Chapter 306: Hidden Injury? Tang San’s Proposal

A few days later, Tang San and Tang Hao arrived in Holy Spirit Village, only to find it unexpectedly dilapidated. The gate sign was tilted, looking as though it would fall with a gust of wind.

Tang Hao asked in confusion, "Little San, do you know what's happened here?"

He hadn't returned since he left six years ago.

Tang San looked equally puzzled. "I haven't been back in years either. After discovering you had left on my first trip back from Nuoding Academy, I had little reason to return. But I remember Su Ming visits every year—there's no reason for the village to end up like this."

Tang Hao entered the village, examining the buildings. He casually broke off a piece of wood and noted the layers of dust and decay, concluding the villagers had likely left some time ago.

Shaking his head, he dismissed it. "Let them be. They're just commoners, after all."

"Come on, Little San. Let's go to the back mountain. Your mother's resting in a cave there."

Upon reaching the back mountain, Tang Hao approached a blue-silver grass plant with blue-gold stripes. He looked at it with a trace of sadness and said, "Ah Yin, I brought our son to see you. I've told him everything. Little San, come meet your mother."

Tang Hao found it odd that the blue-silver grass didn't respond by wrapping its leaves around his fingers as it usually did.

Tang San approached the plant and whispered, "Mother…"

Calling a plant "mother" felt strange, even for Tang San.

Tang Hao, noticing his son's discomfort, explained, "Ah Yin, I brought Little San not only to visit you but also to tell you that I plan to let him absorb the spirit bone you left behind. The Spirit Master Tournament is approaching, and Little San, with his rare twin martial souls, is destined to shine."

"Don't worry about any threats from Spirit Hall. If they dare to harm him, my Clear Sky Hammer will make them regret it. I'm no longer the same Tang Hao, though I still have a hidden injury. But I can keep Little San safe."

Hearing about his father's injury, Tang San became concerned. "Father, you still have injuries? Why haven't you sought out a healing spirit master?"

Tang Hao shook his head. "Ordinary healing spirit masters can't cure me, and powerful ones are typically within Spirit Hall or major clans, well-protected and hard to access."

Tang San's eyes lit up as he recalled something. "Father, I know two skilled healing spirit masters! They're powerful, although their levels are low. Perhaps it's worth a try?"

Tang Hao guessed, "One of them is Su Ming, isn't it?"

Tang San was surprised his father knew.

Tang Hao explained, "I was secretly watching when you joined Shrek Academy and witnessed Su Ming's healing ability. He instantly healed your severely injured classmates. His wood-element spirit's healing capabilities are unique."

"I had planned to seek him out once he got stronger to see if he could help with my injuries, but things have become complicated. Su Ming is now closely connected with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Taking him would mean confronting two Title Douluos. Though I don't fear them, defeating them would take considerable effort and might worsen my hidden injury."

"If Su Ming's healing proves ineffective, it would be a waste. Besides, I've realized he may have become a fixation of yours. You need to overcome him yourself, or it will obstruct your progress later."

Tang Hao referred to insights required past level ninety-five. He could see that Tang San's attachment to Su Ming, though inconsequential now, could become a hurdle at higher levels where personal clarity was crucial.

Tang San felt a pang of regret, as he had indeed wanted his father to teach Su Ming a lesson. But considering the cost, he let the matter drop.

"That leaves the second option. Father, have you heard of the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul?"

Tang Hao shook his head. "No."

He'd focused only on cultivating his strength and had little interest in the theories of martial souls, hence why he entrusted Tang San's education to Yu Xiaogang.

Tang San explained, "The Nine Heart Begonia martial soul is unique, with only one user per generation. It has only one skill: healing. Its healing effectiveness scales with the user's spirit rings and power."

Tang Hao's eyes lit up. "Are you certain, Little San?"

Tang San nodded, "Yes. However, her level is low, so I'm not sure if it would be effective on you. Her name is Ye Lingling, and she's at around level thirty-five, attending Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."

This revelation dampened Tang Hao's excitement, but Tang San continued, "Even though she's currently weak, Nine Heart Begonia's healing potential is immense. At its peak, it's rumored to have near-miraculous effects."

Tang Hao exhaled heavily, "Alright, it's something to consider. My injuries aren't urgent; we can address it closer to the tournament and see if we can get this girl to treat me."

Tang Hao silently hoped that in ten months, Ye Lingling's rank would increase and that her healing might help. He didn't expect complete recovery but hoped for noticeable improvement. If her treatment worked, he wouldn't hesitate to "borrow" her for as long as necessary.

After all, he saw no issue with this. He hadn't heard of Ye Lingling or her martial soul, so she likely had no powerful backers—no one to stop him.