The moment those four words appeared...
Lin Wanyin's face paled slightly.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
impossible.
Wondrous Objects of Heaven and Earth, rarely seen in the world.
Even in ancient times, it wasn't something that could be obtained easily, let alone in this day and age.
But if it really is that kind of thing...
That Vermilion Bird Pill was left to Chu Yunfei by Chu Batian.
Later, Chu Yunfei gave it to her as a betrothal gift, which she then passed on to Shuang'er.
If that's the case, then it means...
She is Lin Wanyin.
Not only did they seize the opportunity that originally belonged to Chu Yunfei, but they also took it for themselves.
She even brought her daughter, who had awakened her physique through the other party's fortuitous encounter, to their home to annul the engagement and humiliate them...
Upon realizing this, Lin Wanyin trembled, and her face paled even more.
She remained silent for a long time.
In the end, I decided to subtly remind my daughter first.
She carefully considered her tone, trying to make her voice sound as steady as possible.
" Shuang'er, back at the Azure Mystic Sect, I was only thinking about helping you awaken your physique, and I didn't think about many other things carefully."
"Looking back now, the Vermilion Bird Pill that Chu Yunfei gave you can not only help you awaken the Nine-Colored Imperial Phoenix Physique, but its value is probably far greater than we initially thought."
"It might even be beyond imagination."
At this point, Lin Wanyin looked at Situ Shuang'er, her expression becoming more serious.
"From this perspective, my daughter and I probably owe him a huge favor."
"If you ever run into him again, you mustn't be as reckless as before, and you mustn't speak ill of him, understand?"
"Mother!"
Upon hearing the name Chu Yunfei, Situ Shuang'er's arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by uneasy irritation.
She snorted and turned her face away.
Why are you suddenly bringing him up? I don't want to see him again.
"That guy has always bullied me since we were kids, taking advantage of Uncle Chu's influence, and he even stole my things."
Even after he became a good-for-nothing, he didn't change his scoundrel nature in the slightest.
Towards the end, her voice carried a hint of grievance that she herself didn't even realize.
Lin Wanyin, however, paid no attention to any of that.
Her mind was completely captured by another sentence.
"You mean... when we were little?"
Lin Wanyin suddenly grabbed her daughter's arm, her tone becoming urgent.
" Shuang'er, do you remember things from before you were ten years old? Tell your mother quickly!"
Her reaction was so strong that it startled Situ Shuang'er.
Situ Shuang'er stared at her blankly.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
"I'm referring to the old stories of Uncle Chu bringing him to play at Flowing Cloud Peak later."
" Shuang'er still can't remember anything from before she was ten years old."
Hearing this, Lin Wanyin's tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
fine.
Shuang'er couldn't remember.
The secret about her origins must never be known to anyone, especially not to Shuang'er herself.
"Fine."
Lin Wanyin took a deep breath, trying to hide her earlier loss of composure.
"Mother was just asking casually."
"Oh."
Situ Shuang'er nodded.
But the look in her eyes as she looked at Lin Wanyin held a hint of doubt.
It seemed her mother was hiding something very important from her.
Lin Wanyin knew that this topic could not be continued.
She raised her hand, gently stroking her daughter's soft, long hair, looked at the distant sea of clouds, and sighed softly.
" Shuang'er, you've grown up now. You're no longer the little girl in the Azure Mystic Sect who could be willful and mischievous."
"Your identity and your level of cultivation determine that the path you will walk in the future will be wider and more dangerous than your mother imagined."
"You really need to tone down your temper."
There was a hint of guilt in her voice.
"In the past, it was your mother who spoiled you too much, which made you develop such a spoiled temper."
"It's because Mother didn't teach her properly."
"Your mother only hopes that you will learn to respect others in the future, and not suffer greatly because of momentary willfulness, only to regret it later."
After listening, Situ Shuang'er still felt somewhat unconvinced.
Seeing her mother's serious expression, she obediently agreed.
"Mother, I understand. I'll be more careful in the future."
Seeing that she agreed, Lin Wanyin's expression did not relax.
"There's one more thing you need to remember."
Her gaze was more serious than ever before.
" Chu Yunfei's father, Chu Batian, once did our family an immense favor."
