Chapter 20: Siblings Meet

Ji Ning understood that the woman in green before him should be Princess Xiyue. The moment he saw her... he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"Greetings, Princess," Ji Ning said.

"Sit," Princess Xiyue said.

Ji Ning sat down.

Princess Xiyue stood up and waved her hand, sending out nine formation flags that emitted gray ripples. They inserted into the wooden floor, and waves began to spread along the flags to the entire pavilion. Runes flowed across the pavilion, instantly cutting it off from the outside world.

"Now, no one outside can hear what we say," Princess Xiyue said. "This is a treasure my grandfather gave me. Once we hide inside, our auras are concealed, and even Celestial Immortals would find it hard to detect us."

"Why are you doing this, Princess?" Ji Ning was puzzled. The Skyspan Pavilion publicly declared that it never spied on guests' conversations. They valued their reputation; without sufficient cost, they wouldn't dare to eavesdrop.

The reputation built over endless years meant the Skyspan Pavilion wouldn't act recklessly.

"I have to be careful," Princess Xiyue said, looking at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning's heart tightened. It seemed the matter Princess Xiyue wanted to discuss was no simple thing.

"Ji Ning, let me ask you," Princess Xiyue said, looking at him. "Is your mother Yuchi Xue? Are you a descendant of the Yuchi clan?"

Ji Ning frowned. He didn't like others talking about his mother.

"Princess, the Shaoyin clan is hunting me, believing I'm a remnant of the Yuchi clan. Though this news is somewhat secret, it shouldn't be hard for you to obtain such intelligence," Ji Ning said, displeased.

Princess Xiyue showed joy instead. She had already judged from Ji Ning's reaction and quickly said, "I actually investigated long ago, even sending people to your West Prefecture City in Mount Yan. But I wasn't entirely sure, so I asked you again."

"Hmm?" Ji Ning was startled and puzzled. "You sent people to investigate Mount Yan? May I ask, Princess, what exactly do you want from me?"

She was so cautious, and her words were baffling.

What did this princess want?

"Ji Ning," Princess Xiyue said, also somewhat nervous, looking at him. "Actually, I... I..."

Ji Ning looked at her.

"Actually, you are my younger brother," Princess Xiyue finally said.

"Younger brother? My mother only had me as her child," Ji Ning quickly shook his head in denial. But in his heart, another thought arose... Younger brother? Could Princess Xiyue be the one true descendant of the Yuchi bloodline that his parents had always worried about—his cousin?

"You are my maternal cousin, and I am your maternal cousin," Princess Xiyue said. "My father's name is Yuchi Shan!"

Ji Ning was stunned.

Though he had had this thought earlier, hearing Princess Xiyue say it still left him dazed.

"But you are a princess, a princess of the Grand Xia imperial clan," Ji Ning said.

"King Yan is just my maternal grandfather. My mother was of the Xiamang clan, but I am a true descendant of the Yuchi clan. My real name is Yuchi Xiyue," Princess Xiyue said, looking at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning's mind was in turmoil.

Back then, Uncle Yuchi Shan, to protect his pregnant sister, desperately held off the Snow Dragon Mountain sect. The strongest uncle died in battle, while his father Ji Yichuan and mother Yuchi Xue escaped with their lives. But the lingering injuries from that time... caused his parents not to live long. Yet his parents had always felt they owed Uncle Yuchi Shan, and even more so, they owed his daughter, whom they had never met.

Strictly speaking, though Ji Ning carried the bloodline of the Yuchi clan, he was considered a member of the Ji clan!

Only his cousin was a true member of the Yuchi clan!

"Your name is Yuchi Xiyue? Your father is Yuchi Shan?" Ji Ning couldn't believe it.

"Yes," Princess Xiyue nodded heavily.

"Princess, it's not that I don't believe you, but this matter is of great importance. We should verify our bloodlines," Ji Ning said, his heart also excited. In truth, when Princess Xiyue said she was Uncle's daughter, Ji Ning was already half-convinced, because... very few knew about his uncle.

His uncle also had a daughter. Within the Ji clan, only his parents and he knew. His parents had passed away, and no one else knew.

He had never revealed it. So Princess Xiyue was very likely his cousin, whom he had never met!

"Alright, let's verify our bloodlines," Princess Xiyue said, and with her finger like a blade, she cut her wrist.

Whoosh.

Bright red blood sprayed out.

Ji Ning also extended his wrist, cut it with his finger, and blood flew out. The wound on his wrist quickly healed.

In midair, the two streams of blood condensed into 'blood spheres.' The two spheres revolved around each other. Ji Ning cast a spell to extract the resonating bloodline. Golden runes appeared on both spheres, and gradually, a strand of golden blood emerged from each.

The two strands of golden blood quickly intertwined, merging into one, indistinguishable.

"It's true!" Ji Ning was stunned.

"It's true, it's true!" Princess Xiyue also showed surprise and excitement. Though she had investigated before, nothing compared to the verification of bloodlines.

