—Tang Feng POV—
"Is it done?"
"Yeah, the little shit's knocked out. The plan went off without a hitch," replied Tang Yun, still holding his bloodied hammer.
"Good. The Seventh Elder will be pleased. The main family won't be able to continue without an heir. And considering the Sect Master's loyalty to that woman from the Breaking Clan, it's unlikely a new heir will be born," Tang Feng said coldly.
"What do you want us to do with him now? You didn't exactly give us a clear plan," asked Tang Han, approaching from the direction of the camp.
"Simple. Leave him here. We'll say a minor beast tide separated us, and we were forced to flee. With the Seventh Elder's backing, the worst we'll face is forced seclusion. Just to be safe, I'll leave some spirit beast bait nearby to lure the beasts to him," explained Tang Feng, pulling a small pouch from his pocket and dropping it beside Tang Zhenlong's unconscious body.
"That won't be believable unless we're bloodied too, like we actually fought something. Why not just kill him outright?" Tang Yun asked with irritation.
"We can't. If someone investigates and finds his body with blunt trauma from a hammer, we'll be discovered immediately. That's why we're going to injure ourselves and take a piece of his clothing, soak it in his blood, and press it to our wounds. As annoying as it is to hurt ourselves, we have to do this for the mission," replied Tang Feng with a sigh.
Despite their frustration with the details, Tang Yun and Tang Han nodded in agreement.
Before they left, Tang Feng ripped a large portion of Zhenlong's clothing and soaked it in the blood pooling beneath him.
Then, he led the other two back to camp to rest for the night. By morning, they would leave the forest and officially report the death of Tang Xiao's only son—Tang Zhenlong.
—Tang Yuehua POV—
At the top of the Moon Pavilion, in the office of the pavilion master, the sharp crash of breaking glass echoed through the room.
Tang Yuehua stood frozen, staring at the bloodied trio of Clear Sky Clan disciples. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she tried to process the words they had just spoken.
"…What did you say?" she whispered, her voice fragile and trembling.
"We're sorry, Lady Yuehua. We couldn't save him. We were cowards… Please punish us," said Tang Feng, lowering his head with feigned remorse.
Normally, Tang Yuehua would have seen through the lies. But right now, her mind was in turmoil—her heart shattered.
She had failed to protect him.
She had failed to save him.
She had broken the only promise that truly mattered—to the one person in the Clear Sky Sect who treated her with genuine kindness and respect despite her inability to cultivate.
She had failed the boy she considered her own son.
"…Leave," she said, her voice barely louder than a breath, her head bowed.
"Excuse me?"
"I SAID LEAVE! OUT!!" she screamed, her voice cracking as she glared at the ones who had abandoned her son.
The three looked stunned for a moment before bowing silently and exiting the room.
As the door clicked shut, she collapsed into her chair.
She couldn't stand. Couldn't breathe. Could only sit and sob, drowning in her grief.
She had lost the only person who loved her unconditionally.
"Sister Lei… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Xiao Long… why did this happen to you? Why?! I should have done better… It's all my fault… Xiao Long… Xiao Long…"
That day, the perfect lady—admired for her grace, beauty, and poise—faded away, replaced by a grieving mother endlessly repeating her son's name like a broken record.
—Tang Xiao POV—
"You left him?!?!"
The voice of the Howling Sky Douluo boomed through the sect hall like a thunderclap.
Even though Tang Feng and the others knew in their hearts that the Seventh Elder would protect them, their bodies still trembled under the weight of the Sect Master's fury.
"There was a beast tide, Sect Master. We t-t-tried our best..." Tang Feng stammered.
"Tried your best?!" Tang Xiao roared, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage. "If you had, the ones dead would be you—not my son!"
He was still grieving the loss of the woman he loved. Even a year later, her smile lingered in his mind, her touch haunted his memory, and her gentle words echoed in his soul.
And now... the last piece of her—their son—was gone.
The boy who probably hated him for expelling him from the sect… despite the fact that he had wanted to keep him by his side.
And now he would never get the chance to make it right.
