Dai Mubai wasn't lying to Tang San—Tang Hao was truly gone, in the "reduced to ashes" sense.
As for slapping Tang San occasionally, even if Tang Hao were still alive, Dai Mubai figured he'd probably do the same.
Hearing this, Tang San froze, unable to recover for a long time.
He believed Dai Mubai.
After all, Tang Hao did have a habit of slapping him for no reason. Nearly every meeting had begun with one or two slaps.
"Why? Why would my father..."
If his memory wasn't playing tricks on him, Tang Hao had told him yesterday that he was going to teach Dai Mubai a lesson.
Now, not only was Dai Mubai unharmed, but Tang San had been slapped instead.
What had his father and Dai Mubai talked about? How had this turned into this?
"You're confused, aren't you?"
Tang San nodded. He was indeed bewildered.
"I don't know either."
"..."
The two stared at each other in awkward silence.
Dai Mubai couldn't come up with an excuse, but his lack of one only made Tang San believe him more.
"Oh, about Xiao Wu..."
Tang San hesitated, trailing off mid-sentence.
He couldn't figure out Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai's relationship. When had they become so close?
"You mean Xiao Wu?"
Dai Mubai smiled and turned to Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, come here and give me a kiss."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes but leaned over and planted a light kiss on Dai Mubai's cheek.
Tang San: "..."
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Tang San felt like his dark hair had taken a giant leap towards becoming green.
He'd thought that focusing on cultivation meant he could ignore matters of love. But at this moment, he felt as though something inside him had shattered.
Dai Mubai had slapped him twice, yet the pain in his face was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.
Xiao Wu's pink eyes held no trace of Tang San—her gaze was entirely fixated on Dai Mubai. This man... they had lived through life and death together, shared...
Come to think of it, Dai Mubai hadn't sought her out in quite a while.
"Mu Bai, after today's tournament, I want some sweets."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai's body stiffened slightly. Sweets? Oh, what a way to ask for sweets!
Without hesitation, Dai Mubai nodded, rubbed Xiao Wu's head, and noticed her cheeks turning a rosy red, almost as if she were unwell.
Tang San: "???"
What were they even talking about? Tang San couldn't understand a word.
Holding the Haotian Hammer in his hand, he was torn. Putting it away didn't feel right, but neither did using it—he didn't want to risk accidentally hitting Xiao Wu.
"Dai Mubai, come here for a moment."
Just then, Zhao Wuji called out to Dai Mubai, completely ignoring Tang San and his raised hammer.
Dai Mubai glanced at Zhao Wuji, nodded nonchalantly, and walked over.
The two moved farther away, leaving Xiao Wu stamping her feet in frustration.
Why did Zhao Wuji have to show up now of all times?
What Xiao Wu didn't know was that Zhao Wuji had been there the whole time, along with Flender.
Neither of them had slept the previous night. The commotion on the outskirts of the Sunset Forest had been too massive, so they had teamed up to investigate.
When they arrived at the scene, they were stunned by the lingering shockwaves.
Zhao Wuji, having been "educated" by the Haotian Hammer before, immediately recognized its handiwork. Flender had witnessed it as well.
More strikingly, the soul power aura at the scene felt too similar to Dai Mubai's.
While Flender didn't know that Dai Mubai had reached Soul Sage rank, Zhao Wuji did!
"Dai Mubai, was that you at the Sunset Forest last night?" Zhao Wuji asked, puzzled.
At Level 76, could he really unleash such world-shaking power? It was enough to rival a Titled Douluo.
"It was me. I was fighting Tang Hao."
Dai Mubai nodded without attempting to hide the truth.
"What? Why didn't you tell me? I..."
Zhao Wuji started to panic but then paused as a thought struck him.
He looked at Dai Mubai, who was completely unscathed, and struggled to believe the bold idea forming in his mind.
Normally, or even abnormally, Dai Mubai should not have been able to take on Tang Hao. Yet here he was, alive and well.
"He's dead," Dai Mubai said calmly.
Zhao Wuji: "..."
The words hit Zhao Wuji like a bolt of lightning, leaving him dumbfounded.
His jaw twitched, and his eyelids fluttered uncontrollably.
He knew how strong Tang Hao was—he'd experienced it firsthand. Before Tang Hao, he'd been utterly powerless.
A Titled Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring was nothing short of terrifying.
Zhao Wuji fell silent. He had watched Dai Mubai grow up since he was twelve.
Now, that same child had managed to kill a Titled Douluo...
"Dai Mubai, this matter must remain a secret for now," Zhao Wuji said gravely.
"Tang Hao may be gone, but the Haotian Sect still exists. Wait until you've reached Titled Douluo rank..."
Zhao Wuji's expression was serious.
The Haotian Sect was the number one sect in the world. Until Dai Mubai had absolute strength, lying low was the safest option.
Dai Mubai nodded. The Haotian Sect was a minor problem for him. If they stayed hidden, fine. If they sided with Tang San, they couldn't blame him for being ruthless.
"By the way, Dai Mubai," Zhao Wuji asked hesitantly, "how exactly did you kill Tang Hao?"
"With Invincible Golden Body, Void, Teleportation, and one White Tiger's Heart Strike... Oh wait, Black Tiger's Heart Strike..."
"And then he just lay there," Dai Mubai said animatedly.
Zhao Wuji: "..."
After another long silence, Zhao Wuji shook his head and sighed.
"I'm getting old... so old..."
"Let's keep this from Flender. If he asks, just say you don't know anything."
"Got it."
With that, Zhao Wuji led Dai Mubai back to the training grounds, where Flender was giving a lecture.
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai's thoughts lingered elsewhere.
Why had Dugu Bo, Chen Xin, and Ning Fengzhi come to his door, only to leave after glancing at him?
Then there was Qian Renxue. She had come to confront him, furious that he hadn't told her about killing Tang Hao.
Together, they could've used their Martial Soul Fusion Technique. With her two Titled Douluo guards, the fight against Tang Hao would have been much easier.
Instead, Dai Mubai had taken on Tang Hao alone—a reckless move. Yet somehow, he'd won!
Zhao Wuji had sought him out because he knew Dai Mubai's strength. But Flender hadn't, believing a Soul King couldn't possibly achieve such a feat.
"Could it be the lingering soul power aura at the scene?"
The thought unsettled Dai Mubai. Even the wisest could overlook something, and he had certainly done so this time.
The soul power aura would dissipate soon enough, but in the meantime, it had drawn too much attention...
(Chapter End)