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Gazing at the magnificent gates of the residence, Tang Yuehua thought to herself, The Strength Clan has certainly lived a nourishing life relying on their blacksmithing craftsmanship.
At that moment, two tall, burly men sized up the noblewoman. However, they dared not show the slightest neglect; the woman before them felt strangely familiar, and her temperament made it impossible for them to harbor any thoughts of offense.
"Please inform your master that an old friend has come to visit," Tang Yuehua said, handing Tang Hao's token to the guard.
The guard received it respectfully and said, "Please wait a moment."
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed from inside the gate.
As the doors opened, a burly man with brown hair appeared, his face a mix of joy, anxiety, and reverence.
"Mas—Miss, why have you come!?" When Tai Nuo saw that the visitor was Tang Yuehua, the joy in his heart remained undiminished. The rugged man hurriedly invited Tang Yuehua inside.
"Naturally, I have matters to discuss. Has your injury healed?" Tang Yuehua asked.
"Miss, after years of recuperation, I've finally survived the gates of hell. However, advancing to become a Spirit Emperor is likely a hopeless dream now," Tai Nuo said dejectedly, displaying his brown Spirit King level spirit power to Tang Yuehua.
"It is good enough that you are alive," Tang Yuehua nodded.
Fortunately, Tai Nuo had recovered. As the son of the former patriarch Tai Tan, it wouldn't be difficult for him to take charge of the clan. If someone else were in charge of the Strength Clan, things might have been difficult, but with Tai Nuo at the helm, she could play the emotional card.
"Miss, do you know the Master's current whereabouts?" Tai Nuo asked with anticipation.
Tang Yuehua shook her head slightly and said with sorrow, "I do not know where Brother Hao has gone all these years. Years ago, he had a conflict with Spirit Hall and eventually took Tang San away. I assume both Brother Hao and Tang San are quite safe now."
"As long as the Master and the Young Master are safe, that is good!" A trace of disappointment flashed in Tai Nuo's eyes, but he could only rejoice that his master was safe; otherwise, he wouldn't know what direction the Strength Clan should take.
"Do you know the whereabouts of your father, Tai Tan?" Tang Yuehua probed.
"Miss, I do not know. Grandfather went to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to avenge me, and after that, he vanished..." Tai Nuo said gloomily.
Tang Yuehua lowered her voice. "Was it Spirit Hall?"
Tai Nuo clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He had also heard rumors that his father had been killed by the guard of the Young Master of Spirit Hall. After all, given Ye Lan's strength as a Great Spirit Master at the time, it was impossible for him to kill a Spirit Douluo like his father. They must have encountered special circumstances, leading to his father being killed by Spirit Hall experts.
Although the Strength Clan could not compare to the Upper Three Sects, it was still a flourishing family with a Spirit Douluo and not something random cats and dogs could bully. The only ones with a grudge against the Strength Clan were Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Clan. Since the Clear Sky Clan had sealed their mountain and their Title Douluo would not come out, the murderer could be no one else but Spirit Hall.
"So what if it is..." A complex look flashed across Tai Nuo's eyes.
Two great calamities had forced Tai Nuo to mature significantly. He had already lost his future and his father; he could not afford to lose his son, Tai Long, and the rest of the Strength Clan.
"Tai Nuo, you've changed. Where is the bloody nature of the Strength Clan?" Tang Yuehua said with disappointment.
"Miss, the Strength Clan has never changed! I have always remembered the hatred of Spirit Hall killing my father! But I am the patriarch of the Strength Clan. Opposing the current Spirit Hall is no different than striking a stone with an egg. I cannot let the lives of hundreds of my kinsmen be sacrificed in vain!" Tai Nuo roared.
"Tai Nuo, calm down. What if I told you there is an opportunity to take revenge on Spirit Hall now? Although it won't overthrow Spirit Hall in one breath, it wouldn't be difficult to hurt them deeply." Tang Yuehua secretly used her Innate Domain—the Aristocrat Domain—giving her voice the ability to soothe the soul.
Hearing Tang Yuehua's voice, Tai Nuo's state of mind gradually calmed down. He felt a sliver of trust in the opportunity for revenge she mentioned.
