"I met him a few times when he was following that old bastard around. He was much more well-behaved than you," the woman said coolly.
"Old bastard…" The corner of Song Changsheng's mouth twitched. Even if he had been slow to catch on before, now he understood it wasn't his cheap father this senior was familiar with, but his grandfather.
And judging by the way she referred to him, there was a strange mix of closeness and irritation. What exactly was the relationship between her and his grandfather?
"Could this woman be that 'Senior Xiao'? What exactly happened between her and Grandpa?" Although she was sitting right in front of him, Song Changsheng couldn't figure out her attitude. At least, it didn't seem like they were enemies.
After a moment of thought, he tentatively asked, "May I ask, Senior, is your surname Xiao?"
Her expression didn't change. She looked at him with a faint smile. "What if it is? What if it isn't?"
"As if I could do anything about it either way," Song Changsheng muttered inwardly, feeling more and more exhausted by this kind of conversation. Why couldn't powerful seniors just speak instead of always talking in circles?
Despite his thoughts, he responded respectfully, "When I was training with my grandfather, he would often mention a senior surnamed Xiao. I felt you matched his descriptions, so I dared to ask. I apologize if I was being presumptuous."
The woman raised an eyebrow, set down her teacup, and narrowed her phoenix-like eyes at him. Her smile was laced with hidden meaning. "Is that so? And what exactly did he say about me? You'd better think carefully before answering if you dare make something up, I'll tan your hide."
That was as good as admitting it outright, but rather than feeling triumphant at unmasking her identity, Song Changsheng only felt like he had dug himself into a hole.
The truth was, his grandfather had never once mentioned this woman to him. The jade pendant and that strange dream were all he had to go on. Now she was asking him to recount what had been said? There was no way he could make something up now that she had confirmed her identity. His life might not be in danger, but she'd make him regret it.
If she did smack him, he'd never be able to show his face again.
Song Changsheng's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution. Before long, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.
Seeing him hesitate, the woman sipped her tea and said coldly, "What's wrong? Can't think of anything? Or did that old bastard say something unpleasant about me behind my back?"
Her voice was icy, like a winter wind. It sent a shiver down Song Changsheng's spine, and he quickly forced a smile. "Senior must be joking. I'm just a junior; I wouldn't dare speak out of turn about my elders. That would be deeply disrespectful. Please forgive me if I've offended you."
"I've already laid it all out. Don't think you can weasel out of it now," she replied without missing a beat.
"Maybe now she'll stop pushing me?" Song Changsheng thought hopefully, sneaking a glance at her.
But she didn't let up. Instead, she said flatly, "It's not disrespectful if you're disobeying me. I told you to speak, so speak. If that old bastard has any complaints, he can come find me himself."
Song Changsheng winced. It was clear she had no intention of letting him off the hook. After some thought, he decided to share a half-truth to test her reaction.
"Back when I was still young and learning the art of formations from my grandfather, I once saw a jade pendant hanging from his waist with the character 'Wan' engraved on it. I was curious, so I asked who it belonged to. Grandfather said it belonged to a senior surnamed Xiao, a powerful cultivator in the Purple Mansion realm and a Tier-3 alchemy master. He told me that if I ever met her, I should treat her with the same respect I give him."
This part was half-true. He had asked about the jade pendant, but his grandfather had remained tight-lipped and said nothing.
"That's all he said?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone still calm. "Didn't you say he mentioned me often? What else did he say?"
She wasn't going to let him get away with vague statements.
At this point, Song Changsheng truly wished he could go back and slap his past self for opening this can of worms. He had uncovered her identity only to dig himself into a trap.
Unconsciously, his back was now soaked with sweat.
After a long pause…
"Screw it!"
Gritting his teeth, Song Changsheng looked up at the woman, his face full of seriousness. "To be honest, Senior, my grandfather never allowed me to speak of this to anyone. But since it's you who's asking… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make an exception."
