Chapter 1137: Chapter 1136: Southbound_1
"I’ve met my uncle once, and seeing you is like seeing him again."
"That day I wanted to acknowledge my cousin, but with the complicated relationship between the Ling Family and the Carefree Sect, I was afraid that it might bring him trouble. So, after parting with the Carefree Sect, I asked Uncle Lingfu to follow you."
"Cousin, you won’t blame your sister, right?"
Ling Zixin’s true appearance was not as beautiful as when she was in disguise, but strangely, she was even more captivating—a furrow of her brow or a curl of her lips, even the sound of her voice, carried a unique charm that could shake one’s soul.
"Based solely on a portrait and a surname, you confirmed my identity?"
Having snapped out of his recent agitation, Shi Xiaole no longer seemed in a rush.
Ling Zixin shook her head with a wry smile: "Of course, it wasn’t that simple. This time when I left the South Sea and visited East Victory, I happened to bring along the Blood-testing Life Plate, which can verify the bloodline of our Ling Family."
As she spoke, she took out a palm-sized, eight-trigram-shaped square plate from her bosom. The plate appeared to be made of yellow jade, its surface engraved with patterns, and in the center lay a small, dot-like indentation.
"Just a drop of blood needed, and all will be revealed. But I was ninety percent certain that you must be aunt’s son."
Ling Zixin’s trip away from the South Sea served a dual purpose: on one hand, it was to scout ahead for the Ling Family and to understand the situation in East Victory; on the other hand, it was with the slim hope of finding the whereabouts of Shi Xuanzhong and his wife.
Unfortunately, considering the vastness of East Victory, to find two people of no particular renown, maybe even long gone, was exceedingly difficult! She did not anticipate that her initial goal would go unmet, only to unexpectedly stumble upon someone who might be their son.
Ling Zixin watched Shi Xiaole with a tense expression.
In fact, ever since the blood droplet inside his bracelet reacted, Shi Xiaole had no more doubts about Ling Zixin’s identity; still, subconsciously, he squeezed out a drop of blood and let it accurately fall into the indentation of the plate.
Hum!
From the indentation as a center, strands of light filled the engravings, and then the entire "Blood-testing Life Plate" lit up. In the dark, a heavy breathing sound emerged.
"Grandfather, Xin’er has finally found aunt’s flesh and blood, rest assured, I will bring my cousin back for you to see, I will bring him back to the Ling Family!"
Uncontainable tears flowed from Ling Zixin’s eyes, and she smiled with immense happiness and relief.
Despite her strong confidence, until she had received official confirmation, Ling Zixin was inevitably uneasy, afraid that greater hope could bring greater disappointment.
But at this moment, she was finally at ease.
When she thought of that imposing figure, once the unmatched hero of the South Sea, who grew old from the suffering of guilt and yearning, and even suffered a heavy tragedy due to an ambush by enemies, Ling Zixin’s heart ached as if it were being cut by knives.
The kind old man, who lay sick in bed, immersed in self-reproach and sorrow from losing his daughter, with little vitality left—how delighted he would be to know that his most beloved daughter had left behind a child!
Ling Zixin sobbed and laughed, and after a long time, she took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears, her face flushed as she said in a low voice, "I must look foolish to you, little brother."
Shi Xiaole did not respond but instead asked, "The Ling Family in the South Sea, is it far away?"
"It used to be, but not anymore. This time, it only took me half a year to come here."
"Half a year, huh."
Ling Zixin suddenly felt that her cousin seemed a bit too indifferent. Then she considered that having had no contact with relatives since he was young, he probably didn’t know how to react.
Ling Zixin took a few more steps closer and gently inquired about Shi Xiaole’s past years, striving to be a caring sister and comfort him.
But she soon discovered, to her dismay, that Shi Xiaole was not buying it!
Or rather, he didn’t need her comfort. Every time she started a topic, he would steer it to another, and before long, he had gleaned information about the Ling Family instead.
Detached, assertive, restrained—that was Ling Zixin’s first impression of Shi Xiaole. She didn’t know whether to be pleased or worried. Such a person often did not need to prove their capability and competitiveness, but this might make him somewhat emotionally distant.
