“I don’t have much else to say to you,” Jing Teng said indifferently. When she looked at Zang Ao, her gaze only carried disgust.

Zang Ao seemed to have already come to terms with his feelings too and didn’t get angry. Instead, he said, “I only wanted to apologize for what happened back then…”

“If you really feel sorry for me, you can end your own life to atone,” Jing Teng interrupted him.

The others couldn't help but look at her. 

This woman looks delicate and dainty, but she’s definitely fierce. If Ah Zu betrays her, will she kill him too?

Zu An didn’t share such worries, because how could he ever be so heartless?

Zang Ao frowned. He clearly hadn’t expected her to request such a thing.

His subordinates berated her. “Lady, aren’t you going too far? How can someone possibly accept something like that?!”

“If you can’t tolerate something like that, help me kill that Sun En. He’s also responsible for that event in the past. As the Adventurer’s Guild president, I’m sure you have countless people under you. You seem to be pretty strong yourself now, too, so this shouldn’t be too hard, right?” Jing Teng asked coldly.

Zang Ao said with a frown, “Sun En is the sect master of the Divine Firmament Sect, and he also has countless people under him. His cultivation is also incredibly high. He’s perhaps second only to the Ghost King in this world, so how would I kill him?”

Jing Teng said with a sneer, “You can’t do this, can’t do that. I can’t even see a speck of sincerity. In that case, please stop trying to act in such a nauseating way.”

“Well said!” a voice called out with a loud laugh; Sun En and Wang Youjun appeared, having returned from the direction they had just left in.

“Why did the two of you come back?” Zu An asked, stunned. He had wanted to drive away the tiger to swallow the wolf, hoping for Sun En to fight a round against Zhao Han.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun quickly told the others about Sun En and Wang Youjun’s abilities through ki transmissions, so they wouldn’t be caught off guard.

“Even the Adventurer’s Guild Leader hasn’t left, so how could I leave?” Sun En replied, looking at Zang Ao with an ambiguous smile.

Zang Ao said in confusion, “You know about my past with Jing Teng. Is there something wrong with me wishing to apologize to her? What are you meddling for?”

“Guild Leader Zang, please cease that romantic act of yours. After what happened back then, who wouldn’t know what’s actually hiding in that belly of yours?” Sun En replied with a sneer. “You must be here for the immortal opportunity behind Jing Teng.”

Zu An raised a brow. He really wanted Wang Youjun to split some pieces of that melon with him. 

It’s my turn to enjoy some drama now…

Chu Chuyan and the other women looked at Zang Ao with unkind expressions. He was still decently handsome, and his bearing was also quite elegant; however, perhaps because of Jing Teng’s past, or because of their feminine sixth sense, this man had the word ‘trash’ written right across his face in their eyes.

Zang Ao’s expression changed. He asked, “What are you saying? The immortal opportunity has already been seized by that guy named Zhao Han. I’m only here because I like Jing Teng and feel guilt over what happened in the past.”

“Is it really just because you like Jing Teng?” Sun En asked, laughing mockingly. “Everyone here is smart, so there's really no need for all of this. I’ve been trapped on an island out at sea all these years, living an unbearable life. At the time, what I lacked the least was time, so I often revisited that event to pass time.”

“So what?” Zang Ao harrumphed.

“In the past, it seemed as if I was the one manipulating you from the shadows and destroying your romance with Jing Teng. However, after thinking through it all, every single decision I made always seemed to have been led by some coincidence. One or two coincidences are understandable, but when so many line up together, how can it still really be a coincidence?” Sun En wondered with a sigh.

Zang Ao sneered and replied, “Isn’t Sect Master Sun describing yourself too cleanly? Wasn’t it because you became greedy after you learned about Jing Teng’s relationship with Immortal Ruler Baopu, and wanted the immortal ruler’s treasures to aid in your tribulation?”

Jing Teng’s expression was completely cold. She calmly watched as the two bickered with each other. There had actually been some things about the past events that she didn’t fully understand. This was a good chance for her to find out what had happened.

Qiu Honglei took the chance to explain the entire course of events to her master. The other women didn’t know the whole story either and perked up their ears to listen. They couldn't help but feel sympathy for Jing Teng after listening to the entire story. A woman’s greatest fear was to meet the wrong man, after all. Fortunately, they had met Zu An. Even though he was a bit fickle in love, he was still reliable in other aspects. He definitely wouldn’t be as despicable as Zang Ao.

However, sympathy is sympathy. Stealing our man is something else.

When they saw Zu An and Jing Teng’s fingers interlaced, they would already have started trouble, if not for the fact that they had a more important situation playing out in front of them.

“That’s right. Even though I spoke in a high-sounding way, saying that it was just an incompatibility between man and fiend, and that I was cultivating for the heavens’ sake… In reality, everything was for Immortal Ruler Baopu’s treasure,” Sun En frankly admitted. Perhaps because he had already come to terms with many things after being locked away on that island for several decades, he didn’t care about such superficial things at all anymore.

Wang Youjun looked down when he heard that. If such words got out, the entire Divine Firmament Sect would risk collapse. The sect leader that they had revered for so many years was actually such a despicable man! Their very faith would waver.

Jing Teng looked at Sun En in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to actually be so frank. Meanwhile, Zang Ao’s expression changed several times, as if he were contemplating something.

