Chapter 178: Master Never Mentioned This

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Master Never Mentioned This

After Junior Sister Linglong left, Liu Chen got up and surveyed the mansion Uncle Ye had mentioned. He would likely be living here for some time, so it was a good idea to get familiar with the place.

After a quick tour, Liu Chen had a general understanding of the layout.

It was less a mansion and more like two courtyards extending from the main Ye Mansion. The one Liu Chen was in had minimal decorations. Although it looked like someone had been maintaining it, a single glance told him it had been unoccupied for a long time.

The other courtyard, however, had some meticulously cared-for flowers. He didn’t even need to guess; that was probably the courtyard where Junior Sister Linglong often stayed when she was at the Ye Mansion.

Once he was familiar with his surroundings, Liu Chen used the Purification Technique to thoroughly clean the courtyard. He then returned to his room and began to circulate his cultivation technique. Practicing magic might disturb his junior sister’s parents, but a cultivation technique would have little effect.

The only drawback was that he could only practice his cultivation technique four times a day. What to do with the rest of his time was still a question.

’If I’d known it would be like this, I would have found my own place.’

Liu Chen couldn’t help but mutter to himself. On second thought, that probably wouldn’t have worked either. He would have been disturbed at an inn all the same. The moment Liu Chen set foot in this city, he was bound to attract the attention of many different forces.

It wouldn’t matter where he stayed; there would undoubtedly be a constant stream of visitors.

’I think I understand why Master and the Peak Master’s Wife didn’t come themselves.’

Before circulating his cultivation technique, Liu Chen narrowed his eyes. He faced this kind of situation just by coming here himself. If his Master or the Peak Master’s Wife had come, the focus of the Great Xia Royal Family’s ceremony would have likely shifted entirely.

The Great Xia Royal Family was no match for Purple Bamboo Peak. In terms of both power and status, the two were in completely different leagues.

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"I was not a Loose Cultivator from the Great Xia Dynasty. To be precise, I was once an Inner Sect Disciple of the Hundred Flowers Valley."

"The Hundred Flowers Valley was originally located in the Spring Breeze Kingdom, west of Tianya City—you could also call it the Spring Breeze Dynasty. At the time, we were one of the strongest forces in that region. The Spring Breeze Dynasty was not like the Great Xia Dynasty; its overall style was more similar to the Black Feather Dynasty."

"The Spring Breeze Dynasty brought all the Cultivation Forces within its borders under its control. Its first target was the Hundred Flowers Valley, which had just suffered heavy losses in a recent trial. My mission at that time was to cover the escape of our Young Master."

"Seventeen Inner Sect Disciples originally took part in the mission, but by the time we escaped the Spring Breeze Dynasty and reached the current location of Tianya City, only the Young Master and I were left. All our other sisters had died in battle."

"Because the Young Master had taken the Hundred Flowers Valley’s Secret Scripture, the Spring Breeze Dynasty pursued us relentlessly. We had no choice but to keep fleeing until we crossed into the Great Xia Dynasty’s territory. It was then that we met your master, the current Peak Master’s Wife of Purple Bamboo Peak."

In a courtyard of the Ye Mansion, Lady Ye’s tone was very calm. Father Ye remained silent; he had known all of this for a long time. But Ye Linglong’s eyes were wide with astonishment. She had never heard any of this before. It meant her mother had once been a prodigy.

"This is where things took a turn. At that time, the Bai Family was a powerful Noble Family in the Great Xia Dynasty, strong enough to overshadow the Nangong Family. It just so happened that your master was on her way to Purple Cloud Valley to become a disciple. She let us hide in her carriage, which is how we survived."

"No matter how strong the Spring Breeze Dynasty’s Cultivators were, they wouldn’t dare to provoke Purple Cloud Valley directly. Even if they knew we were in the carriage, they could only turn back and leave."

