Chapter 187: My Most Proud Daughter, Ming Zhaoshuang
Zhen Hanliu, as the system said, was an extremely cold person.
He and Ming Zhaoshuang were very similar.
Or rather, he was very similar to Ming Zhaoshuang, who had lost one soul and one spirit.
He was like an iceberg, carrying an innate chill and indifference, standing quietly before Ming Zhaoshuang, with deep features, a profound face, covered in snow all over, and devoid of any vibrancy.
Only the sharpness of “stay away” remained.
His gaze on Ming Zhaoshuang was devoid of emotion.
Ming Zhaoshuang looked up, meeting his gaze without fear, their identical faces silent in this space-time.
Finally, Ming Zhaoshuang spoke, “Zhen Hanliu, should I call you Former Palace Master, or should I call you Father?”
Zhen Hanliu’s pupils moved slightly, as if he was finally a little interested in Ming Zhaoshuang.
He said, “Father.”
The system complained, “See? That’s his style, his tone is so forced. I really don’t know what your mother saw in him. Why would she like a block of ice? I suspect your mother’s subsequent suffering was related to him.”
Although the system wasn’t privy to the romantic entanglements between Zhen Hanliu and Ming Cangsheng, she had read many storybooks and had already concocted a dramatic tale of a love-hate relationship with a tragic ending.
It was obvious that Zhen Hanliu liked to act cool and ruthless, and then Ming Cangsheng didn’t like him anymore, so he shamelessly went to the Dragon Domain to beg for Ming Cangsheng’s forgiveness.
Ming Zhaoshuang didn’t care about these things. After all, she had never met Zhen Hanliu before, and what she was seeing now was just a wisp of his divine sense.
She directly asked, “What’s going on between you and Ming Cangsheng? Why did you go to the Dragon Domain for no reason?”
Ming Cangsheng was a sword cultivator, not eligible for a marriage alliance.
Moreover, Ming Cangsheng was able to give birth to her thirteen years ago, and the Dragon Domain marriage alliance occurred once every three hundred years, which was enough to show that Ming Cangsheng wasn’t doing it for a marriage alliance but for another reason.
Zhen Hanliu frowned, “She is your mother.”
Ming Zhaoshuang: “……”
In her heart, her mother was not Ming Cangsheng, but her adoptive mother in the modern era and Jiang Yuejian now.
To her, Ming Cangsheng was just a stranger.
However, according to Ming Cangzhu, even though Ming Cangsheng had not raised her for a single day, her affection for her was extremely abundant. She had indeed been a bit rude earlier.
So Ming Zhaoshuang did not refute, but asked, “Then what’s going on between you and my mother? Why did you go to the Dragon Domain for no reason?”
Zhen Hanliu continued to frown, “She is my wife.”
Ming Zhaoshuang: “……”
What, you’re not my dad, and she’s not my mom?
Do you have to pick irrelevant faults here?
The system was also somewhat speechless, “Honestly, among Wei Shuo’s three disciples, Dong Fuyu is the most sensible. I really can’t be bothered to criticize Zhen Hanliu. I get annoyed just seeing him.”
Ming Zhaoshuang sighed and endured it, “Just tell me what happened between you. Was the mysterious person back then you? Why did you split my divine soul? Why did you seal my spirit root? Why did you leave me in the Ming Family instead of in Rim of Dusk Mountain Range.”
The resources of the Ming Family and Rim of Dusk Mountain Range were not just a little bit different.
Zhen Hanliu lowered his eyes, and a hint of gentleness seemed to appear in his icy gaze. He said unhurriedly, “The mysterious person was indeed me. I pleaded for a long time, and with the help of Great Elder Qichun Mountain of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, I finally found that trace of innate wood spirit, allowing you to regenerate your severed arm.”
“As for what happened between my wife and me, it is related to the Dragon Domain, related to Cangshan, and related to you. But you are only at the Nascent Soul Stage now and do not have the strength to know the truth, so I will not tell you.”
“But I can tell you that splitting your divine soul was to prevent the Heavenly Dao from controlling your will, and sealing your spirit root was because your shattered divine soul could not withstand such a powerful spirit root at the time, and it was also to deceive the Heavenly Dao.”
“As for why I left you in the Ming Family, it was because my ideology differed from my junior brother’s. He was too conservative and wanted to follow the will of heaven, keeping you in Rim of Dusk Mountain Range to preserve your life. But I thought that my daughter, Zhen Hanliu, would not be content with such a path.”
