Chapter 4024 — Tianchan's Predicament

Wei Zhao drew a deep breath and looked at Tianchan, saying word by word, "Tianchan, we have come all this way from the mortal world, and you of all people should know what kind of man I am. Unless you can give me a reasonable explanation, I will never give up—unless... you no longer care for me..."

At these words, Tianchan's heart gave a violent shudder. With the love for Wei Zhao engraved so deeply in her bones, how could she ever wish to speak such cruel words? To grow old together with the one she loved, to fly wing to wing through all the years—this was the most romantic dream of every young woman, and Tianchan was certainly no exception.

Yet reality would not permit it. If she did not let Wei Zhao go now, then in the end it would not be only she who was hurt—Wei Zhao too would surely be visited by utter ruin. Rather than watch helplessly as Wei Zhao died before her very eyes, better that they forget each other in the rivers and lakes from this day on. Wei Zhao had so many fair confidantes; surely he would soon smooth over the wound?

"Yes... I no longer care for you..." Tianchan turned her head away, refusing to look at Wei Zhao! Cloud Terrace Island was not the mortal world; any one person named here was more formidable than they were, and Tianchan naturally did not want Wei Zhao to sacrifice himself for nothing.

Seeing Tianchan's demeanor, Wei Zhao frowned slightly, then suddenly thought of something. "Is it because of that Zheng Tianjie?"

At Wei Zhao's pressing question, Tianchan's heart gave a start, though she feigned composure. "Where do you get all these questions? Ask again and I'll kick you!"

Half a year apart, and hearing that familiar catchphrase of Tianchan's once more, Wei Zhao could not help the ache in his heart. Suddenly he spread his arms wide and swept Tianchan into his embrace, holding her tight.

"You!" Tianchan gave a soft cry, and by the time she came to her senses, her nose was already full of Wei Zhao's scent—that familiar scent she had thought of day and night and could never forget.

She struggled symbolically, but could not break free of Wei Zhao's embrace, and so she gave up trying. Were it not for the cruel reality, why would she ever have wished to escape such a warm embrace, one that set her heart at peace?

In the small room, beneath the candlelight, a man and a woman held each other tightly just so, quietly feeling each other's heartbeats, reluctant for a long while to let go.

After a long time, Wei Zhao stroked Tianchan's hair and asked, "Can you tell me why now?"

"Please... don't ask! This matter truly holds no good for you. Just pretend you never saw me, all right? Had I known you would be here, I should never have come to this auction." Tianchan's delicate body trembled slightly in Wei Zhao's arms, her voice thick with tears in a way that could not but stir one's pity.

Wei Zhao held her tightly still, reached up to pat her back gently, and said slowly, "Don't be afraid. Heaven never bars a man's way. Trust me—so long as you tell me properly, no matter what it is, there is always a way to resolve it. Tell me, is it because of that Zheng Tianjie? What has he done to you?"

With matters pressed to this point, Tianchan could conceal it no longer and had no choice but to admit, "That's right. He is the legitimate grandson of the vice hall master of our Pill Hall. A few days ago his grandfather declared publicly that he intended to betroth me to him..."

"Betroth you to him? Hah, I'd say the man has a death wish!" Wei Zhao's gaze sharpened, and killing intent showed plain upon his face.

Tianchan reached out and covered Wei Zhao's mouth, shaking her head. "Rest assured, whatever means it takes, I will not let him succeed. But he is a man consumed by jealousy—anyone who has even the slightest connection to me, even a junior fellow disciple who has merely exchanged a few words with me, is bound within a few short days to die when his furnace explodes during pill refinement. There is no evidence, but everyone knows it is his doing. It is only that, cowed by the baleful authority of his grandfather the vice hall master, all keep their anger in their hearts and dare not speak."

"The vice hall master of the Pill Hall—what level is his cultivation?" Wei Zhao asked after a moment's thought.

"At least above the Golden Core stage, for Zheng Tianjie himself is already an expert of the Golden Core stage!" Tianchan said with lingering fear. "His strength is only the lesser concern; what matters is his grandfather's position. Since Hall Master Zhang is absent for years on end, the old man is practically the final word in the Pill Hall. Only a few of Master Zhang's nominal disciples need not defer to him, each keeping to his own side of the river. Beyond those, throughout the whole Pill Hall, he is the most arrogant presence there is!"

A disciple of Zhang Lifeng? Then since he had inherited Zhang Lifeng's legacy in the mortal world, could he not also count himself as a disciple of Zhang Lifeng?

Wei Zhao muttered this to himself but said nothing more to Tianchan, only nodding. "Very well, I understand."

Seeing the still, water-calm expression on Wei Zhao's face, Tianchan felt something was amiss and advised him with a bitter smile, "Even setting his grandfather aside, Zheng Tianjie alone is already an opponent of the highest order—a Golden Core expert is simply not someone we can contend with as we are now. Wei Zhao, you must not do anything foolish, so it is better that we pretend not to know each other. Otherwise, if we are seen to be too close, it is very likely to bring utter ruin upon you."

Wei Zhao only smiled noncommittally. "What must come will come in the end. To pretend not to know you over such a foul and petty business—that I cannot do."

Tianchan was somewhat moved, and at the same time anxious. She gave Wei Zhao a light kick. "Truly, I am not joking with you. When you bid against him at the auction during the day, you already drew his attention. He has been sending people everywhere to dig up your background. You must be careful these next few days and not give him any opening."

"Rest assured, I know what I am doing." Wei Zhao nodded on the surface, but in his heart he had already resolved on murder. As matters stood, even if he did not seek trouble with Zheng Tianjie of his own accord, Zheng Tianjie would inevitably come seeking trouble with him—and besides, because of Tianchan, the two were already as incompatible as fire and water, one of them fated to live and the other to die.

Moreover, thinking further ahead, Wei Zhao would one day go to the Middle Island to seek Zhang Lifeng's help, and leaving a scoundrel like Zheng Tianjie to make trouble in between would surely breed no end of unnecessary complications. Better to seize this very opportunity and do away with the man outright—one death, and all troubles ended.

Hearing Wei Zhao say this, Tianchan assumed he had taken her words to heart and breathed a sigh of relief. It mattered not what became of her, but if Wei Zhao were to die because of her, she would truly regret it for the rest of her life.

In Tianchan's eyes, in their present circumstances, with the paltry strength the two of them now possessed, there was simply no way to face it. For the time being, at least, they could only be fated to meet but not to be together; as for how the future would unfold, only Heaven knew.