The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 427 I am your daughter, I come from the future (6k)

Before Zhou Qing could finish speaking, Lu Yaoyao seemed to realize what was happening and gently released her grip.

But she quickly took a deep breath, as if to remember Shen Hanyi's scent forever, before reluctantly parting ways.

She lifted her tear-filled face, revealing a smile tinged with tears:
"So this is what my mother's tastes like. It smells so good."

Shen Hanyi's heart trembled as she looked at the familiar girl in front of her, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

She subconsciously raised her hand and gently wiped away Lu Yaoyao's tears, her movements clumsy yet tender.

Shen Hanyi opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

A rare look of helplessness flickered in her usually aloof eyes.

Lu Yaoyao looked at Shen Hanyi, then at Zhou Qing, and suddenly burst into laughter through her tears: "I was really stupid. Sometimes I think too much and almost misunderstood and missed opportunities."

"What exactly happened?" Zhou Qing couldn't help but ask.

Lu Yaoyao suddenly grabbed Shen Hanyi with one hand and Zhou Qing with the other, her eyes sparkling with happiness: "Do you know, I'm so happy at this moment."

The three looked at each other in bewilderment, while Shen Yunzhou, standing to the side, was completely confused and unable to keep up with the pace.

Just then, Lu Yaoyao's arm, which was holding Shen Hanyi's, suddenly became transparent and then disappeared.

This scene caused the three of them to change their expressions drastically, and they all looked at Lu Yaoyao at the same time.

However, Lu Yaoyao remained calm, only looking down at Shen Hanyi's abdomen, hesitatingly reaching out her right hand to touch it, but ultimately withdrawing it.

The next second, the missing arm reappeared, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

Seeing the shocked expressions on the three people's faces, Lu Yaoyao took a deep breath and decided to lay her cards on the table.

She finally understood why her fingers had suddenly become transparent back at Taiqing Sect—it was because she, in this timeline, had… conceived.

It seems that my father and mother had already been intimate without my knowledge.

It really took a lot of effort to keep it from her.

"Let's go inside and talk." Lu Yaoyao wiped her eyes and pushed open the door to the room where Zhou Qing had been living for the past month.

The three exchanged glances and followed him inside, filled with doubt.

After taking their seats, Lu Yaoyao's gaze swept back and forth across the three faces, finally settling on Shen Hanyi, her eyes filled with happiness.

She looked at Zhou Qing again and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dad—" Lu Yaoyao said to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing was immediately stunned, and Shen Hanyi and Shen Yunzhou turned to look at him at the same time.

Zhou Qing was about to speak when Lu Yaoyao raised her hand to stop him.

“I know you have many questions,” Lu Yaoyao said seriously, “Let me explain slowly.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the three faces again. "Dad, actually I came from the future. My name is Lu Yaoyao, and I'm your daughter."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the three of them frozen in place.

Shen Yunzhou was the first to react, blurting out, "The future?"

Lu Yaoyao nodded, then pointed to Shen Hanyi's abdomen, her eyes sparkling with tenderness: "The one Mother is carrying now is me."

Shen Hanyi's fingers tightened involuntarily, and Zhou Qing's face twitched.

"Have you encountered any problems in your cultivation recently?" Zhou Qing asked tentatively.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head: "I know you find it hard to believe. In fact, even though I'm revealing a secret I've kept for so many years, I don't expect you to believe it completely. But as you've seen—"

She raised her arm, "After I am born in this timeline, the original me will disappear and return to my own timeline."

"Lu Meizi, your story is..." Shen Yunzhou had just started to speak when Shen Hanyi interrupted him coldly: "Shut up!"

Shen Yunzhou immediately fell silent.

Zhou Qing looked at Lu Yaoyao's intact arm, then at Shen Hanyi's abdomen, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

As a time traveler, he has a special sensitivity to this kind of time paradox.

Moreover, ever since the Taiqing Sect era, this girl has always loved to pester him to call her "Daddy," and even her most genuine thoughts occasionally appear in his notes.

