Chapter 575: A New Family Member
The sudden introduction of a younger cousin made Jian Chen feel quite complex. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or worried.
Yet, Jian Chen felt like rejoicing over his decision to not drive out Yun Lian from his room in the inn. If he had, then Yun Lian would have definitely suffered at the hands of her father, who would have done all that he could to extract the battle skill from her. If he was willing to treat his wife that way, he would treat his daughter in a similar fashion. The Yun family was a small one after all, and an Earth Tier Battle Skill was far too important.
Yun Lian’s mother had most likely wanted no pressure to befall her daughter, so she had never told her a single thing about the Bi family. Until Yun Lian had met Jian Chen, she had never known the true identity of her mother.
The demise of Bi Yunhai had given Bi Yuntian a tremendous amount of grief, but the fact that her daughter was still alive gave her some solace. Her treatment of Yun Lian would be the same as if she was taking care of her own son. Although Yun Lian was not her own flesh and blood, Bi Yuntian would treat her as if she was with all the love and care she possessed.
Afterward, Bi Yuntian slowly started to explain the history of the Bi family to Yun Lian so that she could understand why her mother had never told her anything about her past. What Yun Lian couldn’t believe was that her deceased mother was once the direct descendant of a powerful family.
The three of them remained within the room for more than two hours, giving them all plenty of time to recover from any residual grief.
“Xiang’er, treat her as you would your sister. With your power, you must ensure that your protect her. Don’t let your cousin suffer any more. She has already suffered enough.” Bi Yuntian made a request to Jian Chen.
Jian Chen nodded with a serious but honest expression as he pledged, “Mother, don’t you worry. I will definitely protect Yun Lian. I won’t let her feel anymore grievances.”
Yun Lian’s mind was sent into a flux once more when she heard Jian Chen’s words. She felt as if she was in a dream that was far too mystical to even be a dream. In the span of four hours, her identity had experienced a tremendous transformation. This to her was something that she had a hard time stomaching.
The Imperial Protector of the Gesun Kingdom, Changyang Xiangtian, was the person she had regarded the most. However, he was a figure she could only look at and not touch. Now, he was suddenly her older cousin, and he had even pledged to protect her from any harm or sorrow. Yun Lian really felt as if she had suddenly been transported into a dreamworld.
Softly pulling at Yun Lian’s hand, Bi Yuntian said, “Lian’er, your father treated your mother and you inhumanely. Forsake your last name of Yun and return to your roots as a member of Bi. Starting from today, you should take on the surname of Bi. Call yourself Bi Lian. You will be a member of the Changyang clan, and will have nothing more to do with the Yun family.”
Hesitating for the longest time, Yun Lian finally nodded her head before replying meekly, “Aunty, I understand. But wouldn’t the other members of the Changyang clan see me as an outsider?” There was concern on her face.
A faint smile appeared on Bi Yuntian’s face. “Good good, you will now go by the name Bi Lian. Lian’er, you needn’t worry about a thing. With your cousin, no one will dare bully you. You don’t even need to worry about the other members from the Changyang clan. From the outside, it would seem that the power of the clan resides within the master of the household or the abdicated elders. I reality, it is your cousin that holds all of the power. Not a single person would dare ignore his words. Even the king of the Gesun Kingdom is no exception.”
Once more, Bi Lian felt shocked at Bi Yuntian’s words before turning to Jian Chen. She knew that Jian Chen held supreme status within the Gesun Kingdom, but she didn’t think that his status would be the same within the clan itself, especially if he reigned over the family head and the elders.
Pulling Bi Lian up, Bi Yuntian said, “Lian’er, it’s getting late. Why don’t we go eat a meal. I can introduce you to my husband and Chang Bai. Given some time, your aunty will take you to the imperial palace to see your uncle. Your uncle works as the captain commander of the imperial palace, so unless there is something important, he won’t come to visit.”
Hearing that her uncle was the captain commander of the Gesun Kingdom, Bi Lian could really cement the fact that in a short few hours, her status had made a world-turning change. Being the golden daughter to the Yun family couldn’t even compare.
Yet, this change had been too sudden. She found it hard to react.
“If my mother had known that aunty was alive and well, then perhaps she wouldn’t have died.” Bi Lian thought to herself.
Afterward, Jian Chen and his mother led Bi Lian to the dining halls for a meal. At the table, Bi Lian came across the family head and his other wives. Bi Yuntian revealed Bi Lian’s identity to them, but she had not go in depth with the matters relating to the Bi family. She only revealed that Bi Lian was the daughter of her long-lost sister.
