Chapter 244: A Request.

“Patriarch, you’re back!”

Su Qinglan immediately rose from her seat and hurriedly greeted him.

Lin Xuan, who had just entered alongside Lin Shuli, gave her a nod before closing the door behind him. With a casual wave of his hand, he erected a sound barrier around the room, ensuring nobody outside could overhear their conversation.

“Alright, what is this about?”

Su Qinglan took a deep breath, then raised both hands and lightly slapped her cheeks, as though trying to gather her scattered thoughts.

“I’m so glad you’re back, Patriarch!”

She looked at him with visible relief before finally getting to the point.

“This is about Qin Yuxi. Ahem… She isn’t the real Yuxi.”

Lin Xuan’s expression immediately darkened.

“How do you know?”

“I don’t.”

Su Qinglan shook her head.

“You were the one who told me to remind you about this.”

Lin Xuan stared at her and Lin Shuli in confusion.

Lin Shuli merely shrugged, showing that she knew nothing about the matter either. Lin Xuan then turned back toward Su Qinglan, who began to explain.

“Before you sealed away your memories, you gave me a very serious warning. You told me, ‘If, by any chance, someone comes to the Lin Family claiming to be Qin Yuxi, never trust her.’ Those were your exact words.”

“My words?” Lin Xuan frowned. “Wait, you know about the memory sealing?”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Su Qinglan waved her hands awkwardly. “I didn’t intend to bring it up, but your warning back then was so grave that I couldn’t simply ignore it.”

Lin Xuan slowly sat back down, rubbing his forehead as he tried to process this unexpected revelation.

“What has she been doing?” Lin Xuan asked.

This time, it was Lin Shuli’s turn to speak.

“Over the past two days, she has constantly been trying to meet with the young miss. I’ve arranged for the young miss to stay hidden in your seclusion cave until you return, and she agreed to the arrangement.”

Lin Xuan nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“That was on the first day. Once Lady Yuxi realized she couldn’t get close to the young miss, she began approaching the other elders instead. She has been trying to gather information about your seclusion cave.”

Lin Shuli frowned slightly.

“Considering everything, I find her actions rather suspicious. She hasn’t even bothered to conceal her intentions to get close to the young miss.”

Su Qinglan shook her head.

“Still, we shouldn’t be too quick to judge her. When the young Patriarch was kidnapped, the elder miss, Su Qinghe, spared no expense to pay the kidnappers and ensure her son was released unharmed. At the time, people also suspected her of colluding with the kidnappers. After all, it was later revealed that the kidnappers were members of the Su Family when they were eventually caught.”

She sighed softly before continuing.

“However, a mother’s love is difficult to understand. We shouldn’t fault her for wanting to see her daughter.”

“Oh, I didn’t think about that,” Lin Shuli immediately apologized.

Lin Xuan sat quietly to the side, listening to their exchange.

His seclusion cave wasn’t exactly a great secret. Guards were stationed there throughout the day, an arrangement made by the previous Supreme Elder to keep an eye on him. In doing so, they had also exposed the century-old secret surrounding the Lin Family’s seclusion cave.

After all, what use were ordinary guards who weren’t even proper cultivators?

Still, there was something Lin Xuan couldn’t quite understand.

The previous Lin Xuan and Qin Yuxi had shared an intimate relationship. Wouldn’t he have told her the location of his seclusion cave?

It wasn’t as though he had any reason to hide it from her.

Hmm, perhaps I’m overthinking things.

Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and shifted his attention back to the two elders, who had somehow moved on to discussing the incident surrounding his kidnapping.

“Alright, you two. Stop it now, and elder Su, tell me more about my memory sealing.”

Su Qinglan hesitated before answering.

“Ah, but you specifically instructed me never to tell you about it, even if you asked.”

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.

“Yet you’re telling me now, aren’t you? Tell me what you know, including your purpose for bringing this up. Also, where and how were my memories sealed?”

His expression grew serious.

“The Qin Family is coming for our head any moment now and I need every piece of information I can get, especially if it concerns something connected to my past.”

There was no way Su Qinglan had brought up the memory sealing as a casual slip of the tongue.

She hadn’t even mentioned it when they were alone. Judging by Lin Shuli’s reaction, she had already shared the matter with the Supreme Elder as well.

There was no way she would have gone through all that trouble without having something she want from him.

Why am I surrounded by elders like these?

Lin Xuan sighed inwardly.

Su Qinglan bit her lower lip, seemingly struggling to decide how to proceed. After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke.

“Patriarch, may I tell you a story from my past?”

“Will it be long?”

“Perhaps.”

“I see.”

Lin Xuan leaned back in his chair before turning toward Lin Shuli.

“Make some tea for us.”

“On it!”

Lin Shuli immediately got up and headed toward the table.

Meanwhile, Su Qinglan sat down opposite Lin Xuan. She took a moment to compose herself, then slowly began her story.

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She had no friends, no family, and no talent for communicating with others. She was destined to spend her life alone. At least, that was what everyone said.

“Then, one day, a rowdy tomboy entered her life.

“She was nothing like an ordinary girl. She punched and kicked like a boy, and even her pinches hurt terribly. Yet, somehow, the little girl who struggled to communicate and the little girl who was nothing like a girl became the closest of friends.

“As they grew older, however, their paths began to diverge.

“The girl without a family happened to possess a talent for cultivation. The clan took her away and decided to nurture her. Meanwhile, the rowdy girl had no talent for cultivation, so her family raised her with the intention of marrying her off to benefit the clan.

“Two close friends, yet two entirely different fates.

“Years passed, and eventually, news reached the talented girl that her friend was getting married. Unhappy with the arrangement, she deliberately sabotaged her own future. As a result, the clan cast her aside.

“She thought that was the end of it. She had lost everything, and this was where she would meet her end.

“Until someone spoke to her.

‘Look at you. Why are you so pathetic? Didn’t you say you’d come and protect me?’

“Those words brought me back to my senses.

Su Qinglan smiled bitterly as she recalled those memories.

“Under her care, I slowly learned how to interact with people again. I also got the chance to look after you, Patriarch. To all of us, you were like a son. You were kind, gentle, and always considerate of those around you.”

Her expression softened as she continued.

“You grew up quickly, learning everything with remarkable ease. You made everyone proud. Then came that ominous day.”

“With your parents’ disappearance, you were forced to take the Patriarch’s seat. You led the clan in a direction nobody had expected, predicting the outcomes of various events as though you could see the future itself.”

“The Lin Family grew stronger under your leadership. We even managed to overthrow the Li Family and establish ourselves as one of the kingdom’s major powers.”

Su Qinglan paused, her smile gradually fading.

“But the stronger you became, the more disappointed you seemed with yourself.”

Lin Xuan listened quietly, allowing her to continue.

“Then, one day, you returned from a trip and told me to stop searching for your mother. You said she was in a better place and that trying to reach her would be dangerous. You even warned that pursuing her might cost me my life.”

Her fingers tightened against her knees.

“That was also when you told me about your decision to seal away all your memories.”

Su Qinglan lowered her head for a moment before looking at him again.

“I know I’m being selfish by asking this, Patriarch, but could you please recover all your memories and tell me where I can find your mother?”

Her voice trembled slightly, but she continued.

“You’ve grown up now, and I’ve already found someone capable of taking over my responsibilities within the clan.”

She took a deep breath.

“I want to search for my friend once more. Even if I have to risk my life, I want to know where she is.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Qinglan slid off her chair and knelt before Lin Xuan, bowing deeply.