Tang Ya was here?
Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong exchanged glances, then quickly stepped up to Xiao Hongchen.
"What happened?" Jiang Shengyu asked.
"How would I know?" Xiao Hongchen shook his head. "The moment I heard she'd arrived, I ran up here to tell you! My sister and the others already went over. You should hurry too!"
Hearing this, Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong wasted no time. Together with Xuedi, they headed straight for the Tang Sect headquarters.
Outside the Tang Sect, the nobles and dignitaries who had been hoping to seek audience with Shrek Academy's stationed teachers had gathered in a great crowd. In their midst, an open space had formed, and it was there that Tang Ya stood with her people.
These were not all Tang Sect members. Among them was a ninth-rank soul engineer of the Soul Hall—Heavenly Mechanism Douluo, Elder Chen—who had come to Heaven Dou City at Tang Ya's invitation.
To outsiders, though, he was simply another high-ranking member of the Tang Sect.
Whispers spread throughout the nobles as they pointed fingers at Tang Ya, their voices full of scorn.
They accused her of leading the Tang Sect to defect to the Sun Moon Empire, bringing shame upon the Heavenly Soul Empire.
But they seemed to have forgotten that, when the Tang Sect had declined, these very same nobles of the Heavenly Soul Empire had never spared it a thought.
Hearing their muttering, Tang Ya's expression was icy. Her gaze swept the crowd as she declared:
"I did not come here today to argue with you. Shut your mouths! No one is permitted to slander the Tang Sect. If anyone dares to speak nonsense again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Tang Ya! The Tang Sect has endured for ten thousand years, sharing both weal and woe with the three empires of Douluo Continent. How could you possibly turn to the Sun Moon Empire? How could you face your Tang Sect ancestors?"
The moment Tang Ya finished speaking, one of the nobles shouted harshly, emboldened by the fact that this was Heaven Dou City, the Heavenly Soul Empire's capital. He thought Tang Ya, no matter how bold, would never dare act here.
But his words had barely left his mouth before Tang Ya raised her hand. The Blue Silver Overlord Spear appeared, its tip pointing directly at him.
"Weal and woe? What a beautiful phrase!"
Tang Ya sneered, then shot back:
"When the Tang Sect declined, why didn't the Heavenly Soul Empire decline with it? When the Tang Sect was destroyed, when my parents died unjustly—why didn't you all die with them?"
"Th-this… that's not the same thing!" the noble stammered, shaking his head wildly.
"Not the same?" Tang Ya's voice was cold. "Or is it simply that you only wish to enjoy the benefits but refuse to bear the responsibilities? If that's the truth, then say it outright! Why put on this hypocritical act?"
"Where were you when the Tang Sect fell?"
"Where were you when my parents were killed?"
"And now you dare to step forward one by one, spouting righteous words? Do you deserve to?"
Her sharp accusations left the nobles frowning, their brows furrowed. Yet under the menace of the Blue Silver Overlord Spear, none dared to advance.
From within the crowd, Wang Dong'er suddenly spoke up:
"But you still can't side with the Sun Moon Empire! The Heavenly Soul Empire at least supported the Tang Sect for thousands of years!"
Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong had just arrived in time to hear Wang Dong'er's question hurled at Tang Ya.
Their expressions turned odd at once. Did the Heavenly Soul Empire truly have the right to say such a thing?
Tang Ya heard Wang Dong'er's words and gave a derisive laugh. She muttered:
"Supported the Tang Sect for thousands of years? If not for the Tang Sect, would the three empires of Douluo Continent even exist today? You would have been nothing more than the lapdogs of the Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago!"
"You—you insolent girl!"
"How dare you! How could you say such a thing—"
The enraged nobles trembled with fury at being called dogs, but still dared not step forward.
Wang Dong'er wanted to say more, but Ling Luochén and the others beside her pulled her back. Jiang Feixin cast her a mocking glance.
"Didn't you notice her emotions are unstable right now? And you still go provoking her—are you brainless?"
"I…" Wang Dong'er wanted to retort, but in the end, no words came out.
At that moment, Tang Ya released her spirit rings.
Two yellow, two purple, two black—the perfect configuration—rose one after another at her feet. Blue Silver Grass spread wildly around her, quickly extending beneath the nobles.
There were soul masters among them, but even Soul Emperors, upon sensing the chilling aura emanating from the Blue Silver Grass, instinctively stepped back, unwilling to let it touch them.
Only those above the Soul Emperor level dared remain in place, though they stared at the Blue Silver Grass with wary eyes.
Naturally, Jiang Shengyu and his companions were unaffected. Tang Ya had already noticed their arrival and deliberately kept the Blue Silver Grass from spreading toward them.
Raising her Blue Silver Overlord Spear, Tang Ya shouted:
"People of Shrek Academy! Are you not coming out yet?"
Her voice rang out, and from within the Tang Sect headquarters emerged two teachers of Shrek Academy—familiar faces, ones Jiang Shengyu and the others all recognized: Zhou Yi and Fan Yu, the married couple.
After Mu En had ordered the Tang Sect headquarters reclaimed, the two had been stationed there to represent Shrek Academy.
"Tang Ya!" Zhou Yi stood beside Fan Yu, frowning deeply. She was about to rebuke Tang Ya with the authority of a teacher when Fan Yu tugged her sleeve and stepped forward first.
"Fan Yu, Vice Dean of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department, greets the Tang Sect Master!"
At his words, Zhou Yi's face shifted, her expression twisting several times before the realization sank in.
Their relationship with Tang Ya was no longer that of teacher and student. Tang Ya was the Tang Sect's master now. In terms of status, she stood equal to the Sea God Pavilion's leader.
Only after receiving several pointed looks from Fan Yu did Zhou Yi reluctantly add:
"…Greetings, Sect Master Tang."
"I'm here to reclaim what belongs to the Tang Sect!" Tang Ya said, her tone softening slightly.
Zhou Yi answered: "As long as the Tang Sect returns to Heaven Dou City, the headquarters will of course be returned immediately."
Hearing this, Tang Ya frowned. "This is our Tang Sect's rightful property!"
Fan Yu took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, it once was. But the academy spent an enormous price to buy it back from the Iron-Blood Sect. Now, it belongs to Shrek Academy."
"Belongs to the academy?" Tang Ya laughed coldly. She fixed her gaze on Fan Yu and asked: "Do you know how the Iron-Blood Sect took this compound from us?"
Fan Yu fell silent.
Tang Ya continued:
"Their sect master led men to storm the Tang Sect, slaughtering the last few disciples we had, then murdered my parents. Only because of their protection did I escape—to Shrek!"
"That is all in the past now," Fan Yu said after a long pause.
"It is not past!" Tang Ya shook her head furiously, her voice sharp with rage. "When the Iron-Blood Sect butchered my entire family, where was Shrek? Answer me! Look into my eyes! Why did you not punish them when they massacred the Tang Sect?"
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