Falling in Love with a 500-year-old female elder - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Agonizing Turns of Fate!

“This story’s progression makes sense. For the Martial King’s Mansion to sacrifice Shi Yi for Shi Hao, who has been disabled, would be unrealistic and foolish.”

Yan Qingfei, seated in the northwest corner of the inn, expressed his thoughts with a shake of his head.

“It’s unfortunate that Shi Hao, a once-natural supreme talent, had such a promising future ahead, now shattered,” he added.

Beside him, a young man from the Sword Gate chimed in with a smile, “Actually, I think Shi Hao may still turn things around. He’s lost just one bone, after all.”

Yan Qingfei chuckled briefly before laughing wholeheartedly, “Brother Jianzi, are you suggesting Shi Hao could defy the odds and rise against the current?”

“Why not?” the Sword Gate youth countered with conviction.

Yan Qingfei’s laughter persisted, “Ah, my dear Jianzi, you’re in for disappointment this time!”

…

Amidst the inn’s discussions and debates, Ning Chuan took a leisurely sip of tea before continuing his narration.

“And this state of affairs endured for a month.”

“Right when the Martial King’s Mansion began to relax, thinking the storm had subsided.”

“Shi Hao’s parents, Shi Ziling and Qin, triumphantly returned from the battlefield against numerous clans.”

“Shi Ziling, a remarkably gifted figure among the Martial King House’s youth, despite his youth, his battle prowess exceeded that of even the elder generation.”

“At the sight of Shi Hao’s pitiable condition and uncovering the truth, his eyes seemed to well up with blood. Heart-wrenching agony surged within him.”

“The patriarch had vanished, his youngest son stolen. Shi Ziling, who had battled on the frontlines, was met with such treatment within his own home.”

“Shi Ziling’s fury was unleashed.”

“His midnight-black hair stood on end, runes enveloping his body. He brandished a golden spear, and with singular purpose, he advanced to slay Shi Yi.”

“Any who dared obstruct him were flung aside by the force of Shi Ziling’s spear. Much of the Martial King’s Mansion lay in ruins in his wake.”

“‘I’ll slay anyone impeding my path, regardless of their background or status!’ In that instant, Shi Ziling became a war deity, unstoppable.”

“Elders attempted to dissuade him but found themselves dismissed by a single thrust of Shi Ziling’s spear.”

“Facing growing opposition, Shi Ziling uttered but a single phrase: ‘For each bone she broke of mine, I shall break a hundred of hers!'”

“As he advanced, Shi Ziling left seven dead in his wake, his passage a testament to his unstoppable might. Countless seasoned warriors of the elder generation found themselves beaten to bloody submission, awe and terror in their eyes.”

“At last, they grasped that this young Shi Ziling had surpassed the ancestors in terms of combat power!”

As Ning Chuan spoke, the audience couldn’t help but be swept away by the story, their excitement too palpable to contain.

“Marvelous!”

“What a man Shi Ziling is, vowing ‘For each bone she broke of mine, I shall break a hundred of hers!'”

“Hahaha, were they fooling us with claims that Shi Hao lacked support?”

“Shi Ziling, the embodiment of a hero!”

“Indeed, this is how it should be!”

The enthusiastic audience erupted in applause and cheers.

Towards the back of the inn, Iron Mountain, a one-armed man, lifted a jar of wine to his lips, downing its contents.

In a window seat, Nan Yuexi, once despondent, regained her composure.

“Wow, Shi Ziling is so gallant and commanding!”

Princess Huai Zhu, unable to contain her excitement, clutched her hands together and gazed upon Shi Ziling with starry eyes.

“Rouge, what should I do? It seems I’m falling for Shi Ziling all over again!”

Her maid Rouge playfully stuck out her tongue.

“Your Highness, your heart seems fickle – first smitten with Shi Yi, then embracing the Shi Hao camp. And now, you’ve set your sights on Shi Ziling. My, how mercurial!”

Amidst Princess Huai Zhu’s light rebuke, a blush crept upon her cheeks, and she retorted with mock indignation, “You little chatterbox!”

Pausing, she continued with a triumphant grin, “Well, little chatterbox, bringing you here was the right decision, wasn’t it?”

Rouge couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Listening to Ning Chuan’s storytelling firsthand was an entirely different experience from perusing transcribed accounts within the palace.

Indeed, it was an entirely different realm.

…

Within the same space, Princess Huai Zhu and Rouge shared, a cascade of giggles escaped the former’s lips.

“Wow, Shi Ziling is so handsome and domineering!”

In the depths of the palace, Nan Yuexi observed the scene with mixed emotions.

“Shi Hao… he’s found happiness beyond what I ever knew.”

Her voice barely above a whisper, Nan Yuexi spoke to herself.

Sincerely happy for Shi Hao, she recognized the love and warmth bestowed upon him by Shi Ziling and his wife, Barbara, and the Fourth Prince.

In her own experience, such love was a foreign concept.

Just like Shi Hao, she too suffered a childhood steeped in darkness.

But unlike him, who found respite in the embrace of Shi Ziling’s family, she was denied even a semblance of warmth. Her parents, eager to rid themselves of her divine body, prioritized her younger brother.

If Shi Hao’s early days were marked by shadows, Shi Ziling, Barbara, and the Fourth Prince provided the light that pierced through.

As for her, Nan Yuexi, her days remained unrelentingly cold and dark, bereft of any warmth.

…

Back at the inn, where Princess Huai Zhu and Rouge engaged in their playful banter:

“Princess, you’re remarkably capricious. First, you were captivated by Shi Yi, then you pledged allegiance to the Shi Hao camp, and now… you’ve fallen for Shi Hao’s father.”

Princess Huai Zhu responded with a charming pout, “Oh, come on, Rouge, you always talk too much!”

Their exchange continued.

Unbeknownst to them, in a different corner of the inn, an animated conversation between Yan Qingfei and the young man from the Sword Gate was underway.

Amidst their discussion, a wager was struck – the Sword Gate youth betting on Shi Hao’s resurgence, Yan Qingfei doubting its possibility.

They sealed the bet, wagering ten thousand spirit stones and a high-grade exercise manual.

As they laughed and debated, the atmosphere in the inn remained charged, consumed by the unfolding tale of agonizing twists of fate.