"Miss, what opportunity? Can we really take revenge on Spirit Hall? Aside from my uncle, the Strength Clan no longer has any Spirit Douluo," Tai Nuo hesitated.
"Of course. And this operation requires no martial force at all. We only need to call upon the vast number of Spirit Masters to demonstrate and protest together!" Tang Yuehua affirmed.
"Miss, please describe it in detail. If we can retaliate against Spirit Hall and avenge my father, I will do it with all my might, even if I must walk through fire and water!!" Tai Nuo led Tang Yuehua to the main seat while he took the secondary seat. After serving tea, he asked urgently.
Tang Yuehua took the tea and sipped it slowly, showing no haste.
Tai Nuo waited anxiously. His desire to know how to strike back at Spirit Hall made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Tang Yuehua swallowed the tea slowly. After savoring it and seeing Tai Nuo's anxious state, she chuckled inwardly.
Then she said, "It is not difficult to take revenge on Spirit Hall nowadays. Have you heard the complaints of the Spirit Masters in Heaven Dou City regarding Spirit Hall recently?"
"Of course, and it is not just complaints. Even the orders for custom weapons at the smithy have decreased significantly. In the past, most Spirit Masters would come to us to forge weapons before heading to the Spirit Beast Forest to hunt. Now that Spirit Hall has blockaded the forests, many Spirit Masters cannot go there without a Hunting Warrant. The weapon orders for our smithy have dropped drastically," Tai Nuo sighed.
"Since so many Spirit Masters harbor such heavy resentment toward Spirit Hall, why don't we utilize this?"
"As long as we gather a certain number of Spirit Masters to denounce Spirit Hall, those who hold deep grudges will certainly follow our lead. When facing a massive group of Spirit Masters, even Spirit Hall wouldn't dare to act recklessly!" Tang Yuehua stated.
Tai Nuo's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected such a method.
Indeed, relying on the vast Spirit Master community, Spirit Hall wouldn't dare to act rashly. Over time, Spirit Hall's reputation would deteriorate. Even if they couldn't be overthrown immediately, Spirit Hall definitely wouldn't be able to withstand such pressure in the long run.
Seeing Tai Nuo's reaction, Tang Yuehua continued to fan the flames. "At that time, as long as we gather enough people, we can expand the demonstrations to occur simultaneously across various cities in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Ultimately, we shout slogans boycotting Spirit Hall's businesses and their tithes. We can even use the massive group of demonstrators to smash, loot, and burn Spirit Hall's properties. Spirit Hall's financial losses will be severe!"
"As this continues, if Spirit Hall loses its economic sources and cannot pay the Spirit Master stipends, then the collapse of the organization possessing the most Spirit Masters will happen in a single day."
"After all, Spirit Masters are accustomed to collecting their monthly stipend from Spirit Hall. Once there is a month where Spirit Hall cannot pay, if they don't perish, who will?"
Hearing the prospect of Spirit Hall's destruction described by Tang Yuehua, Tai Nuo could no longer suppress the desire for revenge in his heart. He hurriedly voiced his last worry: "Miss, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has cooperated deeply with Spirit Hall over the past two years. What about them?"
Tang Yuehua smiled. "Rest assured, I have already reached an agreement with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Now, only your Strength Clan is missing. When the time comes, it won't just be the Strength Clan fanning the flames, but many noble Spirit Masters as well. Demonstrations will also be held in cities where Spirit Hall's control is weak. This way, Spirit Hall will never know who is leading it from behind. Based on the principle that the law cannot punish the masses, we will surely sit safely on the fishing platform."
"When the time comes, we just need to sit back and watch Spirit Hall collapse."
Hearing Tang Yuehua chat and laugh as if Spirit Hall would turn to ashes with a snap of her fingers, Tai Nuo said excitedly, "Miss, you are truly worthy of being the Master's biological sister. The Master's martial prowess is unparalleled under heaven, and your wisdom is also unparalleled."
Tang Yuehua smiled slightly, sipped her tea, discussed the specific details with Tai Nuo, and then left the residence under Tai Nuo's respectful escort.
After walking out of the Strength Clan, Tang Yuehua breathed a sigh of relief.
