Chapter 402: Kong Xiangrou's Past

Although the Zhou family had only one heir, Zhou Li, their methods were quite sophisticated.

They deliberately offered generous conditions and used the pretext of going to the ancestral lands to obtain a family heirloom to deceive everyone into entering the ancestral lands; in reality, it was all to suppress the Evil Spirit King residing there.

It would be one thing if it were anyone else, but how could Kong Shan Kui, the Clan Leader, and Ma Chulong's father not know the Zhou family's true intentions? Even so, they helped cover it up, even at the cost of sacrificing their own children.

Thinking of this, Su Yan felt an extreme sense of nausea, as if her entire being were shrouded in a dark shadow.

Seeing her complexion constantly changing, Auntie Wang knew that she must be feeling distressed.

But the truth is often cruel.

"My mother..." Su Yan asked after all, though she already had the answer in her heart.

Auntie Wang had said so much that she clearly had no intention of hiding it from her anymore, but to consider her emotions, she slowed her speaking pace slightly.

"Your mother was the most outstanding disciple of the Kong family in a hundred years. The talent and strength she displayed not only brought joy to the entire Kong family but also shocked the other three great families. At that time, the Kong Clan Leader was not Kong Shan Kui, but Kong Lingfeng. Back then, Kong Lingfeng truly treated your mother as his sole heir to be cultivated."

Su Yan immediately memorized that name.

Kong Lingfeng!

"As your mother gradually grew, her presence became even more dazzling. Kong Lingfeng boasted more than once to the outside world that your mother would be the one to lead the Kong family into even greater glory." When Auntie Wang mentioned Kong Xiangrou, her voice seemed to carry a strange shimmer.

Su Yan's brow tightened. "Did something go wrong?"

Auntie Wang gave her an appreciative look; this girl was indeed as intelligent as her mother.

"Yes. If nothing had gone wrong, your mother would be the Clan Leader of the Kong family by now. That year, the Clan Leaders of the Feng, Ma, and Zhou families suddenly went to the Kong family together. They shut their doors and talked with Kong Lingfeng for three whole days. No one knew what they discussed during those three days. After three days, the Clan Leaders of the three families left, and Kong Lingfeng shut himself away for another three days."

Su Yan never imagined that her mother's affairs would involve the Clan Leaders of the other three families. If her mother's death was related to all of them...

"Three days later, Kong Lingfeng called your mother aside privately, and after that, your mother went into seclusion. Everyone in the Kong family knew your mother must have received a new inheritance from Kong Lingfeng and waited for her to emerge. But your mother's seclusion actually lasted for an entire year."

Listening to Auntie Wang's narration, Su Yan felt a sense of suffocation.

"A year later, when your mother emerged from seclusion, the entire Kong family was jubilant. Kong Lingfeng was so happy that he announced on the spot that your mother would be the next Clan Leader. However, before inheriting the position, your mother needed to undergo some training, and Kong Lingfeng had already decided the location and the content of that training."

Su Yan's hands, hanging at her sides, suddenly clenched, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"Was it the place where the evil spirits are sealed?"

Auntie Wang let out a low sigh. "It was."

"Kong Lingfeng deceived my mother?!" Although Su Yan did not know the truth of that year, she could guess it through the events that followed.

"Actually, if Kong Lingfeng had told your mother the whole truth back then, I think she would have chosen to do it anyway. But because Kong Lingfeng was worried she would shrink back, he chose to hide it instead." Auntie Wang shook her head repeatedly, expressing her disapproval of Kong Lingfeng's actions.

"If it were just a sealing formation, my mother might not have broken ties with the Kong family so directly. There must have been something else." Su Yan's words were almost forced out from her throat.

Auntie Wang fell into silence.

"Auntie Wang, tell me the whole truth!" Su Yan was trembling all over.

Auntie Wang's gaze wavered violently. After hesitating for over ten seconds, she spoke with difficulty.

"Actually, over the past few hundred years, the Clan Leaders of the four great families never gave up on searching for a method that could truly eliminate the hidden danger. In the end, they merged four different cultivation methods to create a new sealing method. However, that method not only places extremely high demands on the practitioner, but once it is truly put into effect, the caster will, at best, exhaust their entire cultivation and become a cripple, and at worst, die without a whole corpse!"

Su Yan's breathing suddenly became rapid, and blood dripped from her tightly clenched fists.

Everything Kong Lingfeng said was a lie. He knew full well that even if her mother didn't die, she would become a cripple, yet he still fabricated a beautiful future for her!

How could a person be so despicable and shameless?

"So, when your mother learned the truth, how furious she must have been... but it was already too late. Having lost all her cultivation, she couldn't even seek justice for herself. Fortunately, she only lost her cultivation. She spent her first twenty years living for her mission, and for the remaining years, she only wanted to live a stable life as an ordinary person."

"That's why my mother chose to sever all ties with the Kong family and married my father." Su Yan understood everything now. "But my mother's peaceful life was completely shattered because of my birth."

At this moment, she felt as if her heart were being squeezed, hurting so much she could barely breathe.

"Child, how can you think like that? Your mother loved your father and loved her own home, which is why you exist. I think even if she were given the choice again, she would definitely give birth to you without hesitation."

Auntie Wang felt a sense of nervousness and concern for Su Yan. After all, she was still young and had not experienced much; if she were to lose her way and become obsessed with the idea that she had caused her mother's death, it would be a very troublesome matter.

"Auntie Wang, you don't need to worry. I am not belittling myself. Moreover, I do not regret being my mother's daughter. I will do what she could not finish, and I will take the revenge she could not take!"

At this moment, Su Yan's expression was more determined than ever before. Now that she knew the truth, she knew even more clearly how to walk her future path!

A "川" shape formed between Auntie Wang's brows; her greatest fear had come true.

"Who do you want to take revenge on? Kong Lingfeng, or the other three great families as well? Even if you have heaven-defying abilities now, it is impossible to face the four great families alone. And have you thought about it—once the four great families fall, who will guard the seal? Although your mother has repaired the seal, do not forget that even the most powerful sealing formation cannot withstand human destruction. The appearance of someone like Liu Yiyi is already an extremely dangerous signal."

Although she could understand Su Yan's feelings, she absolutely did not want to see that scene unfold.

If Su Yan truly chose to seek revenge against the four great families in a fight to the death, the final outcome could only be widespread devastation.

(End of Chapter)