Chapter 585: Accurate Calculation

The Shanggu and Wen families, for the first time in a thousand years, have married their direct-line descendants...

My own child, who should be backed by the two great clans of Qianzhou, is being manipulated and forced to endure such grave danger.

A woman in palace robes flickered a trace of sorrow in her eyes, as if grief had overwhelmed her, causing her meridians and qi to grow chaotic.

The man, heart aching, reached out to support her, but she shoved his hand away.

"And then?" the woman in palace robes said coldly. "And then, what did you find?"

The man helplessly retracted his arm and sighed:

"It was Gu... Changhuai—he found clues to Yu'er, followed them to a roadside eatery dozens of li outside the city, and uncovered a gang of traffickers with only Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivation..."

"But..."

The man shook his head, bitter. "Yu'er was taken again..."

The woman stared in shock. "Again?"

The man spoke hoarsely. "Another gang..."

"Ambushed with an array, killed with cultivation techniques..."

"The array was hidden, immensely powerful yet unexpected; the techniques used were ordinary fireballs, executed cleanly with no trace left behind..."

"And among the traffickers, one knew the Severing Gold Sword Art..."

"Severing Gold Gate..." the woman gritted her teeth.

The man smiled bitterly. "It has nothing to do with Severing Gold Gate—likely a defector. Severing Gold Gate wouldn't dare, nor would they be this foolish, using such a conspicuous sect signature sword technique..."

"I don't care!" the woman spat. "If you can't find Yu'er, Severing Gold Gate will pay!"

"Fine..." the man could only agree. He knew reason was useless now.

The man in brocade robes sighed and continued:

"The Severing Gold Sword Art is a Metal-element sword technique, focused on attack and slaughter, immensely powerful... Clearly, the traffickers encountered a formidable enemy, were in a life-and-death struggle, and in desperation, revealed this technique..."

"But..."

The man in brocade robes' pupils trembled slightly. "This Sword Art, potent even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, didn't scratch the enemy at all..."

"No blood on the blade, not even a single scratch on the skin..."

"That means the opponent's cultivation level is likely far higher than these traffickers..."

"Jin Dan, or possibly even... Liu Yuhua..."

The woman sneered. "So there are many who want Yu'er. He's just a child of four or five. He Deheneng, why do so many care about him?"

"Before, it was a great being manipulating the Heavenly Mechanism. Now? Could it be another master of celestial calculation, intercepting him on the road?"

The woman in palace robes questioned her husband with scorn.

The man, confronted by his wife's accusation, lowered his head and said helplessly: "This time... it's also that."

The woman froze, then exploded: "Shanggu Yi, do you think I'm some ignorant fool?"

"When did the Heavenly Mechanism Calculation technique become so common?"

"One is a great being, another a master—how many masters can there be?"

"How many cultivators in this world truly master the Heavenly Mechanism Calculation? Do they all have nothing better to do than scheme against my Yu'er?!"

The man smiled bitterly. "Wan'er, I'm not lying. I asked Mei the Elder of Xuanji Valley, who specializes in calculation..."

The woman in palace robes said coldly: "What did he calculate?"

"He..." the man struggled to speak. "... he went mad..."

The woman stared.

The man sighed. "Mei the Elder... tried to calculate the one who took Yu'er. At first, he couldn't see anything—he said the Heavenly Mechanism was obscured, blank and formless, with no trace..."

"Then I begged him repeatedly..."

"He couldn't refuse, so he spent his essence-blood, using Xuanji Valley's ancestral Xuan Calculation to deduce..."

"At first, he did part the mist and saw a faint, watery, mist-like little figure..."

"But when he looked again, it..."

The man fell silent.

The woman snapped: "What happened?"

The man sighed. "He... turned terrified, spat blood, his body turned icy, his mind twisted, and suddenly went mad..."

"He kept muttering about great karmic terror, about mountains of corpses and karmic sins, said he'd been bitten by 'corpse sins,' that he'd soon become a zombie, trembling uncontrollably..."

The woman's expression shifted, but after thinking carefully, she grew angry again:

"What nonsense is this? Mountains of corpses? Corpse sins? Do you believe such absurdities?"

"What does this have to do with Yu'er?"

The man had no reply.

He didn't know how Yu'er had become entangled in such karmic threads, but Mei the Elder's madness was undeniable.

He was truly mad...

"Was that Mei the Elder really from Xuanji Valley?" the woman asked again.

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"Mei the Elder... his mind is shattered, his soul sea injured—he was sent back to Xuanji Valley for treatment..."