The Strength Clan was only the first family she had persuaded; she hadn't even gone to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family yet. She had only claimed to have their support to firm up Tai Nuo's confidence.
But as long as she gained the support of one family, she could use that to gain the support of a second.
Thus, Tang Yuehua decided to travel among various nobles to reach a consensus. Once she had the support of the nobles, she would seek an audience with the Heaven Dou Emperor.
Presumably, with the support of so many families and the opposing stance between the Imperial Family and Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Emperor would tacitly approve of their actions.
As long as this matter succeeded, not only would the Clear Sky Clan have a source for spirit rings, but they could also significantly impact Spirit Hall's foundation.
After seeing off Tang Yuehua, Tai Nuo immediately convened a clan meeting, initiating a secret discussion with the elders of the Strength Clan.
Tai Nuo sat down with several elders who appeared slightly aged but remained burly. Although Tai Nuo was the patriarch, a black-haired, burly old man seemed to be the faint center of gravity among these elders.
Once everyone had arrived, Tai Nuo couldn't wait to inform everyone of Tang Yuehua's plan.
After hearing the plan to weaken Spirit Hall, the expressions of the Strength Clan elders varied.
"Good!! This way, we can avenge Big Brother!! We must make Spirit Hall pay a heavy price!!" The Fourth Elder of the Strength Clan said excitedly.
Hearing the Fourth Elder speak, Tai Nuo felt much more settled, and the others found it hard to say too much. After all, the old patriarch Tai Tan had died at the hands of Spirit Hall; their blood nature made it impossible for them to speak of giving up revenge.
At this moment, the black-haired elder at the center spoke up.
"I disagree, Tai Nuo. Our Strength Clan cannot withstand any more turbulence. Once Spirit Hall discovers this, the Strength Clan will come to an end."
"Uncle Shan, are you just going to watch my father die so obscurely?!" Tai Nuo questioned loudly.
Tai Shan sighed. "I want to avenge Big Brother too, but we don't even know who killed him. That he died at the hands of Spirit Hall is ultimately just our guess. I have no children, and you are Big Brother's only child. I cannot watch you take Tai Long to his death."
Hot tears flowed from Tai Nuo's eyes as he fell to his knees. "Uncle Shan, just let me do something for Father. As long as you let me take revenge, I'll do anything!!"
A trace of unbearable pain flashed across Tai Shan's aged face. After pondering for a moment, he spoke decisively.
"Tai Nuo, although you are the patriarch of the Strength Clan, you cannot decide the life and death of hundreds of clan members!"
"Let us do this: convene a full clan assembly. Anyone who wants to follow you for revenge will separate from the Strength Clan and form a branch family. From then on, you will have no relationship with the Strength Clan."
"Thank you, Uncle Shan. I will summon the clan members now." Tai Nuo did not reject Tai Shan's decision.
He was able to become the patriarch as a Spirit King not only because of his father Tai Tan's past prestige but, more importantly, because he had the support of Uncle Tai Shan. Tai Shan was the only remaining Spirit Douluo in the Strength Clan.
The Spirit Sage elders of the Strength Clan all followed Tai Shan's lead. Whatever decision Tai Shan made, the others would not refute; in the Douluo Continent, strength was ultimately respected.
The "separation" of the Strength Clan was not cutting flesh from the patriarch. Strictly speaking, it was Tai Nuo cutting his own flesh from the main body of the Strength Clan.
In the end, the faction of the Strength Clan following Tai Nuo for revenge included two Spirit Sages and dozens of Spirit Masters. These were the clansmen who had served Tang Hao alongside Tai Tan from the very beginning.
Aside from the desire to avenge Tai Tan, they followed Tai Nuo in hopes that one day, their Master Tang Hao would return and lead them once more.
Several days later, early morning.
The streets of Heaven Dou City were as bustling as ever. This city housed the highest-status Spirit Masters in the Heaven Dou Empire, their ranks far exceeding those in remote urban areas.
In the bustling commercial district, many high-end taverns were already packed with Spirit Masters.
These Spirit Masters drank and ate meat in large mouthfuls while discussing the situation of the continent.
Among them, there was no lack of remarks belittling Spirit Hall. Since the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was currently cooperating with Spirit Hall, combined with Spirit Hall's massive power, they only dared to criticize verbally and did not dare to take real action.