"Little brother, do you know the whereabouts of uncle and aunt?"
Ling Zixin finally voiced the question she most wanted to ask.
"Since I was born, I have never seen them, nor do I know where they are."
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
Ling Zixin steadied her breath and showed a gentle smile: "I believe that uncle and aunt, blessed by fate, would have been able to leave the dangerous place and reach East Victory. They must be safe... Little brother, would you come with me to the Ling Family? It is, after all, your mother’s birthplace, and many traces of her remain there."
After saying this, she looked at Shi Xiaole eagerly yet cautiously.
"Okay."
Shi Xiaole agreed without much thought.
"Ah?"
Ling Zixin didn’t know how to react.
"It makes sense for me to visit the South Sea, and if you are willing to guide me, it would be impolite to refuse your offer. What’s so strange about that?"
"No, it’s not that."
It did seem odd, though, as if they weren’t discussing a visit to relatives, but rather a matter of no great consequence. However, Ling Zixin couldn’t spare more thought on it, as long as Shi Xiaole had agreed, that was enough.
Thinking of that poor old man, she wished she could take Shi Xiaole and fly straight to the South Sea!
After Ling Zixin left in a mixture of excitement and confusion, Shi Xiaole remained standing by the river, gazing blankly at the moon’s reflection on the water.
How could he not understand her intentions? But he would not naively embrace the concept of mutual affection until the attitude of the Ling Family towards him was clear.
Even if it hadn’t been for Ling Zixin’s emotional exclamation about putting her grandfather at ease, Shi Xiaole might not have let down his guard enough to agree to go to the South Sea with her.
"That mysterious place in the South Sea, I must eventually go there. This time might as well be it. At least she is from the South Sea, ensuring safer travel."
As he considered what he needed to be wary of on this journey, Shi Xiaole occasionally allowed himself to fantasize about how the Ling Family might receive him, causing his thoughts to become tumultuous.
It wasn’t until deep into the night, around midnight, that Shi Xiaole cast aside various thoughts and returned to the carriage to rest.
...
"Miss Zixin, this child, is he truly your aunt’s son?"
When they were alone, Uncle Lingfu appeared in front of Ling Zixin, his face equally agitated.
Back in the day, Ling Yujie conquered half of the South Sea’s Martial World with her outstanding charm, only to meet a bleak end, eliciting countless sighs of lament.
Uncle Lingfu was surely one of those most pained by this.
After all, Ling Yujie had grown up under his watch, and he had been her close protection for a time. The master and servant had weathered numerous hardships together and had long since developed a bond like that between a father and daughter.
However, a thousand years ago, when Uncle Lingfu fell into peril and could not emerge, Ling Yujie risked adventuring deep to save him. It was during that perilous time that Ling Yujie met Shi Xuanzhong.
Regrettably, after a desperate search, Ling Yujie still could not find Uncle Lingfu and had to leave the danger behind. By the time Uncle Lingfu managed to escape, the couple Shi Xuanzhong had already retreated from the scene.
Their paths missing each other, Uncle Lingfu never met Shi Xuanzhong, and naturally, he did not recognize Shi Xiaole.
"Uncle Lingfu, I know you’re excited," Zixin calmed, "but let’s maintain restraint for now, so we don’t frighten him. Let’s take it slowly, okay?"
Uncle Lingfu rambled in agreement, wishing he could smash his own head in at that moment.
Just moments before, he had almost attacked Shi Xiaole because of something the latter had said. That was his miss’s son! How could he bring himself to harm him, even in the slightest?
...
The next day, Shi Xiaole said his goodbyes to Mu Qianji and others, explaining that he was headed for the South Sea. Despite Han Yanfa’s entreaties, he drifted away.
"There are rumors of immortal mountains in the South Sea," mused Han Yanfa with a smack of his lips. "Could Xiaole be thinking of becoming an immortal?"
Tian Jizi said, "In the past, only a select few could reach the Martial World of the South Sea, just as it was difficult for the masters from there to come to the continent of East Victory. But lately, things are changing, the obstacles between the two places are decreasing. Alas, in time, I suspect it will all become one world."
The members of the Divine Sect had already heard that recently, several powers from the South Sea emerged in the Martial World, challenging all comers with no one able to resist. Even the masters on the Emperor List had dropped in rank by dozens.
