May was speechless for a moment. She began to wonder how much she should say and how much she should keep to herself. She knew that the best lies had a grain of truth in them.

  “It all started when the first people began to fall into a coma. At first, I didn't take it seriously, but...”

  She began to speak and briefly recounted a modified version of the actual events. She mainly omitted all parts concerning the system. The story seemed quite plausible to her.

  When she talked about her fight with a cultivator taken over by a parasite at the 8th stage of Qi refinement, they both looked at her in amazement. Defeating someone so many stages above her was an extraordinary achievement. However, she didn't mention that she only won thanks to a pill purchased with the system.

  Finally, she reached the stage where they had reached the cave. Here, May paused for a moment with her story.

  Scar... He said my mother saved him. Should I ask about that?

  “Who was that person? Why did you stop your story?” Lily asked. “Don't keep us in suspense!”

  “It was a person who knew me… Well, not me, but you,” she said, looking at her mother. “Scar.”

  “Scar?” her mother asked, baffled. “I’ve never heard of anyone with such a bizarre name.”

  May felt dumb, remembering that Scar wasn’t his real name, but something she had made up. Her mother couldn’t have known the name, since it had only been created recently.

  But should I tell them that I was hiding with the elf? I have no reason not to trust my mom, since she also helped him once. But what about Lily? I don't want to doubt her, but... It's better to be careful. Besides, it's not just about her. Who knows who might be listening to us right now.

  “Is something wrong?” her mother asked, looking at her with concern in her eyes.

  “Not exactly. It's just something... I don't know if I should say it out loud.”

  “Huh?! What are you talking about? Since you started telling us something, you have to finish!” Lily exclaimed.

  “Lily, calm down,” her mother said to her. “Can you explain what's going on, May?”

  “It's a rather sensitive subject... Or rather, the identity of that person,” she said mysteriously.

  May realized that she didn't have to say it directly. If her mother really knew the elf, she might be able to figure it out on her own. “It was a person who said that you had helped him once. That's why he helped me.”

  “A person I once helped...?” She repeated her words, deep in thought.

  Okay... A little more and she should understand what I mean. Come on, Mom!

  “Yes. I called him ‘Scar’ because he had a scar under his eye,” she replied, hoping she would remember his appearance.

  “He had a scar under his eye, so you called him ‘Scar’?! That's ridiculous! Why didn't you just call him by his name? And why are you being so secretive?! Are you trying to act cool? Listen, I'm older, so you should...”

  “Lily that's enough,” said her mother, covering her mouth with her hand. “I think I know what you mean. We'll talk later.”

  “I don't know if I'll have enough time…” replied May, knowing that in a few hours she would have to go to the Inner Court.

  “Hmm? What do you mean?” Lily asked. “We're going home. To Dad. Together?”

  Both May and her mother looked away from Lily, not wanting to spoil her dreams of family reunification.

  “What's going on?” Seeing their expressions, Lily was even more confused.

  “I'll explain in a moment...” May said, skipping the whole story about living with the elf and going straight to today.

  This was an explanation for Lily, as her mother already knew the details. Her sister listened to her words with great attention.

  “So you're going to Inner Court? And you can become a disciple of a Golden Core cultivator? That's amazing! Don't forget about us when you become a big shot!” Lily exclaimed, unable to believe her ears.

  “It's not that simple, Lily." her mother sighed.

  “Hmm? What's not simple about it? To me, it sounds like a chance for a better life! To gain immense power and enter the upper echelons of society.”

  “Nothing in this world is free. Everything you mentioned comes at a price that May will have to pay depending on her choice.”

  May agreed with her opinion. Just belonging to the sect took away a lot of her freedom, and if she chose Ze Yun as her master, she would have to join the army. It was a lifelong commitment.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  My movements would be restricted. For most people, that wouldn't be a problem, but...

  “But even if that's the case, isn't it still a beneficial option for May?” Lily was surprised.

  “You're not wrong. In just one night after becoming his disciple, she would rise to the heights and have one of the highest statuses in the entire sect. Most people who cultivate their entire lives and hundreds of years in terms of status would not be able to match her.”

  “I haven't rejected or accepted the idea yet,” May finally said. “Mom, what do you know about High Elder Ze Yun?”

  May currently had no one better to ask about this. Her mother seemed to know quite a lot about it, surprisingly. However, she didn't expect to get a specific answer.

  “I'm sorry, May, but I can't tell you much about it,” she replied, shaking her head. “But I've heard a lot about him.”

  “A lot of good things or a lot of bad things?” Lily asked curiously.

  “A lot of good things. But not good for May.” she replied with a clear sense of contempt.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Ze Yun is a person who cares deeply about the fate of the sect.” she replied briefly.

