The Mind-Loss Wine 1

Now that Harry had proactively sought her out, Gu Wenzhu realized that Ryan held no real status within the House Stark.

Because of this, Gu Wenzhu felt emboldened to belittle Ryan, insulting him time and again. She didn't believe Harry would stand up for a "wasteful" son over a few words of argument.

However, she never expected that the "waste" she had so despised would suddenly transform into a genius.

Hearing this, Ryan's body trembled with disbelief. He could not fathom why his father, whom he had always respected, would secretly take such measures against him. He couldn't understand why Harry would do this. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to confront Harry and demand an explanation.

For years, Ryan had not expected much from his family, but Harry's actions made him feel deeply betrayed.

But for now, he decided to deal with Gu Wenzhu first. With that thought, he was about to strike a lethal blow, but Silver Moon's voice rang in his mind, stopping him.

"Wait. If you kill her here, there might be some trouble."

"Trouble? What trouble?" Ryan asked, confused.

"It's nothing major, just that there's a rule on the continent—no one is allowed to commit murder in towns, especially Elementalists. If you want to act in a town, you have to do it in the arena. Once in the arena, it's a free-for-all, life or death." Silver Moon explained. "Killing her here, no one would suspect you, but your sister had a confrontation with her earlier. It might cause problems…" Silver Moon trailed off.

"What? There's such a rule? I've never heard of it before." Ryan exclaimed.

"Ha! Ridiculous. What would it matter to you? Who would believe that a waste like you could kill someone?" Silver Moon sneered.

Ryan thought for a moment. "True, who would believe someone like me could kill?" he muttered.

"Then we let her go?" Ryan asked, still unsure. "She knows my identity now."

Silver Moon, uninterested, replied, "What's the problem? We have ways of dealing with her. Haven't you forgotten the Mind-Loss Wine I had you make? This is its time to shine."

Ryan's eyes brightened as he remembered. Of course! The Mind-Loss Wine didn't just drive people mad—it erased all their memories, including their identity.

Without hesitation, Ryan struck Gu Wenzhu on the back of her head, knocking her unconscious before she could react.

As she fell, Ryan took out a wine jar from the space inside his pendant and opened the seal. He poured the contents into Gu Wenzhu's mouth, muttering, "Drink up, I'm going to make sure you get your fill today."

"Ah, enough already. You don't need to go that far. You're really wasting it," Silver Moon interrupted in his mind. She could feel his frustration, and although she understood it, she also saw the wastefulness of Ryan's actions.

Hearing Silver Moon's voice, Ryan finally stopped pouring and took the wine jar back, standing still with a slight sadness in his eyes.

Noticing the emotional shift in Ryan, Silver Moon spoke again, "You're going to dwell on this little matter? It's no big deal. You have no blood relation to the House Stark, so why would you be surprised at what Harry did?"

Ryan froze, his expression shifting. "What did you say? Say that again?"

Silver Moon responded nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter how many times I say it—you have no blood relation to the House Stark. If you don't believe me, try channeling your element into the pendant."

Ryan took the pendant from his neck and channeled water elemental energy into it. At that moment, the center of the snowflake-shaped pendant glowed with a blue "Lin" character.

Before Ryan could ask, Silver Moon continued, "If I'm not mistaken, your real name is probably not Ryan but Lin Feng."

"How do you know this?" Ryan asked urgently.

Silver Moon chuckled. "I've known from the start. I couldn't detect any blood connection between you and the House Stark. Even with your sister Leah, there's no trace. I didn't tell you before because you were too young. What good would it have done you to know?"

"Then what else do you know? Tell me everything," Ryan demanded, feeling a deep need for the truth.

Silver Moon paused before answering, "I only know what I've told you. As for the rest, it's up to you to figure out. But remember, the more you know without enough strength, the faster you'll die. Also, if you want to find your true family, protect the pendant and yourself."

"Why?" Ryan asked, confused.

"Because when you fought the dragon and broke through, I sensed a familiar blood aura coming from you. I'm sure your mother left a drop of her blood in the pendant. It will instinctively help you when you're in danger. But as it helps, it also consumes that blood. If it's used up, finding your real mother becomes impossible." Silver Moon explained.

"By the way, the mysterious, unknowable part of the pendant you asked about before? That's where your mother's blood is stored, which is why it feels familiar to you."

Ryan finally understood. It had always been his mother silently watching over him. With a quiet sense of gratitude, he carefully placed the pendant back around his neck.

Now, more than ever, he needed to learn the truth about his origins. There was no other way but to go to his adoptive parents to find the answers. With that thought, Ryan quickly slipped out and made his way toward the House Stark.