Chapter 239: History.

Lin Xuan had been avoiding meeting the Empress for the past few days for several reasons.

For one, he was genuinely swamped with work. The destruction of the Peng and Hao Families had left behind countless matters that required his attention, from dividing their resources to arranging the transfer of their territories.

With the royal decree recognizing the Lin Family as the overlord of Azure Willow City and Southwatch City, there were even more responsibilities waiting for him.

However, that was only part of the reason.

The other concerned the Cleansing Pills discovered in the treasuries of both the Peng and Hao Families.

“Father, are you alright?” Lin Zhaoyue asked, looking up at him as they walked toward the Empress’s quarters.

Lin Xuan shook his head slightly before answering, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Zhaoyue studied him for a moment before asking, “Is this about the whale people? Don’t worry, Father. I’ve already made arrangements in case they ever set foot in our territory again. I’ll make sure they compensate us properly for the destruction of our shipyard.”

Her expression darkened as she spoke, and her small hands clenched at her sides. Even now, the thought of the damage they had caused was enough to stir her anger.

Lin Xuan chuckled softly and reached over to rub her hair, choosing not to comment.

Truthfully, he also felt that the whale people’s actions had been rather extreme. However, he had already received a warning about the consequences of failing the quest. If he had failed to fulfill its requirements, the responsibility would ultimately have fallen on him.

The whale people had merely been carrying out their part of the arrangement. He couldn’t entirely blame them for what had happened.

Soon, the two arrived at the door to the Empress’s quarters.

Zhaoyue stepped forward and knocked gently.

“Come in,” a woman’s voice answered from inside.

In that brief moment, Lin Xuan’s body stiffened.

That voice did not belong to the Empress who was staying in these quarters. He recognized it, yet he couldn’t understand why.

No, that wasn’t quite right.

The person who recognized that voice was not the current Lin Xuan, but the original owner of his body.

Although their souls were different, the body had reacted instinctively to the very essence of that familiar voice. Something buried deep within its memories had stirred, reaching toward a past that no longer belonged to him.

Before Lin Xuan could make sense of the strange reaction, the heavy wooden door creaked open.

His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the woman who opened the door. His body instinctively knew, and he instinctively realised this was the mother of the child he raised.

She looked as though time had never touched her, untouched by the years of bitterness and suffering that had worn down the man who once knew her. Her appearance was breathtakingly ethereal, yet there was a fragile quality about her that made her seem almost unreal.

She wore a flowing robe of pristine white silk, embroidered with subtle silver threads that shimmered beneath the dim candlelight. Her long, ink-black hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, framing a face as pale and delicate as carved jade.

Yet, it was her eyes that struck him hardest.

They were the same deep, captivating pools of darkness that Lin Xuan saw whenever he looked into his daughter, Lin Zhaoyue’s eyes.

For a brief moment, he found himself staring at her, unable to explain the strange sensation stirring within his chest.

Then, a sharp pain suddenly tore through his head.

Lin Xuan clutched his temple, his expression twisting as a wave of pain surged through his skull. Countless indistinct sensations pressed against his mind, like fragments of a dream he could neither remember nor understand.

He staggered half a step backward, struggling to steady his breathing.

Qin Yuxi immediately stepped forward and caught him by the waist, supporting his weight before he could stumble any further.

“Shuxuan, are you alright?” she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

It was a tender sight, one that might have seemed straight out of a romantic tale to anyone who witnessed it.

At least, that was how Mu Qingya saw it.

Standing nearby, the Empress watched the two with a fervent gaze, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement. For all her prowess as a warrior, Mu Qingya was equally passionate about forbidden romances. In her eyes, there was little more captivating than a love that defied the boundaries of status and family.

And there was no romance more famous than the one between the only daughter of the Qin Family and the son of an unknown clan from a small kingdom.

Their story had spread throughout the cultivation world, captivating countless people with its mystery. How they had met, where their relationship had begun, and what had drawn them together in the first place remained unknown.

Yet, despite the lack of details, the mere existence of their romance was enough to fuel endless speculation.

Now, Mu Qingya was witnessing what appeared to be a reunion between the two protagonists of that legendary love story.

She could barely contain her excitement.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhaoyue stood beside them, staring at the scene with an increasingly displeased expression.

Her small hand curled into a tight fist, and her eyes remained fixed on Qin Yuxi as the woman continued supporting Lin Xuan.

“I’m fine,” Lin Xuan said, forcing himself to straighten up. “It was just a sudden headache. There’s no need to worry.”

Qin Yuxi studied his face with lingering concern before slowly releasing her hold on his waist. She helped him regain his balance, keeping one hand against his arm until she was certain he could stand on his own.

Only then did her attention shift toward the little girl standing nearby.

Her eyes brightened, and a gentle smile spread across her face.

“Is she our daughter?” Qin Yuxi asked, her voice filled with undisguised delight. “She’s so cute!”

Without waiting for an answer, she bent down and opened her arms, trying to embrace Lin Zhaoyue.

However, Zhaoyue promptly stepped aside, leaving Qin Yuxi hugging nothing but empty air.

The smile on Qin Yuxi’s face froze for a brief moment.

Lin Xuan gave a light cough, drawing their attention back toward him.

“Zhaoyue, she’s your mother.”

Zhaoyue took another step away from Qin Yuxi before straightening her clothes and offering the woman a polite bow.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t know you. I only have a father.”

Lin Xuan silently watched his daughter.

He had suspected it for a while, but her reaction had finally confirmed his suspicions. Lin Zhaoyue was not on good terms with her mother.

Did something happen between them before her regression? he wondered.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingya was at a loss for words. This was hardly the touching reunion she had imagined. She had expected tears, embraces, and perhaps a few heartfelt words after years of separation.

Instead, the daughter had rejected her mother without hesitation.

Your mother has finally returned. Shouldn’t you be happy? Mu Qingya wondered, watching the scene with bewilderment.

Qin Yuxi didn’t seem discouraged, however. She crouched down until she was at eye level with Zhaoyue, her expression gentle and her voice soft.

“Zhaoyue, are you angry with Mommy because I wasn’t there during your childhood?” she asked carefully. “From now on, I can stay with you every day. You won’t have to be separated from me anymore, so can you please forgive Mommy?”

Lin Zhaoyue offered no response.

Instead, she lifted her head and looked toward Lin Xuan.

If she were given the choice, she would rather sever her connection with the woman who called herself her mother.

Back before her regression, when the Lin Family had been torn apart, where had Qin Yuxi been?

When her family collapsed and her father was taken away from her, who had stood beside them? Who had shared their suffering or reached out a hand when they needed help the most?

No one.

Her father and she had been forcibly separated, and she had spent the following fifteen years being raised as an experiment by a witch who called herself her master.

Fifteen years of suffering, confinement, and experiments had nearly crushed her spirit. Yet, despite everything that had been done to her, she had never forgotten the only family she had left.

Then, one day, the witch failed to return.