Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San-Chapter 766: Willing to Die

Tang San spotted a familiar figure on the road leading to the Redemption Academy at the edge of Academy Village.

Zhang Haoxuan was standing there, holding a blueprint, explaining something to two others.

Seeing him, Tang San felt his heart settle, and he quickly walked over.

"A bit more to the back. We have to make sure that new houses are hidden beneath the canopy, so they can’t be seen from above. Once we’re done, I’ll have some of the students who can fly take a look from the air. Yeah, cover that rooftop with shrubs for extra camouflage. Safety is the priority. Understood?"

Zhang Haoxuan was explaining something to the people beside him as Tang San approached, glancing at the blueprint in his hand.

The blueprint depicted wooden houses. While the structure of the houses seemed simple, they were built around large trees. From what Zhang Haoxuan had just said, Tang San quickly grasped his intent.

"Master," Tang San called softly.

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"Hm? What’s wrong?" Zhang Haoxuan responded reflexively, but he suddenly stopped. The students at Redemption Academy usually called him "Mayor" or "Dean," but rarely "Teacher" and never "Master."

He instinctively turned his head, and when he saw Tang San standing beside him, his eyes slightly red, his whole body trembled. The blueprint slipped from his fingers, but Tang San quickly caught it.

"Y-you’re back..." Zhang Haoxuan said in a trembling voice.

Tang San nodded gently. "Yes, I’m back."

In an instant, the head of Redemption Academy, the mayor of Academy Village, and one of the top leaders of the Redemption Society was in tears.

He no longer cared that there were others around. He opened his arms and gave Tang San a big hug.

Before coming to see him, Tang San had been nervous. Although Red One had told him that the people from Redemption Academy were likely safe, he still worried that something might have happened to his master or his companions. He also didn’t know how to face them, carrying the guilt of over four thousand fallen comrades. He had wondered how his teacher would react, but instead, he was met with a heavy, warm embrace.

"Master," Tang San's voice was choked with emotion. Since coming to this world, this was the first time he had been unable to control his feelings, except when he reunited with Mei Gongzi.

Zhang Haoxuan released the hug, took the blueprint from Tang San's hand, and handed it to the people beside him. "Go ahead and carry this out. Little Tang, come with me," he said, giving Tang San a pat before quickly heading toward the back mountain where Redemption Academy was located.

Tang San followed Zhang Haoxuan, the two walking one after the other up the mountain.

Walking behind, Tang San heard Zhang Haoxuan muttering, "Thank goodness you're alive. Thank goodness. This is truly wonderful!"

His words stirred Tang San’s emotions even more, making it hard for him to contain himself. His master didn’t blame him—he was simply overjoyed at his return.

It was a short distance from the back of the village to Redemption Academy. The two quickly reached the academy.

Compared to the lively and bustling Academy Village, Redemption Academy was eerily quiet, with not a single person in sight. Zhang Haoxuan led Tang San swiftly through the compound, closed the gates behind them, and brought him into his personal quarters.

His divine consciousness surged, sealing the area from outside disturbances. Only then did he turn around, his gaze intense as he looked at Tang San.

Tang San could feel his teacher’s divine consciousness scanning him, sensing the changes in him.

"You... you succeeded in your tribulation?" Zhang Haoxuan’s divine consciousness quickly noticed something different about Tang San. He could no longer gauge Tang San’s cultivation level, but when his divine consciousness swept over Tang San, he felt a powerful sense of suppression. There was no doubt—the young man before him was now stronger than he was.

"Yes, I did." Tang San nodded.

Zhang Haoxuan let out a long sigh of relief. "That’s wonderful, truly wonderful. We all thought you might have..."

Yes, both Tang San and Mei Gongzi had disappeared at the same time. There had been some news about Mei Gongzi—she had succeeded in her evaluation but needed to stay in the Ancestral Court for further study and wouldn’t return for a hundred days. On the other hand, there had been no word about Tang San, only rumors of a massive upheaval in the Ancestral Court.

The terrifying tribulation that had alarmed fifteen Emperors couldn’t be hidden. The Aetherhorn Merchant Association in Kali City had immediately spread the news.

"We... we thought you had sacrificed yourself to help Mei Gongzi. I never imagined that you actually succeeded in your tribulation," Zhang Haoxuan said excitedly.

While Mei Gongzi's success was incredibly important to Zhang Haoxuan, Tang San was even more crucial to him. In Tang San, he saw the hope for salvation; he was not just a helper, but a true savior.

Whether it was Tang San's cultivation or the overseas migration of humans, both had brought genuine hope for humanity's future.

"I succeeded. Master, I’ve heard about what happened here. It’s my fault for not thinking it through and not returning in time, and because of that..." Tang San trailed off, filled with guilt.

But Zhang Haoxuan slowly shook his head. Though his eyes were filled with sorrow, they had an unmistakable determination.

"That... was intentional," Zhang Haoxuan said,

His words echoed like a thunderclap in Tang San’s ears.

"Intentional?" Tang San’s voice rose, and he looked at Zhang Haoxuan in disbelief. Almost five thousand lives lost... intentionally?

Zhang Haoxuan's body trembled slightly as he closed his eyes in pain. "Yes, it was deliberate. You know, our settlement is governed by a temporary council. All decisions are made collectively, and the Redemption Society only provides guidance. When we received the news, we knew the Ancestral Court was planning to act against us. We immediately accelerated the overseas migration. But during the discussion, everyone realized one thing: What would happen if we all fled? What would the Emperors do when they arrived and saw an empty settlement?"

Tang San clenched his fists tightly, already understanding where Zhang Haoxuan was getting.

Those 4,762 people had willingly chosen to die.

What had they realized? Obviously, if the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor arrived and found no trace of humans, he was going to search the area around Kali City. How many people would he have found? His divine consciousness would have left no place to hide. Humans were far too weak in the face of such an Emperor. How many more would have died at his hands? No one knew. So, after much discussion, the settlement decided to sacrifice a portion of its people to save the majority.

Knowing full well they would be destroyed, close to five thousand people stayed behind.

Tears streamed down Zhang Haoxuan's face. "No one was forced to do it; they all stayed of their own free will. The elderly, the weak, and the sick. They sacrificed their lives to give the others a chance to live on."

Tang San stood there in silence for a long time.

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor wasn’t dead set on obliterating humanity. His actions were merely a warning that humans could not gather together, that they were not allowed to rise. That was why he had destroyed the entire settlement. These thousands of lives had been enough for him to consider the job done.

He had no idea that these humans had chosen to die. Knowing they would be crushed, they still decided to stay behind, unflinchingly accepting their fate.

The sacrifice of those left the survivors with a stronger sense of unity... and an even more profound, unforgettable hatred.