Xiu Lanxin sat with Lin Ling below, the two of them quietly watching Xiu Yansheng, who sat in the seat of honor.
At that moment, Xiu Yansheng was sipping tea while his gaze remained fixed intensely on Lin Ling.
The two remained silent for a long time until Lin Ling finally began to write on a piece of paper: “You seem to recognize me. What exactly happened during the Yuzhou Incident? Please tell me everything in detail.”
A servant stepped forward to take Lin Ling’s paper and respectfully presented it to Xiu Yansheng.
Xiu Yansheng glanced at it, pondered for a moment, and then looked back at Lin Ling.
“I will confirm one more time: your name is Lin Ling, correct?”
Lin Ling nodded.
“Can you not speak?”
Xiu Yansheng asked.
Lin Ling frowned and shook her head, managing to force out a few words.
“I can, but… it is a hassle.”
Seeing this, Xiu Yansheng did not push her.
He waved his hand, signaling the servants to prepare a fresh stack of official paper along with brushes, ink, and inkstones so her messages could be relayed at any time.
‘How thoughtful. I wonder if dinner is included,’ Lin Ling thought as she picked up a brush.
A servant beside her was already grinding the ink, which she found quite satisfactory.
Although she could have used her True Essence to write directly on the paper, she did not refuse, seeing how earnestly they were preparing the ink.
Xiu Yansheng said, “Do you have any awareness of your own background? Or rather, I do not know if you are the same little girl from my memories.”
Lin Ling hesitated, unsure if she should tell him about her current situation.
However, Xiu Yansheng did not pressure her and continued sipping his tea.
“I need to know how you survived. When Yuzhou suffered its great defeat, I followed the previous generation’s Yunzhou Regional Commander to provide support. I clearly saw you die back then. You died in the arms of that woman named Lin Kejing.”
Lin Ling paused.
This man seemed to know more than just a little.
“Even if my nephew is certain you are not a demon, I need to know the reasons behind it. Otherwise, I cannot trust whether someone who died before my eyes — only to reappear later — is actually a demon,” Xiu Yansheng said, his expression grave.
Lin Ling shook her head and wrote on the paper: “This is a clan secret. I cannot tell you.”
‘I do not even know myself, so how am I supposed to tell you?’
Xiu Yansheng silently finished his tea and set the cup aside.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned cold.
It was a while before Xiu Yansheng sighed.
“In that case, I cannot trust you. I saw you killed by a demon with my own eyes; your soul was completely extinguished. Yet here you are, standing before me perfectly fine. Even after eighteen years, your body has not grown at all, and you still look like a girl of thirteen or fourteen. It reminds me of the demons’ Soul-Snatching Art.”
“If you cannot tell me how you survived, then I am afraid we do not have much to discuss,” Xiu Yansheng said solemnly.
Lin Ling felt helpless.
How was she supposed to answer that?
She really did not know how this body had survived.
She had come here to ask questions precisely because she understood nothing.
“Second Uncle, there is no need to trouble her. One of the reasons I brought her to Longchuan was my promise to help her uncover the events of the past. I am bound by my Dao Heart and cannot reveal the truth to her directly, so I can only assist from the sidelines.”
A calm, familiar voice drew everyone’s attention toward the door.
Xiu Jiming walked in calmly, leading Gong Xuance.
Lin Ling instantly felt relieved, and the empty feeling in her heart vanished.
Just as she was about to speak, Xiu Jiming gave her a slight nod, which put her mind at ease.
Xiu Yansheng frowned slightly.
He dispersed the power he had been secretly gathering in his hand and looked at his nephew in confusion.
“The events of those years were so significant; how could I tell her everything at once? Besides, after seeing her face, I find it impossible to believe her.”
“Why must you be like this, Second Uncle? Do you not even trust me anymore?”
Xiu Jiming sighed, gesturing for Gong Xuance to find a seat.
Gong Xuance tried to sidle up to Lin Ling, but he was struck in the backside by a burst of sword qi from Xiu Jiming, forcing him to walk away and behave.
“Ming’er, you might not know this, but this girl was the Second Young Lady of the Lin family in Xi County. In the final battle back then, the Lin family was almost the primary target of the demons. Their Eldest Young Lady was Lin Kejing, who was known as Monarch Wu Yi at the time,” Xiu Yansheng spoke solemnly.
“She was a powerhouse comparable to your grandfather.”
‘Holy crap, that stinky fox was that powerful?’
Lin Ling was dumbstruck.
She had finally managed to understand the cultivation realms recently.
To be called a Monarch meant her “sister” was at least in the Dual Tribulation Realm.
As for whether she had been in the Co-existence Tribulation or the Extinction Tribulation, Lin Ling was still unsure.
“The Lin family suffered an absolutely devastating blow. And now, you are telling me that the Monarch’s sister is somehow perfectly fine and standing right here as if nothing happened? Tell me, how am I supposed to believe her?”
Xiu Yansheng slapped the table again.
The parlor immediately fell silent, save for the exceptionally loud sound of Gong Xuance bouncing his leg.
Xiu Yansheng glanced with dissatisfaction at the loafer his nephew had brought along before returning his gaze to Xiu Jiming.
Xiu Jiming sat down beside Lin Ling to show his stance.
“I said she is trustworthy. Second Uncle, do not overthink it. I can personally vouch for Ling’er.”
Xiu Yansheng was stunned.
This was the first time he had seen his nephew care so much about something.
He was suddenly unsure.
After all, Lin Ling looked normal in every way; only her identity was abnormal.
However, since Xiu Jiming had put it that way, he could hardly argue.
It was rare for his nephew to be willing to return home after all these years, so he decided to follow his wishes.
“In that case, I will only select appropriate parts of the story to tell. I hope that once I have shared what I can with Lady Ling’er, she can likewise tell me some things I am interested in.”
Lin Ling felt a bit helpless, but getting some of the answers was better than nothing.
She agreed and wrote on the paper: “I will certainly tell you what I know.”
‘I do not know a damn thing anyway. I am completely clueless, so ask all you want!’
Lin Ling thought dismissively.
Xiu Yansheng took the fresh tea brought by the servant and pondered for a moment.
His voice sounded somewhat lost as he spoke.
“Where should I begin? From my perspective, it started around the time Ming’er entered the Imperial Realm.”
“Back then, the entire Xiu Clan was bustling with excitement. We were all thrilled to have a once-in-a-millennium genius among us.”
A look of nostalgia flashed in Xiu Yansheng’s eyes.
He then shot a disappointed glare at Xiu Jiming.
Xiu Jiming rubbed his nose awkwardly but said nothing, waiting for Xiu Yansheng to continue his story.