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Often, people are like this. After living a life of plenty, they tend to stop striving. The so-called pursuit of success is no more than indulging in lustful fantasies once their basic needs are met.

If this conversation had taken place twenty years ago, when Gong Zheng was a ruthless, penniless young man, had a woman appeared before him, he would likely have simply sold her to a brothel. There would have been no love, no marriage, no children.

Material wealth shapes the contours of emotion.

As these people grow wealthy, some of those who gained their riches through cunning tactics begin to recapture their conscience. They selectively bestow their kind-heartedness upon a select few, such as their kin or lovers.

So even a despicable villain can be seen as a loving father in the eyes of his child. There’s no contradiction between these two identities coexisting in the same person.

Tang Luo smacked his lips, pleased with the subtle bitterness of his tea that left a sweet aftertaste. He maintained a frown as he watched Gong Zheng sobbing and prostrate on the ground. Setting down his cup, he critiqued, “I’m teaching you how to make a comeback, and this is the face you wear?”

“Does making a comeback mean abandoning my wife and child?” Gong Zheng, his eyes rimmed red, raised his head in defiance, a ferocious glare briefly passing over his face.

“It’s better than losing your life,” Tang Luo quipped, leaning back in his chair, toying with his tea cup in a carefree manner.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Confusion and pain etched across Gong Zheng’s face as he asked Tang Luo.

“Heh.” Tang Luo casually placed his tea cup on the table with a “clink”.

“Just thought you didn’t consider it, so I’m suggesting it. Why not give it a try?”

Tang Luo’s provocation only intensified Gong Zheng’s pain. While anyone would choose life over death, few could casually accept the cost of their revival to be the suffering or even death of their wife and children.

Gong Zheng’s internal struggle was written all over his face, his expressions ranging from indignation, pain, fury, determination, to gentleness. These contrasting sentiments sent his facial muscles into a spasmodic twitch. Nonetheless, his eyes remained clouded in confusion.

He found himself torn between making a comeback and protecting his family, his resolution wavering. As Tang Luo mentioned, he could start anew if he escaped Xiling. Staying, on the other hand, was tantamount to choosing death.

A thought briefly crossed Gong Zheng’s mind. Starting over in a new city didn’t seem such a bad idea. But the vision of his daughter reaching out with tiny hands and calling him Daddy, and his wife’s tenderness quickly quashed that thought.

He couldn’t believe that he had contemplated running away as he had. He felt like a beast, and the one who had prompted such monstrous thoughts was none other than the so-called Pride of Xiling, the scion of the Tang Clan. His eyes were murderous as they bore into Tang Luo, who merely observed Gong Zheng with amusement as he leisurely poured himself another cup of tea.

Despite his loathing for the man, Gong Zheng knew he dare not lay a finger on Tang Luo. Powerless, he balled his fist and took a swing at the ground. He was consumed with self-hatred for his own powerlessness and weakness.

“Oh, by the way.”

“Lao Ying should be returning soon. Time is not on your side,” Tang Luo reminded him casually, raising his teacup in salutation before draining it in one gulp.

Gong Zheng clenched his heart, a sudden rush of inexplicably panic swelling within him.

It was as if a voice in his ear was telling him that the formidable martial artist was returning soon. If he did not flee now, there would be no other opportunities. As this voice slowly shook his resolve, tempting him to flee, he closed his eyes, only to be greeted by the images of his wife and daughter, and their affectionate moments together.

Enough! Just Stop!

He punched himself hard in the face, accompanied by a faint cracking sound.

Gong Zheng’s right cheek burst open from his own punch, exposing his white bones beneath the torn flesh. Blood flowed freely, streaked down his face, and soaked into his collar.

“Have you made up your mind?” Tang Luo asked curiously, anticipation evident on his face.

With half of his face stained red with blood, Gong Zheng could only open his right eye. Meeting Tang Luo’s gaze with an infuriated look, he said, “What’s the point of making a comeback if I can’t even protect my own wife and daughter?”

