Chapter 464: Secret

Ink Painting asked, "What kind of person was your mother?"

Water Birth's expression became somewhat guarded. He looked at Ink Painting, saw that his gaze was clear and his expression gentle, without ridicule or sarcasm. Then he slowly said,

"My mother, she... her identity wasn't good..."

He found it difficult to speak about the matter of her being a brothel woman.

"I know about that, a poor background, and she also wasn't in control of her own body..." Ink Painting said again, "Besides that, what else?"

Water Birth was startled, then relaxed a breath. A smile and fondness appeared on his face.

"My mother treated me very well!"

"She would make hundred flower cake and crystal elbow for me to eat."

"She looked beautiful when she laughed, and she spoke very gently. She liked to touch my head..."

Water Birth spoke in scattered fragments, recounting many bits and pieces of his life with his mother.

This was probably the only warm memory from his childhood.

So when Water Birth spoke about his mother, his eyebrows curved in a smile, innocent and full of attachment.

"What about your father?"

Water Birth's face instantly fell, his expression also showing a little disdain.

It was as if his father was fundamentally not worthy of being compared to his mother.

"My... Master he..."

He was even unwilling to call Elder Su "father."

Water Birth said, "He's very pretentious..."

"He knows everything, but he tells me nothing, and still thinks I don't know."

"I actually know everything, but since he doesn't say anything, I don't tell him anything either..."

Ink Painting secretly criticized in his heart:

You two are truly father and son...

Both of you are pretending to be confused while understanding, knowing in your hearts but not saying anything.

"Master wants me to learn the array method..."

Water Birth lowered his head and said, "But I... have a poor background, and no talent. The array method isn't something someone like me should learn..."

"Moreover, the array method is very difficult. I simply can't learn it well."

"Among Master's disciples, I'm the slowest learner. What they know, I don't know. What they can understand, I can't understand. They can draw arrays, I can't draw them..."

"Master will scold me. The worse I learn, the angrier he gets."

"But he also values me very much and often keeps me by his side. The worse I learn, the more effort he puts in."

"The other disciples look at me with some jealousy and rejection..."

"I don't like staying here..."

Water Birth's expression was a little lost.

Ink Painting nodded, understanding Water Birth's difficulties well, and then asked,

"Then do you want to learn the array method?"

Water Birth hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "I do."

"I don't mind for myself, but I want to make my mother happy. My mother's wish was for me to follow my... Master's path and become an upright array master."

"That way, no matter my origin, others won't look down on me."

"My mother is no longer here, and I can't see her anymore, but every time I'm learning the array method, every time I think about becoming an array master, I feel my mother's spirit in heaven silently watching me, accompanying me..."

Water Birth choked up a bit, his eyes a little red.

Ink Painting also thought of his own mother.

Although he was now wandering outside, unable to eat the food his mother made or stay by her side,

His mother was always waiting for him.

After his journey, after learning the array method well, he could still go back and see his mother.

But Water Birth was different; in this life, he could never see his mother again...

Ink Painting felt a bit emotional, then patted his shoulder and encouraged him,

"Don't worry, you can learn the array method well."

Water Birth was both grateful and felt guilty for receiving this encouragement. He hesitated and said,

"My, my talent is too poor..."

"Elder Su's talent actually isn't much better than yours," Ink Painting said quietly.

Water Birth's eyes widened, "That can't be... My Master is a first-grade array master."

Ink Painting then said in a low voice, "You are father and son, how much difference can there be in talent? If he can become a first-grade array master, you definitely can too."

Water Birth originally wouldn't have believed this sentence.

Even between father and son, talent can vary.

But when these words came from the mouth of Ink Painting, who was already a first-grade array master at over ten years old, their credibility suddenly became very high.

Water Birth was a little expectant and murmured,

"I... Can I really become a first-grade array master?"

Ink Painting nodded, "You can, but your foundation is not good, so you need to put in more effort and time..."

"If twenty years doesn't work, then thirty years, if thirty years doesn't work, then fifty years, if fifty years doesn't work, then a hundred years..."

"As long as your heart is not distracted and you persist, you will definitely become a first-grade array master. Your mother's spirit in heaven will also be happy."

"A first-grade array master..."

Water Birth's eyes gradually lit up.

"Um." Water Birth nodded seriously.

Ink Painting smiled with gratification.

Water Birth's talent was indeed a bit different compared to Elder Su's.

But it wasn't so different that he couldn't learn the array method.

Moreover, he had a Foundation Building cultivation, a first-grade array master, acting as a sect elder, Master, and father.

With inheritance and guidance, as long as he put in a lot of effort and worked hard, becoming a first-grade array master in the future wouldn't be too difficult.

Elder Su's problem was that his love for his only son was too urgent, he placed high hopes on him, but therefore lost his ordinary heart, inevitably acting like someone who pulled up seedlings to help them grow, and his education was not proper.

As for Water Birth, his character was a bit solitary and stubborn.

