Chapter 525: The Tragic Ballad of the Angel Clan
Soon, Huo Yuhao appeared in the sky near the tower. With a sharp whistle of wind, he descended rapidly, landing with a heavy thud, sending an invisible shockwave rippling outward. Dry leaves scattered into the air before twirling back down.
Ye Guyi stepped forward with a smile.
"Lord Tower Master, I have completed the mission you entrusted to me. These white robed individuals behind me are all possessors of the Angel Martial Soul from the Three Douluo Nations. As for those who assisted us in this task, aside from Jing Ziyan, the others have successfully infiltrated the Heavenly Soul Empire and are awaiting further instructions."
Huo Yuhao's gaze locked onto Ye Guyi.
"Among these Angel Martial Soul users, is there anyone with the surname Qian?"
In truth, Huo Yuhao had already sensed Ye Guyi's return the moment she and her group arrived at the academy.
His mental power was vast and powerful, and he constantly kept his Spiritual Detection Sharing active, monitoring his surroundings. The only reason he hadn't immediately intercepted Ye Guyi at the gates was because he had been discussing forging techniques with Xuan Ziwen at the time.
"Surname Qian?" Ye Guyi was momentarily stunned, a thoughtful expression flashing across her face before she shook her head decisively.
"No, I can confirm that there is no one with the surname Qian among them."
"No one with the surname Qian?" Huo Yuhao frowned slightly. "Did they all change their surnames?"
The Qian Clan had ruled Spirit Hall for generations, wielding the inheritance of the Angel God, making them the core of the Angel Clan.
Through centuries of expansion, the Qian bloodline should have spread far and wide albeit with varying degrees of purity.
During the golden era of the Qian Clan, even children born from married out daughters would inherit their mother's surname instead of their father's.
After all, Spirit Hall had ruled supreme for centuries, and bearing the Qian surname was both a symbol of honor and a way to solidify family ties.
However, after the fall of the Spirit Empire, having the surname Qian likely invited unwanted trouble.
Of course, all of this was merely Huo Yuhao's speculation. There were no historical records to confirm it.
At this moment, a graceful middle aged woman in white robes stepped forward, standing beside Ye Guyi.
She spoke in a calm yet sorrowful tone:
"Huo Yuhao, you're absolutely right we did change our surnames.
"After the Divine War, when the Angel God's divine position was shattered and the Spirit Empire fell, the once mighty Angel Clan, which had ruled from the heavens, found itself on the verge of extinction.
"Even though Tang San never explicitly ordered our extermination, there were some things he didn't need to say aloud.
"There were plenty of opportunists eager to earn favor with the new regime by oppressing the fallen Angel Clan.
"In those dark times, who would dare bear the surname Qian?
"Even Ancestor Qian Renxue, having lost her divine status, could do nothing to protect her people.
"With external enemies lurking and no heirs to carry on the Qian bloodline, the Angel Clan suffered through an era of bloodshed and tears.
"Many of the Qian family members were slaughtered.
"Some were captured and enslaved, sold to depraved nobles who used them to satisfy their twisted desires.
"Our only choice was to erase our names, to hide, and to cling to survival in secret.
"As time passed, aside from the Evil Soul Masters, most people eventually forgot their hatred toward us, and the oppression faded.
"But the Angel Clan will never forget our history of suffering."
As she spoke, a deep sorrow flickered in her intelligent, captivating eyes.
The other white robed individuals behind her also wore somber expressions, their eyes filled with pain.
Huo Yuhao glanced at her.
Could it be that Tang San had actually encouraged the oppression of the Angel Clan behind the scenes?
After all, Tang Buddha was a man of grudges, petty to an extreme degree.
If given the chance to oppress the Angel Clan, he would never let it slip by.
However, as the victor of the Divine War, he wouldn't have wanted to stain his image by personally ordering their extermination.
That would have made him seem like a bully.
Given Tang Buddha's hypocritical nature, he likely put on a righteous front while orchestrating their downfall from the shadows.
Huo Yuhao nodded.
"I see. And your name is?"
This woman seemed to be their leader, which meant she likely held significant status within the now weakened Angel Clan.
"My name is Zhao Die'er. I am the current leader of the Angel Clan.
"As for Yu Mengdi, the girl you had Ye Guyi seek out at Zheng Tian Academy she is my daughter."
She then continued,
"Ye Guyi told me everything.
"You wish to restore the Angel Clan to greatness.
"I won't lie to you the odds of success are incredibly slim.
"Ye Guyi represents the future of our clan.
"She is the first Six Winged Angel I have seen in generations.
"If not for my trust in Ye Guyi, I would never have taken this risk and brought my people to the Sun Moon Empire."
"Even though this empire harbors countless Evil Soul Masters, making it a den of demons for the Angel Clan, I chose to take the risk."
Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened.
"Then Ye Guyi isn't the only reason you came here, is she?"
"For our partnership to work, we need to be honest with each other.
"That's the only way we can continue this conversation. Don't you agree?"
Zhao Die'er had spent the entire time emphasizing how difficult life was for the Angel Clan, portraying their arrival in the Sun Moon Empire as a great sacrifice.
She was trying to evoke sympathy, making it seem as though Huo Yuhao should feel honored that they were willing to trust him.
She wanted him to offer them better conditions, to give them more benefits.
After all, the Angel Clan's suffering wasn't his fault.
Seeing that her intentions had been exposed, Zhao Die'er took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and finally spoke bluntly:
"Fine, Huo Yuhao, I won't hide it anymore.
"Ye Guyi demonstrated the Soul Spirit technology to me in the Heavenly Soul Empire.
"I was shocked.
"Soul Spirits are revolutionary they have the potential to reshape the world.
"If we gain access to this power, the Angel Clan can finally rise again."
She took a step forward, eyes blazing with determination.
"The Douluo Continent is on the brink of war.
"When war sweeps the land, every power will be reshuffled.
"Some will become prey, laid out on the dining table.
"Others will rise to the top, sitting at the table, feasting on the fallen.
"I want the Angel Clan to claim a seat at that table.
"Even if we can't regain our past glory, we must escape our current misery."
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