Qin Zi quickly regained his consciousness.
To his shock, he found himself standing in a dark and unfamiliar valley, with two strangers present in the scene.
Whoosh!
Almost instantly, Qin Zi's face turned alert as he yelled, "Who are you? What do you want by bringing me here?!"
"I..."
The woman in a white dress looked at Qin Zi, her expression a mix of joy and uncertainty. She seemed happy, yet unsure.
It was a strange feeling, like a stylish mother who had just returned home from work, eager to see her child. But then, in the next moment, she sees a dirty little kid running toward her with snot dripping from his nose. The joy in her heart immediately vanishes, and her smile becomes awkward—Is this really my child?
Of course...
The woman in the white dress was not looking down on her child. The reason for her odd expression was simple... something didn't feel right.
Every mother has a unique sense of connection to her child. But when the young man in front of her appeared, she didn't feel that usual bond. Instead, he seemed unfamiliar to her.
"How could this be? He clearly carries the jade pendant and Phoenix Clan bloodline, so he should be my son. But why do I feel...?"
She couldn't understand!
But she quickly masked the confusion on her face. Her expression transformed into one of overwhelming joy as she called out, her voice trembling:
"Child... I am... I am your mother!"
Qin Zi's eyes widened!
What was going on?
He had suddenly been taken to a strange place by unknown means, and now this strange woman was claiming to be his mother?
Could this get any more direct?
Could this get any more absurd?
Were con artists now so lazy that they skipped the story-making and acting part? Was this some kind of forced indoctrination? Were they going to give him a cheat sheet to memorize?
"You don't have to doubt it. She is indeed your mother," a deep voice said from the side.
It was the tall, muscular man standing nearby. He continued in a calm tone, "I used a secret technique called Mirror Flower, Water Moon to summon you here. If you don't believe me, look at yourself. Right now, you are merely a projection of your consciousness, not your physical body."
Qin Zi was startled.
He carefully looked at his body and realized it was true—he didn't have a physical form, only an ethereal consciousness.
The muscular man explained further:
"The Mirror Flower, Water Moon technique allows us to summon someone's consciousness from a great distance, but it has no offensive capabilities. It sacrifices its power for the ability to ignore distance and forcibly summon consciousness."
"If it could kill someone from a great distance, it would be too heaven-defying to exist. The heavens wouldn't allow such a thing."
"So, even if we wanted to harm you, we couldn't. You are in no danger, so there's no need to be on edge."
"And who are you?" Qin Zi asked, still wary.
"I... I suppose I am your uncle," the muscular man said after hesitating briefly, his voice lowering.
"Suppose?" Qin Zi's eyes narrowed at that word. The phrase "I suppose" was telling—whenever someone said that, it usually meant they were unreliable!
Judging from the man's expression, Qin Zi suddenly had a feeling—this didn't seem like an act.
He frowned and turned toward the woman in the white dress, asking, "You claim to be my mother? Words alone aren't enough; where's the proof?"
"My child, your blood is connected to mine, and the jade pendant you carry is the one I left for you," the woman said, her eyes welling with tears.
As she spoke, she raised her right hand, and at the tip of her snow-white finger, a golden light began to flicker, like the flame of a small candle.
Buzz!
In the next instant, Qin Zi felt the blood coursing through his veins boiling. It was the unmistakable resonance of bloodline.
Not only that, but the "Vermilion Bird Jade Pendant" hidden on his person floated out, glowing brightly. The vermilion bird engraved on the pendant quickly dissolved and transformed into a golden phoenix spreading its wings!
"This... You... You really are my mother?!" Qin Zi's breathing quickened. He began to believe her because the resonance of the bloodline and the jade pendant couldn't lie.
"My child, my dear child!"
The woman in the white dress, her eyes brimming with tears, rushed forward as if to embrace Qin Zi.
Qin Zi instinctively wanted to step back but held himself in place. Yet, despite her efforts, the woman couldn't make contact.
After all, Qin Zi was only a projection of consciousness!
"Heh, I forgot. You're just a consciousness projection right now," the woman said with a tearful smile, wiping her tears with a hint of embarrassment.
"What's your name now, my child?" The woman asked, her gaze full of affection, though her question seemed casual.
"Huh? You don't know my name?" Qin Zi was taken aback, his suspicion flaring up once again. Even the muscular man beside him frowned slightly.
The woman in the white dress remained calm and explained with a bitter smile, "When I left, I erased certain key memories, including your name and your father's identity, to prevent the family from using secret techniques to track us. Before I left, I instructed your father to change your name as well."
Her explanation was flawless.
Instantly, Qin Zi relaxed, and even the muscular man beside them eased up—what a relief!
Qin Zi looked at the woman in the white dress and spoke as gently as he could, "My name is now Qin Zi. 'Zi' sounds like 'child,' and I think my father gave me this name to remind me that I'm always your child."
"Qin Zi..."
The woman's heart trembled upon hearing his name.
She had only harbored suspicions before, but now she was certain—this was not her son!
After all, it was impossible for him to have changed his surname too.
But she had prepared herself mentally beforehand, so she didn't show any signs of surprise. Instead, she feigned tears of joy, her voice trembling as she said, "Yes, that's the name. I vaguely remember that we had chosen this name together, your father and I."
Her voice was choked with emotion.
Her eyes reflected a mix of happiness, gratitude, and a tinge of sorrow that was hard to describe—after all, this would be their final meeting.
The muscular man standing nearby watched the scene with a complex expression, feeling deeply conflicted. This was his own nephew, but for the sake of the clan's survival, he would have to play the role of the executioner.
"Zi'er, how is your father?"
After a long while, the woman in the white dress asked.
"He's doing well. He's already regained his power as a Divine King and should be able to rescue you soon," Qin Zi replied honestly.
Although he felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity from this "mother," he didn't dwell on it too much. After all, they hadn't spent much time together.
Emotions needed time to grow, after all.
Before meeting his mother, he hadn't exactly missed her terribly—he had never seen her or known what she looked like.
Restore his strength? Divine King?
The woman's heart clenched as she pieced together the situation—most likely, her real son had been killed by a powerful individual who had taken his bloodline and jade pendant and passed them onto their own child.
After all, her husband had been an ordinary man. He could never have achieved such power in a lifetime.
"Was my son killed by this boy's father? Or was his bloodline and jade simply taken, while he was spared?"
She silently pondered.
Her thoughts were in disarray.
If her son had only lost his bloodline and pendant, it would be a blessing in disguise, as it might allow him to escape the Phoenix Clan's pursuit.
But if he had been killed...
What could she do?
"Regardless of whether my Yi'er is alive or dead, I must pretend this boy is my child."
"If Yi'er is alive, I can use this boy as a scapegoat to shield him from danger. And if Yi'er is dead, I can use the clan's power to avenge him!"
A sharp glint appeared in her eyes as she made up her mind.
"Mother, what are you thinking about?" Qin Zi asked curiously, noticing her distracted expression. His eyes were full of filial devotion and sincerity.
"Haha, nothing. I'm just... happy," the woman in the white dress said, wiping away her tears with a natural smile.
She looked at Qin Zi's sincere eyes and felt a pang of guilt. She could tell that this boy was innocent.
He was kind and filial.
But...
She had no other choice.
"Child, don't blame me. Blame your father. If he hadn't coveted my Yi'er's bloodline and jade pendant, none of this would have happened. For the sake of my Yi'er... I have no choice but to betray you."
She silently spoke these words in her heart.