"Mother!" Mi Shan cried out impulsively.

The old woman trembled, tears welling in her eyes. She quickly closed the door, trying to keep Mi Shan out.

Xie Ling reacted quickly, extending her sword to block the doorway and prevent her from closing it.

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you as your mother. Go back to where you came from and don’t disturb our peaceful life.”

"Mother, what are you saying? Do you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you've changed like this? Your eyes, your mouth, those things won't change!" Mi Shan could no longer hold back and shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"What did I do wrong? Why did you lie to me! You died, abandoned me in the Mi Mansion, and hid in these deep mountains to live this kind of life. You would rather raise an insignificant child than acknowledge your own daughter?"

"You did nothing wrong. It's all me. I don't want to go back to the secular world, I don't want to live that kind of life. I'd rather scavenge for scraps in these mountains."

The old woman frowned as she finished speaking, then lowered her head.

"In short, I don't want to go back. Just pretend you've never seen me."

"Seeing that you are doing well now, I am relieved."

She's not denying it!

A light shone in Mi Shan's eyes, but it was then covered by resentment.

"Why? Tell me, you clearly recognized me, so why won't you admit it!"

"Just pretend your mother is dead!"

"It's impossible!"

Mi Shan was so angry that she pounded on the door.

This was the first time Xie Ling had ever seen her so out of control.

She always maintained a calm and collected demeanor, no matter what happened.

However, if we were to apply this situation to today, I believe anyone would feel devastated.

"What exactly are your concerns? Why don't you step forward and explain clearly? Since you're not dead, why have you been hiding for so many years? Please give me an answer, senior."

From Xie Ling's perspective, she shouldn't have brought it up.

But seeing Mi Shan so heartbroken, he felt as if he could feel that pain as well.

The people inside remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he sighed, stood up, and let them in.

After many years, when Mi Shan faced her mother again, tears welled up in her eyes.

Knowing that the other person was unwilling to accept her, she restrained herself, but looking at the scars on her mother's face, she still felt waves of pain in her heart.

"Sit down and have a cup of tea. I don't have anything else of good quality, just some expired tea leaves." The old woman no longer suppressed her pretense; her voice changed from aged to clear and moving, creating a strong contrast with her appearance.

She is undoubtedly my mother.

Mi Shan did not answer her question, but instead asked her a question in return.

"Was it that fire that turned you into this? You used to be so beautiful... but now..."

Apart from the fact that the sound remains unchanged and is still as pleasant to listen to, there is no trace of what it used to be.

Jialuo Lou did not answer. After cleaning the chipped teacup, he filled it with tea and served it to them respectively.

Mi Shan said to herself, "I have entered the palace and am now the Emperor's Consort De."

A look of shock suddenly appeared on her mother's face, then she lowered her head sadly and silently clenched her fists: "Was this your own choice?"

"I guess so. Mi Fen was originally chosen to enter the palace for the imperial concubine selection, but she refused, so I was chosen instead."

Jialuo lowered her eyes and sighed calmly, "Yes, Mother should have thought of that."

Hearing her refer to herself as "mother," Mi Shan's eyes welled up with tears.

"Why do you look like you knew this all along?" she couldn't help but ask.

Mother glanced at Xie Ling sitting to the side.

Xie Ling was also quite sensible.

He picked up the tea and walked outside.

"You guys chat, I'll go wait outside."

After he went out...

Jialuolou let out a long sigh.

"How could your mother not know? It was all thanks to me that you were given a second chance. In your past life, you and Mi Fen, one of you were forced to enter the palace to be buried alive, and the other was betrayed and killed. I saw it all."

"Could it be that you didn't die in your past life?"

“That’s right.” Jialuo Lou nodded. “In my past life, I foresaw your fate and created a Golden Cicada Gu, which has the power to turn back time. But it can only be used on oneself or one’s closest relatives. I thought about it for a long time and finally decided to use it on you. So I chose this point in time to let you choose to live again. I never expected that you would exchange your fates.”

"This is a secret of heaven, known only to your mother, the one who cast the spell. No one else will know that you have been reborn."

“Us?” Mi Shan was stunned in shock.

Putting everything else aside, just her mother's words struck Mi Shan as very strange and illogical.

"When it comes to the closest people, isn't my mother's closest person me? Why is Mi Fen included?"

"Has Mi Xiuyan not told you yet?" Jialuo frowned. "That's right, he won't tell you. It's a secret that he and Qiao Fangyue keep together."

"What secret is it? No wonder he was so evasive when I asked Father about you last time. So he has a hidden side too?" Mi Shan said, intending to mention the pharmacist to her mother, but ultimately decided against it and said nothing.

Let's hear what Mother has to say first.

“You’re so old now, you should know the truth.”

Jialuolou sighed deeply. There was no expected mother-daughter reunion, no tearful embrace; instead, she simply recounted her story in a gentle, flowing voice.

“Back then, I escaped from the palace, barely escaping with my life. Li Shengyuan threw me into the cauldron, thinking I was dead. Little did he know, that cauldron was born because of me. Even if it was tainted by demonic energy, it would not easily devour its master. If it were anyone else, they might really be dead, but I am a goddess descended from the orthodox bloodline of the Western Regions.”

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