This was something that Zhao Li Xin had recently learned. The news was from one of his King's Palace, Jin Hao, who was also the king of the White Dragon Palace. Jin Hao, the most talented alchemist of his generation told him something he hadn't suspected before. According to the alchemist, he was first poisoned as a baby and not at eight years old as he initially thought.
The poison was not done one but happened gradually over the years, The person only stopped poisoning him when he was nine or ten since the poison had already seeped into his organs and bones.
?
It was a miracle he had survived to twenty years. The person who poisoned him must have really hated him because they wanted him to slowly die in agony. Ying Xi Lu might have chosen to kill him for Zhao Qin Feng but the cold poison was hard to come by, even those from the Ying Clan would have a hard time getting it.
Zhao Li Xin had also learned that no one on their continent could concoct the cold poison since the formula for making the poison was long lost. This made him deducted that someone stronger was behind Ying Xi Lu as she won't have done it alone.
"Um… What do you mean?" Ying Xi Lu tried to evade the question but her trembling hands betray her knowledge.
Zhao Li Xin wasn't patient. He pulled out a grey stone from his sleeve as someone grabbed Ying Xi Lu's hand to nick one of her fingers, "This is the bloodstones. I want to know if I'm really your son or not."
Zhao Li Xin ignored Ying Xi Lu's yelp and approached her calmly. He dripped her blooding finger onto the stone, cut his finger, and did the same. A sneer touched Zhao Li Xin's face when their blood didn't merge.
"Turns out I'm not your son," Zhao Li Xin chuckled as he returned to his seat. He wasn't sure of what to make of the discovery.
"Ying Xi Lu, is this true?" The Emperor was stunned at first before he shook with anger. He was angry because it meant he didn't have any connection to Zhao Li Xin. Although their relationship was bad, he was thinking of using their blood relation to tied Zhao Li Xin. It seemed he had to forget this dream.
Ying Xi Lu's face was as white as a sheet. Her voice trembled with fear, "I don't know…"
"You still want to deny this yet the proof is right here? What else do you want to say?" The Emperor threw a cup at her. He didn't want to imagine people mocking him for raising someone's else child.
"I… I don't know… She didn't tell me anything…" Ying Xi Lu stumbled on the floor. The Emperor was always lenient towards her even when she was accused of killing his favorite concubines.
Zhao Li Xin sighed with boredom. Watching them made him realize he was lucky they weren't his parents.
Zhao Li Xin stood from his chair once again. His grandiose aura suppressed both the Emperor and Royal Consort Ying. He gave Royal Consort Ying an indifferent look.
"Tell me from the beginning…" Although Zhao Li Xin's words seemed calm, a threat lay within. He had no time for their bickering plus he was missing his little savior. Watching the two clowns turned his mood sour.
Ying Xi Lu bit her lips in hesitation. She was scared of the mysterious woman she met years ago but the new Zhao Li Xin was also scary. There was nothing to stop him from killing her as he knew she wasn't his mother. She wished she had treated him well. It was too bad there was no cure for regret. She decided to reveal everything that happened in the past.
It all started with her stay at the Royal summer palace located outside Nan Jing City years ago. At the time, Ying Xi Lu was devastated by the Emperor's relationship with Jiang Ju Zi. She did everything to get the Emperor's attention. Her success came when she drugged him with an aphrodisiac and she got pregnant. However, her pregnancy was unstable. Ying Xi Lu tried to keep her baby and choose to isolate herself at the summer palace to make sure she and the baby could stay healthy.
Sadly, Ying Xi Lu's baby died during labor. Ying Xi Lu mourned her dead son but the truth was she was sadder that she couldn't use her child to regain the Emperor's love. Defeated by her situation, she was on her way back to the city one night when she heard someone crying for help. Ying Xi Lu was curious enough to stop her carriage and to order her maid to check the situation.
The maid informed her of a woman with a newborn baby boy by the side of the road. Ying Xi Lu at first thought of ignoring the woman, but she was captivated by the news of the fact that the strange woman had a newborn baby with him moreover is a male.