“However, even though my scheme succeeded, there was something wrong with the treasure I obtained, and I almost died because of it. My downfall can be considered to be of my own making,” Sun En continued. “I always wondered where the fundamental error lay. Even though I had quite a few suspicions, there were still many things that made no sense. Only when I returned to the continent a few days ago did I learn that the Adventurer’s Guild skyrocketed to power over these years, becoming a faction that could even rival my own. That was when I finally understood that it had all been your scheme. What a great pity it is that, even though I dominated an entire generation, I ended up being exploited by you without knowing a thing.”

Zang Ao interrupted him, saying, “Hmph, I was trying to get back on the right path and finally recognized your sinister designs. The reason why I swapped out that treasure was only to get revenge for Tengteng. How could I have anticipated that your life would be such a stubborn one, though?”

“Hah, and you really didn’t refine that golden core for yourself after all this time?” Sun En replied, roaring with laughter.

Zang Ao briefly fell silent. Then, he said, “After what happened in the past, I knew that I was too weak, so weak that I couldn't even protect the woman I loved. The reason I ingested that pill was only because I wanted to become stronger. Only then would I have a way of saving Tengteng.”

…

Zu An thought to himself, No wonder this Zang Ao was only an ordinary wealthy young master when Jing Teng first met him, and then he suddenly obtained such terrifying cultivation in such a short amount of time. So it was all because of that golden core!

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but say with a cold snort, “This guy really knows how to sound self-righteous. He used a woman’s golden core to make himself stronger, then claimed that it was for her sake. I’ve never seen such a shameless bastard before!”

She naturally knew that some monsters would produce a monster pill once they achieved sentience. Additionally, there were some human cultivators who, once they reached a certain cultivation realm, also formed a golden core. Even though she didn’t know which category Jing Teng’s golden core belonged to, it had clearly been stolen after that disaster happened to her.

Jing Teng gave Yun Jianyue a surprised look, and immediately developed a good impression of her. 

As expected of Miss Qiu’s master!

Even though she had quarreled back and forth with Qiu Honglei along the way, she knew that deep down, Qiu Honglei was kind. As such, they had actually grown closer through the fighting. She hadn’t expected Honglei’s master to have the same temper, though. No wonder Yun Jianyue had ended up producing such a disciple!

Zang Ao was furious. He was about to say something when Sun En roared with laughter, exclaiming, “Well said!”

Judging from their interactions, Sun En had discovered that Xie Daoyun had quite a few achievements in talisman crafting. If he had met her earlier, perhaps he would have taken her in as his own final disciple to pass on his legacy. As for Yun Jianyue, her temperament actually matched his tastes. As such, even though he claimed that they were his hostages, they actually got along quite well.

Sun En looked at Zang Ao and said with a sneer, “Even though I didn’t hold much vigilance against you, with my cultivation, how could it be that easy for someone to fool me? Still, now that I think about it, I still underestimated you too much. Even with the golden core’s help, just how many years have passed? And yet, a spoiled young master like you who couldn't even truss a chicken ended up reaching your current cultivation.” After a brief pause, his expression became especially dangerous as he continued, “Just what kinds of secrets do you have?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying,” Zang Ao said with a snort. Then, he explained to Jing Teng, “Tengteng, I was sincerely in love with you back then. All of this is nothing more than that Sun bastard’s deception, an attempt to make himself sound innocent while casting all the blame on me. You absolutely can’t believe him!”

Jing Teng’s expression was cold as she retorted, “Oh? Then why don’t you explain to me how you could barge into my residence? If you really didn’t have any cultivation, how did you manage to make your way through all of the intricately hidden formations there?”

“That was just a coincidence! It was a sign from the heavens that we were destined for each other…” Zang Ao began.

The women all had strange expressions. This guy really doesn’t have any sense of shame. They’re already at this point, and yet he can still say such cringeworthy things?

Jing Teng was even more annoyed. She clung to Zu An’s arm tightly and said, “In the past, the immortal ruler did a divination for me, and he said that there was a predestined affinity waiting for me. As a result, I thought you were my destiny, and  I believed those sloppy words of yours. However, I always felt that something wasn’t quite right and instinctively felt unable to take that step further with you. I didn’t understand why in the past, but now, I finally understand that big brother Zu was my true destiny decreed by fate.”

Being with Zu An was an entirely different experience. She didn’t avoid physical contact with him, and everything felt natural. She didn’t feel all the misgivings she’d had in the past and welcomed him with both body and soul. In contrast, she had previously been misled by that divination and didn’t really like Zang Ao. That was why she hadn’t been able to completely invest herself from the very beginning.

Zang Ao’s expression darkened. He finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted, “You f*cking slut, I treated you like a goddess back then and always treated you with respect. I was scared of being even slightly rude to you, and  yet you were actually a damn whore! If I had known things would end up like this, I would have already done you back then!”

You have successfully trolled Zang Ao for +888 +888 +888…

Jing Teng’s expression grew cold. She replied, “Are you not going to keep acting anymore? You were doing pretty well until now.”

Zang Ao’s expression changed several times. He was clearly weighing something in his mind.

“Interesting. This is the most interesting day I’ve experienced in the past few decades,” Sun En said, clapping his hands with a huge smile. “I guess it’s fine. Miss Jing, this one will help test out this piece of trash for you.”