"What…?"
A mixture of surprise and puzzlent appeared on Tian Yang's face after he heard Ren Xia's demands.
"You want to follow ? I don't understand. Can you elaborate?"
Ren Xia's expression remained serious as she explained, "It's exactly as it sounds. I want to follow you as a traveling partner. Wherever you go, I want to be by your side."
Tian Yang only beca more puzzled by her explanation and continued to ask, "But why would you want to do that?"
"I have my own reasons."
"..."
For Ren Xia to follow him, she would essentially be abandoning her family, her status, and everything she had built until now. Tian Yang couldn't fathom why she would make such a drastic choice.
Even if she harbored feelings for him, it was hard to believe that she would cast aside her entire life just for his sake
'What if she wants to follow to uncover Han Zexian's legacy, thinking I've inherited it?' Tian Yang wondered.
There was also the unsettling possibility that she was acting under the orders of the Nine Immortal Clans. No matter how sincere she seed, he couldn't ignore the reality that Ren Xia was one of them. Moreover, she was not just any mber but a young lady of the Nine Immortal Clans, soone whose status rivaled even the elders.
As much as Tian Yang wanted to trust her, experience had taught him otherwise. He had grown wary of everything and everyone, knowing that trust was a luxury he could no longer afford.
However, Ren Xia had been nothing but helpful to him thus far, and despite his wariness, he couldn't sense any ill intent from her.
Eventually, Tian Yang decided to trust her.
"Are you sure you want to do this? There's no going back once it's done," Tian Yang said a mont later.
Ren Xia calmly nodded, "I have resolved myself even before I reached out to you."
"Fine, I'll accept your demand. When do you want to do this?"
"Let's do it tomorrow."
For the next few hours, Ren Xia and Tian Yang ticulously reviewed their plans, going over every detail multiple tis to ensure there were no missteps.
Once they were certain everything was in place, Ren Xia took her leave, returning ho as if nothing had changed. anwhile, Tian Yang vanished into the shadows, disappearing to an unknown destination.
The following day, Ren Xia's mother approached her with a calm yet authoritative tone.
"We've decided that you'll be engaged to Ling Zhan, the fifth eldest young master of the Immortal Spirit Clan."
Ren Xia's expression didn't waver, but deep inside, a chill ran down her spine.
She was no stranger to that na. Ling Zhan's reputation preceded him—not for his talents or achievents, but for the unsettling rumors that clung to him like a shadow. He was known as a playboy with a particular fetish, one that made even his own family mbers tremble when ntioned.
"So our Immortal Sword Clan is that desperate for power, huh?" Ren Xia sighed out loud as she shook her head.
Her mother instantly frowned and shouted, "Don't you dare go there!"
"Am I wrong, though? Although Kulas wasn't to my taste, he's still countless tis better than Ling Zhan."
"I bet you regret breaking your engagent with him now," her mother sneered, her voice laced with mockery. "You never know what you have until it's gone."
"Whatever."
Ren Xia turned on her heels and began walking away, unwilling to entertain the conversation any longer.
But before she could take more than a few steps, her mother's sharp voice halted her.
"Where do you think you're going? The Immortal Spirit Clan will be arriving tomorrow. You are forbidden from leaving until they leave."
"Relax. I won't be going far," she said annoyedly. "I just need so fresh air—or are you going to take that away from too?"
After leaving the Immortal Sword Clan's residence, Ren Xia aimlessly wandered through the city, her thoughts tangled in frustration and helplessness. Her usually sharp gaze was unfocused, and every so often, she let out a quiet, defeated sigh.
With her striking beauty and renowned reputation, it was impossible for her presence to go unnoticed. Passersby stole glances, so whispering among themselves, others rely staring in curiosity, wondering why Ren Xia looked so distressed. Yet, nobody attempted to talk to her, fearing they might anger her.
Several hours later, Ren Xia's father furrowed his brows as he noticed her absence.
"Where's Ren Xia?" "She's walking around the city right now," her mother replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I have guards watching over her to ensure she doesn't escape."
Her father exhaled sharply, his expression unreadable. "She better not cause trouble. The Immortal Spirit Clan will be here tomorrow, and I don't want any unnecessary complications."
"She won't," her mother assured him in a confident voice. "She may be stubborn, but she understands the weight of our family's decision."
However, just monts later, soone forcefully knocked on the door before entering the room and shouted, "It's an ergency! The Young Lady has been abducted!"
"What?!"
Both Ren Xia's parents exclaid in a shocked voice.
"What happened?! Tell everything right now!" Her father roared.
"We were following the Young Lady as instructed by Matriarch Ren," the ssenger, one of the guards assigned to shadow Ren Xia, reported in a frantic tone. "But then soone suddenly appeared from the sky, snatched the Young Lady, and vanished before we could even react!"
"How is that even possible?! Ren Xia is a Divine King expert! There's no way she'd be abducted like this!" Her mother shouted, her voice filled with disbelief.
"B-but the kidnapper exuded the presence of a Divine Emperor—if not Divine Sovereign!"
"Don't tell it's Tian Yang!" Ren Xia's mother quickly deduced.
"But why would he kidnap her? If it were truly him, I'd sooner believe he would have killed her on the spot, just like he did to the others. But he didn't!" Ren Xia's father refused to accept it.
Before they could dwell further into the situation, the sound of hurried, frantic footsteps echoed through the halls. A guard burst into the room, his face pale with urgency.
"I-It's an ergency!" he stamred, barely catching his breath. "The Young Lady has returned ho—but she's not alone! She ca back with an unknown individual who claims he's holding her hostage and demands to speak with the Family Head, or he'd kill her!"
"What?!" Ren Xia's parents exclaid.
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