“...!!”

     “What?”

     Back then, when Duan Yihan came out with a pipa in her arms, the young men from Wuling would compete with each other. She sang countless songs—that peerless singing fairy was actually his mother?

     “By chance, my mother met Nangong Yan, who was the Ninth City Lord of Rufeng Sect. He knew some poetry and songs and was a handsome sweet-talker.” Mo Ran paused. “My mother misjudged and fell in love with him.”

     Xue Meng couldn’t help but shake his head and murmur, “How can it be…?”

     “How could Nangong Yan refuse a beauty throwing herself into his arms?” Mo Ran said. “But after all, he had status and identity, so he dared not casually tell the truth about himself to a songstress. He lied to my mother and said that he was a businessman from Linyi who lived here as a guest.”

     “This… They were in love and stayed together day and night. Your mother didn’t notice?”

     Mo Ran sneered, “If she had noticed, there wouldn’t have been so many things later. Nangong Yan was very good at making up lies. Besides, he only lived in Xiangtan for a short period of time, so my mother didn’t have time to discover his background. Later, a letter came from Linyi. After Nangong Yan received the mysterious letter, he left Xiangtan in a hurry.”

     “Didn’t your mother ask where he was going?”

     “He left in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye to my mother. They had been lovers for several months, but in the end, Nangong Yan only left a stack of silver leaves and a piece of paper with the words ‘don’t miss’ written on it and disappeared…”

     A female cultivator sighed and said, “Ay, the most difficult thing for these singers and courtesans to find is a genuine person. They’re really quite pitiful.”

     She sighed, then couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What happened next? Was your mother unwilling to be abandoned by her lover and ask someone to find him?”

     Mo Ran shook his head. “My mother was gentle and kind-hearted, so she was a bit timid. Even if she were abandoned, she would only swallow her bitterness and wouldn’t look for trouble… But not long after, she discovered that she was pregnant.”

     When Madam Wang heard this, she couldn’t help but let out an “ah.” Her eyes were actually quite mournful as she looked at Mo Ran, not knowing what to say.

     “The music house was willing to keep her, but the condition was that she couldn’t give birth to the child. Women who have given birth won’t be so beautiful when they dance. They didn’t want to lose business.”

     Mo Ran closed his eyes.

     “My mother refused, so the madam in charge asked her to pay a large sum of money. So she gave all her savings, all her fine jewelry, and even the embroidered shoes on her feet to the establishment. She planned to go to Linyi to find my father.”

     Madam Wang whispered softly, “How can she walk from Xiangtan to Linyi without any money?”

     Mo Ran said, “Someone was helping her.”

     “Who was it?”

     “Xun Fengruo,” Mo Ran said. “Xun-jiejie knew that my mother had left the music house and chased her all the way out of the city. She gave all her spare money to my mother and told her that if she couldn’t find my father, she might as well come to the House of Drunken Jade to look for her. The two sisters could live a good life.”

     Master Xuan Jing sighed and said, “To have such loyalty, I underestimated these weak women.”

     Jiang Xi asked, “Then what happened? Did your mother find Nangong Yan?”

     Mo Ran was silent for a moment, then sneered, “She found him. Although Nangong Yan’s identity and name were fake, it still wasn’t difficult for my mother to find him.”

     Someone exclaimed, “Huh? Is there really such a heavens-defying ability?”

     “There is no heavens-defying ability. It was just a coincidence.”

     People looked at each other with suspicion. “How could there be such a coincidence? The city lords of Rufeng Sect rarely show themselves in public.”

     “Indeed, they really don’t show themselves…” A layer of gloom covered Mo Ran’s face. “However, Rufeng Sect will hold a banquet for a grand marriage or their children’s one month celebration to accept congratulations from the city tower. Isn’t that right?”

     Everyone was shocked when they heard this. “Nangong Yan had received a letter. Was it to urge him to go back and get married?”

     Another person recalled. “Ah, I remember. Nangong Yan’s first wife was the daughter of a rich and powerful family. Could it be that he was forced to abandon the girl he was in love with and go back to marry that rich family’s daughter?”

