In a flash, it was already June. Li Yan had been at home for more than half a month. After the busy farming season was over, he rarely showed his face. He would either find a mountain peak or stay at home, diligently studying the puppet techniques of the "Wood Flow Sect." Because puppets were based on mechanisms and formations, Li Yan had to frequently find Gong Chenying to ask for guidance on the way of formations.
Gong Chenying and Zhao Min, on the other hand, were unusually busy. Now, the two women would often hide in the house with the eldest sister, fourth sister, and Xiao Yu, talking about who knows what all day. But Li Yan could feel a youthful vitality from Gong and Zhao, something that the two had only shown before when they were cultivating. Zhao Min was now clearly less cold to the people around her and would occasionally smile knowingly.
Gong Chenying's way of formations was extremely profound. After asking for guidance a few times, Li Yan couldn't help but think of what Lin Daqiao had said before about how Four Symbols Peak had tried several times to get Gong Chenying to become their disciple. Seeing her in action this time was truly extraordinary. A few casual words from her could make Li Yan have a sudden enlightenment. As he continued to study, Li Yan gradually became interested in formations as well. Of course, he would not neglect the fundamentals for the trifles. All this was still to lay the foundation for his puppet techniques.
Since he had the opportunity to be alone with Gong Chenying, he also gradually talked more. One day, after some hesitation, Li Yan finally asked the question that had been weighing on his heart for a long time.
"A Ying, ahem... ahem, that, I always feel that something is a bit strange. How is Zhao Min's relationship with Little Bamboo Peak different from the disciples who left before? Every time Zhao Min comes to Little Bamboo Peak, whether it's Senior Brother or you guys, you all seem to treat her differently from others?" After Li Yan said this, he saw a strange look on Gong Chenying's face, and her eyes were even more suspicious.
"Did... did I ask something wrong?" Li Yan was at a loss for a moment.
"You don't know Min'er's origin?" Gong Chenying's face became even stranger.
"Is her background very great?" Li Yan's heart tightened.
"No, I mean, you've known each other for four years, and you don't know Min'er's background?" A smile actually curved Gong Chenying's lips.
"Isn't she the same as those disciples who left Little Bamboo Peak and re-entered other peaks? Could it be that she has another secret?" Seeing Gong Chenying's expression, Li Yan faintly felt that he might have thought of something wrong.
"You've never asked yourself? Or asked others about it?" Gong Chenying tilted her head, a playful smile on her peerless face.
"No? What's wrong?" Li Yan said.
"Hehe, in my heart, you are not such a rule-abiding person. Your intelligence even surpasses Senior Brother and the others. I never thought you would be so clueless. I originally thought you knew a little," a trace of slyness flashed in Gong Chenying's eyes.
Li Yan was a little frustrated after hearing this. It wasn't that he didn't want to inquire about Zhao Min's background. It was just that before, his energy was almost entirely focused on establishing his foundation so that he could go home as soon as possible. Although he had some budding feelings for Zhao Min, he had never broken that layer of paper. And if he asked anyone, his purpose would be seen through, and it would become "known to everyone." So for a time, he had put this thought aside.
"Min'er, is actually Master's daughter." Seeing Li Yan's expression, Gong Chenying did not beat around the bush anymore, but directly said a sentence that was almost unbelievable to Li Yan.
"Zhao Min? Master's daughter?" A look of astonishment appeared on Li Yan's face. After a long while, he asked back.
"Mm, her original name is Wei Minqing. She later changed her surname to her martial mother's, Zhao. This matter is precisely where Min'er's heart's knot lies," Gong Chenying sighed. After a pause, she continued.
