The Fifth Elder retreated repeatedly, saying with a faint relief, "Ling'er, you can finally stand on your own. You're no longer the crybaby who used to trail behind me."
Feng Ling gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master, please stop. Come back with me..."
The Fifth Elder shook her head. "I can't go back..."
"We can go back. We can, as long as..."
"Ling'er, don't try to persuade me. My mind is made up," the Fifth Elder said.
Feng Ling cried out, "Why are you so insistent?"
"Ling'er, my child is my obsession. I've used all my strength to meet him again. This time, I won't let myself lose him. So, I'm sorry..."
Feng Ling sobbed uncontrollably, but her sword didn't stop. "You abandoned me..."
The Fifth Elder turned her face away. "Ling'er, I'm sorry..."
"You've chosen the most difficult path. Do you know that by leaving here, you'll be an enemy to all the members of the Feng Yin clan..."
"I know..."
"Do you know that by leaving here, you can never return to the clan?"
"I know..."
"So you made this decision with a clear mind, is that right?"
The Fifth Elder glanced at her. "Yes."
"Master..."
"Make your move, Ling'er..." the Fifth Elder said, looking at her word by word.
Ling'er wiped away her tears, raised her sword, and choked out, "Master, your disciple requests your guidance."
"Make your move!" the Fifth Elder said.
Ling'er leaped forward, charging at the Fifth Elder. The Fifth Elder took a step back, raised the sword in her hand, and the two began to fight.
After a few rounds, Feng Ling was at a disadvantage. "Ling'er, you're no match for me."
"I know, but I am the clan leader of the Feng Yin clan. I have the right to protect every member of the Feng Yin clan. This is the responsibility I was born with."
The Fifth Elder heard this and said, "Ling'er, you've grown. You know what you want and what your responsibilities are."
"After experiencing so much, I know what I must bear as the clan leader. Master, please come back!"
"Once a path is taken, there's no turning back. You, and I, are the same..."
Feng Ling swung her sword towards the Fifth Elder. The Fifth Elder saw this and said faintly, "Ling'er, you're still a little bit short."
Feng Ling was thrown back by the Fifth Elder's palm strike, flying through the air. Wen Yuxi leaped forward and caught the falling Feng Ling.
"Miss Feng, are you alright?" Wen Yuxi asked with concern.
Feng Ling shook her head. "I'm fine. Master didn't really intend to hurt me." Otherwise, she would have been doomed.
"Mother..." The King of Beijiang stepped forward to support the Fifth Elder, giving a look. The guards behind him attacked Feng Ling and Wen Yuxi.
"Zijie, forget it. After all, we were master and disciple. Don't be too ruthless," the Fifth Elder said slowly.
"Your son obeys Mother," the King of Beijiang replied.
The King of Beijiang helped the Fifth Elder leave. The guards did not retreat, but attacked only after the King of Beijiang and the Fifth Elder had departed.
Wen Yuxi carried Feng Ling aside to let her rest, while he went to deal with the guards left by the King of Beijiang.
He wasn't a match for these elders, but he could handle a few mere guards.
Feng Ling adjusted her breathing and then opened her eyes. Seeing that Wen Yuxi had already dealt with the King of Beijiang's guards, she said slowly, "Let's hurry and rendezvous with the Third and Fourth Elders."
When Feng Ling arrived, the Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and Feng Xian were locked in a fierce battle. However, Feng Xian had absorbed all the techniques of the Great Elder, and the Third and Fourth Elders were struggling to cope.
The Great Elder's techniques were the most outstanding among these elders. Fortunately, it was only Feng Xian. If someone else had obtained them, they would not have achieved their current success.
The Third and Fourth Elders knew that if this continued, their energy would eventually be depleted.
Just then, the Third Elder saw the Fifth Elder and couldn't help but exclaim, "Xiao Wu, why have you come out?"
Everyone looked towards the Fifth Elder.
The Fifth Elder stepped forward and said slowly, "Third Brother, Fourth Brother."
The Fourth Elder looked at the King of Beijiang beside the Fifth Elder and frowned. "Xiao Wu, why are you with an outsider?"
The Fifth Elder looked at the King of Beijiang and smiled. "Fourth Brother, this is my child with Wen Jie."
The Fourth Elder trembled all over. "Xiao Wu, do you know what you're saying?"
"I know very well, Fourth Brother," the Fifth Elder replied.
The Third Elder frowned. "Xiao Wu, although I know you're grieving, you have no reason to mistake someone."
"I haven't mistaken anyone. He really is my child. I've been searching for him for so many years, and I've finally found him. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you should be happy for me."
"Xiao Wu..."
"Zijie, come and greet your Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle." The Fifth Elder took the King of Beijiang's hand and walked towards the Third and Fourth Elders.
"Xiao Wu, don't be deluded. How can he be your child? Your child is already dead," the Third Elder said.
Although he didn't want to say it, he also didn't want his junior sister to be so deceived.
"No, he's not dead. He came back to find me," the Fifth Elder said joyfully.
"Xiao Wu..."
"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, I know you're worried about me, but I'm really fine..."
"Xiao Wu, regardless of whether he is your child or not, you are still a member of the Feng Yin clan. You cannot change this fact, and therefore, you cannot leave the Feng Yin clan."
The Fifth Elder froze. She looked up at her Third Brother and said, "Third Brother, I've been searching for my child for so long, and now that I've finally found him, I will never let him go again. I hope Third Brother and Fourth Brother will understand."
"Xiao Wu, you know the clan rules of the Feng Yin clan. He is an outsider, and the Feng Yin clan does not allow anyone to have contact with outsiders."
"Third Brother..."
"Xiao Wu, I'm sorry, but I cannot ignore the clan rules. Xiao Wu, stop now, and it's still not too late."
The Fifth Elder shook her head. "It's too late. Besides, I don't want to be separated from my child again because of clan rules. The previous separation was already unbearable for me. Therefore, this time, no matter what, I will hold my child's hand and never let go."
"Xiao Wu, don't be rash. The Great Elder was already killed by them. Aren't you going to avenge your Eldest Brother?"
Xiao Wu trembled all over and looked at the King of Beijiang. The King of Beijiang said coldly, "Mother, I didn't personally kill the Great Elder."
The Fifth Elder nodded. "You didn't kill the Great Elder, otherwise I would have been able to tell."
"Third Brother, Zijie did not kill the Great Elder. I can guarantee it," the Fifth Elder said slowly.
The Third and Fourth Elders exchanged a look. The Fourth Elder said, "Xiao Wu, if you insist on going your own way, then I and your Third Brother may not be able to show mercy."