"Cousin..." Ji Ning looked at Princess Xiyue, still shocked. The news came too suddenly; he was caught off guard.

"Little brother, little brother," Princess Xiyue said excitedly, reaching out to hold Ji Ning's hand. She had been mentally prepared for over a year, longing to meet Ji Ning, but had never been able to find him.

"My cousin is Princess Xiyue? A princess of the Grand Xia imperial clan?" Ji Ning still found it hard to believe.

Princess Xiyue sighed deeply. "What use is being a princess? Too late. My grandfather came too late. If he had come earlier, the tragedies of my father, my mother, and even Aunt would not have happened."

"What happened? How could King Yan, a noble, allow his son-in-law to die without any reaction?" Ji Ning couldn't help asking.

"You don't know the situation back then," Princess Xiyue said slowly. "My grandfather was a very distant branch of the Grand Xia imperial clan. Even when he painstakingly cultivated to become a Returning Void Earth Immortal, he only received some standard treasures granted by the Grand Xia imperial clan—every Earth Immortal gets those. But that was all. They just gave some treasures and left him to fend for himself. His status in the Grand Xia imperial clan was still low."

Ji Ning nodded, understanding.

Look at the Ji clan. How long had they been rooted in Mount Yan? Yet their clan population was already astonishing.

The Grand Xia imperial clan had been rooted since the birth of this major world, passing down for countless eons. The long years gave the Grand Xia imperial clan an enormous population. Just those with the surname 'Xiamang' numbered beyond count.

As for Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals? In the Black-White College, they were considered big shots.

In the Shaoyin clan, they were considered somewhat formidable.

But in the Grand Xia imperial clan? They were just given some treasures and left to struggle. If they failed the tribulation, the Grand Xia imperial clan wouldn't bother. Only by succeeding in the tribulation could they rise overnight, and the Grand Xia imperial clan would immediately bestow various treasures, mansions, guards, and so on, with great importance.

"My grandfather had mediocre talent and cultivated slowly," Princess Xiyue said slowly. "The Grand Xia imperial clan had a few members they valued highly. My grandfather wasn't valued, so he went out to roam, tempering himself between life and death, seeking great opportunities. He even practiced some demonic techniques."

"Demonic techniques?" Ji Ning was stunned.

"Yes, during the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, my grandfather even used demonic arts to actively tempt the 'Heart Demon,' making it more powerful," Princess Xiyue said. "The stronger the Heart Demon, the better it tempered the Dao-heart."

"He's truly mad," Ji Ning said, astonished.

The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations—all cultivators feared them and tried to weaken them. But this King Yan actually tried to strengthen the 'Heart Demon Tribulation' to temper himself? Yes, it would temper the Dao-heart effectively, but if he failed, he would die.

"Once, my grandfather was tempted by the Heart Demon and was in great danger," Princess Xiyue said. "He even fell completely into demonic possession. After falling, he began to kidnap and rape women."

Ji Ning was shocked.

Falling into demonic possession during the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations? That was almost certain death. Many great demons were born from such falls, and they would die in madness unless a miracle occurred and they woke up.

"Later, my grandfather had a fortuitous encounter and woke up. This experience of falling and then transcending greatly benefited him. After enduring many tribulations, he succeeded in the tribulation and became a Celestial Immortal," Princess Xiyue said with emotion. "When he became a Celestial Immortal, he could sense his bloodline. He felt he still had relatives in the world, so he searched and eventually found me."

"My grandmother was one of the many women he raped back then. After being raped, she gave birth to my mother. Because she was unmarried and had a child, she was looked down upon and ostracized by other clansmen on our island. She died of depression."

"My father came to our island. He was tired of fleeing and wanted to settle down on the island, marry and have children, to continue the Yuchi clan's lineage. My father and mother got together, and thus I was born."

"Those were the happiest years of my life."

"My father was a cultivator. He often flew away from the island to other places, but he always returned quickly. One day, he said his sister and brother-in-law wanted to leave the North Sea and return to the mainland. He said his sister was pregnant, and he was worried, so he insisted on escorting them."

"But my father never returned. The life tablet he left at home shattered. My mother couldn't bear the blow and died of grief."

"I lived alone on the island. Later, my grandfather came."

"My grandfather had become a Celestial Immortal, but he had no family left. All his closest people were dead. I was his only relative, his only granddaughter," Princess Xiyue said slowly.

Ji Ning was silent.

Cultivators were lonely. Though King Yan was a member of the Grand Xia imperial clan, after five or six generations, they were no longer considered close relatives. King Yan's parents and siblings had long died. His only remaining relative was his granddaughter.

"After coming to the Grand Xia imperial capital with my grandfather, I discovered that the Yuchi clan was destroyed by the Shaoyin clan," Princess Xiyue said, hatred in her eyes. "From that day on, I swore that I, Yuchi Xiyue, would take revenge and destroy the Shaoyin clan! I will also rebuild the Yuchi clan and fulfill my father's wish! This was my father's lifelong desire, and I will achieve it!"