Chapter 240: A past.

Seizing that opportunity, Zhaoyue escaped.

She ran without looking back, driven by a single thought that kept her moving even when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her.

She had to find her father.

She searched wherever she could, clinging to the hope that he was still alive somewhere in this vast world. Eventually, her desperate search brought her face-to-face with the person she had spent so many years longing to see.

But the father she found was no longer the powerful man she remembered.

His dantian had been shattered, his cultivation destroyed, and he had been reduced to living as a cripple. The man who had once protected her had been left to endure his own suffering, with no one to stand beside him.

Yet, even after all those years apart, he recognized her.

The moment their eyes met, her father broke down in tears. He embraced her and apologized repeatedly, his voice trembling as he blamed himself for everything she had endured.

That moment had remained etched into her heart.

She had suffered for fifteen years, but even then, her father had never stopped caring about her. Despite his ruined cultivation and miserable circumstances, he had welcomed her back without hesitation.

And where had Qin Yuxi been through all of it?

If the woman who called herself their mother had stepped forward back then, if she had taken them both under her protection, perhaps none of those tragedies would have happened.

Perhaps her father would never have lost his cultivation. Perhaps she would never have become an experiment, forced to endure fifteen years of torment.

Perhaps they could have lived together as a family.

But those were merely wishes that could never change the past, and the decision she had to make now rested entirely with her father.

There was one thing Zhaoyue understood better than anyone else.

Her father loved the woman called Qin Yuxi.

He loved her so deeply that Zhaoyue sometimes wondered whether he had been bewitched. Throughout the years she had spend with her father till his deathbed, stories about Qin Yuxi was the only one he shared.

No matter how much Zhaoyue resented Qin Yuxi, she couldn’t simply disregard her father’s feelings.

Taking a quiet breath, she finally raised her head.

“Father, is she really Mother?” she asked, forcing herself to speak.

Lin Xuan looked at his daughter in confusion, unsure why she would ask such a question when the answer seemed obvious. Nevertheless, he nodded.

“Yes. She’s the woman who gave birth to you.”

Zhaoyue clenched her hands tightly, her little fingers pressing into her palms. After a moment, she slowly relaxed them and lowered her gaze.

“Alright, Father.”

With those words, she turned toward Qin Yuxi.

The woman was still crouching before her, her eyes filled with anticipation and a tenderness that seemed entirely genuine.

Seeing her like this, Zhaoyue felt a bitter ache settle deep in her chest.

She had waited fifteen years for someone to save her yet, the woman standing before her had never come.

Zhaoyue pushed those thoughts aside and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around Qin Yuxi in a hug, carefully arranging her expression into the warmest smile she could manage.

“Welcome home, Mother.”

Qin Yuxi’s eyes widened when the little girl finally stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her.

“Zhaoyue…” she murmured, her voice trembling with happiness. “My little girl.”

She held her daughter close, stroking her long hair with a tenderness that came naturally to her.

The warmth of the embrace made Zhaoyue’s chest tighten, but she forced herself to remain still, keeping the smile on her face even as old memories threatened to surface.

“Thank you,” Zhaoyue whispered.

Qin Yuxi paused, looking down at her daughter with surprise. “Thank me? For what, sweetheart?”

“For coming back.”

The words left Zhaoyue’s mouth gently, almost sweetly, and Qin Yuxi’s expression softened further. She hugged the girl a little tighter, completely unaware of the bitterness hidden beneath that innocent voice.

“Of course I came back,” Qin Yuxi promised. “I’m your mother. No matter how far away I am, I’ll always come back to you.”

Zhaoyue lowered her eyes against her mother’s shoulder. She wanted to believe those words, if only for a moment, but the memories of her previous life were too painful to ignore. She had waited fifteen years for someone to come back for her, and the woman holding her now had never appeared.

Still, her father was standing nearby.

For his sake, she could endure this much.

After a brief moment, Zhaoyue slowly pulled away. She looked up at Qin Yuxi, her small face still wearing that obedient smile, but the warmth in her eyes had disappeared.