The woman's eyebrows sharply knitted. She spoke coldly:

"So, without evidence, without witnesses, you're lying to me with this phantom Mei the Elder!"

The man whispered: "Wan'er, when have I ever lied to you..."

His voice carried a note of pleading.

"Fine, I'll go find Yu'er myself!"

The palace-dressed woman declared firmly and turned to leave.

The man panicked instantly and grabbed her arm. "You cannot leave Qingzhou City!"

The woman drew a deep breath, suppressing her anger. "Why?"

"I'm worried about you..."

"Worried about what?"

The man's voice turned cold: "I married you, breaking the rules of several noble families and violating the ancestral teachings of the Shangguan Clan. Many are watching us..."

"They may strike at Yu'er—and possibly at you too..."

"Now Yu'er is gone. I fear I will lose you as well..."

The woman said coldly, "Will staying inside Qingzhou City keep you safe?"

The man insisted, "Qingzhou City lies within Qianxue Province's borders. Our ancestors laid down arrays. The heavenly patterns are clear here. Outside Qingzhou, the heavenly patterns are chaotic—anything could happen..."

The man's expression was utterly solemn.

The cultivation world holds great terrors.

Some truly terrifying cultivators have penetrated the Dao and wield countless unfathomable, heaven-defying techniques.

Some even set grand schemes to nurture demonic cultivators.

The closer one approaches the peak of cultivation, the more one sees the world's true nature—and the more terrifying human hearts become.

"So what?" the woman said coldly. "You want me to hide in this city and abandon my child..."

"Wan'er, don't get involved..." the man pleaded softly, almost begging. "This matter carries too great a karmic weight..."

... and it's too terrifying...

The one who set the scheme to abduct Yu'er has profound heavenly patterns and leaves no trace...

The one who took Yu'er hides within that karmic thread a vast, deadly peril.

This is beyond the capability of ordinary cultivators.

Array Dao, spiritual sense algorithms, heavenly patterns and karmic threads—these are all extremely profound and complex matters.

Wan'er has studied arrays, but only to an ordinary, decent level.

Being called a daughter of heaven, praised and admired—this is merely ordinary "worldly" excellence...

It is excellence within human-defined boundaries.

She has no idea what true, profound arrays or deep spiritual senses actually are.

What depths of terror lie in arrays beyond ordinary cultivators' comprehension, in Dao that breaks through ranks, in heavenly principles that defy human norms...

The palace-dressed woman did not understand these things. She only looked at her husband, her gaze shifting from anger to utter despair.

"Have you... already made your decision?"

The man remained silent.

"If..." the woman paused, forcing out each word through pain, "Yu'er can't be found—what will you do?"

The man dared not meet her eyes. He looked away and whispered:

"Father's wish is for us... to have another child..."

The woman's face turned deathly pale. She trembled all over, her eyes filled with boundless grief and hatred.

She hated her husband—and herself.

"Shangguan Yi, how cruel your heart is!"

The woman wept. "Fine! Fine! If you want to have another child, go find some other woman and breed one!"

"In my life, Wen Wan has only ever had Yu'er as my child!"

"Yu'er was so obedient, so kind—how could he..."

Yu'er's smiling face appeared in the woman's mind. Her heart pierced like a needle. Suddenly, she trembled—as if, in some unseen force, she sensed Yu'er waiting for her somewhere...

Her child was waiting for her...

Overcome with heartbreak, she turned and rushed to leave.

"Wan'er, it's too dangerous..." the man tried to stop her.

The woman's gaze was icy. "If you won't go look, I will. If I can't find him, I'll search for a lifetime!"

"Even if I die, I will die with Yu'er."

"Go ahead—become the Shangguan Clan's patriarch. Find some other woman to bear you another child."

The woman finished speaking, tears filling her eyes, then swept her sleeve and departed.

The man reached out to stop her—but his hand grasped nothing.

His face turned pale. He sighed.

After a moment, a servant entered and bowed respectfully. "Young Master, the Patriarch requests your presence."

The man stared blankly for a long while, then said weakly, "I understand..."

He was the Shangguan Clan's Young Master—the next Patriarch.

But he felt less like a "master" and more like a man torn between duties—a servant. Yet in this vast clan, he did not know whose servant he truly was.

Shangguan Yi sighed deeply, walked to a study in the Gu family's estate, stood respectfully for a moment, then heard a deep voice from within.

"Enter."

Shangguan Yi stepped inside and bowed. "Father."

The study was elegant and luxurious.

