"Madam, our son is already gone, have you forgotten?" the old prime minister insisted that Wen Mohan had passed away. He did not want his wife to suffer the grief of losing another son, especially since the empress was the one who acted this time. "Don't you remember? We personally watched him buried. Her Majesty was referring to someone else, someone who looked very much like our Mohan."
"That's right, I did see him buried with my own eyes," the old madam said, sitting back on the stool. "And what about the empress? How did she get involved with the Heavenly Dao? Isn't that absurd?"
Xiao Junyan remained silent. After a moment, he said, "Ong Ong, please rest well. I shall take my leave."
Returning to his imperial chambers, Xiao Junyan found Yu Qianmo sitting on the railing, looking utterly bored. "Uncle Yu, why are you sitting there like that?"
"I can't beat Yan Yuqing anymore," Yu Qianmo suddenly sat up. "How did he become so powerful? With just a wave of his hand, he could flatten me!"
Xiao Junyan's eyes lit up. "Uncle Yu, would you like to go to where my mother is, and fight Uncle Yan?"
"Fight? How can I fight?" Yu Qianmo said exasperatedly. "Twenty years have passed, and he still looks the same, unchanged. I, however, have aged."
"Uncle Yu, Uncle Yan has encountered a great fortune. If you go, perhaps you can also find one," Xiao Junyan enticed. "Don't you want to defeat him?"
"Is there still a chance?"
"Yes, if you dare to go!"
Yu Qianmo glanced at him. "Don't think I don't know what you're plotting. You want to find your mother. Your mother is so powerful, she could tear a hole in the heavens, yet she was captured. Can you be a match for them? Focus on being the emperor."
"For the past twenty years, I have been diligently being the emperor, but have they let me be?" Xiao Junyan retorted. "They won't. If I stay here, I will only become a bargaining chip to control my mother!" Su Dan Novel Network
"Your Majesty, the realm is at peace now..."
"Yes, the realm is at peace now, but my mother is suffering somewhere."
"Your Majesty," Zhan Tianmo appeared before them. "Master."
"You brat, you're always following your father around. Why aren't you with him today?"
"My father is in a bad mood. He probably feels sad seeing the empress in that state," Zhan Tianmo explained, playing with the long spear in his hand.
"Your father is probably not sad because of the empress, but because of Mo Mo," Yu Qianmo said wistfully. Zhan Tianque had searched for three years without any trace back then, and later married Xiang Xue, having Zhan Tianmo. Now, seeing Mo Mo, it was a case of things remaining the same but people changing, which must be difficult.
"Uncle Yu, stop talking nonsense," Xiao Junyan interrupted Yu Qianmo, greatly alarmed. "Tianmo, go back and keep your father company, lest he worry."
"Your Majesty, my father instructed me to watch over you and not leave your side for a moment. He fears you might do something reckless, which is why he asked me to guard you!" Zhan Tianmo said earnestly. "As for my Aunt Mo, my father said they are destined but not fated."
"That little girl Mo Mo must be heartbroken right now."
"Uncle Yu, that's enough!" Xiao Junyan raised his voice. "This is the work of fate; no one is to blame."
"That's true, fate plays with people. I wonder how Xiao Man is doing. Twenty years have passed, and she hasn't changed at all, still looking the same," Yu Qianmo said, resting his hands behind his head, his expression distant. "I've become steady now and don't cause trouble, but her personality hasn't changed one bit. She's probably causing trouble everywhere."
"My mother is not that kind of person!"
"That's because you don't know your mother. Wherever she goes, she's a radiant presence!"
In Wuji City, at the Eight Directions Sword Sect, on that day, Xiao Man was captured by the Heavenly Dao. All those who were in the Tongtian Tower were forcefully teleported out, and even Xiao Man's contracted beast was repelled, losing contact with its master.
The Eight Directions Sword Sect sent people out daily to gather information, but there was no news of Xiao Man.
"Where on earth has my sister gone?" Yue Ran asked, full of confusion. "With my sister's abilities, even if she fell into enemy hands, she would have caused chaos and let us know. But now, it's been half a month since we returned, and there's still no news of my sister."
"Even if we don't know where she is, she must be safe now," Nangong Yu said confidently, watching Huo Wu and Taotie, who were snatching food. Huo Wu was Xiao Man's innate contracted beast. If Xiao Man were in danger, Huo Wu would be in trouble. But Huo Wu was fine now, which meant she was also fine, merely imprisoned in a place they couldn't investigate.
"Nangong Yu, what's wrong with my Mo'er? Why has she locked herself in her room since returning and refuses to come out?" Jun Ru asked with concern. Since their return, Mo Mo had confined herself to her room, and after half a month, she still hadn't emerged.
"She's feeling down. Others can't help her with this; she needs to figure it out herself."
As they spoke, Mo Mo came running in excitedly, holding something in her hand. "It's my latest invention, a magical artifact that can instantly transfer people to a marked location."
"Good heavens, this is almost comparable to a teleportation scroll," Yue Ran took it and examined it carefully. "How far is the teleportation range?"
"My invention can't compare to a teleportation scroll. A teleportation scroll is useless after one use, but this teleportation artifact can be reused! As for the distance, anywhere you've marked can be reached," Mo Mo said excitedly.
"You locked yourself in your room to research this thing?" Jun Ru had thought something had happened, but Mo Mo had quietly created such a powerful artifact.
"Yes."
Yan Yuqing glanced at Mo Mo. "If you're feeling upset, say it. Keeping it bottled up will make you sick."
Mo Mo sat down beside them. "At first, it was quite difficult, but then I understood. It's only natural. He's a mortal; his lifespan is at most a hundred years. I am now a cultivator, and my lifespan increases with my cultivation. How can I expect him to wait for me forever?"
"After all, he's someone you've liked for many years. To learn that he's married and has a child, and the child is already so old, are you truly not upset?" Yan Yuqing asked doubtfully. After all, Mo Mo had always spoken of Zhan Tianque. However, fate had played its hand. They had been in Cang Xuan for twenty years, their appearances unchanged, while Zhan Tianque had become a middle-aged uncle.
"Perhaps I didn't like him as much as I thought. I was only sad for a short while at the beginning. It wasn't as painful as seeing Xiao Man and Jun Yan meet but unable to embrace."
"It seems you only liked him a little," Yan Yuqing said, crossing his legs. "I saw Yu Qianmo, and seeing that kid's eyes widen in shock, I suddenly felt quite pleased!"