“If you ever break Father’s heart, I’ll destroy everything that’s dear to you.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Lin Xuan’s expression froze, and he stared at his daughter as though he had just heard something unbelievable. He had expected Zhaoyue to remain cold toward Qin Yuxi, perhaps even refuse to acknowledge her, but he hadn’t expected such a frightening threat to come from her small mouth.

Mu Qingya was equally taken aback.

Before either of them could say anything, Qin Yuxi smiled.

“Alright. I promise.”

Qin Yuxi reached out and gently straightened the collar of her daughter’s clothes, her expression filled with affection. “I won’t break your father’s heart. I know how much he means to you, and I know how much he means to me, too. You don’t have to worry about that.”

She even nodded seriously, “Besides, if someone hurt your father, I would never forgive them either. So isn’t it perfectly reasonable for you to feel this way?”

Zhaoyue stared at her mother, momentarily unable to respond.

Qin Yuxi, however, seemed entirely satisfied with the conversation. She reached out as though she wanted to hug Zhaoyue again, her eyes shining with delight.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take good care of your father, and I’ll make sure he never has to suffer because of me.”

? ? ? ? ??? ??? ???

By the time Lin Xuan realized what was happening, Qin Yuxi had already taken Zhaoyue by the hand and led her away.

“We have so much to catch up on!” Qin Yuxi had declared cheerfully before leaving. “I’ll borrow our daughter for a little while. You two can continue your conversation!”

And just like that, she had disappeared with Zhaoyue, leaving Lin Xuan alone with Mu Qingya.

Lin Xuan watched the doorway for a moment before turning toward the Empress.

“Your Majesty, I heard you were leaving tomorrow. How come you were here with Qin Yuxi?”

Mu Qingya immediately straightened her posture, a pleased smile spreading across her face.

“She approached me herself and said she wanted to surprise you!” she explained, looking rather proud of herself. “Naturally, I couldn’t refuse such an interesting request. Besides, I’m a huge fan of romance!”

Her eyes sparkled with barely concealed excitement, as though she had personally arranged the most wonderful love story in the world.

Lin Xuan stared at her for several seconds before letting out a long sigh.

He picked up his teacup and took a quiet sip.

The tea was still warm, and its faint fragrance lingered in his mouth, but it did little to ease his troubled thoughts.

His situation had become rather problematic.

The last time his body had reacted against his will, he had been forced to abandon his quest.

As a result, the Lin Family’s shipyard had suffered devastating damage, leaving him with yet another troublesome matter to resolve.

And now, merely hearing Qin Yuxi’s voice had caused his body to stiffen.

He hadn’t even seen her face before the reaction occurred.

Lin Xuan lowered his teacup and examined his own hands, his expression growing increasingly serious.

It was becoming difficult to deny the truth.

He didn’t have complete control over his own body.

The realization was both ridiculous and deeply unsettling.

He was a Nascent Soul expert, someone who could command terrifying spiritual power and overwhelm countless cultivators with a single thought.

His spiritual sense was powerful enough to perceive subtle changes in his surroundings, and his control over his cultivation had reached a level that ordinary cultivators could only dream of attaining.

Yet, when confronted with a particular woman, his own body seemed determined to act independently of his wishes.

What kind of joke was that?

A Nascent Soul expert who couldn’t even control his own body was practically a walking contradiction.

Lin Xuan rubbed his temples, feeling another headache coming on.

Perhaps the original Lin Xuan had left behind more problems than merely sealed memories.

Whatever the reason, this was a massive flaw.

He could tolerate many things, but he absolutely couldn’t accept a weakness that might interfere with his decisions at a critical moment. If his body continued reacting this way, then even the simplest task could become a disaster.

Today, it had only been an unexpected reunion.

Tomorrow, it might happen in the middle of a battle. He couldn’t afford to let that happen.

Across the table, Mu Qingya watched him rubbing his temples and tilted her head curiously.

“What’s wrong, Patriarch Lin? Are you worried about Qin Yuxi?”

Lin Xuan glanced at her before taking another sip of tea.

“No.”