     Mo Ran’s expression was extremely indifferent. “He wasn’t forced. He didn’t go back to get married. The mysterious letter he received was actually good news—the Sect Leader of Rufeng Sect told him that his wife was about to give birth and asked him to go back and accompany her.”

     Even Xue Zhengyong, who had been silent all this time, suddenly had a change of expression and said, “So, when Nangong Yan went to Xiangtan, he was already a married man?!”

     “Yes.” Mo Ran lowered his eyes. It was really difficult for him. Now that he was talking about this matter, his face no longer had an expression of extreme pain, and he said calmly, “Nangong Yan’s wife was pregnant and in poor health. She was prone to miscarriage, so he went out to relax. When he met my mother, he liked her, so he lied and said he’d never been married before to win my mother’s favor.”

     Some people stomped their feet angrily and said, “He’s really worse than a beast!”

     “His wife was pregnant, but he went out to play and even had another child outside. Sigh.”

     “Duan Yihan is really unlucky. Did Nangong Yan recognize her?”

     The answer was obvious. The crowd was agitated and indignant as they looked at Mo Ran with a little more pity. But Mo Ran didn’t care about what others thought of him. He just continued narrating what happened to his mother.

     He had kept this secret for two lifetimes. It was the first time that he had spoken of this secret openly. In addition to the pain, he also felt a sense of relief.

     Mo Ran said, “At the time, there was a large banquet in Linyi to celebrate the birth of Lin’er, the Young Master of Rufeng Sect. When my mother arrived at the tower of the Ninth City, she saw Nangong Yan holding his wife and child on the tower decorated with red ribbons as people paid their respects and threw lucky fruit cakes. After that, my mother… didn’t look for him again. She had already used up all the remaining money and couldn’t even afford to pay for the journey back to Xiangtan. After half a year, she gave birth to me in an abandoned woodshed in Linyi.”

     Jiang Xi asked, “Did you return to Xiangtan’s House of Drunken Jade after?”

     Mo Ran shook his head. “When I was born, my body was very weak. I fell ill when I was less than a month old and was unable to travel. In order to treat me, she begged all the doctors in the city’s medical clinics, but no one was willing to help her… She had no choice but to finally carry me in her arms, find a way to enter Rufeng Sect, and find Nangong Yan.”

     That year, the frail mother appeared in front of her lover, holding a newborn baby as small as a kitten.

     The man had no joy, only apprehension, fear, and even anger.

     He had a beautiful wife and child. His wife was the daughter of a prominent family, and she gave birth to a chubby and healthy son. The entire family was harmonious and happy. In his eyes, Duan Yihan was like a piece of rat shit. She wanted to ruin his good reputation and ruin his family.

     She had no good intentions.

     Why should he recognize them?

     Afraid that she would make a big deal out of this, Nangong Yan gave her enough money to take the child and leave Rufeng Sect. Duan Yihan had held onto her last hope and said with tears in her eyes, “The child still hasn’t been named yet. Can you…”

     He glowered at her, his face as hard as steel. “Scram! Hurry and get lost! This is not my child; don’t be shameless. Get out of here!”

     She was roughly pushed out the door.

     There was no time for her to be sad. The baby in her arms was crying so weakly, and his hands and feet were ice-cold, curled up in her arms like a dying kitten.

     When she called to him, he opened his dark eyes and looked at her blankly, not at all mischievous but very quiet and obedient.

     She held back her tears and carried him to the medical clinic.

     The doctor in the medical clinic shouted at her, “How many times have I told you? We are not the hall of relief. How can we treat your child for free? If you don’t have any money, then—”

     She hurriedly took out the copper coins Nangong Yan had given her, her hands fumbling in her hurry for fear that others would frighten the baby in her arms.

     Her eyes flashed with panic, and she kept bowing her head. “Rich doctor, please do good and save my child. You see, he, he’s still so young…”

     The medical clinic wasn’t completely heartless; it was just that they were annoyed by this woman in front of him, and the medicinal herbs to treat children weren't cheap, so they rudely refused her. Since this woman was able to pay enough money, their attitude became better.

