Chapter 129: The Second Master of the Tang Family
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The National Academy was very lively tonight. First, Chen Changsheng disappeared, leading to a standoff between the imperial army and the National Academy cavalry. Then Chen Changsheng returned, and not long after, he disappeared again. Countless screams and terrifying fluctuations of energy erupted from the autumn forest beyond the academy wall. Yet by the time the National Academy cavalry and Tang Thirty-Six and his group rushed over, there was nothing to see but corpses and blood.
The imperial army still surrounded the National Academy from the outside. From the main street outside the Hundred Flowers Lane to the walls of the Imperial Palace, people were everywhere. Traces of sporadic clashes could occasionally be seen on the streets and walls. Tang Thirty-Six stood at the entrance of the National Academy, gazing into the night. His handsome face, which usually bore an air of indifference, was now grave to the extreme.
Su Moyu was calming the teachers and students, while Zhe Xiu and the disciples of the Southern Stream Sect were patrolling the area. The National Academy’s main gate was heavily guarded by the National Academy cavalry; in theory, no one would dare launch a direct assault from here. But Tang Thirty-Six knew very well that tonight, the National Academy would not find peace so easily—something else was bound to happen.
Beside the lane in front of the National Academy stood a tea house. Last autumn, during the inter-academy martial tournament, Mao Qiuyu and Master Siyuan, two titans of the National Religion, often drank tea there to ensure the situation stayed under control. But clearly, tonight the Li Palace was in turmoil, and those two titans would certainly not be in the tea house.
Yet suddenly, a sound came from the tea house—the sound of someone descending the stairs.
Someone was coming downstairs.
Tang Thirty-Six narrowed his eyes slightly. The feeling of unease grew stronger. He felt he had heard those footsteps somewhere before.
The wooden door of the tea house was opened from the inside, and the owner respectfully saw someone out.
It was a very handsome man, with features somewhat similar to Tang Thirty-Six’s, though clearly much older—perhaps middle-aged. Yet he was still enough to captivate countless women in the world.
The National Academy cavalry at the gate immediately tensed up. Tonight, the imperial army held the outer perimeter, and the National Academy cavalry guarded the inner area. It was nearly impossible for anyone to approach the National Academy. Yet who would have thought that, right between these two forces, someone had been drinking tea in that tea house all night long?
When he stepped out of the tea house, it meant he had broken through the imperial surveillance and arrived directly at the National Academy.
Tang Thirty-Six looked at the man, his expression becoming extraordinarily complex.
He had anticipated that someone would come, but he never expected it to be him.
That man was from Wenshui—the Second Master of the Tang Family.
...
...
"Second Uncle, why are you here?"
Tang Thirty-Six looked at the man and asked with a smile, but inwardly, he was extremely wary.
With the situation in the capital so tense, he knew someone from Wenshui would come, but he never imagined it would be this person.
He had hoped the family would send anyone but him.
The Tang Family of Wenshui was the foremost of the four great clans, with immense power. Old Master Tang’s name could terrify half the world and make the other half grovel. But Old Master Tang’s three sons were not particularly renowned—far less so than Tang Thirty-Six. The Second Master of the Tang Family, in particular, was barely known to exist.
The people of Wenshui knew that whenever travelers spoke of Tang Thirty-Six’s exploits in the capital and marveled at his profligacy, the locals would sneer and say that compared to his second uncle, he was hardly a wastrel at all. If you wanted to know the true meaning of "squandering," you only had to look at the Second Master’s childhood.
But that, too, was a facade.
Only the most direct descendants of the Tang Family knew how terrifying the Second Master truly was.
Within the Tang Family, the Second Master had the highest cultivation talent—and also wasted it the most thoroughly. When Zhuang Zhihuan, the current dean of the Heavenly Academy, visited Wenshui over a decade ago, he met this man and remarked: "To waste such astonishing talent so completely—such a person is truly terrifying."
That statement seemed nonsensical, but it was actually profoundly true.
Having nothing to care about meant having nothing to fear. Such a person was the most terrifying of all.
Tang Thirty-Six was the Tang Family’s only grandson, raised in the palm of the entire family’s hand. Yet even he didn’t want to face his second uncle.
After arriving in the capital, he didn’t even want to think about having such an uncle.
Tonight, the Second Master of the Tang Family had come to the capital and stepped downstairs.
This meant the Tang Family had stepped down. They would join this war with the coldest posture and the most ruthless methods.
This was what Tang Thirty-Six least wanted to see.
"What does the family intend to do?" he asked again.
The Second Master of the Tang Family shook a paper fan, surveying the scenery of the National Academy like a typical playboy. But the words that came out of his mouth could never be spoken by such a person.
"Since we can’t stay out of it, we have to do something. I found this matter somewhat interesting, so I came."
Tang Thirty-Six asked, "Aren’t you worried that Grandfather might think you’ve gone mad?"
The Second Master of the Tang Family snapped his paper fan shut with a crisp sound, holding it in his hand, and smiled at him. "In such chaos, who but a madman like me can break through it?"
Tang Thirty-Six’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank.
Whether it was his father or his third uncle who came to the capital, he was confident he could persuade them to prioritize Chen Changsheng’s safety. After all, the Wenshui family probably didn’t know that Chen Changsheng had only a few days left to live. If Chen Changsheng could survive this storm, he would be the strongest contender for the Great Zhou throne—an excellent outcome for the Tang Family.
