Chapter 521

So, he utterly despised her.

Because he was only a few days old, Cang Cong Huan threw him to the gate of the Buddhist Sect, where a passing Buddhist disciple of the Sect saw him, then adopted him and took him as his only personal disciple, carefully raising him.

From the time Cang Li could remember, he felt that Buddhist disciple Yan Tai treated him extremely well, not only imparting Buddhist teachings and Zen principles, but also giving him the warmth he lacked.

He then thought he was merely the most ordinary orphan in the world, and to receive his master's pity was already a great blessing.

He grew up gradually in the environment of morning bells and evening drums, with green lanterns and ancient Buddhas, his brows and eyes already showing a hint of Yan Tai's refined elegance, but his temperament was extremely unrestrained, completely lacking the serenity of a Buddhist disciple.

He learned the truth when he was three years old, when Yan Tai, in order to broaden his horizons, took him down the mountain to travel.

One day, by a waterside tavern, a woman in fiery red clothing blocked their path.

That woman's appearance was extremely beautiful, her every glance full of charm, the corner of her mouth holding a half-smile, she stared straight at Yan Tai—it was Cang Cong Huan.

"Yo, isn't this our ascetic Buddhist disciple Yan Tai? How do you have time to bring a little brat out to wander the mortal world?" Cang Cong Huan's voice carried a hint of teasing.

From that day on, Cang Cong Huan clung to them like a shadow.

She acted boldly, her words unrestrained.

Cang Li saw more than once that, when his master was deliberately approached by Cang Cong Huan or heard her speak ambiguous words, the usually calm face would flush with a suspicious reddening, his ears red enough to drip blood, yet he would merely lower his eyes and softly chant 'Amitabha', never arguing with her.

At that time his heart was filled with doubt: who was this woman in red?

Why was she so rude to his master?

Why did his master not drive her away?

Until that day, they lodged at an inn.

He was playful, taking advantage of his master's meditation to sneak out, but when he returned he overheard voices from inside his master's room outside the window.

It was Cang Cong Huan's voice, carrying a rare hint of solemnity: "Yan Tai, Li'er is growing bigger; do you see that his brows and eyes are becoming more like yours?"

Yan Tai did not speak.

Cang Cong Huan continued, his tone tinged with anxiety: "The Buddhist Venerable will surely discover one day that Li'er is your biological son! Then how could he spare us? You only want Li'er to follow the Buddhist cultivation path, but have you forgotten how your own path came to be? So austere, so binding! Do you still not understand Li'er's nature? He is like me, his heart too wild to be tamed! If he ever takes a liking to a girl, must he also, like us back then, sneak around and hide from the light?"

After a moment of silence, Cang Cong Huan's voice became firm: "I want Li'er to enter the Heaven One Sect and take the Formless Immortal Venerable as his master."

Inside the window, Yan Tai slowly lowered his eyelashes, his long lashes casting a shadow in the candlelight, his expression unreadable, only his fingers unconsciously turning the prayer beads, evidently deep in thought.

At that moment his heart leapt with joy; he appeared at the door, his eyes fixed tightly on Cang Cong Huan inside the room, tears swirling in his sockets, his tone mixed with surprise and nervousness: "Mother… are you my mother?!"

Cang Cong Huan clearly did not expect this little bean to appear at this moment and overhear everything; his expression froze instantly, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.

She suddenly stood up and flatly denied: "I am not your mother; don't let your longing for a mother addle your mind, seeing any young beautiful woman and thinking she's your mother."

After a pause, she turned her head to the Buddhist disciple: "Buddhist disciple, take this pill and you will be healed."

Having said that, she set down the pill and walked past little Cang Li's side.

He instinctively grabbed her skirt, but she ruthlessly pulled it away, gave him a cold glance, and strode off.

…

"Back then, your father and I had many difficulties."

Cang Cong Huan's voice pulled Cang Li's thoughts back to reality.

Cang Cong Huan took a sip of tea.

"Having stayed in the Buddhist Sect, you naturally understand that once one becomes a Buddhist disciple, one cannot leave the Sect, cannot have a dao partner; moreover, a Buddhist disciple must bear many burdens of the Sect. Back then, the Buddhist Venerable despised someone like me, dissolute and unrestrained, and if he found out I had an affair with Yan Tai, he would surely punish Yan Tai severely, even forcing him to atone with his life."

"Back then my cultivation was too low; I could never have eloped with your father."

"More importantly, Yan Tai bears a Buddhist mark within him, which means that no matter where we fled, the Buddhist Venerable could track him down by that mark."

Cang Cong Huan gazed deeply at Cang Li: "Li'er, I am sorry to you as your mother, but I had no choice. Whether sending you to the Buddhist Sect or leaving you in the Carefree Sect of the Ninth Province, it was all due to my and Yan Tai's selfishness."

"Yan Tai initially wanted to raise you and make you a Buddhist cultivator, but I did not want you to become a Buddhist cultivator, nor did I want you to be a puppet of the Buddhist Venerable, so I sent you to the side of the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord."

"Your resentment and hatred toward me are understandable."

Cang Cong Huan said, rose and walked to Cang Li's front, then suddenly shifted tone: "But you have not inherited my talent for alchemy; I am truly disappointed!"

Her tone carried a hint of frustration at his inadequacy.

Cang Li lowered his gaze at her, then snorted coldly: "It's because your bloodline isn't excellent enough that I cannot inherit it."

Cang Cong Huan chuckled: "Perhaps the bloodline has been diluted."

Cang Li turned his face away.

"I have no time tonight; I need to auction the Heavenly Pride Token for my junior sister."

"What about tomorrow night?"

"No time."

"And the night after tomorrow?"

"No time."

"And the night after that?"

Cang Li: "Hmm."

"Then it's settled, my good Li'er." Cang Cong Huan reached out and patted his shoulder, smiling satisfactorily.

Cang Li glanced at her: "Don't go disturb him tonight."

Cang Cong Huan let out a light sigh: "How can your words be so unpleasant? I certainly am not going to disturb him; I'm going to have an all-night talk with him."

Cang Li obviously did not believe it.

"Don't let anyone find out." He took a deep breath.

Cang Cong Huan sighed: "It's really hard for us to gather as a family. Once we outlast the Buddhist Venerable's final passing, we can be together openly."

Cang Li: "That will still take at least a thousand years."

"Do you acknowledge that we are a family?" Cang Cong Huan said with a beaming smile.

Cang Li's face turned completely black.

She is just setting a trap with her own words, even entrapping her own biological son.

After Cang Cong Huan left, Xue Jin also returned to the private room.

Xue Jin said lightly, "Do you want to keep it secret?"

Cang Li picked up a spirit fruit again, took two bites, and mumbled, "No need, I'll lay everything out for you all in a few days."

Xue Jin glanced at him.

"Good."

As night fell, the climax of the auction was the bidding for two Heavenly Pride Tokens.

The two Heavenly Pride Tokens sold for 230,000 Top-Grade Spirit Stones and 270,000 Top-Grade Spirit Stones respectively.