Seeing Gong Zheng’s ultimate decision, Tang Luo’s previously excited face faded into a calm expression. In a flat tone, he said, “If you’re not going to run, you might as well order yourself a coffin.”

With that, he stood and left, leaving behind Gong Zheng, his face covered in blood, letting out a stifled roar.

As Tang Luo stepped out of the building into the street, he walked straight into Lao Ying, who had just returned.

But upon facing him, he discovered something extraordinary.

“Where have you been?” Tang Luo curiously asked, his eyes sparkling with an inexplicable luster.

Master Xu looked confused and replied: “Didn’t I tell you?”

“You only went to the brothel, and didn’t do anything else?” Tang Luo walked around Master Xu, clicking his tongue in amazement.

The other person was carrying the scent of rouge from the brothel women, so he probably wouldn’t lie about that. But how did his spiritual power grow so much?

If I remember correctly, when he dragged him out this morning, he should have had 9999 (12856) points of spiritual power, in other words, 22855 points.

But now, Master Xu’s underlying spiritual power had already reached 9999 (12857), and all he did was visit the brothel – he didn’t meditate or practice martial arts.

This either meant that the Xu Clan had a way of naturally increasing spiritual power or possessed a secret technique of absorbing yin and cultivating yang.

Only then could it explain why Master Xu was able to reach such a level at just twenty years old.

You should know that spiritual energy and combat power are not the same thing. A secret technique or a combat skill can significantly increase combat power, but spiritual energy can only be accumulated slowly.

Master Xu found Tang Luo’s question very strange, so he replied, “What else could I have done?”

How interesting. Tang Luo chuckled, his eyes shimmering curiously as a plan formed in his mind.

He must figure out the mystery behind the other’s increase in spiritual power over the next three days and whether there were any aspects he could reference.

“By the way, cousin, where’s Gong Zheng?” Master Xu asked.

Tang Luo waved his hand and said, “Don’t worry about him. We’ll meet up in the west suburb tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Master Xu nodded, then patted Tang Luo’s shoulder, excitedly saying, “I have a grand plan!”

“What are you going to do?” Tang Luo flinched, fearing what kind of ‘grand plan’ this divine cousin of his could come up with.

“Hey- Ah!” Master Xu patted Tang Luo’s shoulder again, consoling him: “Don’t worry, cousin, as a wanderer of the Xu Clan, I really have been too low-profile!”

Tang Luo suddenly had an ominous premonition. He tentatively asked, “So, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to pay tribute to the mountain gates!” Master Xu’s eyes gleamed as he gestured in the air with punches and swings.

“Snap!” Tang Luo covered his face, feeling as if he had brought a great disaster upon himself.

All because he said that no one recognised him in Longzhou, this noble scion of a divine family decided to ‘pay tribute to the mountain gates’ and make sure people recognised him.

Dear cousin, are you really so impulsive?

The so-called ‘paying tribute to the mountain gates’ is a convention for wandering holy grounds. For example, when a disciple of the Martial Saint Mountain goes on a journey, he would visit the Xu Clan in Yuanzhou to communicate and exchange ideas. This exchange often entailed a fight.

Over time, as martial arts flourished, many powerful families raised their young martial artists and sent them out to travel. Whenever they reached a place, they would seek out local powers to reveal their identities and engage in martial contests.

Although these exchanges were martial arts oriented, they often carried the weight of comparison. Wanderers desired fame, while the clan fighters needed to defend their honour, prompting both sides to put forth their best effort.

But from the tone of Master Xu, he not only wanted to visit holy places like the Martial Saint Mountain and the Spirit Sect, but also let everyone in Xiling know him.

As the Pride of Xiling, Tang Luo felt it necessary to clarify what this grand plan was, so he asked, “Are you only seeking sects and clans, or do you plan on….?”