16: Chapter 16 The Struggle of the Haotian Sect
At the very center of the storm was none other than the already beleaguered Clear Sky Sect.
The mountain gates of the Sect, which had been closed for over a decade, dared not even open a crack at this moment.
Inside the Sect's main hall, the atmosphere was as oppressive as if filled with lead, so heavy that it made one unable to breathe.
The Sect Master's seat at the head was empty, and the two rows of chairs below were packed with the seven Elders of the Sect, each of their faces ashen and grim.
In the center of the hall, Tang Xiao was dressed in a grey-black Sect training outfit, his stature as straight as a pine, but those usually resolute tiger-like eyes were now bloodshot, his chin covered in thick stubble, and his whole person exuded an undisguisable exhaustion and haggardness.
Standing by his side was Tang Yuehua, dressed in a plain white long dress.
Her usually gentle face was devoid of color, her eyes were red-rimmed, her fingers tightly clutched the jade pendant at her waist until her fingertips turned white, and her body was still trembling slightly.
"Grand Elder, I have already made myself very clear."
Tang Xiao's voice was severely hoarse, carrying an anger suppressed to the extreme, "Tang Hao has already been expelled from the Sect, and the Sect has already issued a declaration to the entire continent, drawing a clear line between us and him.
You are now forcing me to issue a Sect kill order, to personally behead my own brother, do you think I could possibly do that?"
"Tang Xiao! Even now, you are still protecting that wicked obstacle!"
The Second Elder, Tang Tudi, who was leading them, slammed his hand on the table, rose abruptly, pointed at Tang Xiao's nose, and shouted sternly, "Look at the situation outside now!
The entire continent is cursing our Clear Sky Sect for producing a traitor to the Human Race!
The declaration of the Flame Will Dynasty has even been posted at the gates of our Clear Sky Sect!
The two great Empires have sent three letters, asking whether we can manage our own people; if we can't manage them, they say our Clear Sky Sect might as well be called the Rat Sect!"
"And among the dozen or so Sects affiliated with us, eight sent messages yesterday alone, wanting to draw a clear line with our Clear Sky Sect!"
The Third Elder rose as well, his tone full of exasperation, "If this continues, the century-old foundation of our Clear Sky Sect will be destroyed in the hands of that wicked obstacle Tang Hao!
If you don't stand up now to show your determination and personally clean up the Sect, are you waiting for all the forces on the continent to attack our Clear Sky Sect's gates together?!"
"Clean up the Sect?"
Tang Xiao raised his eyes sharply, the anger in his tiger-like eyes almost overflowing, "Tang Hao is my own brother, born of the same mother! He is a Genius rarely seen in our Clear Sky Sect in a hundred years!
Just because he is with Ah Yin, just because he is protecting his wife, you want to grind his bones to dust?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the main hall fell silent for a moment.
Everyone knew that in Tang Xiao's heart, he had always held that gentle-as-water Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin.
Years ago, when the two brothers traveled the continent together, they both fell in love with Ah Yin, and in the end, he voluntarily withdrew, fulfilling the union of his brother and Ah Yin.
In his heart, Ah Yin was never some "harmful Spirit Beast Prodigy," but the girl who would silently heal his wounds when he was injured, and who would smile as she cooked wild soup for the two brothers.
He knew better than anyone that Tang Hao had never betrayed the Human Race; he was simply protecting his wife and child.
But now, the entire continent was cursing them, and he couldn't even utter a single word of defense.
"Tang Xiao! You are muddled!"
The Second Elder stomped his foot in frustration: "That Blue Silver Emperor is a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast! She is not human!
Even if she transformed into a human, deep down she is still a man-eating Spirit Beast, no different from those Wolftaken!
Tang Hao has abandoned the bottom line of the Human Race for her, are you going to follow him into madness too?!"
"I am not mad."
Tang Xiao slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only endless exhaustion remained in his eyes, "I only know that Tang Hao is my brother, and Ah Yin is a good girl.
