Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao-Chapter 603 - 039 Feng Lingqing and Hou Ling’er

"Giggle, giggle,"

The little girl laughed cheerfully, and then her chubby white hands stretched out as well, pointing at Hou Chen’s nose saying, "Brother, brother is so nice."

Zhou Sisi’s young and crisp voice surprised both Feng Lingqing and Hou Ling. It seemed that these two had taken to each other very quickly, huh?

Others didn’t know, but Hou Ling had long realized that Zhou Sisi must be Hou Yao’s second life. It was quite clear that Hou Yao had abandoned her past and re-entered the cycle of reincarnation, making everything from the past illusory.

Now, Zhou Sisi was merely a little girl with just budding intelligence. This child was very sensitive to safety and usually wouldn’t easily ask to be held by strangers, but why had she been so proactive upon seeing Hou Chen for the first time?

Hou Ling was not just a single self; she also held an identity as the Young Master of the Qiankun Lineage. This identity gave her more insight into many matters than others.

For instance, because of this identity, and because Hou Yao was the one she had personally enabled to live out a second life, Hou Ling had recognized that Zhou Sisi was Hou Yao’s second life the moment she saw her. But because she knew this, she decided to keep this secret forever hidden.

No one understood Hou Yao’s personality better than Hou Ling; she was a very conservative woman who was very wary of others and had intense emotions. She was delicate in thoughts, stubborn in character, yet fiercely loyal to her family and loved ones... From this, one could deduce the identity of Hou Chen...

At the moment when Hou Ling saw the interaction between the two children, she had figured out many things. Her heart sank, and an ominous premonition suddenly appeared in her mind.

Her heart thumped violently a few times, then her gaze turned back to Zhou Yan, who was engrossed in Artifact Refining for his wife, daughter, and friends.

Zhou Yan was still completely focused on Artifact Refining, fully immersed and seemingly enjoying the process.

Hou Ling earnestly watched this scene, her fair and beautiful face colored with a hint of concern. She seemed to have something to say but hesitated, her expression becoming very complex.

She just kept watching Zhou Yan for a long time, while the sounds of Hou Chen playing with Zhou Sisi and Zhou Sisi’s crisp laughter continued to reach her ears.

Hou Ling’s expression was complex, and she eventually let out a low sigh, moving her gaze away from Hou Chen.

At that moment, her shoulder suddenly felt a little heavy, and Hou Ling, surprised, found that Feng Lingqing had, at some point, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You—" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Just as Hou Ling began to speak, she was silenced by a look from Feng Lingqing.

Then, Feng Lingqing’s eyes conveyed a special meaning, causing Hou Ling’s delicate body to shiver slightly before she fell silent.

The two prepared to leave without speaking a word.

"Hou Chen, you keep playing with Sisi. I’m going to have a private conversation with your mother," Feng Lingqing said.

Hou Chen responded with a ’Hmm’, and continued to play joyfully with Zhou Sisi.

Feng Lingqing and Hou Ling walked to the other side of the Cold Pond.

There, Feng Lingqing suddenly said, "Hou Ling, do you have any way to shield against Heavenly Mechanism interference? There are some things I must tell you, but I don’t want anyone else to know. No one, including Hou Chen and my husband."

Hou Ling, upon hearing this, felt a chill in her heart; she then nodded and said, "I understand. Don’t worry, I have such means."

As she spoke, she lightly activated the Light Saber tied around her waist. The Light Saber buzzed and flew out, emanating a cyan-white light screen. The screen started spinning irregularly, forming a unique spherical halo that enveloped both Hou Ling and Feng Lingqing.

In that moment, Feng Lingqing felt as if she had entered another unique world. This world had no light, no darkness, no time, or anything else. Overall, it was extremely void.

But this place was undoubtedly the most suitable for conversation.

"Hou Ling, I know your identity, and even back when we faced the Heavenly Destiny plan, I was the first to know about your situation," Feng Lingqing suddenly said.

Hou Ling stood beside Feng Lingqing, not directly responding, but nodding her head, indicating she was also aware of this.

"Since that’s the case, I need to tell you now. Sisi has abandoned her past. She is only my daughter now, and that’s the only identity she has, got it?" Feng Lingqing said, her tone slightly icy.

She spoke while intensely gazing at Hou Ling, her eyes so powerful they were almost unbearable to meet directly.

Hou Ling was startled for a moment, then realized, just as she had suspected, that Feng Lingqing had already learned of Zhou Sisi’s identity.

"I understand. I hope she has only this identity too because, after all, her other identity... had a very bad relationship with her current father and they even had a life and death battle. Moreover, I have used her without her knowledge in the past. If she becomes ’Awakened’ and knows the true Hou Ling was killed by me, definitely she will hate me,"

Hou Ling spoke with a hint of bitterness.

Initially, Hou Yao was utterly loyal to her, but she criticized Hou Yao harshly and even allowed Hou Yao to live out the next life—wasn’t it also to free herself and let Hou Yao carry the new hope of the Qiankun Lineage? As if she was passing her own burdens to Hou Yao for her own liberation?

Unexpectedly, now Hou Yao had lived out a second life and had become Zhou Sisi, now the daughter of the person she loved the most.

Is she not essentially my own daughter?

