The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 865: Incorrigible!

Incorrigible! . . .

Jun Yinglian waited patiently for Yue Gongxue to hand her the item she wished to send to Cha Eun Xiao, but as time passed, nothing was offered. Confusion marked Jun Yinglian's gaze as she observed Yue Gongxue.

Yue Gongxue clasped her hands together, her helplessness evident, her face flushed with embarrassment, and tears welled up increasingly.

After a protracted silence, she began to sob. "I understand you must be busy with many important matters, and I won't burden you further. Please, if you happen to encounter my son, convey these words to him... Tell him... that his mother wishes for his well-being... she misses him greatly..."

"Tell him that his mother has nothing of value to offer him... advise him to be cautious in a world filled with peril... tell him... that I am content within Qiong-Hua Palace... tell him not to fret over me..."

With these words, Yue Gongxue broke into tears and wept.

Jun Yinglian released a long sigh, a sorrowful expression crossing her face. "Very well. If I have the fortune to meet him, I will relay your message."

As Jun Yinglian departed the Qiong-Hua Palace's mountainous terrain, her thoughts remained consumed by the image of Yue Gongxue, her profound yearning, and her crystalline tears.

[Poor, unfulfilled maternal love...]

Jun Yinglian sighed. She herself was experiencing the tribulations of romantic love, while Yue Gongxue was undergoing the anguish of familial love.

Love always came with pain!

Yue Gongxue yearned to bestow a gift upon her son, but she had nothing to give. Wasn't that the greatest agony a mother could endure?

Yet her words were imbued with motherly affection.

"I'll be fine... Will you truly be all right?"

"I suppose I must convey this to your son."

"After this, it will take me a bit longer to exact my revenge. Eun Xiao, please wait for me..."

Ultimately, she couldn't ignore a mother's humble request.

A mother who had been separated from her child from the moment he was born.

Seventeen long years...

What a tragedy!

Jun Yinglian knew that the departed Cha Eun Xiao wouldn't blame her for assisting a pitiable mother like Yue Gongxue.

She sighed deeply, then raised her right hand and drew her sword. With a graceful motion, she stepped aside, and seven beams of swordlight shot forth.

- Clang! -

She sheathed her sword and departed.

"When I wish for you to know my whereabouts, I'll permit you to tail me. If I don't wish to be followed, those who dare to trail behind me will pay with their lives. Continue attempting to track me if you're prepared to meet your end."

"You three factions shouldn't be hasty. I will pay you all a visit soon."

And with that, her figure disappeared into the mountain's fog.

From the underbrush by the roadside, seven beams of blood were emitted. Seven men who had concealed themselves underground to elude detection while tracking Jun Yinglian had inadvertently buried themselves alive. Not a trace of any of them remained.

Jun Yinglian vanished from the scene.

...

After Jun Yinglian left the Qiong-Hua Palace, Yue Gongxue stared blankly at the surrounding flowers. Her eyes were vacant, her thoughts entirely consumed by her grown-up son, who may have ascended to the Qing-Yun Realm.

She wiped her eyes again.

"I am his mother... I've been an inadequate mother..." She sobbed. "He has grown up now... and I haven't even had the chance to make clothes for him..."

Tears streamed down her face, and she was oblivious to Moon Queen standing behind her for an extended period.

Moon Queen silently observed the woman, once her most beloved disciple, amidst the sea of fallen flowers, her gaze filled with complex emotions.

"I suppose she's gone," Moon Queen remarked.

"Yes... Oh?" Yue Gongxue spun around, startled. "Master."

"Oh. You still recall you have a master. You still address me as 'master,'" Moon Queen remarked, her eyes half-lidded, her tone even. "Allow me to inquire: what does Master Jun want from you?"

Yue Gongxue was taken aback, her voice trembling. "We had met in the past, though we were not exceptionally close friends—just acquaintances. She once aided me significantly. She came here to seek information..."

Moon Queen nodded knowingly. "Information that would no longer concern her after her demise."

With a lowered gaze, Yue Gongxue concurred, "It appears so. I'm perplexed by her choice as well. Even though she no longer holds the position of Prime Master within her sect, she surely has individuals she can rely on."

"Certainly, she has trustworthy associates. Her intention was to keep Sky Ice Palace uninvolved. She sought you out due to your unique background. A rather ingenious approach," Moon Queen commented, her gaze drifting skyward.

A solitary petal silently drifted before her eyes, gently landing.

"Jun Yinglian is indeed a compassionate woman..." Moon Queen remarked with a faint smile, her voice impassive. "Unfortunately, she is also foolish."

Yue Gongxue was astonished.

"Foolish?"

"Jun Yinglian?"

However, she acknowledged that she shared similarities with Jun Yinglian.

She stated, "Master... In reality... we are both women..."

Moon Queen's irritation flared, and she retorted, "Women? So what? Are women obligated to serve their husbands and sons? Can't we forge our own empires with our own hands?"

Yue Gongxue responded, "Of course we can. Yet having a loving husband and a home should be the most cherished aspiration of a woman."

"I can't believe this. After all these years, you remain misguided!" Moon Queen's annoyance was evident. "Seventeen years of solitary cultivation have seemingly been a complete waste!"

Yue Gongxue offered a bitter smile and confessed, "Seventeen years... I did endure hardship during those years."

In reality, she pondered. [Solitary cultivation? What an eloquent term. When have I ever cultivated? I was incarcerated! I was imprisoned!]

Moon Queen grasped the implication of her unspoken thoughts and grew infuriated. "Despite all these years of keeping you isolated from the martial world, your attitude remains unchanged! I am disappointed, profoundly disappointed!"

"All men, without exception, are capable of betrayal. Not one of them is worthy of your trust with your life. They may love you when you're young and beautiful, but as you age, they'll swiftly seek another without hesitation. Men... deserve nothing less than death!"

Her words bore an undertone of fury and bloodlust.

Yue Gongxue inhaled deeply. "Master, not all women..." Summoning the courage to continue, she added, "Not every woman can encounter the right man. Not every man is unfaithful..."

She didn't explicitly state it, but the sentiment was clear.

[You encountered a deceitful man, but I didn't.]

[You can't vilify all men worldwide based on your unfortunate experience.]

Moon Queen's fury escalated, her voice growing grating. "Yue Gongxue! Impudent! Remarkable how you dare to lecture me... Remarkable..."

"I don't," Yue Gongxue replied, bowing.

"No? Is there anything you don't dare to do?" Moon Queen seethed. "Your parents passed when you were young, and I brought you back, nurturing you carefully. I imparted my knowledge to you. Yet look at what you've done. You have failed to reciprocate and contribute to the sect. Instead, you pledged to marry a vile man without permission! You bore a child out of wedlock, and behold... even now, you remain a mess!"