Chapter 457: Chapter 459 Preliminary Planning of Power (Part 2)
“Miss,” Xuan Yuan lowered the young man’s hand and turned his head toward Mu Ruyue, smiling slightly, “may I ask what relationship you have with the Xiao Family?”
Mu Ruyue’s gaze was indifferent, and her tone was neither cold nor warm: “It’s just a temporary residence, I have no relationship with the Xiao Family of the Central Continent.”
“The Xiao Family of the Central Continent?” Xuan Yuan was stunned, staring at the woman before him, puzzled.
“Yes,” Mu Ruyue sneered, her lips curling, “because I am a descendant of Xiao Yun, I was expelled from this land many years ago. The Xiao Family I recognize is only the one established by Xiao Yun, not the current one.”
Xuan Yuan’s expression suddenly changed dramatically, his eyes filled with shock.
“You are a descendant of Xiao Yun?”
“Correct, my ancestor is indeed Xiao Yun.”
“Miss,” Xuan Yuan looked astounded, “you saved my most beloved son today, so you are a benefactor of our Xuan Family. There is something I have held back for a long time, and now that I have met a descendant of Xiao Yun, I cannot help but speak out…”
Mu Ruyue frowned slightly, looking at Xuan Yuan curiously.
“Actually, our family was also involved in the affairs of Xiao Yun back then,” Xuan Yuan began with a bitter smile, speaking apologetically, “These events happened before I was born, and I didn’t understand the circumstances; some of them are what my grandfather told me. Our family wronged Xiao Yun.”
Mu Ruyue’s expression gradually darkened: “What exactly happened?”
What really happened to Xiao Yun that day?
Xuan Yuan shook his head and sighed softly: “Miss, do you know of the Yao Family?”
“The Yao Family?”
“Yes,” Xuan Yuan nodded slightly, “On the continent, there are four major powers: the Medicine Sect, the Martial Sect, the Holy Sect, and the Yao Family. These four powers hold overwhelming authority, even surpassing our Empire. Moreover, there is a rule among the major powers that they should not strike the ordinary people first. However, a side branch of the Yao Family learned of Xiao Yun’s Talent…”
“That year, Xiao Yun was not yet eighteen, and a less than eighteen-year-old with Innate Perfection, how talented is that? Thus, a member of the Yao Family’s side branch foolishly thought of recruiting Xiao Yun as a son-in-law.”
“But with Xiao Yun’s pride and arrogance, how could he agree? He openly clashed with that member of the Yao Family’s side branch, resulting in treachery. If it were not for our family helping the Yao Family cover up, they could not have successfully crippled his strength. My grandfather told me he could never forget the final words of that member of the Yao Family’s side branch…
“‘If a genius will not serve me, I will destroy him, making him experience the agony of never being able to break through again!’ That action is what my grandfather regrets the most in his life. However, that member of the Yao Family’s side branch coerced him using the people of the entire Empire; he had no choice but to comply.”
Xuan Yuan slightly closed his eyes, only reopening them after a long while, and said with a bitter smile: “Miss, it is truly fortunate that you are a woman. After that member of the Yao Family’s side branch crippled Xiao Yun, he left behind a statement that if a peerless genius should ever appear among his descendants, if it were a woman, she must be taken as a concubine; if a man, he must marry into the Yao Family and dedicate his entire life. Fortunately, among that member’s descendants, there is only one woman of the Tian generation named Yao Tianyu.”
“Yao Tianyu? Tian generation?” Mu Ruyue furrowed her brows, looking at Xuan Yuan with a puzzled gaze.
“Correct,” Xuan Yuan nodded, “In large families like the Yao Family, people are divided into different generations. The side branches can only use ‘Tian’ as their generation marker; precious characters like ‘Yun’ are reserved only for those of the direct lineage. The one who coveted Xiao Yun’s Talent was from the Yao Family’s side branch.”