Translator: CinderTL
One day, Song Wen was strolling through the market.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure among the crowd.
Madam Wen!
Song Wen remained calm, discreetly trailing her from a distance.
Madam Wen entered a Spirit Herb shop and emerged shortly after.
Then, she soared into the sky, flying toward the mountains outside the city.
After flying thousands of miles, she suddenly stopped above a range of lush, forested peaks.
She channeled her Spiritual Power into her voice, ensuring it carried precisely hundreds of miles to a dense forest below.
"Fellow Daoist, you've followed me for quite some time. It's time you revealed yourself."
Song Wen's figure slowly emerged from the forest, appearing before Madam Wen.
"Who are you?" Madam Wen asked, frowning, her eyes filled with intense wariness.
The man's appearance and aura were completely unfamiliar to her.
She immediately concluded: she had never seen this person before.
Song Wen said, "It's perfectly normal for the Immortal Maiden not to recognize me. I'm an outsider member of the Jiang Family, stationed at Demon Subduing City year-round. Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the Immortal Maiden's celestial beauty from afar, and I've been consumed by thoughts of her ever since. However, my cultivation was shallow back then, and I didn't dare reveal my feelings. In recent years, I accidentally advanced to the Divine Transformation Stage and unexpectedly encountered the Immortal Maiden at the market. That's why I brazenly approached her, hoping to make her acquaintance. To my dismay, I only startled her. Please forgive my rudeness."
Currently, the Jiang Family believes that 'Ai Kun' is dead.
Song Wen naturally wouldn't reveal his true identity easily. Doing so would inevitably arouse the Jiang Family's suspicion.
Madam Wen didn't completely believe Song Wen's words. Her eyes held a hint of doubt.
"Is what you say true?"
"How could I dare deceive the Immortal Maiden?" Song Wen stared intently at Madam Wen, his eyes filled with a trace of infatuation. "Over a decade ago, Demon Subduing City buzzed with rumors that the Immortal Maiden had offended the Jiang Family and was exiled to Rotting Miasma Ridge on a mission. Tragically, none of the five members of that mission survived. My heart was shattered, and I thought I'd never see the Immortal Maiden again. For years, I've regretted not having the courage to confess my feelings back then. Little did I know that fate would grant me another chance to reunite with the Immortal Maiden."
Madam Wen's lips curled into a cold smile. Her red lips parted slightly, her tone laced with mockery.
"Fellow Daoist, don't make your words sound so pleasant. If you claim to be an outsider of the Jiang Family, you must have heard the rumors about me. I might believe you if you admitted to harboring impure thoughts about me. But if you claim to be hopelessly infatuated with me, I'll never believe it. Fellow Daoist, why don't you just be honest? Why have you been secretly following me?"
As if his true intentions had been exposed, Song Wen awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"I was merely curious. Why did the Jiang Family ultimately let you go after you failed to complete the mission at Rotting Miasma Ridge thirteen years ago?"
Madam Wen frowned, her icy gaze fixed on Song Wen.
"Who are you, and why do you care about this?"
Song Wen's aura suddenly shifted. The forced flattery he had been using turned cold and menacing.
"As an outsider of the Jiang Family, it is my duty to uphold the family's honor. If you used underhanded means to evade the Jiang Family's pursuit, you have been caught today. I will naturally bring you back to the Jiang Family."
"You're quite the loyal dog for the Jiang Family," Madam Wen sneered. "But now, I've reconciled with them and reclaimed the soul lamp they controlled. You think you can capture me for a reward? You must be dreaming."
"You reconciled with the Jiang Family?" Song Wen asked, somewhat surprised. His surprise wasn't entirely feigned; he was genuinely taken aback.
"Of course," Madam Wen replied. "Otherwise, how could I have dared to enter Shangchu City openly?"
"Who brokered the reconciliation? Did you find a patron within the Jiang Family?"
Song Wen's brow furrowed slightly, and he grew wary. It seemed he truly was an outsider related to the Jiang Family, fearing that offending Madam Wen might draw the ire of her powerful backers.
Madam Wen smirked triumphantly. "Not exactly a patron, but I've gained a new admirer. With a few tricks up my sleeve, I had your Jiang Family's second young master, Jiang Yushan, completely infatuated, groveling at my feet."
Song Wen's pupils narrowed slightly. "You were the second young master's mistress?"
Madam Wen's expression darkened slightly, as if the memory stirred a painful wound.
"That's long over. Jiang Yushan, that heartless wretch, the ingrate! I remained faithful to him, cutting off all contact with other men. But after toying with me for a few months, he grew bored and seduced other seductive sluts, never bothering with me again."
As she spoke, she smiled seductively, her eyes like silken threads as she gazed at Song Wen.
"Didn't you just say you were captivated by my beauty? I'll give you a chance. How about it? Want to taste what I have to offer?"
Song Wen clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist, but I'm not interested in women."
Madam Wen's face twisted with disdain.
"Even my beauty can't move you? You wouldn't happen to be... inclined toward men, would you?"
Ignoring her teasing, Song Wen asked, "Does Jiang Yushan have a weakness for women?"
Madam Wen narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Song Wen.
"You're not some distant relative of the Jiang Family, are you? Otherwise, how could you not know that Jiang Yushan is notorious for his womanizing?"
Song Wen admitted frankly, "I'm not a member of the Jiang Family."
Madam Wen visibly relaxed upon hearing this.
"Jiang Yushan isn't just a womanizer; he also harbors impure thoughts toward Jiang Lanruo." Her voice dripped with contempt for Jiang Yushan.
Song Wen's expression turned strange.
"Jiang Lanruo is Jiang Yushan's aunt? And she dotes on him so much... how could Jiang Yushan..."
In Demon Subduing City, Jiang Yushan publicly humiliated Song Wen. Jiang Lanruo grew worried, fearing Song Wen would harbor resentment and seek revenge later. So she sent Song Wen to Rotting Miasma Ridge on a suicide mission, eliminating a potential threat to Jiang Yushan.
This alone reveals Jiang Lanruo's deep affection for Jiang Yushan.
Madam Wen sneered, "Jiang Yushan is a wolf in sheep's clothing. There's nothing he wouldn't dare to think or do. Besides, Jiang Lanruo isn't his biological aunt. Rumor has it she's an orphan adopted by his father. However, she was raised as his own child from a young age, enjoying the same resources and cultivation techniques as the Jiang Family's direct descendants. Perhaps it's this gratitude that makes Jiang Lanruo dote on Jiang Yushan so much."
Song Wen clasped his hands. "Thank you for the information, Fellow Daoist."
Madam Wen asked, "Do you have any other questions, Fellow Daoist?"
Song Wen shook his head.
He wanted to learn more about Jiang Yushan and Jiang Lanruo, but he knew too much talk would raise suspicion.
If Madam Wen secretly informed Jiang Yushan that someone was investigating him, it would only make him more cautious.
Though Madam Wen seemed deeply resentful of Jiang Yushan for abandoning her, women like her would betray anything for their own gain. A little resentment meant nothing.
As for eliminating Madam Wen, Song Wen had considered it.
However, this place was too close to Shangchu City. Engaging in a major battle with Madam Wen would surely alert the city's three great families, backfiring on him.
(End of the Chapter)
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