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Although it was unfair, Emperor Chenghao could only obediently stay in the space to cultivate, and Ning Yuzhou even left Wen Tuti, the demon cultivator capable of shapeshifting, to guide him.

For an ordinary person, being guided by a cultivator at the Yuanchuang stage would be an overwhelming surprise.

But for Emperor Chenghao, who was accustomed to being the patriarch... it was truly heartbreaking.

——

After half an hour, Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao reached the Wen clan.

The Wen clan didn’t have many disciples, as most of them had gone to participate in the grand competition. Only a portion of the disciples remained behind, and they were mostly older ones with mediocre abilities.

When Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou arrived together, hand in hand, the remaining disciples quickly recognized them.

In truth, Ning Yuzhou hadn’t changed much. He was still elegant, handsome, and radiated an air of royalty, as befitting the offspring of an earthly emperor. Wen Qiao, however, had undergone a significant transformation. In the eyes of the older generation of the Wen clan, she was still that frail, thin, and pale child who seemed as if she might pass away at any time.

A child who had been overlooked by them.

Yet, after defying her fate of an early death, she had not only grown taller but also matured in appearance, becoming increasingly beautiful and resembling her mother, who was also a rare beauty.

The Wen clan disciples were extremely excited. They all knew that Wen Qiao was no longer the same; her cultivation was profound, and the entire Wen clan could rightfully call her an ancestor. However, due to the Wen clan’s past neglect and the way they had hastily married her off as if offloading a burden, she now harbored no affection for the Wen clan and had no intention of returning.

The Wen clan didn’t dare to disturb her but secretly hoped Wen Qiao would return, even if just to make an appearance, as it would allow the Wen clan to hold their heads high in front of other families.

When the entire Wen clan was stirred, the few remaining elders eagerly came forward to greet them.

“Third... Third Miss...”

Wen Qiao glanced at them; it was the Grand Elder, the Third Elder, and the Seventh Elder.

In the past, she had been just a sickly little girl who rarely even saw the clan leader, let alone these elders. She hadn’t been worthy of meeting them. But now, these elders personally came out to welcome her, respectfully ushering them into the Wen clan.

In the reception hall, the three elders gazed at Wen Qiao excitedly and carefully asked, “Third Miss, why have you suddenly returned? Is there something you need?”

Wen Qiao’s face was cold, and she didn’t beat around the bush. She directly asked, “I want to know something about my mother.”

The three elders were briefly stunned. “You’re asking about Lady Min?”

“Yes, tell me about my mother.”

The elders responded relatively quickly. Although they didn’t know the reason behind Wen Qiao’s inquiry, they still dutifully recounted everything.

“...When your grandfather found Lady Min, she was about six months old. The fabric of the clothes she wore was extremely luxurious and expensive, made from silk spun by thousand-year sea silkworms, a high-grade magical garment. She was named ‘Min Sudi’ because her name was embroidered on her clothes. Other than that, there was no other form of identification...”

When they found the baby girl, the Wen clan had considered searching for her family, as the fabric of her clothes alone indicated that she came from an extraordinary background. Yet, for some reason, she had appeared in Dongling and was abandoned at the village entrance near Lintai Mountain.

However, after secretly investigating for a long time, the Wen clan found no leads and had no choice but to adopt her.

The Wen clan’s family values were decent, and considering the baby girl’s likely noble origins, they treated her well, giving her the same treatment as the Wen clan disciples as she grew up. At the time, the Wen clan also harbored a certain hope: if the baby girl’s family ever came looking for her, they would see that she had been well cared for and would not cause trouble.

Min Sudi’s appearance had been too mysterious, and the high-grade magical garment she wore was not something that could be found in a place like Dongling. This made the Wen clan more cautious, hoping not to bring disaster upon themselves.

This matter was also kept tightly under wraps by those in the Wen clan who knew about it, with no information leaking out.

Yet, even as Min Sudi grew up, Dongling remained peaceful, and no cultivators came looking for her.

Later, Wen Boying and Min Sudi, who had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, fell in love and became husband and wife under the witness of the clan.

“Lady Min’s talent was extraordinary. Like you, she possessed a top-grade wood spiritual root,” the Grand Elder said. It was also because of Min Sudi’s exceptional talent that, despite her mysterious origins, the Wen clan still accepted her as their daughter-in-law.

Unfortunately, during that young beast rampage, Wen Boying and Min Sudie both perished.

The Wen clan lost two highly talented disciples all at once, and the only daughter they left behind was afflicted with fire poison. Despite possessing a top-grade spirit root, she was considered useless and might not even make it to twenty. This was a devastating blow to the Wen clan, and as a last resort, they had to appoint the less talented Wen Zhongqing as the clan leader.

"Second Uncle said that when my parents died, strangers had infiltrated the Wen clan. Over the years, people have been sneaking into the clan. Did you know about this?" Wen Qiao stared at the three elders.

The three elders' expressions twitched, and they involuntarily lowered their heads, avoiding her gaze.

Wen Qiao immediately understood—they did know.

Given Wen Zhongqing's personality, if he discovered that someone was targeting the Wen clan, he would naturally inform the elders in secret to avoid being overwhelmed.

"...The intruders' cultivation levels were simply too high; we couldn't handle them," the Grand Elder said with difficulty. "If it weren't for Zhongqing informing us, we wouldn't have even noticed their presence despite our own observations."

Wen Qiao's heart sank, and she remained silent for a long while.

Ning Yuzhou held her hand, his sharp eyes fixed on them. "So, you were worried that the other party would implicate the Wen clan, and thus you ignored Chui, leaving her to grow up alone in the Water-Drawing Courtyard?"

The three elders' faces twitched again. They wanted to say something, but under his penetrating gaze, all words stuck in their throats, and they could only awkwardly avert their eyes.

After a long pause, Wen Qiao took a deep breath. "I understand."

She didn’t say anything else, thanked them for the information, and left the Wen clan with Ning Yuzhou.

The three elders eagerly escorted them out, not daring to voice any attempt to keep them. Only after they disappeared at the intersection did they let out a heavy sigh and drag their dejected steps back.