Ning Liu did not respond immediately, but simply looked calmly at the man in pain.
That calmness stood in sharp contrast to Tang Xiao's grief and indignation.
He wasn't deliberately ignoring the message; he was simply reflecting on it.
After a long while, Ning Liu finally spoke.
"The decline of the Haotian Sect did not happen overnight."
"It didn't start when you took over as sect leader."
His words were like a cold knife, precisely cutting open Tang Xiao's newly torn wound.
"The turning point was the death of your father, the previous sect leader of Haotian Sect."
"And, the top-secret incident that was sealed off by the Spirit Hall twelve years ago."
Tang Xiao's body stiffened.
He looked up abruptly, his breath catching in his throat for a moment.
Ning Liu met his gaze and said something even crueler.
"Moreover, the current predicament of the Clear Sky Sect is, on the surface, due to the oppression of the Spirit Hall."
“But if we trace it back to the source, the root cause is your younger brother, Tang Hao.”
"It was his impulsiveness and willfulness back then that led him to push the entire sect off the cliff."
"No!"
Tang Xiao blurted it out almost without thinking.
"It's my incompetence, it's my failure to protect the sect, it's my fault..."
"you?"
Ning Liu interrupted him, her tone laced with sarcasm.
What did you have at the time?
"Tang Hao inherited the Great Sumeru Hammer, the most core secret technique of the Clear Sky Sect, and took away the inherited soul bone passed down from generation to generation in the sect."
"He disregarded the safety of the entire sect for the sake of a woman and his own selfish desires."
"Did he ever consider the terrible price the Haotian Sect would have to pay for his departure?"
Every word Ning Liu uttered was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Tang Xiao's heart.
"Afterwards, did he send the secret technique of the Great Sumeru Hammer back to the sect and give it to you?"
"Did he return that crucial inherited soul bone to the sect?"
"No!"
"He didn't do anything!"
"He made you, and the entire Haotian Sect, bear all the consequences for his love and his choice."
"And for the next ten years or so, they accomplished absolutely nothing!"
Ning Liu slowly stood up from the chair and walked step by step to Tang Xiao.
"The sect was forced to close its mountain, resources were cut off, and the future of countless talented disciples was ruined. The sect elders were filled with resentment."
"Isn't he the root of all this?"
"You, Tang Xiao, have neither inherited the title of Haotian Douluo nor possess the Haotian secrets or sect soul bones."
"In that situation where you were beset by internal and external troubles, the fact that you were able to preserve the power of the Haotian Sect and ensure that its bloodline was not lost is already the limit of your ability."
"At least, to this day, the Haotian Sect remains the leader of the three upper sects!"
Ning Liu's voice suddenly lowered.
"Therefore, the real culprit that caused the Haotian Sect to lose its 'soul' is not you, the sect leader who has devoted yourself to the cause and worked tirelessly."
"It's him, your younger brother who's hailed as a once-in-a-century genius, Tang Hao!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao's body jolted violently.
His tall body trembled violently, and the color drained from his face at a visible speed, leaving only paleness.
Pain, struggle, and a sense of bewilderment at having the truth forcibly torn away intertwined in his eyes.
He never thought of it.
He never dared to imagine it.
It is astonishing that someone would so bluntly and sharply point the finger at his younger brother, Tang Hao, for all the blame.
He is the eldest brother.
Protecting his younger brother and taking on his responsibilities were instincts ingrained in him since childhood.
He believed that the sect had fallen to this state because he, as the sect leader, was incompetent, that he had failed to manage his relationship with the elders, and that he had failed to restore the sect's former glory.
This self-blame was like a mountain, weighing him down and making it hard for him to breathe for more than a decade.
But now, Ning Liu's words were like a thunderbolt, cleaving the mountain in two.
yes……
Ah Hao... he took everything from the sect.
Secret techniques, soul bones...
He never came back even once.
The resentment of those elders, the despair of those disciples—could they really have nothing to do with him?
Tang Xiao's gaze shifted from intense struggle to a near-collapse of realization.
Every word Ning Liu spoke was precious and true.
He believed he was carrying the future of the sect on his shoulders.
It turns out that what he was carrying on his shoulders was more of a mess left by his father and brother.
The heavy burden that had been weighing on him, making it hard for him to breathe, was ruthlessly shattered by Ning Liu at this moment.
A feeling of indescribable bitterness and grievance welled up in my heart.
Seeing the change in Tang Xiao's expression, Ning Liu softened his tone slightly.
"It's difficult to have both affection and loyalty."
"You know about that incident back then."
"Now that you are the sect leader, you certainly have your responsibilities, but more than that, you are bearing a burden that should not be yours to carry for others."
"If the Haotian Sect is to be revitalized, the first thing to do is to get to the root of the problem, understand the historical issues, and form a consensus within the sect!"
Tang Xiao took a deep breath, his chest heaving, but the chaos in his eyes cleared up considerably.
"I……"
He was about to say something.
Ning Liu then changed the subject, pointing out the window.
"However, we have some minor matters to attend to before that."
His voice returned to its previous calm.
"You are in an auction right now."
Tang Xiao was taken aback. Following Ning Liu's finger, he noticed that outside the crystal window of the room was a huge, brightly lit venue.
"You must take a picture of this."
Ning Liu pointed in the direction of the auction stage.
“No matter how high the price is, I will pay for it. You just need to raise the price.”
"Yes, Sect Master Ning."
Tang Xiao immediately responded, his inner turmoil temporarily suppressed by this specific object.
Ning Liu nodded and added a sentence.
"After this auction, I'll take you to meet someone."
"He might be able to help you better understand the past and future of the Haotian Sect."
Just then, the lights in the auction hall outside the private box dimmed slightly and then came back on.
On the central auction stage, the auctioneer DouDou's sweet voice was clearly amplified and carried throughout the entire venue via a soul-guided amplifier.
"Distinguished guests, the exciting moment has arrived!"
"Next up is the ninth item in this Heavenly Dou Auction!"
"And it's also our grand finale tonight!"
DouDou paused, a slight smile playing on her lips, and then suddenly swung her arm.
"Please welcome them!"
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