Chapter 52: Pleading!

  Shangguan Qixue had been in a coma for several days, and it wasn't until the third night that she slowly came to. She opened her eyes, and there was a hint of confusion and disorientation in her gaze, as well as a lingering fear.

  "You... woke up."

  A slightly awkward voice came, and Xiang Junxue's heart suddenly skipped a beat. When she saw that handsome face, her pupils suddenly contracted, and her heart was instantly panicked. She blurted out in surprise, "Tang Jing! You..." She had just wanted to sit up, but felt weak all over, and her body went limp again, falling back onto the bed. She stared at Tang Jing in a fluster, lost in thought for a moment.

  "Sorry."

  Tang Qing sat on the edge of the bed, scratching his head, he was really not good at expressing the apology in his heart.

  "You... I!"

  Shangguan Qixue's heart was racing, her thoughts were restless, and she stared at Tang Qing, still shaken to this day. She clearly remembered that she had only cast the Heaven Net to trap him, but never expected that Tang Qing would suddenly change into a different person, with black smoke erupting from his body. The terrifying black smoke made her heart tremble with fear, and she didn't dare move, then, her dantian's yuan...

  My ancestor! My ancestor!

  Shangguan Qixue seemed to realize something, and immediately sank her mind into her dantian, feeling her own yuanzhong. Suddenly, she was shocked and lost color, her face turned even paler, her expression gradually froze, and her yuanzhong no longer had the vitality it had before, but instead became withered and wilted. She knew very well what this meant, only she couldn't believe all that she had discovered.

  "My ancestor... how..." Xiang Yunxue held her breath, she didn't continue speaking, but instead stared at Tang Jing and asked, "You... what exactly are you?!"

  "You go rest first."

  Tang Qing didn't know how to respond either, because he wasn't even clear about what he was supposed to be now.

  "What on earth are you!" Shangguan Qixue no longer had the mind to rest, her whole brain was filled with doubts about Tang Qing, and she even forgot about her own withering Yuanzhong.

  "I'm not something! I'm human!" Tang Jing shook his head with a bitter smile.

  "Human? Are you still human?" Shangguan Qixue's voice was hoarse and her smile was bleak as she looked at Tang Qing with a complex gaze. "Your black smoke is more terrifying than any evil demon I've ever seen, how dare you say you're still human?" Shangguan Qixue clearly remembered Tang Qing's black smoke, its overbearing and heaven-shaking momentum that seemed to devour the world, the eerie sound of the soul-chaining locks that still lingered in her mind, unable to be driven away or dispersed. That mysterious aura was not the aura of an evil demon, but it was even more terrifying than one.

  "Master..."

  A sound came, a girl in a green dress and skirt stood at the door with a wooden basin, it was Bi Yi. Since Shangguan Qixue was a woman, Tang Qing took care of her inconveniently, so he could only tell Bi Yi that after learning about her master's coma, the little girl had been crying for two days, washing her face with tears, and her eyes were all red.

  "Wuuu... Master, you've finally woken up." Seeing the pale face of Shangguan Qixue, Biyi suddenly choked with sobs, put down the wooden basin, and flung herself onto Shangguan Qixue's bedhead, bursting into tears. "Tang Jing said you were injured, Master! How did you get hurt? Who could be so cruel?! Disciple... disciple will definitely avenge you!"

  "Alright! Biyi, don't cry, Master is just..." Xiang Yuesnow's face forced a comforting smile as she looked at Tang Qing.

  Tang Qing felt a little guilty, avoiding her gaze, turning around, propping up his chin and staring out the window.

  "Master just had a minor setback during his cultivation, nothing serious, Biyao, you don't have to worry."

  "Master..." Bi Yi sobbed, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, "Master, you've been unconscious for three days. Are you feeling better now?"

  "It's much better." Officer Guan Xue patted Bi Yi's shoulder, signaling her not to be sad. Just as she was about to speak, it seemed like she suddenly realized something, "Three days? You said I've been unconscious for three days?"

  Biqi nodded vigorously, not understanding why Master would ask such a question. Seeing Shangguan Qixue struggling to sit up, Biqi immediately went to support her, "Master, you just woke up, it's better to lie down first, if there's anything you need me to do, I'll help."