Clearly, the Carefree Sect was not an exception.
Apart from the infiltration of external warriors, the continent of East Victory itself was in constant strife. Just recently, the Blue Lotus Hall of the Six Lotus Sect had been discovered, and it was said many Void Origin Realm masters perished in the conflict.
Even more terrifying was the fall of Supreme Pavilion. This force belonged to the royal family of the Flying Horse Dynasty, concealed for over six hundred years, and now its branches had been discovered and defeated.
Once the secrets of East Victory’s sects were exposed, the entire Martial World of East Victory went mad. But no one believed that there wasn’t a Black Hand behind it all, pushing these events.
Despite this, both the Six Lotus Sect and the Supreme Pavilion thus far maintained their silence, which made many people feel a chill down their backs. The proverbial calm before the storm always precedes a tempest.
In such a chaotic situation, few noticed that, in an ancient capital of a Western Region kingdom called Zrin Kingdom, a group of fearsome experts had arrived.
Before the local sects of the Western Region could react, these figures dug beneath the earth, and departed swiftly days later, leaving no one the wiser about what they had unearthed.
At the same time.
In a mountain shrouded in fog, a haggard grey-haired man emerged. Perhaps due to overexertion, the grey-haired man’s back was slightly hunched, his face etched with wrinkles.
"The Medicine Saint!"
A group of powerful individuals flew from a distance, arriving with immense force but displaying extreme respect as they landed before the grey-haired man.
"Medicine Saint, have you emerged from seclusion having discovered..." a man inquired with a suppressed voice.
"Heh heh," the grey-haired man said, departing self-absorbedly, "I’ve never failed to do what I set out to. I have said I would extinguish all warriors in the most glorious age of martial arts, and I will. Just wait a few more years. I intend to personally end this era."
Watching his frail silhouette disappear, the souls of all present trembled.
Another set of eyes detached from observing the grey-haired man. They belonged to Golden Rainbow Fairy, standing atop a platform in the mountain. She smiled and turned around to face the captured high-level masters of Sky Edge Pavilion.
But they were either dead or severely wounded. Only Qiu Yuchu remained intact, glaring with hateful eyes at Golden Rainbow Fairy.
"Do you hate me very much, beautiful?" Golden Rainbow Fairy lifted Qiu Yuchu’s delicate chin, her gaze lingering on her adversary’s body, known to be the most ravishing in the world, as she sneered, "Continue looking at me like that, and see if I don’t find a few men to take turns on you right now!"
Qiu Yuchu’s gaze narrowed, but her eyes turned even colder with hatred, and she didn’t look away.
"You think I wouldn’t dare?" Golden Rainbow Fairy beckoned with her hand.
It was also on this day.
Shi Xiaole, along with Ling Zixin and Uncle Lingfu, departed from the Flow Bay port of the Flying Horse Dynasty, journeying southward and heading into the depths of the South Sea that many yearned for yet feared.
Standing on the deck, Shi Xiaole was filled with questions.
He remembered seeing on the deserted island in Redbud State, a letter left by Snow Sword Lord detailing that Shi Xuanzhong and his wife had intended to go to sea in search of immortality, which must have been the South Sea.
Yet, Snow Sword Lord was from hundreds of years past, and according to Ling Zixin, tracing back that far, Shi Xuanzhong and Ling Yujie had never left the Ling Family—something didn’t add up!
Moreover, according to both Ling Jingsi and the Thousand Dark Poison Emperor, approximately one thousand years ago, Ling Yujie had been struck with "Descend to Hell with Me," sending her into a deathlike state.
If that was so, whether it was Snow Sword Lord, those from the Ling Family, or Aunt Su Yanru, how could they possibly have seen a healthy Ling Yujie?
Already cured?
Impossible.
On Rainbow Island, the Thousand Dark Poison Emperor had even met Shi Xuanzhong, claiming he was trying to snatch the fate of Rainbow State to save his wife.
Upon closer examination, none of it made sense!
The silhouette of the National Master of the Zrin Kingdom appeared before his eyes, and Shi Xiaole felt a chill as he entertained a terrifying guess.
