Chapter 417: Shangguan Siblings

A man's words can't be trusted even a single word.

This is the Witch Mo Sangyu's mindset at this moment.

Lin Chuan clearly wants to use this opportunity to extort the Xuanyuan Family's household servant, saying it has nothing to do with her.

Right! Not at all!!

Mo Sangyu withdraws her gaze from Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan and Tiechu Xiuzhe have reached an agreement; Lin Chuan permits Tiechu Xiuzhe to send a Rescue Jade Talisman to the Xuanyuan Family, bringing a thousand Chaos Stones to ransom a person.

"Before the ransom is paid to the Xuanyuan Family, you should stay here."

Lin Chuan seals Tiechu Xiuzhe's soul, tosses it aside, then looks at Shangguan Qing, "Let's go, fetch your sister."

"Alright."

Shangguan Qing nods heavily and rises to his feet.

At this moment, his hanging heart finally settles.

Inside and outside the Daoist arena, countless cultivators stare at this scene; only now does the title Lord of Myriad Symbol Pavilion truly enter the public eye.

Dare even the Xuanyuan Family?

And still boldly tell the Xuanyuan Family to come and ransom someone?

This proves how powerful the forces behind the Lord of Myriad Symbol Pavilion are; this person is at least a core disciple of some super power.

"Daoist Friends, Myriad Symbol Pavilion can relieve all sorrows; if you have no way forward, if your heart is ashen, if you seek something that transcends life, then come to Myriad Symbol Pavilion and find me."

Lin Chuan bows his hands and scans the crowd.

The onlooking cultivators, some respond with smiles, others with disdain.

They acknowledge the Lord of Myriad Symbol Pavilion's strength is decent, yet only legendary invincibility, and there are still countless cultivators in the world stronger than him.

Even an Immortal wouldn't dare say they can relieve all sorrows?

Mere legends, truly boastful words.

The crowd feels contempt in their hearts, yet dares not voice it.

After all, the Lord of Myriad Symbol Pavilion just displayed a scheming side, daring even the Xuanyuan Family's household servants to be extorted.

Lin Chuan pays no heed to the crowd's reaction.

His goal has already been achieved.

The reputation of Myriad Symbol Pavilion is now fully established; it will gradually spread through the chaotic Tianjin Prefecture, and surely a continuous stream of guests will come.

Leaving the Daoist arena, Lin Chuan and Shangguan Qing arrive atop a great mountain.

"Your sister lives here?"

Lin Chuan is startled.

Along the way, he also learned the story of Shangguan Qing and his siblings.

Shangguan Qing's father, like Tiechu Xiuzhe, was a household servant of the Xuanyuan Family; later, during a mission for the Xuanyuan Family,

Shangguan's father was betrayed by his comrades and nearly fell.

At the critical moment, a woman rescued him, and that woman was Shangguan Qing's mother; the two met and fell in love at first sight.

In their subsequent interactions, they built a solid emotional foundation.

Eventually, Shangguan's mother became pregnant with Shangguan Qing.

It was then that a core elder of the Xuanyuan Family clashed with the faction to which Shangguan's mother belonged, seeking to annihilate it.

Shangguan's father betrayed the Xuanyuan Family to save his wife.

The couple fled the world.

During their fugitive life, they gave birth to Shangguan Qing's younger sister, Shangguan Meng.

Later, the Xuanyuan Family tracked them down; Shangguan's father fell after being cut off, and Shangguan's mother and Shangguan Meng were both afflicted by Heavenly Fragrance Poison.

Not long after, Shangguan's mother could no longer resist the toxin; she had to use all her strength to transfer most of the poison from her daughter's body into her own,

then freeze and seal Shangguan Meng within a special treasure, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion.

Shangguan Qing, to save his sister, trained desperately.

But facing a colossal entity like the Xuanyuan Family, he had no means at all.

He clearly found the antidote to save his sister, yet was discovered by the Xuanyuan Family's household servants and reached a dead end.

Shangguan Qing's face is bitter; if not for the Lord of Myriad Symbol Pavilion, he would already be dead.

His lifelong rebellion, his slain parents, his sister waiting in despair—all would become a bubble, a joke.

Fortunately, fate still shows him a sliver of favor.

It let him grasp a lifeline in the dire situation; even death becomes worthwhile.

"Mother set up a formation here; this is the only hideout for my sister and me."

Shangguan Qing activates a protective formation, brings Lin Chuan to a cave entrance, and says with a wry smile:

"If that treasure sealing my sister hadn't been corroded by Heavenly Fragrance Poison, I could have endured longer; perhaps the future would still hold hope for revenge and redemption."

"Unfortunately, I can't wait."

"Luckily, or not, we ran into people from the Xuanyuan Family."

Fate toys with him, playing death jokes over and over.

"Perhaps fate simply enjoys teasing people."

Lin Chuan sighs.

The two walk together into the dim cave.

After passing several dark doors, a faint light appears, revealing a pitiful little girl at the far end.

She is frail, as if a breeze could topple her.

On her slender body, the skin was as pale as paper, without a hint of color.

Her long hair lay in disheveled strands, dull and lifeless, like withered grass that had lost its vitality.

Her small, delicate face was nonetheless exhausted, the large eyes showing helplessness and bewilderment, the eye sockets sunken, surrounded by a deep dark shadow, as if she had not slept peacefully for a long time.

She could only weakly lean against the cold cave wall, and only this cold stone could suppress the Heavenly Fragrance Poison within her.

Thus each breath was so arduous, her slightly trembling body like a flickering candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

She clasped herself tightly with both hands, trying to draw a sliver of warmth from this cold world, but it was in vain.

Only upon seeing Shangguan Qing did she force a faint smile onto her weak, pallid face.

"Brother... you... you're back."

"I... so cold."

Seeing his sister's miserable state, Shangguan Qing couldn't help but clench his fist, his nails digging into flesh, his heart aching.

"It's alright, brother is back."

Shangguan Qing stepped forward and embraced his sister.

"Brother, didn't you say you couldn't hold me? Why..." Shangguan Meng looked at him puzzled.

"Now it's allowed."

Shangguan Qing's eyes reddened, "I have found the antidote, so you can live normally from now on and, like me, go see the world outside."

"Really... is it true?"

A spark of light appeared in the little girl's eyes.

"It's true."

Shangguan Qing said gently, "How could brother ever lie to you?"

As he spoke, he took out the antidote, refined it, and placed it into Shangguan Meng's mouth.

Soon after, beads of sweat seeped densely across Shangguan Meng's forehead, "Brother... it hurts so much, am I going to die?"

"It'll be fine, it will be over soon."

Shangguan Qing held her in his arms and gently soothed her.

The little girl clenched her teeth, perhaps not wanting to worry her brother, fell silent, and finally fainted from the pain.

Lin Chuan watched the scene, feeling a multitude of emotions.

Isn't this also one of the many faces of sentient beings?

He seemed to sense a special force flowing into Shangguan Qing's body.

For Shangguan Qing, everything about his sister was something that transcended even life itself, right?

When faced with Black Mist, most living beings feel fear, but when something threatens the things they cherish as their lives, that fear dissipates.