Rong Xiu looked at Baili Chun and smiled nonchalantly. "Clan Leader, even if you have a distinguished status, these Sky-Cloud Empire rules are set by the ancestors. We can't just disobey them, right? If Jiang Zhiyuan can satisfy any of these criteria, I can spare her from dying."
The crowd's gazes became strange.
Of course, Rong Xiu didn't say this randomly.
How old was Jiang Zhiyuan? At most, she was a spoiled big missy.
She might've had talent, but now, she naturally didn't have it any longer. Such a person would definitely not be someone who had contributed greatly to the Sky-Cloud Empire, right?
Then… there was only the second option left. But although Fairy Water Mound was one of the 28 divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire, they had no blood relations!
How could Jiang Zhiyuan, the Jiang family's Big Missy have the bloodline of the Sky-Cloud Empire's eldest descendant?
Baili Chun was shocked and enraged. He stared at Rong Xiu closely, wanting to figure out something. Does he already know something? He shouldn't! That incident has been buried for so many years, and all the people who knew of it aren't alive anymore. How does Rong Xiu—
However, Baili Chun didn't dare to be sure. According to Rong Xiu's personality, he wouldn't say this out of nowhere if he didn't have concrete evidence! But… how can I just admit to it?!
There seemed to be something stuck in Baili Chun's throat, causing him to be unable to breathe.
"So this means that Big Missy Jiang doesn't fulfill any of the criteria?" Chu Liuyue spoke lightly and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan—who had fainted—as if regretful. "I've heard that Big Missy Jiang is only 22 or 23 years old and that she used to be treated very preciously. It's such a shame for her to meet her demise…"
Baili Chun was so angry that his face flushed red. Hypocrites! Earlier, these people wanted Jiang Zhiyuan to die! Previously, they forced her in all sorts of ways, yet they are putting on a show now. How disgusting!
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtRong Xiu looked calm. "Her mother died when she was young. Now that Jiang Hetian is also dead, she's left alone. Besides, her Yuan meridian is broken, and her reputation is tarnished…"
In such situations, death was the only relief for Jiang Zhiyuan. However, such words were like a prick that stabbed Baili Chun's heart.
Rong Xiu said, "Clan Leader, I know that you've always doted on Jiang Zhiyuan. Why don't… you move back first?"
Then, he suddenly took a step forward.
This step was as if trampling on Baili Chun's pain.
The last string in his mind suddenly broke! "Yuan Yuan is my biological granddaughter. Nobody should touch her!"
Complete silence then ensued.
Even though quite a few people had already guessed this beforehand, they were still astonished when they heard Baili Chun admitting it himself.
Everybody knew that the Sky-Cloud Empire's Clan Leader Baili was obsessed with cultivation in his entire life and had never married nor had descendants.
The fight between the various parties in the Sky-Cloud Empire was very intense, and he used this point to defeat the others and become the clan leader. At that time, he said that he didn't have any family, so he would be more impartial as the clan leader.
Now, he suddenly said that Jiang Zhiyuan was his biological granddaughter?!
The crowd was as though struck by lightning.
Rong Xiu paused in his tracks. His thin lips curled up at an extremely faint angle. "Oh? You've never been married your whole life, so why would you have a granddaughter? Clan Leader, even if you can't bear to leave Jiang Zhiyuan, you can't just smear yourself to save her, right?"
If you tarnish your reputation, you can't save it anymore!
Baili Chun's temples throbbed, and the blood in his body coursed around crazily, almost about to explode!
Rong Xiu's sentence directly pierced one's heart!
Baili Chun took a deep breath in and controlled his emotions with much difficulty. He then said harshly and coldly, "Every word I said just now is true! Jiang Hetian's wife, who is Yuan Yuan's birth mother, is my only daughter!"
Baili Chun said every single word with much difficulty. He deeply knew that this action was undoubtedly ripping off his mask and letting people step on it!
However, he had no other choice. He only had this method to save Jiang Zhiyuan!
"Grandpa Chun… w-what did you say…" At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan, who was unconscious for some time, slowly woke up. In her daze, she heard Baili Chun's words and was stunned.
Baili Chun turned over and carefully helped her up. "Yuan Yuan, don't be scared. You're my only granddaughter. I won't let you feel aggrieved."
G-grandfather? Jiang Zhiyuan really did not know about this.
After realizing what this sentence meant, she widened her eyes slowly and didn't recover her senses for a long time.
"You have the bloodline of the Sky-Cloud Empire's eldest descendant. Nobody can kill you!" Baili Chun comforted her.
This was actually a long story. Back then, he went outside for training for a period of time and met a woman. The two of them decided to spend the rest of their lives together and naturally talked about marriage.
Later on, the training ended. Originally, he planned on returning to the Sky-Cloud Empire first before bringing this woman back. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire was in chaos back then, so he couldn't care about it. Additionally, as he had no wife or descendants, he became the most powerful contestant.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAfter much thinking, he didn't bring this up to anyone any longer.
By the time the Sky-Cloud Empire's side stabilized, it was already around a year later. He silently went back and realized that the woman had already given birth to a daughter for him.
After seeing him again, that woman seemed to be filled with vengeance and committed suicide. Then, the lone daughter was left.
He naturally couldn't bring this daughter back to the Sky-Cloud Empire. Hence, he turned a few times and sent her back to a family.
For the next few years, he looked after her in secret. As he knew that this was his only descendant in his entire life, he doted on his daughter very much.
Later on, he racked his brains and tried to arrange for her to marry into the Jiang family.
Afterward, she gave birth to Jiang Zhiyuan. It was a pity that she lost too much blood during childbirth and passed away not long later.
How could Baili Chun not dote on his granddaughter? Hence, at that point, he was finally determined to ignore all the gossip from the crowd and brought Jiang Zhiyuan back to the Sky-Cloud Empire, allowing her to grow up next to him.
Everything she ate, used, and wore was as though she was the eldest missy of the Sky-Cloud Empire.
In the beginning, everyone felt that it was rather inappropriate. But seeing his persistent attitude, they didn't say much. They just felt that he didn't have descendants and felt rather lonely. Perhaps he had fate with Jiang Zhiyuan, so he was so insistent.
After some time, everyone got used to it, and they didn't speak about it any further.
When Jiang Zhiyuan heard this, she was a little dazed. However, she quickly captured the main point. I'm Baili Chun's biological granddaughter! I'm the true eldest missy of the Sky-Cloud Empire! I don't need to die! I can even live well in the future! This identity is much more distinguished than before, right?!
Jiang Zhiyuan cried emotionally and clutched Baili Chun's sleeves tightly. "Grandfather…"
"I see." Rong Xiu stood at the side and smiled slightly. "Since this is so, let's begin the test."