Chapter Twenty: The Truth Unveiled

Update time: 2013-05-20

Meng Chuchen suppressed his inner agitation, rapidly channeling his internal energy as he hurried toward the back mountain. Ever since he had met Lian Yue, he had become convinced that his master was the mother of the girl from his own house. Yet, why had such strange things happened between himself and that girl?

He had, in fact, guessed much of the truth. Their similar ages, the inexplicable sense of familiarity, all the signs he had noticed when he first saw the records—he might not have dared think too deeply then, but now the clues could not be ignored. Why was he, a child supposedly picked up by his master, so decisively chosen at a young age to be the young sect master? Why did the elder always avoid the topic of his origins? Why was it that only his blood could be used as medicine when his master fell ill? The answer in his heart was not yet certain; he needed someone to confirm it. There were only two people who could tell him the truth: one was his master, currently in seclusion, and the other was the elder, who was out on inspection. Now, only his master was in the sect, but she seemed unaware…

With these thoughts, Chuchen gradually slowed and stopped, standing in place, feeling hollow inside. Suddenly, a pair of excited eyes flashed through his mind. Yes! He could ask the head of the Yue family! With his mind made up, he turned and headed toward the small courtyard where the three lived.

It was not long before Chuchen entered the courtyard. Perhaps the three disliked being disturbed, for he saw no one along the way. He stopped before the main house, about to knock, but his movement was interrupted by faint voices from within. On a whim, he decided to listen to what the three were discussing.

"Second Brother, are you sure Fourth Sister is here? If not for her, I wouldn't be at the mercy of this damned sect. The heads of the three great families, all but imprisoned here—if word got out, we'd be laughed to death!" Zhou Man, the head of the Zhou family, spoke angrily.

"Third Brother, at your age, you still have such a stubborn temper. If Fourth Sister really is here, she’d give you a whipping. Since Second Brother says she’s here, he must be confident, otherwise he wouldn’t risk our lives to break through the Soul-Severing Array," said Yuwen Mo, the head of the Yuwen family, calmly.

Zhou Man, hearing his eldest brother speak, was still grumpy but fell silent. Yue Zhanpeng, watching his two sworn brothers, showed a trace of guilt and relief in his eyes and said, "Big Brother, Third Brother, if I wasn’t absolutely certain, I would never risk your lives. In truth, before breaking the array, I was only seventy percent sure, but since I met the young sect master that day, I am now completely certain. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked you to stay here."

Zhou Man, full of confusion, interrupted, "How is Fourth Sister’s matter related to that so-called young sect master?"

Yue Zhanpeng was not annoyed by the interruption. Glancing at Yuwen Mo, who was waiting for his explanation, he continued, "There is something I have concealed for nearly thirteen years. I hope you won’t take offense."

This time, Zhou Man did not interrupt.

"Twelve years ago, when Yue’er had her accident, she gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl. The girl is my youngest daughter, Lian Yue, whom you have both met. The boy I named Yue Lingchen, and he should be the young sect master who calls himself Chuchen."

"What!" Even Yuwen Mo was surprised this time. Not only them—even Chuchen, who had long suspected, was shocked to hear Yue Zhanpeng say it aloud, almost bursting through the door.

Yue Zhanpeng’s face was full of remorse. "I did not intend to hide anything. When Yue’er gave birth, it triggered an old illness. Her senior sister said she had to be taken back to the Palace of Weeping Blood to preserve her life and insisted on taking the newborn boy. You know, Yue’er disbanded the Palace just to marry me, and she has always felt guilty toward it. We had planned, if the child was a boy, to send him to the Palace of Weeping Blood."

"Then how can you be certain the young sect master is the boy who was taken away? This is the Hidden Sect, not the Palace of Weeping Blood," Yuwen Mo voiced his confusion, Zhou Man nodding vigorously.

"I actually saw this youth seven years ago. I was riding through Phoenix Ridge when I glimpsed a child who looked exactly like Lian Yue. I was shocked, immediately thinking of her twin brother who had been taken away. But I was so stunned I forgot to rein in my horse; when I recovered and turned back, the boy was gone, only a faint shadow disappearing into Phoenix Ridge. I thought I was seeing things, hallucinating from missing Lian Yue too much. After all, Phoenix Ridge is forbidden territory—not a place a child could freely enter."

"Forbidden places are often more likely," Yuwen Mo analyzed, frowning.

"I realized this only after returning home. I ventured alone into Phoenix Ridge, eventually entering the ** array and was trapped for days before finding my way out. I intended to return with help, but happened upon Lingjun’s incident. After that was settled, I became wary—at the time, the eldest, Lian Yu, was only thirteen. If anything happened to any of the three, even if I found Yue’er, she would hate me forever."

"So that's why you spent the past seven years collecting books on arrays. But the young sect master now looks nothing like Lian Yue!" Zhou Man’s voice rang out again, echoing Chuchen’s doubts outside the door.

"Third Brother, have you forgotten the bottle of Face-Changing Pills Fourth Sister had?"

"You mean the pill that, once taken, can change one’s appearance for three months, and as long as another is taken before the effect fades, the transformation can be maintained for another three months?" Zhou Man exclaimed in sudden understanding.

"Yue’er said the primary ingredient, Illusion Grass, is only found in the Palace of Weeping Blood. If this place is indeed the old site of the Palace, then the difference in appearance between Chuchen and Lian Yue can be explained."

Hearing this, Chuchen’s confusion was resolved. So the pills the elder gave him every three months were the Face-Changing Pills they spoke of. So it was—indeed, it was…

By now, even a fool could understand. Chuchen walked out of the courtyard in a daze, wandering aimlessly, not even knowing where he was going. In the room were his blood-related sister, his master had become his biological mother, and he now had a brother, a sister, and a father. So he was not an orphan after all. But…

If he turned back now, he would see that the three who had been talking inside were now standing in the courtyard, watching him leave.

Zhou Man, feeling somewhat exasperated, muttered, "My nephew’s reaction is far too slow. We waited days for him, and he finally comes. I explained everything, and only then does he understand. If there’s ever another performance, don’t ask me—I’d never live it down if these youngsters found out."

Yue Zhanpeng, full of worry, watched Chuchen’s departing figure and asked the thoughtful Yuwen Mo, "Was it really right to tell him? Will he believe us?"

Yuwen Mo replied confidently, "You saw how he left. We’ve watched him for so long and never noticed, but I suspect he has discovered something himself these past few days. We simply confirmed his inner suspicions. Second Brother, your son is excellent!"

Yue Zhanpeng could only smile bitterly at the praise. "Excellent is an understatement—that’s precisely why I worry."

Yuwen Mo, seeing he didn’t respond, continued, "So the Hidden Sect is the former Palace of Weeping Blood. To build the headquarters in the forbidden grounds—the founder of the Palace must have been extraordinary indeed."

Zhou Man and Yue Zhanpeng both nodded in agreement.

"So, Big Brother, Second Brother, what should we do next?"

"What else? Wait. If our nephew is truly clever, he’ll be back soon." With that, he left the two and returned to the house. "Such a pity—finally made it to Phoenix Ridge, but can only stay in this little courtyard. Second Brother, your son really is exceptional. After using my brain for so long, I suddenly feel exhausted."

Zhou Man shivered, silently praying that Big Brother would never use his wits against him.