039 : Confrontation Under the Moonlight.

Lin Tian didn't move immediately, but his entire body was tense. Even though he had no cultivation, no divine abilities, his instincts were still sharp. He could sense the weight of the moment, the quiet hostility radiating from the man's stance. Su Yun hadn't noticed him yet, lost in her thoughts, but Lin Tian knew that this wasn't a coincidence.

Slowly, he stood up.

Su Yun blinked, glancing up at him. "Lin Tian?"

He didn't answer right away, his gaze fixed on the figure in the distance. Then, with a calm but firm tone, he said, "Wait here."

She frowned, confused, but Lin Tian had already begun walking toward the man. The distance between them closed in silence, the city noise fading into the background as the tension grew. When he finally stopped a few steps away, the man exhaled, his sharp eyes locking onto Lin Tian's with quiet authority.

"I warned you," the man said, voice low but steady. "You should have listened."

Lin Tian crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly. "You're following a high school girl in the middle of the night. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"

The man didn't flinch at the accusation, his expression unreadable. "I'm here to make sure she stays safe."

Lin Tian let out a short laugh. "Safe? From what? From me?"

The man's jaw tightened. "From things you don't understand."

Lin Tian's golden eyes darkened slightly. "Try me."

There was a long pause. Then, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photograph. He held it up, letting the moonlight reveal the image. Lin Tian's gaze flickered to it—and then, for the first time since coming to this world, he felt something strange.

A pulse of recognition.

It was a picture of Su Yun.

But she was younger. A child. And beside her—

A woman who looked almost exactly like her.

Lin Tian's eyes narrowed. "Who is she?"

The man exhaled, lowering the photo. "Her mother."

Lin Tian frowned. "Her real mother?"

The man nodded. "Yes."

Lin Tian processed this new information carefully. He already knew that Su Yun's biological family had abandoned her, but this… this was something else.

"If you knew her real mother, then who are you?" Lin Tian asked, his voice sharp.

The man hesitated. Then, finally, he answered.

"My name is Xu Wei. I was… someone who once worked for her family."

Lin Tian caught the hesitation in his words. "And?"

Xu Wei's expression turned grim. "And I know things about Su Yun's past that she was never supposed to find out."

Lin Tian's patience was wearing thin. "Then tell me."

Xu Wei studied him for a long moment. Then, with a quiet voice, he said:

"Su Yun's mother didn't abandon her."

Lin Tian's breath stilled.

For the first time, the puzzle shifted.

Everything Su Yun believed—everything Lin Tian thought he knew—was a lie.

Lin Tian didn't react immediately, but inside, his mind was racing. Su Yun had spent her whole life believing she was abandoned, unwanted. That pain had shaped her, had become a part of who she was.

And now this man was telling him it wasn't true.

"Explain," Lin Tian said, his tone low.

Xu Wei nodded. "Years ago, her family was caught in a scandal. Her father wanted to cut all ties, to erase her from the records. But her mother… she refused."

Lin Tian's eyes sharpened.

"She fought to keep Su Yun. She tried to take her away, to hide her from the world."

Xu Wei hesitated.

"But she failed."

Lin Tian clenched his fists. "What happened to her?"

Xu Wei's gaze darkened. "She disappeared."

Silence stretched between them.

Lin Tian had fought wars, crushed enemies, destroyed entire sects—but this?

This was something he couldn't fight.

Because it wasn't about power.

It was about truth.

And now—he had to decide what to do with it.

Xu Wei's words hung in the cold night air, heavier than anything Lin Tian had heard since arriving in this world.

"Su Yun's mother didn't abandon her."

"She disappeared."

Lin Tian wasn't easily shaken. He had faced immortal emperors, celestial tribulations, and the destruction of entire universes. But this—this was different.

Su Yun had lived her whole life believing she was unwanted, discarded. That belief had shaped who she was, had weighed on her every step. And now, it wasn't true.

Her mother had fought for her.

And then, somehow—she had vanished.

Lin Tian's golden eyes flickered. "Who made her disappear?"

Xu Wei hesitated. "I don't know."

Lin Tian's gaze sharpened. "Lying to me isn't a good idea."

Xu Wei exhaled, looking away. "Even if I wanted to tell you, I really don't know. After the scandal, her father made sure every trace of her mother was erased. No records, no trails, nothing." He looked back at Lin Tian. "But I do know one thing."

Lin Tian's fists clenched slightly. "What?"

Xu Wei's expression turned grim. "Someone doesn't want Su Yun to learn the truth. And if she does—she could be in danger."

Lin Tian's entire body tensed.

Danger?

In his past life, if someone had threatened someone under his protection, he would have eradicated them without hesitation. But here—he had no cultivation, no divine strength, no devourer core.

And yet—he had never felt more determined.

No matter what, he would find the truth.

And if someone tried to stop him?

Then he'd show them that even without power—Lin Tian was not someone to be underestimated.

As Lin Tian walked back to the park, his mind was already calculating his next steps.

One thing was clear—Su Yun couldn't know. Not yet.

If she found out the truth recklessly, she could be caught in something bigger than either of them. If people had erased her mother, then whoever was behind it was still watching.

Lin Tian wasn't afraid for himself. But Su Yun? She had no way to defend herself.

Which meant—he would protect her.

At all costs.

When he reached the bench, Su Yun looked up, smiling as if nothing had happened. "You were gone for a while. Everything okay?"

Lin Tian studied her for a moment. She had no idea of the storm building around her, the weight of the past she had been unknowingly running from.

He forced a smirk. "Yeah. Just had a chat with an old man who likes giving cryptic warnings."

Su Yun laughed lightly. "That does sound like you."

Lin Tian sat down beside her, exhaling. "Hey."

She tilted her head. "Hmm?"

"If something dangerous was coming, would you want to know?"

Su Yun's expression faltered slightly. "That's a weird question."

Lin Tian smirked. "I'm a weird guy."

She chuckled, then thought for a moment. "I think… if it was something really serious, I'd want to know. But if it was something that would just make me sad—maybe I wouldn't."

Lin Tian leaned back, staring at the stars. "What if it was both?"

Su Yun was silent for a moment. Then, finally, she whispered, "Then I guess I'd want someone to stand by me when I hear it."

Lin Tian's golden eyes flickered.

"Then I'll be that person."

But he didn't say it out loud. Not yet.

For now—he would protect her in silence.

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