"So, no matter what happens in the future, no matter how dissatisfied you are with Chu Yunfei, you are not allowed to hurt him again, understand?"
Situ Shuang'er's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with astonishment.
"Mother, I've never heard you mention this before!"
In her memory, the Chu Clan and her own family were merely close family friends; she had never heard of any great favor owed to them.
Lin Wanyin raised her head, looked into the distance again, and sighed softly.
"Recently, Mother broke through to the Eighth Level of the Heavenly Origin Realm. Her mind has become more relaxed, and many old things have become clearer. That's when she remembered some past events."
Upon hearing Situ Shuang'er didn't think much of it.
A breakthrough in cultivation, especially a breakthrough to a higher realm, can indeed nourish the soul, allowing one to recall some distant fragments of memory.
However, she simply couldn't bring herself to be kind and gentle to Chu Yunfei.
She snorted and turned her head away.
"As long as that guy stops verbally harassing my daughter all the time, she won't bother with him."
Lin Wanyin smiled gently.
"Silly girl, he's always been a smart aleck, but he's not inherently bad. Just don't take it to heart."
After saying this, Lin Wanyin herself was taken aback.
At one time, her dislike for Chu Yunfei was even greater than that for Shuang'er.
But now, she's actually speaking up for that little brat.
What's this?
Is this an attempt to exonerate the Chu Clan for past favors?
Or is it just an excuse to justify those shady thoughts in my heart?
Lin Wanyin dared not think too deeply about it.
Situ Shuang'er also felt strange.
Mother's attitude towards Chu Yunfei today seems a little too kind.
It seems she knows him very well.
However, upon further reflection, she realized that given the close relationship between the two families in the past, it was normal for her mother to know him better.
She nodded and didn't say anything more about the topic.
However, she herself also harbored a complex and inexplicable feeling towards that guy.
When I say I hate it, I really mean it.
The sight of that guy, the shameless way he took advantage of her—every time she thought about it, it made her so angry she wanted to kill him with a sword.
But the thought of Yan Guining kissing him in front of so many people at the Azure Mystic Sect was unbearable.
Just thinking about how, in the Cangwu Mountain Range, the high and mighty Princess of the Great Qian Dynasty personally declared him to be her consort...
The inexplicable unease she felt was real.
But as proud as she is, she would never admit what these feelings meant.
In her eyes, he was nothing more than a good-for-nothing who was once unworthy of her, but was suddenly being treated like a treasure by another woman, which she found absurd.
"Oh, right, Mother."
Situ Shuang'er suddenly remembered the important matter.
"Seven days from now, Shuang'er will be traveling with her sect to the Great Qian Imperial City to participate in the Seven Sects Grand Competition."
She turned her head to look at Lin Wanyin, her tone concerned.
"You don't usually like to go out, so please take good care of yourself while I'm away."
Lin Wanyin smiled slightly.
"This time, your mother will go with you; it'll be a good opportunity to get out and about."
"Real?"
Situ Shuang'er's almond-shaped eyes lit up, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on her face.
"That's great! I thought Mom didn't like going out."
She hugged Lin Wanyin happily, her voice even lighter.
"I never expected my mother would agree to go with me."
Ever since arriving at the Heavenly Sword Sect, my mother has been constantly depressed.
She thought it was because she was unhappy with the living environment here.
It's certainly a good thing that Mother is now willing to go out.
Lin Wanyin smiled but didn't say anything more.
She simply let her daughter hold her, her gaze once again passing over the sea of clouds and looking towards the direction of the imperial city.
I wonder how that little rascal is doing now.
Has it caused any more trouble?
Have you ever... thought about her?
The thought had barely crossed Lin Wanyin when she paused for a moment before quickly suppressing it.
But the unconscious smile that crept up at the corners of his mouth lingered for a long time.
Situ Shuang'er, still immersed in joy, seemed unaware that her mother was thinking of a man at that moment.
She snuggled her cheek against Lin Wanyin's chest.
As it rubbed against something, its head tilted to a soft spot.
I brushed against it.
It brushed against me again.
Situ Shuang'er suddenly stopped moving.
She looked up.
"Mother."
"Um?"
How did you manage to get so big?
Lin Wanyin: "..."