Seated at the center was a cultivator with profound aura and great authority. His features were noble, his temples slightly gray, faint lines at his brows—but even now, his youthful beauty was evident.

This man was Shangguan Yi's father—and the true Patriarch of the Shangguan Clan: Shangguan Ce.

"In a few days, I'll be leaving. Take care of matters here yourself."

Shangguan Ce was writing something, his voice low and distant.

"Yes," Shangguan Yi said respectfully.

Shangguan Ce looked up, glancing at his son, and said coolly: "You shouldn't have married Wenren Wan as your wife…"

"She's too impulsive, acts recklessly, and never thinks things through."

"She's a direct-line daughter—how could the Wenren family have raised her like this…"

"A noblewoman may be reckless before marriage, but once wed, she represents her family's honor and must protect its interests. Her conduct must always be proper—even if it hurts, she must endure…"

"Father…"

Shangguan Yi's voice rose slightly, interrupting Shangguan Ce.

"Wan'er… she's a good wife. When Yu'er vanished, she grieved too deeply—her lack of decorum is only natural…"

Shangguan Ce stared at his son, saying nothing for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"How is Yu'er?"

"Still searching."

Shangguan Ce sighed. "Yu'er… has a pure heart. He's a good boy—but he'll never make a good head of the family…"

Shangguan Yi cut in: "Father, I have only Yu'er as my son."

Shangguan Ce's gaze grew cold. "I've told you before—if…"

Shangguan Yi said: "Then the next head of the family will surely be my child with Wan'er…"

Shangguan Ce sneered. "She may not agree…"

"I'll wait until she changes her mind…"

Shangguan Yi bowed low, head down, but his tone was firm, unyielding.

Shangguan Ce's brow twitched slightly, but he said nothing, only replied coolly: "I understand…"

The atmosphere in the study grew stiff.

Shangguan Yi didn't wish to stay longer, so he rose to take his leave.

"Yi'er…"

Shangguan Ce called out to stop him, hesitated a moment, then softened his tone slightly:

"You must understand—the head of a family isn't easy to be…"

"A cultivation noble house rests on the clan. You must understand advantage and loss, know gain and damage. Indecisiveness and sentimental attachment won't do."

"A cultivator's life is long. No matter how much you love, time fades affection—hearts change too…"

"As head of the family, you must know what is truly lasting, what is truly beneficial."

"You must harden your heart and make decisive choices—only then can I convince the Laozu to entrust the Shangguan clan, which has endured for ten thousand years, into your hands…"

Shangguan Yi murmured: "Father, I understand."

Shangguan Ce needed only one glance to know his son understood nothing at all.

He felt irritated, but his composure ran deep—he calmed his emotions and sighed:

"Think about it. Yu'er is your child, direct-line blood—but he is only one among many disciples of the Shangguan clan. Weigh what's heavy and what's light—decide for yourself."

Shangguan Yi's face twisted in pain, but he said nothing. He bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Shangguan Ce looked down at the jade slip. After a long while, he raised his head, gazing at the spot where Shangguan Yi had stood, thinking of his son's sorrowful expression—anger flared, mixed with frustration at his weakness:

"I spent my whole life chasing beauties, passing through a thousand flowers without a single leaf sticking to my heart—how could my son turn out to be… such a foolish, love-struck fool…"

"Looks like a fine man, but has no ambition—thinks only of his wife and child every day…"

Shangguan Ce's brow knotted tightly with dissatisfaction.

After a long while, he sighed and unfolded a map.

The map showed the entirety of Qian Province.

At this moment, routes had been traced upon it, transformed by compass calculations into intricate celestial patterns—endless, without beginning or end, unknown in origin or destination.

Only faint traces remained—wild, ancient energy.

This was the work of the one who abducted Yu'er.

Shangguan Ce's gaze turned solemn, his face as still as water. He murmured:

"Everything—from alliance, to birth, to death—was all calculated…"

"Who has such reach?"

"Who could deceive the Laozu and use the sole direct-line heir of the Shangguan and Wenren clans as a sacrifice…"

"What are they trying to offer? What life-and-death law are they trying to reverse?"

Shangguan Ce felt a chill deeper than bone…

…

In the Gu family courtyard.

Wenren Wan, dressed in palace robes, thought only of Yu'er—but once outside, she was lost again.

"Where do I look… how do I even look?"

Yu'er had been taken—very likely, he was no longer within this province, perhaps not even in Qian Province…

A hopeless despair, profound helplessness, rose within her.

The cultivation world was vast, boundless.

