Your Eyes Are All Swollen From Crying

Now she finally understood what Lian-Lian meant about the power of bloodline.

It's an unchangeable fact—an uncrossable gulf.

Turns out, all my old confidence and boldness came from that.

And Lian-Lian's self-doubt and cautiousness came from the same place...

Maybe I just didn't want to disturb the peace in this peach grove, so I turned myself invisible and hid away. Only then did I feel a little more at ease.

"Mother!" Suddenly, someone called out from ahead.

Lucy Luan stopped in her tracks and saw the Qilin Empress Dowager hurrying over.

Her steps were so rushed that the hair ornaments on her head shook wildly, and even her breathing was uneven.

Lucy felt a warmth in her heart.

Her adoptive mother must've heard she was back and rushed over to see her, right?

"Mother!" Qilin Divine Lord Soren Lann caught up to her, grabbed her arm, and blocked her way. "What are you trying to do?"

"What am I trying to do? You ask me what I'm trying to do? I'm going to find Quentin Lian and Vivian Lu and ask them what on earth they mean! How could they raise Bianca Whitefan's daughter under their own roof? And even worse, when I proposed a match, they didn't refuse! If you actually marry her, and the truth comes out, do you think you can keep your Divine Lordship? What are they playing at?"

"Mother, please calm down. Lucy's already back—what if she runs into us—"

"So what if she does?" the Qilin Empress Dowager snapped. "I want to make things clear with her—no, just talking isn't enough. You should arrest her and give the gods an explanation!"

"Mother!" Soren's tone grew heavier. "Weren't you always the one who loved her most? She didn't know anything; she's done nothing wrong! How could you say something like that?"

The Qilin Empress Dowager took a deep breath and shook her head at Soren. "You ask why I say these things? Why? Of course it's for you! You're a Divine Lord with no roots and no backing—I've seen how hard it's been for you all these years. If you make one wrong move here...it'll be a bottomless abyss!"

"Mother, it's not as serious as you think," Soren said.

"Not as serious? All the major clans are loyal to the old Divine Lord who was killed by Bianca Whitefan! If anyone says a word against him, they'll flip out—let alone if you marry Bianca's daughter!"

"Mother, my Divine Lordship was granted by Heaven's Dao—it's not so easily shaken. Don't worry so much!"

The Qilin Empress Dowager ignored him and turned into a streak of radiance, flying away.

Soren frowned deeply and hurried after her.

Lucy Luan stood there for a long moment, then shook her head with a rueful smile.

She was still too naive.

All these years, the Qilin Empress Dowager had treated her like a daughter—but in the end, what she really cared about wasn't Lucy herself, but the Lu Clan behind her...

She took the formation stone High God Quentin Lian gave her, and drifted from the Lumina Realm to the Spirit Alliance, then left the Alliance and headed for the Dragon-Coiling Heavenly Gang Array.

A tall, handsome man in black stood there, staring intently toward the Spirit Alliance's exit.

It was Sean Shaw.

What was he doing here...?

Lucy watched him for a long time before finally revealing herself.

Sean's eyes lit up and he flew over to her.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked.

"Waiting for you."

"Waiting for me to do what?"

Sean gazed at her, then suddenly reached out and brushed away a tear from her cheek. "Your eyes are all swollen from crying..."

Lucy hadn't been crying, but when he said that, her eyes turned red all over again.