  May guessed what that meant, remembering her earlier conversation with Ze Yun himself. Lily, on the other hand, didn't quite understand what it meant.

  “Well... Isn't it good that he cares about the sect? Why would that be bad for May?” Lily was surprised.

  “It means he's extremely committed. There's nothing wrong with that, but it also means he gets involved in almost every conflict. He's also made a lot of enemies in the sect. If May became his disciple, she would be obliged to accompany him.”

  “So, if I understand correctly, the problem is that May would have to constantly accompany him on the battlefield and risk her life?”

  “Yes. But because of his extraordinary attitude towards the sect, if he had to choose between May's life and the sect, he would sacrifice May.” her mother said, answering Lily.

  Lily was confused again.

  “But in real life, no one is forcing him to choose between the sect and May, right? That doesn't sound like a problem to me.”

  “No one is directly forcing him to choose. But what if he suddenly received a summons from the sect in the middle of battle? He would have no qualms about abandoning May in the middle of battle. Or what if May was falsely accused of a crime by the sect? A master should defend his student, but I doubt he would do so.”

  “In short, he is overly loyal to the sect.” May summed up briefly.

  “Yes. At least that's what I've heard. From what I know, many of his students died at a young age,” she said, looking at her youngest child. “But you should think carefully. The risk is considerable, but you'll never get another opportunity like this.”

  “So what should I do?”

  “That's a decision you have to make yourself,” she said, nodding. “Accepting him as your master is the right thing to do, but it's not a good choice. Rejecting him, on the other hand, is a good decision, but not the right one.”

  “That's... complicated?” Lily said. “When you put it that way, neither option seems very good?”

  “That's the way life is,” said her mother, looking into the distance, apparently deep in thought about her own fate. “Sometimes the answer only comes after you've made your choice. May, whatever you choose, it's important that you choose for yourself.”

  May sighed, knowing that nothing for the time being would change the situation.

  “I think that's enough of my story,” May said. “Lily, now you tell us what's been going on with you.”

  “Oh, but it's not as interesting as your story...! But okay, it all started with this boy, really stupid, but kind of cute, well, anyway, his name was Lin Hue...”

  ───── ??☆?? ─────

  Lily's story was indeed less interesting, but it was much longer and strayed much further from the topic when she began telling irrelevant anecdotes about her friends.

  However, May paid particular attention when she began to describe how she wanted to escape from the academy to rescue her. Apparently, in an act of aggression, when the teachers tried to stop her, she punched one of them in the eye and was thrown into a dungeon.

  Interestingly, she managed to escape from the dungeon, but was caught again when she tried, once more, to escape through the main gate to come to May's rescue.

  “You really are too reckless...” May said.

  “Come on! I did everything for you! Just thinking about what could have happened to you made my blood boil!” she shouted.

  “But I'm fine now...”

  “Barely! You have no idea how close you came to being taken over by the parasites... Agh! It makes me sick just thinking about it!”

  “Lily, that's enough... May needs to get ready to leave for Inner Court.”

  “What? Oh, right. I forgot.”

  “Can you go to the utility building and bring the bags?” her mother asked Lily.

  “Sure, I'll go right now,” she said and climbed down the ladder.

  “Come on, May. I think we need to talk in private.”

  May got up and followed her mother. She already knew what she wanted to talk about.

  They went into a room. Her mother sat down on one of the chairs. She began to move her hands in a strange way and utter words in a language unknown to her. May knew she was casting a spell.

  “Kademri Lorrre, Saphhe, Dot'hee Jossuar - Etho mi ra!”

  May felt the energy around her gathering and dispersing. She rarely saw her mother practice magic. She usually avoided casting any spells. Although mages could practice magic, it was considered taboo. Mages in the sect were forbidden from forming their own groups.

  “No one will hear us now. At least, I hope so,” she said. “We need to talk about our... Friend.”

  “Yes... I'll finish my story now...”

  May recounted the rest of the events she had omitted earlier when Lily was still present. She now felt safe and trusted her mother.

  “I see... Doing good didn't go to waste after all, who would have thought.” She said, clearly amused by the situation. “You did the right thing, May, by being cautious. Never mention this to anyone again.”

  “So Scar was telling the truth? Just contacting him would be considered treason?” She asked curiously.

  Her mother’s expression turned serious.

  “Unfortunately, yes. You, me, and probably the rest of our family would have been killed. To say that elves are hated by humans is quite an understatement. There's something deeper and darker at stake here. Don't worry about it, though, and just forget about it."

  May decided she wasn't lying; she had no reason to. Although she had no reason to tell anyone about her encounter with the elf anyway, the conversation with her mother only reinforced that.