Chapter 542 - 264: Hey, Where Did Mother Go?

Lan Yufei murmured a soft reply, her graceful steps carrying her toward Chen Sheng.

Seeing this, Sun Yuzhi, who stood to the side, frowned even more deeply. She moved to block Lan Yufei's path once again.

"What are you trying to do now?"

"Hmm?"

Lan Yufei blinked her charming eyes, the corners of her lips curling into an arc that was both innocent and seductive.

"My husband is about to go on a long journey. As his woman, it is only natural that I… serve him well before he departs, to show my devotion."

"Husband? Who gave you permission to call him that? Who said you could join the family?"

Sun Yuzhi's tone turned cold.

"Whether you acknowledge it or not, I am still Chen Sheng's woman."

Lan Yufei dropped her playful expression. Her gaze swept over Sun Yuzhi's cold and stunningly beautiful face as her tone softened, taking on a pleading quality.

"Sun Zhenfu, after you and the Lord return to Ning'an, he will be all yours."

"Right now… are you unwilling to share even this last bit of time we have together with me?"

"I am not willing, and I will not allow it," Sun Yuzhi's reply was sharp and decisive.

"Yuzhi."

Seeing the situation, Chen Sheng rose and walked between the two women. He cleared his throat and tried to mediate gently.

"My Lady… is helping me with my cultivation. This Yin-Yang Convergence, it's for both of our benefit."

"Then what about me?"

Sun Yuzhi glared at Chen Sheng, her eyes filled with a mix of hurt and quiet anger.

'He just promised he'd spend the night with me.'

Lan Yufei's gaze shifted between Chen Sheng and Sun Yuzhi, and she suddenly proposed in a soft voice:

"How about we do it together?"

"Shameless! In the middle of the night... you hussy!"

Sun Yuzhi's fair cheeks instantly flushed red, whether from anger or embarrassment it was hard to tell. She whipped her sleeve, turned, and stormed out, slamming the door shut with a BANG.

Watching Sun Yuzhi's furious retreat, the triumphant curve on Lan Yufei's lips became even more pronounced.

'She knew, of course, that Sun Yuzhi was thin-skinned and proud, and would never agree to such an absurd proposal.'

'Her words just now were merely a small trick to force her to leave on her own.'

"Yu…"

Chen Sheng had just started to explain when a soft, cool, and delicate hand gently covered his lips.

Lan Yufei tilted her head up, her eyes shimmering with moisture, filled with an obvious sense of hurt and longing. She whispered:

"You'll be returning to Ning'an with her soon… You'll have plenty of time together in the future."

"Tonight… can't you just give in to me, just this once?"

Gazing at the Sect Leader before him—a woman who was usually decisive and ruthless, yet now revealed the delicate demeanor of a young girl—the helplessness and reproach in Chen Sheng's heart finally dissolved into a soft sigh.

"My Lady… you make things so difficult for me."

...

「At the same time, in Ouyang Ke's residence on the other side of the sect.」

He was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, trying to circulate his energy and regulate his breathing, but his mind was in turmoil. His mother's instructions echoed relentlessly in his head.

'The position of Sect Leader that was soon to be handed over, the heavy weight of that responsibility.'

Ouyang Ke had a faint premonition that his mother might… be leaving very soon.

'Her earlier words about having already found her place were likely not just empty talk.'

With a long sigh, Ouyang Ke found he was ultimately unable to enter a state of peaceful meditation.

After a long period of contemplation, he suddenly rose, straightened his robes, and headed for the Sect Leader's rear courtyard once more.

'There were still many sect affairs he urgently needed to ask his mother about, and he harbored a sliver of wishful thinking.'

'Perhaps he could persuade his mother to stay for a few more days.'

'At the very least… at least let him find out who or what this so-called 'place' his mother spoke of was.'

'Otherwise, he really couldn't be at ease.'

Outside the Sect Leader's rear courtyard, the guard on duty was not the usual familiar guard, but one of his mother's trusted personal handmaidens.

"Young Master."

The handmaiden bowed respectfully but blocked his path.

"The Sect Leader has already retired for the night and has instructed that no one is to disturb her. If you have urgent business, please come back tomorrow."

"Have Mother's injuries worsened?"

Ouyang Ke's heart tightened. He immediately thought of the fierce battle from earlier in the day, his tone urgent.

"No… The Sect Leader is not in any serious danger. She is merely exhausted and needs to rest quietly."

The handmaiden quickly shook her head.

"No, I must see for myself that Mother is alright."

The more the other party tried to conceal things, the more uneasy Ouyang Ke became.

The handmaiden looked troubled. After a moment's hesitation, she finally took out a Token that glowed with a faint light and presented it with both hands.

"Young Master, the Sect Leader has issued a strict order. This servant… does not dare to disobey."

Looking at the all-too-familiar Token that represented the Sect Leader's highest command, Ouyang Ke's brows knitted tightly, and doubts swirled in his mind.

"Young Master, please go back."

The handmaiden repeated in a low voice, bowing her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Ouyang Ke took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. He gave the closed courtyard gate one last deep look, then turned and left.

However, he had not gone far before his steps began to slow.

The feeling that something was wrong had not dissipated; instead, it grew even stronger.

'Mother has always been decisive and clear-headed. Even if she were seriously injured and needed to rest, she would never avoid seeing me, let alone use a strict order from the Sect Leader to stop me.'

'Unless… something happened!'

The moment this thought occurred to him, Ouyang Ke's heart sank, and his anxiety returned.

But forcing his way in now was clearly not a good idea.

After a brief moment of thought, Ouyang Ke waited until night had completely enveloped the mountain gate and all was silent. Only then did he conceal his aura and, relying on his familiarity with the terrain, stealthily sneak back to his mother's courtyard.

Avoiding the guards, Ouyang Ke flitted lightly to the window of his mother's bedroom and tapped his finger very gently on the window lattice three times.

"Mother? Are you asleep?"

The room was silent. A long time passed with no reply.

Ouyang Ke's uneasiness intensified. He focused his senses but found no trace of an aura or fluctuation of True Essence within the room.

He hesitated no longer, gently pushing open the unlatched window and vaulting inside.

The room's furnishings were as usual, neat and elegant. The candles were unlit, and moonlight filtered through the window gauze, casting a cold, clear light.

On the bed, the silk quilt was neatly folded. It was empty.

'Mother… she really isn't here!'

Ouyang Ke's expression changed drastically as the ominous premonition in his heart instantly reached its peak.

He turned quickly and proceeded to search his mother's usual study, the secret chamber for closed-door cultivation, and the hidden quiet room.

However, still, he found nothing.

It was as if his mother had vanished into thin air.

Finally, Ouyang Ke slumped into the cold zitan wood chair in his mother's study. He stared out at the deep darkness of the night, lost in profound thought.

'Mother… where in the world did you go?!'

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