Du Ruohui opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to advise Zhuang Gao Xian against insulting a figure like Song Hengjiang.

But in the end, he said nothing.

As both the Emperor’s tutor and the State Chancellor, he knew Zhuang Gao Xian very well.

Having attained the rank of a contemporary True Person, defeated his lifelong enemy Qiang Yong, and slain the hero Han Yin, bringing the State of Zhuang to its peak, Zhuang Gao Xian was at his most elated and conceited.

Some advice, he might not listen to.

Those Yin Demons, devoid of any intelligence, remained silent in their respective stone coffins. They seemed to coldly observe what these so-called intelligent beings were doing, and what these beings with wisdom were missing.

Zhuang Gao Xian, holding the aged Song Hengjiang with one hand, finally arrived before the glazed coffin.

His eyesight was far superior to Jiang Wang’s, and he could see at a glance that this glazed coffin had some connection to the stone coffins in the outer round cavern.

And the power hidden within the body of the woman sealed by chains and talismans also raised his eyebrows slightly.

“This is your explanation? You used those Yin Demons outside to nurture a stronger demon?” Zhuang Gao Xian’s voice was extremely cold.

“You should let me stand properly,” the aged Song Hengjiang said.

With his life completely controlled by others, his first request was to stand properly.

“Oh. Alright.”

Zhuang Gao Xian nodded. He responded twice, with entirely different meanings, and simply released his grip.

“Why don’t you take a closer look at her?” Song Hengjiang asked expressionlessly.

“A mere demon without intelligence, it is not worth…” Zhuang Gao Xian stopped midway, his voice even colder: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

At this point, Song Hengjiang had nothing more to worry about.

When the worst-case scenario he had envisioned arrived, he actually felt relieved.

“Don’t you think,” he looked at Zhuang Gao Xian with a sorrowful gaze: “You are very similar to her?”

“Nonsense!” Zhuang Gao Xian scolded coldly: “The dignified Water Lord of Qingjiang, how can you be so absurd? To survive, you’ll say anything!”

“Indeed, you are quite plain, unlike her stunning beauty.” Song Hengjiang glanced back at the glazed coffin, then back at Zhuang Gao Xian: “But that’s because Zhuang Chengqian was too ugly. In the Zhuang Royal Palace, are there no portraits of your grandmother?”

Of course, there were portraits of her in the Zhuang Royal Palace. And of course, Zhuang Gao Xian had seen them. That was why he had lost his composure later.

It was just that, in the beginning, he had never associated it in that direction.

“Ridiculous!” he said.

Song Hengjiang looked again at the woman sealed in the glazed coffin, his gaze gentle: “Have you ever wondered why your grandmother is lying here, at the bottom of the Qingjiang River?”

“Qingjiang Water Lord, you are making a mockery of everything. How could this demon be related to Us…”

Song Hengjiang interrupted his self-reassurance: “Because before she became a demon, she was a member of the Water Tribe, she was my own sister!”

Du Ruohui remained silent at the side.

At this moment, he finally understood what that strange smile in Song Hengjiang’s eyes meant when they were outside the demon cave.

Zhuang Gao Xian had Water Tribe blood flowing in his veins!

He was a hybrid of human and Water Tribe blood, not a pure human.

Originally… he was not qualified to be the ruler of the State.

His title was not righteous, his words were not proper, and it defied the natural order.

This was the real matter that shook the foundations of the State of Zhuang!

Once exposed, the State of Jing would not recognize Zhuang Gao Xian first and foremost.

However, what puzzled him was – while it was true that hybrids could completely lose their Water Tribe characteristics, Zhuang Gao Xian was already a contemporary True Person, how could he be unaware of his own bloodline?

How did he pass the Jade Capital Mountain investiture when he ascended the throne?

As the State Chancellor of the State of Zhuang, holding power for so many years, Du Ruohui realized for the first time that this country had hidden so many secrets!

“What does your sister becoming a demon have to do with Us?” Zhuang Gao Xian was still struggling: “My father was the Benevolent Emperor, my grandfather was Zhuang Taizu. My grandmother was the Filial and Kind Empress Gao, of the Xi Clan!”

“The Filial and Kind Empress Gao, Xi Wan, her original name was Wanxi, her original surname was Song,” Song Hengjiang said urgently: “My own sister, born of the same mother, Song Wanxi!”

He retorted: “Otherwise, who do you think I fought a bloody battle on the Lan River for back then? Who do you think the Qingjiang Water Tribe fought for with their entire clan?”

“A moving story.”

Zhuang Gao Xian sneered: “Nurturing a demon is a path to death. Do you think that by trying to connect with Us through blood ties, the Qingjiang Water Tribe can escape this calamity? You probably don’t know what a True Person is! We have insight into Ourself, and there is not a trace of Water Tribe blood in Our veins!”

“But as a contemporary True Person, you must be able to sense that something is different, right? Because Zhuang Chengqian, who laid down the means in the first place, was only a True Person. No matter how perfect he made it, you can still find something different, right?”

Song Hengjiang’s tone was very certain.

Because what he said was entirely true.

Zhuang Gao Xian did indeed know that he was different. That was why he allowed Song Hengjiang to continue speaking.

After attaining the Dongzhen Realm, he knew that his body was not entirely the same as ordinary humans. It was an extremely subtle difference, and he hadn’t thought much of it before, simply believing it was a manifestation of his extraordinary talent.

But if it was said that it was Zhuang Chengqian’s means that concealed his Water Tribe bloodline, then everything would make sense.

And Song Hengjiang continued to recount: “Back then, the demoness Gu Yi secretly poisoned Wanxi, causing her to unfortunately… Zhuang Chengqian swore before her corpse that only his and Wanxi’s child would become the ruler of the State of Zhuang. I don’t know how he did it, but he did indeed do it. He was often too ruthless, but only on this matter did he leave me speechless.”

Gu Yi…

Zhuang Gao Xian knew that this was the name of the Honorable Consort in Zhuang Taizu’s harem back then.

Records stated that she died of a strange illness.

Now it seemed that there were other hidden circumstances.

Taizu’s Honorable Consort was actually some kind of demoness? Was she the one who killed the Filial and Kind Empress Gao?

“We didn’t come here to listen to your stories.” Zhuang Gao Xian was annoyed and upset. Even though he was a contemporary True Person, with a temperament and political cunning that were second to none, it was difficult for him to accept the fact that he was not a pure human being all of a sudden.

He said angrily: “You only need to say, why nurture a demon!”

“Because I didn’t want to lose my sister.” Song Hengjiang looked directly at him, his wrinkles trembling slightly: “My pure and kind sister, full of joy and happiness, married into the Zhuang Royal Palace, but when I saw her again, she was already on her last breath, about to become a cold corpse, I couldn’t accept it!”

“Only by finding a way to turn her into a demon, only by letting her become a demon…”

Song Hengjiang’s voice was pained, as if he had recalled that desperate scene from back then: “I only wanted to find this one way…”

“I knew how dangerous this was, I hid it from everyone. Including Zhuang Chengqian, including Qingyue.”

His turbid eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and he looked angrily at Zhuang Gao Xian: “I hid it for two hundred and eighteen years!”

He could have continued to hide it.

But Zhuang Gao Xian insisted on barging in!