In the center of the great hall, surrounded by the elders and Tang Zhen, stood three figures...
One was Tang Yuehua, his own sister... Naturally, Tang Xiao wasn't surprised to see her.
But the other two... cloaked in black from head to toe... were the very people he least wanted to meet....
They were none other than his 'beloved' little brother, Tang Hao, and Ah Yin, the predecessor's unrequited love...
Tang Xiao froze. He didn't know what to think... He just stood there like a statue, his chest tightening as if something sharp had pierced it...
"Big Brother~" Tang Hao called out, his voice warm and filled with affection.
The reason he had returned to the sect with Ah Yin was mostly because of his elder brother...
After marrying Ah Yin, he had secretly taken her to meet Tang Yuehua at the Moon Pavilion a month ago...
There, he learned that the clan elders were willing to accept Ah Yin, forgive his mistakes, and even discuss a solution together for the Spirit Hall problem. But there was one condition—he had to return to the sect...
Though moved, Tang Hao still hadn't wanted to return. He feared dragging others down with him...
What really shook him was when Tang Yuehua mentioned Tang Xiao's upcoming marriage...
To Tang Hao, Tang Xiao held an irreplaceable place in his heart. Since childhood, it had been Tang Xiao who raised him with brotherly affection. Every skill he possessed was learned under Tang Xiao's guidance. From an early age, he respected and cherished him even more than their own father, Tang Zhen.
When he heard that his big brother—his father figure—was about to marry, while he, the younger brother, couldn't be there, it cut him deeply... He also felt guilty for marrying Ah Yin in secret without letting Tang Xiao witness it...
But even that alone wouldn't have been enough to bring him back. At most, it made him waver. Half of him still clung to the idea of hiding.
After all, Ah Yin was his everything. For his brother's wedding, he could simply send congratulations through Tang Yuehua, apologize to Tang Xiao later, and eventually make it up to him. That was redeemable. But if something happened to Ah Yin... that could never be redeemed. So most likely, he would have still chosen to disappear with her...
But then... Tang Yuehua told him that Tang Xiao himself had gone searching for him.
When Tang Hao learned that his big brother had gone looking for him just before his own wedding, he was overwhelmed.
Clever as ever, Tang Yuehua exaggerated the situation, saying Tang Xiao worried far too much, and in his anger, might even confront Spirit Hall directly.
That thought struck Tang Hao's heart like lightning. He couldn't allow his elder brother to risk his life recklessly. Fearing that his inaction might truly drive Tang Xiao into danger, he finally made up his mind to return.
....
Hearing Tang Hao's affectionate call, Tang Xiao snapped back to reality... He forced out a stiff reply, his smile clearly unnatural. But to others, it looked as though he was simply too overjoyed to act normally:
"Brother Hao, it's good you're back. It's good you're back..."
Seeing Tang Hao step forward to hug him, Tang Xiao reluctantly opened his arms. He had no choice but to accept...
"I'm sorry, Big Brother, for making you worry." Seeing Tang Xiao's haggard appearance, Tang Hao's eyes grew misty as he spoke with heartfelt sincerity...
Watching the two brothers, the only women in the hall couldn't hold back their tears... The scene before them was simply too moving...
Tang Zhen and the elders also felt relief in their hearts... But their faces stayed solemn. Before Tang Xiao's arrival, they had been reprimanding Tang Hao, so they had to maintain their stern image.
Only Tang Xiao... the very center of this emotional reunion, felt no joy. What he felt was far heavier...
When he heard Tang Hao's apology—that he had worried him—it stabbed him in the heart like a needle made of ice...
How did it end up like this? Why were these two people, who shouldn't even be here, standing right in front of him?
Tang Xiao's mind was blank. Yet deep down, he knew... The reason was him. Definitely him.
"What do I do now... What about my plans... What about my future..." His thoughts turned frantic, as if all his painstaking efforts were being crushed before his eyes...
To be honest... he wasn't that smart. Even his last plan had taken everything he had to come up with. And even then, he knew it was only average at best... He wasn't some genius strategist playing the world like chess pieces, nor was he a mastermind who could manipulate everything to his will...
For heaven's sake... he was just an ordinary man from Earth, with ordinary intelligence.
Only he knew how much it had cost him to create even that fragile plan...
Now everything was falling apart because of Tang Hao and Ah Yin's sudden return...
But still, he forced himself to calm down. Tang Xiao's one true strength began to show.
"I have to calm down... If I lose control now, I'll ruin everything." He repeated it to himself again and again.
That was his greatest trait—self-awareness, and the ability to accept the unpredictable.
In his mind, Tang Xiao took one heavy breath after another, patting his chest to force composure... Finally, after much effort, he managed to steady himself.
"For now... I need to focus on handling this situation and understanding why things changed so suddenly. The rest can wait." With that decision made, Tang Xiao closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
To everyone else, it looked like a sigh of relief at Tang Hao's return.
"What's there to apologize for, Brother Hao? As your elder brother, protecting you is my duty."
After patting Tang Hao's back twice like a dependable elder, Tang Xiao pulled away from his bear-like embrace...
"Ahem... You two brothers can reminisce later. Now that everyone's here, we need to make a few important decisions..."
Tang Zhen's deep voice cut through the moment. It carried its usual solemn weight, but if one listened closely, there was weakness hidden beneath it...
Ah Yin, standing beside Tang Yuehua, flinched at the sound. Even though she trusted Tang Hao and believed the elders wouldn't harm her, unease still lingered in her heart...
Noticing her fear, the ever-gentle Tang Yuehua clasped her hand and gave her a reassuring look.
At Tang Zhen's words, Tang Hao quickly stepped forward and dropped to his knees before him and the elders...