Following closely behind Widow Liu, Liu Shengsheng poked her head out and smiled at Lin Xiao, saying, "Hello, Brother Xiao! Thank you, Brother Xiao!"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Xiao smiled awkwardly. He wasn't good at handling such situations, so he quickly chose to change the topic and asked, "Aunt Liu, are you here to see Yunan? Give me a moment, I'll let you in right away."
Without waiting for Widow Liu to respond, Lin Xiao deactivated the sect's defense mechanism. As he closed his eyes momentarily to focus, Widow Liu held back her words, not wanting to interrupt him. When Lin Xiao opened his eyes again, she finally spoke.
"Xiao'er, I know that Yunan has been following you up here to cultivate, and I didn't want to disturb you. But today, we actually have something to discuss…"
"Oh? What is it, Aunt Liu? Come inside, and we can talk." With that, Lin Xiao gave Liu Yunan a glance, signaling him to escort his mother and sister to the sect's main hall.
Widow Liu was about to refuse, but Liu Yunan, catching Lin Xiao's cue, quickly took his mother's arm and led her inside. "Mother, come on, let me and Sister show you our sect's grand hall!"
Lin Xiao walked ahead, feeling quite pleased. The sect's grand hall was designed for important discussions and decisions, but until now, there hadn't been much to discuss, so the hall had remained unused. Lin Xiao had mostly used it as a quiet place for contemplation. Finally, the grand hall was about to fulfill its intended purpose!
After a short walk, they arrived at the grand hall. Liu Shengsheng, trailing behind Widow Liu, was immediately awestruck by the grandeur of the building.
"Wow! Brother, your sect's hall is so beautiful! Look, the roof is sparkling with colorful lights!"
She excitedly ran toward the eaves, trying to catch the shimmering light, but her hands came up empty. "Huh?"
Beside her, Widow Liu's expression remained calm despite the admiration in her eyes. While the sight of the grand hall surprised her, she wasn't entirely shocked.
Once inside, Liu Shengsheng marveled at the walls adorned with tiny, star-like specks of light, praising them non-stop. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao gestured toward the scattered straw mats on the floor and said to Widow Liu, "Aunt Liu, make yourselves comfortable. Please, have a seat."
These mats were what the sect members used during their occasional chats in the hall. After everyone sat down, Lin Xiao smiled and asked, "Aunt Liu, how can I help you?"
Widow Liu shook her head and sighed deeply before speaking, "Xiao'er, I want… to join your sect and cultivate alongside you all!"
Lin Xiao hadn't expected this and was momentarily stunned. But then, he smiled brightly and said, "That would be great! Are you ready to join now, Aunt Liu?"
Seeing how quickly he agreed, Widow Liu couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. "Xiao'er, I know that the older one gets, the harder it is to cultivate. But… I can't control this desire in my heart…"
Hearing her words, Lin Xiao realized that Widow Liu seemed to know a bit about cultivation. Always straightforward, Lin Xiao asked directly, "Aunt Liu, it sounds like you already know something about cultivation?"
Widow Liu sighed and glanced at Liu Yunan and Liu Shengsheng before continuing, "Actually, you all know that I was separated from my family while fleeing from a disaster. That's how I ended up in Shuishui Village."
Everyone quietly nodded, listening intently. Even Liu Yunan and Liu Shengsheng didn't know much about their mother's past, other than that their maternal family was once well-off and that their mother had received some education.
Widow Liu seemed lost in thought for a moment before continuing, "The Daqing Dynasty, where we live, is home to several cultivation sects. The court has allocated territories to these sects, and part of the taxes we pay goes to them. These sects, in return, can recruit disciples from their territories, and they act as the dynasty's protectors."
She gently stroked Liu Shengsheng's head and looked at Liu Yunan. "Your maternal family, the Yang family, was once the largest fabric merchant in Liaoju, the provincial capital of Hufang Province."
"I was the only daughter in my family. My parents never wanted me to marry because they believed that life for women in this world is too harsh. They wanted me to cultivate and become an immortal, to escape the constraints of the mundane world."
"When I was thirteen, my father managed to pull some strings to have my spiritual roots tested. We discovered that I had earth and wood dual spiritual roots, and he was overjoyed. He wanted to bribe his way into sending me to Shangyang Sect."
"However, our family was betrayed by someone we trusted, and our business crumbled. We lost everything and were driven out of Liaoju. To make matters worse, a drought struck the neighboring prefecture, and we got separated from the rest of our family amidst the chaos…"
Tears welled up in Widow Liu's eyes as she recalled these painful memories. Liu Shengsheng nestled into her mother's arms, silent and wide-eyed.
As she gently stroked her daughter's head, Widow Liu seemed to regain her composure and continued, "My parents always taught me that to truly live in this world, one must cultivate. I didn't understand this when I was young, but after everything I've been through, I finally get it."
"Only by cultivating and gaining the power to stand above others can one truly live with dignity."
Widow Liu lifted her head and looked directly at Lin Xiao with clear, unwavering eyes. "So, Xiao'er, I want to cultivate."
Seeing the determination in her gaze, Lin Xiao couldn't refuse, nor did he want to. Noticing her tightly clenched fists, he realized how nervous she was despite her resolve.
After a moment of thought, Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Aunt Liu, maybe in those sects, the younger you are, the better it is for cultivation. But that's not the case here."
Widow Liu felt her breath lighten as she eagerly asked, "Why not?"
Jiang Youfu and Liu Yunan also perked up, listening closely.
With a smile, Lin Xiao explained, "Because our sect's cultivation method is different from those other sects."
"In our sect, you don't need spiritual roots."
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