     Medicinal herbs and acupuncture.

     His illness was too severe, so he had to live in the medical clinic.

     Mo Ran’s condition wavered between good and bad, and it took several months before he finally recovered. At this time, Duan Yihan didn’t have much money left. She thanked the doctor and left with the baby. Seeing that winter was coming, she was afraid that her baby would freeze again, so she went to buy a small coat and blanket.

     After doing all this, the money would be gone, and she wouldn’t be able to return to Xiangtan. But as Duan Yihan sat in the abandoned woodshed and looked at the little guy giggling at her with his fingers in his mouth, she felt very happy and at peace.

     She had always been a person who was content with what she had.

     “What should I call you?”

     The child babbled but couldn’t speak.

     Duan Yihan lit a fire and hugged her child by the fire to keep him warm as she teased him.

     When the child laughed, she laughed as well.

     The fire flickered and burned. The house was poor and dilapidated, but because of this fire, she felt extremely warm. She rubbed his little face, making him kick his little feet and laugh out loud.

     She thought for a while and said, “How about I call you Ran-er?”

     Mo Ran sucked on his fingers and looked at her with dark eyes.

     Duan Yihan’s expression seemed to be lonely for a moment. “I don’t know what your surname should be. You can’t be Nangong, but you can’t take Mother’s surname either. Your mother’s surname was given to her by the madam in the music house. It would be a little strange for you to follow me… I’ll just call you Ran-er, okay?”

     Mo Ran happily laughed and played with his fingers. He didn’t nod or shake his head.

     “Xiao Ran-er, when spring comes, we’ll go back to Xiangtan.” Duan Yihan caressed his soft hair. “Mother can play the pipa and dance. There is a Miss Xun there. She’s Mother’s good sister. She must like you very much. You should learn to call her auntie as soon as possible… Oh, forget that, she has a bad temper, you should learn to call her jiejie. After seeing her, you must say that Xun-jiejie is the best. Only then will you have candy to eat. Do you understand?”

     She held his small, soft fingers and said gently:

     “Ran-er, just wait a little longer. Winter will soon pass. When spring comes, we’ll go home.”

     But this winter was still too long after all.

     That year was a year of disaster, and the lower cultivation world was overrun with evil spirits. Linyi was heavily fortified, and ordinary people were strictly prohibited from entering and leaving, so Duan Yihan had no way of leaving.

     She went to work in a shop to earn some money to support her family. However, there was no such thing as an airtight wall in the world. It was unknown who, but someone had revealed the romantic history to Nangong Yan’s wife. In short, not long after, the steamed bun shop that had hired Duan Yihan kicked her out without any reason.

     From then on, Duan Yihan was ostracized and couldn’t find a living in Linyi. She could only take her young son and beg as a performer. There were several times when she sang softly in the streets while Nangong Yan, dressed in bright clothes and followed by a vast entourage, rode right past her.

     He felt guilty and wanted to avoid her.

     Actually, there was no need for him to do this. Although Duan Yihan was weak, she had her own pride. She only sang Xiangtan melodies and didn’t even look at this man. She definitely wouldn’t cry in front of her former lover on the streets and ask why he was so fickle and untrustworthy.

     He didn’t actually understand how proud this pipa girl was.

     “Look at her tear-stained face. Her clothes are ragged, but her face is kind. She does not recognize me when we meet on a foreign path. Just what kind of gaze did he cast at me?”

     Someone passed by her and casually threw a copper coin.

     She was just like the beautiful music fairy back then, lowering her eyes for blessings and saying softly, “Thank you for your kindness, grandfather.”

     The days passed like this one by one, with the war in the lower cultivation world endless as Linyi watched from their high walls.

     This lasted for five years.

     Mo Ran was five years old.

     One day, Nangong Yan had a quarrel with his wife. He was upset, so he wandered around the west market. The weather was good that day. He put his hands behind his back and looked at the jewelry shops and pastry stalls with little interest. Under the large banyan tree, there was an old man playing chess.

     Linyi had always been a blessed land, so what did it matter how many people died in the lower cultivation world? They had been singing and dancing for hundreds of years.

