Chapter 244: 263. Father and Son Reunite
Seeing Xiao Wu's gentle demeanor, Tang San couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. He pictured himself leading her through the Spirit Hall tournament, fighting side by side until victory was his. Then, when Spirit Hall inevitably tried to threaten or capture Xiao Wu, he'd boldly step in front of her to protect her. In that moment, he was certain—she would once again fall in love with him. Just thinking about it filled his mind with restless fantasies.
After sending Tang San away, Xiao Wu was approached by Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Er Ming, and Tai Long.
"Xiao Wu, that Soft Bone Rabbit soul bone—could it be…?" Yu Tianheng asked.
"Yes," Xiao Wu said softly. "That belonged to my mother. Across the whole continent, aside from me, no other hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit exists."
"But Xiao Wu, didn't you say that the soul bone should have been in Tang Hao's hands? How could it end up with Spirit Hall?" asked Dai Mubai. (Deep down, he hoped Xiao Wu's mother's killer was Spirit Hall, not Tang Hao. Not because he sided with Tang San, but because if Tang San became her enemy, it would mean opposing someone backed by the Asura God himself. Yet if it truly was Tang Hao who killed her, Dai Mubai would not hesitate to stand beside Xiao Wu.)
"I didn't say it wrong," Xiao Wu replied evenly. "My mother did die at Tang Hao's hands, and that soul bone was taken by him. The Blue Silver Emperor's hundred-thousand-year soul bone was also in his possession."
At the mention of Ah Yin's soul bone, Dai Mubai froze—everything clicked. Spirit Hall must have had its own reborn insider. In their past life, after Shrek's victory over Spirit Hall, the history of those events had been endlessly celebrated across the continent.
Tang Hao's fall into ruin—his six silent years before reappearing for his son—had been immortalized as a tale of patience and endurance. Songs and stories lauded him as a romantic hero who had bridged the divide between human and spirit beast through love. Those same records had even detailed the waterfall cave behind Holy Soul Village.
From the perspective of a reborn enemy, what would they do with such knowledge? They'd intercept. Just as they had snatched herbs and resources before, they could easily have stolen this "mother's soul bone" and even Ah Yin's spirit essence. It was only natural both would have ended up in Spirit Hall's hands.
(Elsewhere, Tang San—his mind in chaos—slapped his forehead. I understand now. They intercepted it. That's it! His eyes turned blood-red, his body trembling with fury. "A reborn Spirit Hall agent dared steal my mother's soul bone—dared rewrite the rightful history of the Douluo Continent? They've chosen death! They've chosen utter destruction!")
"Xiao Wu," Dai Mubai said firmly, turning back to her. "Don't worry. I, Dai Mubai, will help you win back your mother's soul bone."
"I will too," Yu Tianheng said at once.
One by one, Xiao Wu's devoted "followers" all swore their support.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Shrek Academy, Tang Hao had quietly arrived.
"It's been so many years since I've seen Little San," he muttered with a rare smile. "I wonder how he's doing now."
Just the thought of his son made Tang Hao's chest swell with pride. To him, Tang San was destined for greatness—the brightest star in any sky. Surely by now, he thought, his boy had become Shrek Academy's shining prodigy, leading his comrades to shake the very foundation of Spirit Hall in the upcoming tournament.
But when he investigated a bit further, his smile froze.
Three Soul Kings in Shrek? And the rest… all Soul Ancestors?
Wait—none of the three Soul Kings is my son?
He began muttering in disbelief. "Xiao Wu's already at level fifty-two? But Little San's only at forty-one? What in the hell is going on?!"
Then his expression twisted further. "And where's Zhu Zhuqing? Gone? Replaced by Yu Tianheng—and that monkey, Er Ming?!"
"Er Ming?" His voice cracked. "Isn't that the Titan Giant Ape from Star Dou Forest? You stupid beast! Instead of waiting quietly to sacrifice yourself for my boy like a good Tang family pet, you ran off to join Shrek's circus?!"
His brows furrowed again. "And the immortal herbs? If Little San had absorbed them, there's no way he'd be this weak… So he never got them?!"
That night, unable to wait any longer, Tang Hao secretly drew Tang San out of the academy.
After years apart, father and son finally stood face to face.
"Father!" Tang San cried, eyes welling with tears as he rushed forward into Tang Hao's arms.
Tang Hao's massive hand gently patted his son's back, his voice rough but warm. "Little San… tell me. Everything that's happened these years."
Tang San recounted his journey in detail—the battles, his training, Shrek's formation—but deliberately omitted certain details: Yu Tianheng's pursuit of Xiao Wu, and how his relationship with her had stagnated into mere "siblings." To him, that was something he could handle alone. Dragging his father into such embarrassments felt beneath him.
Because of that, Tang Hao missed the key secrets lurking within the Shrek team. (Had he known Yu Tianheng was pursuing Xiao Wu, he would've personally "eliminated" the rival on the spot. After all, in Tang Hao's conveniently altered memory, Xiao Wu was vital—his son's key to achieving godhood.)
Still, Tang Hao caught other details from the tale. For one, Tang San had never met Dugu Bo in this timeline. Apparently, Dugu Bo had died from his own poison. That made Tang Hao click his tongue—such a waste.
In the wars to come, Dugu Bo's poison had been essential. At Jialing Pass, his poisonous cloud had wiped out tens of thousands of Spirit Hall's elite spirit masters and countless loyalist soldiers, evening the odds for the anti-Spirit Hall forces. Afterwards, all the blame had conveniently been pinned on Dugu Bo alone. Perfect.
But now? Dugu Bo was gone. "Who'll handle the killing then?" Tang Hao muttered. "I can't just hammer them all to death myself, can I? That's… that's not dignified for a god's father."
Despite his life now resembling that of a sewer rat—destroying cities and villages whenever his rage overtook him—Tang Hao's self-image still glimmered with ambition. Once Tang San rose to power, he too would have to reclaim his image. One day, he would become a realm's master; for that, he'd need a spotless legend.
And Dugu Bo's absence wasn't the only complication. The loss raised another problem entirely—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Without Dugu Bo's guidance, its fate, and Tang San's missing immortal herbs, had become uncertain.
(END CHAPTER)
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