Alex simply smiled. “I guess I don’t have to say anything to you then,” he said. “Will you please send a message this time?”

”Can’t,” the guard shrugged. “Sister is still in closed cultivation, trying to break through.”

”It has been 5 days you know?” Alex said to the guards. “Look, I just want to see my mother, and I’m sure she wants to see me too. It’s been 6 years since we saw each other, so I’m getting a little desperate here.”

The guards frowned a little. “Let us for a moment believe you, okay brother? What do you want me to do exactly?” he asked.

”Simply send her a message that her son is here to see her,” Alex said.

”That’s the problem, brother. Sister Hei is in closed cultivation and we can’t help you at all,” the guard said.

”Since you call my mother you sister, I shall call you uncle. Please help this nephew of yours by getting him to meet his mother,” Alex said.

The guard frowned a little. “You know, after seeing you come here, we have had a lot of other young cultivators come here jokingly, calling sister Hei their mother,” the guard said.

”They have?” Alex was surprised.

”Yeah,” the guards said.

”Have they been as persistent as me?” Alex asked.

”Sigh, no,” the guard said.

”Then, can you help me please, uncle,” Alex said.

The guard hesitated a little more and finally gave in. “Fine, but I can’t send a message to sister Hei at all,” he said.

”Oh, who will you be messaging then?” Alex asked.

”Her master,” the guard said.

”Sect Master Qin?” Alex asked.

”Yes,” the guard said. “You scared? You can give up now.”

”No,” Alex shouted. “In fact, that’s amazing. I’m one step closer to seeing my mother. Why would I be scared?”

”Sigh, you are something, little bro— Nephew,” the guard said and brought out a talisman.

”Can you tell me your name? I will need to record it and send it to sect master later,” the guard said.

”Yes, my name is Yu Ming,” Alex said.

”Right, do you belong somewhere? A sect or a clan? Or are you a rogue cultivator?” the guard asked.

”Uhh… I guess I’m a rogue cultivator for now,” Alex said. “Unless the Alchemy guild counts as something.”

”Oh, you’re part of the alchemy guild? Are you a staff there?” the guard asked.

”Oh no, I’m an alchemist,” Alex said.

”Alchemist? Can you prove it?” the guard asked after a moment of hesitation.

”Sure,” Alex said as he brought out the badge from within his robes.

”True Earth Alchemist? Woah, that’s amazing. You’re so young too,” the guard sounded shocked. “Why didn’t you show it earlier?”

”Eh? Would this have helped me get in contact with my mother?” Alex asked.

”Uh, no. Even True Heaven would get you the same result, but it would have stopped us from laughing at you for coming here every day,” the guard said.

”I’m ready to be laughed at if it means I get to meet mother,” Alex said.

”Ooh, I like your determination, nephew,” the guard joked. “Go back for today, I will get this information to sect master. He will do with it what he wants to do.”

”Thank you, Uncle,” Alex said and walked back to the alchemy guild.

One of the other guards that was done dealing with the guests came towards this guard when he saw Alex leave.

”He came once again?” the other guard asked.

”Yes, he’s persistent for sure. He even called me uncle today,” the guard said.

”Poor guy, I wonder if it is really true,” the other guard asked.

”Don’t know, but we may find out tomorrow,” the guard said.

”Eh, why?” the other guard asked.

”I’m going to deliver the information to sect master tonight,” the guard waved the talisman.

He ignored the other guard’s complicated look and got back to work.

Once night fell and the other guards came to take their place, the guard that Alex had talked to walked back into the sect towards the sect master’s abode.

He looked at the house at the feet of the mountain where their Sister Hei was cultivating at the moment and directly walked towards the top of the mountain.

Once he reached the top, he saw a few guards there and greeted them.

”I need to see sect master,” the man said.

”Is it important?” the guard of the mountain asked.

”I cannot judge it for myself, which is why I’m here to seek sect master’s help,” the man said.

”Well, you better hope it’s important,” the guard said. “What is it that you need?”

