Chapter 706 - 705: Slap

Chapter 706: Chapter 705: Slap

With Shi Xueyun helping to bridge the gap, the tension in the atmosphere finally eased, making their conversation less awkward. This was the most natural way things could go. It would have been impossible for him to rush up and call her "Mother" without ever having met her before.

Feelings are cultivated over many years. Perhaps Jiao Linghe felt that way—after all, she had watched her own child be born, and the feeling from ten months of pregnancy was most intimate to her.

Yi Tianyun, however, didn’t feel the same. He had never met her before, let alone felt the warmth of her embrace. Therefore, for him to rush up and shout "Mother" would have been completely insincere.

"We’re almost at the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom," Yi Tianyun said, his eyes glinting. After flying for so long, they were about to return to the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom.

"Tianyun, when we get back, try not to be so impulsive for now. We’ll go find your grandfather first and explain things clearly. No matter what, he’s an elder there, so don’t make things too difficult for him..." Jiao Linghe was worried that Yi Tianyun would fly into a rage the moment he entered, which would make the situation spiral out of control.

"That will depend on their sincerity. Otherwise, don’t blame me for raising hell," Yi Tianyun said nonchalantly. "I’ve always had my own principles. If anyone crosses my bottom line, then don’t blame me for being merciless."

Jiao Linghe nodded. She was also infuriated. If their previous suspicions were true, and someone from the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom was responsible, she would be absolutely furious.

"Don’t worry. If we find out for sure that someone from the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom did this, I’ll take action even if you don’t," Jiao Linghe said with a smile. "People call me the Lady of Vengeance, you know. When your mother seeks revenge, she is absolutely ruthless!"

They shared a knowing smile, but deep down, they grew more cautious. After all, they were about to face the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom, not some ordinary faction. With the legacy of a Divine King, they had to be careful.

Yi Tianyun felt no particular connection to this ancestor of his and had no fear of clashing with this so-called forefather. They were the ones in the wrong to begin with. As the saying goes, even brothers must keep clear accounts.

"Mother, do you have any suspicions about who might be involved?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"I do!" Jiao Linghe said in a low voice. "I’ve thought about it before but was never certain. But now, thinking about what happened to you, a few people immediately come to mind."

"Who?" Yi Tianyun’s eyes narrowed, a menacing glint flashing within them.

"The Third Elder! And I feel the Grand Elder is also involved. From the very beginning, they were vehemently against us, and their opposition was extremely strong. Even though your grandfather was opposed, his reaction was much milder compared to theirs. He was actually decent to me, at least not as brutish as the Third Elder and the Grand Elder," Jiao Linghe continued. "That time Xingchen went back to tell your grandfather I was pregnant, there was a huge uproar. In a fit of rage, they locked your father up!"

"After all, he had broken their rules, so they certainly weren’t going to let your father out to see me. I was about to give birth at the time, and still, your father didn’t return... I figured he must have been imprisoned and couldn’t get out. The fact that he was able to escape later was largely because your grandfather let him out. This is all my speculation, but I don’t think your father could have escaped that prison on his own. Someone must have helped him."

Yi Tianyun was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his grandfather to be the one who released his father in the end. ’It seems even a vicious tiger won’t eat its own cub,’ he thought. Since what was done was done, letting him out was the logical next step.

"But Xingchen was still unwilling to go back. That place is too chaotic—it’s all about the Bloodline, and nothing else. He was little more than a puppet there. Everyone in the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom has gone mad, obsessed with restoring their former glory, and they’ll stop at nothing to achieve it!"

"So, you’re saying the plot against me was most likely to prevent me from surviving?" Yi Tianyun said in a low voice. "If I had lived, I’m guessing it would have affected them somehow, right?"

"Yes, that’s very likely. They tested your Bloodline back then, and it turned out you didn’t really inherit much of the Sealing Heaven Divine King’s Bloodline; it was quite diluted, you could say. Even so, there’s still a chance for it to undergo an Awakening," Jiao Linghe explained. "Even when the Grand Elder’s and Third Elder’s grandsons have children with fellow clan members, their Bloodlines are still diluted. So, your starting points are more or less the same. In the future, whoever gets a chance to rise up could become the next Clan Leader!"

"Of course. Dragged into another power struggle..." Yi Tianyun gave a bitter smile and shook his head. He had already considered this possibility. What else could it be besides a fight for power?

’I can’t believe that because of this power struggle, even Yi Xingchen was hunted down. They wanted to kill them all for good.’

"Sigh, that’s right... We suspected as much before, but we never imagined you were secretly poisoned." Jiao Linghe’s gaze turned icy. "It must have been that handmaiden. She must have secretly administered the poison while helping bathe you. I can’t believe I was watching so closely and still had a moment of oversight."

"Thank goodness nothing happened to you. If it weren’t for that expert’s help, you probably would have..."

Her eyes reddened, and she felt a surge of fear.

Yi Tianyun fell silent. ’The original person did die long ago... That poison was potent. The handmaiden couldn’t have killed me in front of her; even if Jiao Linghe was weak, she could have still retaliated and killed the maid.’

"I’m almost certain now that they were behind it, but without any evidence, we can’t draw any firm conclusions," Jiao Linghe said.

"Mm, if they did it, we’ll definitely find evidence," Yi Tianyun said calmly.

’I have many ways to get them to talk,’ he thought. ’For example, if their cultivation level isn’t too high, a single use of the Eye of Enchantment would be enough to make them reveal the whole truth.’

"We’re here."

Just as their conversation was winding down, they arrived at the outskirts of the Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom. They all dismounted from the Blue Phoenix and proceeded inward on foot.

A short while later, they reached the city walls. The guards spotted them and immediately moved to block their path.

"You two again! What are you trying to do this time?" The guards hadn’t changed; it was the same group as before. They immediately became wary upon seeing Yi Tianyun and Shi Xueyun.

"We are from the Yi Family." Jiao Linghe took out a Token. Carved on it was the word "Yi," and it pulsed with a special energy. It was clearly not a counterfeit.

"The Second Elder’s Token?!" The guard’s demeanor immediately became respectful. "The three of you, please come in."

Jiao Linghe nodded and led them inside. They had just stepped through when a surprised voice called out from the side.

"Jiao Linghe?!"

An old man nearby spotted her and recognized her at once. He sneered, "I never thought you’d dare to come back. Where’s Xingchen? Didn’t he come back with you?"

"Steward Xiao, I’ve returned this time to report something to the Second Elder, and it is a matter of extreme importance!" Jiao Linghe said gravely.

"A matter of extreme importance?" Steward Xiao said disdainfully. "The number one genius of our Sealing Heaven Divine Kingdom eloped with you, causing us to lose a great talent, and you still have the nerve to come back. What business could you possibly have? Don’t tell me you’ve run out of Elixir Pills and came to beg for a few? You left so arrogantly back then, and now you come crawling back like a beggar. What a disgrace..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Yi Tianyun shot out a hand and slapped him. The force of the blow sent Steward Xiao flying, and he rolled several times on the ground. His mouth was already swollen, and he was completely dazed.

Beside them, Jiao Linghe couldn’t help but show a wry smile. ’This son of mine is certainly domineering,’ she thought. ’I just told him to stay calm, and who would have thought he’d immediately beat someone up.’

"Watch your words. If we’re beggars, then you’re worse than trash," Yi Tianyun said coldly.

To insult his family was to insult him personally!