Xu Qingxuan never expected that the one time she lost her temper with her master would end like this — her master actually conceding to her.
She was somewhat surprised, and a twinge of guilt stirred in her heart.
"Master, I'm sorry. I lost control of my emotions earlier." Xu Qingxuan was, after all, a kind-hearted girl. Once the storm of emotion passed, she was the one who apologized.
The Second Sect Master looked desolate, as though Xu Qingxuan's words had struck a chord. She waved her hand. "Qingxuan, you may leave for now."
Seeing her master like this, Xu Qingxuan felt uneasy. But she didn't dare say anything further, so she simply nodded and walked out.
After returning, Xu Qingxuan mentioned the matter to her mother. Xu Meng was mildly surprised but said nothing. Clearly, she did not believe the ancestor of the Qingyue lineage would have a change of heart.
Perhaps she was merely worried that Qingxuan's emotional outburst would lead to rebellion.
Xu Meng harbored deep resentment toward the Moon God Sect, and her grudge against the Qingyue ancestor — the Second Sect Master of the Moon God Sect — ran just as deep.
Early the next morning, Xu Meng could not wait for dawn. She hurriedly began packing her belongings.
Xu Qingxuan knew her mother was burning with impatience and did not dawdle either, rising early. After a quick tidying-up, she led her mother down the mountain.
Seeing the confined Holy Maiden Xu Meng preparing to leave the mountain gate, the guarding disciples were somewhat stunned. But with Holy Maiden Qingxuan leading the way, who would dare stop them?
Before long, they departed the Moon God Sect's mountain gate without the slightest obstruction.
Inside the sacred grounds of the Qingyue lineage.
The Qingyue ancestor — the Second Sect Master of the Moon God Sect — stood at a high vantage point, gazing in the direction Xu Qingxuan and Xu Meng had departed.
Her expression was solemn, her thoughts unreadable. From her face alone, one could tell the matter weighed heavily on her.
"Ancestor, if you are unwilling, you need not have let them leave the mountain. I believe it is Xu Meng who has been poisoning Holy Maiden Qingxuan's mind. In my opinion, we should keep Qingxuan and Xu Meng apart so they can never meet." An elderly woman stood behind the Qingyue ancestor, her voice as grating as a cracked gong.
Though called ancestor, the Qingyue ancestor appeared quite young — a still-beautiful woman past her prime, carrying an elegant air.
Hearing the old woman's words, she let out a soft sigh. "Keeping them apart is easy. But keeping Qingxuan's heart apart is not. All these years we have tried to reshape her thinking, yet she remains closest to her mother. That is something bound by blood and bone. You cannot achieve it through crude separation alone."
The old woman pressed on. "My worry is that harlot Xu Meng will lead Qingxuan astray. Qingxuan is so innocent — if she becomes tainted by the karma of the mortal world, it will harm her cultivation."
"Hmph. That will depend on Qingxuan's own fortune. If she truly lacks even this much strength of mind, then she is not the most suitable candidate for Holy Maiden after all."
The Qingyue ancestor's voice turned cold.
Clearly, she found this possibility deeply distasteful. If it came to pass, she would discard Xu Qingxuan without hesitation.
Holy Maidens could be cultivated generation after all — after all, the Qingyue ancestor was still at her peak and had plenty of time to groom a successor.
"Shall this old one go down and keep watch?" the old woman volunteered.
"There is no need. Unless I go down the mountain personally, no one can keep watch over them." The Qingyue ancestor shook her head, clearly unwilling to resort to such petty surveillance.
The old woman sighed. "I truly hope that girl Qingxuan will see the light and not sink of her own accord."
"Nanny Ku, from now on, don't keep muttering about Xu Meng in front of Qingxuan. That girl's rebellious streak grows stronger by the day. As for what happened back then… truth be told, even if Xu Meng was at fault, it was not a deliberate one. This is all fate."
The Qingyue ancestor rarely spoke a fair word, and this was one of them.
The old woman hurried to say, "Ancestor, please don't blame yourself. Even if it is fate, it is Xu Meng's fate that was bitter — a consequence of sins from her past life. In the end, it is still her fault. If she had simply admitted her mistake, obediently followed the Ancestor's arrangements, sincerely mended her ways, and severed all ties with her past — if she had willingly served Qingxuan instead — she might well have become a valuable ally to our Qingyue lineage. But she chose to wallow in degradation and refuse to repent. That is naturally her own doing!"
This old woman was thoroughly unreasonable, as if the logic of the Qingyue lineage were absolute truth. And Xu Meng, who longed for her husband and refused to bow to the Moon God Sect, was painted as the worst of villains.
This kind of logic was, without question, shamelessly overbearing.
After all, Xu Meng had been cast out into the world from a young age. Her upbringing had nothing whatsoever to do with the Moon God Sect. Naturally, she could feel no sense of belonging toward it.
On the contrary, it was the Moon God Sect's appearance that had utterly upended her life, thrown it into complete chaos. It had stolen her freedom, torn apart her marriage, and shattered her family.
And through all of it, Xu Meng was the greatest victim. Yet the Moon God Sect had taken her daughter and installed her as Holy Maiden, reaping the fruits of Xu Meng's suffering.
…
Xu Meng could no longer remember how many days it had been since she last left Sacred Moon Mountain. Now, watching Frost Moon City materialize before her eyes, she felt as though she were in a dream.
She gripped Xu Qingxuan's arm tightly. "Xuan'er, tell me — am I dreaming?"
"Mother, look around. On this street, people are crying, people are laughing, vendors are calling out their wares, porters are shouting — does any of that feel like a dream? It's entirely real. We've arrived in Frost Moon City."
Xu Qingxuan's heart was also tense. The reunion of her parents — at some point, this had become a deep wish within her. But now that the moment had truly arrived, she felt nervous.
She wanted to know what her father looked like.
Yet she also feared that all of this might be an illusion. She herself could perhaps accept that. But could her mother?
"Please let it be real, please let it be real…" Xu Qingxuan silently repeated the words to herself like a prayer. "Mother is such a kind person — surely the heavens would not torment her again and again."
Before long, Xu Qingxuan had brought her mother to the entrance of the First Branch.