Chapter 176: A Mother’s Denial

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: A Mother’s Denial

The question caught the attention of the others.

Even Charles, Peter, and Eleanor, who were walking a short distance behind them, couldn’t help listening.

After all, Xavier had already demonstrated the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique, which was closely associated with the Highland Sword Emperor. Now he had displayed another legendary martial skill.

Was he connected to the Highland Sword Emperor or Venerable Blazing Sun?

The two were among the most famous figures in the Dragon Kingdom’s martial arts history.

Xavier didn’t bother correcting their misunderstanding.

The Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger and the Six Directions Heaven-Piercing Finger had some similarities in their effects. Since Victoria and the others had mistaken one for the other, there was no need for him to explain everything.

Besides, everyone had their own secrets. He certainly wasn’t going to reveal all of his.

Liam, however, didn’t seem satisfied with the lack of an answer.

He wasn’t the type to overthink things. His attention was already shifting toward another matter.

"Anyway, after we meet my eldest sister, you must spar with me again, Brother X! I want to experience that finger technique properly this time."

Xavier glanced at him without much interest.

This fellow really had nothing else on his mind apart from fighting.

The group continued chatting as they walked, and before long, they arrived at Sarah’s villa.

This was where they would finally meet Maya’s mother, Sarah Shelby, and her current husband, Desmond Hale.

Sarah was dressed in simple house clothes.

Her face was pale, and her hair had turned almost completely silver. Deep wrinkles rested between her eyebrows, making her look like a woman who had endured years of sorrow.

There was something deeply melancholic about her appearance.

Xavier understood immediately why Victoria and Liam had been so surprised when they first saw Maya.

The resemblance between mother and daughter was remarkable. Sarah looked almost exactly like an older version of Maya.

But something about her appearance didn’t make sense.

She wasn’t even forty years old. Why did she look so much older than her actual age?

The man standing beside her presented a completely different picture.

Desmond Hale had a square face, well-defined eyebrows, bright eyes, and thick black hair. His appearance was so youthful that he could easily pass for a handsome man in his early thirties.

He had the kind of looks that would naturally attract the attention of young women.

Yet, for some reason, Xavier felt uncomfortable around him.

He couldn’t quite explain why, but there was something about the man that didn’t sit right with him.

"Patriarch Shelby, Liam, what brings all of you here?"

Desmond Hale noticed the approaching group and immediately stepped forward to welcome them.

His manner was polite and refined, and his smile was warm.

"Desmond, allow me to introduce our guests."

Charles took the initiative to step forward.

"This is General Victoria Quill of the Extraordinary Department. And this is Mr. X, a highly respected alchemy grandmaster."

He then briefly introduced Desmond Hale’s identity to the visitors.

"So you’re General Quill and Mr. X!"

Desmond Hale cupped his hands and greeted them with a friendly smile.

"I’ve heard a great deal about both of you. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person."

Victoria responded politely, while Xavier merely gave a slight nod.

He clearly had no intention of engaging in a lengthy conversation with Desmond Hale.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Charles quickly moved things along.

"Desmond, there is something else I should introduce you to."

He gestured toward the two young women.

"One of them is Maya Knox. I’m not sure whether you’ve heard about her."

Desmond Hale paused for a moment.

Then his face lit up with a broad smile.

"Of course I’ve heard of her! She’s my wife Sarah’s daughter. Sarah told me about her some time ago."

He looked at Maya with an expression of pleasant surprise.

"Have you finally found her?"

Desmond Hale turned toward Sarah before continuing.

"I’ve told my wife many times that I don’t mind her having a daughter from her previous marriage. I even offered to help look for Maya, but Sarah never agreed to let me do it."

He studied Maya’s face for a moment, then smiled even more warmly.

"Now that I’ve finally met her, I can see that she’s truly Sarah’s daughter. She looks just like her mother did when she was young!"

He stepped closer, appearing genuinely delighted.

"It’s wonderful that you’ve come back. From now on, you can stay here with us. I don’t have any children of my own, so I’ll treat you as my daughter and raise you properly."

His words were so considerate that anyone listening would have praised him as a remarkably generous stepfather.

But just as he finished speaking, a sharp scream suddenly rang through the villa.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

It was Sarah.

"I don’t have a daughter like her! I refuse to acknowledge her. Make her leave!"

Her sudden outburst stunned everyone.

Victoria and Liam exchanged confused looks.

Charles, Peter, and Eleanor, on the other hand, didn’t appear particularly surprised. Their expressions suggested that they had expected this reaction.

Xavier remained calm. He briefly glanced at Sarah before turning his attention to Maya.

The young woman looked as though someone had struck her heavily in the chest.

Her face had turned deathly pale, but she didn’t retreat or break down.

She simply stood there, quietly facing the mother she had travelled so far to meet.

Maya had already prepared herself for this possibility.

In fact, her expectations had changed a great deal over the past few months.

Back when she was living in Groundcrest, she had still held on to the hope that one day she might reunite with her mother. But after spending those three months in Goldvale City, that longing had gradually faded.

She hadn’t come here expecting to receive a mother’s love.

She only wanted to see Sarah with her own eyes and find out whether the woman still wished to have any connection with her.

There were now other people in her life who mattered deeply to her.

