allendalepharm Chapter 30 Tang Wutong's Touching Moments
Chapter 30 Tang Wutong's Touching Moments
The courtyard, paved with bluestone, was polished smooth and shiny by the wind over the years, with a few strands of new green moss seeping into the cracks at the edges. Four corners were adorned with graceful bamboo, their leaves rustling softly in the wind. Sunlight filtered through, scattering like fragments of gold across the stone table. A pot of warm tea still emitted wisps of steam, and two neatly arranged, gleaming white porcelain cups were clearly prepared well in advance by Niu Tian or Titan, even the tea temperature was perfectly controlled.
Tang Wutong had turned around the courtyard for the third time, her light blue skirt sweeping across the bluestone, stirring a gentle breeze. With each turn, her gaze would fall towards the courtyard gate, her large light blue eyes shimmering with tiny lights, like unlit stars, concealing an uncontainable anticipation and trepidation. As soon as she saw Zi Lingtian's figure appear at the gate, she practically pounced on him, her short legs moving with incredible speed, her skirt billowing, like a clingy little animal.
She stopped in front of him, tilting her small face up, her nose brushing against his sleeve. The light in her pinkish-blue eyes suddenly shone brightly, like a candle flame ignited by the wind.
"Zi Lingtian, how long do you think we'll be staying in the lower realm?" Her voice was soft and childlike, yet tinged with barely concealed panic. "Ten years? Twenty years? Will it be... a long time before we can return to the God Realm?"
A barrage of questions rained down on him, like pebbles dropped into a still lake. Zi Lingtian looked at her, his purple eyelashes trembling slightly, the calm in his eyes shattering somewhat. He paused for a moment, then reached out, not touching her hair or putting his arm around her shoulder, but simply gently taking her slender wrist in his hand. Her wrist was very thin, the bones pressing against his palm, as soft as a cloud. He led her slowly to the stone table, and when they sat down, he deliberately moved the stone bench half an inch closer to him, so that their knees could almost touch.
"I have something to tell you." His voice was very low, as if wrapped in a thin veil, brushing against her earlobe, lighter than the wind outside the courtyard, yet carrying an undeniable weight.
Tang Wutong abruptly stopped, her hands, which had been gripping the hem of her skirt, suddenly loosened. She stared at him blankly, her pinkish-blue pupils reflecting his deep purple eyes. Gone was his usual calm and gentle gaze; instead, a seriousness she had never seen before lingered in them, like heavy, fallen stars in the night. Her heart skipped a beat, and her voice unconsciously softened, barely a whisper: "What's wrong?"
Zi Lingtian didn't speak immediately. He first raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing away the tea steam on the stone table, as if calming his mind. The next second, pale green life force spread from his palm, like a transparent veil, slowly enveloping the two of them. The power was extremely light and gentle, mixed with the fragrance of bamboo leaves, blending seamlessly with the natural atmosphere of the mountains. Even if one scanned it with divine sense, it would only be perceived as ordinary fluctuations of grass and trees, completely imperceptible.
After confirming that the isolation was in place, he slowly spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
"Wu Tong, someone tampered with your soul during the teleportation."
Tang Wutong's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, and panic instantly filled her pinkish-blue eyes, like butterfly wings dampened by a sudden rain. She abruptly took half an inch back, her wrist still held by him, her fingertips trembling slightly, causing the stone bench to sway gently.
"What?" Her voice shrill for a moment, then quickly subsided, trembling with tears. "Who? What do you mean? Why did you do this to me?"
"Someone wants to split your soul into three parts." Zi Lingtian looked at her pale face, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he carefully chose his words, each one like a heavy hammer blow, "to seal a part of your memories, and then... turn you into an incomplete version of yourself."
"An incomplete me..." Tang Wutong murmured repeatedly, her face as white as paper, her pale blue lips trembling slightly, even her fingertips turning bluish-white. She was only six years old, but as the daughter of a god-king, she understood the weight of the word "soul" better than anyone. A split soul meant her memories would be shattered, her emotions altered, and she would no longer be the Tang Wutong who laughed, made a fuss, and loved to cling to Zi Lingtian.
Tears welled up unexpectedly, splashing onto the stone table and spreading into a small wet patch. Her pale blue eyes shimmered with tears, like shattered sapphires, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Who...who is it...Zi Lingtian, tell me..."
Zi Lingtian looked at her, his heart aching as if gripped by an invisible hand. He couldn't tell her—he couldn't tell her that the one who had harmed her was her own father, the Sea God Tang San who had cherished her in the God Realm. The pain of betrayal was more cruel than having one's soul torn apart; how could she, so young, bear it?
"I don't know who it was." He lied, his tone so calm it was almost deliberate, his fingertips gently stroking her wrist as if to soothe her. "But I used the power of two fused martial souls during the teleportation to stop him. Your soul is intact, and your memories... haven't been touched."
Tang Wutong stared blankly at him, tears still welling up in her eyes, but no longer falling. She stared into his eyes, trying to find a trace of a lie, but only saw deep seriousness and an imperceptible tenderness.
"You...can you do it?" she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief.
Zi Lingtian nodded vigorously, her purple eyes reflecting her image as if they held the entire starry sky: "Yes. I'll tell you what kind of power it is when I have the chance."
Tang Wutong remained silent for a long time. She lowered her head, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, and her small shoulders trembling slightly. The wind rustled through the bamboo grove in the courtyard, but no one spoke. Zi Lingtian simply sat quietly opposite her, the barrier of his life force flowing gently, like a gentle protective shield, isolating everything from the outside world.
After a long while, she slowly raised her head. Her light blue eyes were red, with a pale pink tinge at the corners. Tears finally fell, shattering on the stone table. But her gaze was no longer filled with panic, only with determination, like a pine tree weathered by wind and rain.
