Chapter 96 My Daughter Wanqing! The Holy Maiden returns to her position, the Kunlun Bell tolls!
Since learning the truth about her origins, Su Wanqing has been immersed in an extreme silence.
She was no longer sad, nor was she confused.
She handled the medical team's affairs calmly, analyzed the captured intelligence with composure, and could even manage a faint smile when she looked at Lu Zhanting.
But Lu Zhanting saw it clearly.
Beneath that calm ice surface lies scorching lava, hot enough to incinerate everything.
Hatred and grief were compressed and compressed again by her steely will, waiting only for a shocking explosion.
His heart was breaking, yet he could find no words of comfort.
Faced with such a deep-seated hatred, everything else seems so pale.
All he could do was stay by her side.
The night before I was to depart for Switzerland, it snowed in Beijing.
The operational meeting concluded, with less than forty-eight hours remaining until the final countdown to Valhalla.
The heating was on full blast in the rooms of the Lu family compound.
Su Wanqing stood barefoot in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the snowflakes outside the window, which were dyed orange by the streetlights. Her figure was reflected in the glass, showing a thin silhouette.
A thick military coat, still warm from his body, was draped over her from behind, and Lu Zhanting pulled her, coat and all, into his arms.
"What are you thinking about?" He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice deep.
"I wonder what the adoptive parents would do if they knew that the daughter they've loved for over twenty years isn't their biological child." Su Wanqing's voice was as soft as snow, tinged with a hint of mockery.
“They will feel sorry for you.” Lu Zhanting tightened his arms, his tone resolute. “They will feel sorry for you for suffering so much. They love Su Wanqing as a person, it has nothing to do with blood ties.”
Su Wanqing's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly softened.
yes.
That simple couple who gave her twenty-two years of everyday life—how pure their love was.
Whoever she is, she will always be their daughter.
That rootless feeling, which arose from the ups and downs of his life and was suspended in mid-air, finally settled back into reality.
“I want to…see the things my mother left me,” she said in a hoarse voice.
That old wooden box containing the belongings of her adoptive mother, Zhao Chunhua, was her only memento and treasure for the past twenty-two years.
"I'll go with you." Lu Zhanting picked her up and carried her deeper into the wardrobe.
The wooden crate was taken out, and a thin layer of dust settled on it.
Lu Zhanting carefully wiped it clean with his sleeve before unlocking the small brass lock.
There was nothing of value in the box.
A few old clothes washed until they were faded, a dictionary with worn-out corners, and several comic books from her childhood.
Su Wanqing picked up the patched floral shirt and pressed it against her face.
The fabric was rough, yet it seemed to still retain the warmth of her foster mother's fingertips as she sewed the soles of the shoes.
My eyes instantly welled up with tears.
The nagging that tucked her in, the lights that stayed on for her late at night—scene after scene washed away her reason.
The last trace of resentment she harbored because of her background was completely melted away in this overwhelming family affection.
Just as she was about to put the clothes back, her fingertips brushed against the bottom of the box, and she felt an extremely subtle jolt.
There is a seam in the wood grain.
Since her parents' spiritual power completely merged with her, her five senses, especially her sense of touch, have become incredibly acute.
She stretched out her finger and tapped lightly on the wooden board.
In the muffled echoes, only one spot remained hollow.
It has a hidden compartment!
She and Lu Zhanting looked at each other, and both saw shock in each other's eyes.
This box, which had been with her for over twenty years, held a secret she had never discovered.
Lu Zhanting took out his military knife and, following the gap pointed out by Su Wanqing, precisely and steadily pried open the wooden board that was disguised so perfectly.
A two-finger-deep interlayer was revealed.
There was no gold or silver in the interlayer, only two things lying quietly.
A letter sealed with wax, the paper slightly yellowed.
There was also a jade plaque that was entirely white and carved with intricate cloud patterns.
The moment the jade pendant came into contact with the air, it emitted a warm heat that resonated strongly with the spiritual energy within Su Wanqing's body.
Su Wanqing's gaze was firmly drawn to the letter.
The envelope was unsigned, bearing only four elegant and graceful characters.
"My daughter, Wanqing."
These four characters are both powerful and elegant, and both proud and gentle.
It is definitely not the handwriting of her adoptive mother, Zhao Chunhua.
This was left by her biological mother, whom she had never met.
Su Wanqing's breathing suddenly stopped, and her fingers trembled violently uncontrollably.
A warm, dry hand reached out and gently enveloped her hand.
The warmth of Lu Zhanting's palm gave her the strength to keep going.
She used her fingertips to break the sealing wax and unfolded the letter that carried a heavy secret for twenty-two years.
