Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Sect's Pawn Tang Hao, and the Heavy Losses of the Clear Sky Clan!
[Tang Lingtian (Seventh Elder of the Clear Sky Clan) (angry): Harlot! What more do you want from us? Aren't you the one who dragged us down? My eldest son was killed by the Spirit Hall's attack because of you. It is you who owe us an explanation!]
[A Yin: You!!]
Seeing the words of Tang Lingtian, the Seventh Elder of the Clear Sky Clan, A Yin gritted her teeth in fury. Her anger was palpable.
Is she really to blame for the Clear Sky Clan's plight? Throughout the entire ordeal, she had not benefited from the Clear Sky Clan in any way. Instead, she had suffered greatly, exposing her identity and falling into her current hellish situation.
If it weren't for Tang Hao, she would never have become pregnant. With her nearing maturity at the time, she would have remained undetected and lived freely on the Douluo Continent.
In the past, she might have felt that she and Tang Hao were partially responsible for the Clear Sky Clan's troubles, and might have accepted the clan's failure to help them as a bitter fact.
But now, with the broadcast revealing the truth of the events, it became clear that their move to that city had been orchestrated by the Clear Sky Clan, leading to their exposure and subsequent pursuit by the Spirit Hall.
The true culprit was the Clear Sky Clan. Why should she bear the blame? It was the Clear Sky Clan that had ruined her family. They should be the ones to explain!
[A Yin (angry): Tang Hao!!! You must explain why you took me to that city, which led to our discovery by the Spirit Hall's Pope!]
Back at the back mountain of Holy Soul Village, under the waterfall, Tang Hao looked at the illusory screen with pain and struggle etched on his face. How should he respond?
On one side was the sect that raised him, and on the other was his wife. Hurting either side was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.
Yet now, both sides demanded an explanation. How could he satisfy both demands?
Amidst his pain, Tang Hao finally made a choice.
[A Yin... I'm sorry!]
Tang Hao's face was filled with shame. Given their current predicament, nothing could be changed now. The events of the past were gone, and with his father already dead, the debts should die with him.
Tang San would need the Clear Sky Clan's support in the future. He could not be too selfish!
[Tang Hao: A Yin... It was my own decision to go to that city, not something ordered by the Clear Sky Clan. It has nothing to do with them...]
With a complex heart, Tang Hao typed his response onto the illusory screen, as if all his energy had been drained. His tall figure seemed to slump.
[Tang Lingtian (coldly): See, witch, Tang Hao has said it himself. Your exposure has nothing to do with our Clear Sky Clan. You brought this upon yourselves. You should be the ones to explain to us!]
However, A Yin did not see Tang Lingtian's words. Her gaze was fixed solely on Tang Hao's response.
Discovering that her husband continued to shield the Clear Sky Clan even now, A Yin's heart turned cold. She felt as if her heart was dead.
Does Tang Hao truly love her?
She had sacrificed so much for him, breaking the taboo of soul beasts marrying humans, exposing her identity, and falling into her current tragic state.
Yet, even now, what does her sacrifice mean to him?
She didn't even need him to avenge her. All she wanted was a simple apology from the Clear Sky Clan. Was that too much to ask?
[Lin Yu (scoffing): Tang Hao, you're nothing but a pawn for your sect! Even though your family has ended up in this dire situation, and the Clear Sky Clan is the root cause, you still refuse to blame them. Only you have gained, becoming the youngest Title Douluo with a ten-thousand-year soul ring. You're the real winner in all this!]
Lin Yu's words dripped with sarcasm.
[Tang Hao (angry): Who are you to stir up trouble between my family and the Clear Sky Clan? Do you have a grudge against us or the sect?]
Seeing Lin Yu continue to stir the pot, Tang Hao's anger flared. It was Lin Yu who had brought these issues to light, which only fueled Tang Hao's resentment.
[Lin Yu: Am I wrong? Isn't this the truth?]
Lin Yu coldly retorted, refusing to back down.
[Lin Yu: Don't think I don't know what's going on. Based on the information available, I've figured out most of what happened back then. The Clear Sky Clan, once the top sect during Tang Chen's era, could stand up to the Spirit Hall. Now that Tang Chen is missing, the Clear Sky Clan has become a shadow of its former self, lacking the courage it once had. The clan leader even sold out his own daughter-in-law, which is quite laughable!]
What possible reason could he have to know this?
Tang Hao was stunned and furious upon hearing Lin Yu's response.
[Yu Xiaogang: Ahem! I still believe in the words of the Clear Sky Douluo. I think this has nothing to do with the Clear Sky Clan. After all, they have suffered significant losses and have been in seclusion for five or six years. Who would go out of their way to engage in such self-destructive actions?]
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but speak up in defense of Tang Hao, seeing his idol in such a difficult position.
Following Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong also jumped in to support.
[Liu Erlong: I agree with Xiaogang. The Clear Sky Clan has suffered too!]
[Niu Gao (Leader of the Yuzhi Clan): What? The Clear Sky Clan's losses are nothing compared to ours! During the Spirit Hall's attack, their core disciples evacuated quickly. We four major clans, serving the Clear Sky Clan for years, suffered the brunt of the disaster. Our stronghold was destroyed, and more than half of our people died. The Clear Sky Clan only thought about escaping, without sending any aid to us. And you call that a significant loss?]
Seeing even outsiders like Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong defending the Clear Sky Clan, and speaking of their losses, Niu Gao, the leader of the Yuzhi Clan, could no longer contain his anger. He voiced his frustration on the illusory screen.