Chapter 349: Uncle, who exactly is my father?

Guardian Palace Sand?

This kind of thing, in my understanding, only shows up in historical dramas, yet Zhong Susu actually has it?

Xiaoye was visibly stunned.

He then said, "Isn't Guardian Palace Sand just used to test one's virginity? I and Susu have feelings but observe propriety; as long as she tells me, I will surely protect her, so why would I throw her into the Dragon Transformation Cauldron? Old Ao, don't try to fool me with this."

"Entering the Dragon Transformation Cauldron was Susu's own request." The Linghai Dragon King said, "Because her father's dying wish was to guard the Linghai Forbidden Ground, and he died for that. As the sole descendant of the Zhong Family, Susu must do this—to sever your longing, she didn't let me tell you the truth and even personally picked a marriage partner for you…"

"Impossible! Susu would never do that!"

Xiaoye jumped to his feet, becoming frenzied, shaking his head nonstop, denying his father's words.

He couldn't accept this reality.

"Susu is the softest-hearted; how could she bear to push me into another woman's arms? If it weren't for my reckless provocation, going to the East Sea Dragon Palace, would she really have to watch me marry, have children, and see grandchildren surrounding my knees?"

"Impossible! You're just using this to deceive me!"

"Old Ao, speak honestly—what else do you want to use Susu to force me to do?"

"Use whatever tricks you have on me, but don't slander Susu! Let her go!"

……

The Linghai Dragon King did not interrupt Xiaoye.

He merely gazed silently at his eldest son, allowing him to vent his emotions.

Xiaoye was truly collapsing.

This feeling is extremely complex—anger, incomprehension, regret, and unwillingness…

In a short time, it's truly hard to accept this reality.

After a while, Xiaoye had vented enough; he plopped back onto his chair, slumped over the table, and actually wailed aloud.

Liu Junyan reached out and gripped his shoulder, comforting him.

The Linghai Dragon King then continued, "Today, Susu finally awakened the ability that a Zhong Family heir should have; she successfully guarded the Linghai Forbidden Ground. Though her ability is still shallow, given time she will become a great talent. If she ultimately survives, she will be the Linghai Dragon Clan's next unequaled chief strategist."

Xiaoye shot up, eyes red, glaring at the Linghai Dragon King, and said, "Old Ao, this is what you said—Ah Yan and my younger siblings are here; they will testify for me."

The Linghai Dragon King raised his brows: "When have I ever gone back on my word to you?"

Xiaoye came back to life.

From then on, he had a life goal—to protect Zhong Susu and wait for her return.

Having clarified Xiaoye's matter, the Linghai Dragon King turned to Liu Junyan and said, "Ah Yan, you may ask anything; today you can ask it all. Uncle guarantees to speak fully and hold nothing back. After you leave this door, I will say nothing more."

Liu Junyan lowered her head, remaining silent for a long time.

I think he must have many questions; he's probably picking the one he most wants to ask.

"Uncle, who exactly is my father?"

Sure enough, it's this question.

The Linghai Dragon King shook his head: "Ah Yan, you've asked me this before, also your second and third uncles, even your mother, yet no one has given a straightforward answer, nor a definite one. Perhaps you don't believe it, but I can only tell you that we aren't sure either."

Liu Junyan naturally refused to believe: "Even my mother… isn't sure either?"

Asking like this even makes one feel somewhat awkward to bring up.

But this is the only chance.

The Linghai Dragon King narrowed his eyes, as if recalling some extremely distant matter: "Your mother loved only one man in her life—a little white dragon from a side branch of our clan. He was charming and talented, bewitching your mother to the point of soul‑shaking infatuation; she once told me she would marry no one but him in this life."

"She is my only sister; I never thought to meddle in her marriage or seek anything for the Linghai Dragon Clan. Since she loved him, that was enough, so I did not stop them from being together."

"Back then I had privately matched their horoscopes, but one day that little white dragon vanished. I even issued a warrant, and after investigating to the end, I found his appearance and disappearance both strange—no trace could be found. The feeling was like…"

I immediately took up the thread, saying, "Like he doesn't belong to this world at all?"

The Linghai Dragon King nodded: "Exactly, that feeling. It reminds me of a long‑hidden secret of the Linghai Dragon Clan, well concealed. And this secret, Xiao Jiu, you have already glimpsed a corner of today, right?"

I drew a deep breath, my mind in turmoil, and unconsciously reached out; the next moment, that hand was tightly wrapped in Liu Junyan's big hand.

My heart sank at once, and I instantly felt I had found support.

I then said, "You mean that little white dragon ran out from the sealed tower in the abyss of the Linghai Forbidden Ground? And later he returned?"

Liu Junyan's brows furrowed into a shape like the Chinese character for river: "Xiao Jiu, what are you saying?"

Indeed, he didn't know about that tower in the abyss.

Today was also his first time seeing it, but he doesn't understand it as well as I do.

I then laid out everything that happened today in the abyss, in full detail.

"'What happened then was utterly disjointed,' I finally summed up. 'Clearly the white dragon in the tower summoned bones to strike the tower, destroying part of the talisman paper, yet in the end it was the white dragon himself who repaired that damaged part; clearly he dragged me into the abyss, yet ultimately he actively opened the barrier, letting Ah Yan and Xiaoye enter to rescue me—it's especially contradictory.'"

Xiaoye, listening on the side, was completely bewildered: "Does this guy have split personality? According to what you said, he can break the tower's seal himself and freely come and go in Linghai—so why doesn't he leave? What is he holed up in that tower trying to do? And why would he create a Dragon Transformation Cauldron to ward off the Heavenly Tribulation?"

I exchanged a glance with Liu Junyan; each of us harbored our own suspicions.

Liu Junyan asked, "In fact, he isn't nearly as free as he appears; what can emerge isn't his true main body, right?"

"Yes." The Linghai Dragon King said, "The secret history records that he was the Linghai Dragon Clan's first hegemon, gifted in cultivation, his lifetime achievements splendid. But later, for unknown reasons, he fell into delusional illness, constantly feeling that another person was attached to him, seeking to completely replace him. To cure the illness, he summoned a high monk to perform a rite, hoping to separate that person from himself—yet he never expected that the monk harbored malicious intent, nearly succeeding in seizing his body. Though he barely escaped that calamity, his condition worsened; the monk, unbeknownst to him, kept creating killing karma and even attempted to transcend tribulation and ascend. Unable to endure it, he finally sealed himself in the deepest reaches of the Linghai Dragon Clan."

In order to treat his illness, he invited a high monk to perform a ritual, hoping to have the monk separate that person from himself, but he never expected that the monk harbored malicious intentions, almost succeeded in seizing his body (Body Seizure); although he barely managed to escape disaster, his condition worsened, and the other party continually committed killings without his knowledge, even attempting to transcend tribulation and ascend.

Unable to bear its harassment, he ultimately sealed himself in the deepest part of the Linghai Dragon Clan."

"'The seal isn't an end but the beginning of everything, right?' I speculated while probing, 'That monk who harbored ill intent—his dharma name was Daolun, correct…'"