บท 32: Fu ting's suspicion

Unbeknownst to Xiao Chen, somewhere hidden in the void, a woman cloaked in black robes observed him with intense scrutiny.

Her gaze pierced through the fabric of reality, fixating on Xiao Chen with an intensity that spoke of hidden intentions and secrets yet to be revealed.

To find out why this woman with black robes observing Xiao Chen. We have to go One day prior.

On a sunny day, Wu Laoqiang was diligently attending to the affairs of the city mansion when suddenly, a portal materialized out of thin air.

A woman cloaked in black robes emerged from the portal, stunning Wu Laoqiang into motionless awe at the incredible sight before him.

As he regained his senses, Wu Laoqiang recognized the figure as Fu Ting, the guardian entrusted with protecting Tang Jingxue.

Though he knew little about her beyond her reputation for extreme power and absolute authority within the sect, Wu Laoqiang immediately kneeled before her and stammered, "Wu Laoqiang greets the Great Senior."

Fu Ting didn't acknowledge his greeting; instead, she walked past him and took a seat. With narrowed eyes, she stated firmly,

"Answer carefully. I am about to ask you an important question."

"I will, Great Senior," Wu Laoqiang responded without hesitation.

"Good. Report everything you know about Tang Jingxue and Xiao Chen's visit to the mansion," Fu Ting commanded, her powerful aura radiating as she spoke.

Hesitating for a moment, Wu Laoqiang felt the weight of Fu Ting's threat.

"If you don't, then I don't mind checking your sea of consciousness," she added, her tone leaving no room for defiance.

The sea of consciousness is located within the head and exists from the birth of a human being.

This aspect of consciousness is not exclusive to cultivators; it is present in all individuals.

unlike mortals, cultivators can unlock the mysteries of the sea of consciousness through their training and spiritual cultivation.

For cultivators, delving into the depths of their sea of consciousness allows them to develop extraordinary abilities, such as divine sense.

The sea of consciousness is a profound aspect of a cultivator's inner world, and unlocking its mysteries is an essential step on the path of immortality.

And allowing someone to check their sea of consciousness is akin to exposing all of one's innermost secrets and memories.

For Wu Laoqiang, as a city lord who may have committed numerous crimes, the prospect of having his sea of consciousness probed is undoubtedly terrifying.

With no choice but to comply, Wu Laoqiang began recounting everything he knew about Tang Jingxue and Xiao Chen's visit to the mansion.

Though Fu Ting's expression remained unchanged throughout, her heart churned with disbelief at the situation.

Fu Ting was far from being a simple person; in fact, she held a position of immense authority as the leader of the forces governed under the Absolute Yin Palace in the Middle Three Thousand Dao Realm.

It's a well-known fact that immortal families, sacred lands, and immortal clans in the upper realm command a certain number of Middle Three Thousand Dao Realms under their jurisdiction for resource gathering and talent cultivation.

Similarly, Middle Realms can have control over lower realms for similar purposes.

From this, it's evident that Fu Ting wielded considerable power and influence.

She could even become a pavilion master in the Absolute Yin Palace, a position second to the Palace Lord.

despite these privileges, Fu Ting chose to decline them, instead opted to volunteer to protect Tang Jingxue as a means to repay the Palace Lord of Absolute Yin palace's help in the past, A sworn sister of her for her grace.

But the main reason why she gave up her privileges was to cure her son's disease.

Her middle-aged appearance served as a disguise, concealing her true identity even from Tang Jingxue herself.

Because She was always under intense scrutiny from her other enemies and even from her allies.

Moreover, Her son's recovery meant he would succeed in her position, So She spent the past 14 years alongside Tang Jingxue as a guardian.

In these years, Fu Ting subconsciously developed a maternal bond with her, regarding Tang Jingxue as her daughter and shielding her from any potential harm.

It's worth noting that Fu Ting was acutely aware of Tang Jingxue's aversion to men, a trait inherited from her mother's lineage and exacerbated by her divine charm physique.

The day Tang Jingxue ventured to Crimson Ridge Mountain coincided with Fu Ting's planned visit to her son, disguised as part of her cultivation routine.

However, what followed left her utterly shocked and perplexed, as she received an unexpected summons, particularly during her visit to her son.

The reason behind her summon was none other than Tang Jingxue herself, who had found a Taoist companion and requested her protection for him.

Fu Ting couldn't help but feel that this bizarre turn of events was orchestrated by the cunning Xiao Chen.

Feeling compelled to unravel the truth behind these developments, Fu Ting decided to listen to everything firsthand from the City Lord who happened to be present at the scene.

Despite hearing the details, she found herself struggling to believe the gravity of the situation.

Nevertheless, Fu Ting set aside her doubts and resolved to delve deeper into Xiao Chen's background while simultaneously ensuring his protection.

With her maternal instincts and sense of duty guiding her, Fu Ting embarked on a journey to uncover the mysteries surrounding Xiao Chen while safeguarding him from any potential threats.

As Fu Ting observed Xiao Chen's actions in the Silver Sword City, she couldn't help but Marvel at his meticulous nature.

Despite her formidable divine sense, she found herself unable to see through him completely.

Like Ji Rongmei, Fu Ting also felt puzzled by the intertwining dao of darkness and light surrounding Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen's physique allowed him to conceal this aspect of himself, but Xiao Chen didn't bother hiding it in the lower realm, where few possessed the ability to sense such complexities within the void.

Despite the limitations of the lower realm, Xiao Chen sensed that the day of darkness and light in the void was converging towards him, presenting an opportunity for him to potentially improve his affinity and comprehension of these two opposing forces.

However, he didn't know that there was another individual capable of sensing the daos surrounding him like Ji Rongmei.

Most intriguingly, there was no mention of Fu Ting's 'real identity' in the plot.

Perhaps Fu Ting in this timeline was a completely different individual, unknown to Xiao Chen.

This unexpected variable added a new layer of complexity to the unfolding events, leaving Xiao Chen unaware of the looming presence of yet another significant player.

One can only imagine Xiao Chen's expression when he encounters Fu Ting for the first time, unaware of the secrets she holds and the role she will play in his journey.