Chapter 230: Returning Home
In the main hall of the largest mansion, Wan Yue and the others enjoyed a luxurious and exquisite meal that felt completely out of place compared to the surrounding deep mountains and forests. Even Jiang Yao, who claimed to have had a poor appetite recently, devoured several bowls of rice enthusiastically.
However, the old duke of the Wang family never made an appearance throughout the meal, and the housekeeper in charge of hosting remained silent with a smile.
After the meal, Wan Yue and the others were taken to a tea room, which had no chairs but only mats for kneeling and soft cushions, along with a few low tea tables, creating a very retro atmosphere.
“Sister, weren’t we supposed to have dinner with the duke? We’ve waited here half the day without seeing a single person, and now we’re stuck in this place where there are no chairs.”
Jiang Yao held her post-meal tea, kneeling next to Jiang Yan, clearly uncomfortable with the old-fashioned sitting posture, her face showing unease.
Those of high status, like the old duke of the Wang family, were unlikely to appear; otherwise, one glance at her would probably scare you into a quail-like state, making it hard to eat.
“You, just sit properly and stop fidgeting. Be more composed; the elder might arrive at any moment!”
Jiang Yan glanced at the silent Wan Yue and the small door on the side of the tea room. She quickly tapped Jiang Yao’s thigh with her hand, revealing a serious expression. Jiang Yao stuck out her tongue and adjusted her sitting position, mumbling.
Wan Yue casually selected a tea bowl, appearing somewhat indifferent, and ignored the whispers between the Jiang sisters, as if allowing them to choose the most comfortable resting position after the meal.
“Hehe, not used to it yet? This place is quite remote, and with the tight schedule, some finishing touches haven’t been completed. This is my first time here, and I plan to spend the summer here.”
The bamboo curtain at the small door of the tea room lifted, and an elderly woman in simple homespun clothes stepped out, greeting Wan Yue and the others.
Jiang Yan quickly pulled Jiang Yao to her feet, prompting them to stand behind Wan Yue. For Jiang Yao, the transition from being relaxed to tense was stark.
What beautiful girls they are together; today I’ve finally gathered them before me, reminding me of the twin daughters from the third branch of the family…
The old matriarch of the Wang family maintained a demeanor reminiscent of a retired elderly woman from a lesser county, nodding frequently at the two girls, whose elegant traditional outfits brought back many memories.
Wan Yue merely smiled, offering a polite gesture without speaking, her gaze and hand motions indicating the Jiang sisters should sit down once more.
Several months had passed since their last meeting, and now, in the corner of Jiang Yan’s eye, she noticed a few more strands of gray among the old matriarch’s hair. Yet her spirit was still quite good, speaking softly and kindly, her frown gentle.
“Sis, is that the old duke of the Wang family? I feel like she’s just an ordinary grandmother, without any imposing presence at all…”
Jiang Yao, snuggled close to the right side of Jiang Yan, effectively blocking the view from the main seat, quietly touched Jiang Yan’s arm with her left hand, her lips moving slightly as she whispered very low.
“Now’s not the time to talk; just sit quietly…”
Jiang Yan was taken aback, unsure whether to explain this matter, and gently pushed against Jiang Yao’s body, which was leaning too close.
Both the elderly lady in the main seat and Wan Yue across from the Jiang sisters cast smiles that seemed to hide amusement. Jiang Yao immediately buried her head, not daring to speak further.
Younger sisters typically have a more lively nature; it’s great for their age… Wan Yao has been almost four years now; I wonder how much the two girls have grown?
The old matriarch of the Wang family picked up her tea bowl, looking kindly at Wan Yue.
“Can’t even recognize someone as great as the old duke?” Wan Yue looked at the two sisters across from her, smiled faintly, and shook her head, “Actually, their backgrounds are so deep and muddled that even they sometimes don’t understand them.”
After taking a sip of tea, the old matriarch studied Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao for several seconds, before nodding in apparent satisfaction.
Then, the elder signaled to the housekeeper beside her and faced the Jiang sisters, giving a serious yet calm order: “Alright, Jiang Yao, unleash your boiling blood. Don’t be afraid; use as much strength as you can. Jiang Yan, since you’re not feeling well today, you can skip it.”
Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao exchanged looks, taking a deep breath, and Jiang Yan slightly nodded to Jiang Yao.
A second later, the fiery aura of Jiang Yao’s boiling blood erupted like a volcano, a storm of information swirling in a hurricane-like force that also brought with it a strange, gravitational tearing sensation reminiscent of a gigantic black hole.
The invisible wind burst from the tea room, sweeping through a larger area; whether it was people strolling in plain sight or the Wang family’s hidden guards, everyone’s expression changed drastically, and some close to the large mansion even experienced a brief bout of breathlessness.
This phenomenon was clearly comparable to the intense boiling blood aura of a mid-tier viscount, and in terms of the interference from pheromones, it was even more potent. Jiang Yan, being closest to Jiang Yao, was most affected by this impact; her expression briefly fluctuated, though it seemed tolerable due to some bloodline compatibility. In contrast, the expression of Wan Yue, sitting opposite Jiang Yao, turned notably grave.
As for the old matriarch, she maintained a gentle smile, watching Jiang Yao intently.
At this moment, Jiang Yao’s beautiful eyes sparkled with an unusual, alluring blood light, while her face flushed in an abnormal manner, suggesting a deviation from her previous boiling blood state.
“Ah…”
Jiang Yao let out a low, slightly uncomfortable groan as her boiling blood intensity surged and then fell abruptly, like an engine deprived of fuel, sputtering and finally coming to a complete stop.
Jiang Yan sensed something was off and quickly embraced the weak and sweaty Jiang Yao, filled with confusion.
“Well, it seems she’s not yet in a breakthrough state; her stability is lacking. This is rare. At least, common viscounts are already unable to deal with her…”
The old matriarch remained calm, glancing at Wan Yue and Jiang Yan, nodding gently.
“Sis, why can’t I maintain the boiling blood control? This shouldn’t happen. I… I don’t feel well…”
Jiang Yao’s complexion paled, her body trembling, a hand instinctively covering her lower abdomen, seemingly feeling discomfort coming from there.
Jiang Yan was unsure of the changes in Jiang Yao’s body and could only hold her tighter around the waist to prevent her from collapsing.
Seeing Jiang Yao in such a helpless state, the old matriarch sighed slightly, clapped her hands, and the housekeeper quietly left, returning in less than a minute with a small dish.
“This is… Yu Wuping Dan, will it be useful for her?”
Wan Yue glanced at the small dish placed on the low tea table in front of Jiang Yao, understanding the old matriarch’s consideration.
“It’s somewhat effective, not only can it suppress some distracting thoughts and inner demons, but it also helps stabilize the foundation of her realm. Bring some more back and let her take it daily.”
After speaking, the old matriarch waved at Jiang Yao, her expression more amiable: “Little girl, take the medicine and come to me.”
Jiang Yao trembled as she took the pill with the tea water, then timidly looked at Jiang Yan. Finally, she shakily approached the old matriarch’s side.
Taking hold of Jiang Yao’s wrist and briefly glancing at her exposed skin from face to neck, the old matriarch’s nose twitched slightly before revealing a mysterious smile.
“From the old calendars of hundreds of years ago, truly beautiful, capable of being chosen as consorts, yet who would have thought the next queen would be like this… It’s alright. Since a choice has been made and there is a pregnancy, cast aside worries and live a steady life.”
After speaking, the old matriarch released Jiang Yao’s wrist, fondly brushing her light golden hair while looking at her with affection.
“I… I’m pregnant!?”
Jiang Yao was stunned, her body stiff as if turned to stone.
On the other side, Jiang Yan’s expression turned particularly complex as she stared at Jiang Yao’s lower abdomen after hearing the old matriarch’s leisurely words.
As for Wan Yue, she silently held the tea bowl, concealing her face, letting out barely noticeable small sighs.
Uncertain of when she stood up, Jiang Yao frantically glanced around at everyone present, her face shifting from red to white.
In the past month, despite some entangled thoughts, Jiang Yao had already made up her mind to accept everything.
