Although Tian Lan showed indifference after the incident, Jiang Ying Yue and the other two girls could tell she was upset within.
Nonetheless, they chose not to say anything else regarding this matter to comfort her. Since it would be useless anyway.
Tian Lan was feeling down and wanted to return to the inn she was staying at.
Plus she had to inform her seniors about Deng Quan's sudden withdrawal.
Although Tian Lan was not sure about the reason for his sudden change of mind. The thing that she was sure about was that Deng Quan was lying.
That was the fact regardless of any reason and was enough for her to have certain doubts regarding the reason behind Deng Quan's sudden refusal to join them.
Looking a bit dispirited Tian Lan turned to say her goodbyes again to her newly found teammates.
However, before she could do so someone cut her off.
" Tian Lan, have you seen seniors?"
The same familiar query once again drifted to the ears of the girls who were about to bid goodbye once again.
The only difference was that this time the one asking this wasn't Deng Quan but another skinny boy with a pair of beady eyes.
Tian Lan felt a bad premonition when she heard the boy repeat the exact question.
" No, do you need anything from them?" Her voice was slightly stiff and her gaze tinged with doubts and scrutiny.
Just as expected, Tian Lan heard the boy say, " I...I.Tian Lan, can you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" Tian Lan was losing her patience as well as her composure as her voice turned cold.
" Tian Lan, it's like this, my family just got someone to inform me that my mother is seriously ill and they want me to return home immediately.....So, sorry, I won't be able to join you guys." His face showed genuine worry and helplessness.
This time this person was more experienced in lying than the previous one and his act was quite convincing.
If he had been the one who approached them first Tian Lan and others would most probably have believed him and his lie.
Nevertheless, there was no such coincidence.
Jiang Ying Yue and the other two girls looked at him like he was an idiot. Their gazes filled with disdain and scrutiny.
After this repeated 'coincidence' they were very certain that this matter indeed appeared very fishy.
So, they just stood at the side to watch the show unfold with great interest.
The boy didn't realize that his lie had long been seen through.
He just frowned when he felt their gazes and turned his gaze to get a good look at their faces.
His gaze first landed on two girls beside Tian Lan and he found them familiar, they seemed from their academy. He just casually glanced at them before moving on to the third person. As his gaze landed on the youth who was standing in a lazy posture appearing flamboyant and regal. The boy's pupils constricted. Looking at the youth's devilishly handsome face the boy felt a pang of jealousy and his expression turned ugly.
Not willing to see the face that made him feel both jealous and disgusted the boy looked away.
"Is that all?" Tian Lan asked coldly as she took in all these.
Is that all?....
What else was he supposed to say?
The boy was stunned for a while and stared at her dumbly before stuttering to respond.
" Yes...yes."
" Alright, I'll do it."
Facing Tian Lan's cool attitude the boy started to feel a sense of unease.
What was wrong with her?
Shouldn't she beg him to stay?
Couldn't she now down to him once?
Gao Peng felt indignant seeing Tian Lan behave so indifferent about his withdrawal.
He scoffed inwardly at Tian Lan's high and mighty behavior.
However, this was only what he felt inside he didn't dare to say out loud.
Furthermore...
He didn't know what was wrong but his gut told him that something was amiss. So, he didn't dare cause more trouble and have fallen out with her at the moment.
Carrying this impending sense of unease with him the boy hesitated for a moment before deciding to leave.
Anyway, he had already come to this point. What was the point of hesitating?
Seeing the boy leave without turning back Tian Lan felt her chest grow heavy.
She had no idea how she was going to tell her seniors about this.
She was feeling very stifled, disappointed and awful at the moment.
However, it appeared that it wasn't the end.
Soon, a third person approached Tian Lan for the same purpose.
And not long after that, there was also a fourth.
By now, Tian Lan's calm and composure had long worn off, her face turned gloomy.
" Tan Bo, let me ask you something?" Tian Lan's tone was stiff and cold.
Tan Bo could feel that Tian Lan seemed to be very upset with him but he only thought that it was because he was withdrawing from their team on such short notice and nothing serious.
He didn't bother to waste his precious time thinking about this matter. He looked very impatient.
So, when Tian Lan asked this his tone wasn't very good as responded perfunctory, " What is it?"
Tian Lan asked softly, her voice tinged with emotions, " Tan Bo, how long was it since you started following our senior brothers?"
Tan Bo frowned with impatience and asked stiffly, " Why do you ask this? Don't you know?"
His tone was very bad and not friendly at all, however, this didn't stop Tian Lan from asking what she wanted.
" Can't you just answer it? Or did you forget after all these years?"
Tian Lan's tone was very harsh as she continued to poke him for a satisfying response.
However, Tan Bo was a person with a bad temper and Tian Lan's accusatory immediately got him to turn livid, " Tian Lan, stop beating around the bush? You are wasting my time here!"
Tian Lan gave him a mocking glance, " Oh, now I am your time? Tan Bo, oh Tan Bo, why didn't see your cheapness before?.... When you first joined our academy you were so pitifully weak that no one was willing to take you in their group. Whenever there was a task outside you were left alone, at that time it was our senior brothers who brought you along. They didn't despise you because of your weakness, instead, whenever there was a dangerous task they protected you well, and even when you contributed little to the group they shared fairly all our earnings with you."
Tian Lan paused before continuing again, " Now, let me ask once again. Tan Bo, did they ever mistreat you? Did they ever look down on you? "
What Tian Lan said was a fact and Tan Bo didn't dare to refute it. Although he was mad at the way Tian Lan spoke to him he still decided to reply, " No, they never mistreated me."
"Oh, so you also know it!" Tian Lan feigned a surprised look as she continued, " Then, can you tell me, why did you do this to them? Why did you do this to us, huh?"
Towards the end, Tian Lan's voice was filled with disappointment and sadness.
They had been together all these years, fighting side by side and working on their cultivations. They could be considered pretty close.
However, this betrayal changed everything.