Covering the Sky: I, Wang Teng, truly lack the bearing of an emperor.

Chapter 32 Reunion with Old Man Jiang, and Wang Teng's Good News

This place isn't too far from the Jiang family patriarch's inn. Wang Teng guessed that Jiang Tingting must have been born quite a while ago.

Before he left, he left a jade pendant for Jiang Tingting's parents, which could put them into a state of suspended animation without damaging their physical bodies. It might be a bit suspicious to deal with high-level cultivators, but it would be no problem to fool a few cultivators at the Sea of ​​Wheels realm.

Judging by the timeline, the old man of the Jiang family and Jiang Tingting should already know about the "death" of Jiang Tingting's parents.

Wang Teng decided to take a look anyway, feeling some pity for the pitiful little girl in the original story.

The portrayal of each character in "Covering the Sky" is deeply moving, and Wang Teng felt this very strongly. So when he tricked Duan De and the Black Emperor, he didn't feel guilty at all. In fact, he would reflect on it afterward, wondering if he hadn't done enough, and if the real Duan De would have done something even more outrageous.

After identifying the direction, Wang Teng crossed the river and arrived at the familiar town.

Over the years, the town has hardly changed.

The only change is that the Jiang family's tavern has become smaller and somewhat dilapidated. From the outside, it seems to have weathered many years of wind and rain, and it is not as bright and beautiful as it was when Wang Teng last came.

Wang Teng's arrival was quite opportune; no one is coming to cause trouble right now.

Otherwise, Wang Teng himself might not be able to resist breaking the original story's progression.

"Uncle Jiang!" Wang Teng called out as he stepped into the tavern, just like the first time he came.

The gaunt old man, who was wiping the tables and chairs with his head down, was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. He looked up at the door and stared for a while before he came to his senses. "Wang Teng! You're back!"

"Yes, I was passing through here again, so I came back to see you," Wang Teng said with a smile.

When he first came to the inn, he used his original face, and he still does now.

Several years have passed, and Wang Teng has changed a lot, which is why it took Grandpa Jiang Haisheng quite a while to recognize him.

"Come in, come in quickly, see what you want to eat today." A bitter smile appeared on Jiang Haisheng's face, as if he had just remembered something.

Wang Teng lived here for a period of time back then, which left a deep impression on him.

"The same two things as always: two steamed buns and a dish of chili sauce that you made yourself," Wang Teng said.

"Okay." Jiang Haisheng casually wiped his eyes and immediately turned around to get busy.

A little head peeked out from behind the counter. The little girl blinked her big eyes, which held a mixture of curiosity and fear.

When she saw Wang Teng looking over, she quickly pulled her head back, leaving only her two little braids sticking out.

"Uncle Jiang, who is that little girl?" Wang Teng asked knowingly after the steamed buns were served.

“Yes…it’s my granddaughter.” Jiang Haisheng said, a few more tears falling from his slightly reddened eyes. He waved his hand and called the little girl over.

“This is Tingting, my granddaughter. Her parents have mentioned you before. Tingting, this is Wang Teng…” He wanted to introduce them, but he didn’t know what to say.

"Just call me brother." Wang Teng looked at the little girl.

The little girl was dressed in linen clothes, which looked a bit shabby, but were very clean.

Jiang Tingting also raised her head and looked at the unexpected older brother, her eyes still showing a hint of fear.

“How can this be? My son has mentioned you. He met you outside the Misty Cloud Cave. You and your companions traveled together for a while and became good brothers. You had a very good relationship,” Jiang Haisheng said immediately. Mentioning his son, Jiang Haisheng couldn’t help but shed tears again.

Losing a child in old age is a major blow. If it weren't for his young daughter Tingting as his emotional support, he would probably have been completely devastated.

“It doesn’t matter. Cultivators each have their own way of doing things, there’s no need to be so taboo. It’s fine if I call Tingting’s father ‘elder brother’ and Tingting calls me ‘brother’,” Wang Teng said.

Back then, after leaving Qingfeng Town, Wang Teng deliberately approached Yanxia Cave, where he met Jiang Tingting's parents.

As someone who has read "Covering the Sky," Wang Teng is very familiar with many things in the original novel.

Although he felt somewhat like he was taking advantage of someone's misfortune, he still made his move, hoping that his past plans would earn him the information about the Four Extremes Secret Realm from the Hengyu Scripture and the favor of some members of the Jiang family in the future.

Wang Teng knew that the world of Shrouding the Heavens was too deep. The holy lands and aristocratic families were only what was on the surface. Deeper still lay dark turmoil and even people who had survived from the Perfect Era.

To thrive in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, relying solely on one's passion and special abilities is useless. Even a powerful figure like Emperor Ye needed the protection of the Peacock King, the Thirteen Great Bandits, and the White-Clad God King before he fully matured.

"It's a pity about Yunshan... Although we knew each other, an accident happened, leaving only Tingting as his heir. Otherwise, you two should be enjoying drinks together right now!" Jiang Haisheng said.

Mentioning Jiang Yunshan, not only Jiang Haisheng, but also Jiang Tingting, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but shed tears.

But the sensible Jiang Tingting still reached out and wiped away the tears on Uncle Jiang Haisheng's face.

"Oh? Brother Yunshan had an accident?" Wang Teng raised an eyebrow, his expression of shock perfectly conveyed.

"Yes, Yunshan's talent was quite good, but an accident happened. He encountered a Zapdos while he was out, and it's said that there wasn't even a corpse left behind," said Old Man Jiang Haisheng.

Even though several years have passed, he still can't help but shed tears when he talks about it.

Young Jiang Tingting also shed tears, and the grandfather and granddaughter hugged each other and cried together.

Only in front of people you know and trust can you show such genuine feelings.

“Actually, Brother Yunshan may not have perished,” Wang Teng said.

That short sentence seemed to ignite hope in Old Man Jiang Haisheng. He looked up, wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, and asked expectantly, "Really?"

But soon, the expectation on his face disappeared. "How could that be? It's already been confirmed at Yanxia Cave Heaven that Yunshan was killed by the Lightning Bird, and his body can't even be found."

“I once gave Brother Yunshan a jade pendant, which could save his life in a critical moment, so it’s not necessarily true that he had an accident,” Wang Teng said.

"We need to see him alive or dead. At the very least, we haven't seen Brother Yunshan's body with our own eyes yet. I'll go look for him. At the very least, this matter needs to be resolved," Wang Teng said.

He picked up the last coarse bread, broke off a piece, and handed it to Jiang Tingting. Then he dipped the half bread in his own hand with chili sauce and stuffed it into his mouth.

To be honest, given Wang Teng's wealth in his previous life, it would have been quite difficult for him to eat such pure coarse grains.

"This..." Old Man Jiang Haisheng hesitated. He was hopeful, but also afraid that his hopes would be dashed again.

"Don't worry, old man, prepare some steamed buns and wait for me to come back." Wang Teng walked out of the tavern, built a divine bridge, and rushed into the distance.

P.S.: I've read it several times, and it seems the original novel doesn't mention Jiang Tingting's parents' names, so I made them up temporarily. If their names are mentioned but I missed them, please let me know and I'll correct them promptly.

(End of this chapter)