Indeed, by splitting her divine soul that represented emotion, she would not be affected by the Heavenly Dao’s control.
Originally, according to their words, the one most controlled by the Heavenly Dao should not have been Qin Feilong, but her.
The person who most threatened the Heavenly Dao’s status.
As for the shattered divine soul not being able to withstand a powerful spirit root, she could understand that too.
But to deceive the Heavenly Dao, this was puzzling, after all, even with her innate dual spirit root, the Heavenly Dao would not be so terrified.
Back then, Feng He also had an innate dual spirit root, and it wasn’t as if she had executed the Heavenly Dao.
Could it be that her other innate spirit root held some surprise she was unaware of?
However, from Zhen Hanliu’s words, Ming Zhaoshuang could understand that Dong Fuyu indeed did not want to kill her, but merely wanted to imprison her, just like in the painting scroll, sealing her in the Ice Palace of Rim of Dusk Mountain Range.
Even Dong Fuyu might have been kind, wanting to preserve her life under the Heavenly Dao’s execution.
Zhen Hanliu and the others placed her in the Ming Family, likely for this reason as well.
Firstly, it was for a marriage alliance with Qin Feilong. After all, no one knew who spread the rumor that Feng He’s innate dual spirit root could coexist because she became Dao Companions with the Dragon King Ao Tian.
Secondly, it was to hide from Dong Fuyu and escape her fate of either being executed or imprisoned.
Ming Zhaoshuang continued to ask, “Then why was my arm severed?”
What kind of decent person would attack an infant and directly sever her arm? It was simply insane.
“Because you were born with the Spirit-Connecting Bone.”
A trace of pain flashed in Zhen Hanliu’s eyes. He said, “You should be a sword cultivator now, but in reality, the path you should have cultivated the most is that of a Talisman Master.”
It was just that he and Ming Cangsheng were unable to protect themselves at the time, so they could only succumb to them and have Ming Zhaoshuang’s arm severed.
From then on, it ruined her qualification to become a Talisman Master.
Even because Ming Zhaoshuang possessed the Spirit-Connecting Bone, her attainments in Swordsmanship might not be as deep.
After all, the rules of heaven and earth stated that one could only cultivate one path.
Ming Zhaoshuang was shocked and said, “Are you saying I was originally an innate Spiritually Connected Body, but it was stolen?”
The system frowned, “That shouldn’t be. Once the Spirit-Connecting Bone leaves the original owner’s body, it loses its vitality. Taking away the Spirit-Connecting Bone would be useless.”
Moreover, it was rare for a Spirit-Connecting Bone to appear in any generation, and now that Qin Feilong existed, how could Ming Zhaoshuang appear?
Qin Feilong’s strength did not seem like someone who could force a Talisman Master Big Shot like Zhen Hanliu.
It could only be someone else.
Or rather, that old thing, the Heavenly Dao, was causing trouble again!
Zhen Hanliu said, “I don’t know what they wanted with your Spirit-Connecting Bone, but I was powerless at the time. To protect your lives, I could only agree.”
In the final analysis, it was due to insufficient strength.
Zhen Hanliu’s eyes, which had been cold, now had much less coldness, only a thread of guilt remaining.
Ming Zhaoshuang said without politeness, “Then you are indeed quite incompetent.”
The number one under Wei Shuo, yet he couldn’t even protect his wife and daughter. What else could he be but a waste.
The system stifled a laugh, “Hold back a little, he’s your dad after all.”
Zhen Hanliu looked at the system. He was in Ming Zhaoshuang’s Sea of Consciousness, and the system was also in Ming Zhaoshuang’s Sea of Consciousness. He could hear the system speaking.
The system trembled.
Zhen Hanliu’s gaze was cold, but his tone was very calm, “These years, thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
The system chuckled, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome. Serving the people, I don’t feel tired.”
Ming Zhaoshuang: “……”
Zhen Hanliu continued to look at Ming Zhaoshuang. In her sharp gaze, the coldness gradually receded, and a part of tenderness remained.
“I originally thought that you would at least need to reach the Body Integration Stage to break the seal I gave you, and perhaps you would never be able to break it. But not only have you reached the Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age, but you have also thought of a way to break my seal. Since that is the case, then go and meet your other spirit root. That is a behemoth that even the Heavenly Dao fears.”
He spoke his final words:
“I look forward to seeing you in the Dragon Domain, my most proud daughter, Ming Zhaoshuang.”
