Chapter 123
With a smile, Si Jingzhi asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"
After a long pause, the doctor said hesitantly, "Yes, it's a young master."
Si Jingzhi's smile froze instantly, and the others were also stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.
"They're twins! Has there ever been a record of twins of opposite sexes in our clan's history?"
"There might be a branch family, but the main family has never had one. Even if they are twins, they are always fraternal twins."
"What should we do? One daughter is enough to secure the position of young clan leader, but now there's another boy. Won't he be used as a stain and attacked by the Third and Fourth Masters? They've been coveting the clan leader's position for a long time."
"Sigh, this is really gilding the lily; it would have been better not to have it at all!"
The wet nurse stood awkwardly to the side, holding the cleaned baby boy.
Si Jingzhi coughed to quiet everyone down, then said, "Let's examine the child's talent first."
Everyone suddenly realized that although any girl in the clan could cultivate the "Water Moon Precious Mirror," the stronger one's bloodline talent, the higher the level one could cultivate. If one's talent was mediocre, one might not be able to compete with others for the position of clan leader in the future.
An elder from the Water Mirror Manor carefully took the baby girl in his arms, pricked her finger with a thin needle to draw a drop of blood, and dripped it onto the clan's secret treasure, the Rabbit Mirror. The mirror surface immediately rippled like the surface of a lake where a stone had been thrown in, and then a beautiful scene appeared: a palace, a cassia tree, a white rabbit, and a fairy dancing gracefully.
The elder stared at the mirror, momentarily stunned.
Si Jingzhi, unsure whether it was a good or bad omen, felt his heart leap into his throat and couldn't help but urge, "What was the result?"
"The Water Virtue Reflecting the Void Body! Innate Pure Yin Qi Meridians! This... this is the Higher Vehicle Supreme Yin Guanghan Dao Physique!"
The elder roared, his face filled with excitement and surprise as he lifted the baby girl high into the air.
"A once-in-a-millennium opportunity! The Supreme Yin Guanghan Dao Physique —a supreme Dao Body possessed only by our ancestors, the very founders of the Water Mirror Manor!"
The baby girl was startled and immediately burst into tears, but at that moment, her cries sounded like holy music to everyone present.
"It's actually the Supreme Yin Guanghan Dao Physique! Not to mention cultivating our sect's 'Water Moon Precious Mirror,' even if he cultivates other Yin-attribute Cultivation Method, one day of that cultivation is equivalent to a month of non-stop hard work for an ordinary person. It ranks among the top ten among all Dao Body!"
"Such a physique is a once-in-a-century phenomenon, even in the most sacred martial arts lands. A genius... no, an absolute genius among geniuses! In just thirty years, once this girl matures, Water Mirror Manor will surely experience unprecedented prosperity!"
"A mother's status rises with her son's; let's see if anyone else dares to object. If they're so capable, they should also give birth to a child with the Supreme Yin Guanghan Dao Physique!"
The crowd continued to discuss the matter, but Si Jingzhi did not speak up to stop them. Known for her strictness in the clan, she was now smiling broadly as she held the baby girl, her face full of kindness and gentleness.
"Chief, what should we do with this child?"
The wet nurse, holding the baby boy, asked nervously.
Si Jingzhi's smile faded as he pondered, "Twins of opposite sexes have never been seen before. Although the chances are slim, it's still worthwhile to assess this child's talent."
So the elder pricked the baby boy's finger again and dripped a drop of blood onto the Jade Rabbit Mirror, but not only did no image appear, not even a ripple appeared.
"Reporting to the clan leader, we have neither innate physical constitution nor special bloodline."
"Miracles don't happen so easily after all," Si Jingzhi said, showing no disappointment. "Perhaps it's because they are twins that they possess such a rare talent. Normally, their bloodlines should be divided, but because one of them is a boy, both bloodline powers are concentrated in the girl."
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized the truth and praised the clan leader for his keen insight. Some even began to discuss the possibility of artificially creating twins.
Si Jingzhi added, "Since he has no special talent, then according to clan rules, send this child to the Ant House for proper care."
At this moment, Si Jingyue, pale as a ghost, was helped out of the birthing pool and pleaded, "Mother, for the sake of my recent birth of a son for the Lineage, could you please send this child out of the Water Mirror Manor and not to the Ant House?"
Due to the nature of their bloodline, the Si Clan family has a small number of men. In order to ensure the purity of their bloodline as much as possible, they usually practice endogamy. Therefore, according to the clan rules, every man in the Si Clan can only marry a woman from their own clan.
Seeing her mother frown slightly, Si Jingyue continued, "I know this request is impolite, but what mother doesn't want her child to grow up healthy and strong? If this child stays in the Water Mirror Manor and grows up in the clan's atmosphere, he will only end up as a useless person. Rather than that, I would rather he live his life as an ordinary person and grow up happily. Of course, if he falls in love with a woman from our clan in the future, I will not object."
In the end, she compromised.
Si Jingzhi glanced at the baby girl beside him, and considering the significance of the situation, finally nodded and said, "This is a one-time exception; there will be no next time."
Si Jingyue said gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, Mother."
"No need to thank me. Tomorrow I will convene a clan meeting to formally pass the position of clan leader to you. I hope you will continue your efforts to carry forward the glory of the Water Mirror Manor and not slacken your efforts."
In the clan leader's private study, Si Jingzhi looked at the portraits of the Si Clan ancestors hanging on the wall, remaining silent. Behind her stood her personal maid, who had followed her since childhood and was also the person she trusted most.
"Huiyan, what do you think of my performance as clan leader?"
"... diligent and conscientious, without any major mistakes."
Instead of flattery, Huiyan gave a slightly below-average, or even, to put it bluntly, mediocre evaluation.
Si Jingzhi wasn't angry; instead, she smiled. She knew that Huiyan was the only person in the clan who would tell her the truth.
"You're right. I haven't accomplished much in my life, but I haven't made any major mistakes either. Shuijing Water Mirror Manor has been peaceful and safe under my management for thirty years. In the eyes of many, I am stubborn, inflexible, and lack any ambition. But they don't know that Water Mirror Manor has become a behemoth since its founding by our ancestors. Unless there is a major change, it will be difficult for future generations to expand upon it. And any change may lead to unknown consequences."
Huiyan, "Throughout history, starting a business is easy, but maintaining it is difficult. Even among the Aristocratic Clan with a thousand-year history, countless have been lost to history."
"When I first took over as clan chief, I was full of ambition, thinking about how to reform and innovate, to take Water Mirror Manor to new heights under my leadership, and to leave a significant mark on the clan's history. Later, I realized that just maintaining the existing family business had already consumed twelve percent of my energy. Every decision had to be carefully considered, and I was always on tenterhooks, fearing any mistakes. In the end, my talents were only enough to maintain the status quo... Fortunately, now I finally see the dawn of the Water Mirror Manor's revival."
Si Jingzhi shone with a captivating light, and his previously slightly tired face became radiant at this moment.
Huiyan understood what "dawn" referred to and echoed, "That child is a blessing from heaven for the Si Clan's steadfastness over the years."
"That's right, so no matter who it is, I won't allow anything to hinder this child's growth. I will eliminate any potential negative variables and pave a smooth path for this child. Even if Yue'er hates me for the rest of her life, it doesn't matter!"
Si Jingzhi took out a needle made of white bone and handed it to Huiyan, ordering, "Use this Withered Meridian Needle to prick that child."
Huiyan's hand trembled slightly, but she still accepted the Withered Meridian Needle. She couldn't help but ask, "Is it necessary to be so cautious? Didn't that child show no talent whatsoever?"