Chapter Thirty-Two: Dispelling the Mist, Beholding the Distant Moonlight

Everyone listened intently to the unfolding story. The old headmaster sighed deeply, then began, “To understand how it all began, we must go back to my youth…”

Back then, I was a spirited and passionate young man. Though I had no sect or family backing me, fate had allowed me to receive a few pointers from the right people. I wasn’t a renowned master in the world, but I had achieved some progress as a cultivator. I loved to wander and train, living a life unfettered, never once thinking of settling down.

Everything changed the day I met her. It was a drizzling, overcast day when I stopped to lodge in an obscure, impoverished village. I had imagined that such a humble place would be filled with villagers worn down by sorrow and hardship, struggling to survive. But I was wrong. The people there seemed born without knowledge of grief. Even with their simple fare and modest lives, they were content, their faces ever adorned with smiles. Among them was a girl of rare beauty and fresh temperament, as lovely as polished jade, who captivated me completely. I can’t say why, but the moment I saw her, I resolved to stay in the village longer, just to come to know her better.

Gradually, we became acquainted. I learned that she too was an outsider, drawn to the simple happiness of the village and deciding to settle there. She never spoke much about her past, but my intuition told me she was not of my kind. Still, that didn’t deter my pursuit. Back then, I naively believed that love could overcome all barriers. I didn’t care who she was—I only wanted to be with her.

Yet, as if she sensed my intentions, she always kept her distance. But how could I be discouraged by such minor setbacks? I continued to accompany her each day, trying every means to make her smile. Still, she remained unmoved, refusing my advances. Had I not sensed her feelings for me, I would not have persisted so. She cared for me, I was sure of it, but some reason kept her from my side.

Whether fate was helping or mocking me, I do not know, but just as I was about to give up and leave, everything changed. Each day, rain or shine, she would climb the mountain behind the village to gather rare herbs for medicine. Villagers sought her help for every ache and illness, so she was always out collecting, storing up for their needs. But one day, sunset came and she had not returned. I began to worry she’d met with misfortune and, unable to rest, I hurried to the mountain to find her.

As I had feared, she was in trouble. I found her in the den of a strange beast, moments from being slain. I fought and killed the monster, sustaining some injuries but managing to save her. Out of terror or gratitude, she collapsed into my arms, weeping bitterly. In that moment, I felt all my efforts justified. Even if she never accepted me, I was determined never to leave her again.

After that day, her attitude changed completely. She confessed that she no longer wished to suppress her feelings or let me slip away, only to spend her life in regret. So, we became a couple. Not long after, with the blessings of the whole village, we were married. We lived in happiness, and I shed my wandering ways, content to be a devoted husband, living quietly with her in that secluded place. In time, she bore me a lovely daughter. I thought our lives would always remain so joyful, but fate had other plans.

Who could have foreseen that a harmless, remote village would be invaded by the Demon Clan? In an instant, the ground was littered with corpses, rivers of blood flowed. The villagers who had so recently smiled in peace were torn apart. It was a scene of unspeakable horror. At first, I could not understand what grudge such a simple place could have incurred, that it should be destroyed so mercilessly. Only when the invaders found our family did I realize their true target was my wife.

It turned out that my wife was once the consort of the Demon King, leader of the Demon Clan. Though the Demon King was tyrannical and unrestrained by nature, he treated her well, never forcing her to do what she disliked. But she had been seized by force, and no matter how well he treated her, he could not erase the revulsion she felt. She longed to escape his clutches. One day, she discovered a strange portal—the fabled gateway to our world. Without hesitation, she fled through it, braving whatever dangers might lie beyond. After many hardships, she found her way here.

She had hoped to live quietly under an assumed name, but fate led her to me and showed her what true love could be. Alas, the heavens were not kind. The Demon King found her at last. I could see he still loved her, for even after her betrayal, he was willing to accept her—on the condition that my daughter and I vanished from the world. My wife would never agree to such terms. She fought with all her might to send our daughter and me out of their encirclement, sacrificing herself before the Demon King. I remember clearly her last words to me, spoken with her dying breath: “Don’t seek revenge. This is my fault, my debt to him, and now it is time to repay it. But I have never regretted loving you. Live well for me, and care for our daughter.”