But now, Jiang Yao felt that all her mental preparations had swiftly crumbled back to their original state with the old matriarch’s sudden words.
“I… I don’t want to… Brother, I don’t want to be pregnant… Can I have regrets…?”
Jiang Yao stared blankly at the ground, deafened to other sounds around her, just murmuring to herself.
The tea room fell silent, only Jiang Yao’s soft and disordered whispers echoed, spreading throughout the room.
“Ah, Jiang Yan, take your sister to rest first. As for the others, no one is to enter without my order.”
The old matriarch broke the silence, signaling to the housekeeper beside her, then began to close her eyes and rest.
In a daze, Jiang Yao was supported away by Jiang Yan. Before exiting, Jiang Yan glanced back one last time at the old matriarch and Wan Yue, wanting to say something but holding back.
Only two people remained in the tea room.
…
It just started, not very obvious… Just now, her pregnant body was instinctively suppressing the intensity of her boiling blood. If she had disregarded everything and crossed the threshold of boiling blood, she would likely end up dead or become a monster.
“I have verified with Lao Jiu and Jin Furong; the ancestral lineage of the two girls has changed after they entered the queen’s realm. If I’m not wrong, it’s connected to the long-extinct Sophia bloodline, or at least related to it.”
After several minutes of silence, the old matriarch continued speaking, causing Wan Yue’s expression to change greatly. They were from the long-extinct Sophia bloodline?
That is to say, their grandmother and even their forebears were transformed from the Sophia bloodline, not created by human means… Holding up her tea bowl, Wan Yue’s hands trembled slightly.
Over six hundred years ago, I was still just a lowly viscount, not qualified or interested in participating in that slaughter against the Sophia bloodline from a thousand miles away… It wasn’t until I became a duke that my exchanges with the barbarians to the west increased, validating some of my speculations regarding the bloodline’s hidden history…
The old matriarch looked out at the dark rainy night, speaking as if sharing stories from the past, but every word she uttered made Wan Yue’s expression grow increasingly serious.
“…The elders once envisioned many futures for the bloodlines in Huaguo, yet never expected these bloodlines would gradually degenerate. There are many bloodlines in Huaguo, and no one has realized to count how many barons are born every year from the past to present.”
Those barbarians to the west are much more attentive and perceptive in this regard, saving me from blindly groping in the dark.
After having too much tea, the old matriarch made a trip to the restroom, returning with a carefree smile on her face.
“Old big boss, I hear the Sophia bloodline has no clear standards for human realms, but the stronger the ability, the more unstable it becomes, effectively stifling the development of the Sophia bloodline. Can we understand that the differentiation among the other eight major bloodlines is a branching evolutionary attempt due to this instability?”
“So, the so-called growth curse or inner demon is actually just the unstable expression left in other bloodlines after the differentiation of the Sophia lineage?”
After listening to the old matriarch’s detailed explanation, Wan Yue frowned, deep in thought.
This old man explained it to me like this, but these so-called noble bloods of the Sophia lineage, seeing the relatively stable state of the other eight bloodlines, became restless, especially after experiencing the growth traits of the blackblood clan; mischief began to brew.
Under the guise of reclaiming bloodlines, they did extreme things worse than the blackblood clan and were attacked and killed because they brought this upon themselves.
The old matriarch nodded, agreeing with Wan Yue’s understanding.
The extermination of the Sophia bloodline occurred because they were inspired by the blackblood clan, seeking ultimate stability, and launched indiscriminate hidden hunts against other bloodlines, ultimately provoking public anger and meeting their own demise…
Wan Yue remained in shock, unable to help but murmur softly.
In fact, those barbarian dukes to the west are not good either. The stronger the Sophia bloodline, the more unstable it becomes, but they live longer than those of other bloodlines; it all comes down to who strikes first.
They know they are merely derivatives of the Sophia bloodline, trapped in a singular bloodline realm. Although they’ve acquired more stable minds and bodies, they’ve also lost upward mobility, especially upon reaching the dukedom realm, where this realization dawns.
The old matriarch let out a cold snort, her expression tinged with self-mocking humor.