His foundation was poor, he studied diligently but didn't ask questions, so naturally, he couldn't learn well.

This father and son pair made a simple problem complicated, which is why they didn't please each other.

Elder Su's heart was naturally still transparent, but when it involved his beloved only child, he inevitably became caught in the situation and was not self-aware.

Ink Painting thought for a moment and then instructed,

"You only need to remember that you want to learn the array method. Everything else, you don't need to take to heart."

"Whether your Master praises you or scolds you, you don't need to care."

"If you don't understand something, just go and ask. If he's unwilling to say, just keep asking, don't feel embarrassed, keep asking until you understand."

"His nagging, complaining, and scolding, you should treat as if they are just wind passing by your ears."

"The most important matter is only one thing, and that is that you want to learn the array method!"

Water Birth suddenly understood. Looking at Ink Painting, he nodded solemnly.

Seeing that he understood, Ink Painting also narrowed his eyes and smiled.

A moment later, Ink Painting seemed to remember something. He restrained his smile and slowly said,

"Water Birth, I want to ask you a question."

Water Birth smiled, "Little Mister, whatever you want to know, just ask."

Ink Painting asked with a slight apology,

"How did your mother die?"

Water Birth was startled. The smile disappeared from his face, his expression gradually became pained, then he said firmly,

"My mother was killed!"

Ink Painting frowned slightly, "Did you tell your Master about this?"

Water Birth nodded, "I did. I told him many times. I always told him that my mother was killed."

"At first, he still believed it, but later, he gradually stopped believing it..."

Ink Painting's gaze narrowed slightly, "Do you know who killed her?"

Water Birth shook his head, disappointed, "I don't know..."

Immediately, his gaze became hateful again, "But I know it was definitely the Land Family!"

Ink Painting was slightly startled, "The Land Family?"

"It was the Land Family!"

Water Birth said sadly, "The Hundred Flowers Building was opened by the Land Family. Not only my mother, but many aunts and sisters inside were all selling themselves to the Land Family."

"The Land Family would beat them if they wanted to, and scold them if they wanted to."

"Even if they were tortured to death, the Dao Court Division wouldn't intervene."

"My mother, like the other aunts and sisters, definitely died at the hands of the Land Family!"

Water Birth's eyes were completely red, and he spoke with increasing anger.

Ink Painting couldn't bear it and then asked, "Did you see it yourself?"

Water Birth shook his head.

"Then do you have evidence?"

Water Birth lowered his head and also shook his head silently, "I have no evidence, and I have no ability to find evidence. Master also won't let me go..."

Elder Su was probably afraid he would encounter danger.

Ink Painting frowned and thought.

The Land Family built Jin Hua Street, and then forced mine repairs and sold daughters, building the Hundred Flowers Building. Besides supplying their own enjoyment and earning spirit stones, their biggest purpose should still be to use beauty to bribe and attract cultivators from various forces.

The forces they attracted included the Dao Court Division, the South Yue Sect, and other families and sects.

This way, they would all be in the same boat.

Water Immortal was just a chip.

And Elder Su, being a powerful Elder of the South Yue Sect, with Foundation Building cultivation and being a first-grade array master, was naturally also an object of attraction.

It was just unexpected that Elder Su became so deeply emotional.

And Water Immortal was also a beauty with a difficult life.

But was it really just like that?

Could it be that Water Immortal knew some secret of the Land Family and that's why she died?

Ink Painting thought for a moment and took out several paintings.

These several paintings were of the people Ink Painting suspected were traitors in the Little Spirit Hidden Sect.

Land Huai Yi, Land Huai Sheng, Land Huai De, Shen Cai, and Jiang Long.

"Do you recognize any of these people?"

Water Birth looked for a moment, wrinkled his brow, "They seem a bit familiar, but I don't recognize any of them..."

"Do you have any particularly strong impressions?"

Water Birth looked again for a while, then shook his head, "No..."

He said with some doubt,

"Little Mister, is there something wrong with these people?"

Ink Painting said, "Someone did something bad. These several people are all suspects. I want to investigate them."

Water Birth asked in a low voice, "What bad thing did they do?"

Ink Painting said, "It's very dangerous, I can't tell you."

"Oh." Water Birth nodded.

Suddenly Water Birth was puzzled again, "These people don't seem to be from the same class, do they? Why are they all suspects?"

Ink Painting thought for a moment and said,

"Basically, they all understand the array method, married in, have real power, have status in the Land Family, and moreover, they oversee the mines..."

Water Birth nodded and murmured in a low voice,

"Oh, just like the Land Family Master..."

Ink Painting's heart trembled.

Just like the Land Family Master?

He quickly asked, "How are they similar?"

"Just... almost all the same," Water Birth counted and said, "Understanding the array method, married in, having status, controlling the mines..."

Ink Painting took a cold breath, his face full of disbelief:

The Land Family Master, is he married in?!

(End of this chapter)