Her master, her martial uncle, General Quill, and Liam, who had welcomed her as his niece without hesitation.

Mira had also become one of her closest friends.

They had only known each other for two days, yet the two young women had already grown remarkably close. Sometimes, friendship between girls really could develop that quickly.

Maya had found people who cared about her.

So when Sarah rejected her, the disappointment wasn’t as painful as it might once have been.

Especially after the Seventh Elder had tried to kill her just moments earlier, only for her martial uncle to step in and save her.

She had already seen enough of the Shelby Family’s attitude toward her.

Desmond Hale, however, seemed genuinely displeased by Sarah’s reaction.

"What are you saying?"

He turned toward his wife, his expression stern.

"She’s your biological daughter! I’ve already told you that I don’t mind her past. Why would you refuse to acknowledge your own child?"

"I said I don’t recognize her!"

Sarah had regained some control over herself.

Her expression grew cold as she looked directly at Maya.

"I was foolish enough to run away with your father back then. Your existence is a constant reminder of that mistake!"

She didn’t soften her words.

"You should leave. There’s no place for you in the Shelby Family, and I don’t want you coming here again. Go back to your hometown and stay with your father!"

Her voice was filled with rejection.

It was difficult to believe that the woman speaking so cruelly was Maya’s biological mother.

But the world was full of parents who failed to show their children even the smallest amount of affection.

At that moment, Sarah seemed determined to be one of them.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed slightly.

From where he stood, he had a clear view of Sarah’s hands, which she had hidden behind her back.

They were trembling.

It was subtle, but he noticed it immediately.

Despite the harshness of her words, Sarah wasn’t as calm as she wanted everyone to believe.

Something was clearly troubling her.

However, Maya didn’t seem to notice.

After hearing her mother’s rejection, she actually felt a strange sense of relief.

She lowered her head slightly, then spoke in a quiet voice.

"I really feel sorry for my father..."

Her voice faltered for a moment.

"Even though he’s already dead..."

Thud!

The moment those words reached her ears, Sarah’s eyes rolled backward.

Before anyone could react, she collapsed to the floor and fainted.

Sarah had suffered an unbearable emotional shock that day.

At first, she had finally seen the daughter she had missed for so many years. Maya was even more beautiful and healthy than she had imagined. For a brief moment, the longing she had carried in her heart almost overwhelmed her.

But she couldn’t show it.

With Desmond Hale standing beside her, Sarah had no choice but to hide her true feelings. She forced herself to say cruel things to Maya, even though every harsh word felt like a knife cutting into her own heart.

She had spent years yearning to see her daughter again, only to stand before her and pretend she wanted nothing to do with her.

The emotional strain had already pushed her to her limit.

Then Maya suddenly told her that Danny was dead.

That final piece of news shattered whatever control Sarah had left.

Her eyes rolled backward, and she collapsed without warning.

"Sarah! Sarah, what’s wrong? Wake up! Don’t scare me!"

Desmond Hale rushed forward and caught her before she could fall any further.

He quickly lifted her into his arms, then turned toward Charles and the others.

"I’m sorry, Patriarch Shelby, General Quill, Mr. X. Could you please come back another time? Sarah hasn’t been feeling well lately. She needs to rest, so I have to take care of her first."

Charles nodded.

"Of course. We understand. We won’t disturb you any longer."

He then glanced at Xavier and the others, signaling that they should leave.

However, Liam wasn’t willing to go along with that arrangement.

His expression darkened as he looked at Sarah, who was still unconscious in Desmond Hale’s arms.

"My sister is a peak Spirit Platform Realm martial artist. How could she suddenly faint like this without any reason?"

He stepped forward.

"No. I want to examine her myself."

"Liam, don’t make trouble!"

Charles immediately reprimanded him.

"Your sister has just received some upsetting news. It’s understandable that she fainted. She’s inside the Shelby Family manor. What could possibly happen to her here? I’ll arrange for a professional doctor to examine her later."

"I’m not making trouble, Patriarch."

Liam refused to back down.

"She’s my sister. I’ll take care of her myself. There’s no need for anyone else to interfere."

"You are being completely unreasonable!"

Charles was so angry that his eyes nearly bulged.

Just then, Xavier spoke.

"I agree with Liam."

Everyone turned toward him.

"Fainting isn’t necessarily serious. A healing pill should help her recover. Liam, take these two pills and give them to your sister."

As he spoke, Xavier took out two pills from his spatial ring.

One was a Prosperity Pill, while the other was a Mind-Awakening Pill.

The Mind-Awakening Pill was especially useful for strengthening mental power. It could also help repair damage caused by mental trauma.

Xavier hadn’t made this suggestion without reason.

He had noticed something unusual about Sarah’s behavior from the beginning.

Her words had been harsh, but the trembling hands behind her back had revealed that she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended to be.

He suspected that Victoria and Charles had noticed something as well. However, unlike him, they had their own concerns and were unwilling to expose the matter directly.

Xavier didn’t have such reservations.

After all, why would someone deliberately say the opposite of what they truly felt?

Fear.

That was the most likely explanation.

And fear usually came from being unable to resist someone more powerful.

If Sarah was being forced to hide her feelings because she feared her husband, then perhaps giving her enough confidence would allow her to speak freely.