You mean, the last time you mentioned that once you ascend to the dukedom realm, you will lose… your boiling blood ability?
Wan Yue murmured half a sentence before realizing the gravity of this secret and hurriedly kept quiet.
Hehe, it’s alright, Wan Yue, aside from a few dukes, perhaps only those two girls will genuinely feel this; they are the long-lost Sophia bloodline.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t sense that the old lady seems more like a regular person. Though to outsiders, this appearance reflects a peak return to simplicity, only I know that simply having the accumulation of life but being unable to boil blood or use abilities is a phenomenon of a realm that has reached a dead end.
As for those barbarian forefather plans and the queen, they likely represent the spoils of the slaughter against the Sophia bloodline. Whether it’s the Sophia bloodline or any of the other eight bloodlines, they all seek a way out for the future.
The old matriarch waved her hand dismissively, looking out at the night sky beyond the tea room: “Wan Yue, do you think you can bear this truth?”
Wan Yue put down the tea bowl, sat up straight, leaned forward, and bowed her head seriously: “Old sir, don’t you care about the future of the bloodline degeneration?”
After speaking, Wan Yue raised her head, her expression compelling, as if she began to comprehend the old matriarch’s position and desperately wished to know how she would respond.
If nothing changes, perhaps five hundred years from now, there will be no new barons born from the bloodlines, and a thousand years later, only a group of beasts that are difficult to control will remain…
If this outcome cannot be altered, then let it be a peaceful sleep, everyone can live together well, and enjoy the lasting incense of their descendants… returning where they came from, wouldn’t that be good?
If to change requires sacrificing countless low-tier bloods to achieve that elusive future, it goes against familial ties…
The old matriarch sighed deeply, closing her eyes, her expression appearing rather heavy.
What if these sacrifices could change the future of the bloodline!?
Wan Yue frowned slightly, seemingly unsatisfied with this response.
Could it be changed? Are you referring to the ancestor plan? Ultimately, what the ancestor plan or the queen boils down to are three words: unwillingness.
What these barbarians want to do is either find a path in strength or find a way in longevity; what’s the difference from those ancient emperors seeking immortality? Ultimately, only the lowest-tier blood commoners suffer, as they cannot benefit from all this…
I have lived for eight or nine hundred years, witnessed countless tragedies amid the rise and fall of dynasties, whether ordinary people or lower-tier bloodlines, they strive for a living throughout their lives…
The old matriarch suddenly opened her eyes, a gleam of determination in her gaze as she looked at Wan Yue, speaking clearly: “I want you to think clearly about this: Throughout history, how have the struggles between the courts and the bloodlines ever impacted the lives of that small number of court nobles and bloodline aristocrats!?”
Is that the kind of ancestor plan you desire?
In saying this, the old matriarch intentionally glanced at Wan Yue, her expression meaningful.
I, it wasn’t until a hundred years ago that I saw a glimmer of new hope, a belief I had never seen before, a group of people I had never encountered, and was willing to try and work with them to prevent the commoners on this land from suffering, to break the shackles of bloodlines and identities on the bloodlines…
Wan Yue lowered her head, understanding the implication, silently nodding.
However, many things do not happen overnight, nor can you make things the way you want with a snap. Two thousand years of entangled grievances need time, or a rare opportunity after long accumulation.
Human nature is always difficult to gauge; even in the Wang family, not everyone can be so composed, looking so casually at a future that seems desperate; there will always be those who are unwilling or cannot let go, wanting to fight back…
Actually, if you ask me why I’m so indifferent and so elevated in righteousness, it’s not that I’ve been a long-lived elder forming some transcendental saintly perspective, but rather I met a person hundreds of years ago…
Seeing the curious look on Wan Yue’s face, the old matriarch chuckled: “Girl, do you still remember the cultivation method I provided you a few months ago?”
Wan Yue was taken aback: “Are you implying that it wasn’t created by the Wang family?”
That manual containing the full methods of refining for many bloodline systems had indeed been a great help to Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao; even Wan Yue herself had gained deeper insights from it, elevating her perception of the Wang family’s depth significantly.
