161: Qin Mengyao's inner conflict leads to her becoming Xiao Fan's stepfather.

Azure Cloud Sect, Longevity Peak Main Hall.

As 11 PM - 1 AM arrived, a familiar System notification sounded.

[Ding, Daily Intelligence has been refreshed!]

The System notification sounded, and three pieces of brand-new intelligence surfaced before his eyes.

[White Intelligence: To express absolute loyalty to you, the Sect Master Yuhua gathered all the storytellers in the sect overnight and is urgently compiling a classic titled "The Legend of the Qingyun Saint Ancestor."]

[He ordered the storytellers to describe you as an eternal Saint who "carries the mandate of heaven and follows the will of the people," and to polish your previous decisiveness in killing as a merciful method where "both thunder and rain are the grace of the monarch."]

[As for bringing the Demonic Path under your command, it was also beautified as the immense Karma of influencing Devil Heads and leading them back to the righteous path.]

[It is reported that the first draft of this book has been finalized, which even fabricates a legendary story of you "understanding the Dao at age three, reaching Foundation Establishment at age five, and entering the devil's den alone for the sake of the Human Race at age seven."]

[Blue Intelligence: While the Son of Destiny Xiao Fan was wandering around the Qin Family Pill Hall, he happened to encounter the Qin Family's Chief Alchemist, who was frantic due to repeated furnace explosions while refining the Seven-Revolution Soul-Condensing Pill.]

[Under the guidance of Venerable Yao's Divine Sense transmission, Xiao Fan publicly pointed out three conflicts in the Pill Formula's medicinal properties regarding the sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy herbs, and personally stepped in (in reality, Venerable Yao acted on his behalf), successfully saving a batch of waste pills with the long-lost Spirit-Raising Fire Control Technique.]

[This act shocked everyone present. The Qin Family's Chief Alchemist immediately wanted to take him as a master. Consequently, Xiao Fan obtained the privilege token of a Qin Family Guest Elder Alchemist, allowing him to use any Spiritual Plant below the fourth rank at will, causing his prestige among the Qin Family's younger generation to soar.]

Seeing these two, Lu Yuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.

"Sect Master Yuhua's flattery is certainly loud."

"As for Xiao Fan... is he still showing off and slapping faces? It seems his days in the Qin Family are quite comfortable."

However, when his gaze fell on the third piece of intelligence, the smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a deep, sharp glint.

[Purple Intelligence: Regarding the knot and truth about Xiao Fan's biological mother, Qin Mengyao. Twenty years ago, Qin Mengyao was training in the Eastern Wilderness and was besieged by demonic cultivators in Luopo Valley. After burning her Essence Blood to kill the enemies, she fell into a coma.]

[Before losing consciousness, she vaguely saw a blurry figure and a Double Fish Dragon Pattern Pendant on the person's waist.]

[The person who saved her was actually Xiao Chen, a Genius from a branch of the Xiao Family. After Xiao Chen brought the unconscious Qin Mengyao back to the Family, he entrusted her to his cousin Xiao Feng's care.]

[The reason Xiao Chen entrusted her to Xiao Feng was that he wanted to go to the Medicine King Valley to seek medicine for Qin Mengyao, so she could wake up and recover from her injuries as soon as possible.]

[However, Xiao Chen met with an accident and perished on his way to the Medicine King Valley. After several twists and turns, the Double Fish Dragon Pattern Pendant is now located in the Jinyu Tower of Liuyun City.]

[Xiao Feng, driven by lust, claimed the credit for himself and lied, saying he was the one who saved Qin Mengyao. After Xiao Chen died, there was no witness left.]

[After waking up, Qin Mengyao suffered from temporary amnesia for a period. During this time, Xiao Feng briefly captured Qin Mengyao's heart by using the claim of saving her life.]

[Although Qin Mengyao united with Xiao Feng and gave birth to Xiao Fan, after her memory was later restored, she always felt deep down that Xiao Feng's temperament did not match that blurry figure from back then.]

