Chapter 61: The Weeping Wen Xinyun

Wen Yang nodded and said, "If it wasn't a state of suspended animation, how could you have been born inside a coffin?"

"They always said I had a strong life force…" Wen Xinyun shook her head in disbelief. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, "Then what about my mother?"

"She disappeared," Wen Yang replied.

"Disappeared?" Wen Xinyun's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, after you were born, the family head, Wen Ting, discovered that your mother's 'corpse' was missing. Instead of informing everyone immediately, he covered up her grave and pretended not to know anything," Wen Yang explained.

"Why would he do that?" Wen Xinyun asked angrily, her tear-streaked face cold as she glared at Wen Yang.

Wen Yang let out a cold chuckle. "Do you know who was originally supposed to be the head of the Wen family?"

Wen Xinyun shook her head slowly.

"It was your father!"

"Although your father wasn't as astonishingly talented as your mother, he was still a once-in-a-millennium genius. The position of family head was undoubtedly his—no one could take it from him."

"Unless he gave it up voluntarily," Wen Yang sighed.

Wen Xinyun loosened her grip on Wen Yang, her expression filled with sorrow. "Was it because of my mother?"

Wen Yang nodded. "The family head of the Wen clan bears the responsibility of overseeing the entire realm and, on top of that, searching for the whereabouts of the Painted-Skin Scholar. Your father would have been incredibly busy. To take care of your mother, he resolutely declined the position and handed it over to Wen Ting."

"If my father willingly gave up the position, why did Wen Ting still treat my parents this way?" Wen Xinyun fumed.

"Wen Xinyun, there's a saying in this world: great kindness can turn into deep resentment."

"Wen Ting was a genius in his own right, but he was overshadowed by your father his entire life. He never had the power to resist. Even when he pursued your mother, he lost miserably. And when it came to the position of family head, he didn't even have the chance to compete."

"Then, your father handed the position to him as if he were giving alms. With Wen Ting's vindictive nature, he probably hated your father for it. That's why he did all those things to your parents—and to you."

Wen Yang's voice was soft but heavy with meaning.

"That's just his own twisted mindset!" Wen Xinyun gritted her teeth. "My father never even regarded him as a rival."

"Exactly. But Wen Ting, with his distorted heart, saw your father as his greatest obstacle. And once he became the family head, he and your so-called uncle worked together to seize everything that should have belonged to you. That's why you suffered through those miserable ten years." Wen Yang's tone was full of guilt.

"Heh, what's the point of saying all this now?" Wen Xinyun sneered. "You're only telling me these things because I've awakened my heterochromatic eyes. You want me to go back and help you break the seal, don't you?"

Wen Yang nodded honestly. "I won't deny it. The Wen family has been trapped in the sealed realm for five thousand years. Countless Tenth Ban ancestors remain imprisoned there. The world is about to enter an era of great upheaval. You are this generation's Heterochromic One. Naturally, we want you to consider it."

Wen Xinyun's face turned pale. She refused outright. "I will never disperse my cultivation for the Wen family. Don't even think about it."

Wen Yang explained earnestly, "I understand that this is a difficult request, but please reconsider. Five thousand years of effort, the sacrifices of fifty generations of Heterochromic Ones… And if you do choose to disperse your cultivation, the Wen family will offer you a celestial fruit left behind by the Painted-Skin Scholar. It has been growing for five thousand years, and consuming it will fully restore your cultivation without any side effects."

But Wen Xinyun remained unmoved, shaking her head.

Wen Yang sighed. "I know it's hard for you to accept. But I have some information about your mother. If you agree, I will tell you everything."

Wen Xinyun's gaze turned sharp. "Are you using my mother's whereabouts to threaten me?"

Wen Yang shook his head. "This is not a threat—it's a plea. The Wen family has wronged you, but five thousand years of effort, countless generations of sacrifice… We cannot simply give up. That is why I ask this of you."

Wen Xinyun was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Her chest heaved as she stared at Wen Yang, struggling to make a decision.

At that moment, in the vast and silent Hall of the Sect Master, a voice echoed.

"Wen Xinyun, you've been talking long enough. Come have tea with me."

The moment she heard the familiar voice of her martial uncle, Lin Jiufeng, Wen Xinyun felt an immense sense of relief. Her mind, which had been in turmoil, instantly calmed.

"Understood, Martial Uncle," she responded respectfully.

Without a second thought, Wen Xinyun turned and left, ignoring Wen Yang completely.

Wen Yang did not try to stop her. He simply watched her departing figure, lost in thought.

"So, that voice belonged to Lin Jiufeng, the one rumored to have touched the Tenth Ban… Looks like our guess was correct. He must have been watching this entire time, yet I never sensed his presence."

As a peak Ninth Ban cultivator, Wen Yang was astonished.

"If even I couldn't detect him, Lin Jiufeng must be truly formidable…"

Hidden Scripture Pavilion – Tea Room

Lin Jiufeng and the white fox had watched Wen Xinyun and Wen Yang's conversation from start to finish.

Both of them were astounded.

"So, the Wen clan had such a history after all," the white fox remarked. "No wonder they're so determined to bring Wen Xinyun back."

"She is this generation's Heterochromic One—an invaluable existence. The Wen family must have her," Lin Jiufeng noted.

"That's why they're willing to go to such lengths," the white fox added.

After hearing everything, Lin Jiufeng's thoughts turned elsewhere.

"So the Wen clan's ancestor was once the Painted-Skin Scholar's follower…"

"The sealed realm of the Wen family was a gift from the Painted-Skin Scholar, and even now, they are still searching for his whereabouts."

Lin Jiufeng was familiar with the name.

Five thousand years ago, the Painted-Skin Scholar had been one of the Ten Sovereigns, a master of illusionary paintings with an undefeated record.

But five thousand years ago, the Ten Sovereigns entered the Fallen Immortal Tomb.

Before that, the Painted-Skin Scholar had given the sealed realm to the Wen clan's ancestor—and then vanished, never to be seen again.

"But who sealed the Wen clan's realm?"

"And why?"

Lin Jiufeng was deeply puzzled.

For five thousand years, the Wen clan had sacrificed fifty generations of Heterochromic Ones to weaken the seal just enough for Ninth Ban cultivators to escape. But Tenth Ban cultivators still remained trapped inside.

Over the centuries, many powerful Tenth Ban cultivators must have accumulated within the sealed realm, all eager to break free.

And with the world on the verge of a new era of conflict, the Wen family's desperation to escape made perfect sense.

As Lin Jiufeng was lost in thought, Wen Xinyun arrived at the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

Her eyes were red, her nose sniffled, and the moment she saw Lin Jiufeng, tears welled up once more.

"Martial Uncle—" Wen Xinyun cried out, her voice trembling with grievance.

She rushed into Lin Jiufeng's embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Jiufeng patted her gently on the shoulder, his voice filled with warmth.

"I'm here. Don't be afraid. I will protect you."