"My dear daughter, Wanqing, seeing this letter is like seeing you in person."
"When you were able to discover this letter on your own, the seal in your bloodline must have been broken, and you must have encountered a great crisis that could shake your destiny. Please forgive us for starting your life in such a resolute way."
“My name is Lin Zhiwei, and your father’s name is Su Chen. We are your only blood relatives.”
"You may already know a few things about us. But please allow me, as a mother, to tell you our story."
“We come from a reclusive family—the Yunshui Su family. Since a thousand years ago, the Su family has been upholding the tradition of ‘guarding one lineage’, cultivating ‘primordial Qi’, protecting the dragon vein of China, and passing it down to this day.”
"Our bloodline has thus become a target for petty villains. The 'Council' that you may know about is our family's archenemy that has lasted for centuries."
“I was once the Holy Maiden of the family, and your father was the guardian of the family. A long-planned marriage has driven us to the brink of destruction. Our sworn enemy is trying to use this to steal the most core bloodline inheritance of my Su family.”
"To preserve our tradition, your father and I chose the most difficult path—defection."
"In those years, we were on the run, constantly evading relentless pursuit. Until you appeared."
"Your birth is the most beautiful gift in our lives, but it has also become our greatest weakness. In order to protect you, we have decided to return to China and, with the help of the dragon vein of our ancestral land, make a final stand against our enemies."
"As we write this letter, we are preparing to go to the final battlefield. This journey is fraught with peril, with only a slim chance of survival."
"If we can return, this letter will never see the light of day, and you will grow up on our lap."
"If we are unfortunate... child, please forgive our selfishness. We have given everything, sealing our life's cultivation and the Su family's most precious treasure, the 'Mustard Seed Cave Heaven,' within you. We have chosen the kindest and most honest parents for you, erasing all traces of our existence. Our only wish is that you can live a peaceful and joyful life like an ordinary girl."
"This jade tablet is called the 'Cloud and Water Token,' and it is the token of the Holy Maiden of my Su family. Infuse it with spiritual power, and it will guide you to the ancestral land of our family. However, do not use it unless it is a matter of life and death. Zhiwei does not want you to bear this heavy destiny any longer."
"Words cannot express the depth of my feelings."
"My child, wherever we are, our love for you will transcend life and death and will forever protect you."
"Mother: Lin Zhiwei, Father: Su Chen, Last Words."
The letter slipped from Su Wanqing's fingertips.
Two streams of hot, clear tears finally burst from her eyes and silently streamed down her cheeks.
There was no wailing, only a deep-seated grief and an indescribable warmth, intertwined and tearing at her heart.
She was not abandoned.
She was a child whose life and all her love were risked to ensure her a peaceful life.
Lu Zhanting picked up the letter, quickly read it, and then pulled his trembling wife into a tight embrace. He could feel that the volcano that had been suppressed in her heart for so long was about to erupt completely.
Su Wanqing did not cry for long.
She broke free from Lu Zhanting's embrace, her tear-streaked face now displaying a cold and resolute expression.
She picked up the "Cloud and Water Token".
The jade pendant is warm and smooth, as if it still retains the warmth of a mother.
"Mom, Dad," she whispered to the void, each word like a vow, "I will fail to fulfill your wishes."
“You gave me this life and this strength, not so that I could live a wretched existence.”
"I will avenge you."
"I will bear the destiny of the Su family."
The moment she finished speaking, she didn't hesitate for a second and poured the surging golden spiritual power within her body into the small jade tablet like a burst dam!
Buzz—!
With a clear, melodious hum like a dragon's roar, the Cloud and Water Token burst forth with a dazzling white light, illuminating the entire room as bright as day!
A vast and ancient torrent of information surged into Su Wanqing's mind along the jade tablet!
It was a three-dimensional, incredibly clear map, its endpoint pointing directly to the depths of the distant Kunlun Mountains.
At the same time, countless histories about the Yunshui Su family and cultivation methods of "Primordial Qi" were like red-hot branding marks, deeply engraved into the depths of her soul!
At the very moment Su Wanqing activated the Cloud and Water Token.
Thousands of kilometers away, in the heart of the Kunlun Mountains, lies a secluded valley shrouded in a massive illusion array.
Inside the ancient ancestral hall, hundreds of lamps burn eternally.
On the top floor of the ancestral hall, a bronze lamp that had been extinguished for twenty-two years suddenly reignited with a tiny flame.
The firelight was faint, as if it might go out at any moment.
But in just a few breaths, it suddenly surged!
The flames shot into the sky, their brightness instantly surpassing the combined brightness of all the spirit lamps inside the ancestral hall!
