Chapter 1380: Chapter 1380: To See or Not to See
With Fang Bai’s current cultivation level, his Divine Sense diffused outward just enough to cover Zhou Yuruo atop the mountain peak.
Fang Bai noticed that the woman’s body was trembling slightly, and the eyes beneath her veiled black scarf often focused on Zhuge Lian, carrying an unmistakable expression of deep maternal love.
This discovery stirred sothing within Fang Bai.
In this world, Zhuge Lian had few relatives or friends. Beyond the forr disciples of Xuannv Sect and the current mbers of the Huaxia Sect, there were only her missing mother Zhou Yuruo and her grandmother Zhou Qingyan, whom she had never t.
Zhou Qingyan could be heartless enough to disregard the very existence of her own daughter Zhou Yuruo, let alone her granddaughter Zhuge Lian. Therefore, in Fang Bai’s view, the woman atop the mountain peak could not possibly be Zhou Qingyan.
If she wasn’t Zhou Qingyan, then there was only one possibility.
The woman was Zhuge Lian’s mother, Zhou Yuruo.
“Brother Fang, do you think… could she be… could she be her?”
Zhuge Lian, clever and perceptive, followed Fang Bai’s train of thought and quickly arrived at the sa conclusion. She couldn’t help but tremble, her voice shaking as she spoke.
Her purpose in coming to Ruoshui Palace with Fang Bai was to find her mother. If the watcher was indeed her mother, wouldn’t it an her wish had finally co true?
Yet Zhuge Lian felt puzzled. She had been separated from her mother since childhood and had never seen her since. She didn’t even know what her mother looked like—how could her mother recognize her?
Unbeknownst to her, Zhou Yuruo had occasionally kept tabs on Zhuge Lian’s whereabouts even after entrusting her to Xuannv Sect years ago. It wasn’t until Zhuge Lian joined Huaxia Sect that Zhou felt reassured enough to remain close to Ruoshui Palace, vigilant but discrete.
Fang Bai knew whom Zhuge Lian was referring to and nodded as he said, “Yes, besides her, I can’t think of who else it could be.”
Zhuge Lian felt a surge of emotion, her nose tingling with the urge to cry and her eyes reddening. She pulled the reins abruptly, halting her Swiftwind Horse. She scanned her surroundings and choked up, “Brother Fang, where… where is she?”
“Over there.”
Fang Bai pointed towards the snow peak ahead and to the left.
From their current position, the snow peak was a thousand feet away. With her cultivation level still below the Innate Realm, Zhuge Lian could not detect Zhou Yuruo’s presence. Yet, she faintly sensed through her Martial Artist instincts that a pair of caring eyes were watching her.
“After giving birth to , she left in the care of the Xuannv Sect Master, and I haven’t seen her for over a decade. How could she possibly recognize ?”
Zhuge Lian murmured under her breath.
Fang Bai said, “The bond between parent and child cannot be so easily severed, unless by soone utterly cold-hearted—like your grandmother. I think… though your mother may not have been by your side all these years, she’s undoubtedly been protecting you and watching over your growth from the shadows.”
Zhuge Lian’s eyes lit up montarily, but then dimd again as she replied despondently, “Then… why doesn’t she want to see ?”
Fang Bai pondered for a mont and replied, “Perhaps she has her reasons, so predicant she cannot avoid.”
Zhuge Lian sighed, bowing her head in silence.
“And you? Do you want to et her?”
Fang Bai asked.
Zhuge Lian abruptly lifted her gaze and stamred, “I… I…”
Ever since coming of age, she had often heard stories about her mother from the Xuannv Sect Master and fantasized about her appearance. Although she yearned deeply to see her mother, when the mont arrived, she couldn’t help feeling fear.
She feared that the real-life mother she was about to et would be nothing like the gentle, kind, and loving figure she had envisioned, leading only to bitter disappointnt.
“Don’t worry. From your father’s last words, we know that your mother has a kind heart and values emotions and loyalty. Such a mother is soone worth knowing.”
Fang Bai seed to understand Zhuge Lian’s apprehensions, lightly patting her shoulder as he reassured her with a smile.
Zhuge Lian bit her lip gently, hesitated for a brief mont, and then her eyes gradually beca firm. She said to Fang Bai, “Brother Fang, please take to her.”
Fang Bai nodded, took hold of Zhuge Lian’s right hand, and condensed a pair of Wind Wings from his Essence Energy behind his back.
“Hold on tight. Let’s go!”
Fang Bai whispered in Zhuge Lian’s ear, then activated the Wind Wings, lifting off from the Swiftwind Horse’s back. Braving the fierce wind, his figure darted through the air like lightning toward the snow peak where Zhou Yuruo stood.
When Zhou Yuruo saw the young Martial Artist pulling her daughter Zhuge Lian into the air and flying directly towards her, she was taken aback, realizing her whereabouts had been detected by him.
Standing atop the thousand-foot snow peak, Zhou Yuruo could watch the young Martial Artist and Zhuge Lian without difficulty, but for him to detect her presence—sothing infinitely more challenging—spoke volus of his incredible strength.
“That young man’s cultivation level… Could it be at the perfection stage of the Innate Realm? Such a young Innate perfection expert is exceedingly rare in the True Martial Realm! It’s a pity, though; his temperant seems a bit rash.”
As the young Martial Artist and Zhuge Lian flew closer, Zhou Yuruo grew increasingly anxious, thinking, “He has triggered such forceful Essence Energy fluctuations by condensing his Wind Wings for flight. Weak Water Palace’s high-ranking elders are bound to notice it. At this rate, the three of us will all be dood.”
Just as Zhou Yuruo feared, no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she sensed a dozen Martial Artist auras erge from Weak Water Palace.
Soon after, more than ten Innate experts wielding True Essence Wings surged out from Weak Water Palace’s gates, flying in their direction.
Zhou Yuruo knew the dozen Innate experts were elite mbers of Weak Water Palace, many of whom shared her cultivation level. Because of the young Martial Artist and Zhuge Lian, her position had been compromised, and escaping seed impossible. She let out a bitter laugh and sighed.
“No! I cannot let Lian’er fall into their hands. My mother would likely imprison her in Weak Water Palace, just as she did to , never letting her leave. While I can endure this fate, Lian’er is in the pri of her youth—how could she withstand such solitude?”
Resolved, Zhou Yuruo’s gaze hardened as she looked longingly at her daughter flying toward her. She leaped into the air, forming a pair of True Essence Wings, and charged toward the dozen swiftly approaching Weak Water Palace experts.
“Zhou Yuruo, disciple of Weak Water Palace, is here!”
As she thrust forward, Zhou Yuruo shouted sharply, aiming to attract the attention of the a dozen Innate experts from Weak Water Palace.
At the sa ti, she urgently transmitted her thoughts to Fang Bai and Zhuge Lian, “I will hold off the Weak Water Palace experts. You must leave imdiately! Lian’er, forgive . If fate allows, we shall et again! Young man, please take care of my daughter—I’m entrusting her to you!”
The dozen Innate experts halted when they heard the na “Zhou Yuruo,” each focusing their attention on her. One among them emitted a piercingly long and sharp whistle.
Zhou Yuruo understood that the whistle was a call for Weak Water Palace’s Sect Master. In a matter of breaths, her mother, Zhou Qingyan—the current Ruoshui Palace Master—would be in front of her.
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