In the end, Tang Ya was still just a child. Her inner turmoil left her completely unable to speak.
Ye Wen didn't rush her; some things simply couldn't be forced.
After a while, Tang Ya finally snapped out of her chaotic state. She looked at Ye Wen, who was still smiling gently. Though his smile was soothing, her eyes couldn't hide the deep sorrow within.
Tang Ya knew Ye Wen meant well, and at this moment, she desperately needed a spiritual anchor to steady herself. Her lips parted slightly as she stammered:
"No."
Seeing that Tang Ya's emotions had mostly stabilized, Ye Wen decided it was time to reveal his intentions.
"Then, would you be willing to become my disciple, Tang Ya?" Ye Wen asked calmly.
Tang Ya's eyes widened in confusion, momentarily thinking she had misheard him.
But after carefully processing his words, she confirmed she hadn't misunderstood. This was the confidence of a master of hidden weapons. Her eyes grew even wider, and her mouth began moving uncontrollably.
"W-What!?"
Ye Wen understood how shocking it was for a Titled Douluo to take on an ordinary soul master as a disciple, so he remained composed and said kindly:
"Don't doubt it, Tang Ya. I truly intend to take you as my disciple."
This exhilarating news made Tang Ya want to jump for joy, but she quickly suppressed her excitement. Still, she couldn't help but stutter in disbelief:
"W-Why? M-My talent… it's really… very poor."
Though Ye Wen had anticipated Tang Ya's strong reaction, he hadn't expected her excitement to reach such heights—she seemed ready to float away. Thus, Ye Wen had to use a bit of soul power to calm her down.
After being "suppressed," it took Tang Ya a while to adjust her mindset and stop acting so flustered.
Moreover, Tang Ya was no longer the naive, love-struck girl she once was.
Her spirit had now darkened into Dark Blue Silver Grass, and her mentality had similarly turned darker.
Unsolicited kindness often hid ulterior motives. After calming down from her initial excitement, Tang Ya eyed Ye Wen with suspicion.
"My Lord, I'm fully aware that my talent is far from worthy of someone like you taking me as your disciple. And you saw what happened earlier—I couldn't even hold onto the title of Tang Sect leader."
At this point, a bitter smile spread across Tang Ya's face, but she continued:
"So can you tell me why you want to take me as your disciple? I don't believe I currently have any value worth mentioning."
Ye Wen nodded approvingly. Though her response was still somewhat immature and overly blunt, it was clear she was no longer the naive and sweet Tang Ya from before.
However, Ye Wen wasn't ready to outright explain his plans to overthrow the current Douluo Continent order. Tang Ya hadn't yet fully integrated into his group.
After all, her origins were questionable.
But Tang Ya possessed a potential that even Ye Wen acknowledged.
The Tang Ya of the past was undoubtedly a failure, but after her spirit mutated into Dark Blue Silver Grass, her talent ranked among the top ten in the entire Douluo Continent without a doubt.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have become one of the two Holy Maidens of the Holy Spirit Sect in the future.
Though Ye Wen couldn't directly explain his reasons, he was well aware of Tang Ya's weaknesses.
"If you want revenge, then become my disciple," Ye Wen said indifferently.
These simple words struck straight at Tang Ya's heart.
The glory of the Tang Sect was already lost, and her lover's betrayal had taught her the unreliability of love. At this moment, the only thing keeping Tang Ya alive was her lingering hatred.
She stared at Ye Wen, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Before the Sun Moon Continent collided with theirs, the Tang Sect had lived comfortably. But after the advent of soul-guiding tools, they faced a devastating blow and began their decline.
By the time of Tang Ya's father's generation, the Tang Sect's reputation had nearly vanished entirely.
After all, it was just a small faction without even a single Soul Sage. Once destroyed, aside from a few closely related sects, who would remember them?
Out of sight, out of mind—it was as simple as that.
Tang Ya was also aware of the Tian Xing Sect's reputation. Since she and Jiang Nannan were close friends, she could confirm there had been no interaction between the Tang Sect and the Tian Xing Sect.
But why was Ye Wen helping her?
Tang Ya was puzzled. Her gaze toward Ye Wen held both joy and, more prominently, confusion.
It wasn't hard to guess the thoughts of a young girl. Ye Wen tilted his head slightly, resting his cheek on his hand, and said:
"Hehe, curious why I'm using revenge as the condition for you to become my disciple?"
Tang Ya nodded. In the past, she had considered asking Shrek Academy for help in avenging her family, but they had refused. Even Bei Bei had turned her down.
As for the reason—hah, neutrality my ass.
Thinking back to those once-sweet memories, Tang Ya couldn't help but want to slap herself. How could she have been so blind as to fall for someone like that—a man too cowardly to even help her seek revenge?
Ye Wen casually answered, "A trashy sect without even a Soul Sage? If they're gone, they're gone."
Looking at Ye Wen's calm yet extraordinarily domineering declaration, Tang Ya's cheeks flushed slightly. But soon after, she felt another wave of pain—after all, it was precisely such trash that had destroyed the Tang Sect.
Tang Ya's expression shifted repeatedly. Ye Wen couldn't help but think that if she'd been in the original world, her ability to change expressions so quickly would've made her a star actress.
"So, little Tang Ya, tell me your answer. Will you become my disciple, or will you try to exact revenge alone with your pitiful talent?"
Ye Wen's unfiltered words exposed the harsh reality Tang Ya faced.
This time, Tang Ya's expression didn't change. Instead, it became unusually calm.
*Thud—*
Tang Ya knelt on the ground and performed the traditional kowtow three times, bowing nine times.
"Disciple Tang Ya pays respects to Master."
Tang Ya, I got it!
Ye Wen smiled and accepted, then helped Tang Ya to her feet.
"Master, when will we take revenge?" Tang Ya eagerly asked the moment she stood up.
It was clear this little girl was obsessed with revenge.
But Ye Wen shook his head slightly. This gesture sent a chill through Tang Ya's body—had she been deceived?
However, Ye Wen's next words warmed her heart.
"If I were to take revenge for you directly, it would fulfill your wish, but wouldn't you rather make your former enemies pay dearly with your own strength?"
Tang Ya immediately understood Ye Wen's meaning. Her eyes gleamed as she looked at him.
"Master is right. I'll listen to you. I'll take this revenge myself!"
At this moment, Tang Ya had more or less guessed Ye Wen's intentions.
Her hatred was insignificant in Ye Wen's eyes, and she possessed no other interests that would entice a Titled Douluo.
Thus, there was only one conclusion:
This man was using her for entertainment.
But at this point, Tang Ya didn't care. As long as she could take revenge, even if she became a mere pawn or plaything, so be it. She had already lost everything.
However, a few days later, Tang Ya realized just how wrong she had been.
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