"Sister Qingchan, do you think... what the young master said is true? Does Ning'er really have parents?"
In a bustling restaurant in Xuyun City, Ye Qingchan looked gently at the little girl before her and nodded softly.
"If the young master says so, then it must be true. Ning'er, don't overthink it. Whatever the young master promises you, he will surely accomplish."
"Wah, Sister Qingchan, aren't you eating? The food here is so delicious." Ning'er's face was somewhat haggard, but compared to before, she was like a different person.
Her delicate little face was as white as jade, her hair black and smooth, tied into two pigtails, looking quite playful. She no longer wore a thin cloth garment but a red woolen coat, appearing very festive.
Though still young, Ning'er's appearance was quite spirited. Like a pool of clear water, quiet and serene, yet naturally possessing an aura of pure and chaste elegance.
"I'm not eating. Eat slowly. If it's not enough, we can order more." Ye Qingchan's beautiful eyes curved into crescents as she propped her chin on her hand, watching the little girl intently.
Her own mother had passed away when she was young. While her father's love was as heavy as a mountain, it ultimately lacked a certain tenderness and meticulousness .
But this little girl before her had been abandoned by her parents since birth, which stirred an indescribable complexity in Ye Qingchan's heart.
"Sister Qingchan, if Ning'er has parents, then why did they abandon Ning'er... Did Ning'er do something wrong..." Suddenly, Ning'er's tears fell like rain.
"How could that be? Ning'er is so adorable, how could she have done anything wrong? I think they must have had some unavoidable difficulties." Before Ye Qingchan could speak, a gentle laugh suddenly came from behind them.
Ling Xiao's figure approached from the side, gently rubbing Ning'er's little head.
"Young master!!" Ning'er immediately stood up from her seat, her face wearing a look of restraint.
"Don't call me young master anymore. From now on, call me Ling Xiao gege (big brother). Wow, Ning'er looks incredibly cute in her new clothes." Ling Xiao nodded towards Ye Qingchan, and a smile instantly lifted the corner of her mouth.
Young master, if... we could have a child, it would surely be a very happy thing, right?
We must work hard...
"Ling... Ling Xiao gege?" A look of surprise flashed across Ning'er's small face. For some reason, the fear in her heart towards Ling Xiao seemed to lessen considerably.
Gege... really is a very warm form of address.
"Ding! Daughter of Fate feels gratitude, complete trust. Congratulations, Host, on gaining 500 Luck Points and 5000 Villain Points."
"Eat quickly. After you finish, we'll go... to meet your two cheap parents." Ling Xiao smiled lightly and called the waiter to order a pot of clear wine.
"Ling Xiao gege... if we can't find my parents, then Ning'er..."
"Don't worry. If we can't find them, you can just follow me and Sister Qingchan." Ling Xiao took a sip of the clear wine, a smile flickering in his eyes.
In the future... my nine younger sisters... all will be peerless, heaven-defying prodigies?
Hmm, must work hard for that too!
"Really? I can really follow you and Sister Qingchan?" Ning'er seemed very excited. After all, her origins were truly pitiful.
But, Daughters of Fate—a standard trope.
Either a dead father or a dead mother, alone and helpless, abandoned.
When someone finally shows care, of course, they are immensely grateful.
This is the so-called childhood sweetheart series: the self-cultivation of the little sweetheart.
Ling Xiao smiled and nodded. "Once you're full, let's hurry on our way. The Great Zhou Dynasty is still quite far from here."
"Mm! Gege, I'm full."
The trio, holding hands, walked out of the restaurant.
"Young master... that loud noise in the city earlier?"
"Oh, probably someone overdid their cultivation and blew themselves up." Ling Xiao smiled indifferently. The Nine Dragon Golden Chariot materialized beneath his feet, carrying Ye Qingchan and the other two as it sped into the distant sky.
"Wow! It's a dragon!! Sister Qingchan, it's a real dragon!!"
"Wow, wow, we're flying, we're flying!" Ning'er's face was full of astonishment and joy. Her mood seemed to gradually improve because of the novelty before her.
