To evade pursuit, the three had long since changed their appearances.
At this moment, in the eyes of the townspeople, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu were seen as a pair of soul master sisters from a soul master family, while the aged and powerless Huang Sangu (Yu Xiaogang) naturally played the role of an old steward.
It had to be said that, due to their backgrounds, the three of them played their roles so convincingly.
Dai Mubai, being a royal family member, had been trained in etiquette from a young age, even though he had abandoned it later. Now, dressed in women's clothing and adopting a dignified demeanor, he perfectly resembled the eldest daughter of a noble family. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, played the role of an arrogant and spoiled younger sister to perfection.
As for Huang Sangu?
He completely embodied the stereotypical old steward from a grand household—one who prides himself on his seniority and looks down on others. While lacking any real ability, his self-respect was immense, and he was stubborn in all kinds of strange ways.
Except for the faintly unpleasant smell he carried and his odd gait, there were hardly any flaws in their disguise.
At this moment, the three had been living in this town for more than ten days. Dai Mubai had rented a small courtyard, and they rarely went out. Except for occasional trips to gather supplies or investigate information, the three stayed in the courtyard, conserving their energy and preparing for potential escape.
When Tang Chen arrived with Tang San, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu, dressed in pajamas, leaped out of their room together, summoning their martial souls and warily observing the strangers.
Initially, when Tang San saw Xiao Wu, his heart was filled with excitement, and tears were about to fall from his eyes. However, before he could speak, Tang Chen helplessly elbowed him and used soul power to transmit a message directly to his mind.
"Xiao San, look at their clothes."
"Clothes? What's wrong with the clothes?"
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai, who were both dressed in pajamas, and his mind momentarily failed to process the situation. Having spent so much time in the mixed-gender dorm of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, he didn't immediately notice anything unusual. After pondering for a while, he finally realized a glaring problem.
Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu had emerged from the same room. Moreover, they were wearing matching pajamas.
"Ah?!"
Tang San staggered back a few steps as if struck by lightning, gasping in shock. It felt as though something heavy had descended upon his head. Whether it was due to the overwhelming blow or not, even though the courtyard was devoid of vegetation other than a few clusters of blue silver grass in the corners, the world before him seemed to turn a lush green.
"You... Why were you two in the same room?!"
"Who are you? And what are you implying about me, huh? If you don't explain yourself, don't blame me for cutting off your bloodline today!"
Seeing the strange, sharp-headed brute pointing at her, a furious Xiao Wu—who had been bottling up her anger—immediately exploded like a firecracker. She pointed at Tang San's nose and cursed him without mercy. Meanwhile, Dai Mubai, whose martial soul was activated, nodded in agreement while stepping forward to shield Xiao Wu.
Their teamwork was so seamless that it was almost ridiculous!
"This little bunny is way too feisty, and her eyesight's terrible," Tang Chen remarked, casually flicking his hand. A powerful wave of pressure descended precisely on Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu, forcibly suppressing their martial soul states. He looked at Xiao Wu with a faint smile.
To Xiao Wu, that cold gaze seemed to slice through her flesh, penetrate her bones, and bore into her very soul, exposing her completely.
Although the carapace gifted by Tang Hao was hidden inside a sachet around her neck and theoretically concealed her identity even from a Titled Douluo, Xiao Wu still felt as if this cold man had seen through her true form.
At that moment, Tang San stepped forward, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Xiao Wu. His overly emotional expression made Xiao Wu feel nauseated. Yet, due to the immense pressure, her face remained expressionless as she watched the drastically changed Tang San approach her step by step.
"Xiao Wu, it's me. I'm Tang San, your third brother."
Tang San reached out to pat Xiao Wu's head, trying to awaken her memories this way. Feeling the pressure ease slightly, Xiao Wu quickly stepped back, staring at Tang San in disbelief.
She scanned him from head to toe, carefully examining him again and again. After scrutinizing him seven or eight times, she finally recognized traces of Tang San in his features and the blood-red Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist. Still, she couldn't fully believe it.
Biting her lip, Xiao Wu pulled a sleeve dart from her clothing and tossed it to Tang San. The moment Tang San caught it, he understood her intent. Without hesitation, he disassembled the dart, still warm from Xiao Wu's touch, and swiftly reassembled it.
Seeing his familiar and skilled technique, Xiao Wu finally confirmed that the sharp-headed, burly figure before her was indeed her third brother. She immediately burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. Dai Mubai, standing nearby, also spread his arms, preparing to use this opportunity to hug both Tang San and Xiao Wu.
But just as Dai Mubai stepped forward, he felt a chill at his neck. Looking up, he saw the cold and indifferent gaze of the unknown man. Smiling awkwardly but politely, Dai Mubai raised his hands over his head in a gesture of celebration but wisely stopped in his tracks.
Seeing the androgynous figure back off, Tang Chen turned his attention back to Tang San, his gaze growing increasingly complex.
Just moments ago, Tang Chen had observed Tang San's deft disassembly of the mechanism and mentally played out its workings several times. While simple in structure (to him), the mechanism was highly lethal, with no redundant features beyond its anti-theft measures. It was the work of a master craftsman.
Tang Chen had asked Tang San about his past, but Tang San had never mentioned his cultivation techniques or any details about these hidden weapons.
For a child to achieve this level of mastery while also training as a soul master was simply impossible.
As Tang Chen looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu hugging, a deep sense of unease filled his heart. Yet, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't pinpoint the source of this discomfort. Turning his gaze back to Xiao Wu, he remained lost in thought.