Although they dared not provoke Spirit Hall directly, anti-Spirit Hall rhetoric had a huge market among the Spirit Master community.
Once someone started belittling Spirit Hall, the conversation almost inevitably turned to Spirit Hall's dominance, their exploitation, and their terrifying strength.
Many Spirit Masters pulled out the stipends issued by Spirit Hall from their bosoms, paying for escort services while pouring out their grievances to the Spirit Masters beside them.
Just as they were venting to their heart's content, a slight tremor came from the wine tables.
At first, most Spirit Masters didn't notice anything wrong in the noisy environment of the tavern. But as a rumbling sound from the distance grew louder, the tables began to shake violently.
Realizing something was amiss, they put down their wine glasses one after another.
They leaned out from the tavern windows to observe the massive commotion in the distance.
On the wide street, a dense mass of Spirit Masters appeared.
Their clothing was not uniform, yet not overly chaotic. Among them were noble Spirit Masters and clan Spirit Masters, but the majority were commoner Spirit Masters dressed in less luxurious attire.
This extremely mixed group seemed very strange in the Douluo Continent. In the past, every social class had its own circle and would absolutely not mix together. Spirit Masters who associated with different class circles were either despised or mocked as servants.
But in the distant grand procession of Spirit Masters, aside from class differences, their ranks also varied greatly.
There were Great Spirit Masters, Spirit Elders, Spirit Ancestors, Spirit Kings, Spirit Emperors, and even Spirit Sages.
Although these people differed in rank and class, they shared an inexplicable tacit understanding.
Led by a certain rhythm, their feet landed simultaneously. Every time they landed, they stomped the ground with force. As they approached, the nearby buildings began to vibrate rhythmically.
About half a minute later, the Spirit Masters in the taverns could finally see the expressions of the main force clearly.
Their faces were flushed red, and their roars resounded through the clouds. Accompanied by the shaking of the taverns, their momentum had reached its peak.
At this moment, their slogans were massive and imposing, intensifying the suppressed resentment within the hearts of those inside the taverns.
"Spirit Beasts are public property! Monopolies deserve death! Spirit Hall, get out of the forest!"
"Anti-monopoly! We demand justice! Spirit Hall acts against the natural order and commits treason!!"
"Monopolies must perish! Justice must prevail!"
"Spirit Hall, get out of the Spirit Beast Forest!!"
As the massive team shouted, they immediately ignited the anger of countless Spirit Masters.
These days, if they wanted to hunt spirit beasts, they had to report to Spirit Hall. Who knew how long the approval would take? And even if they got the Hunting Warrant and entered the forest, if they accidentally killed a spirit beast they weren't supposed to, they would be fined heavily by Spirit Hall.
They heard that Spirit Masters inside Spirit Hall could get whatever spirit ring they wanted. Why was it that only Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters could obtain rings, while they could only watch?
Under the demonstration of the massive team, many Spirit Masters threw down their wine and meat and joined the grand procession denouncing Spirit Hall.
What was originally a team of barely a hundred instantly swelled to over a thousand.
As the parade continued to move, the team of Spirit Masters kept growing.
Seeing so many Spirit Masters gathering for a demonstration, the expressions of the Spirit Hall members changed drastically. They hurriedly threw on clothes to cover their Spirit Hall identities and rushed anxiously toward the Platinum Bishop's Temple to report the anomaly in Heaven Dou City to their superiors.
At the same time, apart from Heaven Dou City, anti-Spirit Hall demonstrations erupted in many other cities.
At this moment, the disgust of countless Spirit Masters in the Heaven Dou Empire toward Spirit Hall reached its peak.
In just two hours, Bibi Dong received countless intelligence reports.
Her brows furrowed tightly as she spoke decisively: "During this time, strictly order Spirit Hall personnel not to conflict with the parade teams, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable! Additionally, strengthen control along the border with the Star Luo Empire."
The black-clothed cleric nodded and hurriedly left the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Bibi Dong thought to herself: So many demonstrations erupting in such a short time? Could it be spies from the Star Luo Empire? Can that useless Heaven Dou Emperor not even manage his own country?