The man quickly explained the situation causing the guard to frown. “That’s obviously false, you idiot,” the guard said.

”Are you willing to take the risk?” the man asked, causing the guard to retreat a few of his words.

”Fine, I’ll get it to him,” the guard grabbed the talisman and went towards the sect master’s abode.

He was able to go in freely because he knew that the sect master wasn’t in cultivation or anything. In fact, he had been entertaining some of the bigger guests that couldn’t simply be told no to.

When the old man with the long, thin mustache felt the guard approaching, he excused himself out of the room.

”What is it? Why are you here?” the sect master asked.

”Sect master, someone who keeps claiming to be sister Hei’s son keeps coming to the sect requesting to see her,” the guard said.

”What?” the old man quickly took the talisman and looked over it. “Early 20s? Yu Ming? None of this sounds true.”

”What should we do then?” the guard asked. “Should we punish him for lying?”

The sect master glared at the guard for even suggesting such a thing. He stared back at the talisman. While the information was wrong… a son had come.

The old man’s eyes suddenly changed as he thought, ‘even if this is false… this can help me.’

”Tell the guards to inform me directly when this person arrives tomorrow,” the old man said.

”Yes, sect master,” the guard said and ran back.

The sect master turned and returned back to the room full of individuals from great sects and clans.

”Sorry about that. Something small came up,” he said as he entered the room.

”No worries, no worries,” one of the men sitting in the room said.

”So, where were we?” the old man asked, and as soon as he did, he regretted it.

”Of course, we were talking about your disciple’s marriage,” one of the old men said. “My son is already a True King 5th realm at the mere age of 50. Your daughter and my son would make a great couple.”

”What are you saying, you senile old fool. My nephew is a True Earth formation master, on the verge of becoming a True Heaven formation master. Hei Lin would do better with my son than you,” another man said.

The sect master Qin started frowning again when he heard them. ‘Dammit! If my disciple hadn’t been so old, none of this would be happening. Just because they think she’s out of her prime, they come here trying to jump at her like vultures seeing dead meat,’ the sect master thought. ‘Sigh, this wouldn’t have been happening had I found her just 2 decades ago. At that time, she would’ve shocked the empire with her talent.’

One of the older men that wore a cyan robe started speaking.

”True Heaven talisman experts are hard to come by already. Even if they’re on the verge of it, one cannot necessarily go above it.”

”However, the difficulty gets so much larger once you try to become a True Immortal talisman expert. The amount of resources you will require is just insane.”

”If you don’t get that soon, I don’t see your disciple advancing any further than she already has, brother Qin. Her skill is great, but skill is not all that is necessary to become an expert. You need cultivation as well.”

”She isn’t young and in her prime like nephew Tian Ye here. Just being able to reach second place in the competition alone is an amazing feat, but I’m afraid that’s the last thing she will ever do.”

”So in my eyes, the only way to improve her cultivation quickly is to get her to marry a person of great backing. You may choose the young men these two brothers have brought along, or you may choose someone of your own, but you must choose soon,” the man finished talking.

’You only say that because you don’t know how great my disciple is. Her talent is beyond any of you fools.’

’You think I will let such a precious disciple of mine get taken away by swine who don’t deserve her at all? Keep dreaming,’ the old man Qin thought to himself, which was different from what he said on the outside.

”Yes, I’m afraid I must do something like that in the end, but I also have to think of my disciple’s feeling, you know. She’s not mine to simply wed her away,” the sect master said.

”Right, call your disciple here. You can’t just keep her hidden forever, you know,” one of the elders said.

”Right, sect master. I came all the way to converse with sister Hei, and I still haven’t gotten the chance to,” Tian Ye, the fatty spoke from the side.

”Nephew Ye, I’m afraid it’s not possible right now. She’s still in deep cultivation,” the old man said.

”I see,” the fatty said dejectedly.

’Hmm, is there perhaps a problem with her breakthrough? Is she stuck?’ Tian Ye thought.

’Maybe I should go get some help for her.’