Zhou Qing's face immediately changed: "Is it about Nannan?"

Mo Xingjian nodded heavily: "Exactly. Originally, after the Golden Thunder Sect was divided between two factions, it became chaotic, and because of this concern, your Uncle Gao was sent to the Phecda Sect to handle matters."

"But this morning, your Uncle Tong Min suddenly burst into tears after receiving the Imaging Stone and rushed madly towards the Cangyan Daoist Palace..."

"By the time we used the Teleportation Array to catch up, he had already left for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing frowned deeply.

He couldn't help but recall the last time he and Shen Yunzhou stood on the edge of the Abyss at Canglan Mountain, seeing Sikong Yan with Nannan and the words spoken then.

It was a game of choosing between familial love and friendship.

"What did Master say?" Zhou Qing asked urgently.

Mo Xingjian smiled bitterly: "What else could he say? He's already gone ahead. Originally, this matter wasn't meant for you to get involved, and even earlier, an excuse of crafting the Tri-color Array was made to keep you secluded..."

"But I truly fear that your Uncle Gao might do something drastic, and until now, the other Peak Masters don't know that the former Gao has been replaced by the current Gao."

He raised his eyes to look at Zhou Qing: "You... should know what I mean."

Zhou Qing nodded heavily.

The past Gao Xuan's collusion with Cangyan Daoist Palace was unacceptable to the other uncles and elders.

And the present Gao Xuan not only replaced his former fellow disciples but has long served Sikong Yan.

Some things, even if understood rationally, remain emotionally hard to let go.

Otherwise, why is Master the only one pursuing this at the moment?

"Master, don't be too anxious. Let's go together and check the situation," Zhou Qing comforted softly.

Mo Xingjian looked at the disciple before him, who was now capable of leading on his own, and nodded slowly.

Through the years, Zhou Qing had shown a steadiness in various events, making him as a master both gratified and reflective.

In a daze, he suddenly realized—perhaps he truly was aging.

Maybe sometimes letting the younger ones take responsibility and experience things is the best way to cultivate them.

Just like the Master did with him and others back in the days…

...

By the time Zhou Qing and Mo Xingjian arrived at Cangyan Daoist Palace, two days had passed.

From afar, the mountain gate of Cangyan Daoist Palace stood tall and imposing.

The crimson protective shield flowed like fire, enveloping the entire mountain in a bloody hue.

In front of the gate, Gao Xuan kneeled bare-chested on the ground, while the robes once belonging to the Taiqing Sect were neatly folded beside him.

Cao Zhengyang leaned beside him, frowning and trying to persuade him.

Gao Xuan, however, kept his head lowered, silent.

"Quickly, move over!" Mo Xingjian sighed, and the two hurriedly went over.

Upon landing, the sight before them made their hearts tremble.

Gao Xuan's forehead was a bloody mess, with dried scabs faintly revealing white bone beneath.

The bloodstains on the ground were alarming, showing he had been kneeling for quite a while.

He still trembled all over, his bloodshot eyes fixed fiercely on the mountain gate, carrying a terrifying obsession.

This was a father's madness, clutching at the last straw in the depths of despair.

There was both the wild joy of regaining what was lost and a mix of fear of losing it again.

Approaching him, they could even clearly hear the suppressed sobbing in his throat.

Suddenly, Gao Xuan turned his head coldly, his gaze like a blade sweeping over Zhou Qing and Mo Xingjian: "You knew about Nannan, yet you kept it from me all along."

The air froze instantly; everyone was speechless.

They hadn't wanted to keep it from him but hadn't prepared for a rescue yet.

Cao Zhengyang had previously offered many tempting conditions to trade for Nannan.

Yet still, there was no response from Sikong Yan's side.

"Uncle, actually, this matter—"

"Shut up!" Gao Xuan pointed to the Taiqing Sect's clothing beside him, his voice hoarse: "Look clearly, I am kneeling here as a traitor to the Cangyan Daoist Palace, unrelated to the Taiqing Sect."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold: "Before I get angry, leave."

Mo Xingjian stepped forward: "Brother Gao, don't be like this..."

Gao Xuan suddenly ripped off the Storage Bag from his waist, pulled out the Identity Token, and took out his belongings one by one.

Eventually, he threw the whole Storage Bag fiercely at Cao Zhengyang's chest.

"From today on, I am no longer the Peak Master of Golden Sun Peak, nor am I called Gao Xuan."

He raised his head, eyes flashing with resolve: "My surname is Dong, called Dong Lisheng. I have a daughter named Dong Ying, nicknamed Nannan."

Zhou Qing watched Gao Xuan's hoarse yelling, his heart aching.

In the past, he might not have understood the meaning, but now he knew—Uncle Gao was drawing a boundary, unwilling to implicate them, nor the Taiqing Sect.

Gao Xuan had understood Sikong Yan too well.

Back at the White Jade Taixu Courtyard, he had come especially to remind him about Sikong Yan's doppelgänger.

In fact, while there hadn't been a doppelgänger, the white-robed Lin Jin was indeed connected to Sikong Yan, even aiding in killing the Fifth Prince and others.

But for that reason, they couldn't just leave.

Zhou Qing stared at the tightly closed mountain gate, suddenly making a decision, his aura rising abruptly.

He stepped forward, voice like thunder, the bluestone cracking underfoot: "Taiqing Sect's Zhou Qing here to meet Brother Sikong!"

This "Brother Sikong" was no longer a junior's humble address but an announcement of equal standing.

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian gazed shocked at that slender yet upright figure, realizing abruptly that this young man might truly have grown up.