Chapter 1625 — Fabricating Lies
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"My name is Bing Tang. Auntie... would you let me go first?" Bing Tang hesitated a moment, addressing Xiao Ming as "auntie." Until matters were certain, she would not call her anything else — though in her heart she was already somewhat convinced that Xiao Ming must be connected to her.
Otherwise, how could there be such a likeness in this world? At first glance the two were remarkably similar; on closer look there were, of course, many differences — but an exact likeness belongs to twins, not to mother and daughter.
"Ah... yes..." Only then did Xiao Ming suddenly remember that the other's status was that of the lofty head of an ancient sect — an existence far above the Hidden Tang family. Seeing that even Old Master Tang, who was always so proud within the family, was now this deferential, Xiao Ming at once rubbed her hands in embarrassment, not knowing what to do with herself.
"Old Master Tang... there is one thing I want to make clear. Back then, how was your child lost?" Bing Tang did not blame Xiao Ming for her impropriety, but looked straight at Old Master Tang and asked.
"Replying to the Palace Master: back then... a servant took Tangtang out to play. The servant was taken short and wanted to find a place to relieve herself, so she set Tangtang down on the snow and went off to do so... Perhaps she was gone too long, for when she came back, Tangtang was gone..." Old Master Tang had long since prepared his story — this was the account he and Tang Yu had agreed upon beforehand. And though Xiao Ming knew it was a lie, knew her child had plainly been abandoned, she had no say in the matter; to have her daughter back at all was enough for her. So Xiao Ming pursed her lips and lowered her head, afraid her expression might betray something.
But Bing Tang had been watching Xiao Ming's expression all along. The more Xiao Ming acted so, the more Bing Tang grew suspicious. After hearing Old Master Tang's account, she said mildly, "Oh? So you are saying that servant carelessly lost the infant? Then where is that servant? Why has she not come?"
"That... that servant was executed long ago. How could I have kept her after such a blunder?" Old Master Tang feigned anger. "She lost my own granddaughter — and you think she deserved to live?"
"Oh? And what was her strength?" Bing Tang continued calmly.
"She..." Old Master Tang was startled, unable to guess why Bing Tang should suddenly ask about the servant's strength; for a moment he did not quite catch up. But he was a cautious man, and so he said vaguely, "That... it was so long ago, I cannot recall clearly."
"Nonsense!" Bing Tang gave a cold snort. "My master was a master of peak late Heaven tier strength. Within a kilometer of her, could she fail to sense whether anyone was present? Relieving herself? Your family's servants relieve themselves in rare fashion indeed — running a whole kilometer off to do it?"
"That..." Cold sweat broke out at once on Old Master Tang's forehead. He had not expected that the one who found Bing Tang back then was her master — and a master of peak late Heaven tier strength at that! And in that moment, Old Master Tang finally understood why Bing Tang had asked after that servant's strength.