Chapter 592: Reaching the Summit 1 - A 6000-word long chapter_3
However, as time went on, Tan Shuangshuang slowly began to be attracted to Liang Ziqian. She gradually developed feelings for her fiancé, but unfortunately, Liang Ziqian had no feelings for Tan Shuangshuang, always remaining distant and aloof.
Tan Shuangshuang was a very straightforward girl. If she liked someone, she would pursue them. She began to try to please Liang Ziqian in every way and even vowed to follow Liang Ziqian, marry into the Liang Family, and become a wife of the Liang Family. To pursue Liang Ziqian, Tan Shuangshuang even did many foolish things.
Of course, these foolish things were not surprising at the time. In this world, martial power is revered, with the strong respected and the weak diminished. There is no distinction between male and female supremacy, so men pursuing women and women pursuing men and acting foolishly in pursuit is quite common. Even if there is mockery, it is good-natured.
Perhaps Tan Shuangshuang's sincerity moved Liang Ziqian, and slowly, Liang Ziqian accepted Tan Shuangshuang as his fiancée. The relationship between the two began to turn sweet. The Liang Family was pleased about this; after all, who wouldn't be happy to have a capable daughter-in-law married into their family?
On the other hand, the Tan Family was helpless. Naturally, they didn't want Tan Shuangshuang to marry into the Liang Family. First of all, they couldn't account to the Wuji Sect because the Wuji Sect had long seen Tan Shuangshuang's talent and sent people every year with cultivation materials to support Tan Shuangshuang, in hopes of fostering this future pillar of the sect.
At that time, it was as if Tan Shuangshuang had water in her head, single-mindedly wanting to stay with Liang Ziqian. She even went as far as to neglect her cultivation, forcibly lowering her cultivation level, and she found a magic artifact to hide her talent so that outsiders would think her talent was gradually worsening.
Though a decline in talent is rare, it is not unheard of. Tan Shuangshuang kept this matter very secret. To ensure it wouldn't be exposed, she even hid it from the Tan Family and Liang Ziqian, suppressing this secret deep in her heart as if it were a testament to her love for Liang Ziqian.
Because her talent appeared to worsen, Tan Shuangshuang's status in the Tan Family plummeted. Although her grandfather and uncle still doted on her, some of the resources allocated to her had to be redirected to more talented disciples. This is a necessary method for a family's prosperity, as resources are prioritized for the most talented individuals.
Tan Shuangshuang didn't care about this. Anyway, since she was pretending to have poor talent, she couldn't cultivate too quickly, so whether she had resources or not was irrelevant.
Similarly, the Wuji Sect also withdrew most of its resource support after Tan Shuangshuang's talent appeared to decline. Only the Great Elder continued to send cultivation resources to Tan Shuangshuang every year, many of which were spiritual medicines to enhance talent, showcasing the Great Elder's care for this beloved disciple and daughter.
Despite everything from the outside world, Tan Shuangshuang turned a blind eye, focusing entirely on Liang Ziqian. She only thought about marrying Liang Ziqian and living with him at the Liang Family, not minding even as Liang Ziqian remained relatively cold in demeanor.
She gave up joining the Wuji Sect to follow Liang Ziqian to the Liang Family. She even had to take on the identity of a maid to enter the Bishui Sect and continue staying by Liang Ziqian's side, as her concealed talent barred her from formally joining the sect.
Even though she held a lowly position, Liang Ziqian's occasional tenderness made everything feel worthwhile to Tan Shuangshuang, and she was happy until the appearance of Hua Qingcheng.
Hua Qingcheng was Liang Ziqian's junior sister. She possessed exceptional talent and was diligent in her cultivation. After Hua Qingcheng joined the sect, Liang Ziqian's master entered seclusion, leaving Hua Qingcheng's cultivation entirely under Liang Ziqian's supervision.
As time passed with daily interactions, Liang Ziqian's gaze was bit by bit drawn to the woman who, true to her name, had a beauty that could enchant a city.
Tan Shuangshuang watched helplessly as Hua Qingcheng stole Liang Ziqian's heart. The face that had always been cold to her now smiled at Hua Qingcheng. Tan Shuangshuang, unwilling to accept this, caused a scene only to be threatened with a breakup.
Unwilling to leave Liang Ziqian, Tan Shuangshuang could only endure it, silently agreeing to the fact that Liang Ziqian had another woman. She hoped that Liang Ziqian would see her worth, but gradually, Liang Ziqian increasingly ignored her, genuinely treating Tan Shuangshuang as nothing more than a maid.
Unwilling to accept this, Tan Shuangshuang followed Liang Ziqian to participate in the battle against the Demon Clan to regain his attention, hoping to express her devotion and love. However, she nearly lost her life on the very first battle.
Tan Shuangshuang realized she had been reborn because she just heard the footsteps and hushed voices of a group of people moving outside. The voices were very familiar; they were from those who served her in the Tan Family, people she hadn't seen since she left the Tan Family.