Miss Yun slowly rose from the ground.
Perhaps because her voice was too soft and devoid of much emotion, the story sounded somewhat dull.
About ten years ago.
The Cheng Family was a wealthy and influential household in Black Water City, with close ties to the Government Office.
Relying on this connection, they held a firm grip on the city’s medicinal herb business.
The family head perhaps suffered from some hidden ailment; despite having a harem of wives and concubines, he was without an heir, having only one daughter whom he doted on as the apple of his eye.
One day, the young son of a certain master from the County Yamen came to the Cheng Family as a guest, accompanied by his elders.
He snuck into the back courtyard and, from across a high wall, saw a bright and lovely girl perched on top of it.
Their eyes met, and they both couldn’t help but laugh.
The two young children ran out of the Cheng Family estate together. Growing bored of playing in the city, they suggested going to see the Black River outside the city walls.
Rumor had it that a flood dragon was blocking the river, sealing off the entire city, a story that caused quite a stir at the time.
However, most people treated it as a joke.
They arrived at the riverbank.
With a single, slightly goading question from the young miss, the young master—who boasted of his swimming skills yet was just as naive—stripped off his clothes in a flash and, with a SPLASH, jumped in to investigate.
And then... he never came back up.
The Cheng Family’s livelihood depended on the Government Office; this relationship could not be broken.
No matter how precious the apple of their eye was, she couldn’t compare to the business that over a hundred members of the family depended on for survival.
"So you’re the Cheng Family’s runaway young miss?"
Lin Shu lifted his eyelids, looking at the woman before him.
Miss Yun lowered her gaze, a faint trace of envy flashing in her eyes.
’If I want my benefactor to spare me, I have to show that I’m valuable enough.’
’For instance, I could promise that once that master from the Government Office’s lingering anger has completely subsided...’
’...as long as I’m returned to the Cheng Family, they would provide enough Elixirs to support my benefactor’s Cultivation.’
Unfortunately...
She really wasn’t her.
"My father was a guard for the Cheng Family, and I was the young miss’s companion servant."
"When we went to the Black River, there were actually three of us. The young miss was shy, so she brought me along."
Miss Yun lifted her face, a faint, helpless smile on her lips.
With that smile, the entire story changed.
If the young miss couldn’t die, then someone had to die in her place.
The Cheng Family couldn’t afford to offend that master, so they had to rewrite the story.
So the young miss who should have been on the wall was instead described as studying diligently inside her room.
The one who mischievously climbed the courtyard wall became the servant girl who was taking the opportunity to slack off.
To make the story more plausible.
This greedy servant girl heard that a young master was visiting.
She even stole the young miss’s fine clothes and wore them, hoping to use this chance to attract his attention and marry into a better life.
Perhaps it was because she happened to be passably pretty.
The son of the master from the Government Office was actually lured out of the Cheng Family estate by her.
The events that followed didn’t need much changing.
They only needed to pin what the young miss did on the servant girl.
Of course.
The life of a mere lowly servant was naturally not enough to quell the anger of the master from the Government Office.
So her father, the guard, and her mother, the maidservant—her entire family—were neatly strangled to death in their courtyard!
The details didn’t need to be perfectly logical; after all, it was just a way to save face.
What truly mattered was the huge offering of Treasure Medicine for Cultivation they presented—a sum so large that even with the Cheng Family’s vast resources, it would have been a painful loss.
"Then why are you still alive?" Lin Shu’s eyes flickered.
According to her story, the servant girl’s parents were dead, yet the most important person—the girl herself—had escaped. It didn’t quite add up.
Miss Yun was silent for a moment, and ripples finally appeared in her soft voice. "Because I never went back."
Everything that happened afterward was what she had slowly gathered information about over the years.
"The young miss treated me very well. I was the only servant she kept by her side, and she told me everything. Besides, my whole family lived on the Cheng Family’s food."
"By all rights, I should have died for her."
"But when we discovered the young master had died in the river, we both panicked. In that instant, she glanced at me while crying."
It was that single glance that gave the young Miss Yun a sudden premonition.
She took a deep breath, calming her emotions. "When the young miss was pulling me back toward East City, I suddenly pushed her and ran south without looking back. I had heard my teacher say that the South Suburbs were the most chaotic place."
Lin Shu pursed his lips.
Even dressed as a widow to appear more mature, Miss Yun looked to be in her early twenties, though she was likely even younger.
Ten years ago, she was just a little girl who had yet to grow up.
To encounter such a major incident in such a short time.
Not only had she analyzed the consequences, sensed the young miss’s intentions, but she had even clearly thought out how to escape.
It made the whole affair sound a bit absurd.
Thinking of this, Lin Shu glanced sideways at the bundle on the bed.
’I’m a seasoned veteran of the world, yet this afternoon, I also just gave her one extra look.’
’And this woman was already prepared to flee.’
