28: Chapter 28 Of course I know, my mother's title of "abortion expert" isn't for nothing.

Afterward, Sect Master Min Qingrou arrived at a familiar courtyard.

This place held the memories of her entire childhood.

At the same time, this place was also the residence of the Min Family Old Ancestor, Min Ling'er.

Welcoming Sect Master Min Qingrou was the personal maid of Min Ling'er.

"Young Miss, the Old Ancestor is currently in a life-or-death seclusion and is not convenient to see you right now."

"Once the Old Ancestor emerges from seclusion, I will certainly inform her and have you invited over immediately."

"Very well."

Sect Master Min Qingrou suspected nothing; she nodded, bowed toward the direction of the room where the barrier was constructed, and then turned to leave.

Watching Sect Master Min Qingrou's departing figure, the maid shook her head helplessly.

"If the Old Ancestor can successfully achieve a Breakthrough this time, she certainly won't sit idly by regarding this."

"But if..."

"Sigh." Thinking of the current situation of the Min Family, as well as her master who was currently in life-or-death seclusion, she could not help but sigh.

The world knew that back then, she had slaughtered her husband's Family and purged the treacherous villains of her own kin.

Yet they did not know that the inhuman torture suffered during those years of enduring humiliation had damaged her very foundation.

The once brilliant and talented heaven-favored daughter was forced to exhaust her own potential in exchange for the strength to escape and survive.

At the beginning, the drawbacks of this approach had not yet appeared.

However, as her strength increased, the hope of her breaking through the shackles of her Realm became increasingly slim.

Now that her Lifespan was running out, she intended to force a Breakthrough in her Realm.

It had a sense of "succeed or perish," a feeling of facing death with equanimity.

However, the struggle of the Dao of cultivation had always been this way.

If one wishes to obtain power, Lifespan, and the like, one can only struggle against the heavens and go against a fate of sinking into oblivion.

Upon receiving the news that the Old Ancestor was in life-or-death seclusion and intending to break through her Realm, although Sect Master Min Qingrou had left, she could not help but feel a ripple in her heart.

The Old Ancestor had always been exceptionally good to her, but she could not pin everything on the Old Ancestor's protection.

Because above the Old Ancestor, there was still a Supreme Old Ancestor.

Back then, it was he who had forcefully suppressed the Old Ancestor when she, blinded by bloodlust, had wanted to further escalate the bloodbath.

His strength was unfathomable and impossible to estimate.

If he were to stand behind her father, Min Yong, and back him up, even if the Old Ancestor were unwilling to retreat a single step, she would inevitably fall into a perilous situation.

Sect Master Min Qingrou did not want to see the Old Ancestor, who had always loved and cherished her, in a difficult position, nor did she want to become a pawn in the game to fight for others' interests.

Therefore, planning, strategizing, and putting schemes first were extremely necessary.

An unknown fate must be firmly grasped in her own hands.

Being controlled by others would eventually lead to being like a marionette, liable to be abandoned at any time.

Especially in a Family, a product that primarily emphasizes interests, with familial affection coming second.

"If I were to escape, I certainly could not stay in the Xuantian Domain."

"Although I am familiar with this place, it is impossible to withstand the vast number of vassals and the many eyes and ears of the Min Family and the Qian Family."

"Moreover, having privately fled the Family back then, violating the marriage contract, and offending the Zhang Family, it is inevitable that they might seize the opportunity to cause trouble."

Sect Master Min Qingrou thought silently to herself.

She had always considered the worst-case scenario for everything, so as to have sufficient means to cope.

Just as she returned to the small courtyard where she lived, the figure of a graceful, beautiful, and still charming middle-aged woman had been waiting there for a long time.

This person was none other than her mother, Wu Qingzhu.

And what she had brought with her on this trip was a bowl of steaming sweet soup, respectfully held by a maid.

"Mother knows you love sweets, so I specifically ordered them to make a bowl of peach gum, snow swallow, and white fungus soup."

Sect Master Min Qingrou remained silent, her beautiful eyes sweeping slightly over the bowl of soup; she sniffed the scent diffusing in the air to discern it, and she already knew what it was.

It was indeed a delicacy.

But it was a delicacy she had no fortune to enjoy!

"Do you still not believe in your mother's love and care for you?"

Seeing Sect Master Min Qingrou just standing there without moving, Wu Qingzhu could not help but have a bad thought.

Could this girl have seen through it?

That shouldn't be; I have used this method for many years and have never failed.

"How could Mother ever harm you?"

Sect Master Min Qingrou let out a scoff: "I had long heard that in your youth, Mother was a 'Little Abortion Expert,' and initially, I did not believe it."

"However, although Father's inner courtyard has never been without various beauties, which of those concubines has ever successfully given birth to offspring? This matter has inevitably been discussed by outsiders."

"Now, looking at it from your perspective, I find that Mother's methods are indeed brilliant, and you are well-versed in pharmacology."

"Making those concubines afraid to rely on their favor and become arrogant, each of them living as if walking on thin ice."

"Qingrou, what nonsense are you spouting?" Wu Qingzhu took a sip of clear tea to symbolically cover up, then continued, "After being apart for so many years, do you not even trust Mother anymore?"

"Although rumors outside say the Young Master of the Qian Family is promiscuous."

"But after your father and I met him, we both felt he was a man of talent and appearance, and with your beauty, it can be called a match made in heaven."

"Besides, you have traveled through various continents, so you must understand that it is only natural for the strong to have multiple Dao Companions."

"As long as he has a heart to treat you well, that is enough."

"What do you think?"

"I think not." Sect Master Min Qingrou sternly refused.

Before leaving, she had instructed Gu Qingge on some matters.

Among them was that if Gu Qingge met a suitable woman, he could take her into his harem.

Being active and being passive are two completely different situations.

Her marriage should be guided by happiness, not by an exchange of interests.

"Sigh, why won't you listen to Mother's advice, child?"

"You are the apple of Mother's eye; I fear dropping you if I hold you in my hands, and I fear you melting if I hold you in my mouth..."

Wu Qingzhu wanted to step forward to hug Sect Master Min Qingrou, but she skillfully and unobtrusively dodged.

Seeing this, even though Wu Qingzhu usually had good patience, a flash of embarrassment and anger could not help but flicker across her face.

Immediately, she no longer feigned familial affection and directly tore off her hypocritical disguise.

"Do you really intend to wait bitterly, just for that lover in Lingzhou?" Wu Qingzhu's Phoenix eyes blinked, and a sense of dignity without anger was fully revealed.

Unexpectedly, Sect Master Min Qingrou corrected her wording: "Mother is wrong. It is not a lover with a secret relationship, but a legitimate Dao Companion."

"I regard him as my husband, and he regards me as his wife."

"In this life, this love, only when the heavens and earth unite, would I dare to part with you."

"You... are you insisting on defying us?" Wu Qingzhu said angrily.

Sect Master Min Qingrou responded directly: "Compared to selling a daughter for glory and using unscrupulous means to extract benefits, what does defiance even count for?"

If it could be said that Sect Master Min Qingrou had any reservations before.

Then after today's incident, she had no redundant emotions left.

"Then you had better pray that your sworn Dao Companion can survive to come see you. Hmph!"

Having said this, Wu Qingzhu immediately flicked her sleeves and left.

At the same time, the number of guards at the courtyard where Sect Master Min Qingrou was staying increased several times over.

This was to prevent her from escaping again.

But no matter how much they racked their brains, it would be hard to imagine that Gu Qingge had been completely unreserved toward Sect Master Min Qingrou, gifting her many items to resolve crises before his departure.