Chapter 4645: Heart Turns Cold Hearing this, Black Tortoise Mistress’s face grew even paler. She remained silent, simply clutching her young son tightly to her chest and closing her eyes, a wave of guilt washing over her. Meanwhile, Feng Jiu returned to the small courtyard that had been prepared for them, but she didn’t linger. Instead, she turned to her companions and declared, “Let’s go!” With that, she turned and strode out of the courtyard. The others were taken aback for a moment. They exchanged bewildered glances before quickly following her. They trailed behind Feng Jiu as she exited the palace grounds. Once outside, Feng Jiu summoned the flying ship. Just then, the Black Tortoise Monarch hurried towards them. “Ghost Doctor, Ghost Doctor, wait, please wait!” He rushed forward, seeing that she was already preparing for departure with her people. “Ghost Doctor, you have only just arrived; why are you leaving so soon?” He then turned to Hao’er, who stood beside Feng Jiu, and pleaded, “Hao’er, persuade your mother to stay. Besides, you have just returned home; how can you…” Hao’er looked at him, then his gaze drifted past him to the figure behind holding a small child. He spoke slowly, his voice cold and resolute. “I will not be coming back. Just consider me to have died back then! I no longer have a father or mother. I only have my parents. I have no further connection with you.” As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and boarded the flying ship without a backward glance. Witnessing Hao’er’s silent yet powerful declaration, Feng Jiu glanced at the Black Tortoise Monarch and the Black Tortoise Mistress standing behind him. “Farewell,” she said simply before turning and boarding the airship with her two children. Du Fan and the others followed suit, boarding the airship one after another. Once the airship had lifted off and left the palace far behind, Du Fan noticed that Hao’er had retreated to the cabin to rest. He approached Feng Jiu and asked, “Master, what happened?” Yue’er was still visibly upset. Hearing Du Fan’s question, she could not help but complain, “Hmph! They were mean to Big Brother!” Feng Jiu gently patted her daughter’s head and explained slowly, “When I took the two little ones to their courtyard earlier, I overheard the Black Tortoise Mistress scolding Hao’er. I stopped the maids who were about to go in and report it by tapping their acupoints. We listened outside for a while and heard their conversation become increasingly outrageous. In the end, they even expressed that they wished Hao’er had died out there and never returned.” 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞 A flash of coldness flickered in her eyes, and her voice grew a degree colder. “Hearing such heartless words, I couldn’t restrain myself. I took the two children inside and confronted them. Since they clearly held no regard for Hao’er, I declared that he would be mine from now on, and I would never bring him back to face their cruelty again.” Hearing this, Du Fan sighed softly. “I did not expect the Black Tortoise Mistress to be so unreasonable, but perhaps this is for the best. At least Hao’er will not have to endure such treatment again.” He recalled that when his master had asked him to check on Hao’er’s well-being a few years prior, he had sensed that a direct confrontation would likely lead to a falling out. Sadly, his premonition had proven correct. “It is growing late,” Feng Jiu said, her tone shifting to practicality. “Keep an eye out below. When we spot a town, we will descend and rest for the night. Also, the children have not yet had dinner. We must find them something to eat.” “Do not worry, Master. I will keep watch,” Du Fan assured her. Seeing her walk towards the cabin, he settled down to one side and released his divine sense, scanning the area below for any signs of civilization. Alone in the cabin, Hao’er sat by the window, gazing at the darkening sky. The harsh words his biological mother had spoken earlier echoed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. He instinctively drew his arms around himself, seeking a semblance of comfort in the growing darkness.