The old matriarch continued:
“You might think this is all derived from my own understanding or from the distinguished ancestors of the Wang family. To be honest, there are some, but not many. Anomalies like you are quite rare to come by.
Let me remember… It should be around the 15th year of the Zhengde reign. Not long after I was promoted to marquis, a wandering merchant from the west arrived at the Wang family and was a severely injured bloodline. This was probably the first time and the last time I witnessed a Sophia bloodline in the flesh. If according to our realm’s power standards, it would equate to a viscount.
The old matriarch began recounting a story of an encounter from hundreds of years ago, with Wan Yue listening intently, afraid of missing a single word.
To be honest, it was incredibly rare to hear an old bloodline duke narrate historical tales.
…Perhaps he was the last Sophia bloodline left in the world, or just the representative of a drifter. He knew that the bloodlines of Huaguo did not participate in the massacre against the Sophia bloodline carried out by those westerners and sought my protection.
Before he died, not only did he provide us with cultivation methods for bloodlines, but he also told me something that made me suspicious for quite a long time. It wasn’t until many decades later, when I fortunately understood the ascension to duke, that I grasped the terrifying fact he had spoken about, which extinguished any fantasies I had about prolonging the bloodline and preventing degeneration thereafter.
He said, the royal family of the Sophia, when converted into the realm’s standards of the eight major bloodlines, refers to individuals above the count, who not only master multiple lineage abilities but also have a probability of awakening a whole new power, and the stronger the ability, the more likely it is to appear. Would you like to know what it is…?
At this point, the old matriarch paused, her gaze drifting toward Wan Yue, seemingly waiting for her response.
Wan Yue smiled slightly and softly replied: “I understand.”
The old matriarch nodded, a flicker of imperceptible light shining in her eyes: “Good, then let’s continue.”
Wan Yue nodded, her gaze firmly fixed on the distance, as if she had begun to see the dawn of the future.
…
It wasn’t until many decades later, after I grasped the ascension to duke, that I understood the full implications of what he had revealed and subsequently extinguished any fantasies I had about extending the bloodline and preventing degeneration.
He said the royal family of the Sophia, when recalibrated to the thresholds of the eight major bloodlines, refers to persons above the count, who, aside from mastering multiple lineage abilities, also have a certain probability of awakening an entirely new capability, and the stronger the ability, the more likely it is to manifest. Would you like to know what it is…?
At this point, the old matriarch paused once again, her gaze fixed on Wan Yue, seemingly waiting for her answer.
Wan Yue smiled slightly, softly responding: “I understand.”
The old matriarch nodded, her eyes gleaming with a hint of unnoticeable excitement: “Good, then let’s continue.”
Wan Yue nodded, her demeanor resolute as she looked into the distance, as though she had already glimpsed the light of dawn awaiting them.
…
He stated that the Sophia royal family, when translated into the standards of the eight major bloodlines, equates to those above the count; besides mastering multiple lineage abilities, there’s a certain probability they might awaken a new ability, which becomes more probable with increasing strength. Do you want to know what that is…?
At this moment, the old matriarch once again paused, her gaze searching Wan Yue’s face, as if expecting her answer.
Wan Yue smiled, her voice barely above a whisper: “I understand.”
The old matriarch nodded, pleased, and this time, there was a glimmer of unmistakable light in her eyes: “Wonderful, now let’s continue.”
Wan Yue nodded, her gaze resolute as she stared toward the horizon, almost feeling the dawn of a promising future before her.
…
He said that the royal family of Sophia, according to the eight major bloodlines’ standards, represents individuals above the count. Alongside mastering multiple bloodline abilities, there is a high probability of manifesting entirely new powers, especially as strength increases. Would you like to know what those abilities might be…?
The old matriarch paused, her gaze locked with Wan Yue’s, waiting for her response.
Wan Yue smiled softly, lightly murmuring, “I believe I understand.”
The old matriarch nodded, a flicker of intent in her eyes. “Then we shall continue.”
Wan Yue nodded again, determination filling her gaze as she focused on the distant horizon, as if already envisioning the dawn of an impending future.
