Chapter 253: Chapter 141: Mother (Part 2)
"In short, the Saintess is now the key to solving all problems. If she goes back, the Sect Leader might still live; if she doesn’t, the Sect Leader will surely die!"
Seeing Qingqing’s expression waver slightly, Chu Xuan became anxious, "Qingqing, don’t be deceived!"
"Have you forgotten the harsh words Yao Yufei said when we left the Demon Sect? ’Someday, I want you to come back and find me personally.’"
"Clearly, she predicted you would return to her. What method would she use? None other than this, using her life to threaten you."
"She might be very safe, with no real life-threatening danger, just looking for an excuse to deceive you back."
"Do you really want to go back and endure that torture again?"
Qingqing thought about it and agreed. She landed from Chu Xuan’s embrace, looked firmly at Granny Silver Flower, and said, "You go back. Such deception cannot fool me."
"I told that woman long ago not to play the family card with me; it’s useless."
"That woman has been using me from the beginning to end. Do you really think I would have feelings for her?"
Granny Silver Flower sighed softly, "In fact, the Sect Leader has always loved you; she just buried these feelings deep in her heart."
"Do you think, why did she provoke you during your punishment, asking you to scream even louder?"
"Didn’t she know that with your personality, you would do the opposite of what she says?"
"The Sect Leader listened to your cries of pain, couldn’t bear the suffering, couldn’t bear to hear them; as a mother, her conscience tortured her at every moment."
Qingqing’s eyes showed a complex emotion, while Chu Xuan was amused by the words, "Sending her own daughter to punishment herself, annoyed at how loud she screams, with a guilty conscience, and trying to cover her daughter’s mouth—do you call this love??"
"If Yao Yufei truly loved her, she shouldn’t have sacrificed her to feed the demonic seed from the very beginning!"
Granny Silver Flower’s tone remained unchanged, "The growth of the demonic seed is of utmost importance for the sect. With the sect’s strength enhanced, it will benefit not only the Sect Leader but also the Saintess in the future. This is a long-term consideration."
Without waiting for Chu Xuan to refute, she turned to Qingqing, "After every offering, I always coaxed you to sleep. During those times, the Sect Leader would often come to see you, comfort you, and hold you."
"Because she couldn’t show this side of herself normally, she could only offer you some solace and consolation while you were asleep."
Qingqing’s face slightly changed, "You’re lying to me, I don’t believe it!"
To her, every tribute time was the most painful, but each night’s sleep afterward was the most peaceful, as if returning to childhood, being held in her mother’s arms.
She always thought it was an illusion, a self-comfort after enduring pain, but now Granny Silver Flower’s words shook her heart.
"I’m not lying to you." Granny Silver Flower’s expression was calm.
"Think about why the Sect Leader went against the pressure from Shouxuzi’s faction, against Ancestor Youxu’s discontent, and secretly sent you down the mountain?"
"Isn’t it because she felt sorry for you? She had already noticed how poor your mental state was, like a caged beast pushed to the limit. If it continued, she feared you might do something foolish, so she used ’training’ as an excuse to send you down."
"Do you remember when the Sect Leader allowed you to attend the hundred flower banquet on your way? How did she know you longed to go?"
"Regarding your details and hobbies, the Sect Leader was actually concerned and often asked me about your admiration for Primordial Monarch Taixu—it was something she naturally knew."
"Stop talking, stop talking..." Qingqing covered her ears, shaking her head repeatedly, her face becoming pale.
But Granny Silver Flower did not stop, "Think again about the words the Sect Leader said to you upon your return to the mountain after half a year. Although it seemed despicable and shameless to you, she was indeed concerned for you, hoping you would use others instead of being used."
"Now, the only person who can save the Sect Leader is you. Otherwise, in our demonic path, the outcome of losing internal conflict is surely one of seeking survival without finding it, seeking death without achieving it."
"Moreover, the Sect Leader is so beautiful that there are countless people coveting and wanting to humiliate her. Does the Saintess truly wish for her mother to meet such an end?"
Tears streamed down Qingqing’s face as she crouched on the ground, buried her head in her knees, and cried silently, completely unable to decide.
Chu Xuan also felt sorrowful, kneeling down to hold her, "Don’t cry, I’m here, I’m always with you."
Rationally, Chu Xuan still believed this was Yao Yufei’s trap, trying to trick her daughter to return.
But Chu Xuan also knew Qingqing was, by nature, a child deeply in need of love. She insisted she had no feelings for Yao Yufei, but, in reality, she longed for her mother’s affection.
Now, upon discovering Yao Yufei might genuinely love her, and at her mother’s critical life-or-death crisis, how can she ignore it and run away with Chu Xuan without guilt?
"Chu Xuan, I’m sorry, I, I..." Qingqing stammered tearfully.
When Chu Xuan heard this, he knew she had already made up her mind.
He sighed softly but did not blame Qingqing, as it was her mother; even knowing it was a trap, she would jump into it because she dared not gamble. What if she lost the bet?
"I’ll go back with you, just like I said before, we are always together."
But Qingqing shook her head repeatedly, tears blurring her vision, "I’ll go back alone, don’t worry, I’ll be fine, I’ve gotten through all these years."