Among the countless bad news, the only thing that gave Bibi Dong some relief was that large-scale demonstrations had not erupted in the areas actually controlled by Spirit Hall. After all, the commoners and Spirit Masters in these regions received subsidies from Spirit Hall, and their quality of life was much higher than in most parts of the Heaven Dou Empire.
These areas were also controlled by Elders and Spirit Hall knights, so no mistakes would occur for the time being.
But allowing the Heaven Dou Empire to continue erupting in demonstrations was absolutely unacceptable!
"Yue Guan, make a trip to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Ask that old man what is going on," Bibi Dong ordered decisively.
"Yes, Your Holiness." Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded, and then his voice faded away.
After sending Chrysanthemum Douluo on the errand, Bibi Dong breathed a sigh of relief. Then her purple pupils gradually lost focus as she thought of that figure again, murmuring softly: "What is Xiao Lan busy with? Is he going to see his little girlfriend?"
Heaven Dou City. After two hours of growth, the Spirit Master parade team had reached several thousand in number. Within the crowded demonstration team, two figures in black robes looked extremely exhilarated.
If one were to ask who hated Spirit Hall the most on the entire Douluo Continent, it would certainly be them, the disciples of the Clear Sky Clan.
They had been forced by Spirit Hall to seal their mountain for years and were long since stifled.
Tang Wei and Tang Long were incredibly excited within the Spirit Master team.
They hadn't expected the anti-Spirit Hall momentum in the Heaven Dou Empire to be so massive. Many Spirit Masters in Heaven Dou City had already joined the grand parade, and their shouts were the loudest and clearest.
Before long, the Spirit Master grand brigade arrived near the Platinum Temple in Heaven Dou City.
Thousands of Spirit Masters shouted anti-Spirit Hall slogans as they passed by the Platinum Temple, turning a blind eye to it.
Currently, most of them still didn't dare to directly attack Spirit Hall; after all, there really was a Title Douluo inside the Platinum Temple. If they were to storm it directly, the Title Douluo would genuinely strike back.
Under the solemn and nervous gazes of countless Spirit Hall knights outside, the grand parade moved toward the distance.
A short while later, the demonstration arrived at the commercial district, where almost all businesses belonged to Spirit Hall.
Within the parade, Tai Nuo, who knew Tang Yuehua's plan, could no longer suppress his desire for revenge.
They dared not storm the Platinum Temple. But there were many Spirit Hall properties in this area. As long as they destroyed some, Spirit Hall presumably wouldn't dare to stop a team of thousands of Spirit Masters.
One or two kilometers away from the Platinum Temple, Tai Nuo signaled to his nearby clansmen with his eyes.
These people immediately understood the patriarch's intent and started jeering in unison: "That is Spirit Hall's 'Hundred Treasures Pavilion'!! It's full of treasures obtained by exploiting and taxing us! Brothers, charge with me!!"
Hearing the instigation, the malice in the hearts of the originally hot-blooded parade was magnified infinitely.
They had only one thought in their minds: There are so many Spirit Masters nearby. As long as I take a little, Spirit Hall definitely won't know who took it.
Under the charge of several bold Spirit Masters, countless others, led by the "sheep effect," rushed into Spirit Hall's Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Instantly, chaos ensued.
The timid staff of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion fled in panic, while the shopkeeper, loyal to Spirit Hall, was instantly submerged by hundreds of people.
In just a moment, the extremely bright and polished Hundred Treasures Pavilion was packed with people.
Seeing this formation, many Spirit Masters no longer cared about Spirit Hall or anything else. At this moment, they just wanted to rush in and grab more treasures.
Right now, these Spirit Masters had only one psychology: taking less meant losing out!
So many Spirit Masters swarmed toward the Hundred Treasures Pavilion that the extremely wide entrance was blocked tight.
The Spirit Masters at the back, seeing they couldn't squeeze in and noticing others jumping out of windows with bulging clothes, took action.
Those with strong physical constitutions leaped directly from the street into the windows of the high-rise. Those with weaker constitutions began to climb up the outer walls.
In an instant, the prosperous Hundred Treasures Pavilion high-rise was covered with Spirit Masters, crawling over it like ants on a block of brown sugar.
(End of Chapter)