All things in the house remained untouched, except for her absence. The only thing that disappeared with her was a crystal, not a high-end one, but a gift Wuhuang Zhao bought from a passing merchant with his first month’s salary after settling down in the small town. It was the only gift he had ever given her.
Wuhuang Zhao did not seem surprised, as if she were still at home. He greeted her, sat down to eat, and even chatted about the interesting events of the day. The chair she usually sat in was empty, and Wuhuang Zhao spoke to it as if she were still there.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a group of Zhao clan warriors rushed in. Leading them was an elderly man, a trusted aide of Duke Xuan Yuan, who had watched Wuhuang Zhao grow up. They all breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Wuhuang Zhao. With the wedding date approaching, Duke Xuan Yuan finally decided to use a secret method to find Wuhuang Zhao.
“Uncle Wu, you can go out first. I’ll follow you back after dinner,” Wuhuang Zhao said calmly, with a tone that brooked no refusal. This was the first time this man, who would later ascend to the throne of the Zhao clan, showed the true authority of a leader.
After finishing his dinner, Wuhuang Zhao cleaned up, left the house, and left the small town.
In the following days, life returned to its normal course.
Wuhuang Zhao successfully married Princess Gao Yi, officially took charge of a mansion within the clan, and also received the command of the Wolf Smoke Legion. He achieved consecutive victories on the battlefield, and the fame of the Wolf Smoke Legion grew day by day. At home, he fathered four sons, all with exceptional talents, especially the fourth son, Jundu Zhao, whose talent at the age of one month was extraordinary, like a rising sun, and rare indeed.
As a scion of a great noble family, Wuhuang Zhao seemed to have everything: power, glory, offspring, and a bright future.
Until that year, when the Zhao clan of Yan Yun and the Dark Kingdom entered another full-scale war, Wuhuang Zhao led a rescue mission to Yantong Pass. Along the way, they encountered the dark races in a fierce battle, narrowly winning. Unfortunately, the battlefield was a human town, and after the battle, the entire town was nearly reduced to rubble.
Amidst the ruins, Wuhuang Zhao saw her again.
When she lifted her head, her indifferent eyes reflected the towering figure in military uniform. The nearly ten years that had passed between them seemed to have vanished.
Nothing seemed to have changed except that she now possessed Level 8 Origin Power. The same aura, the same joy, the same indulgence.
However, when Wuhuang Zhao awoke the next day, she had silently disappeared again, as if the night before had been just a dream.
The war front was tense, so Wuhuang Zhao could only leave some attendants to search for her while he led the team to the battlefield. Naturally, they found nothing. She was not a resident of the town, perhaps just a passing traveler. In the vast world, even the power of the Zhao clan could not find the woman who called herself Night Ji.
Just when Wuhuang Zhao thought this encounter would be buried deep in memory once more, someone came to the Zhao clan with a baby, asking to see Wuhuang Zhao.
It was an ordinary old woman, who, besides the baby, also brought a crystal locket. The Empire favored gold, silver, jade, and precious stones, so crystal was uncommon. This piece of crystal was very ordinary, too poor even for a decoration in the Zhao clan. However, Wuhuang Zhao immediately recognized it as the crystal he had bought with his first month’s salary.
The craftsmanship of the locket was crude, but the surprising thing was the pattern on it: two ancient runes. Ancient runes are said to have existed before the Dark Folk, related to the origin of the Great Way, and extremely difficult to master, even for the powerful dark races. But when Wuhuang Zhao saw these two runes, he naturally understood their meaning.
They spelled: Qian Ye.
According to the old woman, she was entrusted by a dying woman to return this child to his father. Wuhuang Zhao then realized what had happened. When he went to the town where the woman spent her last days, he could not even find her remains among the graves of the foreigners.
Afterward, the old woman’s identity was thoroughly investigated, but she was just an ordinary civilian in the Zhao clan’s territory, a simple person from a family that had lived there for generations. Out of compassion, she fulfilled the dying woman’s last wish, leaving no room for suspicion.
Wuhuang Zhao had no choice but to accept the situation.
However, the young and impetuous Wuhuang Zhao, without considering the consequences, acted rashly, which caused pregnant Princess Gao Yi to fall ill, disturbing her pregnancy and giving birth prematurely to Ruo Xi Zhao.
Speaking of this, Wuhuang Zhao sighed, seeming to age ten years in an instant. After a long pause, he said, “That year, it was truly a twist of fate.”
Qian Ye’s expression remained calm, but his heart was turbulent. From the Yin Clan of Yinma to the Song Clan of Gaoling, he had seen many internal conflicts within noble families and held no good feelings toward so-called high noble clans. But now, hearing this story from this man, the anger and resentment he had felt over past wounds began to fade.
Wuhuang Zhao looked at the young man standing before him, steadfast and immovable, filled with mixed emotions.
Imperial blood was not just about status; it also signified immense power and potential. Before marriage, Princess Gao Yi held a high position in the imperial family because of her pure imperial blood. Even though the late Emperor had been dead for twenty years, she could still mobilize some imperial resources and maintain influence within the imperial family, showing how prominent she was.