“Dad,” Lu Yaoyao suddenly laughed, “I’ve called you Senior Brother for so many years, it’s really a little strange to suddenly call you Dad.”

Zhou Qing's expression grew increasingly solemn, and he did not respond.

"Do you remember how you were always curious about how I knew about the lineage of the Spirit Skull Mountain array masters? And the secret of the Black Snow Mountain Mirror?"

A sly glint flashed in Lu Yaoyao's eyes. "Actually, you told me all of this. All these years I've been afraid to tell the truth because I'm afraid of changing history, and also afraid that I won't be able to change anything."

After saying that, before the three could react, Lu Yaoyao raised her hands and said, "I, Lu Yaoyao, swear by the heavens that every word I am about to say is true."

"No!" Zhou Qing hurriedly stopped him.

But a roar came from the sky, and Lu Yaoyao had fulfilled her vow.

Immediately afterwards, she carefully took out a picture book from her storage bag.

Turning to the first page, one is immediately struck by the portrait of Fairy Xuanyou, with the words "Big Mom" ​​written beside it.

The second page features a portrait of Xuan Yuan Mu Qian, labeled "Second Mother".

When she turned to the third page—a portrait of Shen Hanyi and the words "Third Mother" appeared on the page.

Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi both held their breath.

Zhou Qing had actually seen this picture book before, but he had never understood why.

At this point, he was already seven or eight parts convinced.

"You've been looking for your mother?" Shen Hanyi asked, her voice trembling as she looked at her portrait.

Lu Yaoyao nodded emphatically: "Yes, that's why I'm only telling you this now. I've never seen my mother since I can remember."

She gently stroked the picture book, "After arriving in this timeline in a daze, I can only find out who my mother is by looking at all the women who came into contact with my father and some characteristics of myself."

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze involuntarily turned to Shen Hanyi.

Shen Yunzhou's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he scanned back and forth between his older sister and Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Meizi even made a vow to Heaven, so the authenticity of her words is beyond doubt.

So how could she have never seen her mother since she could remember?
A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through Shen Yunzhou's mind.

Could it be that my older sister secretly gave birth to her and then abandoned her, just to maintain her pure and innocent fairy image?

He ruthlessly nipped the thought in the bud.

No, it's impossible.

Having experienced the pain of losing her mother, the older sister knows best the suffering of orphans. How could she bear to let her own flesh and blood repeat the same mistake?

Stared at by Zhou Qing and Shen Yunzhou, Shen Hanyi remained silent for a moment, then gently stroked her belly, her voice firm yet gentle: "I will not abandon her even for a day."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao's eyes immediately reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes: "I believe you!"

A sense of foreboding arose in Zhou Qing's heart. He turned his gaze back to Lu Yaoyao: "Could you explain in detail why you have never seen your mother?"

Shen Hanyi and Shen Yunzhou also stared intently at her, waiting for an answer.

Lu Yaoyao took a deep breath: "Then do you believe what I'm saying?"

"I believe you!" Zhou Qing replied without hesitation.

"I believe you." Shen Hanyi's cool voice carried a hint of urgency.

Shen Yunzhou opened his mouth, but remembering his older sister's warning, he could only nod silently and forcefully, his eyes full of expectation.

He was very curious to know how his uncle would fare in the future.

You should know that he aspires to become the Emperor of Shit!
Seeing the three people's reactions, Lu Yaoyao smiled with relief: "Thank you!"

As she spoke, she took out a yellowed handbook from her storage bag.

Turning to the first page, the painting depicts a middle-aged man whose clothes are somewhat sloppy. His face bears a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Zhou Qing, but he looks much more weathered.

His eyes were sunken and dull, and he carried a broken sword on his back and held the hand of a five or six-year-old girl tightly.

The little girl was dressed in simple clothes, but she was very clean.

But her eyes were filled with fear and unease, as if some unknown thing was chasing them from behind.

When Shen Hanyi saw Zhou Qing's appearance in the painting, her heart ached suddenly.

