Soon, all the Zhou Mountain Sword Sect disciples in the manor learned that Elder Meng actually had a son!
"I never expected Gong Yan'er to have this up her sleeve."
"Truly impressive."
Elder Meng's only child had to be protected and well taken care of! Dong Wan and Liu Qingsha had no choice but to obediently arrange for a residence for Gong Yan'er and the child. They followed Qin Yun's instructions and demarcated a small area in the manor to be set aside for mother and son!
That evening.
Qin Yun sat inside a pavilion reading while Gong Yan'er sat to the side with the child in her bosom.
"Master, Elder Qu from Centaurea Valley is here," Liu Qingsha said politely. A middle-aged woman walked in. She was the only Connate Elder in the Centaurea Valley entourage that came with Gong Yan'er.
"Greetings, In-law, I'm Qu Ying from Centaurea Valley." Elder Qu might have been old but she had an elegant figure. The years had not weathered away her charm.
Upon hearing how she addressed Qin Yun, Liu Qingsha frowned slightly as she glanced at Elder Qu.
"I am not an in-law of your Centaurea Valley. Don't address me as you please," said Qin Yun nonchalantly as he read his book.
"Yes, Young Master Meng." Elder Qu was extremely humble.
"Bring Gong Yan'er's family to Sovereign Capital in half a month's time." Qin Yun swept his gaze across Elder Qu.
"It's about time Disciple-Niece Gong has a reunion with her family. That's a trivial matter. They will be here before half a month is up," said Elder Qu with a smile.
Gong Yan'er heaved a sigh of relief when she saw how it played out.
The sect would frequently use her parents and family to threaten her. Now, just a word from Meng Yiqiu was enough to make Centaurea Valley give them up immediately.
"Also, from this moment forth, Gong Yan'er is no longer a disciple of Centaurea Valley," said Qin Yun.
"Disciple-Niece Gong, you wish to leave the sect?" Elder Qu was somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Gong Yan'er nodded.
She had had enough!
"Since Disciple-Niece Gong wishes to leave the sect, so be it." Elder Qu shook her head. "When I left to come here, Valley Lady ordered that everything Young Master Meng says shall be abided!"
Qin Yun was somewhat surprised.
Centaurea Valley had not even tried to negotiate. They agreed to whatever he wanted! He saw them in a different light.
"Young Master Meng," said Elder Qu with a smile. "Regardless, Disciple-Niece Gong grew up in Centaurea Valley. Centaurea Valley is her family. Now that she's in Sovereign Capital, she has no one familiar to her that can tend to her needs. We came to Sovereign Capital with a group of Centaurea Valley disciples. Shall I leave them here to take care of her?"
Qin Yun looked at Gong Yan'er.
"There's no need for everyone to stay," said Gong Yan'er. "Just have the Chun Tao trio stay here with me."
Qin Yun knew of them.
The three maidservants had served Gong Yan'er for a long time. They grew up together and had a close relationship.
"Alright then." Elder Qu did not persist. She smiled at Qin Yun. "Elder Meng, to be honest, my Centaurea Valley has always thought highly of you. We felt that you were extremely talented and had a limitless future. It was the reason why we sent the best member of my Centaurea Valley's younger generation, Fairy Crabapple, to be with you. We had even decided for the both of you to spend the rest of your lives together. But we never expected you to be inflicted with a lethal poison. You should know that it was not something my Centaurea Valley wanted either! To the Centaurea Valley, it was in our interests that you stayed strong."
Qin Yun found such an explanation acceptable.
Indeed, Centaurea Valley liked to marry their excellent disciples to powerful experts! Meng Yiqiu was shaping up to be an pawn for them back then. Since Centaurea Valley invested so much into him, of course they would not want him dead! It was best if Meng Yiqiu ended up being strong. Centaurea Valley had given Gong Yan'er's virginity to him, after all. It was quite a sizable price to pay.
"You may leave," said Qin Yun.
"Elder Meng, you do know that my Centaurea Valley is everywhere in the world. If there is any help you require from Centaurea Valley, feel free to ask." Elder Qu smiled before taking her leave.
He watched as Elder Qu departed.
Qin Yun put down the book in his hand and said with a smile, "It's no wonder so many cultivation experts revel in their comforts despite knowing that they are being used. The Centaurea Valley truly has impressive means."
"The stronger a person is, the better they will treat that person," explained Gong Yan'er. "That Lord Greentiger is like a king to my Centaurea Valley. Many beauties serve him and abide by his every wish."
Qin Yun nodded.
Lord Greentiger was an itinerant cultivator overseas, ranked seventeenth on the Heaven roll.
Yet, he fell for the comforts of Centaurea Valley and took up permanent residence there!
