Chapter 1769: This Is My Man!

"You used to live here? Alone?" Qiu Honglei asked, somewhat surprised. Despite the beautiful scenery, living in such a remote wilderness was inconvenient and lonely.

"Yes," Jing Teng replied, looking at the courtyard with a hint of nostalgia. "I spent my childhood here. Living alone didn't feel lonely at all, until..."

"Until what?" Wei Suo asked curiously. The past of such a beautiful woman was always captivating.

Jing Teng shook her head, clearly not intending to elaborate.

Soon, she reached the courtyard gate, which was completely sealed by thick vines, making entry impossible. Yet, as she stood there, without any apparent spellcasting, the vines seemed to gain consciousness, automatically parting to reveal the main gate.

"Jing Fu?" Zu An was surprised to see the delicate, somewhat childish handwriting on the lintel. He wondered if she had family.

Jing Teng looked up at the two characters, a faint memory coloring her face. "Back then, after Pao Pu Xianjun enlightened me and I took human form, I was very curious about and longed for human society. During that time, I secretly collected some human storybooks. They mentioned that family residences would have a 'Fu' in their name, so I imitated them and secretly carved one myself. I had only just started practicing calligraphy then, so the characters are a bit crude. Please excuse them."

Wei Suo chuckled, "No need to apologize, no need to apologize. They're already better than my current handwriting."

Jing Teng smiled faintly, but offered no reply.

Qiu Honglei secretly transmitted a message to Zu An: "She was young and naive back then, and yearned for the human world. No wonder she was so easily deceived by a scumbag."

Zu An's expression was strange. He thought, 'Women really do understand women.'

Jing Teng strolled through the courtyard. It was originally overgrown with weeds and bushes, leaving no clear path. But as she walked, the weeds and bushes parted before her, astonishing the others.

As the vines and vegetation receded, the original courtyard was revealed. The room windows and other structures were clearly dilapidated, covered in cobwebs, and many doors and windows looked as if they were about to fall off.

Jing Teng approached a broken swing, its ropes half-snapped, and ran her fingers over them, clearly lost in memories.

"I grew up happily here, until I was sixteen. That year, an injured man stumbled into this place by accident. I didn't think much of it then; seeing him on the verge of death, I saved him. Later, he taught me human poetry, songs, and prose, and told me about the customs of various places, about how wonderful the outside world was."

"As time passed, I gradually developed feelings for him, thinking he was one of those men from the storybooks, someone I could entrust my life to."

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but sigh, "Actually, most male protagonists in those storybooks are often scumbags."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, I was young and naive back then, thinking I'd be an exception," Jing Teng said with a self-deprecating smile. "At the time, I even believed our meeting was a fabled destiny. But now that I think about it, there were many concealment formations around my courtyard back then; it would have been impossible for an ordinary person to find this place. How could he have been gravely injured and escaped into my courtyard? The whole thing was just a conspiracy from beginning to end."

"Don't dwell on it. What's past is past." As a woman herself, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for her. Fortunately, Zu An was quite good.

Wei Suo also felt indignant. He thought, 'Jing Teng is such a beautiful woman, and that scumbag still used schemes to harm her? Doesn't he have eyes?'

Only Zu An remained calm, looking towards a certain corner. "How long have you been hiding in the shadows, listening in?"

At his words, the others were startled. They hadn't realized anyone else was there.

Just then, two figures slowly emerged from behind a large tree.

The middle-aged man leading them wore a blue robe. He was tall and straight, with a square face and broad nose, a handsome appearance, and an air of scholarly elegance.

However, Zu An and Qiu Honglei's gazes were fixed entirely on the woman in white behind him.

Her long hair flowed freely, her white skirt fluttered, and she seemed like an ethereal fairy from the clouds, though her face held an aloofness that kept people at a distance.

This woman was none other than Yan Xuehen, whom they had been separated from for a long time!

Zu An never expected to reunite with her here, and couldn't help but show his delight.

Qiu Honglei's expression was complex. She knew this was Chu Chuyan's master, and her own master's notorious sworn enemy. Given the irreconcilable stance between righteous and demonic factions, she felt immense pressure facing her.

Upon seeing Zu An, Yan Xuehen's originally cold expression softened with a gentle smile. She had clearly seen him from the shadows earlier.

