The Long Family’s Second Son (2)
Translator: Mr Voltaire
Editor: Allenwa
“What else do you know?” Ling Chen asked. Li Xiao Xue’s answer didn’t answer how she knew he was Tian Ya from back then.
Li Xiao Xue’s expression became calm, with a hint of melancholy. She softly replied, “That poor boy was born in the most powerful family, and should have lived a life of riches and fame. However, fate played a cruel joke on him. As someone who possessed that family’s bloodline, not only did he not enjoy what was rightfully his, he was isolated and rejected. His grandfather and father did not celebrate his birth or spread the news. Rather, they tried to suppress the information so that outsiders would not find out, and so that the truth would be forever sealed. However, in the end, he was still part of the Long family, and wasn’t abused or malnourished. However, his seniors never acknowledged his identity, and barely anyone came to see him.
“Within the family, his identity was a secret known by all. However, no one dared to tell this to an outsider. Although he was a son of the Long family, his own relatives cast him aside, making everyone else feel quite curious. They knew he was someone who should not have been born, and that his existence didn’t bring any joy to the Long family. Instead, he was like a thorn in the side of the Long family. It was possible that he would be disposed of one day. As such, even the lowest maids and butlers avoided him, and didn’t treat him with respect, only pity.”
Li Xiao Xue looked at Ling Chen’s expressionless face as she continued, “It’s incomprehensible why people would do this to their own flesh and blood. Back then, my grandpa tried to analyse this matter. He thought that perhaps it was because the Long family always only had 1 successor. Before that boy, the Long family already had Long Tian Yun, and his birth caused the Long family to fall into chaos. In China, because of the rapidly growing population, there has always been a strict birth policy. This policy was created by the Long family, so they themselves must adhere to it. If it was revealed that the Long family had a second son, there would be an uproar all over China, causing irreparable damage to their reputation.
“Another possible reason is that perhaps his mother was of a low status, which was why the Long family did not want to admit the boy’s birth. Furthermore, it was possible that the Long family was worried that these 2 successors would fight between themselves to inherit the Long family, and in order to avoid this, they steeled their hearts and neglected him, so as to prevent him from gaining the power to challenge Long Tian Yun.”
Ling Chen remained silent.
“All of these reasons were hypotheses thought up by my grandpa. After thinking about it, he couldn’t find any other reasons. However, the fact that that boy was Long Zheng Yang’s biological son, and possesses the pure bloodline of the Long family is indisputable. Would you be able to tell me the true story that my grandpa was unable to find out?” Li Xiao Xue asked as she looked at Ling Chen.
Ling Chen shook his head, his expression terrifyingly peaceful, “I have even less of an idea.”
“Oh?” Li Xiao Xue was quite surprised, then smiled as she said, “If your father knew that the person he feared most was-”
“I have no father!” Ling Chen coldly cut her off.
“Alright,” Li Xiao Xue scratched her head.
“You’re very intelligent,” Ling Chen said as he looked at Li Xiao Xue, “You bound yourself to me through what happened last time we met, making me lower my guard… Otherwise, I would kill you to silence you for what you just said. I won’t deny the things you said, because I don’t want to lie, nor do I want you to think that I’m still affected by those things. On the contrary, I’ve long since stopped caring about what happened during those years. In fact, I rejoice that they treated me that way, so I could leave that place with no regrets. Now, the only thing I feel for the Long family is hatred… but that hatred has nothing to do with how I was treated during those years. As for a father… I’ve never had one!”
“Then what about your mother?” Li Xiao Xue suddenly asked.
“… She died. She died when I was 1 year old. I’ve never met her, and I don’t even know what she looked like, what she was called, or how she died.” Ling Chen self-mockingly laughed, “However, none of this matters to me. You can just assume that I jumped out from a rock, and have no parents.”
“Oh…so it’s like that…” Li Xiao Xue said as she nodded. A look of hesitation appeared in her eyes as she decided not to say what she was going to say next. Instead, she changed the topic, “I’m sure you know how you went missing, right? Mm… I’m already your woman, so I have the right to know this secret, right? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“Back then, I was infected with the Isrock Disease, but not through normal means. It was through Long Tian Yun stabbing me with an infected needle.” Ling Chen said slowly as he narrowed his eyes. Back then, it was this hatred that allowed him to make it through his years in Heaven. Talking about it now, he felt extremely calm, “Afterwards, I was put in quarantine. One night, I was put in a sack and buried alive hundreds of kilometres away.”
