Chapter 628 - 511: Xiao Mo and I Will Lie to You Too...
Chapter 628: Chapter 511: Xiao Mo and I Will Lie to You Too...
After Liu Shui left, Xiao Mo walked back to the bamboo courtyard alone.
The moment he stepped through the gate, he saw a graceful woman in a white dress standing quietly in the courtyard.
Staring at the figure, Xiao Mo felt a mix of surprise and weary resignation.
’My humble bamboo courtyard has certainly seen a lot of visitors today.’
"Greetings, Madam."
Xiao Mo walked forward and bowed respectfully.
"There’s no need for such formality."
Tushan Xinhua nodded lightly, her gaze falling upon the young man before her, now all grown up.
Her captivating eyes slowly swept over him, the look in their depths complex and unreadable, as if she were both scrutinizing him and reminiscing about something.
After all, in the blink of an eye, the little boy who had been sold to Tushan Mansion had become a Golden Core Realm Cultivator before the age of twenty. It was indeed surreal.
"I came today to ask you a question," Tushan Xinhua said slowly. "Xiao Mo, can you answer me truthfully?"
"Of course," Xiao Mo replied with a nod. "As long as it’s Madam asking, I will answer truthfully."
"Why?"
Tushan Xinhua didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, her words full of confusion.
"Xiao Mo, why didn’t you go with Yun Xi? In terms of looks, Gui Junmeng and Jing Ci are identical. Furthermore, Gui Junmeng is human and has a Dao Seed Body. If you became her cultivation partner, your future path to the Great Dao would be assured—frankly, I truly can’t think of any reason for you to refuse."
"There’s no special reason," Xiao Mo said with a smile, shaking his head calmly. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Madam knew everything that had happened tonight. "I just felt that I couldn’t abandon the Young Miss."
"You couldn’t abandon her..." Tushan Xinhua’s eyes held a trace of surprise, as well as a hint of amusement. "Is Jing Ci more important to you than a path to the heavens? Are you aware of how many people in this world would sell out their own wives and daughters for that illusory Great Dao, without a second thought?"
"That’s other people, not me." Xiao Mo raised his head, his gaze calm and resolute. "If I had to stand by and watch someone important die in front of me, what use would this Great Dao be, even if it reached the heavens?"
"..."
Hearing Xiao Mo’s answer, Tushan Xinhua was momentarily speechless. She just stared blankly into his eyes, as if trying to confirm something.
But she could feel that every single word Xiao Mo had spoken came from the heart.
"You really are a strange one..."
Tushan Xinhua shook her head, an inscrutable smile playing on her lips.
"But then again, you humans... you can be strange like that sometimes..."
Tushan Xinhua gently folded her hands in front of her and turned to walk out of the bamboo courtyard, her steps composed and steady.
"In two months, you and Jing Ci should end your studies at Cold Mountain Academy early. The Demon Race’s World is in great turmoil now. Although Cold Mountain Academy is guarded by Cun Caiguang, it’s not entirely safe. Too many people see the academy as a thorn in their side and are about to make a move against it."
"Besides, it’s time you both went out to see this world for yourselves. As for your future path, that is something you must walk on your own."
She paused, turned her head to the side, and added in a soft voice, "Also, if you want to see Jing Ci, you may do so whenever you wish. I will no longer place any restrictions on you."
"Madam." Xiao Mo called out to Tushan Xinhua, his tone solemn. "I also have a question, if I may ask?"
"Speak." The single word slipped from Tushan Xinhua’s thin lips.
"Gui Junmeng... what does she mean to you, Madam?"
As Xiao Mo’s words fell, the entire courtyard plunged into silence.
The bamboo leaves stopped rustling, and even the moonlight seemed to freeze for a moment.
After a long while, Tushan Xinhua turned her head slightly, glanced back, and said in a soft, clear voice, "Whether it’s Jing Ci or Gui Junmeng... to me, they are both my daughters."
...
The next morning, Tushan Jing Ci slowly awoke from her slumber, her consciousness gradually returning.
"Mother... Mother..."
As she woke up, the girl’s fragmented memories of the previous night came back to her, and she recalled what had happened.
She remembered that she had been about to go find Xiao Mo, but had run right into her mother in the courtyard.
Her mother had said she was waiting for someone’s answer.
Tushan Jing Ci had no idea who her mother was waiting for.
No matter how much she pressed, her mother refused to say another word.
In the end, Tushan Jing Ci gave up asking. Instead, she made an excuse about going to play at a friend’s house, when in reality she planned to sneak off to find Xiao Mo.
But how could a trick like that possibly fool Tushan Xinhua?
Tushan Jing Ci had been knocked unconscious by her mother with a Technique.
When she woke up again, it was already dawn.
’Why did Mother suddenly show up last night... It’s not like it’s a special occasion or anything.’
Tushan Jing Ci grew more and more puzzled by her mother’s arrival.
’Wait! Don’t tell me Mother came to harm Xiao Mo?’
The thought suddenly popped into Tushan Jing Ci’s mind, and the more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed.
After all, for the past three years, she had run off to Xiao Mo’s courtyard whenever she had a free moment.
And at Cold Mountain Academy, even if Sister Liu Shui wouldn’t tattle on her to her mother, there were still other Maids in her courtyard.
What’s more, her mother had surely planted her own spies in the shadows.
How could her mother not have guessed her feelings for Xiao Mo?
’What if Mother came this time to kill Xiao Mo?’
The more she thought about it, the more panicked Tushan Jing Ci became.