“What my father and I left behind isn’t theirs to obtain. Plus, it won’t be easy to take what’s ours,” said Ling Lan coldly. She had always kept trump cards at the back of her hands. She didn’t believe that her father, who was 100 times more sly and devious than her, would not leave any traps behind.
“You know your father very well.” Mu Shui-qing looked at Ling Lan with an odd expression. He, of course, knew Ling Xiao very well. It was because he taught Ling Xiao for so many years which had allowed him to see through the real personality Ling Xiao had hid away. Although Ling Xiao returned for 7 to 8 years, he still only stayed with Ling Lan for at most three months. Most of the time, Ling Xiao and Ling Lan would be busy doing their own matters. In such a short time, Ling Lan actually managed to see Ling Xiao’s true personality, and this shocked Mu Shui-qing.
“No one knows a child better than their parents. These words work in reverse as well,” said Ling Lan indifferently. The important thing was that her father had never hid anything from her or her mother. Her mother didn’t care because in her eyes, her father was always the best. As for Ling Lan, she wanted to ignore those matters as well, but her Profound Insight wouldn’t stop activating in the presence of her father. It would always remind her of things she missed, making it so that she couldn’t even neglect it.
“If you know your parents well, then why did you come back?” Mu Shui-qing had an expression of disapproval.“I want to see my mother with my own eyes. I just can’t stop worrying.” After losing Ling Xiao, Ling Lan felt she had lost a safeguard in her life. If something were to happen to Lan Luofeng, Ling Lan was afraid she’d go insane. In the end, Ling Lan becoming stronger in this lifetime was only to protect the people she loved. The first person she wanted to protect was her mother, Lan Luofeng.
“If you want her to be safe, you just need to make sure you’re safe,” Mu Shui-qing said calmly. “You’re now her pillar of hope. As long as you’re alive, she would try her best to stay alive in order to protect your belongings.”
Ling Lan’s eyes narrowed, “The 23rd Division.”
Mu Shui-qing sighed. “Despite it being very difficult, no one probably would be able to stop her from doing what she wants. I don’t know what the final outcome will be, but I can confirm that your father’s 23rd Division won’t be taken by anyone else soon. But, if you want to take over the 23rd Division, then you need to become stronger as soon as possible. You must become powerful to the point where the three marshals cannot stop you from inheriting what’s rightfully yours.”
“I understand. It seems like I still have to trouble you, master, for the next few years.” With her master within the general’s manor, she trusted that no one would dare lay a hand on her mother. This was why Ling Lan and Ling Xiao dared to leave Lan Luofeng on Planet General by herself. Compared to the other generals’ wives who were on Planet General like hostages, Lan Luofeng had Mu Shui-qing protecting her, allowing the two of them to be free of worry. If a god-realm individual wanted to protect someone, the person wouldn’t die unless they instantly destroy the entire planet.
“No matter. I’m all by myself. It’s not bad to be able to retire here anyways,” Mu Shui-qing said nonchalantly. He only had one disciple he loved. Oh, well there was also Ling Lan. However, Ling Lan was also Ling Xiao’s daughter. All in all, his entire life was spent on this family. He couldn’t leave even if he wanted to.
Ling Lan wanted to say something else. Suddenly, she trembled as she slowly turned towards the door.She saw a beautiful woman with a surprised look on her face. The woman had tears of joy as she ran towards her.
“I asked for your mother to come here just now. It is safe meeting her here.” Mu Shui-qing’s words echoed in Ling Lan’s ears, as he explained why Lan Luofeng would appear here.
“Is it my little Lan’er? My Lan’er?” Lan Luofeng caressed Ling Lan’s face with trembling hands. Despite Ling Lan wearing a uniform of a JMC, Lan Luofeng was still able to recognize Ling Lan. It was her little baby daughter Ling Lan who she had been thinking about non-stop recently.
“I’m sorry, mom.” Ling Lan knelt down and held onto Lan Luofeng’s waist. If she had just been stronger, she wouldn’t have caused her father’s disappearance by forcing him to save her life.
Ling Lan didn’t want to use the word “death”. She believed that man, who was stronger than god himself, wouldn’t die. She could only accept that he had disappeared, just like many years before. When the time was right, he would come back again in full force.
“Don’t apologize to me. If Ling Xiao didn’t go to save you and if you were the one who disappeared instead of him, I would have hated him for all eternity. It’s good that he went to save you. I’m very happy that I didn’t marry the wrong man. I’m very proud of him.” Lan Luofeng hugged Ling Lan tightly. She smiled as she spoke with tears trickling uncontrollably down her face.
“Ling Lan, don’t blame your mother for being selfish. Back then when he first disappeared, if you hadn’t existed, I would have joined him in death. However, your existence made me become a strong mother. In those 16 years, my focus was on you. In my mind, you were the most important. I was indeed happy when your father returned, but I was more happy that my daughter no longer needed to struggle and could recover her real identity as a girl. You would have been able to freely live in the gender you were born with. However, your father’s blunder destroyed my dreams. To be honest, I hated your father back then. I hated the fact that he came back and messed with my plans. The reason why I forgave your father was because I saw that you liked this type of life. You don’t need anyone to pamper you anymore. You wished to be strong enough to look down at everything. That’s the type of freedom you needed, not what I planned out for you.”
“That’s why out of the two of you, if I was to choose, I would choose you. It’s always been you.” Lan Luofeng hugged her daughter tightly in her arms. The warmth she felt in her arms soothe her struggling heart
Ling Xiao’s disappearance did indeed make her feel hurt. However, it was only some pain in her heart. However, if her daughter were to disappear instead of Ling Xiao, she would feel like someone was pulling her heart out. That kind of pain would make her suffocate. She would not be able to live anymore with that kind of pain.
“Mom!” Ling Lan buried herself in Lan Luofeng’s arms while she noiselessly sobbed. She had once said that she would never cry again, but she was unable to control her emotions when she heard her mother’s heartwarming words. The more Lan Luofeng put importance on her, the more Ling Lan felt she had wronged her mother, as she had caused her mother to lose the husband that loved her the most.