Qian Ye’s appearance disgraced Princess Gao Yi. If it had only been that, it might have been overlooked, as all noble youths have their reckless moments. But Wuhuang Zhao’s unmasked actions clearly showed his affection for that unknown woman.
This action was like a slap in the face to Princess Gao Yi, tearing apart the illusion of a happy marriage that had lasted nearly a decade. However, the subsequent bloodline and talent tests were like slapping Princess Gao Yi again, harder this time.
Less than a year old, Qian Ye was not only a true Zhao descendant but also possessed a natural Origin Crystal!
An Origin Crystal has the ability to regenerate, providing a constant source of vitality. As long as it is present, any severe injury will slowly heal, making it the best auxiliary for cultivation and combat. Although it is not a powerful offensive ability, the presence of an Origin Crystal means a direct path to becoming a Divine General. Such a talent was on par with Jundu Zhao.
Upon learning of Qian Ye’s talent, the elders of the Zhao clan fell silent and no longer discussed his return to the clan. Fortunately, Wuhuang Zhao maintained some clarity and immediately ordered a lockdown, preventing the news from spreading. In the end, only a few top figures in the Zhao clan knew about it.
Princess Gao Yi, busy with the newly born Ruo Xi Zhao, seemed oblivious to the matter. She allotted a share to Qian Ye as a concubine-born son and then paid no further attention. Everything seemed calm.
Two years later, the harmonious Zhao residence experienced a major change.
The event happened suddenly. As the New Year approached, the Western Continent rebels rose again, and Wuhuang Zhao returned to the front line to take charge. Princess Gao Yi, as usual, took the children to the capital for the New Year’s family banquet. For Ruo Xi Zhao, this was her first trip to the palace due to her previous frailty.
At this New Year’s imperial family banquet, a major event shook the Empire: the legendary gun Manjushaka acknowledged a new master. Everyone remembered the new master, Ruo Xi Zhao of the Zhao clan.
What people did not know was that after Manjushaka acknowledged its master, Ruo Xi Zhao became critically ill that night. Several imperial elders paid a huge price to stabilize her condition. It turned out that Ruo Xi Zhao, with her weak constitution, had a short lifespan, and the connection to Manjushaka’s soul was too powerful for her to bear.
Wuhuang Zhao paused again.
Qian Ye let out a long breath, understanding most of it. “Origin Power theft, I see. So, the Origin Crystal is now with the fifth miss?”
Wuhuang Zhao nodded heavily.
Qian Ye did not show anger or melancholy. His face, always calm and cold, slowly softened. “This ending is not bad.”
“Wuhuang Zhao was at a loss for words, seeing Qian Ye’s reaction.
Qian Ye said indifferently, “After all, I am a concubine-born son, and I have no choice.”
In a noble family, a concubine-born son’s status might be lower than a powerful branch, and his existence was like a thorn in Princess Gao Yi’s heart. Moreover, given the circumstances, anything could be sacrificed to save Ruo Xi Zhao, and not just Princess Gao Yi and the Imperial Family, but even the Zhao clan’s elders would have made the same choice.
There was one last question, and Qian Ye asked, “Then what happened? How did I end up in the garbage heap on the Eternal Night Continent?”
Wuhuang Zhao could not provide an answer. When Manjushaka acknowledged its master and Ruo Xi Zhao became critically ill, Wuhuang Zhao sensed something was wrong and rushed back from the front line. But it was too late; Qian Ye’s Origin Crystal had already been removed the previous day. Wuhuang Zhao and Princess Gao Yi had a huge argument.
On the night Wuhuang Zhao went to Princess Gao Yi’s villa, a bloodbath occurred in the courtyard where Qian Ye lived. Many unidentified experts invaded, causing heavy casualties among the guards. When other members of the Zhao clan arrived, the invaders were all dead and had destroyed their own bodies.
According to the surviving guards, the invaders’ goal was to kill Qian Ye. Just as they were about to be overwhelmed, a strong warrior in Zhao clan attire appeared, killed most of the invaders, and carried Qian Ye away.
At that time, the attack had alarmed half of the Zhao clan, and the outer defenses were activated. The intruder managed to break through several layers of defense, injuring over a dozen Zhao clan experts. Even two level-12 warlords could not stop him for long. The intruder was severely injured but still managed to escape.
Investigations later revealed that the person who took Qian Ye was indeed a member of the Zhao clan, a foreign expert who had joined the clan for several years and was among the top fighters of the younger generation. However, this person had no ties to Wuhuang Zhao, leaving everyone puzzled. The Zhao clan sealed off ports and searched surrounding cities, but the person vanished without a trace.
Qian Ye was stunned. This was even more unexpected than the idea that Princess Gao Yi wanted to eliminate him completely.
Wuhuang Zhao sighed inwardly. Apart from the servants and guards who took care of Qian Ye, Jundu Zhao was the last person to see him.
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