Hidden History of the City That Never Sleeps

Indeed, as Omia Boson and Ailan Rainbowlight mentioned in their previous conversation...

Alchemy Talent and Bloodline are not absolutely correlated.

Even Commoner families can produce Alchemy Genius, and Noble families can have incompetent individuals who know nothing about Alchemy...

Although Supreme Evolution perished, the core concepts of that company were indeed correct.

However, to say that Alchemy Affinity has absolutely nothing to do with bloodline and heredity is clearly an excessively extreme form of pseudoscience.

Numerous studies have shown that Alchemy Affinity can be inherited to some extent.

Nightless Sky Huo Ming, Nightless Sky Yong Lian, is probably the person with the Alchemy Affinity in the entire City That Never Sleeps...

How could her own daughter possibly have zero affinity for alchemy?

Even Nightless Sky Fire Apricot realized what was happening.

"Sister Huo Ming... are you serious? Are you sure you didn't exaggerate...?"

"Nightless Sky Fire Apricot asked, Nightless Sky Huo Ming seemed rather puzzled."

What does "exaggeration" mean?

"So, is it really zero... or is it actually just below 20, but not quite zero?" Nightless Sky Fire Apricot asked seriously, "Because... zero is just too absurd, it's practically some kind of Congenital Disorder, isn't it?"

Nightless Sky Huo Ming shook his head. "No, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot, I'm not exaggerating—I really do have a completely zero Alchemy Affinity... If you're talking about a congenital condition, then that's certainly true."

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot murmured, "Then something's not right, Sister Huo Ming... Your mother's alchemical affinity is very high, while your biological father..."

At this point, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot got stuck.

Because she suddenly realized something...

The Nightless Sky Family currently has five Family Head offspring, Nightless Sky Yong Lian herself has had... three partners.

The eldest son Nightless Sky Huo Xian, and the heir Nightless Sky Huo Le, share the same biological father. He is the "original wife" of their mother, Nightless Sky Yong Lian, whom they met through free love. He also has a relatively noble status and is an Illegitimate Young Master of the Saint Orchid Family.

Although Nightless Sky Fire Apricot didn't want to admit it, she and Nightless Sky Huo Shu were indeed biological siblings with the same father and mother. They were chosen by the elders of the Nightless Sky Family Baronial Family's heir for Nightless Sky Yong Lian.

Of the remaining people, only one had a different biological father...

That was the biological father of Nightless Sky Huo Ming.

Her biological father was rarely mentioned in the Nightless Sky Family; he seemed to be the child of a fallen Duke.

But even more specific information was unknown to Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

"... Your father, Sister Huo Ming... could he also have an extremely low affinity for alchemy?"

"Nightless Sky Fire Apricot asked tentatively."

Nightless Sky Huo Ming shook his head. "I don't know, I've never seen him—he died shortly after I was born."

"I don't know exactly what Alchemy Talent he has... but to be honest, since he's of the Ducal Family Bloodline, he shouldn't have any bad Alchemy Talent."

"Nightless Sky Huo Ming," he muttered, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot nodded in agreement.

"That's also where I think the problem lies... Assuming your father didn't have any particularly bad Alchemy Affinity, and since he was chosen by his family to be your mother's partner, then he shouldn't really have any bad Alchemy Talent... Just like my and Huo Shu's biological father, who should theoretically even be at the level of an 'Alchemy Genius'."

"But why do you, Sister Huo Ming, have a congenital symptom of zero affinity?"

Nightless Sky Huo Ming fell silent, then shook his head.

"Maybe it's just bad luck? Like a genetic mutation or something..."

Lin Yu said in a low voice, "I don't think it can be attributed to such a simple reason. I think there must be some deeper reason behind it that we have overlooked."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot looked at Lin Yu.

The two exchanged glances and immediately realized that what they suspected and worried about was probably the same thing.

Nightless Sky Huo Ming paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"Perhaps, but that's all in the past... I've now completed the 'Hand of Alchemy' ritual," Nightless Sky Huo Ming spread her arms again, her golden fingertips casting a tiny, basic Emotion Spectrum Alchemy —one she had rehearsed countless times and whose theoretical knowledge she knew by heart. "Those are all in the past—they don't matter anymore!"

"No, it's very important, Sister Huo Ming, this must be very important," Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said urgently, clutching her hair. "I feel like something's not right... You're the second oldest of all the children after Brother Huo Xian, the oldest daughter... That was the time when Mother had just become the Family Head."

Something's not right... Something has to be wrong.

The sight of Nightless Sky Fire Apricot made Nightless Sky Huo Ming tense up again.

"Really... Fire Apricot, aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

She picked up her glass and drank the wine in it, then said, "I've been living like this for twenty years... without any Alchemy Affinity whatsoever..."

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said in a low voice, "That's the problem... Sister Huo Ming, that's the problem. How come you were able to keep it from everyone? I haven't heard any rumors about this... The Solence Family, the Divine Power Group, the family itself... even at this moment when you're at the height of your power in the Great Wilderness, no one knows that you have Zero Refinement Gold affinity!"

"Even if you deliberately concealed it, to be able to keep it a secret to this extent... Sister Nightless Sky Huo Ming, don't you think your luck is a bit too good?"

Hearing what Nightless Sky Huo Ming Nightless Sky Fire Apricot gradually withdrew from his joy and said seriously, "But Mother also knows, perhaps Mother doesn't want this scandal to be known, so she has been helping me cover it up..."

Hearing this, Lin Yu interjected again.

"There's something I want to confirm... Where is Nightless Sky Yong Shang?"

Nightless Sky Huo Ming began, "It's in the Database in the back. My uncle, who has been missing for many years, said he wanted to see how City That Never Sleeps and Truth Company had developed while he was away..."

Lin Yu immediately said, "Lord Nightless Sky Huo Ming City, please take us to him immediately."

"Immediately."

Nightless Sky Huo Ming opened his mouth, but in the end he just nodded.

"Okay... Supervisor Arthur, I'll take you there right away."

With that, Nightless Sky Huo Ming stood up, waved to Dongming Shuliu, gave him a few instructions, and then hurriedly left the table with Lin Yu and Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

On the way out of the restaurant, Nightless Sky Huo Ming couldn't help but ask one last time.

"So... what's wrong with my alchemical affinity being zero?"

Why do you two look so serious?

Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief.

"Because this might involve some secrets... related to the survival of the Nightless Sky Family, or even the City That Never Sleeps."

Nightless Sky Huo Ming was shocked. "Are you kidding me, Supervisor Arthur?"

"Obviously, he didn't."

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot spoke, her tone lost its lightness.