     Nangong Yan walked over to watch the elders play chess.

     He was traveling in regular clothes, so no one recognized him. He happily gave them pointers, which finally made the elders so annoyed that they chased him away.

     Nangong Yan was flabbergasted and felt unhappy. He walked a few steps forward and stood under the big tree. He looked at the gold-embroidered bird cage hanging on the branch. Inside the cage, the bird was chirping crisply.

     Perhaps it was because the sunshine was so beautiful that it made people feel at ease, but as Nangong Yan stood under the tree, he suddenly thought of the gentle girl from the Xiangtan house more than five years ago.

     He tilted his head and teased the bird, saying, “Hey, can you sing a Xiangtan melody?”

     The bird obviously couldn’t sing and only continued chirping.

     Nangong Yan sighed as he hummed the tune Duan Yihan had sung countless times for him many years ago.

     Suddenly, he heard a clear voice behind him. Someone was singing softly, “The wild clouds are low, the north wind is cold, and the sky is covered with ice and snow, sealing the well.”

     The voice was like the clink of pearls and jade.

     He felt like a lifetime had passed and suddenly turned around.

     Because he’d been deliberately avoiding her, he hadn’t seen her for a long time. At this moment, through the bustle of the city and the people coming and going, he suddenly saw that slender and gentle woman again—just like in the dreams he didn’t dare to tell his wife about for many years.

     He met her again.

     Duan Yihan was standing on the street with a frail child, mother and son. She lowered her eyes as she sang a song that people could once rarely pay to hear in the past, hoping to gain the pity of a nobleman on the street and get some money for a meal.

     She sang softly, “There are millions of people walking on the path in front of the mountains and small roads behind the mountains…”

     Countless people came and went in front of her, but no one stopped for her.

     Although the song was pleasant to hear, it wasn’t that striking, and she was only singing by herself, so no one was willing to pay for it.

     “...It’s easy to see a lover, but difficult to see a lover. He can only look out into the distance and see the river filled with fog and cold water.”

     Suddenly, a pair of gold-threaded shoes inlaid with emeralds and jade appeared in front of her eyes. She heard a man singing the song she hadn’t finished. “Countless flying letters have yet to arrive, and the tears have accumulated in the well, waiting for you to see them.”

     Duan Yihan was stunned for a moment, then she slowly raised her eyes.

     She saw him again.

     He was still the same as he was five years ago, handsome, elegant, and dignified. It was as if he hadn’t aged at all; time left no trace on his face.

     Duan Yihan saw her own reflection in his eyes. From the delicate and beautiful girl from five years ago, she now had a face full of hardships. She had a weathered face, with no beauty at all, which made people look down on her.

     But the way Nangong Yan looked at her was somewhat affectionate.

     After many years of marriage, his wife had heard of his romantic history. Although she didn’t dare to say it openly, she was still very displeased. She lost her temper and put on airs at every turn, and her son was also very naughty. Today, when he stood in front of Duan Yihan and saw her in such a state, he felt somewhat guilty, and pity arose in his heart.

     Duan Yihan was stunned. Her eyes dropped, and she stopped singing.

     “Mother?” Mo Ran was puzzled and turned to look at her.

     Duan Yihan said, “Mother is tired today. Let’s go home.”

     Mo Ran nodded obediently and smiled. “Then let’s go back and rest. I’ll think of something for dinner.”

     The mother and son held hands and prepared to leave together.

     Nangong Yan called out to her, “You…”

     His gaze fell on Mo Ran again.

     This child was thin and small. His clothes were tattered, but he was sensible and had a very cute face.

     Nangong Yan suddenly realized that this was his own child.

     It was his flesh and blood.

     He reached out his hand and touched Mo Ran’s head.

     Mo Ran didn’t know who he was. He narrowed his eyes and let the man ruffle his black hair. “Um…”

     Nangong Yan thought of the year when Duan Yihan came to his residence to beg for his help, holding a kitten-like baby in her arms.

     At that time, she had said, “He doesn’t have a name yet.”

