Volume One, Chapter 19: The Eve of Departure

Gu Moyuan smiled and said, "Xi Xi, do not feel pressured. The ancestor..."

Before Gu Moyuan could finish, Gu Mingxi interrupted him: "Father, does the ancestor really know who I am? Really? Wow, I feel so happy! When will the ancestor come out of seclusion? I hope that by the time the ancestor finishes seclusion, my formation skills will be excellent. If the ancestor sees that I have learned them well, will they be proud of me?"

Seeing Gu Mingxi’s excitement, Gu Moyuan couldn't help but chuckle. He had been worried that the ancestor's high expectations would burden her, but it turned out his daughter’s way of thinking was truly unique.

...

Time passed day by day, and Gu Mingxi’s sixth birthday had just gone by.

On this day, the Great Elder of the Gu family held a rare clan-wide meeting, summoning all the disciples who had just begun their cultivation journey.

Once everyone was gathered, the Great Elder looked at the group of little ones before him and said solemnly, "In one month, the major sects will begin their recruitment. You must now consider whether you intend to pursue cultivation in a sect or remain within the family."

Sect recruitment had already begun?

Gu Mingxi’s mind wandered. If recruitment had started, it meant she would soon meet Mo Yuqing, the heroine of the original book.

When Gu Mingxi snapped back to reality, she heard the Great Elder saying, "...Very well, that concludes today’s meeting. You have ten days to think it over carefully. In ten days, I will convene another clan meeting to finalize your decisions. Think it through thoroughly!"

Gu Moyuan had not attended this meeting; he had remained in the main courtyard to handle family matters. Thus, as soon as the meeting ended, Gu Mingxi headed straight to the main courtyard to find him.

When she arrived, Gu Moyuan was still busy with administrative duties. Seeing Gu Mingxi enter, he looked up and said, "Xi Xi, you're here. Father..."

Before he could finish, he noticed that his daughter’s expression was unusual. Setting aside his work, he stood up and walked over to her, asking with concern, "Xi Xi, is there something you want to tell Father?"

Looking at Gu Moyuan’s caring gaze, the thousands of words on the tip of her tongue failed her. In the end, she only managed to say, "Father, I don’t want to leave you and Mother!"

Hearing this, Gu Moyuan let out a sigh. How could he bear to be separated from his daughter? Yet, he knew she was strong and would not regret a decision once made. This was merely a moment of a young girl’s heart; she would not change her mind.

Gu Moyuan said nothing, simply pulling Gu Mingxi into his embrace.

Since Gu Mingxi had begun her cultivation, he hadn't held her like this since she was a toddler. It was a rare moment, and Gu Mingxi nestled tightly in his arms, savoring the warmth of his embrace.

After a long while, Gu Mingxi spoke in a muffled voice: "Father, I will cultivate hard. The sects have a rule that once we reach the Foundation Establishment stage, we can return home. I will work hard to reach Foundation Establishment so I can come back to see you and Mother!"

Gu Moyuan stroked her hair and said, "Good, Father will be waiting for Xi Xi to come home."

Then, glancing toward the direction of Lin Sheng’s seclusion, he said to Gu Mingxi, "Xi Xi, go stay with your mother for a while. Go and tell her your thoughts."

Gu Mingxi nodded: "Okay!"

...

Gu Mingxi went to the courtyard where Lin Sheng was in seclusion and spent a long time chattering outside the door.

"Mother, when will you finish your seclusion?"

"Mother, I’m going to attend the sect recruitment!"

"Mother, I heard that the sect has a rule that disciples can return home after reaching Foundation Establishment. I wonder if I will be able to see you when I return?"

"Mother, I’ve made a pact with Mingyue that on the path of cultivation, we will support each other and never abandon one another!"

"Mother, I feel so lucky to have Mingyue as a companion to stay with me!"

"Mother, I’m leaving in ten days!"

"Mother, I don’t want to leave you and Father. I don’t want to leave home!"

"Mother, I miss you so much!"

...

Before leaving, Gu Mingxi looked back at the tightly closed door one last time, then departed, turning her head back every few steps.

However, Gu Mingxi did not know that after she left, a single tear fell from the corner of Lin Sheng’s eye as she remained in seclusion.

The tear landed on her clothes and vanished without a trace.

After Gu Mingxi left, Gu Moyuan’s figure emerged.

He had noticed something unusual about her expression earlier but didn't know what it was, so he had sent her to Lin Sheng’s side, hoping she might feel better.

Gu Moyuan gazed at the room where Lin Sheng was in seclusion, his eyes filled with infinite longing and love. Since they had married, they had never been separated. Even when they had gone into seclusion before, they had done so together, but this time...

It was because his own cultivation was too low. He had once heard a healer say that if a husband’s cultivation was significantly higher than his wife’s, his spiritual energy could reduce much of the pressure on her during pregnancy.

The child was theirs, yet his wife had borne the greater burden for him. And after the child was born, she had faced the risk of her cultivation regressing, ultimately forcing her to leave him and their child to enter seclusion to stabilize her power.

"Ah Sheng, I miss you so much..."

A gentle breeze blew through the leaves in the courtyard, as if trying to carry Gu Moyuan’s longing to Lin Sheng.

Soon, Gu Moyuan also left the area. After all, Lin Sheng was in seclusion, and constant disturbances would only distract her.

By the time Gu Mingxi returned to her room, she felt much better. Her strange mood hadn't been solely due to leaving home—she had experienced such departures before and was quite used to them.

The truth was, Gu Moyuan and Lin Sheng treated her so well, showering her with such love, that she truly couldn't bear to leave them. Furthermore, once she left, she would officially encounter the heroine of the original book. No matter how well she had prepared herself mentally, she was inevitably nervous—nervous about the unknown.

She hoped that once in the sect, she could truly manage to keep out of the way of Mo Yuqing, the original heroine.

If Mo Yuqing wanted to fall in love with someone, that was her business. As long as it didn't involve her or her family, whatever Mo Yuqing did had nothing to do with her.