"Holy Maiden! It's the Holy Maiden's life lamp! The Holy Maiden's life lamp has been rekindled!"
The elder guarding the ancestral hall let out an incredulous roar, scrambled out of the hall, and with all his might, struck the ancient bell that had not been rung for decades!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The distant yet urgent tolling of the bell shattered the tranquility of the valley, echoing in every corner.
Countless figures emerged from all directions, looking in surprise and uncertainty towards the direction from which the bell tolled.
The Yunshui Su family, which had been silent for twenty-two years, was in complete turmoil!
The Lu Family Compound.
As the white light faded, the clouds and waters regained their ancient simplicity, yet the radiance flowing upon them was even more intense than before.
Su Wanqing was processing the massive amount of information in her mind, her face appearing somewhat pale due to the intense depletion of her spiritual energy.
Just as Lu Zhanting was about to help her up, a guard rushed in with a tense expression.
"Reporting, sir! An elderly man has arrived outside the compound, and the situation is somewhat... unusual." The guard's expression was extremely strange. "He doesn't have a pass, but none of our security systems have triggered an alarm for him. He... just walked up to the gate and specifically asked to see you and your wife."
Lu Zhanting and Su Wanqing exchanged a glance.
"Please let him in."
A moment later, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a gray Taoist robe and possessing an otherworldly air, was led in.
The old man didn't look at Lu Zhanting; his gaze immediately locked onto Su Wanqing and the Yunshui Token in her hand, which shone with a restrained brilliance.
Thump!
To the astonishment of the guards, the elderly man, who looked old enough to be Su Wanqing's great-grandfather, knelt down and prostrated himself before Su Wanqing.
"Su Mingyuan, the 36th generation Grand Elder of the Yunshui Su Family, pays respects to the Holy Maiden!"
The old man's voice trembled violently with extreme excitement, and tears streamed down his face.
"Heaven has eyes! The bloodline of the Holy Maiden has not died out! My Su family... my Su family has an heir! I can die without regret!"
Su Wanqing immediately stepped forward and helped him up.
"Please rise, Elder."
After a brief explanation, Su Mingyuan finally understood the whole story. When he learned that Su Wanqing was about to go to Switzerland to fight the family's sworn enemy, the "Council," the excitement on his face turned into a chilling solemnity and murderous intent.
"Destiny! This is destiny!" He sighed, looking up at the sky. "Twenty-two years ago, the Holy Maiden and the guardian of Su Chen sacrificed themselves to protect their family. Twenty-two years later, the Holy Maiden's orphan will personally end this thousand-year-old feud! Such is the will of Heaven!"
Instead of trying to dissuade him, he took out a sandalwood box from his pocket.
"I have come here under the guidance of the ancestral lamp, not to take you back, but to bring you the strongest weapon of my Su family!"
The box was opened, and inside lay nine acupuncture needles of varying lengths, all gilded in gold.
"This needle is called 'Nine Revolutions Resurrection.' It can reverse life and death, and also slay evil spirits! Its accompanying acupuncture technique was created by the holy maidens of my Su family through generations to subdue those inhuman monsters in the 'Council'!"
He then took out several ancient books bound with silk thread.
"Here lies the record of all our nemesis's weaknesses, as well as the core secret techniques passed down through generations of my Su family. Holy Maiden, please accept this!"
"From this day forward, the Yunshui Su family will give you everything it has to support you! You are not fighting alone!"
Looking at the golden needles and ancient books before her, Su Wanqing's last trace of doubt completely vanished.
She was never alone.
Behind her stands an ancient family with a history spanning thousands of years.
She took the wooden box and bowed deeply to Su Mingyuan.
"Su Wanqing, the thirty-eighth generation saintess of the Su family, accepts the order."
Her voice was calm, yet it contained an unprecedented power that could shake mountains and rivers.
Su Mingyuan smiled with satisfaction. He glanced at the stunningly beautiful descendant of the Su family, then at the imposing and dignified man beside her, and nodded emphatically.
"Holy Maiden, take care."
He bowed again, turned and left. His figure flickered a few times and disappeared into the vast night snow, leaving no trace.
The room returned to silence.
Su Wanqing held the sandalwood box in her hands; its weight was as hot as a brand.
The mystery of his origins has been solved.
The battle to avenge one's parents, a battle of destiny, is about to begin.
Lu Zhanting walked to her side and embraced her.
“Now, you are the Holy Maiden of the Yunshui Su family,” he said softly.
Su Wanqing leaned against his firm chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"But first and foremost, I am your wife."
She looked up and met his gaze, her eyes sparkling like stars.
"Let's go, our battlefield is Valhalla."
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