“Where was it thrown to? Who threw it?” Centaurea Valley Lady pressed anxiously.
“I… I do not know.” The old woman shook her head. “It was probably an outer-sect disciple or a servant that threw it away.”
“Quickly investigate and find that child,” said Centaurea Valley Lady anxiously. “No, I’ll search for it myself.”
…
Inside Centaurea Valley.
A red-dressed Gong Yan’er was sitting alone by a stream with a large bed of flowers on her side.
She was in a daze, watching the bed of flowers with a very haggard look.
“Is that Senior Sister Gong?” A purple-dressed woman walked over and said with a smile. “I heard that Valley Lady instructed you to acquaint yourself with the young son of Southmartial Maquis. You didn’t even manage to accomplish that? Tsk, how do you even fail at the simple task of making an acquaintance? Senior Sister Gong, I think you are getting too old. You are almost thirty this year, aren’t you? Perhaps it’s best you do not show yourself in the future. Just stay in the valley and do some miscellaneous chores. One of my maidservants was rather clumsy and she died after a few lashes of my whip. Senior Sister Gong, if you were to be my maidservant, I’m sure you would definitely be smart and diligent.”
Gong Yan’er shot her a glance but did not say a word.
Centaurea Valley was a cruel environment.
One either had to win the affection of others with their looks or one had to rely on their strength! If one failed in either of the two, their fates would be terrible.
Gong Yan’er was very beautiful. Her looks and disposition were better than Yan Xiyu’s. She was one of the three most stunning fairies of Centaurea Valley’s present generation. The world gave her the accolade Fairy Crabapple and she loved to wear red. She had a stunning, bewitching charm that garnered the jealousy of many of her peers in Centaurea Valley. However, Gong Yan’er had suffered a great loss of standing recently.
“Junior Sister Du, I’m at the perfected twelfth stage of the Qi Refinement realm. You only just reached the tenth this year. If you have the guts to come closer, maybe you’ll see if I would dare lash you to death,” said Gong Yan’er softly. Her voice was pleasing to the ears but it twisted the purple-dressed woman’s expression.
“Hmph! Gong Yan’er! You have failed at every single task Valley Lady gave you this year! Do you still think you are the Fairy Crabapple of the past?” The purple-dressed woman sneered. “You grow older each day. You will turn uglier! If a fairy becomes ugly, she’s no longer a fairy.”
“Scram!” Gong Yan’er shouted coldly.
“Hmph, it won’t be long before I see you cry.” The purple-dressed woman laughed as she walked away elegantly. Suddenly, a group of women came over from afar. Leading them was the distinguished Centaurea Valley Lady.
“Valley Lady.” The purple-dressed woman was alarmed as she immediately bowed.
Centaurea Valley Lady shot her a glance before rapidly walking over to Gong Yan’er.
Gong Yan’er also stood up immediately. She looked at the incoming Centaurea Valley Lady and the group of Elders. Among them, Elder Wuchang was carrying a baby in her arms. The baby was sleeping soundly.
“My… My b…” Gong Yan’er trembled when she saw the baby.
“Yan’er.” Centaurea Valley Lady said with a smile before taking the baby into her arms and handing it to Gong Yan’er. “Didn’t you always want your child? Here is it!”
The purple-dressed woman in the distance could not help but be shocked. She thought to herself, “What? Gong Yan’er actually has a child?”
As Gong Yan’er took the infant in her arms, her tears could not help but flow down. She immediately lowered her head to kiss the infant. She could feel the powerful bond between mother and son.
“My child.” Gong Yan’er saw the child’s birthmark at a glance and knew that he was her child.
“Yan’er,” said Centaurea Valley Lady with a smile. “This is your child with Meng Yiqiu. I was only trying to frighten you back when I said to throw it away.”
Elder Wuchang glanced at Centaurea Valley Lady but did not say a word.
Gong Yan’er hugged her child but could not help but feel agitated.
Centaurea Valley only looked gorgeous. Behind its presentation of an otherworldly paradise was an extremely cruel environment. It was twisted! The female disciples either needed to be strong or had good looks. In such an environment, her mindset had long been warped. She even turned numb towards it. But when she realized that she was pregnant, experiencing the heartbeat of a new life in her womb, she felt that her life was ruined. She wanted to give her child a good life and for this, she was willing to pay the price regardless what it was.
The child was her hope.
She secretly gave birth to her child elsewhere but Centaurea Valley was extremely powerful. It still discovered what she had done. Centaurea Valley Lady was infuriated back when she learned that Gong Yan’er had dared to give birth to a child. Unless permission was given, Centaurea Valley disciples were forbidden from having children. In the Valley Lady’s rage, she had the child taken away and instructed for it to be thrown out. As for Gong Yan’er, she had excellent looks and disposition. She was still of great use to the Valley Lady so she was forced to continue taking orders from the Valley Lady under the threat of her family’s life.
But clearly, she had been failing at her missions recently.
“Valley Lady, what do you want me to do?” Gong Yan’er hugged her child nervously.
“I need you to bring your child to Sovereign Capital to meet Meng Yiqiu,” said Centaurea Valley Lady with a smile.
******
Sovereign Capital, Quelling Duke Manor.
As Qin Yun went to Xiyu Establishment to stand up for his sister the first day he arrived in Sovereign Capital, it was only on the second night that Quelling Duke Manor officially hosted a welcoming banquet for Qin Yun.
After the banquet, Qin Yun had a private meeting with Matriarch and Duan Qiyu.