Her top-level mission with the Adventurers' Guild was to investigate his whereabouts. Who knew that, by some twist of fate, she would find him ahead of schedule? Was this destiny?

Just as Zu An was about to acknowledge her, Yan Xuehen subtly shook her head. Soon, her whispered message reached his ear: "A...Zu An, Miss Qiu, don't acknowledge me yet."

"Why?" Not just Qiu Honglei, even Zu An was confused.

"This person beside me is Zang Ao, the Guild Master of the Adventurers' Guild. Recently, I discovered that the Guild has issued a highest-level kill order specifically targeting... Zu An. The reward is incredibly generous; even I was tempted. Countless masters throughout the land want to eliminate you. I want to first find out who is really behind this."

"I see," Zu An realized. So this man was Jing Teng's ex-boyfriend she mentioned earlier? He certainly looked respectable.

Qiu Honglei, however, was more concerned about Zu An being wanted. She couldn't understand why they had only been in this world for a short time, yet had provoked such an exaggerated kill order.

Could it be Zhao Hao and his group secretly causing trouble?

She didn't suspect the Ghost King; after all, the Ghost King had countless masters under his command and wouldn't need to pay a high price to the Adventurers' Guild for such a mission.

At this moment, the middle-aged man gave Zu An an unexpected glance, unsure if it was because his identity had been revealed, or if he recognized him as the target of the highest-level kill order.

Then he turned to Jing Teng: "Tengteng, do you really think so little of me?"

Jing Teng frowned. "Zang Ao, don't call me by that disgusting nickname."

The two were at daggers drawn the moment they met.

The handsome middle-aged man opposite gave a wry smile. "Alright, alright, if you don't like it, I won't call you that."

Jing Teng let out a dry laugh. "That tone again. Maybe the little girl from back then would have been deceived by you, but now, when I hear you talk like that, I only feel one thing: disgust!"

The handsome middle-aged man was silent for a while before saying, "I know what happened back then deeply hurt you. I don't dare ask for your forgiveness, but I was genuinely too young and inexperienced back then. That's why I was so overwhelmed after learning your true identity, leading me to make such a grave mistake."

"If you're not asking for my forgiveness, then why are you saying all this?" Jing Teng sneered. "It only makes me think you're hypocritical."

Zu An, Qiu Honglei, Yan Xuehen, and even Wei Suo quietly watched the drama unfold, observing the extreme push and pull between them.

Qiu Honglei secretly messaged Zu An: "It seems there are still some lingering feelings between them. If the feelings were truly gone, there would be indifference, not such an agitated argument."

"Not necessarily," Zu An replied. "Even if feelings are gone, being deceived is enough to make anyone angry."

"True," Qiu Honglei said, pursing her lips into a smile, and continued to watch the show.

Feeling awkward under so many gazes, the middle-aged man looked at the people around Jing Teng. "Are these your friends?"

Jing Teng nodded. "They are all my friends and have helped me a lot. This is Miss Qiu, and this is Young Master Wei."

Qiu Honglei remained unfazed, but Wei Suo immediately puffed out his chest, filled with pride at being called "Young Master."

When it was Zu An's turn, Jing Teng hesitated for a moment, then linked her arm through his and leaned her head gently against his shoulder. "This is my man."

The smile on the middle-aged man's face instantly froze, and he glared fiercely at Zu An.

"'Not boyfriend, but man'?" The phrase echoed in his mind, sparking countless speculations.

Zu An's expression also froze. He was enjoying the drama, but how did it suddenly involve him?

Yan Xuehen and Qiu Honglei's sharp, unfriendly gazes instantly fixed on him.

"How long has this brat been in this world, and he's already gotten involved with another beautiful woman? This is outrageous!"

Rage points from Yan Xuehen +666 +666 +666...

"I knew it, I knew it! All along the way, I felt something was off with them. They really are involved! When did they get together? How could they keep it from me and let it progress this far? Ah Zu is such a hateful philanderer!"

Rage points from Qiu Honglei +666 +666 +666...

Feeling the endless stream of rage points in the background, Zu An sensed the intense killing intent behind them. Knowing this couldn't continue, he was about to explain, but then he heard Jing Teng's tense voice in his ear: "Help me!"

Seeing the faint plea in her eyes, Zu An found it difficult to expose her bluff at that moment.