Her mind swirled with many possibilities. It was these thoughts that prompted Ying Xi Li to leave the carriage to meet with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
The woman introduced herself as Sanguan Mu Yi and begged Ying Xi Li to save her son. She gave Ying Xi Lu a red jade placard with qilin engravings before she died. The Royal Consort could tell Sanguan Mu Yi was not simple as the jade was considered expensive even for her standards. Wanting to take advantage of the situation, Ying Xi Li agreed to Sanguan Mu Yi's demands. Sanguan Mu Yi died in peace but another woman appeared.
The mysterious woman was happy to find Sanguan Mu Yi dead but was angered when she saw the newborn. The mysterious woman wanted to kill the baby but suddenly she changed her mind and when she saw the coldness in Yin Xi Lu's eyes, she smiles devilishly.
The woman allowed Yin Xi Lu to keep the child under two conditions. Yin Xi Li had to promise to treat the child miserably and to ruin the child's future with the help of cold poison which the woman provided.
Ying Xi Lu could tell the woman before her is very strong, she also looks like noble judging by her luxurious dress, most of all she look twisted. Ying Xi Lu knew she can't afford to mess with this mysterious woman. She agreed to the woman's terms so she took Zhao Li Xin as her son replacement.
That crazy woman unexpectedly kept her side of the bargain and she also made the Ying Clan be more prosperous than before. This was good for Ying Xi Lu but she couldn't help but be terrified as it meant the crazy woman was more powerful than she ever imagined.
"Where's the jade my mother gave you," Zhao Li Xin's was unperturbed. It was like the story didn't have anything to do with him.
"In my room…" Ying Xi Lu was terrified by Zhao Li Xin's cold empty eyes.
"Give it to me," Zhao Li Xin's words we firm brooking no argument.
Ying Xi Lu ordered the eunuch to ask her personal maid for the red jade. The maid personally delivered the red jade as she knew the jade was precious to Royal Consort Ying. The maid then carefully handed the jade to Zhao Li Xin when Ying Xi Lu didn't refute his demand.
Zhao Li Xin examined the red jade carefully. It was exquisite with no blemish. The red was rich and vibrant. The qilin engraving looked like a family symbol but he hadn't seen it in the kingdom. He assumed the symbol may have come from another country. Satisfied with what he saw, Zhao Li Xin secured the jade inside his spatial ring.
The Emperor was green with envy when he saw Zhao Li Xin's spatial ring. However, he didn't have the right to demand for one as Zhao Li Xin wasn't even his child. His hatred towards Ying Xi Lu escalated.
Zhao Li Xin didn't care about them. He never felt any parental love from them. Leaving them wasn't a problem for him. Everything felt weird for Zhao Li Xin. He wasn't saddened disappointed or angry to learn that the people who raised him weren't his real parents. However, his heat felt numb to learn that his real mother was probably killed by someone.
Zhao Li Xin sighed deeply at this. He had never thought much about himself. All he knew was he was different from others and everyone described him differently. The words attached to him were demon, tyrant, or monster.
He never bothered with the labels before but he started to worry about them when he met her. He wondered if she would stay with him if she got to know the type of person he was. Would she accept him for who he was or would she hate him...?
The first thing Zhao Li Xin did when he arrived in the Underground Palace was to search for Lory. Mong Yi directed him to the spring near her living quarters. He found her lying on the ground with a quilt covering her body. Her eyes were glued to the cave's ceiling while her pet played in the water. The serene ambiance around her made him forgot his troubles.
He surprised Lory by dropping next to her. A smile quickly touched her lips when she saw him, "You are home…"
"Hmm…" He carelessly replied.
"Done with your work?" She asked.
"It is done…" He replied quietly.
"What's the matter? Something happened?" Lory frowned. Her worry warmed his heart.
"My parents...are not my parents…" Zhao Li Xin placed his arms on his knees.
"What do you mean? Are you adopted?" Lory's eyebrows furrowed.
Zhao Li Xin stifles, "Not for a good reason…"
"Oh…" Lory didn't dare to ask more and Zhao Li Xin also becomes quiet. She couldn't tell what he was thinking behind his beautiful onyx eyes. It was possible that Zhao Li Xin himself didn't understand his thoughts.
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