The location map of Haotian Sect given by Tang Hao was not far from the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Tiandou City, located three hundred miles east of Tiandou City.
In the middle of the mountains, what appeared before Tang San and Tang Sui was merely a small village that looked no different from the Holy Soul Village they had stayed in before.
Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the chimneys of the village houses, indicating a relatively large population.
It was now close to noon, and at the entrance of the village, several children were playing. In the fields nearby, quite a few people were packing up their farm tools, preparing to return home for a meal.
The siblings, however, dressed in clothes that clearly set them apart from the common gray cloth worn by the villagers, attracted quite a few sideways glances from passersby.
Sensing the rather discreet scrutiny, Tang Sui snatched the map from Tang San's hand, pretending to compare it with doubt. "Brother, did we... come to the right place?"
Tang San painstakingly rescued the parchment map from his sister's grasp and compared it carefully. He was certain they hadn't gone to the wrong place; it was here.
But... was the Haotian Sect just this small village?
Had the former number one sect in the world truly fallen to such a state?
Tang Hao, who had not returned to the sect in a long time, had given the siblings an old map. Naturally, he was unaware that the Haotian Sect had relocated after announcing its closure, and this was merely an outpost.
Tang San looked at the people in homespun clothes returning from the fields, ready to eat, a hint of sadness flickering in his eyes.
The siblings hesitated at the village entrance for a moment before ultimately deciding to enter.
However, just as they were about to walk into the village, several middle-aged villagers who had just returned from working in the fields unexpectedly blocked their path.
"Please leave. We do not welcome outsiders here."
The speaker was a burly middle-aged man.
Even in his coarse cloth attire, he could not conceal the well-defined muscles bulging on his arms.
Tang Sui and Tang San, who had practiced the Clear Sky Hammer, knew that such muscle definition could not be achieved solely by farming.
Ah, speaking of practicing the Clear Sky Hammer...
Tang Sui fell into thought. She seemed to have not swung a hammer in a long time?
Tang Sui's gaze lost focus as she drifted off. Tang San, looking at the middle-aged man blocking their way with a hint of confusion in his eyes, sighed inwardly and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "We are not outsiders. We are merely returning home."
The middle-aged villager blinked in surprise and suspiciously appraised the siblings, whose demeanor was so out of place with their rough-looking selves. He frowned, "Returning home? We don't have any noble young masters and ladies like you here. We are all country folk. What home are you returning to?" Su Dan Novel Network
Tang San didn't need to see to sense that after his words fell, the surrounding villagers became tense.
Their grips on their farm tools visibly tightened, and their stances shifted slightly, subtly forming a cordon around them, ready to charge if there was any disturbance.
Tang Sui, snapping back to reality, blinked and pondered. She raised her left hand, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, black light surged, and a miniature hammer with the intricate patterns of Blue Silver Grass appeared in her palm.
Seeing this, Tang San raised his hand in understanding.
Similar to Tang Sui's miniature black hammer, but imbued with a profound might, a dark, black hammer hovered in his palm.
Although neither of their Clear Sky Hammers had any spirit rings, Tang Sui could clearly sense that upon seeing the small hammers in their hands, their tensed muscles relaxed somewhat, and the wariness in their eyes faded considerably.
"Can this prove it?"
Tang San enlarged the Clear Sky Hammer, grasped the handle with one hand, and swung it with ease.
Seeing the enlarged Clear Sky Hammer, the middle-aged men were stunned for a moment. When they looked at Tang San again, their gazes held only respect.
Even though this young man had not absorbed any spirit rings for his Clear Sky Hammer, the fact that he could effortlessly wield the Clear Sky Hammer weighing five hundred jin proved he was no ordinary person.
The middle-aged man who had spoken to Tang San tentatively asked, "May I ask which family you belong to? I don't seem to have seen you before."
Tang San did not wish to linger here. "Our aunt is Tang Yuehua, and it was she who told us to return."
Upon hearing this, the villagers dared not delay and quickly made way for Tang San and Tang Sui to enter the village.
What was Tang Yuehua's status? Within the entire Haotian Sect, aside from the Sect Master, she held the highest position, being the Sect Master's direct sister.
Most of them, acting as the outposts of the Haotian Sect, were affiliated with collateral branches of the Haotian Sect. Their spirit martial spirits were not necessarily the Clear Sky Hammer, but they belonged to the Haotian Sect, serving to mislead outsiders.
However, these collateral outposts were also quite cautious. Although the Clear Sky Hammers brought out by the siblings had earned them some trust, they still did not directly lead Tang San and Tang Sui to meet the sect members. Instead, they invited them into the village, arranged for them to rest in an empty room, and sent someone to the sect to relay the news.
Tang Sui examined the furnishings in the empty room, curiously touching the table and tapping the bed. She suddenly said, "Brother, I suddenly feel fortunate that Father brought us to the Holy Soul Village instead of running away himself and leaving us at the Haotian Sect."
With these conditions, it wasn't much better than their life in the Holy Soul Village.
But if their father's past ties with the Haotian Sect were taken into account, if they were truly to remain within the Haotian Sect, the siblings would likely not find peace and might even suffer several times worse. Whether she could even survive would be questionable.
Tang San empathized deeply and wholeheartedly agreed.
After about half an hour of waiting, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Tang Sui and Tang San looked up at the sound. The room door opened, and several men in gray clothes appeared at the entrance.
The leader was broad-shouldered and broad-backed, with a straight nose and a square mouth. His short hair was neat and tidy. He appeared to be around thirty years old. The muscles beneath his gray robe bulged, like a coiled lion, powerful and robust.
"Are you Tang San and Tang Sui?"
The burly man in gray asked directly, scrutinizing the siblings from head to toe. His gaze was sharp, and in addition to curiosity and suspicion, a hint of hostility could be discerned on his face.
Tang San paused slightly, but he was certain he did not know this person and did not understand the source of his hostility.
Then, Tang San glanced at his sister beside him, who also felt the man's hostility but showed no reaction, nor did she seem to have any past grudges. He nodded slightly, "Indeed."
The burly man in gray gestured to his two companions, "Then follow us."
His words were concise, with no unnecessary pleasantries. After speaking, he turned and walked out first.
Tang Sui and Tang San exchanged glances. The former winked and secretly transmitted her voice to Tang San: 'The visitor is not friendly, brother.'
Tang San's eyes were tinged with a hint of helplessness. He replied with the secret transmission technique, 'After all, Father's past... but it's alright, we'll take it one step at a time.'
Tang Sui nodded, but her inner feelings were not as resigned as her outward appearance suggested.
Although it was true that Father had let the sect down,
A chill flickered in Tang Sui's eyes. If one were to truly settle the score, it would merely be their self-deception.
— Author's Note —
They've arrived at the Haotian Sect! Charge!