[This doubt became her Heart Demon. Now that she has returned to the Eastern Wilderness, she is preparing to revisit Luopo Valley to try and find the truth of that year.]

[For many years, Qin Mengyao has been seeing that blurry figure from back then in her dreams.]

[At this moment, Qin Mengyao's Divine Soul is in an extremely unstable state due to excessive worry. This is the best opportunity for the Host to use the Formless Heavenly Demon Art to enter her dreams and modify her memories. [Click to view]]

"Qin Mengyao... Xiao Fan's biological mother?"

Lu Yuan's fingers lightly tapped the armrest, his eyes flashing with a calculating light.

"This is a key figure."

"If I can win over Qin Mengyao, I can not only control a portion of the Qin Family's voice through her, but more importantly... it would cause this 'filial son' Xiao Fan's mental state to completely collapse!"

"Furthermore, this Qin Mengyao is a direct daughter of the Longevity Qin Family with a noble status. If she can be taken for my own use..."

Lu Yuan already had a complete plan in his mind.

"System, locate the Double Fish Dragon Pattern Pendant!"

With a thought, Lu Yuan checked the specific coordinates of the Double Fish Dragon Pattern Pendant... Liuyun City, Jinyu Tower.

This is one of the largest antique trading houses in the Eastern Wilderness, where people of all kinds mix, and one can often find treasures of unknown origin.

In the late night, Jinyu Tower had long since closed, with only a few guards dozing off.

"Buzz!"

The Void Realm trembled slightly.

A figure in green robes appeared silently in the warehouse.

Lu Yuan did not disturb anyone. His gaze was like a torch, instantly scanning the rows of shelves piled with miscellaneous items.

In an inconspicuous corner, there was a pile of items appraised as "mundane ornaments."

Lu Yuan reached out and grabbed.

A dust-covered, dull Double Fish Jade Pendant flew into his hand.

Gently wiping away the dust, the finely carved double fish pattern on the jade pendant was revealed. Although there was no Spiritual Qi fluctuation, it exuded an ancient charm.

"Double Fish Dragon Pattern Pendant..."

Lu Yuan toyed with the jade pendant in his hand, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"This jade pendant is the key to opening the door to Qin Mengyao's heart."

"And it is also the proof of me becoming Xiao Fan's 'stepfather'."

Stowing the jade pendant, Lu Yuan's figure disappeared once more... Luopo Valley.

This was a dangerous place located on the edge of the Eastern Wilderness, shrouded in mist all year round, filled with Yin Qi, and often frequented by demonic cultivators.

Tonight, the moonlight was mournful.

A figure in plain clothes stood alone beneath a withered tree in the valley.

Qin Mengyao stood there quietly, her eyes sorrowful as she gazed at the familiar scenery. Memories surged into her heart like a tide.

It had been twenty years.

That blurry figure, the one that appeared at her most desperate moment, had always lingered in her dreams, impossible to erase.

"Was it really you... Xiao Feng?"

She murmured to herself, her eyes filled with a trace of confusion and pain.

Although logic told her the person who saved her was Xiao Feng.

However, her intuition denied it time and again.

Xiao Feng's temperament was too wretched and too opportunistic; he didn't seem like the person who would step forward at a critical moment and risk his life to lead away the demonic cultivators.

"If it wasn't him, then who was it?"

Qin Mengyao felt bitter in her heart.

The night wind blew, bringing a hint of chill.

Qin Mengyao was already restless, and combined with revisiting the old place and overthinking, her Divine Soul experienced an unprecedented loosening at this moment.

She felt a wave of sleepiness hit her. Unconsciously, she leaned against the ancient tree and slowly closed her eyes.

"Now is the time!"

Lu Yuan, hidden in the Void Realm, had a grey light flare up in his eyes.

"Formless Heavenly Demon Art — Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns!"

Buzz!

An invisible Divine Soul wave instantly enveloped Qin Mengyao, silently invading the depths of her Sea of Consciousness.

Dream reconstruction, begin!

In the dream.

It was Luopo Valley twenty years ago.