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to rush back and die with the Demon King, but my daughter’s cry pulled me back to reality. She had not yet seen the world—how could I be so selfish as to take her with me to death? In the end, I chose the coward’s path: to survive with my daughter, hiding our existence. Of course, many more calamities followed, but we survived them all. Eventually, it was my master—your ancestral founder—who rescued us and took us in at Yanlan Academy, saving us from death on the streets.

Under my master’s guidance, I finally let go of vengeance. Watching my daughter grow up happy became more important than any revenge. The hatred I bore for the Demon King died with my wife. Years passed, my daughter grew into a beautiful, clever woman, the very image of her mother. I thought all past sorrows would fade with time, but fate had yet another twist in store.

My daughter was grown—I could no longer keep her confined. She deserved her own life. So I let her go, allowing her the freedom to choose her own path. She was gentle and kind, never causing trouble and always returning safely. My worries eased; as long as she came home, I was content.

But one day, she returned with an air of change about her. I teased her, asking if she had met someone special and invited her to bring him home. She stammered, unable to answer, and I thought her merely shy. Soon after, she left the academy again, and I joked that grown daughters are hard to keep.

Some time later, she came back with traces of demonic energy about her. I asked anxiously if she felt unwell. She denied it, flustered, as if hiding something. She grew more distracted, often on the verge of telling me something but holding back. I became increasingly uneasy. At last, one day, I saw her sneak out, and I followed quietly.

She walked through many streets and crossed several rivers before reaching a grove. There, I saw the back of a man, and my daughter rushed into his arms. In that instant, I understood: she truly had someone she loved. But why hide it from me? When the man turned around, I was stunned—it was the Demon King, the one who had destroyed my family, who had driven my wife to suicide!

Fury overwhelmed me. I demanded, “Why do you still hound us? If you can’t let go of the past, then let’s settle it here and now—but leave my daughter out of it!”

He replied coolly, “The past no longer matters. Right or wrong, it’s all faded. I’m here for your daughter.” A terrible thought flashed through my mind. Could it be…? He confirmed it without emotion, “Yes, what you suspect is true. I am with your daughter now; she is my woman.” The words struck me like lightning. That demon who drove my wife to her death was now with my daughter—how could I accept this?

My mind went blank: all I wanted was to kill him. But my daughter, desperate, flung herself between us, begging us not to fight, sobbing that she was already carrying his child. I was so shocked I staggered back a few steps. Rage overtook me, and I raised my hand to strike her down, but the Demon King blocked me.

He said, “Hard to accept, isn’t it? When I learned she was your daughter, I wanted to kill her, just as you do now. But then I wondered if that would be too easy for you. So I did everything I could to make her love me. But when I planned to use her for revenge, I realized I couldn’t—I had fallen in love with her. In any case, whether you approve or not, I will marry her.” With that, he took my daughter and left.

I was shattered, unable to accept the truth. I stumbled back to the academy and collapsed in a daze. When I came to my senses, I began to plot my revenge.

I waited for my chance, and at last, when my daughter gave birth to their child, I acted. I knew that on that very day, the portal to the other world would open, and the Demon King would try to take my daughter away. I could not let him steal her from me. So I found a way to take their child, hoping to force my daughter to stay. If she refused, I was determined to kill the child, so they would know my pain. But they left the child behind, refusing to be threatened. In my rage, I truly wanted to end its life, but my master stopped me, making me promise to raise the child to adulthood. And so, helpless and full of hatred, I cared for her as she grew.

“Do you want to know who this child is?” the old headmaster suddenly asked, his voice harsh and cold. “Yes, it’s you!” He pointed at Meng Youyuan with a vicious glare.