Leng Ruo Li picked up the jade bracelet from the floor with considerable frustration. She examined it closely, but found no cracks.
"Li'er, try burning it with a lighter," Jun Mo Han's violet eyes lit up with a sudden idea.
"Oh, right, why didn't I think of that?"
Leng Ruo Li, enlightened by Jun Mo Han, immediately took a lighter from her sleeve and ignited it. She held the flame to the jade bracelet, circling it three times. A small crack appeared where the green veins were.
Leng Ruo Li, with her sharp eyesight, noticed this. She then used her hands to pry open the small crack and discovered that Xia Wan Er's jade bracelet was hollow inside, containing a small piece of paper.
Upon this discovery, Leng Ruo Li took out a pair of tweezers from her sleeve and carefully extracted the small paper from the jade bracelet.
Once Leng Ruo Li had the note out, the few people present leaned in with curiosity to take a look.
As it turned out, the small paper also depicted a miniature map.
"Li'er, this map likely shows the Cloud Mist Island we're looking for."
Jun Mo Han's usually stern and beautiful face softened into a faint smile as he examined the small map.
Hearing this, Leng Ruo Li nodded in agreement and immediately placed the small map onto the sheepskin scroll.
The sheepskin scroll then became complete. It turned out the Cloud Mist Island Xia Wan Er had mentioned was not on this continent, but on an island far from the mainland. However, its exact location remained somewhat vague.
Just then, Leng Ruo Rui, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up. "The coastal area on the map marks the territory of the Flower Clan. My godfather took me to the Flower Clan three times. I suspect only people from the Flower Clan know the precise location of Cloud Mist Island."
"Rui'er, is the Flower Clan you speak of the mysterious Flower Clan on this continent?" Leng Jin Yu asked with a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.
"Yes, Father. It's that mystical Flower Clan," Leng Ruo Rui replied, nodding slightly at Leng Jin Yu.
"Father, is my wet nurse, Hua Ma Ma, from the Flower Clan?" Leng Ruo Li suddenly recalled and asked.
"Yes, your wet nurse, Hua Ma Ma, is from the Flower Clan. For some reason, she disappeared years ago, and never returned to General Leng's manor after that."
Leng Jin Yu's gaze fell on the doorway, lost in memories of the past.
"Father, Eldest Brother, I suspect Mother is still alive," Leng Ruo Li stated, making a startling claim.
Upon hearing this, both Leng Jin Yu and Leng Ruo Rui looked at her.
"Li'er, why do you say that?"
Leng Jin Yu asked curiously. After all, Xia Wan Er had suffered severe postpartum hemorrhage when she gave birth to Li'er, and she had died in his arms. He had confirmed her death multiple times. How could she possibly be alive?
However, even though he found it difficult to believe his wife was alive, he did not wish her to be dead.
As for Leng Ruo Rui, he was filled with emotion upon hearing Leng Ruo Li's words. He had been a few years old when Xia Wan Er met her unfortunate end, and he had memories of his mother.
He recalled that when he was young and mischievous, he often climbed trees, longing to learn the light footwork his parents possessed to scale walls and leap over eaves. Once, he fell from a tree and injured his elbow. His mother, seeing his desire, did not scold him. Instead, after his arm healed, she often carried him and practiced light footwork, soaring around General Leng's manor. He was both happy and envious.
She had also told him, "Rui'er, Mother knows you want to learn light footwork. In a few days, Mother will ask Father to find a master to teach you. But you haven't learned internal energy yet, so don't try such dangerous moves."
His mother was gentle in nature, and her words were always filled with wisdom.
Furthermore, his mother, like Li'er, loved to cook. At that time, their family of three's daily meals were all prepared by his mother. As long as she was present, every meal was joyous. Their family of three lived very happily in General Leng's manor.
If his mother were still alive, it would be such wonderful news!
"Father, because Mother appeared when I was a few years old, and even returned to General Leng's manor. At that time, you had just been dispatched by the Emperor to suppress the rebellion on the northern border. Soon after, Aunt Liu and Leng Ruo Shuang forced me to move into Qingfeng Courtyard. Leng Ruo Shuang had occupied my Mingyue Courtyard, but strange things began to happen after Leng Ruo Li moved into my Mingyue Courtyard."
"Every night, she would sleep in my bed, and the next day she would be found frozen on the floor of the small garden in Mingyue Courtyard. Aunt Liu and Leng Ruo Shuang didn't pay much attention at first, but these strange occurrences continued for several days."
"Later, Aunt Liu arranged for two highly skilled guards to reside in Mingyue Courtyard. However, the next day, those two guards were driven mad by fright. They stammered, saying that there was a ghost with disheveled hair, dressed in white, in Mingyue Courtyard. But even Uncle Qi entered and stayed for two days without discovering anything. Therefore, I now suspect that the person disguised as a ghost was most likely my mother."
Leng Ruo Li mused.
Although her words filled Leng Jin Yu and his son with hope, they were also afraid that the person was not Xia Wan Er.
"Li'er, that still doesn't prove it was your mother?" Leng Jin Yu voiced his doubt.
"Father, during that time, my mother also appeared elsewhere and saved two people. One was Chu Miaoling, the daughter of the Chu family in Jiangcheng. She saw my mother's true face. Another was Shangguan Yi, a great general of Nanzhao, who also saw my mother's true face."
Leng Ruo Li no longer wished to conceal these matters from Leng Jin Yu.
Upon hearing this, Leng Jin Yu immediately stood up from the bed and clasped Leng Ruo Li's hands.
"Li'er, are the things you're saying true? You're not deceiving Father."
"Father, if you don't believe me, I can ask Chu Miaoling to come here, and you can question her yourself."
"Alright!"
Leng Jin Yu nodded in agreement.
Subsequently, Leng Ruo Li instructed the guards of the Leng King's manor to fetch Chu Miaoling from Anji Tang and bring her to General Leng's manor.
After listening to Chu Miaoling's account, Leng Jin Yu was completely stunned, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Rui'er, Li'er, your mother is truly alive. She is truly alive! I must go to Cloud Mist Island immediately to find her," Leng Jin Yu said, his expression filled with excitement.
With that, he began to pack his belongings, preparing to leave.
"Father, don't get too excited. Rest and recover first. We can't rush into finding Mother. Once we have arranged matters in the capital, we will go find Mother together," Leng Ruo Li quickly advised him.
Having spent so much time with Leng Jin Yu, Leng Ruo Li was seeing her father's childish side for the first time.
"But Father wants to find your mother now and bring her back to the capital so our family can be reunited."
Leng Jin Yu looked towards the sky outside the door, his eyes full of longing.