Chapter 240

The woman naturally embraced Xiao Wanqiu, and the illusory image of a heart that had enveloped half the courtyard disappeared.

Seeing this, Wanqiu's father breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to step forward, another strange scene unfolded.

All I saw was...

Wisps of pale blue mist emanated from Xiao Wanqiu's body, instantly transforming into a vortex that enveloped both Xiao Wanqiu and the woman.

Wanqiu's father rushed forward, trying to break free of the vortex, but even with his supernatural powers, it was to no avail.

Having exhausted all other options, he could only wait anxiously.

As time passed, dawn broke in the east.

When the first rays of sunlight shone upon the dark blue vortex, the vortex of mist instantly vanished.

The woman held little Wanqiu tightly in her arms, and the two of them lay on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

With that, the miraculous events came to a complete end.

A few days later, Xiao Wanqiu and her family of three quietly left the mountain village.

The family arrived in a large city, which was the hometown of Wanqiu's father.

Here, he is the lord of the city.

Xiao Wanqiu is the city lord's only daughter, so naturally she is the city's young lady.

However, her situation was terrible.

The phantom of a golden heart and the eerie blue vortex appeared intermittently, causing chaos and unrest throughout the entire household, day and night.

The pale blue phantom is alright; it only appears at night and never during the day.

However, the golden heart phantom appears at any time, regardless of day or night or location.

Once the phantom of the heart appears, no one except Wanqiu's mother can approach, which forces Wanqiu's mother to take care of her daughter day and night despite her weakened state.

On the eve of the full moon of the Wanqiu harvest, the emperor personally visited the city lord's mansion, bestowing various treasures and elixirs, and bringing with him several experienced imperial physicians.

But none of them could determine Xiao Wanqiu's condition.

Some say it's a curse or evil spirit possessing the body, but there's no cure for either.

That night, in order to appease Xiao Wanqiu's father, the emperor arranged a marriage between his unborn child and Xiao Wanqiu, who was just a month old.

Both parties agreed that no matter how the situation changes in the future, their two children must get married and stay together until they grow old!

Perhaps due to the effect of the marriage agreement, Xiao Wanqiu's supernatural abilities did not manifest for several months.

But one day later, a passing cultivator visited and bluntly said that Xiao Wanqiu was born with extraordinary abilities, had unlimited potential, and that her path of cultivation was smooth sailing!

At the same time, he expressed some concerns.

"The Southern Border is remote, lacking in Spiritual Qi, and its traditions are declining. It's unlikely to have a suitable place for your daughter to cultivate. Without a suitable place to cultivate and a lineage of cultivation methods, your daughter's talent might become a curse... just like what's happening now."

These words were exactly what Xiao Wanqiu's parents wanted to hear.

"Fellow Daoist, could you point me in the right direction?"

"Even if I don't say it, you two should already know. Why ask when you already know the answer?"

The passing monk drifted away.

The couple remained silent in response.

Both of them had studied at the Holy Academy, though only in the outer courtyard. They knew that the supernatural phenomena surrounding Xiao Wanqiu could be resolved within the Holy Academy.

It could even propel her daughter to great heights, allowing her to soar to new heights!

"We can't afford to jeopardize our daughter's future any longer!"

The couple made a decision immediately.

The following day, the couple, with their daughter, embarked on a journey to send Xiao Wanqiu to the Holy Academy, hoping that a powerful figure there would help their daughter.

However, shortly after they left the Southern Border, an unexpected event occurred.

A cultivator from the Yang Prefecture Lin Clan, who claimed to be a member of Xiao Wanqiu's mother's clan, blocked their path.

"I am Lin Zuquan, the fourth elder of the Yang Prefecture Lin Clan, and I have come here to respectfully invite the members of the Lin clan to recognize their ancestors and return to their ancestral home!"

294. Lin Wanqiu's Background (Part 2)

He presented his identification to the man who claimed to be an elder of the Yang Prefecture Lin Clan, along with Jade Pendant identical in style to that of Xiao Wanqiu's mother.

Therefore, the couple believed his identity and, under a combination of invitation and coercion, were taken by him to the headquarters of the Yang Prefecture Lin Clan.

Yangzhou City.

This is an extremely large city, covering an area of immeasurable size.

After being taken to Yangzhou City, Lin Zuquan and some other elders of the Lin clan constantly coerced and bribed them, forcing them to separate from Xiao Wanqiu.

In the end, they succeeded.

One morning, the couple was forcibly dragged by Lin Zuquan to participate in a sacrificial ceremony, and when they returned, Xiao Wanqiu was nowhere to be found.

In response, Lin Zuquan said that Xiao Wanqiu was chosen by an elder of the Lin family to be their successor, and from then on she would rise to great heights.

The couple didn't believe it and repeatedly begged to see their daughter one more time.

After much discussion, Lin Zuquan finally agreed to let them see their daughter one last time. However, he told them, "The path of cultivation is long and arduous. Your daughter is destined to become a saint, or even a more advanced genius. She cannot be bound by worldly emotions. After today, you should not see her again."

The couple were controlled by him and had no choice but to accept his conditions.

That day, they saw Wanqiu one last time.

It was an extremely beautiful place, so rich in Spiritual Qi that it almost condensed into water droplets. Divine Medicine were everywhere, and even the flowers and grasses by the roadside were old herbs that had been around for years. It was so beautiful that it was like a fairyland.