They have never harmed anyone, nor have they betrayed the Human Race. I cannot issue a kill order, and I certainly cannot kill him with my own hands."
"Big Brother!"
Tang Yuehua, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, her voice choked with sobs, and tears finally could not be held back.
She hurried to Tang Xiao's side, raised her red-rimmed eyes to look at him, then turned to look at the Elders, her voice trembling but exceptionally firm: "Second Elder, Elders, you cannot force my Big Brother like this, and you cannot treat my Second Brother this way!"
"Tang Hao is not a traitor! He has never harmed anyone! Back in Kang'er City, in order to save the civilians, he stood alone against a beast tide, have you all forgotten this?!
He just fell in love with a transformed Spirit Beast, what did he do wrong?"
Her words seemed to strike a sore spot for the Elders, and the Third Elder immediately scolded sternly: "Yuehua! This is the Sect's main hall, is it your place as a woman to interrupt?!
Tang Hao has become the public enemy of the entire continent, and you are still speaking up for him here!
Have you forgotten what people outside are saying about you? They all say that you and your traitorous brother are involved in an improper relationship, and our Clear Sky Sect has lost all face because of you two!"
These words were like a sharp knife, stabbing fiercely into Tang Yuehua's heart.
She trembled all over, her face as pale as paper, her lips quivering, and she couldn't say a word for a long time.
The world only knew her as the Young Miss Yuehua of the Clear Sky Sect, a gifted Spirit Master, but no one knew that in her Life, her heart and eyes were completely filled with her own Second Brother, Tang Hao.
This forbidden love, she had hidden for over a decade, never daring to tell anyone.
Even when Tang Hao married Ah Yin, she only silently offered her blessings, never having any thoughts of crossing the line.
But now, the entire continent was cursing Tang Hao as a devil, as a traitor, and even the people in the Sect were using this affection she hid in her heart to poke at her pain, to curse her and Tang Hao for having an "improper relationship."
Who leaked this matter?
It is simply a path to death!
Moreover, the White Tiger Imperial Family of the Star Luo Empire and the Hell Civet Family have intermarried for generations; their Bloodline can also be said to be an ethical Bloodline, so why is it not allowed here?
She looked at the aggressive Elders in the hall, looked at her Big Brother beside her who was exhausted but still refused to back down, and felt a sense of powerlessness deep into her marrow, instantly drowning her.
She wanted to protect Tang Hao, wanted to defend him, wanted to tell everyone in the world that her Second Brother was not a devil, that he was a good man who valued relationships and loyalty, but she could do nothing.
She was just a Young Miss of the Sect without real power, just a money-making tool outside the Sect.
In the tide of condemnation from the entire continent, under the pressure of the Sect Elders, her words were as light as a wisp of smoke, unable to stir up even a ripple.
She even had to be extremely careful when secretly sending a message to Tang Hao, reminding him not to return and to hide well, for fear of being discovered by the Elders and adding another layer of charges against Tang Hao.
"Enough."
Tang Xiao reached out, shielding the swaying Tang Yuehua behind him, looked up at the Elders, his tone carrying an unquestionable determination: "I will never issue the kill order.
The Sect has already drawn a line with Tang Hao, and I will bear the storms outside alone.
If you Elders feel that I am not qualified as Acting Sect Master, you are free to choose someone else."
After speaking, he no longer looked at their ashen faces, turned around, pulled Tang Yuehua, and strode out of the main hall.
Walking out of the oppressive main hall, the cold wind in the mountains blew into their faces, carrying a bone-chilling cold.
Tang Yuehua could no longer hold back, leaned against a pillar, covered her mouth, and burst into tears.
"Big Brother, what should we do?"
She asked while crying, her voice full of despair: "The whole world is cursing Second Brother, everyone wants to kill him, and we can't even say a word to help him…
He is now alone outside with the child, how hard must it be for him…"
Tang Xiao stood with his back to her, looking at the distant rolling mountains, and a layer of moisture welled up in those usually resolute tiger-like eyes.
