Chapter 764: Hatred as Deep as the Sea

"Mm." Tang San's pupils slightly contracted, and a flash of intense hatred flickered in his eyes. No matter who had died, no matter how many had perished, this deep-seated hatred was etched into his heart. In the future, he would make the demon and nymph clans, especially the Celestial Fox clan, pay a hundred times over for what they had done.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor suddenly said, "The death toll isn't as high as you think. I had already informed Mei's mother in advance, asking her to disperse the humans in the settlement quickly. I told her it was to help you pass your evaluation. I'm sure she managed to do that, although when I accompanied Celestial Fox that day, I still sensed humans there. I am not sure how many there were."

Upon hearing these words, Tang San's eyes lit up, and his impression of the White Tiger Demon Emperor instantly improved.

Mei Gongzi was also overjoyed. If most of the people had been evacuated, it was nonetheless a tragedy, but not as bad as it could have been.

"Grandfather, you..."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor said coldly, "I never agreed with Celestial Fox's views. I never believed humans were a threat. And your little boyfriend is right: none of the partners that the tiger race found could give me good offspring, yet a human gave me a descendant like your mother. I think a lot better of humans than other Emperors do, at least."

Tang San finally allowed a rare smile to appear on his face. "You also did it for Little Mei, so she wouldn't be in a difficult position, right?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor replied gruffly, "Think whatever you want. If you're going back, then hurry up and go see for yourself."

Tang San took a deep breath, nodded to the White Tiger Demon Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, I apologize for the earlier offense. I'll take my leave now. I'm entrusting Little Mei to you."

With the White Tiger Demon Emperor's explanation, his mood improved considerably. After saying goodbye to Mei Gongzi, he immediately stepped into the teleportation array, activating the Spacetime Lighthouse and teleporting away.

Watching the spot where Tang San had disappeared, the White Tiger Demon Emperor exhaled a deep breath before turning to Mei Gongzi. "Where in the world did you meet this freak?"

Yes, now he could only describe Tang San as a freak. Even the Crystal Demon Emperor cooperated with him, and she was his revered Grand-Aunt Crystal! It was truly unbelievable.

Hearing the White Tiger Demon Emperor's question, Mei Gongzi froze for a moment. In her mind, the memory of the first time she had met Tang San suddenly resurfaced.

Back then, he had been thin and small, nothing but a child who came to the milk tea shop to buy tea, and she’d noticed him staring directly at her. She vividly remembered the look in Tang San's eyes at the time. Now that she thought about it, despite his young age, his gaze had been so complex, filled with countless emotions.

He had reincarnated just to find her, to rekindle the bond they had shared in their previous lives. Their love was stronger than the heavens!

In her mind, the fragmented images from when the Celestial Plume acknowledged her and when the tribulation was completed seemed to become a bit clearer, and with them, the emotions in her heart grew stronger.

***

With a flicker of light, Tang San appeared inside a cave within Golden Valley.

Rich life energy immediately enveloped him. As the Golden Tree continued to grow, the life energy it emitted was becoming even stronger. The overwhelming life force brought warmth and comfort, lifting Tang San's mood a little.

With a sweep of his divine consciousness, he sensed all the life forms within Golden Valley.

"Red One, come here."

The Crimson Fox girls were all present. Although they occasionally visited Kali City to experience life there, when Tang San left with Mei Gongzi, they had all returned to the valley. Tang San had instructed them that if he didn't return within a year, they should seek out Zhang Haoxuan and follow his instructions.

Tang San immediately sensed Red One's excitement. Within just a few breaths, figures rushed in from outside. Not just Red One—all the Crimson Fox girls had come.

"Master, you're finally back. I thought you abandoned us," Red One said as she led the other Crimson Fox girls, tears streaming down her face as she knelt before Tang San.

"What are you doing?" Tang San waved his hand, and a gentle force quickly lifted the girls to their feet.

Now that he had reached godhood, his foundation had been fully consolidated, and he was a completely different person from before. A sweep of his divine consciousness revealed everything about the Crimson Fox girls' conditions.

The girls stood up, their eyes all red from crying.

The last time Tang San left, he had set a one-year deadline. At that time, they had realized something big was happening, but Tang San hadn't explained much. Over the past month and a half, their wait had felt like an eternity.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Everything they had was thanks to Tang San, so it was only natural that they were deeply attached to him. Now that he had returned, their worries were quelled, and they were overwhelmed with emotion.

Tang San turned to Red One and said, "Calm yourself first. I have something important to ask you."

"Mm, yes, Master," Red One replied, wiping away her tears as she stepped forward to stand before Tang San.

Tang San asked in a deep voice, "What happened at the human settlement? What's the situation now?"

Red One hesitated for a moment, then slightly lowered her head, and a sorrowful tone creeped into her voice as she replied, "Yes, something happened. We heard about it from the Lion-Tiger clan warriors when they returned to the valley. Master, please don't be too sad..."

Hearing this, Tang San's heart sank. "Go ahead and tell me, I'm prepared."

Red One said, "About a month ago, word came to temporarily disperse the settlement. The exact reason wasn't given. Most people were sent away, and many moved to the Kali Mountains, where the mayor settled them. But some people refused to leave. After all the hard work to build a home, they didn't want to abandon it. Most of them were elderly. They said they had finally built a place of their own, and even if there was danger, someone needed to stay behind and guard their home. They were too old to move around again and they chose to stay there... to live and die with the settlement."

Hearing this, Tang San closed his eyes in pain.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor had sent the message, but through unknown means, and it couldn't have been too explicit, or the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor would have noticed. The White Tiger likely only intended to save Su Qin; as for the other humans, they were not his concern.

"How many stayed behind?" Tang San's voice trembled slightly.

Red One took a deep breath and, choking back tears, said, "In total, there were 4,762 people left behind."

Tang San's fists clenched tightly instantly.

Four thousand seven hundred sixty-two people.

Four thousand seven hundred sixty-two lives erased as if they never existed.

Celestial Fox, you will pay for this!

At that moment, Tang San felt as though his heart was being torn apart. It was his underestimation of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's wariness of humans that had led to this tragedy. While the loss was far less than the tens of thousands he had feared, those were still 4,762 lives!

According to Tang San's original plan, as long as he could break through to godhood and help Mei Gongzi pass her evaluation, they would have the confidence to stand against the Ancestral Court in the future. Along with humans steadily migrating overseas to establish settlements, they could finally secure their own living space. By then, the settlements on this side would no longer be necessary, and he would have the time to grow stronger.

Yes, he had promised the planar ruler not to disrupt balance, but not disrupting balance didn't mean doing nothing. He aimed to create a cultivation system for humans, a true path for them to reach the heavens. Even though it would be a long and arduous process, requiring time and resources, it was only in this way that humanity could truly rise. It was only in this way that they would have a real chance to become the rulers of this plane in the future.