They saw their daughter at the far end of the garden.

Just then, Xiao Wanqiu was sleeping soundly on a jade bed, her cheeks rosy and a smile on her lips, seemingly enjoying a sweet sleep.

The jade bed was engraved with intricate patterns, forming a constantly operating magic array that continuously released Spiritual Qi energy to nourish the daughter's delicate and soft skin.

Here, Xiao Wanqiu lives a quiet and peaceful life, undisturbed by any supernatural influences, and can surely grow up more happily.

Upon seeing this, the couple thought of this and their eyes welled up with tears.

"To be valued by the Sage Ancestor, your daughter's future is destined to be extraordinary. You should feel happy and honored!"

Afterwards, Lin Zuquan led the couple away from the garden, leaving behind a generous amount of spirit stones and pills before they left.

"Remember your promise to me, never go looking for her! Otherwise, she is destined to face calamity in the future..."

After saying that, Lin Zuquan left.

During the days her daughter was away, Xiao Wanqiu's mother was always depressed, and no matter how Xiao Wanqiu's father tried to coax her, it was to no avail.

"Don't be too sad. Wanqiu has such a bright future ahead of her; we should be happy for her."

At these times, he would see his wife's melancholy and forlorn eyes.

"I always felt like we sold our daughter to them."

In response, Xiao Wanqiu's father could only offer kind words of comfort, day after day.

At first, they were reluctant to Kaiyang City, but their stay there was not without reason.

Previously, perhaps at Lin Zuquan's behest, they stayed in the most luxurious inn. Just by staying there, even without cultivating, they could feel their cultivation level increasing every day.

But after Lin Zuquan took Xiao Wanqiu away, the inn began demanding payment for their accommodation.

Although the fee was expensive, it was not difficult to pay because of the spirit stones left by Lin Zuquan.

But as time went on, their savings gradually became insufficient to support them.

In the end, they had no choice but to sleep on the streets.

Furthermore, since Yangzhou City is the headquarters of the Lin family, almost all the people gathered here are high-level cultivators and their relatives. Although the two of them are top-notch in the Southern Border, in Yangzhou City, they might not even be as good as the waiters in the inn.

Therefore, the couple found it difficult to live in Yangzhou City and were forced to leave the city, finding a village outside the city to live in.

However, different predicaments are repeated in different places.

After two years of persistence, the couple sought to see Lin Zuquan again. Initially, they were unable to see him, but after some twists and turns, they finally got a chance to see their daughter again.

Furthermore, they must also make a formal vow that they will never again ask to see Xiao Wanqiu in this lifetime.

The couple returned to the garden, where fallen petals littered the ground, and the fairyland remained unchanged.

At the end of the road, they saw Xiao Wanqiu again.

At this moment, Xiao Wanqiu was no longer sleeping alone, but was playing with a girl of similar age, who was also as delicate as a porcelain doll, with an innocent and carefree appearance.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Wanqiu's mother couldn't help but shed tears of joy.

"Wanqiu..."

She instinctively wanted to rush out and hug her daughter.

The call made Xiao Wanqiu, who was playing, suddenly look up.

She jogged over and carefully examined the bushes, finding obvious signs of trampling.

A childish voice came from behind.

"Sister Wanqiu, what's wrong?"

The little girl ran up behind Xiao Wanqiu, stood on tiptoe, rested her chin on Xiao Wanqiu's shoulder, and looked ahead curiously.

Xiao Wanqiu was also a little confused. Had anyone been here?

She suspected it was her imagination.

"It's nothing, let's hurry to the ancestor's place. Didn't he say he was going to hold an awakening ceremony for us today?"

Both girls expressed some anticipation when the topic was brought up.

In their hearts, their ancestor was an omnipotent being.

Regarding the awakening ceremony, the ancestor said it was a particularly fun ceremony that would allow the two of them to be together forever and never be separated.

The two little girls live here every day, without anyone else around, and they hope to stay together forever, so they are really looking forward to this ceremony.

"Chaoyu, let's go!"

"Um!"

Xiao Wanqiu smiled and then reached out her delicate little hand to grasp Chaoyu's chubby little hand. The two little girls skipped and hopped towards the depths of the garden...

"I told you, you can't let her know you exist!"

After leaving the garden, Lin Zuquan said coldly, "However, this is the last time. You will never see her again!"

To prevent the couple from changing their minds again, Lin Zuquan took them directly back to the Southern Border.

But not long after that.

One day.

A member of the Lin family came.

It's still Lin Zuquan.

This time, he suddenly appeared at the city lord's mansion carrying a little girl who was on the verge of death and seriously injured.

This is a very pretty little girl.

At this moment, the little girl's eyes were tightly closed, her chest was stained with blood, and she was barely breathing, looking extremely weak.

Xiao Wanqiu's father rushed over to check, but only received one sentence:

"She was too eager for quick results in her cultivation, Qi Deviation and nearly caused her to fall into evil. If it weren't for the Ancestor's rescue, she would probably be dead. I don't think she will live much longer, so I've sent her back to reunite with you two. You'd better take care of yourselves!"

After saying this, Lin Zuquan placed Xiao Wanqiu on the ground, turned around, and disappeared.

Xiao Wanqiu's father was deathly pale, muttering to himself, "Daughter... how did you become like this? Open your eyes and look at your father... Waaaaah..."

He wept uncontrollably.

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Wanqiu's mother rushed over, supported by a servant.