Chapter 62: I Was Confessed to

  As soon as they entered the main gate, an elderly man quickly approached. He had half-white hair but a strong, energetic demeanor. His straight back and muscur build, along with his eyes gleaming with inner strength, indicated that this old man was no ordinary person.

  "Uncle Zhong," Tang Mingli greeted warmly.

  "Young Master, you're back!" The old man looked at Tang Mingli, smiling as he bowed deeply, then turned to San Bao and cupped his hands in greeting. "This young dy came with the family head, and I failed to greet her properly. Please forgive me."

  San Bao returned the greeting with a polite bow.

  "So, you're also a cultivator, Miss? My apologies!" Uncle Zhong smiled and made a respectful gesture in return.

  San Bao sensed that while Uncle Zhong’s smile was polite, it carried a certain distance, a subtle sense of wariness.

  Tang Mingli led her through the mansion, showing her around, including the inner courtyard. Everywhere she looked, every servant and guard she encountered was courteous and smiling, but San Bao couldn’t help but feel that the smiles were somewhat veiled—respectful but distant, polite yet not genuine.

  San Bao realized that these members of the Tang family likely saw her as nothing more than the family head’s woman, a mere subordinate.

  After touring the meeting hall and training rooms, Tang Mingli took her to the alchemy room. The room was crowded, and various rare materials lined the walls. However, these materials didn’t seem...

  "These aren’t exactly the materials used for alchemy, are they?" San Bao asked, sensing something unusual.

  Tang Mingli noticed her confusion and expined, "This alchemy room was originally used by the Tang family ancestors to refine spiritual elixirs. Since I became the family head, I’ve repurposed it to forge magic tools."

  San Bao’s eyes widened in understanding, and her gaze was drawn to a bronze furnace in the center of the room. The furnace was surrounded by swirling spiritual energy, its ancient design engraved with the pattern of a Taotie (a mythical beast).

  "This furnace is a magic treasure, right?" San Bao asked.

  "Indeed, this furnace is much more effective than the one I carry around. It’s a true magic treasure and can be used to forge high-level magic tools, not just ordinary ones," Tang Mingli expined proudly.

  San Bao dismissed it with a small inward scoff. "What’s so impressive about that? Is there anywhere else you haven’t shown me? What about your wife’s quarters? Shall we take a look at them?"

  Tang Mingli’s face turned slightly red. "I’ll show you! Since the previous family head passed away, his wife moved out, and the room has been empty. You can see if you want to change the décor or add anything for comfort when you stay there."

  San Bao shot him an exasperated look. "No, thanks."

  "Then let me show you the family treasure vault," Tang Mingli said, looking slightly embarrassed as he took her hand and led her toward the backyard.

  San Bao shrugged off his hand but continued walking beside him into the backyard.

  The courtyard appeared peaceful, but San Bao discreetly released her spiritual sense and noticed that many powerful individuals were hidden within, at least at the level of Danjing cultivators.

  Tang Mingli led her into a modest, inconspicuous building that looked like a simple guest room.

  He walked to the bed, pulled on the hook of the bed curtain, and suddenly, the bed opened to reveal a long staircase below.

  The Tang family vault was certainly well-guarded!

  Tang Mingli descended first, and San Bao hesitated at the top of the stairs. This was the Tang family’s secret vault. As an outsider, it felt wrong to enter and explore their private treasures.

  While she hesitated, Tang Mingli returned up the stairs, grabbing her hand. "Why aren’t you coming down?"

  "I’m not a member of the Tang family. Going into your most secret vault feels inappropriate," San Bao said, pulling her hand away reluctantly.

  "It’s fine. Come on," Tang Mingli insisted, pulling her down into the passageway.

  At the end of the passage was a heavy stone door, locked with a rge device resembling a ship’s wheel. To her surprise, there was a code disk attached to the lock.

  San Bao’s attention was drawn to the code disk. It looked strangely familiar, almost like the password disks from her previous world, and the letters on it appeared to be English.

  "This disk is a magic treasure. It was obtained by an ancestor of the Tang family several generations ago," Tang Mingli expined, pressing the buttons on the disk with ease. "He said it came from another world."

  San Bao nodded thoughtfully as she followed Tang Mingli into the vault.

  Once inside, San Bao was stunned.

  The vast vault contained only a few scattered treasures, and they were all low-grade magic tools. Not a single high-level magic treasure could be found!

  Using a collection of magic tools to guard a bunch of lesser-quality ones? What kind of trick was the Tang family pying? San Bao looked at Tang Mingli in confusion. "What are these?"

  "San Bao, as you can see, while our Tang family’s reputation is still strong, we’ve long been struggling," Tang Mingli said with a serious tone. "Over the past few centuries, to protect the kingdom, we’ve given up manpower and resources, and our family’s wealth has long been drained. The older generation of experts has secluded themselves in the inner chambers, hoping to break through to higher levels of cultivation and gain longer life. They won’t intervene unless the family faces an existential crisis. And the younger generation has few talented cultivators. There are hardly any who can reach higher levels."

  "I don’t know how much longer the Tang family can st," Tang Mingli added, taking San Bao’s hands. His eyes were filled with deep emotion, though there was something unreadable in them. "The Tang family is the pce where I was born and raised, and I want to restore its former glory. San Bao, will you help me carry this burden?"

  What? Is this a confession? San Bao was caught off guard. Normally so quick with her words, she now found herself at a loss. "But... but... I’ve already been betrothed to the Wang family of Hailing..."

  "Does that mean you’re agreeing?" Tang Mingli suddenly jumped three feet into the air, like a delighted child. He hit his head on the ceiling of the vault with a *thud*, sending dust falling everywhere.

  He clutched his head, still smiling broadly. "I’m so happy! Truly, I’m so happy!"

  "You... don’t misunderstand! I just said I have a marriage contract with the Wang family. I didn’t agree to anything with you!" San Bao’s face turned bright red as she hurriedly expined.

  "The contract doesn’t matter. I can have them annul it as long as you agree!" Tang Mingli said eagerly, grabbing San Bao’s hands, his palms sweating with anxiety.

  San Bao yanked her hands away and ran up the stairs, bursting out of the room.

  Breathing heavily, she leaned against a pilr outside, her face flushed with embarrassment.

  "Ah..." A soft cough interrupted her, and she turned to see a group of people standing in front of her.

  At the forefront was an elderly man with a youthful face. The people behind him seemed to regard him with great respect.

  "Grandfather!" Tang Mingli called out, walking quickly toward the elderly man. "Mingli pays his respects to Grandfather." He bowed, pulling San Bao along to do the same.

  It turned out to be Tang Mingli’s grandfather, the elder of the Tang family.

  The elder waved his hand and squinted at San Bao. "Mingli, this is the young dy you’ve chosen? The future mistress of the Tang family?"