txolops Chapter 43 is here.
Chapter 43 is here.
On the bed inside the room, two auras overlapped. One was that of his familiar daughter, Dong Xuan'er, whose aura was slightly disordered.
And another aura...
It's her granddaughter, Han Baibai!
"This aura... it's actually at the Foundation Establishment stage?!"
Yunlu's pupils suddenly contracted, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror.
What kind of opportunity could allow a child to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage?
Unheard of!
Just yesterday, it was discovered that he was a mortal child with mixed spiritual roots and no cultivation. He disappeared for only twelve hours, and when he reappeared, he had already stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage.
You should know that even he, a natural-born immortal cultivation prodigy with both yin and yang in his body, had never made such terrifying progress back then!
This is an unprecedented and incredible opportunity!
After the initial shock, a deep sense of inquiry and greed flashed in Yunlu's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by a complex emotion.
He slowly withdrew his divine sense, turned his head to look at the tightly closed courtyard gate, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"No matter what ancient inheritance you have obtained, or what ancient elixir you have consumed," Yunlu thought to herself, "since you are of my bloodline, that is an immense blessing. Although I act eccentrically, I am also fiercely protective of my own. This opportunity is yours, and anyone who dares to lay a finger on it will have their entire family wiped out."
With this thought in mind, he felt much more at ease.
"Everyone, listen to my command!" Yunlu whirled around, her voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable air of authority that made the eardrums of the maids present ache. "Retreat three miles away! Without my order, anyone who dares to approach 'Listening Maple Garden' even half a step will be killed without mercy!"
The maids, as if granted a pardon, scrambled away.
Outside the vast courtyard, only Yunlu stood with her hands behind her back.
The night breeze blew by, stirring his magnificent brocade robes, but he was completely unaware.
Through the light barrier of the array, he stared intently at the two figures embracing inside the room.
Looking at his granddaughter, who was innocent and naive yesterday but has been completely transformed today, the ruthless and bisexual leader of the Hehuan Sect gradually revealed an unprecedentedly gentle smile on his face.
That smile contained no alluring charm, no sinister ruthlessness, only the purest love and expectations a grandfather has for his junior.
"Sleep now," he whispered, as if declaring to the entire cultivation world, "From now on, I will protect you from the storms of this cultivation world."
一日前
When the maid who came to report caught up with Dong Xuan'er, she assumed that her daughter was throwing another tantrum and hiding away to sulk.
At first, she didn't pay attention, and even had a hint of indulgent smile on her lips. She wanted to continue to ask Yunlu to bestow a cultivation technique that did not require aptitude. But when the maid's eagerness was almost overflowing, her heart skipped a beat, and that inexplicable unease instantly overwhelmed her reason.
Disregarding her composure, she turned back to Tingfeng Garden, her steps quickening until the familiar eaves came into view.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, the sight before her caused her pupils to shrink sharply. A dozen or so maids were kneeling on the ground, their foreheads pounding against the bluestone slabs with loud thuds, and their cries filled the air.
"Madam, spare us! We deserve to die, we failed to keep a close eye on our young lady!"
"Madam, we only blinked, and Miss disappeared..."
"Enough!" Dong Xuan'er shouted sharply, her voice trembling slightly. "Go find her! Turn over every inch of the house, inside and out! Especially those corners she likes to frequent!"
"Yes!" The crowd, as if granted a pardon, scattered and fled to search for the person.
Dong Xuan'er pushed open the door. The room was still furnished, but the emptiness was unsettling. She touched the corner of the table, and the coolness from her fingertips ran down her arm and into her heart.
No, Xiaobai must be playing hide-and-seek with me.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. This child, always so mischievous, must be hiding in some closet waiting to scare me.
However, there wasn't even a single wrinkle in the hem of the garment.
No, it's impossible.
She began pacing around the room, her gaze shifting from initial certainty to uncertainty. This was the Hehuan Sect, heavily guarded. Where could a little child like her go?
She depends on me so much, she can't live without me...
Fear is like a cold snake, slowly crawling up the spine to the back of the head.
Has something happened to her? No! Shut up! Don't overthink it! She screamed frantically in her mind, resisting the terrible conjecture that was about to emerge.