"Thank you, Zi Lingtian." Her voice was hoarse, yet each word was clear, tinged with tears, yet utterly solemn.
Zi Lingtian shook his head slightly, gently wiping away the tears on her cheeks with his fingertips, his movements as tender as touching fragile glass: "You're welcome. I told you, I would protect you."
The moment those words fell, Tang Wutong's tears fell even more rapidly, yet she also curved her lips into a smile, her tearful yet smiling appearance like a peach blossom touched by rain. Zi Lingtian's heart twitched slightly, as if gently bumped by something, softening completely.
"Then tell me," she sniffed, her voice still a little unsteady, a hint of coldness flashing in her pinkish-blue eyes, "what does that person want me to become?"
Zi Lingtian was silent for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell her part of the truth. He raised his hand and gently brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead, his fingertips carrying the cool warmth of life force.
"According to that person's plan, you will appear in Douluo Continent as 'Wang Dong.'" His voice was soft, each word clear and distinct in her ears. "Wang Dong, Wang Dong'er. Your memories will be altered—you are a disciple of the Haotian Sect, disguised as a man, studying at Shrek Academy. You will meet someone, become friends with him, become partners, and then... become lovers."
When he said the word "lover," his tone was as calm as if he were giving a casual instruction, but Tang Wutong's face suddenly turned red. It wasn't a blush of shyness, but a blush of anger—her pale blue cheeks were like burning clouds, even her ears were flushed.
"That person wants to manipulate my feelings?" Her voice turned cold, a sharp, icy glint flashing in her pinkish-blue eyes like a drawn sword. In that instant, she was no longer the spoiled little girl, but the proud daughter of a god-king, inheriting the blood of the sea god and the soft-boned rabbit. "He can make me be with whomever he wants? What right does he have?"
Zi Lingtian looked at the cold light in her eyes and nodded inwardly. This was the Tang Wutong he knew—not a pawn to be manipulated, but Xiao Qi with flesh and blood, dignity, and a soul.
"That's why I'm telling you." He held her hand, the warmth of his palm passing over her. "You now have complete memories, you know you are Tang Wutong, the little witch of the divine realm. But you can't tell anyone about this."
He paused, lowering his voice even further, as if telling a secret, "I can't tell Uncle Niu Tian, I can't tell Uncle Titan, and... I can't tell your father."
"Tang San, the Sea God..." Tang Wutong's body stiffened abruptly, her grip on his hand tightening instantly. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to ask, "Why can't we tell Daddy?" but the words caught in her throat. She knew her father was the most powerful God King in the God Realm, but how much pain would he suffer if he knew the truth? And how could she face the father who had hurt her with his own hands?
Seeing her conflicted expression, Zi Lingtian felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles. He couldn't reveal the cruel truth; he could only protect her purity in the gentlest way possible.
"You just need to remember this." He looked into her eyes, her image reflected in his deep purple pupils, his earnestness bordering on reverence, "You are the complete Tang Wutong, with a complete soul. No one can change you, no one can turn you into someone else. Never forget this."
Tang Wutong looked into his eyes, where there was no hesitation, only deep protection and compassion. She seemed to see, from the depths of that purple light, a heart warmer than any star in the divine realm. She didn't ask why, but simply nodded vigorously, her little head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice, tears still falling, yet her eyes unwavering.
"I remember." Her voice trembled with tears, yet every word was firm and resolute. "I am Tang Wutong, the little witch of the divine realm. No one can turn me into anything else!"
Zi Lingtian's lips curled slightly upward as she gently removed the life barrier surrounding her. The afternoon sun instantly streamed in, and the shadows of the emerald bamboo swayed gently on the bluestone, like a tender dance. The two children sat silently by the stone table, each lost in their own thoughts, yet their hands, clasped tightly together, never letting go.
"Wang Dong." Zi Lingtian suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of gentleness that was barely perceptible.
Tang Wutong raised her head, her pinkish-blue eyes still streaked with tears, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"In the Douluo Continent, your name will be Wang Dong." He looked at her, a smile playing in his purple eyes. "In front of others, you are Wang Dong. But when it's just the two of us—"
He paused, then gently hooked her little finger with his fingertip, the movement as light as the wind rustling through bamboo leaves. "You are still my Xiao Qi."
"boom--"
Tang Wutong's face instantly turned bright red, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears like a sunset on fire. She hurriedly turned her head away, picked up the teacup on the table, and tried to pretend to drink tea to cover it up, but her fingertips were too hot. As soon as she touched the rim of the cup, she hissed and gasped for breath. Her small body swayed slightly, and she almost dropped the cup.
Seeing her flustered state, Zi Lingtian couldn't help but laugh out loud, her voice filled with a gentle smile, like the spring breeze outside the courtyard.
"What are you laughing at!" Tang Wutong glared at him, but there was no anger in her pink and blue eyes, only gentle tenderness. The light in her eyes was brighter than any star in the God Realm, so bright that he couldn't take his eyes off her.
In the distance, on the threshold of the main hall of the Haotian Sect, Niu Tian leaned against the doorframe, watching two small figures in the courtyard. A relieved smile spread across his honest face, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out. He murmured to himself, "That kid was right. These two children are truly a perfect match."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the main hall, his back view appearing particularly warm in the sunlight.
No one knew that in this small but exquisite courtyard, amidst the whispers and clasped hands of six-year-old children, a battle far more intense than the war in the divine realm had quietly begun.
It is about upholding one's soul, about choosing freedom, about the battle of whether a child can become himself—and the beginning of this battle is the promise of two children to protect each other, the purest affection and vow hidden in the wind, in the tea, and in every clasp of hands.