His fingers unconsciously traced the portrait, then he looked at the little girl, feeling the same pity.

Zhou Qing remained silent, his brows furrowed.

Lu Yaoyao turned to the second page, where the picture showed Zhou Qing fighting with a demon king, while a little girl hid in a crevice in the rocks in fear.

The third and fourth pages each record similar scenes.

Zhou Qing was fighting against one or more demon kings, while the little girl either waited or looked up, her fear never diminishing.

“I’ve lived like this ever since I was old enough to understand things,” Lu Yaoyao said softly as she turned the page. “The pursuers include humans, but most of them are demon emperors in human form. My father has always been with me on the run.”

Shen Hanyi's icy eyes were already red, and her voice trembled slightly: "Why?"

Lu Yaoyao shook her head: "I don't know, my dad never tells me. These are drawings I made over the years based on my childhood memories."

She looked up at Zhou Qing, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "In my memory, Father rarely speaks anymore."

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling sound of pages turning.

Each page was like a sharp knife, cutting a bloody wound in the hearts of the three.

Zhou Qing felt an indescribable bitterness welling up inside him. He couldn't understand why so many Demon Emperors at the Spirit Severing Realm were relentlessly pursuing him and his daughter.

"Then how did you get here?" Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice. Lu Yaoyao bit her lower lip lightly: "I don't know either. I woke up in a cave that time, and Father was nowhere to be found. I was terrified, and I waited until dark, but he didn't come back."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly: "Back then, my father only trained my muscles and bones, but never taught me any cultivation methods. At night, the cave was crawling with poisonous insects, and I was so scared that I ran out to find him."

"I was wandering aimlessly in that ancient forest when I stepped on something and suddenly the world spun around me..."

Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened: "And then?"

Lu Yaoyao whispered, "When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself falling from a great height. Fortunately..."

A hint of relief flashed in her eyes: "It just so happened that my master—who is now the head of the Taiqing Sect—was collecting materials in that area and happened to save me."

“He took me back to Taiqing Sect, and it was only along the way that I slowly came to understand…” She looked up at Zhou Qing and smiled, “I actually came back to the time when my father was young.”

Zhou Qing remained silent.

This means that she did not travel through time, but rather directly integrated into this timeline.

Judging from the age at which she entered the Taiqing Sect, she was about twelve years old at the time.

In other words, before the age of twelve, she belonged to the future, and after the age of twelve, she belonged to the present.

Zhou Qing suddenly looked up at Shen Hanyi.

Lu Yaoyao has never seen her birth mother. Could it be that something bad has happened to her?

Shen Hanyi noticed his gaze, and in the instant their eyes met, they both understood what the other was thinking.

In his haste, Zhou Qing grasped her hand, his eyes filled with worry.

This time, Shen Hanyi did not struggle, but simply bit her lip gently.

Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but interject, "Then why is your name Lu Yaoyao? Why don't you take my sister's or brother-in-law's surname? Did you change your name specifically after coming to this timeline?"

Lu Yaoyao shook her head: "No. I've never had a name since I was born. My father only calls me 'little girl'."

She paused, her voice lowering slightly: "In my memory, that year, my father was seriously injured, and it seemed that the pursuers were no longer just the Demon Emperor. He temporarily placed me in the care of a hunter named Lu."

"Three years later, my father came to pick me up and named me Lu Yaoyao."

She looked up at Shen Hanyi and said softly, "I always thought my mother's surname was also Lu, and that I took my mother's surname."

“So initially,” she said, her voice lowering, “I secretly observed all the women with the surname Lu around Father.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi's tears fell silently.

She suddenly stood up and gently embraced Lu Yaoyao.

I never imagined you would suffer so much in the future.

The sudden hug brought tears to Lu Yaoyao's eyes. She hugged Shen Hanyi tightly in return: "Over the years, I have been searching for my mother's whereabouts, wanting to know why she abandoned us and ignored my father and me."

“But Sister Shen, no, Mother, I know you must have your own reasons.”