His emotions surged like a volcano. He wanted nothing more than to rip the heads off the three standing before him—those responsible for his son's death.
"You were ordered to protect him! Instead, you abandoned him to save your worthless lives! If I don't kill you right now, I swear—!"
"Sect Master, stop! Calm yourself!"
The Seventh Elder, Tang Haien, stood up and placed himself between Tang Xiao and the trembling trio.
"Tang Haien, why are you stopping me?" Tang Xiao asked, his voice like a winter storm—cold and cutting.
"Sect Master, you cannot harm sect disciples at a time like this. We are still recovering from Spirit Hall's attack and trying to rebuild. You must lead by example. Every wielder of the Clear Sky Hammer matters."
"I don't care if they wield a divine hammer blessed by the heavens," Tang Xiao growled. "They caused my son's death. I will kill them myself before I let them walk free."
"They will not go unpunished—I give you my word," Tang Haien said firmly. "But if you insist on killing them, I will be forced to call upon the other elders to stand against you."
He turned toward the rest of the elders seated around the hall.
Tang Xiao followed his gaze, and his stomach twisted as he saw several of them nodding in agreement with Haien.
He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
"...Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "But if their punishment does not satisfy me... even if the entire sect stands in my way, I'll find them—and I'll bash their skulls in."
With that ominous vow hanging in the air, Tang Xiao stormed out of the hall, flying into the skies above.
Hours later, in nearby villages nestled at the foot of Clear Sky Mountain, the residents heard sounds like thunder echoing in the distance.
The sudden booms shook their homes and hearts, stirring fear.
That night, a new bedtime tale was born—one of the furious hammer god who descended in wrath to punish the wicked—a story told to frighten unruly children into obedience.
—Ye Lingling POV—
Ye Lingling stood in front of the gate of the Moon Pavilion, unmoving.
Beside her, Dugu Yan wept, tears streaming freely down her face.
"He's not coming back, Lingling...You heard the pavilion master's announcement.There was a beast tide during the hunt, and now he's… he's gone," said Dugu Yan, her voice breaking on the final word.
But Ye Lingling didn't respond.
She didn't move.
Her eyes remained locked on the horizon beyond the gate, as if—by some miracle—he would appear, walking back to them with that familiar look of annoyance and cdetermination on his face.
She hoped it was a lie.
A cruel prank meant to mess with Dugu Yan.
But somewhere deep in her heart, she knew the truth.
He was gone.
"I'm going inside. Come find me if you need to talk," Dugu Yan whispered, sniffling as she turned and walked into the pavilion.
Ye Lingling didn't follow.
She stood there for minutes longer, her expression blank.
Then, in the softest whisper—barely louder than the breeze—she spoke:
"You lied...You said you'd come back.You lied to me."
Her voice was monotone.
Emotionless, like always.
But even though she believed her tears had long dried up after the death of her grandfather...
Two silent streaks fell down her pale cheeks.
And so she sat there, waiting.
Waiting for a friend who would never return.
Praying that he still might.
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Author's Note:
Alright, so this was my first time writing a chapter entirely in third person, and I think it turned out pretty well! It's a straightforward chapter, mainly focused on showing how the characters closest to the MC are reacting to everything that happened, and what they truly thought of him.
Just a quick clarification about Tang Xiao—
Yes, I've portrayed him as someone who prioritizes the sect above all else, even over his family at times. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care deeply about his loved ones. That's exactly why he flew into a rage and wanted to kill the three disciples. Now, if they had been elders, his reaction would've been different—more political, more restrained—but because they were just disciples, I felt his reaction made sense and stayed true to his emotional breaking point.
Also, for anyone wondering about the scene during the sect's seclusion—yes, Tang Xiao left the MC quickly, but remember: that was under emergency orders from his father. It wasn't an easy decision for him. He does care about his son, even if he struggles to show it the right way.
For those curious about the characters:
The three disciples are original characters (OCs), and the Seventh Elder's name—Tang Haien—was pulled from the Soul Land wiki for consistency with canon.
That's all for now!
Next chapter, we start getting into some reveals, so stay tuned!