"What do you mean by that?" Empress Yan Si Hou frowned, feeling inexplicably unsettled.
"As I mentioned to Your Majesty earlier, the poison Sky of Eternal Regret was developed in a slave arena in Star Yearn City. Among the batch of slaves tested with it, only one survived."
Mingyi smiled. "Guess why he survived?"
Sky of Eternal Regret was a poison specifically targeting Fighters. Only those with exceptionally strong meridians could withstand it, yet people with such strong meridians would never end up in a slave arena.
The Empress was momentarily bewildered before her expression turned stern again. "Why should I guess? They're just slaves. What difference does it make if one survived?"
Several people from Star Yearn City listening behind them grew displeased. Luo Jiaoyang immediately retorted, "What's wrong with slave arenas? Ji Bozhai came from one. Can any of you defeat him in single combat now?"
Chu He beside him tried to cover his mouth but was too late. At these words, everyone in the hall froze.
Many had investigated Ji Bozhai's origins, so this wasn't surprising. But mentioning it in this context carried subtle implications.
Indeed, why would someone with meridians as strong as Ji Bozhai's end up in a slave arena?
...
Ji Bozhai helped Ming An onto the beast-drawn carriage to Star Yearn City, noticing the man's stiff posture.
"Are you uncomfortable somewhere?" he asked.
Ming An replied awkwardly, "No, thank you, Lord Ji."
After walking a few steps, Ji Bozhai suddenly sensed something amiss. "This should be our first meeting. How do you know my surname?"
Ming An paused, surprised. "Didn't Mingyi... tell you anything?"
"Tell me what?" Ji Bozhai was puzzled.
Ming An fell silent, shaking his head before asking, "Where is Mingyi now?"
"In the main hall of Sunspire City's inner court."
Ming An halted mid-step, hesitating before looking at him. "Let's go there too."
Ji Bozhai frowned. "Are you sure?"
After finally rescuing him, why return to that place?
Ming An nodded firmly, sighing with a smile. "Though the Yan clan wronged me, they're still my late wife's maternal family. I promised her I wouldn't let her kin suffer."
By the time he escaped, Empress Yan Si Hou was nearly convicted. What could returning now possibly change? Ji Bozhai was skeptical but said nothing, turning direction to escort him toward the hall.
En route, Ming An suddenly said, "Mingyi never intended to harm you. She even feels she robbed you of the wealth you deserved and owes you. But she owes you nothing—the true culprits are me and Empress Yan Si Hou."
From the earlier conversation in the hall, Ji Bozhai had guessed this involved him. Yet hearing it from Ming An still shocked him, his grip unconsciously tightening.
"Are Mingyi and I blood-related?"
"No." Ming An shook his head. "Mingyi is my child. Though my late wife and Empress Yan share the same clan, their ancestral ties extend beyond five generations."
Ji Bozhai relaxed, chuckling lazily. "Then there's nothing to discuss."
Ming An: ?
How could this be his reaction? Wasn't the crucial point his origins? After years of displacement, how could he show no curiosity about his own background?"I should have died at fifteen, but a family saved me. In my eyes, they are my true family. As for who my birth mother or father is, I don’t care." Noticing his gaze, Ji Bozhai spoke coolly, "What you plan to do today has nothing to do with me. I only want to leave Sunspire City safely with my people."
It had to be said, his temperament was strikingly similar to Yan Si Hou—caring only about what mattered to him, indifferent to everything else, even blood ties.
Ming An studied him deeply, lips pressed tightly together.
The atmosphere in the grand hall was tense. As Ji Bozhai stepped alone through the side door, he suddenly felt countless eyes fixated on him.
Puzzled, he looked up at Mingyi, only to see her quickly avert her gaze.
Why the guilt?
Raising his eyes further, he met the scrutinizing gaze of Da Si on the throne—deep, filled with joy, yet tinged with unmistakable sorrow.
"What?" he asked.
Luo Jiaoyang tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to look to the side.
Ji Bozhai turned his head and came face-to-face with Yan Si Hou’s ecstatic, almost frenzied expression.
From a distance, the resemblance had been unclear, but up close, it was undeniable—their features shared a striking likeness, from the sharp brows to the straight nose and thin lips.
If there had been any doubt before, Ji Bozhai’s appearance now sent the onlookers into a frenzy.
"It’s uncanny! They look exactly alike!"
"Ji Bozhai is actually one of us from Sunspire?!"
"The Yan bloodline is truly formidable. He’s already so powerful—even Moonchase City lost to him in Flying Blossom City!"
"Truly, a blessing in disguise!"
Yan Si Hou, overwhelmed, seized his arm. "You’re my son? But your meridians—"
She flipped his wrist, revealing the crimson veins winding beneath his skin.
"My meridians only manifested when I was ten," Ji Bozhai replied coldly, a stark contrast to her exhilaration. "I wasn’t born with Crimson Meridians, nor did I rely on Sunspire’s nurturing."
"What do you mean by that? You are my child, my blood." Yan Si Hou instinctively glared at him, but remembering their estrangement, she softened her tone. "Ah, when you were born, your meridians weren’t visible. So they appeared later."
She turned and knelt before Da Si. "This proves that the Yan bloodline can help the Minister Superior fulfill his long-cherished wish!"
Ming Li, his earlier anger replaced by delight, waved a hand dismissively. "All this fuss over a simple case of mistaken identity. Though Ming Xian is a woman, she has brought Sunspire victory for seven years. Her contributions more than make up for the deception."
"Minister Superior!" Meng Guifei protested urgently. Just moments ago, he had been ready to condemn the Yan clan—how could he change his mind so abruptly?
But Da Si ignored her, merely gesturing for silence. "Enough."
He then turned a benevolent gaze toward Ji Bozhai. "I’ve long heard of this Fighter’s prowess. To think he carries Sunspire’s blood! In that case—"
"Minister Superior, wait!" Meng Guifei stood abruptly. "Are we to hastily declare this Superior Fighter a royal descendant based solely on Ming Xian’s words and a passing resemblance? Isn’t this too reckless?"Everyone present could see that this was clearly Empress Yan Si Hou desperately trying to find an escape route. How could it be such a coincidence that the child she abandoned could survive until now and even become a Superior fighter?
"The Yan clan is deceiving the emperor and coveting fame and fortune, attempting to disrupt the royal bloodline. I implore the Minister Superior to administer proper punishment!" Meng Guifei glared at the Empress before turning to Mingyi. "And you're just speaking nonsense. Just because a skilled fighter emerged from the Slave Arena, does that necessarily mean they're Empress Yan Si Hou's child?"
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