Bai Nishang still found it hard to believe.
Lu Yan was nothing more than her devoted lapdog.
How could he possibly be a legendary hidden master?
Besides, only yesterday she had ordered Lu Yan to stop Luo Mingyue.
He couldn't even stop Luo Mingyue.
What kind of supreme master was he?
With this thought, Bai Nishang went and told her mother about the matter.
Unexpectedly, Bai Yue frowned instantly. "Absurd!"
"Mother, that wretch Luo Mingyue..."
"I am talking about how you ordered Lu Yan around like that."
Bai Yue said with a cold voice,
"I am now almost certain that Lu Yan is that person."
"Why?"
Bai Nishang asked in disbelief.
Why? How could her mother suddenly be certain!
"Last year, the Sect Master told me that that senior might be leaving soon."
"Now I finally understand why he suddenly wants to leave."
"It turns out it was because of you."
Bai Yue stood up, looking at her daughter with a mixture of anger and disappointment.
"That senior must have fallen in love with you."
"That is why he stayed at Spirit Sword Peak all this time, yet received no response from you, and instead was ordered around by you just like a lapdog."
"That must be why he wants to leave today as well."
"Otherwise, do you really think that with his cultivation realm, surpassing the Nascent Soul stage and even reaching the Deity Transformation stage, he couldn't stop a mere Luo Mingyue?"
"He simply didn't try to stop her at all."
"Mother, are you saying Lu Yan is angry?"
Bai Nishang opened her eyes wide and asked in disbelief.
"What do you think? Ah."
Bai Yue sighed deeply.
"Such a wonderful opportunity, and you actually let it slip right through your fingers."
Yet Bai Nishang stood up in a flurry. "No."
"I don't believe it."
"How could Lu Yan be a hidden master above the Nascent Soul stage?"
Suddenly, she thought of her past life, when Lu Yan seemed to have vanished into thin air just as abruptly.
"No, he isn't. He definitely isn't."
Bai Nishang felt increasingly unable to accept it.
"Wait until tonight—what if that senior hasn't left yet?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
"He definitely hasn't left yet."
The mere thought that she might have missed out on a powerhouse at the Nascent Soul or even Deity Transformation stage made Bai Nishang's heart ache intensely, leaving her utterly crestfallen.
...
The Canglan Continent was vast.
Countless mortal dynasties and empires existed upon it, constantly waging war and conquering one another.
Yet the Dawei Dynasty, where the Luo Mansion was located,
could not even rank among the powerful nations of the continent.
Accompanied by the Sword Spirit, she left the Sword Sect and flew the entire way.
As a sword cultivator, Luo Mingyue was not incapable of flying on a sword, but she dared not.
How could she possibly dare to step upon the back of the Sword Spirit senior?
She had no choice but to travel by concealment arts.
Naturally, traveling via concealment arts was far slower than flying on a sword, and it took a full five days before she finally reached the borders of the Dawei Dynasty.
"The Dawei Dynasty has a total of three provinces and sixteen prefectures, and its territorial area only ranks around fiftieth among all the dynasties and empires on the Canglan Continent."
Assuming Jiang Chengan was unfamiliar with the situation, Luo Mingyue continued to explain to him.
"Mhm."
Jiang Chengan nodded.
"If we fly for another half day, we will reach the capital."
Luo Mingyue spoke once more.
"Mhm."
"Sword Spirit Senior..."
Luo Mingyue hesitated, her words trailing off.
"What is it?"
"Once we arrive at the Luo Mansion, could you please not casually make a move?"
Luo Mingyue said after all, "Those people are, after all, Mingyue's family. Perhaps if Mingyue explains things to them properly, they will abandon their plans."
Jiang Chengan was utterly astounded.
"What are you saying?"
This was something he never expected.
Even at a time like this, Luo Mingyue still harbored hopes for the Luo family.
"Mhm."
"Sword Spirit Senior."
Luo Mingyue took a deep breath. "But please rest assured, Mingyue has already suffered a loss once and will not make the same mistake a second time. I merely wish to give them one last chance."
"I still want to ask them a question."
"What question?"
Jiang Chengan asked, puzzled.
"Is the distinction between the primary wife's children and concubines' children really that important?"
A flash of anger crossed the depths of Luo Mingyue's eyes.
Primary wife versus concubines?
