"Fifty years ago, she probably thought the timing was right and struck me one night! Normally, my cultivation should've been higher than that despicable woman, but somehow, she used some unholy method to suppress me. After that, I ended up like this."
The old woman's expression flickered with daze.
Fifty years ago, she had been the proud, unyielding king of the Shi Tribe.
Fifty years of torment had worn her down to this frail, skeletal figure.
"Your bloodline is extremely thin," Yun Jin said, "but was there some other change?"
The old woman didn't try to hide anything. She spoke blankly, "At first, I thought that vile woman was only torturing me. But the bloodline fusion method you just mentioned gave me a thought. Every so often, that woman would have people deliver rare herbs to me, forcing me to consume them. Once I digested the energy, she'd arrive on time to extract my bloodline, bit by bit. The process burned as if my veins were on fire. I thought it was all deliberate torture, but now it seems my bloodline may have been secretly absorbed and merged by her."
Yun Jin looked at the Shi Tribe king, who should've been in her prime but now resembled a candle about to flicker out, and fell silent.
She'd been sensing the old woman's spiritual fluctuations the whole time. The old woman hadn't lied. Everything she said was true. In that moment, the truth began to form clearly in Yun Jin's mind.
After a long silence, the old woman composed herself and looked at Yun Jin with a faint glimmer of hope, "You know I haven't lied. Now, can you tell me… have you ever met Zhi Yin? Is she well? Why hasn't she come home? Does she resent me, her useless mother?"
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
All her life, her greatest regret had been raising Zhi Yin to be too kind, leaving her vulnerable to such schemes. After that, she'd been swayed by Zhi Yue and hadn't immediately taken her life.
Zhi Yin must've been disappointed in her, which explained her long absence.
Yun Jin remained silent as she gazed at the old woman's expectant face.
The heavy atmosphere in the room thickened.
The hope in the old woman's eyes slowly dimmed, and panic flickered within them, "She… she…"
Yun Jin sighed, "She's no longer alive."
The old woman, who had been barely holding herself up, collapsed instantly. She sank to the ground, still breathing, but looked like a corpse. Murky tears gushed from her eyes.
"Zhi Yin… she's gone. It's my fault, all my fault. I only thought she'd become the next queen, so I always told her to care for Zhi Yue. Because of my guidance, even though she was the younger sister, she constantly acted as Zhi Yue's protector."
Her voice wavered.
"If I hadn't trained her that way, maybe Zhi Yin would've been more cautious, maybe she would've noticed Zhi Yue's jealousy sooner. Things might not have ended like this.
It's my fault, all my fault."
Fifty years of living through agony hadn't broken her survival instinct. But at this moment, she'd lost all will to live. She stood up and slammed herself against the wall.
Yun Jin leapt in alarm and enveloped the old woman in a gentle spiritual shield. She slammed into the wall several times without feeling a single pain.
The old woman, tears streaming down her face, looked at Yun Jin and whispered, "Why won't you let me die?"
She'd endured all these years, holding onto the hope of her younger daughter's return. Now, that last thread of hope was gone. She truly felt no reason to live.
Yun Jin scratched her head, feeling a pang of guilt.
Originally… these things should be told by Third Senior Brother himself. But if she didn't give this old woman some hope, she might really attempt suicide.
The old woman saw Yun Jin's hesitation and a spark of hope reignited in her eyes.
Right…
She said she knew King Stone's whereabouts. Could there be more to this story?
She didn't dare speak, her expression a mix of hope and fear.
Yun Jin thought for a moment, then carefully spoke, "After Senior Zhi Yin left, for some reason, she ended up in the human region."
The old woman's expression changed slightly.
The human region? The Central Continent?
Separated by an entire range of ferocious beast mountains, she'd risk traveling there instead of coming home.
"In the human region, she fell in love with a human man. They had a child together."
As Yun Jin spoke, the old woman's focus sharpened.
"Later, their child was born with both human and nonhuman blood, causing a conflict in the bloodline. To protect the child, Senior Zhi Yin exhausted her origin energy and passed away shortly after."
Yun Jin spoke slowly and deliberately.
The old woman's face was already soaked in tears.
Yun Jin stayed slightly alert, just in case this old woman developed resentment toward Third Senior Brother. If that happened, she'd never mention this story to him.
The old woman wiped her tears and said softly, "And the child? You know that child, right?"
Yun Jin remained silent.
The old woman's voice was gentle, "Are you worried I'll take it out on the child? No. I'm grateful enough that he exists. His presence shows me that Zhi Yin's death was out of love, not anything else. She chose to die willingly for that child. She loved him deeply."
Yun Jin nodded, "Of course."
The old woman's gaze softened, "The child Zhi Yin protected with her life… how could I bear resentment? Can I… see him?"
Her eyes pleaded, tinged with sorrow.
Yun Jin couldn't decide for Yu Songnian. She said, "I'll relay what you told me to him. But I can't control whether he comes to see you."
The old woman's eyes brightened slightly, "You'll tell him? He's in the Imperial City now, right? If he still wants to come, does that mean he's willing to acknowledge me as family?"
Yun Jin said, "I can't answer that for him."
The old woman gradually calmed, whispering, "Then please, make sure you tell him. After all these years of torment, I don't have much time left. If I could see him once before I die, I could close my eyes in peace."
Her physical state was truly dire.
Yun Jin said, "I could get you out right now."
She moved to act immediately.
The old woman shook her head, "I know you're capable. These chains probably won't stop you. But if you remove them, that vile woman will immediately notice."
Yun Jin replied calmly, "I'm not afraid of her."
The old woman's eyes flickered.
That woman's cultivation had reached the peak of Mahayana. Her subordinates were all formidable.
Who was this young woman before her, with such confidence?
The old woman whispered, "It's not about fear. Her people just forced me to take some spirit herbs. She'll wait until their energy dissipates before absorbing my last bloodline energy. Until then, no one will come. I'm safe here. I don't want any more trouble until I get an answer about that child."