Hearing this, Father Ye couldn’t help but interject. As a Cultivator of the Great Xia Dynasty at the time, he knew more about this. "Purple Cloud Valley wasn’t as peaceful then as it is now. Originally, the Great Xia Dynasty only had two great Immortal Sects: Qingxu Hall and Thunder Mountain. Purple Cloud Valley was unremarkable, lagging behind in both fame and influence. At best, it was a Cultivation Sect on par with a Cultivation Family."

"But right before I met your mother, an Inner Sect Disciple from Purple Cloud Valley was ambushed during a trial by the disciples of Thunder Mountain, Qingxu Hall, and various other major families combined. If he had only been injured, it would have been one thing, but his foundation was damaged. He would be stuck in the Meridian Passage Realm for the rest of his life."

"In the three months that followed, the disciples of Purple Cloud Valley poured out in full force. Dozens of Cultivation Clans that once held a place in the Great Xia Dynasty were wiped out. Five Elders from Qingxu Hall were killed in battle, and two mountain lords from Thunder Mountain were left critically injured and on the brink of death. And so, the Great Xia Dynasty came to have Three Immortal Sects."

"It was in the aftermath of this event that our Ye Family officially became a Cultivation Clan. Before that, we could only be considered a family with a cultivation heritage."

Ye Linglong’s eyes widened. During the Fire Dragon Valley trial, her master and the Peak Master had taken her and Ji Suyao to live on a Flying Ship for a month. The Stewards and Elders she had met all seemed quite amiable. But if she calculated the timeline, those same Stewards and Elders must have personally experienced that bloody period.

"Through the Bai Family’s connections, the Young Master became a member of Purple Cloud Valley. This wasn’t because of her status from Hundred Flowers Valley, but because she was a First Grade Spirit Chef. But even so, the Young Master still wanted to revive the Hundred Flowers Valley."

"Just then, Tianya City was established. Nominally, it was founded by Loose Cultivators from the Spring Breeze Dynasty to resist the Spring Breeze Royal Family. So, the Young Master sent me to gather information. But Tianya City wasn’t what it seemed. It was actually controlled by the Spring Breeze Royal Family itself, for the purpose of keeping an eye on the Great Xia and Black Feather Dynasties."

"I was discovered by the hounds of the Spring Breeze Royal Family. By the time I escaped to the Great Xia Dynasty, I was already severely injured. Fortunately, the Great Xia Dynasty was also wary of the newly established Tianya City, so only one Meridian Passage Early Stage Cultivator pursued me. We fought and were both grievously wounded, though my injuries were more severe. But then, your father appeared."

Lady Ye slowly trailed off. She would be a little embarrassed to tell the rest of the story. In short, she had seen a single ray of hope on the verge of death. After nearly half a month of surviving in the wilderness, she no longer wanted to return to the Young Master’s side.

And so, an ’accident’ began to brew, which eventually led to the current situation. Her only regret was that her old injuries had a lasting effect on her. After so many years, she finally had a daughter, Ye Linglong, but because of those injuries, her daughter was frail and sickly.

"When I saw the Young Master again, she had no objections to my departure. She even gave me her blessing. She even came to see you when you were born."

Lady Ye added a somewhat helpless conclusion to her story. "Not long after, a package was delivered to the Ye Family. Inside was the Hundred Flowers Secret Manual, the former Sect’s Core Technique of the Hundred Flowers Valley. And then, news spread throughout the Great Xia Dynasty that a Spirit Chef from Purple Cloud Valley had died after failing to break through to the next realm."

"This..."

Ye Linglong didn’t know what to say. Her mother’s life had been nothing short of legendary.

"Back then, the Young Master had only one friend in Purple Cloud Valley: your master. After the spineless members of the Nangong Family and the Ye Family arranged your engagement to Nangong Mu behind our backs, I secretly sent the Hundred Flowers Secret Manual to your master and explained your situation."

"It was the only thing I could do. Originally, I had planned for you to become the Young Master’s disciple, but fate is cruel."

"Master never mentioned any of this. She’s been very good to me."

Ye Linglong nodded. Although there was a hint of a transaction in how her master had accepted her as a disciple, it was a fact that she had been treated very well ever since.