Duan Qiyu was the eldest son of the Duan family and was the incumbent Quelling Duke! He was the head of the family! However, Matriarch was the only member in the Duan family that was at the Connate realm. In fact, she was the one with true power over the Duan family. It was just unsuitable for her to be in the limelight outside.
“Oh? Young Master Meng, you want to enter my Duan family’s White Jade Repository?” Matriarch frowned.
“White Jade Repository? You want to read all the manuals in there?” Duan Qiyu could not help but comment. “The more powerful a manual is, the more it incurs the jealousy of Heaven. Every read damages the manual.”
Qin Yun nodded. “I know, but perhaps it would still be possible?”
The Quelling Duke Manor had once thrived. During that period, it was in no way inferior to the Zhou Mountain Sword Sect. If not, it would never have been conferred dukedom! Furthermore, White Jade Repository was the most famous thing about Quelling Duke Manor. Many manuals were hidden in it.
“About that…” Duan Qiyu looked towards Matriarch.
Matriarch pondered for a moment before she smiled at Qin Yun. “Young Master Meng and my Duan family have deep ties. Although the manuals in White Jade Repository are precious, it’s not a problem to let you freely browse through them. There is no need to talk about a price, but I do wish that Young Master Meng will promise me one thing.”
“Matriarch, please speak.” Qin Yun nodded.
“If my Quelling Duke Manor were to ever be on the brink of destruction during your lifetime, I wish for Young Master Meng to help it. You just need to ensure that it doesn’t fall,” said Matriarch.
“Alright.” Qin Yun nodded. “In fact, I would have protected Quelling Duke Manor for my sister and niece anyway.”
When Matriarch heard this, she smiled. However, she thought to herself, “This Meng Yiqiu really cares for his sister. Yes, she is his only kin after all. And that child of Yuxiang cannot be married out when she grows up. The son-in-law has to be married in.”
Matriarch quickly made a decision after Qin Yun gave his word.
She decided to elevate Meng Yuxiang’s position in the Duan family. Meng Yuxiang’s daughter would remain in the family and her future husband would be married in.
“Then, I’ll head over to White Jade Repository first.” Qin Yun stood up.
“Alright then.” Matriarch smiled and stood up.
“Matriarch, please rest. There’s no need for you to accompany me,” said Qin Yun immediately. After Matriarch sat down, Qin Yun took his leave.
There was only Matriarch and Duan Qiyu left in the room.
“Grandmother.” Duan Qiyu could not help but say. “This Meng Yiqiu did not give His Highness, the Crown Prince, any face. He even ignored my exhortations. Now, he still wants to enter our White Jade Repository? It’s such an important place but you allowed him entry to browse through it as he pleases?”
“Qiyu.” Matriarch shook her head. “I was never really agreeable to your siding with the crown prince.”
“If we do not take a side, whoever inherits the throne will take action against our Duan family,” said Duan Qiyu immediately. “As long as we endorse His Highness, he will definitely reward us handsomely when he inherits the throne. Our Duan family might be able to use this opportunity to prosper once again.”
“Vying for the throne is fraught with danger. Being on the winning side would obviously lead to many benefits but if we are on the losing side…” Matriarch shook her head. “The reason why I agreed to Meng Yiqiu’s request to enter White Jade Repository is his promise! When the Duan family really encounters danger, he might be the final straw that we can grasp.”
“His Highness is the heir designate and first in the royal line of succession. He is supported by many factions. He will definitely inherit the throne,” said Duan Qiyu.
“The world is hard to predict. There were four dukes in the past, but now there is only our Duan family and the Shen family,” Matriarch said. “Who knows what will happen in the future? It’s best to have a backup plan.”
“Yes.”
Duan Qiyu nodded obediently.
…
In the following days, Qin Yun spent his time reading manual after manual in White Jade Repository. He did not return to his residence. In three days, he finished reading all the manuals in White Jade Repository. With his abilities, he could naturally remember all of them after reading the manuals once. He could even play out the techniques from ordinary manuals in his mind after one read, fully understanding them without any problems. Only a few manuals required Qin Yun to really ruminate over them.
“I learned a lot.”
“In terms of the manuals, they are not much worse than the Zhou Mountain Sword Sect’s. The Quelling Duke Manor’s White Jade Repository does live up to its name.” Qin Yun walked out of White Jade Repository with a smile. He looked up into the sky, where the waning moon was hanging. It was already late into the night.
“Young Master Meng.” The security at White Jade Repository was extremely tight. The guards at the entrance bowed politely at him.
Qin Yun nodded.
“Time to return.”
“It’s been three days and three nights. It’s about time to return.”
With a tap of his foot.
Sou!
He instantly streaked out as a beam of light, leaving shadows in his wake. He flew towards his manor.
The world’s Heaven and Earth spiritual energies were extremely thin but Qin Yun had a powerful soul. He could forcibly use the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies to lend some strength to his casting of Dharma spells. However, he couldn’t be bothered to do so. Instead, he used his intent domain to control his body in flight.
After flying more than five kilometers, he slowly approached his manor.
Qin Yun frowned slightly and stopped in midair. He surveyed his surroundings and said coldly, “Come on out!”
“Hahaha, you did not flee even after discovering an ambush? You sure are confident.”
“Young lad! Overconfidence only means arrogance! It will cost you your life. The way I see things, this day next year will be the day of your death anniversary.” Two voices sounded from two different directions.