But the one who came was the Second Master.
He knew very well that his second uncle never cared about anyone’s life or death.
"The capital is vast. You don’t have to come to the National Academy," Tang Thirty-Six said.
The Second Master of the Tang Family looked at him calmly. "You are the only weakness of our Tang Family in the capital. Before I do anything, of course I have to take you away first."
Tang Thirty-Six met his gaze. "You yourself said the capital is in chaos now. I am the academy supervisor of the National Academy. How could I leave at a time like this?"
The Second Master of the Tang Family laughed.
His laugh was distinctive—extremely bright and cheerful, with his mouth wide open, completely unguarded. But... it was silent.
A silent, wide-mouthed laugh could be innocent, or it could be sinister. Sometimes, it was downright terrifying.
"Academy supervisor, huh..." The Second Master of the Tang Family’s smile faded, and he looked at him expressionlessly. "Haven’t you had enough fun yet?"
Hearing the word "fun," Tang Thirty-Six naturally recalled the conversation he had with Chen Changsheng under the big banyan tree last autumn. Then he remembered that on the eve of the conflict between the National Academy and the Tianhai family, Luoluo had been forced to move away, taking refuge in the Green Leaf World within the Li Palace.
In the eyes of their elders, everything the young people of the National Academy did for it was, in the end, just playing.
Tang Thirty-Six thought of many things, but his expression didn’t change. Unbeknownst to others, the hand he had placed behind his back quietly made a gesture.
In the night air weaving through the National Academy, a hint of bloodlust suddenly appeared, as if a fierce beast had somehow crept into the scene, ready to unleash its most powerful attack at any moment.
Dozens of sharp sword intents burst forth from the grass by the lake, ready to form a grim sword formation in an instant.
A flicker of mockery appeared on the Second Master of the Tang Family’s face. Somehow, he had already moved to Tang Thirty-Six’s side, his right hand resting on the back of his neck.
Tang Thirty-Six felt that hand was exceptionally cold and somewhat slimy—not like a snake, but like moss on a pond stone.
His heart sank.
He knew his second uncle was terrifying, but he hadn’t expected him to be this powerful. In front of him, he had no ability to resist.
The Second Master of the Tang Family looked at the big banyan tree in the night and said, "Are you that wolf cub?"
Zhe Xiu stepped out from behind the big banyan tree. His eyes were bloodshot, and a violent aura radiated from him. The arms exposed beyond his short sleeves were covered in long hair, ready for transformation. The disciples of the Southern Stream Sect also emerged from the night, holding their swords, watching the middle-aged man who had subdued Tang Thirty-Six with a mix of tension and confusion.
This middle-aged man should be from the Tang Family. They didn’t know why Tang Thirty-Six had secretly signaled for them to prepare to attack.
But before Zhe Xiu or the Southern Stream Sect disciples could make any move, the middle-aged man had effortlessly taken control of the situation.
Zhe Xiu glanced at Tang Thirty-Six.
Tang Thirty-Six’s expression didn’t change. He looked back at him, conveying a very clear message: he didn’t want to leave the National Academy, especially not now.
Zhe Xiu’s gaze shifted to the Second Master of the Tang Family’s face, and he took a step forward.
"I hate that look in your eyes—too primitive, too savage, uncultured..."
The Second Master of the Tang Family said to Zhe Xiu, "If it were any other time, I wouldn’t mind crushing every bone in your body. But out of consideration for my dear nephew, I won’t do anything to you. However, if you take another step forward, or if these young ladies from the Southern Stream Sect raise their swords again, then I’ll have no choice but to kill him."
Up to this point, Zhe Xiu and the Southern Stream Sect female disciples still didn’t fully grasp the situation. They thought, what use is it to subdue Tang Thirty-Six? Could he really threaten them with him? Then they heard him speak so calmly, so flatly, that even though they couldn’t believe the content of his words, they had no choice but to.
"He’s your own nephew," Ye Xiaolian said, looking at the Second Master of the Tang Family as if he were a monster.
The Second Master of the Tang Family smiled at her. "He’s my most beloved nephew."
Tang Thirty-Six suddenly spoke. "Second Uncle, have you always wanted me dead?"
"What nonsense is this?" The Second Master of the Tang Family said softly to him. "This is the old man’s order. I have full authority to handle matters in the capital. Whether it’s you or anyone else, if you don’t obey my commands, I can kill you on the spot. This concerns the family’s legacy for thousands of generations—some sacrifices are inevitable."
Tang Thirty-Six laughed. "I’m the only grandson of the Tang Family. If you kill me, how will you explain it to the family?"
The Second Master of the Tang Family seemed genuinely troubled. After thinking for a long time, he said very seriously, "Then I’ll just have another one."
Tang Thirty-Six stopped laughing and looked at him calmly. "Have another one? It seems you really do want me dead, Second Uncle."
The Second Master of the Tang Family smiled. "For the sake of the Tang Family, your third uncle and I have never had children. We’ve doted on you and spoiled you, but not to turn you into a brat. Don’t be willful."
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(There will be another chapter at eight in the evening. Truly... it’s been a while since I posted two chapters.)