Everyone was receptive to Bi Lian without a single objection. Everything was all due to the outstanding son of Bi Yuntian after all.
The meal was exuberantly cheerful, and Changyang Ba, Ling Long, and Yu Fengyan treated Bi Lian very amiably. The only one that acted unnaturally was third aunt Bai Yushuang.
The third aunt was someone that Jian Chen didn’t even feel like greeting nowadays. Since his childhood, she had always objected to him and fought him over everything. When he had just returned to the Changyang clan, the third aunt had exploded to the point of being unable to stand him. If not for the fact that she was his aunt, Jian Chen wouldn’t have forgiven her.
After the meal, Bi Yuntian led Bi Lian to her very own room while Jian Chen walked by himself to his own building in the compound to rest.
Night quickly gave way to day. In the morning, Jian Chen said his farewells to Changyang Ba before taking Bi Yuntian and Bi Lian into the air. They headed away from the manor toward the Blue Wind Kingdom.
Bi Yuntian harbored a very deep hatred for the one that had killed her younger sister. Without listening to anyone, she wanted Jian Chen to bring her to the Blue Wind Kingdom, so she take revenge. Unable to compromise, Jian Chen could only look helplessly from the side before agreeing to take her to the Blue Wind Kingdom.
After several hours of flight, Jian Chen returned to the same inn in Fengyang City. At that moment, Ming Dong, You Yue, Tie Ta, and Dugu Feng were all stepping out from the inn.
When they saw that Jian Chen had quickly returned, they were excited to see him. When their eyes landed on Bi Yuntian beside him, they looked at her in bewilderment.
“Ah, mother-in-law, what brings you here?” You Yue asked the white-robed but graceful Bi Yuntian a question from her surprise.
Bi Yuntian smiled and exchanged several words of greeting to You Yue before turning back to Jian Chen. With impatience, she said, “Xiang’er, where is the murderer of my younger sister?”
Turning to Dugu Feng, Jian Chen commanded, “Bring out the head of the Yun family.”
Soon enough, the thin and sallow figure of the head of the Yun family was brought out by Dugu Feng. When she saw the killer of her sister, Bi Yuntian was unable to maintain her composure. Thus, she immediately started to kick at the man with fury.
“You immoral beast! Sister Yunhai was undoubtedly a treasure to behold by you, yet you failed to cherish the treasure that was my sister! Even worse, you beat her to death? I will make you pay for that crime with your life!” Bi Yuntian wailed in anguish as she furiously beat the man. When she thought back to her closest younger sister she and how she had been killed by this man, she could only feel anguish.
Bi Yuntian’s actions caused Ming Dong, You Yue, Dugu Feng, and Tie Ta to look on with wide eyes and open mouths. Absolutely bewildered, they could only stare at her and then at each other, but not a single one of them knew what to do or say.
The still-mourning Yun Lian was unable to stop herself as well. With both feet, she continued to kick at the head of her father while crying incessantly.
“Stop! Lian’er, I am your father! I may have done wrong with your mother, but you cannot treat me this way! I am your father, your family! Your father has done wrong, your father wishes to apologize! Please forgive your father; if you don’t give your father the antidote, your father will die from this poison!” He cried out with his head on the ground. With his body extremely battered and the poison having already taken root, he had lost the most basic of motor functions in his body. The only way he would survive now would be if his daughter gave him the antidote.
“You aren’t fit to be my father. I don’t have a father that is as cruel as you! From here on out, I forsake the last name of Yun and will take on the surname Bi!” Bi Lian howled with tears.
After beating the man soundly for a moment, the two women finally stopped to catch their breaths.
“Lian’er, take your aunty to see your mother’s grave.” Bi Yuntian commanded.
Nodding, Bi Lian took the group away from the inn while Dugu Feng was once more put in charge of guarding the head of the Yun family.
Quickly, the group arrived within a small grotto outside Fengyang City. The tomb of Bi Yunhai was rather simple with a small mound and a tombstone that was about half the height of a person. The words on the tombstone had been inscribed with “The grave of Bi Yunhai.”
Seeing the simple and crude tombstone of Bi Yunhai, Bi Yuntian’s eyes couldn’t help but begin to flow with tears once more. Slowly kneeling down by the grave, she gingerly touched the dusty tombstone as if it was the face of her sister and not cold hard stone.