"Ah... I knew you realized it once I saw the change in your eyes. However, you needn’t worry; Zhou Sisi had already awakened and then severed everything from her past, so she will no longer awaken. She is now just a girl with some talent, no different from other girls."

Feng Lingqing explained.

Hou Ling felt her heart sink yet again, and then a wave of inexplicable sadness washed over her.

This meant that Hou Yao was completely gone. Just like the Hou Ling within herself had utterly vanished.

It was as if she, Hou Ling, was still Hou Ling, but no longer Hou Ling.

"She is purely Zhou Yan and Feng Lingqing’s daughter now, having no ties to her past. I should be happy for Zhou Yan, happy for Feng Lingqing, but why am I so sad and distressed? If she truly abandoned her past, where will the Senior Brother she loved so deeply be now? She waited nearly a thousand years, but in the end, did she really sever her own past?"

Hou Ling murmured to herself, but then she suddenly remembered the scene when Zhou Sisi first met Hou Chen and felt her heart warm up slightly.

"That’s fine, then. If that’s the case, it’s actually quite good. Elder Hou Yao suffered all her life; I hope in this life, she can be happy. From now on, I will treat her well too."

Hou Ling spoke up.

"Actually, I was mainly worried that you might have other intentions, which is why I was observing you all this time. Now, thank you for your honesty, and thank you for being kind to Zhou Sisi instead of seeking justice for Elder Hou Yao..."

Feng Lingqing said sincerely.

Her words sent a chill through Hou Ling—earlier, Feng Lingqing had been secretly paying attention to her attitude...

Hou Ling knew that Feng Lingqing was not someone who liked to scheme or was a jealous woman; her actions must have been motivated by a profound maternal love for Zhou Sisi.

Her heart warmed, Hou Ling nodded understandingly and said, "Feng Lingqing, you might also see it this way—since Elder Hou Yao gave up her life, hoping to live anew, she wanted no fetters from her past life, having chosen to completely let go. Since she let go, why pick up everything from her past in her new life? In this life, you are her mother; as for me, although my relationship with Zhou Yan hasn’t reached that level of closeness, I have in my lifetime committed to this one man. And I’m not afraid you’ll laugh, but if Zhou Sisi is your daughter, she is my daughter too. How could I not wish for her to have a carefree life?"

Hou Ling’s candid words deeply moved Feng Lingqing.

Tears filled her eyes, and she choked up, "This child has had a tough life since birth. Back then, I was severely injured, in so much pain—it was as though I were barely alive. It was all because she quietly used her incomplete Origin Power to keep me alive while I slept. Otherwise, do you think I could have survived until now? So, anything good for the child, I will do like a madwoman; anything harmful to the child, I will vehemently block.

If, if you were planning to awaken her memories from her past life, I would have done everything in my power to kill you—even if it meant my husband would never speak to me again."

Feng Lingqing’s words warmed Hou Ling’s heart yet filled it with a multitude of emotions.

She knew Feng Lingqing was telling the truth; she also knew that a gentle woman, once hysterical, could be terrifying!

Moreover, Feng Lingqing now had the Frost Snow Saint Sword in her hand, a blade powerful enough to overpower her own Holy Light Sword and kill her outright.

"Feng Lingqing, you’ve worked hard. From now on, I will also look after Zhou Sisi; since I owe Hou Yao, let all my love serve as compensation, giving it all to Zhou Sisi in this life. I hope you can accept that."

Hou Ling spoke sincerely.

"Yes, I agree, why wouldn’t I? The more people adore her, the happier I am."

Feng Lingqing replied, her tears turning to smiles.

"This woman, she’s just like Zhou Yan—straightforward, genuine, not at all pretentious."

Hou Ling reflected, and the guilt and self-reproach within her faded completely after making this decision.

Indeed, wasn’t mitigating all the guilt and self-reproach through Zhou Sisi even better?

In the past life, Hou Yao and Zhou Yan were sworn enemies, but in this life, they had become father and daughter, wasn’t this Zhou Yan’s way of making amends to Hou Yao? And wasn’t Zhou Sisi honoring Zhou Yan also a form of compliance?

Perhaps, this is the workings of fate—isn’t it?

Hou Ling thought.

"By the way, Lingqing, did you see how Zhou Sisi and Hou Chen interacted? Hou Chen is an extraordinarily talented boy, who holds immense reverence for his master, showing utmost respect; and he’s still so young. In the future, Zhou Sisi will have someone to take care of her."

Hou Ling said cheerfully.

"You there, Zhou Sisi is still so young, and here you are worrying about her marriage! However, Hou Chen is indeed a good boy, kind-hearted, respectful to us, and gets along very well with Zhou Sisi; that is quite wonderful. Of course, as long as Zhou Sisi likes him and Hou Chen doesn’t object, then truly all will be well. Otherwise, if later Zhou Sisi doesn’t like him or Hu Chen is unwilling, then even if we are happy, it won’t be a blissful relationship."

Being a mother, Feng Lingqing thought more comprehensively.

"I think, these two are undoubtedly a perfect match."

Hou Ling seemed quite sure, and she smiled.

Feng Lingqing sighed softly, full of hope, "If that’s the case, I’m indeed looking forward to it."