"Madam..." A maid entered tremblingly, her face ashen. "We've searched three times already. There's nothing in the inner courtyard, and the guards in the outer courtyard haven't seen anyone enter or leave. Not even a fly has gotten in..."
These words struck Dong Xuan'er like a heavy hammer, shattering her last remaining hope.
It's gone? How could it be gone?
It felt like her heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
My little white... my little white...
The deepest lament in his heart was deafening. This is the Hehuan Sect! How could it have vanished into thin air?
There must be some mistake. She must be hiding somewhere I haven't found yet. If I just search again, I'm sure I'll find her...
However, the maid's report was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, freezing her to the bone.
No! Little White won't get lost!
She's all I have left... How can I live without her?
Tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring my vision.
She wanted to cry out loud, but her throat felt like it was blocked by cotton, and she couldn't make a sound. Only hot tears fell silently to the ground, blooming into flowers of despair.
The maids lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, awaiting the impending wrath of thunder.
After an unknown amount of time, the tears in Dong Xuan'er's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a chilling calmness.
Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "What did you see before Xiaobai disappeared? Tell me everything without missing a single detail."
The maid looked up at her mistress, who seemed to have had her soul drained away in an instant. She swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice, "Not long after Madam left... we saw a dazzling yellow light suddenly burst out of the room. The light flashed and disappeared so fast that it was impossible to see it clearly. Then... Miss's presence completely vanished. We rushed into the room, but we found nothing."
"Huang Guang?" Dong Xuan'er suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of light flashing in her previously lifeless gaze.
Yellow light... Could it be that yellow light?
In a flash, a bold idea exploded in her mind.
It's her father's... that spirit pet named Bubble!
That's right, that's the kind of yellow light that appears when the spirit beast casts its spells! And it's also proficient in teleportation!
Dong Xuan'er's heart began to pound violently; it must be it!
Although Han Xiaoliu is dead, he once said that his ancestors included high-level cultivators and that his family had some wealth.
That spirit beast was a family heirloom. After Han Xiaoliu died, he secretly took Xiaobai away from the Hehuan Sect... This all makes sense!
Yes, that must be it!
At that moment, Dong Xuan'er almost obsessively believed her own speculation.
Or rather, this was the only straw she could grasp at in the abyss of despair.
She preferred to believe that her daughter had been taken away by some mysterious force rather than accept the fact that she had mysteriously disappeared in this strict sect.
However, new fears followed.
Where did it send her? Is she safe? Will Little White be scared? Will she... come back? Will she still remember her mother?
The more you think about it, the more your heart aches.
He was afraid she wouldn't come back, and he was also afraid that even if she did, she wouldn't belong to him anymore.
"Get out." Dong Xuan'er suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice. "Everyone, leave the inner courtyard immediately. Anyone who dares to step into the inner courtyard without my order will be killed without mercy."
After everyone had left, Dong Xuan'er deftly activated the concealment array in the courtyard with swift, deft movements of her hands.
In an instant, clouds and mist rose, completely obscuring the scenery of Tingfeng Garden and isolating it from all external divine sense probing.
She stood alone in the empty courtyard, gazing at the room where her daughter had disappeared, her eyes vacant yet persistent.
All I can do now is wait.
When it's had enough fun, and when Little White gets homesick, it will naturally bring her back.
She must not be discovered to anyone... absolutely not.
Time slipped away silently in the endless waiting and torment, each moment like a stretched thread, winding around Dong Xuan'er's heart, tightening more and more.
She sat listlessly by the bed, her gaze fixed on the empty space, until the night deepened, the candle burned out, and the exhaustion from excessive worry finally overwhelmed her, causing her to drift off to sleep in a daze.
Just as the sky began to lighten and dawn was approaching, a familiar yellow light flashed across the bed without warning.
The sleeping Han Baibai suddenly appeared there, her small body still carrying a hint of cold.
Perhaps sensing the familiar presence so close by, she instinctively rolled over, like a kitten seeking warmth, and snuggled into Dong Xuan'er's arms.
In her sleep, Dong Xuan'er subconsciously tightened her arms, holding her daughter tightly in her embrace.
Feeling that warm body temperature, her heart finally settled down, and the gloom between her brows instantly disappeared.
Han Baibai nestled in her mother's warm embrace, a slight blush of drunkenness still lingering on her face, a happy and content smile on her lips, before falling into a deep sleep.