In the Great Xia Imperial Palace.
A middle-aged man wearing a golden dragon robe looked at the young man before him with surprise. "Feng'er, are you saying... that Xia Yong recklessly opened the ancestral grounds and died inside?"
"That's what the Shadow Guard reported. It's said all the ministers of the Xia court were present at the time. Presumably, Xia Yong wanted to borrow the ancestor's divine power to break the Black Jiao Blood Seal on that waste, Xia Chuan, and specially selected a group of talents to accompany him. But the result..." A cold smile flashed in Xia Feng's eyes. "It's said the entire ancestral ground exploded at the time, a sea of blood, severed limbs everywhere, even the ancestor's divine statue shattered."
"Ahahahaha! Heaven truly favors our line!! It seems the ancestor also knew that the fortune of Xia Yong and his son had run out. This is a good thing, a good thing! We must hold a grand feast! I decree: a general pardon throughout the land, let the whole country celebrate! Hold the banquet, to celebrate the late Emperor's departure to the west!!" Xia Sheng looked up and laughed heartily, his brow filled with pride.
Originally, he had been somewhat worried.
Although Xia Feng's methods were indeed sinister enough, and the plan could be considered meticulous, the Xia Clan's ancestral grounds were said to hold opportunities left by the ancestor.
The reverence for Xia Chen was deeply ingrained in the hearts of these Xia Clan descendants.
To ascend to the Upper Realm at the Divine Emperor realm, this Xia Clan ancestor must have been a heaven-defying talent!
And the measures he left behind were truly unsettling.
But now... it was all over!!
Xia Yong and the Ninth Prince died together in the ancestral grounds. His line was the destined fate of the Xia Clan!
Even those old officials at court who still held some hope in their hearts probably had no choice but to obediently comply now.
Marvelous!
Simply heaven helping me!
Ancestor Xia Chen, I'll kowtow first as a sign of respect!
"Heh, Father Emperor, the request I made... have you... considered it?" A cold glint suddenly flashed in Xia Feng's eyes. What he cared about, of course, wasn't a mere Xia Chuan.
Even if he was the true dragon of the Xia Dynasty, he was just a teenager. In terms of methods and temperament, how could he compare to him?
What he truly cared about was a certain celestial secret realm in the center of the Western Frontier!
In the Western Frontier, there were Eight Dynasties and One Palace.
The fact that this "One Palace" could establish itself in this war-torn land hinted at how terrifying its background must be.
It was said that the Cold Moon Immortal Palace cultivated the Dao of Lunar Yin; they could cultivate simply by seeing the moon.
The founder of this palace had also ascended to the Upper Realm, leaving behind a supreme immortal art and... a secret to achieving immortality.
This secret was hidden within the Immortal Palace's secret realm. But after all these years, no one from the Immortal Palace had been heard to ascend.
So, probably, this secret was still there!
"Ah, haha, Feng'er, today is a day of great celebration. Let's discuss other matters later, later." A shadow seemed to flash in Xia Sheng's eyes before he shook his head and laughed, giving Xia Feng no chance to speak further as he directly walked towards the outside of the hall.
Xia Feng was his eldest son, but he had three other sons.
And... Xia Feng's mother was just a concubine, and she had died long ago.
Therefore, the Great Xia had never established a Crown Prince.
After all, the Empress had two sons under her care.
And, more importantly, about twenty years ago, on the day Xia Feng's mother passed away, he felt as though this eldest son had suddenly changed.
He became sinister, terrifying, and meticulous in his planning.
Even!!
Regarding the plot to seize Xia Chuan's fortune, he vaguely had a feeling...
As if Xia Feng had known all along what was going to happen!
This feeling was very real, yet it also felt... somewhat unbelievable.
But as luck would have it, the things he predicted... all came true.
Quite suddenly, Xia Sheng felt a chill in his heart.
His current position was undoubtedly thanks to Xia Feng's schemes.
But the Crown Prince Xia Sheng wanted was one... he could completely control, not one who... controlled him!