Kunlun Prefecture, a nameless lake.
Ao Xue and Yi Xiao were walking alongside each other.
"Caishi and I lived here back then." Ao Xue pointed at a collapsed straw hut. "This is also where you were born. The three of us were together, undisturbed by anyone. It was like an otherworldly paradise. I once thought that if the Dragon race could discover my marriage a little later, allowing me to spend a few decades with the both of you, it would be worth it even if I was imprisoned."
"However, that day came too early. You were still young when the Dragon race discovered us." Ao Xue shook her head and sighed. "The matter was kept confidential among the West Sea Dragon race but they still informed Patriarch Yi."
There were many immortals among the Daoist and Buddhist sacred lands. Even places like Magistress Mountain and Scenic Mountain Sect had them. There was also a handful in the world that were conferred princely titles by the imperial government.
From this point of view, it proved Patriarch Yi's strength!
Large factions like the Cloudfiend Mountain and West Sea Dragon race were even afraid of Patriarch Yi! As for Ancestral Master Zhang, who held an even higher status in the Divine Firmament Chapter, he was Patriarch Yi's master! He had not only cultivated the best Daoist formulation, Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma, to the highest realm, he was the one who created it. Furthermore, he had singlehandedly uplifted the Divine Firmament Chapter to the status of sacred land. The Divine Firmament Zhang family was in no way inferior to the royal family.
"I didn't have a chance to tell Caishi of the matter, nor was I allowed to leave a message or note before being taken away. And that separation ended up lasting more than twenty years," said Ao Xue. "It is all thanks to Qin Yun that I regained my freedom."
"Yea." Yi Xiao looked carefully at the area. Had she spent her infancy here? She did not have any memory of it. She was just too young.
"Xiao'er, I want to see Caishi," said Ao Xue.
"He is currently with Princess Martial Maple," Yi Xiao could not help but say. She had already told her mother of her childhood, as well as what Yi Caishi had done and how he was with Princess Martial Maple now.
"We have to meet. There is a need to resolve the situation after all," said Ao Xue.
Yi Xiao nodded. "Alright then."
Whoosh.
The two rode a cloud and left the nameless lake, heading for the Kong Prefecture.
At noon, Kong Prefecture's Li City.
Ao Xue and Yi Xiao descended from the sky and headed straight for a manor. Ao Xue could clearly see Yi Caishi and Princess Martial Maple there.
They were in a garden, bantering in front of a canvas. Yi Caishi even laughed as he put a few strokes of his brush on Princess Martial Maple's face while she frolicked with him.
"Whoosh." Ao Xue and Yi Xiao landed.
"Caishi." Ao Xue shouted.
Princess Martial Maple and Yi Caishi looked up.
Yi Caishi felt like a bolt had struck him out of the blue as he stared at the white-dressed woman standing beside Yi Xiao in a daze.
"Xue…" Yi Caishi could not believe his eyes. All the deep repressed memories began to flood his brain.
Princess Martial Maple was in greater disbelief. When she saw how much Ao Xue resembled Yi Xiao, as well as Yi Caishi's reaction, she knew what was happening.
"You are that slut?" Princess Martial Maple bellowed angrily.
"Third Madam." Yi Caishi hurriedly spoke out to stop her.
"Shut up!"
Princess Martial Maple yelled angrily. "Slut, since you had the gall to come here, don't you plan on leaving! I want to have a good chat with you!" As she spoke, the array formation began to activate. They were in her home, so she naturally wielded control of the array formation. Immediately, the array formation activated to trap Ao Xue and Yi Xiao.
Ao Xue swept her gaze and waved her hand.
"Boom!"
A dragon's roar sounded faintly.
A gigantic golden dragon claw appeared out of nowhere as it tore apart the array formation and struck Princess Martial Maple, sending her flying to a corner. She was thrown onto a bed of flowers as she held her chest while spitting out blood.
"Third Madam!"
"Princess!"
"Princess!" The experts from the manor rushed over. They usually would not disturb the princess, but they could sense this was an extreme situation.
"Take down that slut for me." Princess Martial Maple pointed at Ao Xue. When the cultivation experts rushed over, Ao Xue swept her gaze across them with a frown. The golden dragon claw in midair swiped down at the cultivators with a whoosh, causing them to fly backward.
Princess Martial Maple was stunned.
"Seal." Ao Xue cast another Dharma spell.
Immediately, Princess Martial Maple was completely bound. Even her Dharmic powers and mouth were restrained. She could not say a word.
"Alright, there won't be any more disturbances now." A simple cast of the Dragon race's Dharma spells from Ao Xue was at the level of the Connate Golden Core intent domain realm. If she revealed her true form, she could be at the level of the Paramount realm. How could she be stopped by ordinary cultivators?
When Yi Caishi saw that Princess Martial Maple was only looking nervous and furious but not injured, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Xue, you are back." Yi Caishi gave Ao Xue a conflicted look. Although he hated his wife for abandoning him and his daughter without a word, he recalled the sweet memories the moment he saw her again. He could not harden his heart anymore.