Jiang Chengan stared in wide-eyed disbelief.
This was quite simply the universal flaw in web novels aimed at female readers, and the most sickening part of all—the obsession with the hierarchy of primary and secondary lineages.
In real life, female authors loudly championed democracy, freedom, universal awakening, and the innate female capacity for love.
They advocated for the rise of women's rights and the rejection of feudal dregs.
Yet within their books, they obsessively played up the conflict between the primary and secondary branches.
They dreamed day and night of being the legitimate eldest daughters, suppressing the daughters of concubines.
One might say,
among countless novels written for female readers,
the distinction between primary and secondary lineages was nothing less than an unbridgeable chasm, an impossible class leap.
Let alone the fact that Luo Mingyue was currently only at the Foundation Establishment mid stage.
In her past life, even when she returned to the Luo Mansion with the cultivation of the Golden Core stage, she was met with all sorts of cold stares and disdain.
She was even forced to kneel and kowtow to her legitimate elder sister, who possessed only the status of a mortal.
"Alright then,"
Jiang Chengan said. "However, my temper is not good."
"If I can't help it and end up hacking people to pieces, don't try to stop me then."
Luo Mingyue had her scruples, but he had none.
If they pushed him too far, he would simply hack this damned Luo Mansion to pieces.
"Yes, yes, yes."
Luo Mingyue nodded repeatedly.
Before long, the outline of a city faintly appeared within their field of vision.
"That is the capital."
"I haven't returned in a very long time either. Come to think of it, it has been about..."
As Luo Mingyue spoke, her voice grew faint.
"What is it?"
Jiang Chengan asked her.
Why was she perfectly fine just a moment ago, only for her mood to shift so abruptly?
"Sword Spirit Senior, actually there is something I have been keeping from you all along."
Luo Mingyue said softly, "I am a person reborn."
Jiang Chengan paused.
He said nothing.
He had never imagined that Luo Mingyue would choose to reveal this matter as well; he had assumed she would keep it hidden forever.
"Sword Spirit Senior, isn't it bizarre? If you don't believe it, just take Mingyue's words as a joke."
"I already came back once in my previous life..."
She sighed. "So reckoning it up, I suppose I haven't been back in several decades."
"This time..."
"The matters of my past life are finally going to be resolved."
As her voice fell,
Luo Mingyue descended sharply.
Her figure dove downward like a shooting star, landing directly upon the streets of the capital city.
Her powerful imposing aura directly knocked over the numerous commoners all around.
This sight likewise shocked the surrounding citizenry.
Upon seeing the brilliant radiance fade away,
revealing a transcendent-looking maiden carrying a sword on her back,
everyone immediately dropped to their knees around her, crying out, "Immortals."
"Ah, ah, ah, it's actually a fairy."
"A female sword immortal."
In an instant, all sorts of exclamations filled the air.
Yet when they raised their heads once more, Luo Mingyue had already vanished from the spot.
"Could it be the Second Miss?"
Just as Luo Mingyue was walking toward the Luo Mansion,
a frail woman carrying a bamboo basket suddenly rushed out, tightly grabbing her arm and refusing to let go, scanning her up and down with pleasant surprise.
"Could it truly be the Second Miss?"
"Aunt Liu?"
Luo Mingyue quickly recognized the woman as well, and said in astonishment, "How did you end up looking like this now?"
Aunt Liu had been her mother's personal maid.
It was only after her mother passed away from illness that she was reassigned to work under the mistress of the house.
Yet in her memories,
although Aunt Liu was not particularly pretty,
she had been young, petite, and fair-skinned. How could she have been reduced to this state in just a few short years?
"Second Miss, you look so pretty now. Have you truly become an immortal?"
"If Mistress knew what you look like now,"
"she would surely be very comforted."
Aunt Liu's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Aunt Liu, you haven't answered my question yet."
"Have they been bullying you all this time?"
Luo Mingyue continued to press the matter.
This was her mother's personal maid, and she had always cared for her deeply.
Suddenly remembering something, Aunt Liu's expression changed drastically, and she began pushing Luo Mingyue, urging her to leave.
"Second Miss, pay no mind to my affairs."
"Hurry and leave! Do not come back—never, ever come back."
"The master and the others..."
Yet at that very moment,
the heavy gates of the Luo Mansion not far away suddenly swung wide open.