“The Hua family arranged for Mei Han to marry the crown prince, and in return, the Mei family sacrificed Old General Mei’s spiritual energy to reshape the frail body of the crown prince. Yiren aren’t entirely devoid of spiritual energy, but their meridians are chaotic, and Hua Lin’s meridians were more unstable than most. The former Yiren King, burdened with the mission of protecting his people, saw Old General Mei—then the only one in the Foreign City at the supreme lord rank—as the only hope for altering Hua Lin’s meridians.”
Sacrifice? Bai Shuo recalled the sinister array in the stone hall, and her face paled.
Could that hall have been where the Yiren King’s body was originally reshaped? But if he had already achieved the supreme lord rank, why reactivate the array?
Before she could dwell on it, Hua Hong continued, “But no one expected that Hua Lin’s body was so weak that even Old General Mei’s spiritual energy wasn’t enough. The technique was too dark; once it began, it couldn’t be stopped. Otherwise, both participants would die. So, for his son’s sake, the former Yiren King also poured his spiritual energy into Hua Lin. By the end of that night, the former Yiren King and General Mei had both perished, and Hua Lin ascended to the supreme lord rank and drew the Yiren King’s Sword, becoming the new Yiren King. To protect the Hua family’s honor, this secret was kept between the two families, known only to a handful of people. Soon after, he fulfilled his promise and married Mei Han. Later, they had a daughter, said to have been born with divine strength, who drew the Yiren King’s Sword at eighteen, carrying the hopes of all Foreign City’s citizens.”
Hua Lin’s ascension to Yiren King had happened a hundred years ago. Although these were her own family’s secrets, Hua Hong spoke as if recounting a story of strangers.
Bai Shuo blinked at her, unable to resist saying, “Hua Da Tie, you’re amazing.”
Hua Lin had required the spiritual energy of two supreme lords to draw the Yiren King’s Sword, while Hua Hong could have done it as a mere teenager. If not for her Yiren lineage with its blocked meridians, she was a prodigy.
“That’s just a legend,” Hua Hong said dismissively. “How many legends are ever true? They say Rong Xian murdered his wife and child to secure the position of Kunlun sect leader, but you heard the truth at the Yiren Tomb.”
“So it’s all false?” Bai Shuo asked, shocked.
The pulling of the Yiren King’s Sword had caused celestial signs; the story wouldn’t have spread across the three realms if someone hadn’t sensed it. Surely it couldn’t be fabricated?
“It’s not entirely false. There was indeed a child who pulled the Yiren King’s Sword, but it wasn’t me.”
“Then who was it?”
A long silence settled in the courtyard before Hua Hong finally answered, “Hua Yong.”
“The crown prince? That fool?” Bai Shuo’s jaw nearly dropped in disbelief.
At the hot spring, Hua Yong had seemed to have some brute strength, but compared to Hua Hong, his cultivation level was far inferior.
“At the time, he wasn’t the crown prince. In fact, the Yiren people didn’t even know he existed.”
Hua Hong seemed lost in memory as she gazed at the simple courtyard behind her.
“As the Yiren King’s daughter, I was showered with the city’s adoration, wild and unrestrained by nature. During the Meng Yu Festival, I once snuck out of the palace and came across a child being bullied on the street. This child was orphaned and had a tragic life. Out of pity, I brought him back to the palace. Hua Lin always indulged me and never opposed anything I wanted to do, including bringing the child home. The boy was soft-spoken and innocent. Initially, I brought him back only for my own amusement, but over time, he became less of a servant and more like a brother. My mother, having no other children, grew fond of him, teaching him to read and write, even giving him the name Hua Yong and passing down the Mei family’s blade techniques to him without reservation.”
Hua Hong’s voice faltered as she looked toward the simple courtyard behind her. Bai Shuo suddenly understood: Hua Yong must have lived here before he was the crown prince.
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