"Caishi." Ao Xue looked at Yi Caishi. "I came here only to ask you the reason for your heartlessness towards Xiao'er. Don't tell me that you were afraid of Princess Martial Maple's threats. Your Yi family is a thousand-year-old family clan. Can it not protect Xiao'er?"
Yi Caishi felt a jolt through his body as he muttered under his breath, "Xue, since you are asking me, I'll tell you. Firstly, Xiao'er and I cannot live in the ancestral land forever. Xiao'er needs to experience a wider world, so I went to be with Third Madam. I made sure that she agreed not to attack Xiao'er. Secondly, I hated you for leaving us. I brought up Xiao'er alone and had to be both a mother and father to her. I hated you. Why did you leave? You left without a word and Third Madam never forgot me. Comparing her to you, I felt that I was being too selfish when I abandoned her back then."
"I brought up Xiao'er till she was nine. By then, she was mature enough to not freeze or starve to death in the Yi family. Therefore, I left with Third Madam," said Yi Caishi.
"Back when we were together, you never mentioned anything about this princess." Ao Xue stared at him.
"Yes, I was being selfish. I was afraid that you would leave me if I told you," muttered Yi Caishi. "It was all my fault."
"Yi Caishi, how could you be so heartless towards Xiao'er? I hate your guts. How could you let this Martial Maple do such a horrific thing to our daughter?" said Ao Xue angrily. "Thankfully Qin Yun was there to save her, or who knows what the outcome would have been?"
"I… I also…" Yi Caishi tried to say something but he could not finish his sentence.
"Useless," berated Ao Xue angrily.
When she heard that Princess Martial Maple had once sliced her daughter's face, she had planned on a crueler torture. Thankfully, Yi Xiao was saved by Qin Yun. Ao Xue nearly went into a mindless rage when she learned of the matter. Yi Xiao had to persuade her against it as Qin Yun had already sought revenge for her.
Ao Xue turned to look at Princess Martial Maple and extended her hand. She slapped Princess Martial Maple angrily dozens of times. It left the corner of Princess Martial Maple's mouth covered with blood. Her face swelled and her eyes were filled with fury.
"As a mother, I'm standing up for my daughter. If not for my son-in-law's actions, do you think I'd spare you that easily?" Ao Xue's eyes were filled with killing intent.
"Xue." Yi Caishi immediately tried to put himself between them. "That's enough. It's really enough."
Ao Xue looked at Yi Caishi and said, "Caishi, I'm asking you now. Do you want to follow this vicious bitch or do you want to leave with us?"
Yi Caishi was taken aback.
At that moment, his heart wavered! Daughter! Wife…
The extremely infuriated Princess Martial Maple turned anxious at that moment. She looked at Yi Caishi nervously as tears streamed down noiselessly.
As he looked at the nervous Princess Martial Maple's red, tear-stained, and swollen face, as well as the marks he had left behind with a brush, Yi Caishi sighed lightly. He turned to look at Ao Xue. "Xue, I disappointed Third Madam back then. I cannot let her down again."
Princess Martial Maple's tearing eyes immediately gave a look of pleasant surprise.
"After treating our daughter in such a manner, did you really think I would allow you to leave with us?" Ao Xue said coldly. "I was only testing you, to see what you would choose. Your choice has allowed me to think a little higher of you."
With that said, Ao Xue undid the Sealing Spell.
Princess Martial Maple was able to speak again as she rushed to Yi Caishi's side. She hugged his arm tightly. "Caishi."
"Third Madam, I won't leave. It was my fault for letting you down back then," said Yi Caishi.
Princess Martial Maple was truly and extremely touched.
The slut had come but Caishi still chose her!
At that moment, she felt completely relieved. Yi Caishi loved her the deepest.
"I only want to be with Caishi and lead peaceful days." Princess Martial Maple looked at Ao Xue and Yi Caishi. "I will not bother any of you from now on."
"Let's go," said Ao Xue.
Yi Xiao nodded.
Whoosh.
The mother-daughter duo left on a cloud.
Yi Caishi watched from afar and then looked at Princess Martial Maple beside him. It was finally over!
Princess Martial Maple's dirty and swollen face was filled with sweetness.
"Mom, you are crying." On the cloud, Yi Xiao looked at her mother.
Ao Xue wiped her tears and said with a chuckle, "When I heard what he did to you, I knew it was impossible for me to be with him again. It's better that he can be with Princess Martial Maple."
"Then, where shall we go now?" asked Yi Xiao.
"Let's travel the world, just the two of us." Ao Xue smiled at her daughter. She wanted to compensate her daughter for the time they lost. She was long disappointed with Yi Caishi and all she cared for was her daughter.
"Alright, let's travel the world. Just the two of us." Yi Xiao was happy as well.
In Jiang Prefecture's Grand Dominance.
Qin Yun was already back home, where he spent his time cultivating peacefully. Occasionally, he would chat with Yi Xiao. Regarding the duo's travels, he was very assured since his mother-in-law was an existence that matched the Paramount realm.