Chapter 41: No Other Choice

Chapter 41: No Other Choice

"Then I won't see you off. The captive from the Star Luo Empire will be sent to your residence later.

It's still early, so you can head to Yue Xuan first and bring Aunt Yue Hua to your place."

At the entrance of the imperial palace, "Xue Qinghe" bade farewell to Wang Si, offering some advice before they parted ways.

"Alright, Brother Xue. I'll take my leave then," Wang Si waved goodbye.

Seated in a horse-drawn carriage, Wang Si stuck his head out the window to wave at "Xue Qinghe" once more.

"To Yue Xuan," he ordered the coachman.

As the carriage began its slow journey, Wang Si drew the curtains shut.

Closing his eyes, he turned his attention to his backpack, where four soul bones lay quietly within.

Two of the soul bones emanated a purple glow, indicating they were thousand-year soul bones, while the other two radiated black—undeniably, ten-thousand-year soul bones.

Snow Night Emperor had promised three ten-thousand-year soul bones, but exchanging one for two thousand-year soul bones was still a profitable deal.

【Item: Right Arm Soul Bone

Age: 2300 years old

Effect: Enhances right arm bone strength and grants affinity to Earth element.

Soul Bone Skill: Earth Spike Assault

Earth Spike Assault: Instantly summons multiple earth spikes around the user, useful for attacking or restraining enemies.】

【Item: Left Leg Thighbone

Age: 3400 years old

Effect: Reduces weight of the left leg bone and grants affinity to Wind element.

Soul Bone Skill: Wind Walk

Wind Walk: Significantly increases the user's speed and allows for short-distance bursts by consuming soul power.】

Both thousand-year soul bones were currently useful to Wang Si.

Earth Spike Assault was a long-range skill that compensated for his short reach.

Wind Walk enhanced his speed and improved his mobility.

Wang Si's system could directly display the attributes of the soul bones, allowing him to choose the two that best suited his needs at the moment.

As for the possibility of others trying to kill him for his soul bones, it was undoubtedly true. However, those with the strength to do so wouldn't be interested in mere hundred or thousand-year soul bones, and those who were interested lacked the capability.

Closing his bag, Wang Si opened the soul ring template.

Within, two purple soul rings lay dormant in their slots.

The first soul ring had the highest age, having been cultivated for over four millennia during the month when Qian Dao Liu gave him special training. His soul power had also reached level 22.

As for the second soul ring, Wang Si had tentatively tried to increase its age to three thousand years, but he found that the "weakness" effect it caused did not diminish with the increase in the ring's age.

Increasing the age of the soul ring only improved the physical enhancement multiplier when using soul skills; the duration of weakness after using the soul skill actually became longer.

Wang Si decisively abandoned the idea of increasing the age of the second soul ring. The weakness effect of this soul skill was too detrimental; even just activating the soul skill without burning soul power would cause a short period of weakness.

Opening the soul spirit template, he saw that it had just been recently unlocked.

The soul spirit slots had a total of ten slots, and since he only had two soul rings, two slots were currently open and both were occupied.

One of them was the lion from his second soul ring.

The other, however, surprised Wang Si greatly. It was none other than "Xue Qinghe," whom the Snake Spear Douluo had killed with a single spear strike.

The "Soul Spirit Capturer" trapped spirits with sentience, and human souls were evidently included.

There were benefits to "Xue Qinghe" becoming a soul spirit. At the very least, if Qian Ren Xue didn't want to be a spy anymore or if her cover was blown, he could bring him out.

Soul spirits retained their memories and were also loyal to their masters.

As for their functions, soul spirits could not only be summoned to aid in battles but also undergo "cultivation."

The cultivation of soul spirits would accumulate "experience" that could be used to enhance the age of soul rings and soul bones.

This discovery greatly reduced Wang Si's pressure, as he no longer had to waste a lot of "experience" to enhance his soul ring's age.

…………

"Little Si, I'm so sorry. I was incapable of protecting Xiao Xue," Tang Yue Hua said, her emotions, which she had been suppressing for a month, erupting once more.

Upon seeing Wang Si, she disregarded her image and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

At times like these, words of comfort were useless. Wang Si gently patted Tang Yue Hua's back.

After about half an hour, Tang Yue Hua finally vented her sorrow.

Gently supporting the now-limp Tang Yue Hua, Wang Si took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.

"Aunt Yue Hua, three years ago, you wanted to ask about my parents, didn't you? Are you still willing to listen now?"

Tang Yue Hua looked at Wang Si's calm face, and her heart ached even more.

She knew better than anyone how much Wang Si loved Xue Ya. Now that something had happened to her, he should be the most heartbroken.

Yet, he didn't show it, probably because he was so devastated that he couldn't bring himself to express any emotions.

"Go on, child. I'm listening," she said, changing her posture. She was also curious about Wang Si's past.

She couldn't understand how a child who was only a few years old could be as mature as an adult capable of handling any situation.