He wouldn’t believe it if someone told him this wasn’t some kind of talent.
"Because I escaped, the story the Cheng Family fabricated not only failed to deceive that master, but it enraged him even further. In the end, not only did they have to pay for the medicines, but the young miss also paid with her life for the young master’s."
Miss Yun slowly recounted the end of the story.
This was equivalent to placing her life in Lin Shu’s hands.
She knew what her benefactor was wary of was her identity.
So, as for how she survived in the South Suburbs afterward, how much she suffered, how terrified she was, and how she gradually grew accustomed to such a life...
...Miss Yun glossed over these details, trying to keep her tone as calm as possible.
The sadness in her voice earlier was mostly from recalling the past.
Because of her cowardly escape, her parents had died a horrible death on the spot without even knowing why.
Yet she couldn’t even collect their bodies for a proper burial.
"Actually, the old woman and she treated me very well. They were good people."
Miss Yun recalled being targeted by villains, forced to flee to West City, and nearly collapsing outside this Old Woodshed.
She had stumbled into the courtyard and, guided by a faint, almost imperceptible aura, barged into the child’s room and saw the rice paste on the table.
When she woke up the next day, the first thing she saw was the old woman, who immediately ordered her to go empty the chamber pot.
At the time, Miss Yun was a little nervous.
But with nowhere else to go, she soon discovered that the old woman wasn’t entirely lucid and gladly accepted this new identity.
This was also why she felt she owed this family earlier.
"I..."
Miss Yun took a long breath and looked across at him anxiously. "Can I still stay here?"
Nearly two years of peaceful life had made her almost forget how to survive in the South Suburbs.
"Whatever. It’s up to you."
Lin Shu stood up, responding softly as he reached out and picked up the infant from the bed.
He had only wanted to use Miss Yun’s explanation to compare it with what the young girl had said earlier, so he could judge the danger level of this Immortal Descendant scion.
Her story was far too easy to verify. Since it involved an influential family and the Government Office, he could discern its truthfulness with just a few inquiries.
Unless the woman didn’t want to live anymore, there was no need for her to fabricate such a clumsy story.
Now that his objective was achieved, and since there was no relationship between them to begin with...
...Lin Shu had no interest in using this matter to coerce Miss Yun into doing anything.
’Whether she wants to go or stay, why does she need to ask me?’
Besides, the Immortal Aura came from the scion itself.
This Old Woodshed had already lost its value.
Whether she stayed or not, he certainly wouldn’t be staying long.
"Thank you, benefactor!"
Miss Yun was stunned for a moment, then surprise flooded her face.
Given her benefactor’s earlier actions, she had thought she and the Immortal Descendant would likely receive the same treatment.
She never expected him to let her off so easily.
For someone who had been wandering and fleeing for her life, having a place to stay in the relatively more stable West City was the greatest blessing.
She bowed deeply, then watched him return to the side room.
Back in his room.
Lin Shu sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the sleeping scion, and gave it a shake.
Black energy once again surged from his fingertip as he tried to pierce the creature’s crystal-clear cheek.
His finger felt as if it were poking a soft, supple piece of gelatin; it was tender and elastic, but he just couldn’t break through.
"Ridiculous."
Seeing this, Lin Shu couldn’t help but marvel.
’If my own Physique had this kind of defensive power, I’d even be able to sleep much more soundly at night.’
He held the Immortal Descendant up to his chest, sizing it up.
’If I strapped it to my chest as a heart-guard during Magical Combat... tsk. Setting aside how ridiculous that would look, it doesn’t seem very practical either.’
While Miss Yun had been telling her story,
Lin Shu had actually been investigating the extra drop of Essence Blood inside his body.
It didn’t seem to be a contract of any sort, but more like the scion unilaterally giving up its resistance and guard.
Not only could he sense the Immortal Descendant’s thoughts and condition, but he could also actively force the Essence Blood out of his body to sever the connection.
Beyond that, he could even issue simple commands, such as...
"Hold your breath!"
As Lin Shu’s Heart Thought stirred, the scion’s snores abruptly stopped. Then, as time passed, its pale, tender face gradually turned red.
He waited quietly for a while.
’Can’t it suffocate to death?’
After the scion’s face turned purple, it suddenly started gasping for air, and Lin Shu roughly understood how to use the Essence Blood.
The creature would instinctively obey his commands, but not beyond its body’s physical limits.
If it couldn’t be destroyed...
Lin Shu’s expression grew solemn. Then he would have to seriously consider how to deal with this thing.
After all, why was the status of Cultivators in Black Water City so high?
It was because Immortal Relics were incredibly rare finds, and the aura on them would disappear once an Immortal Technique was comprehended from it.
Someone who had never been exposed to the corresponding Immortal Aura could never learn the Immortal Technique that originated from it.
But before him was a living, breathing "Immortal Relic"!

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