Li Xiao Xue’s hands trembled as a hint of rage flashed in her eyes. She took a step forwards and grabbed Ling Chen’s right arm with her right hand as she hurriedly asked, “What happened after that… why didn’t you die? Did someone save you? And how was your Isrock Disease cured?”
“When I was being buried alive, I was only conscious for part of the time. I heard from the 2 people who were burying me the truth, so I didn’t allow myself to die, and vowed to take revenge… as such, I lived on. When I was dug up, I had already been buried for 2 days and 2 nights… afterwards, I was sent to a place more terrifying than hell.”
Speaking to there, Ling Chen did not continue. He wouldn’t tell Li Xiao Xue the rest. Li Xiao Xue was smart enough not to ask, and the hand holding Ling Chen’s arm tightened as she said, “You’re so young, and yet you have such terrifying strength and such a monstrous body… I’ll never be able to imagine what you experienced during those years.”
“With your Li family’s intelligence network, I’m not surprised that you knew about my existence back then. This is a well-known secret among some of China’s highest officials. However, how could you know that I’m that person?! Everyone knows that once you contract the Isrock Disease, you’ll have no hope of surviving! Even if I didn’t disappear back then, I still would have died. How could you possibly think that I’m someone who’s dead? Did you find some sort of clue on my body?” Ling Chen asked.
“In this world, there’s no such thing as a secret that can be kept forever,” Li Xiao Xue said, “First and foremost, it was because of my instincts as a woman!”
Ling Chen’s eyes twitched, “I-Instict?”
“That’s right,” Li Xiao Xue matter-of-factly nodded, “Sometimes, a woman’s instinct is the most terrifying thing in the world.”
“Even if it was originally because of your instincts, surely you have some concrete proof!” Ling Chen said with a strange expression.
“Concrete proof… for example, the Sword Emperor. I knew that she knew your true identity.” Speaking to there, Li Xiao Xue glanced at Ling Chen’s reaction, then gave a meaningful smile, “The strange reaction between you and the Sword Emperor during your battle, and the fact that the Sword Emperor suddenly carried you out of the Long family’s residence that night, and did not return, gave me an idea. From my reports, that girl seems gentle and weak on the outside, but has an incredibly tough interior. She’s also a completely love-sick girl, and the feelings she had from when she was 10 are still engraved on her heart. In fact, she wanted to destroy her entire life for a certain little boy, and sealed off all her emotions. Only that Tian Ya could make her react so strongly, right? What do you think?”
“I’m sure that if you realised this, the Long family would also realise that. However, it’s common knowledge that anyone who contracts the Isrock Disease will die without a doubt, so it’s impossible for the Long family to think that it’s me. Why would you think I’m that person?” Ling Chen asked as he looked at her.
“The most conclusive evidence…” Li Xiao Xue rested her chin on her hand as she earnestly thought, then shook her head, “In order not to provoke an exaggerated reaction from you, I won’t tell you just yet. However, I’m sure you’ll find out soon.”
“In that case, tell me your goal.” Ling Chen didn’t continue asking, and instead changed the topic, “You want to take advantage of my hatred to use me to kill or cripple Long Tian Yun, then reveal my own identity. At that time, I’ll become the Long family’s only successor, and may be able to control the Long family after some years. You then want to bind the Li family and the Long family together through me.”
“You’re completely correct.” Li Xiao Xue beamed.
“However, there’s something you didn’t take into account,” Ling Chen slowly shook his head, “I have no interest in power! As for returning to the Long family… I have even less interest in that. In fact, after venting out my hatred, I want to get away from them as much as possible.
“Of course I know all of this.” Surprisingly, Li Xiao Xue laughed, “If Long Tian Yun truly died or was crippled, in order not to become the greatest sinner of the Long family, Long Zheng Yang would have to beg you to succeed the Long family, even if he had to kneel down. However, you only possess hatred towards the Long family, and will definitely refuse. There are countless people who desire the power that the Long family possesses, but to you, you would rather die. As such, as your woman, how could I let you suffer like that? All you need to do is vent out your hatred and kill or cripple that Long Tian Yun. As for succeeding the Long family…” Li Xiao Xue placed her hands on her abdomen as she gently said, “Leave that to our child.”
Pffft…
Ling Chen’s legs weakened as he fell to the ground.
He had thought about the ‘battle’ with Li Xiao Xue the entire night. He knew that Li Xiao Xue had some sort of goal, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. How could she have let him do such a thing? And now… he found that he not only had slept with Li Xiao Xue, but had fallen into a massive trap!