"Oh? Is that so? Let's hear it," the woman said lightly, raising her teacup with little interest.
Song Changsheng took a deep breath and dropped a bombshell: "Senior, the truth is… my grandfather has admired you deeply for a long time!"
Pfft!
The woman, mid-sip, spat out her tea in shock. Her expression twisted with surprise and anger as she stared at Song Changsheng. "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? If you don't explain yourself properly right now, that old bastard might as well go find himself a new successor!"
Though her words were harsh, she hadn't struck him, which reassured Song Changsheng somewhat; it seemed she was giving him a chance to "explain himself."
Inwardly, he muttered, Sorry, Grandpa. Your grandson's desperate here. Please forgive me for this one.
With his conscience now clear, Song Changsheng pushed on boldly:
"Senior, I wouldn't dare lie it's true!
He never said it outright, but I've got eyes. Whenever he spoke of you or looked at that jade pendant, his expression would always change, like he was lost in thought. I swear, I couldn't have mistaken it!"
He was careful not to go overboard, just enough to make his case without provoking her wrath. But in truth, he was fairly confident. In this world, gifts like jade pendants or sachets carried clear meanings. For a woman to give such an item, especially one inscribed with her name, to a man was generally understood to be a token of affection. Even cultivators, far removed from the mortal world, observed this unspoken custom.
His grandfather had worn that jade pendant next to his skin for decades, guarding it like a priceless treasure. If there wasn't something fishy going on, Song Changsheng would eat his robe.
Besides, the woman's attitude toward him had always been relatively kind. From what he could gather, his parents had likely taken him to see her when he was younger, probably to get help with his muddled consciousness, and had respectfully called her "Aunt Xiao."
That alone showed that she wasn't an enemy of the family. So Song Changsheng decided to gamble on whether there was something deeper between her and his grandfather. If he was right, the rest would be smooth sailing.
Though her face had returned to calm, her clenched fists gave her away. Song Changsheng, who had been watching her closely, caught the subtle sign and instantly felt more confident.
"There's a chance here!" he thought excitedly.
"Are you telling the truth?" she asked, raising her teacup again, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Of course. I once asked my grandfather if he had feelings for you, but why didn't he try to pursue them? He didn't give me a direct answer, just said that one day, I'd understand. I didn't back then… but I think I do now."
"Hmph. That's just a line he fed a naive kid. He was nothing but a fickle, unfaithful scoundrel. What kind of 'reason' could he possibly have?" she sneered coldly, her aura growing slightly colder and sharper.
But to Song Changsheng's ears, her voice was full of resentment.
Damn… this is a big scoop! No wonder Grandpa never told me, turns out he was the "heartless man" all along!
If he'd ended up with this Senior back then, wouldn't our family have a Purple Mansion cultivator backing us by now?
Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll restore your reputation.
Trying his best to keep a straight face, Song Changsheng sighed theatrically. "Senior, I think… You may have misunderstood my grandfather."
Her expression chilled. "You're trying to defend him?"
"Not defend, just stating the truth," he said, now fully channeling an Oscar-winning performance.
"Think about it. You're a Purple Mansion cultivator, ageless, still youthful after all these years. My grandfather, on the other hand, is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. He's over two hundred years old, his hair is white, his face wrinkled…
He probably believed he wasn't worthy of you. That he didn't want to drag you down or interfere with your path to immortality."
He spoke with such sincerity and emotion that he nearly believed his own words.
But to his dismay, the performance didn't have the effect he'd hoped for. The woman toyed with her teacup, staring at him with a half-smile. "When Song Luyan brought you to see me as a child, your soul was still muddled. You couldn't even talk, yet you just sat there giggling at me.
"And now, just a few years later, you've grown taller, your tongue's gotten slick, and your guts have grown too. You even dare spin tales about your grandfather?"
Song Changsheng's heart dropped. Crap she's onto me.
He laughed awkwardly. "Senior… what do you mean by that?"
