Chapter Thirty-Nine: An Unexpected Connection

Confused eyes slowly opened. As Tianming was about to rise, he found an exquisitely delicate and lovely little face filling his vision, eyes brimming with curiosity scrutinizing him.

“...Shangshang, where are we?” he asked hastily upon seeing the girl, who seemed not to have noticed his awakening. Just after opening his eyes, Tianming glanced around, taking in everything about his surroundings. From what he could tell, he felt an indescribable pleasure—the spiritual energy here was almost unimaginably dense, nearly on par with the Spirit Pool he had just left.

“This place is—”

Before Wang Shangshang could finish, she seemed to sense something, quickly standing and retreating a few steps with caution.

Just as Tianming was growing puzzled, he seemed to make out a familiar figure approaching him through the thick spiritual energy…

“Tianming!”

The familiar voice filled Tianming with boundless joy. Wasn’t this the very Senior Wang Sheng he had met at the gates of Chang’an? If not for this elder, he would likely still be trapped in the nightmare of being hunted by the Qi family, his fate hanging in the balance, not even having touched the threshold of cultivation at that time.

“Senior Wang Sheng, I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. I thank you once more for saving my life!” Tianming hurried forward and bowed deeply to Wang Sheng.

By the side, Wang Shangshang seemed slightly startled by Tianming’s words, her mouth agape, momentarily at a loss.

“...Not bad, you haven’t let down his high expectations.” Nodding, Wang Sheng smiled, patting Tianming on the shoulder.

It seemed he had already seen through Tianming’s current cultivation. Wang Sheng’s face now wore a somewhat forced smile.

“Heh, nothing escapes you!” Tianming gave a wry grin, realizing there was no point in hiding anything. He had thought Wang Sheng would praise his progress, but things turned out quite differently.

“By the way, Senior Wang Sheng, this is Wang Shangshang…” As if recalling something, Tianming turned and smiled, introducing her. In his excitement, he had nearly forgotten about Wang Shangshang. Knowing that Wang Sheng was known as a wandering cultivator, he likely didn’t know she was the granddaughter of the Third Elder, so Tianming took the trouble to explain.

He merely gave a brief account of what had just transpired—after all, any misunderstanding would be awkward. Tianming was certain Wang Sheng had witnessed the entire scene of him holding Wang Shangshang, which could easily be misconstrued…

Wang Sheng, however, said nothing. He listened attentively, occasionally showing a faintly meaningful smile. Glancing at the downcast Wang Shangshang, he seemed to sense something but still remained silent.

“Well, what can you do—such is fate!” Tianming shook his head with a helpless flourish. Having finally unburdened himself, he felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart, and he drew a long breath.

“If you ask me, you’re a fine match—talented man and beautiful woman. Why not choose an auspicious date and let me officiate for you…” Wang Sheng was about to continue when Wang Shangshang suddenly looked up, her expression turning stormy.

Tianming, intending to politely refuse Wang Sheng’s good-natured jest, suddenly sensed a familiar murderous aura behind him; at the same time, the smile vanished from Wang Sheng’s face. A chill ran down Tianming’s spine as he turned.

“Senior Wang Sheng was only joking, Shangshang, don’t misunderstand!” Tianming smiled apologetically at Wang Shangshang and waved his hand in explanation.

If his words caused a rift between Wang Sheng and the Tianyan Sect, Tianming would be mortified beyond all measure.

Wang Sheng simply shook his head, casting Tianming a secretly mocking smile. Who said I was joking?

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, Wang Shangshang was unmoved by Tianming’s explanation, her gaze icy as she stared at Wang Sheng.

“It's been a long time, Shang’er. How have you and your mother been these years?” Wang Sheng sighed, disregarding Tianming’s confused look, and walked up to Wang Shangshang with a sincere smile. Yet she deliberately turned away, avoiding his gaze.

“After you left, we’ve lived well. No need for you to worry,” she replied coolly, though if one looked closely, her eyes were already brimming with tears…

“So even your own father is unworthy of recognition now?” Wang Sheng shook his head with feigned annoyance. Still, her cold words did not move him; his smile only deepened, tinged with guilt.

At these words, Tianming felt as if thunder had exploded in his mind. What had he just done?

“Damn it, you... I’ll draw a circle and curse you!” Realization dawned on Tianming, and he pointed at Wang Sheng, shouting in exasperation.

He had just explained everything so earnestly, only for it to turn out like this. Tianming felt like a clueless little monkey being played for a fool.

Wang Sheng and Wang Shangshang?

Thinking back, the answer was obvious, yet Tianming had assumed it was mere coincidence and hadn’t thought any more of it. Besides, even if he had, he would never have dared imagine it—after all, Wang Sheng’s reputation as a wandering cultivator was well-deserved.

If people knew that Wang Sheng was the son of the Tianyan Sect’s Third Elder, their jaws would drop in disbelief. But that was a matter for another time.

At Tianming’s outburst, Wang Shangshang seemed startled. Her petite form trembled, her face flushing a deeper red. Yet, under Wang Sheng’s hearty laughter, she finally couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle.

Realizing her loss of composure, she quickly regained her cold demeanor, her lips pouting slightly.

“You’re still lying to me. Men are all the same!” she huffed, spinning around to give Tianming a shove before running off to hide in a corner of the courtyard.

She had found it odd that everything had unfolded so coincidentally. Now, seeing that Tianming knew her father, it all made sense, and her resentment toward Tianming only deepened. Yet at the same time, she felt a pang of reluctance, her gaze flickering back toward Tianming, her brows furrowing in confusion…

Tianming…

At this moment, Tianming could only think, What did I do to deserve this? He had hoped to ease the rift between father and daughter, yet ended up caught in their crossfire—for the first time, Wang Shangshang had treated him this way.

“Forget it, Tianming. Let Shangshang have a moment to herself. She’ll be fine soon,” Wang Sheng said, pulling Tianming up.

He seemed unsurprised by Wang Shangshang’s reaction. As Tianming looked on, bewildered, Wang Sheng paid no mind to her, gazing at Tianming with a meaningful smile.

“Heh…” At this, Tianming’s lips twitched and he managed a bitter smile. He finally understood why Wang Shangshang had flown into such a rage. Still, he didn’t dwell on it, nodding and smiling wryly at Wang Sheng. In the end, it was Senior Wang Sheng who truly cared for him.