His clenched fists turned white at the knuckles, his nails digging deep into his palms, and he didn't even notice the blood seeping out.
He was the Acting Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, needing to protect the hundreds of people in the Sect.
He was also Tang Hao's own Big Brother, the one who watched Tang Hao grow up, practiced hammers with him, and braved the world with him.
On one side was the century-old foundation of the Sect, on the other was his own brother of the same blood, and that girl he held in his heart, who had long since passed away.
Both sides were responsibilities he couldn't let go of, but now, he was caught in the middle, in a dilemma, and even breathing felt painful.
He was silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "What else can we do? We can only wait, we can only endure."
"As long as I am in this position for one day, the Sect cannot take action against Tang Hao.
As long as we don't give in, at least, he might still have a path to survival."
But he knew better than anyone that this path was too difficult.
The wanted posters of the entire continent had spread to every corner, the anti-transformed Spirit Beast wave stirred up by the Flame Will Dynasty was still intensifying, and Tang Hao, with a newborn baby, was hiding outside, facing mortal danger every moment.
And the two siblings were trapped within the mountain gates of the Clear Sky Sect, unable to do anything except endure the pressure of the Sect.
Tang Yuehua cried for a long time, her tears wetting her plain white sleeves, her voice choked and intermittent: "Big Brother… the whole world wants to kill Second Brother… he is with the child, he can't even eat a peaceful meal… can we really do nothing?"
Tang Xiao was silent, raising his hand to wipe away her tears.
His fingertips touched her cold cheeks, and he was shocked to realize she was already shivering all over from the cold.
He took off his grey-black outer robe, wrapped it around her thin body, his voice full of powerless heaviness: "What can we do?
The Old Ancestors of the Sect refuse to see us, the Second Elder and the others are pressuring me with the 'survival of the Clear Sky Sect,' and some radical Spirit Masters have already arrived at the foot of the Sect mountain, threatening to 'clean up the Sect.'
If I dare to say a hard word for Tang Hao, the gates of the Clear Sky Sect will be trampled flat by the radical Spirit Masters of the entire continent tomorrow."
He paused, his gaze falling on the deep, cloud-shrouded parts of the Sect in the distance, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes: "But sister, remember, as long as I, Tang Xiao, am alive, the Clear Sky Sect will never take action against Brother Hao.
If they want to force me to choose, I will choose my brother. At worst, I won't be this Acting Sect Master anymore, at worst, this Clear Sky Sect will disperse, but I cannot personally push my own kin onto the guillotine."
These words seemed to inject a shot of adrenaline into Tang Yuehua.
She raised her red-rimmed eyes, grabbed Tang Xiao's arm, her fingertips exerting so much force they turned white: "Big Brother! Is what you said true? Then can we secretly send a message to Second Brother? Let him hide far away and never show his face again!"
"We can't send it."
Tang Xiao shook his head and pointed outside the door, "The Sect is being watched closely now.
The people from Spirit Hall are guarding outside the mountain, saying they are 'assisting the Clear Sky Sect in investigating traitors,' but in reality, they are watching our every move; many people are circling the Sect, and not even a bird can fly out.
We don't even have the qualification to leave the Sect, let alone send a message to Brother Hao."
The siblings were speechless, leaving only Tang Yuehua's suppressed sobbing echoing in the empty corridor.
They both knew that Tang Hao was now a "rat crossing the street," with people from the entire continent watching his trail; even if the slightest message leaked, what awaited him would be an overwhelming pursuit.
They didn't even know that this storm sweeping across the entire continent was never an accident.
In Torch Village, next to Saint Spirit Village, a six-year-old child who had just awakened a decent Spirit looked at the wanted poster and the Human Alliance declaration on the village head's bulletin board, a smile that did not match his age curling the corners of his mouth.
"Human Alliance declaration? Unexpectedly, there was a big brother before me. If even someone so fierce couldn't blow up that rat, it seems this water is truly deep!"