Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Shen Dao Chen Realized

Inside Flying Cloud Sect.

After returning from the Starfield Plain, Shen Dao Chen arranged defenses against the Heretic Cultivators’ plot, then paced the main peak in anger and worry. His mind churned with many thoughts.

He thought of the old days with Shen Sang Ruo. Her mother passed early. He had raised that tiny baby with unopened eyes by his own hand. She was not his by blood, yet it was no different from a real daughter, just without that blood tie.

He raised her until she said her first word, raised her until she could run and jump, and taught her Guiding Qi into the Body. The memories stopped there. After that he sent her to Thunder-Scale Peak to become a disciple of Master Ling Xiao, whom he trusted deeply.

He wanted to shape her into the next Sect Master, so he demanded a lot from her. He had seen the hope and the disappointment on her face every birthday, but he thought she should take up the duty of Young Sect Master early. As his daughter, she should succeed.

Later he learned he had held the wrong child. When Bai Mu Mu returned to Flying Cloud Sect, so thin she was only bones, his mind filled with guilt. Plans for success and talk of duty were tossed aside. He only wanted his real daughter to live well.

He spoiled her as much as he could and even used his Sect Master privilege to have Master Ling Xiao, who had stopped taking disciples, accept Bai Mu Mu as well. He grew soft whenever facing Bai Mu Mu, but toward Shen Sang Ruo he stayed as before, even more distant.

He did not think he was biased. He only wanted to make it up to Bai Mu Mu.

Later, as Shen Sang Ruo kept “competing for favor” and “hurting” Bai Mu Mu, he began to dislike her more and more. He remembered very clearly that after the misunderstanding that she had pushed Bai Mu Mu off a cliff, she changed, growing cold to them in a way unlike herself.

He thought she was throwing a tantrum, but then she cut ties with Master Ling Xiao, left Thunder-Scale Peak, cut ties with him, and he expelled her from Flying Cloud Sect.

Everything flashed by like a lantern show before Shen Dao Chen’s eyes.

Lost in thought, he found himself standing at the guest room where Shen Sang Ruo had once lived. He wanted to look for traces of her life and their shared memories. Only now did he realize she did not even have her own cave residence on his main peak.

He froze again.

He also thought of how she had started calling him senior uncle. It seemed she had not called him father for a long time. Like fog lifting from his heart, he suddenly understood. Maybe he really was biased.

He did not know why he had become like this. He did love her. He finally admitted they truly owed her.

What she had done before and the mistakes she had made now felt unimportant. He only wanted to know when she would come back.

But now Shen Sang Ruo had joined a new sect, had a new master, and had become the Young Sect Master of Ninghua Sect. With those treasures, Flying Cloud Sect could no longer target them. She was even less likely to return. Most of all, she herself had no intention of coming back.

Shen Dao Chen let out a long sigh. In the end, he did not push the door open. He turned away and headed for Bai Mu Mu’s courtyard.

There was something more important to handle right now. He needed to deal with the rumors about Bai Mu Mu and the Malevolent Spirit, for the sake of the whole Flying Cloud Sect. As for Shen Sang Ruo, that would come later. She was his daughter. He would bring her back, even if he had to use any means.

Looking at Bai Mu Mu’s large courtyard, Shen Dao Chen went dazed again. He thought that when Shen Sang Ruo returned, he would build her a courtyard on the main peak just as large to make it up to her, and she would not call him senior uncle anymore. He eased his mood with this thought and pushed the door open.

Inside, Bai Mu Mu had mostly recovered and could walk normally. But because the System had lost contact with the Main System and lacked energy, and because two elders watched her closely, she had no way to help the System reconnect. So her cultivation and her spiritual root, which had developed impurities, stayed as they were.

These days her mood had been very dark, a fire always smoldering in her heart. She had lost her temper many times. When she saw Shen Dao Chen come in, she immediately switched back to her usual weak and well behaved look and said with delight: “Father, you are back!”

Some of that delight was not fake. In a few days, the System would be completely cut off from the Main System. Maybe the treasures Flying Cloud Sect found included the strong Divine Soul Power the System needed.

“How is your health, Mu Mu?” Shen Dao Chen managed a smile, but after all that had happened, it looked forced.

Bai Mu Mu did not care about that. She cared about the treasures. She stayed warm and eager as she said: “I feel much better, Father, you do not need to worry. How was Flying Cloud Sect’s harvest at the Starfield Plain? I guess it was quite a lot, right?” She hooked her arm through his and coaxed, “Please tell me what precious things you found.”

At this, the smile on Shen Dao Chen’s face went stiff, then faded away.

[Ding: Shen Dao Chen favorability -1, current favorability: 64.]

Bai Mu Mu froze. [What did I do? Why did this old man drop favor again?]

From his reaction, her heart sank halfway. The treasures Flying Cloud Sect had found probably were not great. Could she still get Divine Soul Power?

He coughed and said vaguely: “The harvest was decent. I will have someone send you some later.”

Bai Mu Mu still would not give up: “Thank you, Father. I only need things that can repair the divine soul. I think my soul was damaged. Among the things you found, was there anything for the soul?”

At the words “divine soul,” Shen Dao Chen’s first thought was the Great Devil from the Starfield Plain that devours souls. It was a sensitive time. His brows drew together for a moment. Did Bai Mu Mu have some connection to that Great Devil or to the Heretic Cultivators?

Seeing her eager eyes, he came back to himself and said: “Your soul was hurt? How did that happen? We did not find soul type treasures this time. I will bring you the sect’s soul artifacts later.”

Hearing a clear answer, Bai Mu Mu clenched her hand. Only by digging her nails into her palm did she hold her expression together. With innocent grievance, she said: “Please do not worry, Father, maybe it was when Shen Sang Ruo hurt me.”

[Ding: Shen Dao Chen favorability -4, current favorability: 60.]

She stiffened. [Are you kidding me, old man!]

She bit down, drawing blood in her palm, and forced down the anger.

Shen Dao Chen did not want to bring up Shen Sang Ruo. He gave Bai Mu Mu an unhappy look and skipped past it: “Mu Mu, I came today about something important. It is about the rumors between you and the Malevolent Spirit.”