Zhou Qing looked at the mother and daughter embracing, his fists clenched until they turned white.

Just then, Lu Yaoyao's lower body suddenly became transparent.

Everyone's expression changed drastically—it was just that the arm was transparent a moment ago, how could it have deteriorated so quickly?
As Lu Yaoyao watched her body gradually disappear, she turned her gaze to Shen Hanyi's abdomen: "It seems... the little one is about to be born."

As soon as she finished speaking, her body returned to normal.

This scene caused the three people present to feel as if their hearts were being torn apart.

"It's alright," Lu Yaoyao smiled instead, her eyes filled with tears but her smile was radiant.

"At least in this timeline, I saw my funny and amazing dad when he was young, and my beautiful and aloof mom."

She paused, then said softly, "I used to be afraid of disappearing, but not anymore."

She turned to Zhou Qing, her eyes filled with tenderness: "In the future timeline, if Dad finds out I'm missing, I don't know how worried he'll be. He'll be searching the whole world for me."

At this point, her eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right! I've also grasped the meaning of filial piety. If I meet my future father, I can conjure up my mother to relieve his longing and make him feel less miserable."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's eyes reddened and her voice became hoarse: "I don't know what will happen in the future, but I will never let something like this happen again."

He looked at Shen Hanyi, then at Lu Yaoyao, and said, word by word, "I will protect you and your daughter with my life and not let anyone hurt you."

Looking at Zhou Qing's resolute face, Lu Yaoyao said softly, "I believe you. It's just that I'm too useless; I still haven't found out what really happened back then, and I can't help you avoid danger."

Her voice lowered, "Now that I'm leaving, I have no choice but to tell you everything I know."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became oppressive and suffocating.

Shen Yunzhou suddenly gasped – Lu Yaoyao arrived in this timeline at the age of twelve, and now her older sister is about to give birth, doesn't that mean…
Major changes have occurred in the last few years?
Moreover, this had been a pursuit that had been ongoing since she could remember.
This terrifying conclusion simultaneously surfaced in the minds of Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi.

Their hands unconsciously clenched, and they both saw a resolute determination in each other's eyes.

"Oh, right!" Lu Yaoyao suddenly remembered something, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, "Sister Yuyan is such a kind person! She is Dad's most loyal follower."

"One day she suddenly found us and has been protecting us ever since, even finding animal milk for me to drink."

Her voice suddenly choked up, "But later there were too many demon emperors, and she lured away several of them by herself. By the time Father arrived, she had already chosen to self-destruct."

Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi were both startled, remembering the swift they had parted ways with more than two months ago.

So that explains why Lu Yaoyao couldn't help but cry when she saw Yu Yan back in the Holy Martial Dynasty.

Zhou Qing's heart sank. If he guessed correctly, Yu Yan was risking her life to protect him because he had saved her life in the hands of Yama, and she was repaying the debt with her own.

This thought sent a chill down Zhou Qing's spine—so the gears of fate had already begun to turn, and those terrible futures were quietly becoming reality.
"I'm sorry—" Lu Yaoyao suddenly broke down in tears, "I really can't think of any more useful clues."

Her voice was full of self-blame and helplessness, like a child who had done something wrong.

Shen Hanyi gently pulled her into his arms, his slender fingers softly stroking her hair, his voice gentler than ever before: "It's okay, you're already very capable."

Lu Yaoyao buried her head deeply in Shen Hanyi's arms, her thin shoulders trembling violently: "Mother, I really miss those three years you spent with the hunter. Those children all called me a bastard without parents."

Her voice was broken and fragmented, filled with heartbreaking grievance: "Every night, I draw a picture of my mother on the ground with a twig, then lie down next to the drawing and pretend I'm in my mother's arms to fall asleep."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi felt as if her heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating her.

Zhou Qing could no longer control himself and turned around to punch the wall.

Shen Yunzhou abruptly turned his face away, his Adam's apple bobbing violently a few times, and secretly wiped his reddened eyes with his sleeve.