     “What’s your name?” Nangong Yan asked.

     “Ran-er.”

     “What’s your surname?”

     “I don’t have a surname.”

     Nangong Yan glanced at Duan Yihan rather sadly. He didn’t know what the impulse was, but he said, “Why don’t you both—”

     Before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw a group of Rufeng Sect’s cultivators passing by at the corner of the street.

     Nangong Yan’s trance was interrupted.

     He shuddered and seemed to come back to reality.

     He met Duan Yihan’s eyes again.

     The pair of eyes that had once looked at him with joy were now very dull. There were no longer any illusions of the young girl. Even when he wanted to recognize them just now, they were very cold.

     She had already seen through this man.

     Nangong Yan looked a little embarrassed and surprised because of this. In order to cover up his emotions, he coughed lightly and generously stuffed his money pouch, filled with gold and silver treasures, into Mo Ran’s hands.

     He patted Mo Ran’s head again. “Your mother sang very well. These gold and silver jewels should suit her.”

     A slender hand took the money pouch from Mo Ran.

     Duan Yihan only took out a copper coin from the pouch and placed it in the broken bowl in Mo Ran’s hands. Then she handed all the jewels and money back to Nangong Yan.

     She didn’t say much, only gently and calmly bowing to him, just like any passerby who had given his money.

     She politely said to him, “Thank you, my lord, for your kindness.”

     Then she turned around and left.

     She was the music fairy of Xiangtan. She used to be like the moon, surrounded by stars as she sang and danced. She was never lonely when thousands of people were waiting for her. But now that her gorgeous clothes had faded, and her beauty had withered, she could only perform on the street and beg, but she did not feel inferior.

     It was also that day that Mo Ran became suspicious of Duan Yihan’s subtle attitude. Later, after asking and insinuating in every possible way, he finally found out about his background.

     “Mother told you all of this because I don’t want to lie to you. But, Ran-er, you have to remember not to be angry,” Duan Yihan said. “And don’t ask for anything from him either.”

     As she spoke, she poked Mo Ran’s little forehead.

     “When the disaster in the cultivation world calms down and Linyi allows ordinary people to come and go, we will go back to Xiangtan.”

     Mo Ran was quiet for a long time. Then he nodded. “I won’t ask for anything from him. Mother and I will go back to Xiangtan.”

     Duan Yihan smiled and said, “I don’t know if Xun-meimei would recognize me. I don’t look good anymore.”

     Mo Ran was very anxious. “Mother looks good.”

     “Hmm?”

     “Mother is the most beautiful.”

     Duan Yihan smiled even more brightly. Between her brows, she really did recover the charm of the stunning beauty back then. She teased him. “You have such a sweet mouth. You better flatter whoever marries you in the future.”

     Mo Ran felt a little embarrassed. He pursed his lips, but after a while, he still showed his sharp baby teeth.

     “When I grow up, I want to find a wife who’s as heavenly as a fairy. Then we can stay together by Mother’s side.”

     “Aiya, you have such a beautiful idea. Which heavenly fairy is going to marry you?”

     The mother and son laughed and joked as the fire crackled in the woodshed. It was very warm. It was as if every day in the future would continue to pass peacefully like this. The fire and night gave the poor an illusory comfort. Therefore, at that time, neither of them expected that Duan Yihan’s time was actually running out.

     “It was in the autumn when I was five years old,” Mo Ran said. “Right after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because Rufeng Sect had been closed to the outside world for a long time, Linyi’s food supply was already insufficient, so they adjusted the price of the goods. In the end, this meant that the poor people below should control their hunger and not fight the rich for food.”

     Xue Zhengyong’s heart was filled with mixed feelings when he heard this. But when Mo Ran said this, he still thought about it for a while, then nodded.

     “Yes, I remember that price adjustment. The starving people in Linyi rebelled. Only then did Rufeng Sect finally lower the price back down. It lasted for about… a year?”

     Jiang Xi said, “I remember it was half a year.”

     Mo Ran closed his eyes and said, “It wasn’t that long. It was one month and five days. It only lasted a short thirty-five days.”