  Shangguan Qixue slightly shook her head, sat up with her back against the wall, and panted heavily, saying, "Biqi, you go out for a moment first, I want...I have important things to say to Tang Qing."

  "Ah!" Biyi let out a soft cry, her small mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself. She nodded slightly, and as she was about to leave, she couldn't help but look back at Tang Qing with a puzzled expression.

  After Biyi left, Shangguan Qixue didn't say a word, she just gazed deeply at Tang Qing, staring like that without saying a single sentence.

  Tang Jing had always felt guilty towards her, and now being stared at by her made him extremely embarrassed. He sat in the chair, pursed his lips, and said apologetically, "I didn't do it on purpose. If there's anything I can make up for, just say so." This guilt made him feel anxious and uneasy inside, even more than when he was crossing the tribulation before.

  "Tang Jing, I have no idea what kind of person you are, and I completely can't see through you. I also don't know what secrets you're hiding."

  Shangguan Qixue really couldn't see through Tang Qing, who was clearly unrefined and yet possessed boundless strength. He had no cultivation to speak of, but could form a massive earth body in just one night. And then there was that sudden appearance of the terrifying black smoke... There were too many things about Tang Qing that left her astonished, all of which meant he wasn't as simple as he seemed on the surface. He must be hiding some secret, but what it was, Shangguan Qixue had no idea, and for now, she wouldn't ask.

  In this world, who doesn't have secrets of their own? If they can be easily told to others, are they still secrets?

  Shangguan Qixue could deeply understand this feeling because she also had her own secrets.

  "Say what you want to say." Tang Jing didn't like owing people favors, even more so when it came to owing someone a favor that was filled with guilt.

  "I myself have committed great wrongs, leading to the loss of many loved ones. It can be said that in this world, only Ling'er is willing to acknowledge me as her aunt. I once swore an oath that I would not let her come to any harm. If the sect were to find out that she and you have become heavenly fated partners, Ling'er's life would be ruined. Can you please help her?"

  "How can I help?" Tang Jing asked with a furrowed brow.

  "Meng Er has already gone to ask Long Niang for help, but the matter of resolving Tian Yuan is after all going against heaven, and the chance of success is too slim. Now you can only work hard to cultivate, strive to enter the sect before things are exposed, get the attention of the sect, only in this way will Ling Er not be harmed."

  "This..."

  Tang Qing didn't know how to respond. If it were in the past, he wouldn't have hesitated and directly refused. But now, he felt a twinge of guilt towards Shangguan Qiusuo, so for a moment, he also didn't know how to refuse. After thinking for a bit, he said, "I'm someone who likes to eat and be lazy, and I've already formed the Earth Body, my cultivation can almost never improve. You should think of another way."

  "You!"

  Shangguan Qixue was so angry that she almost fell off the bed, "How can you be so useless? Are you going to spend your whole life in a daze? You're helping Ling'er, but also helping yourself, how could you... Cough! Cough!"

  Shangguan Qixue was speaking when suddenly she spat out a mouthful of blood.

  "You..."

  "You're still injured, let's focus on recovering first." For some reason, seeing Shangguan Qiyue spitting out blood made Tang Jing feel even more guilty.

  "Just pretend... I... I beg of you!"

  Shangguan Qixue forced out a few words, and again spat out blood continuously.

  "Shut up, I'll agree with you!"

  Tang Qing said that he would never go to any major sect to cultivate, but looking at Shangguan Qixue's desperate pleas, he could only agree for the time being. Once Shangguan Qixue's injuries improved, he would immediately leave.

  It is said that Tang Jing agreed, and Shangguan Qixue felt relieved of a heavy burden, but she did not lie back down, instead insisting on getting out of bed.

  "What are you doing? Didn't I already agree with you?"

  "I had already exchanged letters with the Upper Elder several days ago, and he promised to arrange a meeting for me with the Wuji Sect Master. The Earthly Body is not worthy of being seen anyway, so we absolutely cannot miss this opportunity to meet the Wuji Sect Master."