Douluo Dalu 3: The Legend of the Dragon King

Chapter 1959: Courage

At Shrek City.

Upon first seeing Tang Wulin, Mo Lan was quite startled by his appearance. Compared with just a few days ago, he had undergone a massive change.

On the day of the proposal, Tang Wulin had been incredibly handsome and dashing, but right now, he was looking like a shadow of his former self.

Mo Lan had visited Tang Wulin at his living quarters, and he had presented himself to her completely unkempt with a hollow look in her eyes, and she had never seen him like this before.

Even in the wake of the Shrek City bombing, Tang Wulin's eyes had been full of determination. He had always risen up in the face of adversity, and no matter whom the enemy was, he had never displayed any fear or resignation.

Even when facing an enemy as powerful as the Holy Lord, he hadn't backed down in the slightest, holding on until the very end, when Tang San finally unveiled his plan and destroyed the entire abyssal realm.

In Mo Lan's heart, Tang Wulin embodied all of the qualities of an exceptional hero, and on top of that, he was standing at the very pinnacle of the human race, so it was no exaggeration to refer to him as a god.

However, this was a completely different Tang Wulin, one that was completely beaten down and seemed to have lost the spark in his soul.

Mo Lan's heart throbbed at the sight of Tang Wulin's sorry display, and she couldn't help but think back to her past. In the wake of the deaths of her loved ones by the hands of the Holy Spirit Cult, she had been in an even worse state of mind than Tang Wulin, and as such, she was very much able to empathize with his suffering.

She didn't say anything; all she did was make her way over to Tang Wulin and give him a tight hug. She made no attempt to rouse him out of his stupor or to chastise him; she merely allowed him to lean against her body, as if she were trying to warm his heart with her embrace.

A bitter look appeared on Tang Wulin's face as he murmured, "The only way to avert this crisis is to undo the control over all of those Soul Masters, and the only way to do that..."

His voice trailed off here, and he began to tremble slightly, seemingly struggling to control his own emotions.

"The only way to do that would be to kill Gu Yue, and only then would we be able to contend with the soul beasts."

Mo Lan finally knew why Tang Wulin was in such a bad state upon hearing this.

"Why is fate so intent on punishing me? If I had a choice, I would rather be an ordinary person. For the first time in my life, I don't want to be a Soul Master. If I were only an ordinary person, I would be able to happily marry the woman I love and live an ordinary life with her. Even if disaster strikes, I'll be able to live and die with her instead of having to suffer like I am now."

The current Tang Wulin seemed to be completely devoid of vitality, and Mo Lan merely listened to him in silence.

"The reality is that I'm the son of a godking, and I possess the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King. I am the Sea God's Pavilion Master and the Tang Sect Master; step by step, I've climbed my way to the top of this world. Right when I think that there's nothing that could keep us apart, fate decides to strike again. I've already guessed Gu Yue's identity long ago, but I can sense that her love for me is real and pure. Back when we were facing the Holy Lord, it was a hopeless battle, but I was happy.

"I felt like as long as we were together, we could defeat anyone. Sure enough, we did win, and everything looked so bright on the other side. I know that you can't get everything in life, but why do I have to be deprived of something so important to me? All I want is to be with her, but both of us are bogged down by our responsibilities and duties. We both love each other deeply, but we have no choice but to oppose one another."

Mo Lan tightened her embrace around Tang Wulin, and tears began to well up in her eyes. In terms of pain and hardship, Tang Wulin hadn't suffered any less than she had.

After getting all of that off his chest, Tang Wulin seemed to be feeling slightly better.

He extricated himself out of Mo Lan's embrace, and asked, "Can you tell me what I should do?"

Mo Lan had tears shimmering in her eyes as she said, "Being ordinary doesn't equate to a happy life, Wulin. Have you ever been to a hospital? So many people lose loved ones every single day in hospitals. Everyone in this world has to face hardships of their own, so some people say that humans were born to suffer rather than to enjoy life; it's just that the sequence and timing of the hardships we suffer are different. Those who are most fortunate are able to live safe and peaceful lives, but we are clearly not as blessed.

"We've enjoyed happiness in the past, but we are weighed down by too many responsibilities, and that is the source of our pain. However, we can't avoid responsibilities just because they're painful. Everyone has tried to escape at some point, and some have even succeeded, but if we try to escape, then countless people will suffer as a result of our cowardice. Back when my family was killed by the Holy Spirit Cult, I strongly considered taking my own life to end the suffering. If I had done that, then I wouldn't have to suffer through that excruciating pain night after night.

"I think courage has always been the rarest virtue among humans, and the most difficult one to achieve. Courage in the face of enemies is one thing, but you're only truly courageous if you can face yourself with courage. You've already done very well, and even if you were to desert everyone now, no one would blame you; you've already done so much for this world that it would be unfair to ask more of you. I didn't come here today to try and rally you to face the current crisis. Instead, I'm here to take your place.

"No matter what decision you make, I'll fully support you. You've already done more than your fair share; leave the rest to me. Regardless of whether we succeed or fail, or how the future plays out, I'll face everything in your stead."

Mo Lan stood up as her voice trailed off, and she raised her hand to gently stroke Tang Wulin's hair. The tears in her eyes had faded, and a benevolent look had taken their place. "If my son were still alive, perhaps he would already be as tall as you are."

A determined look appeared in her eyes as she spoke, and she made her way out of the room.

There wasn't a single shred of soul power in her body, but in Tang Wulin's eyes, she was so powerful and strong; it was as if every step that she took could make the world tremor.

She had been able to live through the extreme pain she had suffered in the past not because she had exceptional resolve, but because she had always been supported by a belief.