"Master's Wei family is a very famous cultivation family, and also a first-rate cultivation family. His ancestor was the Spirit Transformation stage great cultivator who was an acquaintance of our clan's great shaman. Master was a genius from a young age and was regarded as a prospective successor in the family, that is, the future head of the family. At a young age, he was already the number one among the younger generation of the family at that time. But later, during a training trip, he was ambushed by others. Although he was severely injured, he wiped out all thirteen of his opponents, but he fell into a river in a coma and drifted down. At that time, he met our current martial mother. He was saved by her. Martial mother was a disciple of a small sect. During the months of recuperation, the two developed feelings for each other. After Master's wounds had healed and he returned to the family to report this, he was met with strong opposition from the family elders. Master was proud and arrogant, and he and martial mother were also in love with each other. In a fit of anger, Master actually left the family for martial mother and joined the Malevolent Spirit Sect, even giving up the right to cultivate the Qiongqi Porgatory Art at the same time. This was tantamount to heresy for the Wei family, and they were extremely angry. They wanted to capture Master, but the sect that Master had joined was the Malevolent Spirit Sect. This was a place he had long thought of going. The Wei family would not dare to target the Malevolent Spirit Sect no matter what. They could only have the Wei family's Nascent Soul ancestor go up the mountain to negotiate with the sect. But at that time, although Master was young, he had already reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. His talent was even more valued by a Nascent Soul ancestor of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, and he had already been accepted as a disciple-in-name. As long as he successfully formed a Golden Core, he would immediately become a formal disciple of the Nascent Soul ancestor."
"For the Wei family to come and ask for him back, if it were an ordinary disciple, it would be fine. But any sect would want to get a cultivation prodigy as soon as possible. What's more, Master had joined on his own initiative at that time and was also valued by a Nascent Soul ancestor. The result can be imagined. Although the Malevolent Spirit Sect said on the surface that as long as Master was willing, they would not interfere, they had also secretly inquired about the reason for Master's entry and knew that once Master went back, besides facing the family's severe punishment, his relationship with martial mother would also definitely be fruitless. They not only secretly protected the small sect where martial mother was, but also made an exception and accepted martial mother into the Malevolent Spirit Sect. In this way, Master would not leave the Malevolent Spirit Sect no matter what."
"The final result can be imagined. The Wei family's ancestor was furious, but he was helpless against a behemoth like the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Although the Wei family had had its glory days, their ancestors had already passed away. Now there was only one Nascent Soul ancestor in the family. In the end, they could only swallow their anger. But because of this, they held a grudge against the Malevolent Spirit Sect. After all, Master was the most promising person in the Wei family to form a Nascent Soul."
"Just like that, after Master had formed his Golden Core, he married martial mother. Min'er was born under such circumstances. Min'er was very happy when she was a child, with the doting of Master and martial mother. But as she grew up, her cultivation talent also showed, and her talent was no worse than Master's. In this way, martial mother had an idea. No one knows a husband better than his wife. Martial mother knew that although Master seemed indifferent on the surface, she knew better than anyone that Master always had a sense of guilt toward his family. It was just that he couldn't show it in front of her. And as time went by, Master's suppression of this matter would accumulate, and a crack would appear in his state of mind. This was extremely dangerous for cultivation."
"In either of these two aspects, it was extremely unfavorable for Master. So when Min'er was five years old, after gritting her teeth, martial mother made a decision, which was to take Min'er back to the Wei family for a trip. After she proposed this, Master also agreed after consideration. After all, when he brought his wife and child home, the matter would be a foregone conclusion, and maybe some things could be changed."
"In the end, things really did ease up a bit. When Master's family went back, the family's attitude toward them was extremely cold at first. It was just that Master didn't expect martial mother's thoughts. But with martial mother's resourcefulness, the family elders' attitude gradually improved a bit. Especially after seeing Min'er, the family elders' attitude changed greatly. In the end, the Wei family's Nascent Soul ancestor also came out for a trip. After seeing Min'er, he still left with a cold face. But that night, Master received a voice transmission from that Nascent Soul ancestor, saying that it was fine to forgive him, but Min'er needed to stay and cultivate the Wei family's cultivation method. After receiving this voice transmission, Master was both happy and worried. He was happy that he had finally resolved this problem with his family. He was worried that he was reluctant to let Min'er stay in the family. Looking at the smiling Min'er sleeping sweetly in her dream, even martial mother began to regret it at this time. But after hesitating again and again, martial mother and Master discussed for a long time, thinking that we cultivators have a long lifespan, and there is still a long way to go. If they missed this opportunity, they might completely sever the last relationship with their family. In the end, Master still communicated with the family and agreed that Min'er could stay here to cultivate the family's cultivation method. When she was twelve years old, and her foundation in the Wei family's cultivation method and the Qiongqi Porgatory Art was established, they would bring Min'er back to their side to cultivate. And in the future, no matter who in Master's family of three succeeded in forming a Nascent Soul, they would protect the Wei family until another Golden Core cultivator in the family formed a Nascent Soul. After this result, the Wei family agreed, and Min'er was left in the Wei family." As she said this, a look of helplessness appeared on Gong Chenying's face. She also thought of her own childhood, her own background.
