Reborn as a concubine's daughter and entering a noble family: Xie Lang, don't be too seduc

What does "this person..." mean?

When Huo Sanghua woke up, Xie Lin was already gone.

Ran away?!

Thinking back on what happened last night, he... ...how could he... ...

The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

"Second Madam," Wutong called tentatively from outside the door, "Are you awake, Second Madam?"

"...What is it?" Huo Sanghua asked nervously, afraid that someone would overhear something.

Wu Tong turned around, glanced cautiously at Liao Bin standing behind her, gave an awkward smile, and continued to ask the people in the room, "Second Madam, Brother Liao Bin from the Eldest Young Master's side has arrived, and he said... ...Aren't you supposed to be in the study for class today?"

Class? Yes!

Hawthorne realized she'd almost forgotten about it... "I, I'll be right there. Tell Liao Bin I'll be right there!"

She actually forgot something so important.

"Brother Liao Bin, then... I'll go in first and help the Second Madam change her clothes." Although Wu Tong didn't want to barge in and face the Second Madam like that, compared to Liao Bin, who looked like a demon behind her, she would rather go in and face the Second Madam.

As dawn broke, more and more people began to walk on the streets.

The door creaked open—

Startled, Xie Lin, who had been lost in thought, sat bolt upright.

The person who pushed the door open was somewhat surprised by his reaction. He cautiously looked behind him and around, and only after confirming that everything was alright did he enter the room and close the door behind him. "Young master, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." Xie Lin said it was nothing, but his eyes were filled with that lingering image.

He immediately felt even more uncomfortable, avoiding the gaze of the newcomer, picked up the cup on the table, and gulped down the tea that had long since gone cold.

"Cough... cough cough..."

The man's name was Zhao Rui. Most of his face was covered with burn scars, which, after many years, made him look even more grotesque.

He raised his hand and placed the box he had prepared earlier on the table.

A tattoo was clearly visible on the back of his hand—

These are the marks left by the assassins trained under General Huo in the past. "You're in a hurry, and this is all I've found."

"How is it? Did you find anything?" Xie Lin asked hurriedly, and seeing his expression, he was certain that there must be an answer.

"...The former empress was no ordinary person. Besides being skilled in military strategy and divination by following her father in cultivation since childhood, I also found out some other things," Zhao Rui said. "For a period of time, she left General Wang and her fellow disciples and went to Qiling Mountain alone to join the sect that General Wang had followed in cultivation. This lasted for nearly two years."

"So what?" Xie Lin had asked him to investigate more than just this matter.

“I’m afraid the biological father of the girl you’re looking for… is in Qiling Mountain,” Zhao Rui said.

Xie Lin was slightly taken aback; she was indeed not of the previous dynasty's bloodline.

"In Qiling Mountain, it is said that there once lived a highly accomplished cultivator who attained immortality on the spot. Therefore, all cultivators aspire to become disciples of Qiling Mountain, hoping to achieve the same. However, Qiling Mountain is also home to many skilled cultivators who live far from the mortal world and are proficient in esoteric arts. General Wang, who lost his parents at a young age, was taken in by a master in Qiling Mountain and learned a great deal of skills. Later, he came down from the mountain to save the world and led his army to fight against the enemy. His soldiers were incredibly brave and invincible. This adds another layer of mystery to the legendary Qiling Mountain."

Zhao Rui was once a loyal follower of General Huo, so he had heard that General Huo was also one of General Wang's many disciples. He also knew that General Huo was indeed quite capable, but he never had the chance to ask General Huo about it.

What can be found now is naturally limited.

“Oh, right,” Zhao Rui remembered something, “When I was investigating Qiling Mountain, I also learned something else. It is said that... Qiling Mountain originally had a treasure called Qiyuan Pearl, which was said to be able to reverse time and change what has already happened. However, it was accidentally lost many years ago and its whereabouts are still unknown.”

"Qiyuan Pearl?" Reversing time? It can even change things that have already happened...

Xie Lin found it increasingly absurd as he listened. How could there really be someone who could become an immortal on the spot, and how could there be a Qiyuan Pearl that could reverse time?

Zhao Rui continued, saying that the person Xie Lin asked him to investigate was born to Empress Wang, but everyone in Empress Wang's palace knew she wasn't the previous emperor's child. This girl was likely the illegitimate child conceived by Empress Wang and someone from Qiling Mountain. Later, when disaster struck the palace, the country fell, and the city was destroyed, General Wang's former disciples rushed to the palace to rescue them. It was General Huo who first rescued the four children from Empress Wang's palace...

"Not long after, Lord Xie found out and came to our door. General Huo told Lord Xie about saving the four children. So Lord Xie brought the young master back. General Huo thought that Lord Xie would hand the young master over to His Majesty and treat him as a remnant of the previous dynasty... ...but I didn't expect..." Zhao Rui found it increasingly difficult to speak.

General Huo sacrificed his own son to protect the four children he had brought from Empress Wang's palace.

This must be a huge blow to the young master who is still alive today.

"It's nothing." Xie Lin said sadly. So much time had passed; there was no need to pursue it further. "Have the identities of those four children been ascertained?"

"All I know is... one is the girl you're investigating, the one you married today. Another is the son of the former emperor and Consort Rong. After Consort Rong passed away, the young prince was raised in Empress Wang's palace, so he was rescued when the incident happened. The third is Empress Wang's adopted daughter, who is said to be the daughter of one of General Wang's disciples. After that man died in battle, Empress Wang kept his daughter by her side. After General Huo rescued them all, he sent the children to different places to avoid suspicion. The girl's adoptive parents haven't been identified yet. I only know that they were officials more than ten years ago. I found out about their old house and learned from the neighbors that their family was also convicted and their property confiscated. Some were beheaded, and some were exiled. I wonder if the girl is still alive, she might have been exiled as well."

Zhao Rui was able to uncover so much information in such a short time thanks to the connections he had made in the past.

But nowadays, not many people know that he is still alive.

After the Huo family's downfall, all of Huo's trusted lieutenants and henchmen were murdered.

He escaped death by a hair's breadth, disfigured his own face, and finally found the young master that General Huo had sent away years ago, determined to avenge General Huo.

"Convicted..." Xie Lin had a strange feeling that it wasn't just that; the girl was probably still alive.

But where is she...?

I don't know.

As for the last one... Zhao Rui hasn't found out yet.

“Young Master,” Zhao Rui noticed that he seemed preoccupied today, “You care so much about Huo Sanghua, is it because you want to use her to avenge the Huo family? She is now the only known surviving member of the Huo family. If you act using her identity, you can easily pin everything on her if things go wrong… Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Xie Lin suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Rui. His gaze was as cold as a biting wind, and even Zhao Rui, who had lived a life of swords and bloodshed for many years, couldn't help but take a step back.

Xie Lin's voice was extremely cold—

"I have other plans for this matter. You are not allowed to interfere, and you must not... hurt her."