"Aunt Yue Hua, you should know that I'm from the Spirit Hall, right?"

"Aunt Yuehua, you know that I don't have any malicious intentions, and I won't dislike you because you're from the Spirit Hall," Wang Si said gently.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yuehua reached out to caress Wang Si's face, offering him comfort. However, Wang Si suddenly pulled her into his embrace. Though surprised by his action, she quietly acquiesced and laid her head on his chest.

"Aunt Yuehua, if I told you that Xue Ya is also a member of the Spirit Hall, would you dislike her?" Wang Si asked softly.

Tang Yuehua's instinct was to say no, but Wang Si quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"There's no need to rush your answer, Aunt Yuehua. I know about the conflict between the Hao Tian Sect and the Spirit Hall, and I'm sure you're aware of it as well," he said, his tone carrying a hint of sadness.

At these words, Tang Yuehua's face twisted in pain, but she gently caressed Wang Si's cheek and whispered words of solace.

"It's alright, child. Even if there's conflict between the Hao Tian Sect and the Spirit Hall, it's an issue between the adults. It has nothing to do with you," she reassured him.

Wang Si gently stroked Tang Yuehua's face, smoothing out the wrinkles that had formed due to her distress. His voice remained soft, but it now carried a hint of something more.

"How can it be unrelated? During the battle when the Pope of the Spirit Hall led the attack on Tang Hao, a four-year-old child lost his father," Wang Si said, his eyes distant with memories.

Tang Yuehua, who had been soothed by Wang Si's embrace, suddenly struggled to get up, but he gently pushed her back down.

"Not only did the child lose his father, but his mother also lost her life due to the aftermath of that incident," he continued, his voice steady.

Tang Yuehua's lips trembled as tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head vigorously.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know... I didn't know about Xue Ya's parents..." she managed to say.

Wang Si covered her mouth once more and slowly lowered his head.

"Aunt Yuehua, those weren't her parents. They were mine," he whispered.

At this revelation, Tang Yuehua froze, her eyes fixed on Wang Si's face, which was mere centimeters away from her own.

She finally understood why Wang Si seemed so mature for his age. It was because he had lost his parents when he was just four years old...

"I... I'm so sorry. I truly am," she said, her eyes filled with deep remorse as she looked at Wang Si's calm expression.

Wang Si gently smiled and caressed her cheek.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Aunt Yuehua. You haven't done anything wrong," he said softly.

Seeing Wang Si's smile, Tang Yuehua's body trembled involuntarily.

"Aunt Yuehua, now that you know my past, do you still care about my identity?" he asked, his eyes holding hers.

Tang Yuehua simply stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. Her silence seemed to be her answer.

"Aunt Yuehua, it seems you've learned quite a few things that you shouldn't have. What should I do with you now?" Wang Si asked, his hand gently stroking her arm as his gaze turned predatory.

Seeing his actions, Tang Yuehua bit her lip and closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate.

After all, her second brother was Wang Si's father's killer, and her actions had indirectly caused the death of his mother. It was only natural that he would seek revenge.

"There's no need to be so tense, Aunt Yuehua. I won't hurt you," Wang Si said, his hand still on her arm. "In fact, joining me might not be entirely bad news for you. I have some good news to share."

As Tang Yuehua kept her eyes tightly shut, Wang Si slowly leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Xue Ya isn't dead."

At these words, Tang Yuehua's eyes snapped open, and she looked at Wang Si with a mix of hope and disbelief.

Wang Si merely smiled gently.

"I have no reason to lie to you, do I?"

Tang Yuehua's gaze turned complex as she studied his face, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Will you let me see her?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Wang Si chuckled softly and tilted her chin up with his finger.

"Of course, but it requires you to give up all your identities, including your affiliation with the Hao Tian Sect," he said, his eyes holding a challenge.

Tang Yuehua understood what he was asking of her—to join the Spirit Hall. She gave a bitter smile.

"Do I have a choice?"

Wang Si helped Tang Yuehua, who had gone limp with emotion, to sit up. A playful smile danced on his lips.

"No, Aunt Yuehua, you don't have a choice. But... I'd like to hear you say it yourself," he teased.

Tang Yuehua bit her lip and turned her head away, her eyes closed.

Wang Si continued to coax her gently.

"If you promise that no matter what happens, you won't take action, then I can secretly help the Hao Tian Sect when it's in danger," he offered.

At these words, Tang Yuehua's eyes widened in shock. "You're going to target the Hao Tian Sect?!"

Wang Si shrugged helplessly.

"If I have the strength to oppose the Hao Tian Sect, why wouldn't I?" he asked, his tone casual.

Hearing this, Tang Yuehua's gaze turned even more complex as she considered the implications.

Seeing the young man who had hidden his true nature for three years by her side finally reveal himself, she couldn't help but wonder: If he truly targeted the Hao Tian Sect, would they be able to escape his grasp?

"I... I agree..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end