in a few women until now. This woman was none other than the manager of Cave Heaven Inn—the mortal woman Tang Xiao had used as a pillow a few times in the past.
Until now, he did not even know her name.
Nor did he wish to.
Today, he came only for one reason.
To sleep well.
After months of travel and endless affairs, even his mind felt tired. In a situation where Ning Ruoyan was not here to soothe him, Tang Xiao could only come here and use this woman as a temporary comfort.
His gaze shifted to the husband sleeping beside her. Tang Xiao clicked his tongue in annoyance.
However, he was never a person who liked unnecessary trouble.
He did not want to take drastic measures, nor did he want to hurt this man's heart by waking him up and letting him witness something he could do nothing about.
So Tang Xiao simply raised his hand.
"Sleep peacefully."
A carefully measured mental shock entered the man's mind. In an instant, the burly man's breathing deepened, and he fell into a sleep so heavy that even his snoring stopped. It was not an ordinary sleep, but a deep unconsciousness that would last for hours.
Only after confirming that the man would not wake up anytime soon did Tang Xiao step forward.
The bed was large enough for four people. Taking one spot was hardly an issue.
Tang Xiao climbed onto the bed and lay down behind the woman. With his strong arms, he pulled her body toward him.
"Aah… who—"
The woman was shocked awake, her eyes filling with terror. This touch… it was not her husband's.
Before she could scream, Tang Xiao covered her mouth and whispered into her ear in a calm and soothing tone.
"Shh… it's me."
"Don't wake your husband."
Even so, the woman did not recognize his voice immediately. Her body trembled violently in his arms, struggling in panic.
Seeing her reaction, Tang Xiao originally wanted to turn her around and let her see him clearly. However, as his hand touched her waist, a dark thought flashed through his mind and stopped him.
He suddenly found it more interesting this way.
The woman struggled harder, but Tang Xiao did not care. His arms tightened slightly, and his strength instantly crushed her resistance. Compared to his strength, even a Soul saint of the seventies would be unable to resist him, much less a mortal woman.
Tears silently streamed down her face as she realized that her struggles were meaningless.
All the while, her husband lay beside them, sleeping soundly, unaware of anything.
Tang Xiao enjoyed this moment.
Not because of lust.
But because of the feeling of control.
Because of the helplessness.
Because of the humiliation that came from the fact that even if this woman screamed, even if her husband woke up, neither of them could change anything.
'What was she acting so pure for?' Tang Xiao sneered inwardly.
Not like she hadn't accompanied him before.
Not like she had only her husband in her heart.
After some time, the woman's trembling finally stopped. Her breathing became uneven, and her body stiffened as she recognized the familiar voice.
"It's… you…" she whispered weakly.
"Oh? Now you remember." Tang Xiao smiled faintly.
He finally turned her around as if she were a toy, then settled himself against her without the slightest restraint.
"Don't wake your husband. I'm only here to sleep." Tang Xiao spoke calmly, as though he were stating a simple fact. "I will leave once the sun rises."
The woman wanted to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes were filled with fear and humiliation.
Tang Xiao did not wait for her reply. He simply tore off her clothes, closed his eyes and rested on her jade skin, treating her like a pillow as naturally as breathing.
To him, this was nothing.
To her, it was an endless night.
A sleepless night for her, and a peaceful night for Tang Xiao.
---
Next day
By noon, Tang Xiao arrived above the Sunset Forest.
Last night was nothing but a small episode.
A trivial indulgence.
Strength changed people.
It changed the way they saw others.
It changed the way they weighed morality.
In the past, Tang Xiao would have called such an act unforgivable.
Now? He saw it as natural.
If he wished, he could step into any home, take what he wanted, and leave behind nothing but silence.
And what could they do? Nothing.
Tang Xiao did not feel guilty.
This world belonged to the strong.
The strong slaughtered.
The strong robbed.
The strong destroyed entire clans.
Compared to them…
He was gentle. He did not kill. He did not openly ruin families. He did not take women away.
He merely used them.
And left.
Therefore…
He was a good man.
Tang Xiao believed this completely.
In fact, he believed the world was fortunate.
If someone else possessed his strength, the world would only become worse.
"But with me here…"
Tang Xiao murmured as he flew.
"I will instill justice."
"I will give everyone human rights."
The conviction in his eyes was real.
The hypocrisy was also real.
---
As Tang Xiao neared the valley, his spiritual power detected the presence of someone.
Even without seeing him, Tang Xiao already knew who it was.
Dugu Bo.
The future Poison Douluo. The former owner of Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"Haha…" Tang Xiao laughed softly. "After I occupied this place, my visits never coincided with him. To think that today I happen to meet him."
Tang Xiao did not slow down.
Now, he did not care about Dugu Bo's poison, nor did he care about his self-destruction if pushed into a corner.
The timing of Dugu Bo's arrival was not bad at all.
Currently, Dugu Bo was under torment—his son's decaying health, his daughter-in-law's death, and the future of his granddaughter who was only a four-year-old child born with poison in her bones.
Compared to the future, where Dugu Bo would already be a Titled Douluo and his son would have died, now was the right time to offer help in his most vulnerable situation.
Initially, Tang Xiao did not want to complicate things by inviting Dugu Bo into his plans. Ah Yin and Spirit Hall were already burdens on his shoulders.
But now that his strength had grown enough to subdue almost all problems, there was no need for hesitation.
---
Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well
At the center of the spring, Dugu Bo's shriveled figure was submerged in the pool. His face was hideous, full of agony.
Just yesterday, it had rained again, causing his poison to flare violently.
This Ice and Fire spring was the only place that could temporarily suppress it. However, the price was also high. Even for him, a Rank 87 Soul Douluo, staying inside for more than a few minutes felt like being flayed alive.
But to keep his life, and to protect the people he cared about, he had no choice but to endure.
"I just hope I can quickly become a Titled Douluo and save Xin'er…" Dugu Bo gritted his teeth and persevered.
He could feel the poison inside his body gradually calming.
Then—
A voice drifted into the valley, casual and amused.
"Hm…"
"I never expected such a spiritually rich place would be hidden in such a small forest."
"And even less… that someone has already claimed it."
"Heh."
Dugu Bo's eyes snapped open.
"Who?!"
A terrifying spiritual pressure descended like the sky collapsing. The entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well trembled. Then the voice came again—closer, clearer, mocking.
"So it's Elder Brother Dugu."
"It seems you don't recognize me anymore?"
Dugu Bo's pupils shrank.
His gaze shot toward the source.
A tall figure stood there, hands behind his back, robes fluttering slightly in the wind.
The pressure alone made the air heavy.
"Tang… Xiao?!"
Dugu Bo's voice trembled.