She couldn't perform celestial calculations, didn't understand heavenly patterns—finding Yu'er was like searching for a needle in an ocean.

She loathed herself deeply—for why hadn't she begged the Laozu to learn these obscure, difficult cultivation arts?

Otherwise, she could have calculated Yu'er's karmic thread herself…

Even if my spiritual sense is exhausted, even if my consciousness sea dries up, even if…

Wen Renwan stood frozen for a long while, then came to her senses, gazed around with sorrow, pondered for a moment, and called for the Wen family guards to drive her out of the city.

First and foremost, I must leave Qingzhou City…

Outside the city, perhaps I can find some trace of Yu'er…

Wen Renwan silently resolved.

If I don't find her in a month, I'll search for a month.

If I don't find her in a year, I'll search for a year.

If a year isn't enough, I'll search for ten years, for a hundred years, until my lifespan is spent.

"I must find Yu'er—alive, I must see her…"

She dared not think the next four words; she feared seeing Yu'er's cold, lifeless little face, feared learning that her cherished child was gone…

It was harder than killing her, the mother.

Wen Renwan felt a piercing pain in her chest.

The carriage left the Gu household, passed through the main street, crossed the marketplace, and an hour later neared the city gate.

Wen Renwan, intent on leaving the city, did not notice that in a noodle shop near the gate, two young cultivators were slurping noodles with loud "huh-huh" sounds.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua and Yu'er, who had waited for days and were tired and hungry, busily eating noodles, did not notice a quiet yet luxurious carriage silently moving toward the city gate…

The city gate buzzed with noise, crowded with carts and people.

As the two sides passed each other and parted, Wen Renwan suddenly froze.

For an instant, as if mother and child were soul-linked, she felt as though her son was nearby—even very close…

But she knew Yu'er was no longer by her side…

Her gentle, obedient son had fallen into whose hands? Alive or dead, unknown—worse still, whether he had been abused or tormented.

Wen Renwan's heart ached even more.

The carriage continued toward the city's outskirts.

But as the carriage moved farther away, Wen Renwan grew increasingly uneasy, and in a daze, she felt a premonition.

As if she were drifting farther from Yu'er, and once she passed through this city gate…

She would be eternally severed from her son.

They would never meet again in this lifetime!

A cultivator's inner omen never arises without cause.

Wen Renwan's heart trembled with dread.

She immediately cried: "Stop the carriage!"

The carriage halted; she leapt out, gazed helplessly around, and after a long while, caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision—a noodle stall…

Wen Renwan was struck as if by lightning.

At the stall sat two young cultivators.

One slightly older, with features like a painted scroll, his aura clear and gentle.

The other tiny, about four or five years old, looking remarkably like her Yu'er…

Wen Renwan's heart trembled; she could barely breathe.

She wanted to speak, but her emotions surged too wildly—she could not utter a word…

Mo Hua was eating noodles when suddenly his spiritual sense stirred—he sensed someone watching him. He looked up and saw a distant woman, stunningly beautiful and regally adorned, her face streaked with tears, staring at him in disbelief.

The woman was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

He had never met her, but in faint karmic threads, he seemed to recall something.

Mo Hua suddenly understood, then patted Yu'er beside him.

Yu'er, imitating Mo Hua, had been slurping noodles with his head down. At Mo Hua's reminder, he looked far off—his small face went slack, and his chopsticks clattered to the ground.

Yu'er's eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Mother…"

Though the surroundings were noisy, the word "Mother" rang clearly into Wen Renwan's ears.

The overwhelming joy of reunion choked her chest; she could hardly breathe.

Her tears blurred her vision; she could not make out Yu'er's face, yet she ran toward him without hesitation.

She forgot she was a Jin Dan cultivator, forgot her cultivation, remembered only that she was a mother.

Yu'er, eyes brimming with tears, toddled forward with his little legs…

They embraced.

Though her vision was blurred by tears, Wen Renwan clutched Yu'er to her chest with all her strength.

She dared not let go.

She feared that if she released him, her child would vanish again.

Even if it were a dream, she wished it would last longer—let her child stay in her arms a little longer…

…

Yu'er and his mother wept as they embraced.

Mo Hua nodded in relief.

Though it had been "muddled and half-guessed," it seemed his "calculation" had been accurate.

Yu'er had found his mother—he was safe now.

He could rest easy.

Next, he could head to the Qianxue Province border and pay his respects at the Qiandao Sect's mountain gate!

Thank you to Yiqi Xiuxian, Wangshui Lunlian, Taotao Bujue, Zhong Le, and Heiye for your tips.

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