"In the Centaurea Valley's eyes," said Gong Yan'er, "they do not need to impose any conditions with your present strength. All they want is to let the world know that you have a close relationship with Centaurea Valley. They earn many benefits just by draping your tiger skin. Furthermore, they will keep helping you and not ask for anything in return. However, after a certain amount of giving, you would owe them. You would then naturally stand on their side."
Qin Yun nodded.
There were many sects that looked down on Centaurea Valley but it had managed to last eight centuries, a period longer than most dynasties.
Time flew by.
His senior brother, Sect Master Zuo Tang, and his sister, Meng Yuxiang, were very happy. After all, Meng Yiqiu had a son! They were only unhappy that the child's mother was Gong Yan'er. But for the child's sake, they could only bear with it.
More than ten days later.
Gong Yan'er's family arrived.
"Yan'er, why did you leave Centaurea Valley? Valley Lady told me that she planned on making you an Elder in Centaurea Valley. Furthermore, your status would be phenomenal. Even Valley Lady would not order you around." Gong Yan'er's mother said immediately, "Even I have been promoted to being General Manager of Centaurea Valley's East Yard. Those that domineered over me the past year are now fawning over me. Even Elders have to treat me well."
Gong Yan'er's mother was rather pleased and smug.
She had been considered an inferior all her life but now she enjoyed a high status. She naturally felt good while basking in the limelight.
"Besides, I'm not familiar with Sovereign Capital. I'm already accustomed to Centaurea Valley. Don't try to persuade me. I still want to return," said her mother.
"General Manager of the East Yard? Valley Lady sure is willing to give a lot to keep me." Gong Yan'er was exasperated.
"Yan'er, your younger brother and I will stay here," said her father.
Gong Yan'er smiled.
"Yan'er," persuaded her mother. "Even your sister and cousins have had their positions uplifted. Regardless, all of us will be relying on you. It's best you do not leave the sect. Wouldn't it be nice to be an Elder? It's not like you'll need to do anything if you return."
"Mom, I won't try to make you stay here if you don't want to. You shouldn't try to make me go either." Gong Yan'er shook her head.
"Sigh." Her mother shook her head before saying, "By the way, you must please In-law well. We were liberated and your sister and cousin can enjoy their new status all thanks to him. If he doesn't want you, Centaurea Valley will lose decorum with us immediately. I've been in Centaurea Valley all my life. I know this very well."
Gong Yan'er nodded.
She also knew that well!
However, Gong Yan'er could sense that Meng Yiqiu no longer had the feelings he had for her in the past.
"In fact, if you were to stay in Centaurea Valley, with In-law as your backer, you might have a chance of becoming Valley Lady yourself," said her mother immediately.
"Enough." Gong Yan'er stood up. "I'm tired. I'll go back and take a rest."
Her mother gave an obsequious smile. "Alright, go and have your rest."
It was true that Qin Yun did not have any feelings for Gong Yan'er. After all, he was not Meng Yiqiu.
However, Qin Yun showed a lot of concern for the child. Due to the karma of the body, he had to take good care of him. Besides, he liked children to begin with. Finally, he was destined to be the child's father for fifty years.
Days passed one after another.
Qin Yun would frequently head to the arsenal in the Chu Kingdom's imperial palace to browse through manuals. He spent three months there before he finished reading all of them. He memorized them and following that, he returned to his residence and leisurely began research for his Sword Dao.
While researching… he would occasionally visit his younger sister and accompany his son, Meng Huan.
"It's snowing!"
"It's snowing!"
It was winter in the twelfth month of the year. Snow fluttered in the sky and there was a thick layer of snow accumulating early in the morning.
Meng Yuxiang also came to visit with her daughter. The young girl happily ran in the snow and shouted, "It's snowing! It's snowing!" Meng Huan, who could now walk, also laughed as he ran after his cousin. Gong Yan'er carefully followed behind her son to make sure he didn't fall or run into something.
"This snow sure is heavy." Qin Yun sat inside a pavilion, drinking warm tea and eating pastries.
"Brother." Meng Yuxiang came over and sat down. She whispered, "Have you heard the news?"
"What news?" Qin Yun asked.
"According to Qifeng, His Majesty's health is dire," said Meng Yuxiang immediately. "He can't even eat or drink anymore! Even ordinary people would not be able to survive for long if they do not eat or drink. His Majesty probably has few days left. Now, Sovereign Capital is secretly in chaos. The Duan family has many people coming in and out every day. I'm flustered just watching it."
"Oh?" Qin Yun nodded and said with a smile, "The Duan family supports Crown Prince. It's a critical moment now. They would naturally be on edge."
The battle for the throne was a huge matter for the Chu Kingdom. The Yan and Wei Kingdoms were also secretly inciting chaos.
However, all of that was trivial to Qin Yun.