Shen Hanyi raised her tearful eyes, and the moment her gaze met Zhou Qing's, they both saw the same pain in each other's eyes.

She gently shook her head, her eyes signaling him to leave for the time being—Lu Yaoyao, whose emotions had been completely released, needed some quiet time to calm down.

Zhou Qing nodded knowingly, wiped away the tears still wet on her face, and pulled Shen Yunzhou out of the room.

The last thing he saw as the door closed was Lu Yaoyao curled up in Shen Hanyi's arms, so fragile, so in need of care.

Standing under the corridor, Zhou Qing held onto the vermilion railing, feeling a tightness and pain in his chest.

The girl who had followed him around calling him "senior brother" for so many years was actually his own flesh and blood.
In the future, she would lead a life of constant wandering and hardship.
Shen Yunzhou stood aside, hesitant to speak, but in the end he could only sigh heavily.

Although he completely believed what Lu Meizi said, he still felt a sense of unreality.

It's just too absurd—how could someone with no cultivation foundation possibly travel across the river of time to the past?

But then again, if it were really possible, wouldn't he also want to go back to the past?
Even if it meant giving up all his cultivation and starting over, he was determined to prevent the tragedy of that year and save his mother.
Thinking of this, Shen Yunzhou's eyes narrowed, and he decided that once Lu Meizi's emotions had stabilized, he would definitely ask her where she last appeared.

Perhaps we can find some clues here that would allow him to give it a try...

Zhou Qing remained silent, pondering Lu Yaoyao's words and the past events.

He must prevent the tragedy from happening, but everything is calm right now, so why is he suddenly being hunted down by so many demon kings?

And it lasted for so many years?
Shen Hanyi gently pushed open the door and went out as the sun set.

Seeing the two turn around, she made a shushing gesture: "She just went to sleep, let's talk over there."

The three arrived at the pavilion. After a long silence, Shen Hanyi spoke first: "I'm either trapped or... dead."

"Impossible!" Zhou Qing's heart trembled, and he blurted out.

Shen Yunzhou hurriedly added, "Sister, you're so strong, as long as it's not a Supreme Being who makes a move..."

He stopped talking midway.

The three looked at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Zhou Qing quickly analyzed: "Currently, in the fifth-level cultivation country, there are only six inspectors from the Cultivation Alliance and the Imperial Dynasty Alliance. Even if others infiltrate, the total number will not exceed ten."

After all, that divine beast was a supreme being, but he came out of necessity.

Normally, which supreme being would condescend to come to a lower-level cultivation country?

Putting yourself in his shoes, now that he's at the Spirit Severing Realm, he'd rather seek opportunities in this fifth-level cultivation country than go to those second- or third-level cultivation countries to show off his power.

It would both hinder one's spiritual practice and a life of ease would erode one's fighting spirit.
Moreover, with the two major alliances overseeing them, they are constrained in their actions. Therefore, only the Supreme Realm and Earthly Supreme Realm remain.

"Have you ever offended the Earthly Sovereign?" Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice.

Shen Hanyi shook her head: "I have only seen the two of them from afar and have never had any interaction with them. If I had really offended them, they could have killed me on the spot, and the Shen family would not have survived to this day."

Shen Yunzhou added: "Among the fifth-level cultivation kingdoms, the strongest are the Earth Sovereigns, but their numbers are pitifully small. Normally, they are almost like dragons whose heads are seen but not their tails."

"So, you mean, only the Supreme Realm remains?" Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

At this point, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, compared to higher realms, the Supreme Realm is still within our control.
Shen Hanyi frowned and fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Shen Yunzhou continued his analysis: "The Supreme Realm is also divided into the initial stage and the Great Perfection stage, and the difference in strength is equally vast."

Zhou Qing suddenly looked directly at Shen Hanyi, his gaze intense: "Who cares who he is? Why don't we just go into seclusion and ignore everything else? As long as we can get through these next few years..."

His voice carried a hint of urgency, "Maybe Yao Yao's arrival and prior notice will change everything."

(End of this chapter)