"Hmph. You haven't spent much time around that old bastard, have you?" she said, standing up and slowly walking over to him, her gaze bearing down.
It was true. His grandfather had been in seclusion most of the time, so the two had rarely interacted. Realizing she'd seen right through him, Song Changsheng gave up pretending and nodded obediently.
Still, he couldn't quite figure out how he had given himself away. His reasoning had been solid, and the woman's earlier reactions seemed to confirm his deductions. So what had he done wrong?
As if reading his mind, the woman sneered. "Do you know what people used to say about your grandfather when he was young?"
Song Changsheng froze slightly at her words; he truly didn't know. His grandfather, Song Xianming, had never mentioned it, and the other elders only ever vaguely said that his grandfather had once enjoyed a bit of fame in the Great Qi cultivation world. That was it.
Considering Song Xianming was a Tier Three Formation Master, of which there were only a handful across all of Great Qi, having some fame wasn't surprising. So Song Changsheng had never paid it much attention. But now… it seemed there was far more to the story.
The woman's face took on an "I thought so" expression as she said flatly,
"Back then, many called him a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. He defeated every cultivator of his generation in the Great Qi cultivation world, and his reputation was unmatched.
It wasn't until the passing of Senior Song Yun'gui that he began to gradually fade from public view."
Hearing this, Song Changsheng suddenly understood.
So that was where he had slipped up.
A genius of that caliber, how could he have entertained such a self-deprecating excuse as "I'm not worthy of her"? That was just laughable.
"Grandpa, seriously… you screwed me over this time. With a past that glorious, how could you never mention it to me?" Song Changsheng groaned inwardly. He felt completely betrayed by his grandfather.
He had always assumed Song Xianming didn't attempt a Purple Mansion breakthrough until nearly 200 years old due to limited talent, so he had crafted his little lie accordingly. And now… it had blown up in his face.
Song Changsheng's heart pounded with anxiety. What he'd done could easily be seen as disrespect toward his elder. While she wouldn't kill him, a beating probably wasn't off the table.
"You're a clever one," the woman said coldly, "but too clever for your own good. If you hadn't added that last ridiculous excuse, I might've believed you.
Tell me, how could such an honest and upright man like Song Luyan end up with a slippery-tongued son like you?"
Her tone was anything but pleasant; she was furious at having been played by a junior.
"Curiosity does kill the cat… Senior, please punish me. I admit my wrongdoing."
Song Changsheng gave up struggling and confessed swiftly, hoping she'd go easy on him for his grandfather's sake.
The woman didn't reply immediately. She stared at him for a moment, then finally said,
"You deserve a good beating, but for the sake of your parents, I'll let it slide this time.
But if you ever pull something like this again, I'll personally pay a visit to Cangmang Peak and have a good talk with that old bastard about your behavior."
Song Changsheng shivered. He could already imagine what his grandfather would do if he learned his grandson had dragged his name through the mud. He hurriedly nodded and agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, let's pretend none of this ever happened," she said calmly. "I only came to see you. Now I've seen you, heard your little stories, I should go."
She turned to leave, but then paused. "Give a message to Song Xianming for me."
"Please tell me what to say," Song Changsheng replied respectfully.
The woman stood still for a long while, silently contemplating. Finally, she spoke:
"Ask him… If he ever regretted his decision back then."
"…I don't want to know the answer," she added after a moment. "Just hear it for me."
With that, she turned and walked out of the bamboo pavilion.
"Senior! You haven't told me your name," Song Changsheng called after her.
But the woman didn't look back. Only a clear voice echoed through the bamboo forest:
"Xiao Qingwan."
Only after confirming she had truly gone did Song Changsheng return to his seat and slump down. A long while passed before he let out a bitter laugh.
"So it was a debt of love…
How the hell am I supposed to bring this up with Grandpa?"
He didn't know whether Song Xianming had any regrets, but he did now.
"Curiosity… does kill the cat."
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