Li Yan, on the other hand, was listening with a furrowed brow, but he did not interrupt.
After a pause, a trace of sympathy appeared in Gong Chenying's eyes. She then continued, "Just like that, Min'er was far away from her parents from then on. Although the Wei family also took great care of her, what they gave her were just one cultivation method after another, and day after day of cultivation, without end. It was as if one day she was the apple of her parents' eye, and the next moment she was a boat in the sea, with no end in sight. Slowly, Min'er became taciturn, and later she didn't even communicate with anyone, just cultivated silently. And her cultivation speed also surprised the clan members. It was no exaggeration to describe it as a thousand li a day."
"At the age of twelve, she was brought back to Little Bamboo Peak by Master and martial mother again. This matter originally made Master and martial mother extremely happy. But what happened next was completely unexpected for them. Min'er, who had returned to Little Bamboo Peak, was already like a different person. She didn't talk to them at all. She would either close her courtyard gate to cultivate, or often go to the back mountain alone and sit on the top of the peak, staring blankly into the distance. No matter what Master and the others did, it all seemed to come too late and had no effect at all."
"At this time, I also came to Little Bamboo Peak and grew up with Min'er. Only then did Min'er's personality change a little. But when she was eighteen, something went wrong with her cultivation. No matter how hard she cultivated, she couldn't make any progress. After Master and martial mother checked, they concluded that something was wrong with her state of mind. But no matter how they tried to communicate with Min'er, she wouldn't say a word. This was also the reason why Min'er's final cultivation was lower than mine. It was because something went wrong in those few years."
"One day, many disciples of Little Bamboo Peak left. Min'er was actually among them on that day. She went directly to Never-Parting Peak and asked to join. The elder of Never-Parting Peak was hesitant at first and didn't dare to accept her, for fear of offending Master. But Min'er didn't say a word and didn't leave. When the Peak Master of Never-Parting Peak found out, she directly accepted her as a disciple. After Master and martial mother found out, they hurried to Never-Parting Peak. But when they got there, no matter how they tried to persuade her, Min'er ignored them completely. Master and the other two could only ask the Peak Master of Never-Parting Peak to take care of her and then returned sadly."
"What happened afterward made Master and martial mother even more sad. Min'er later changed her name on her own to Zhao Min. This made Master sit in the main hall in a daze for a whole day. In the end, when he was returning to his own courtyard, he saw the bamboo courtyard where Min'er used to live in the sky above Little Bamboo Peak again. With a loud laugh, he razed to the ground the bamboo courtyards of all the disciples who had left Little Bamboo Peak. And so, it became like this."
"In the following years, the Wei family asked Min'er to return to the family for the family's younger generation competition several times, but they were all rejected by Master for various reasons. I imagine that if the Wei family knew that Min'er was now called Zhao Min, it would surely cause a great commotion."
After Gong Chenying slowly finished speaking, tears actually appeared in her eyes. In the silence, Li Yan walked forward, raised his large hand, and gently placed it on Gong Chenying's beautiful hair. Gong Chenying's delicate body trembled, but this time, she did not dodge.
"Although I don't know what similar things you have also experienced, when you are willing to talk about it one day, I will listen. But no matter what, I will definitely accompany you to the Tianli Clan for a trip, no matter if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire."
Li Yan looked at Gong Chenying and said word by word.