Night Talk

Should I tell her about my past first?

Looking at her eyes, which held a mix of evasion and anticipation, I slowly opened my mouth, yet I didn't know where to begin.

"I don't know how to say it either. How about you ask and I'll answer?"

"Okay… So first, where are you actually from? I've always been curious."

"My hometown… How should I put it? It's in a place very, very far away, so far that I can't go back."

"Can't go back? Could it be one of those legendary forbidden lands?"

"No, even further, so far that no one has ever been there. I came here because of some… accident."

"I don't quite understand… Since you can't explain it clearly, I won't ask anymore. Can you tell me what your life was like before? Did you have many friends? What about your family?"

What kind of life…

"Simply put, my previous life was very ordinary, so ordinary it was reassuring. Everyone in my hometown lived according to a set pattern: what to do at what age, how to live a wealthy life, everything had a set of rules."

"Sounds boring…"

"It was boring, but it was worry-free. As long as you followed the pattern and didn't break any laws, you could live your life smoothly."

"I see. What about your social life then?"

Social life… Actually, I didn't want to talk too much about these things, but since we were having a heart-to-heart, if I didn't show my true feelings, how could I expect her to open up to me?

"My social life, actually, was even more boring…

From childhood, I was a rule-abiding person, never doing anything out of line. I listened to adults as long as their words weren't too unreasonable. Thanks to this, I was always a good child in my parents' eyes and a good student in my teachers' eyes.

Whatever I did, I liked to maintain a certain 'degree.' My academic performance was always at the level of 'very good, but not top-tier.' It was the same when interacting with peers. I always wore a smile for everyone, deliberately cooperating with them within a certain range, regardless of whether they were annoying or not. After it was over, I would leave immediately, not drawing too much attention.

Even with playmates, I would subconsciously keep my distance. I had fun while playing, but there was no lingering attachment when we parted. Therefore, my relationships with everyone were good, and I had acquaintances who could barely be called 'friends,' but not a single true soulmate."

"Is that so… I feel a bit unsure how to comment."

"It might sound a bit… like that, but actually, most people in my hometown are like this."

"You just said 'there was no lingering attachment when we parted,' but you seem to miss home quite a lot."

"Indeed… Actually, my standard for keeping distance from others used to be 'getting along well when together, and not feeling sad when apart.'

But I was too naive. Whether it was my parents or my classmates, until I truly lost them, I would never have known how important those seemingly insignificant things actually were. So now… I regret it a little, not having a true best friend."

As I said this, I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

I was supposed to be comforting Si Nan Ying, but how did I end up getting sad myself while talking?

Si Nan Ying just listened quietly, not saying much more. Seeing that my emotions had calmed down, she finally spoke.

Si Nan Ying… Perhaps this girl is actually very good at understanding others.

"Well, since you've been so open, it would be rude of me not to say anything. First, let me ask you, Xiao Ye, how much do you know about the Si Nan Family?"

"Hmm… The Si Nan Family was the royal family before the merger, and they still hold great power now. Most emperors come from the Si Nan Family. In other words, the Si Nan Family and the Cleon Family are the true powers in the Tianyuan Kingdom."

"That's right. The so-called emperor and prime minister are, in the end, just puppets of the families. The leaders of the two great families are the true rulers. Especially now that the Cleon Family is being suppressed so heavily, whoever can ascend to the position of Si Nan Family Head is equivalent to taking the entire country into their hands!"

As she said this, Si Nan Ying's face lost all its innocent charm, and her expression became extremely serious.

"Whenever the old family head gets too old and can no longer manage, it's time for a new family head to take over. Every time this happens, to contend for power, those eligible to inherit will split into various factions, tearing their faces and using all means to bring down their competitors to ascend. They won't show mercy even if their opponents are their own kin!"

"But," I raised a question, "don't great families need unity? If they fight like this, what if hostile forces take advantage of the situation?"

"The competition wasn't this brutal in the past because the Si Nan Family still had opponents led by the Cleon Family, and they had to consider external factors when fighting for power. But now that the hostile forces have been completely suppressed, they fight without any scruples."

"That's truly brutal… You're telling me all this, does it mean it's time for a new family head to take over again?"

"That's right…" Si Nan Ying's expression instantly turned gloomy. "The current family head, my father, his health is deteriorating. He's used many Spiritual Medicines and invited many healing Supernatural Ability users, but to no avail. He probably won't last a few more years, so this succession ceremony has been moved up significantly compared to the past. I am the youngest among my siblings. I have four older brothers and one older sister above me. I have no talent for detecting supernatural abilities, and my sister has clearly stated she won't participate in the competition, so it's actually my four brothers competing…"

"…Among your four brothers, who has the upper hand?"

"I'm not too sure, but it should be my second brother. Grandpa Hong said that nearly half the elders support him."

"What about your sister?"

"My sister is very capable; she's a top student at the Central United Academy. The Si Nan Family also has some influence within the Central United Academy, and my sister can serve as the Si Nan Family's representative there, which is very useful, so there's no need to worry."

"Then, what about you?"

"…"

Seeing her silence, I had a general idea of the situation. The Si Nan brothers were fighting for succession, disregarding kinship for victory. The youngest, Si Nan Ying, not only had weak influence but couldn't even control her own supernatural abilities well. Regardless of the outcome, she could only be manipulated…

"Just in case, have there been any deaths in past family head competitions?"

"Almost every time. Grandpa Hong secretly told me that when Father was competing for power, he personally killed his younger brother and sister. In his first year as family head, he killed all the relatives who intended to contend for power with him…"

I couldn't help but gasp. Such methods! Even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were no match for this. Killing all his relatives… Si Nan Ying might also fall victim to such schemes. Even if she survived, what awaited her would likely be nothing more than a political marriage, with no freedom left.

Recalling the scene of our first meeting in that dark, small building, she was so warm and helpful back then, and incredibly cute. It was hard to believe she had been carrying so much all along…

Compared to her, my own troubles were nothing.

Looking at her, a strange emotion arose within me. This feeling was hard to describe, yet it pricked at my heart like a sharp awl, even making my thoughts a bit chaotic. I closed my eyes, gently touching my chest, and tried to sort through the thoughts in my mind.

Now, I had two choices.

One, part ways with the Si Nan Family and search for clues about the World Crossing Gate alone. This would undoubtedly slow down my progress, but I wouldn't have to worry about getting entangled in the terrifying succession dispute.

Two, stay by Si Nan Ying's side and return to the imperial capital with her. Based on my deductions, the Si Nan Family might have a close connection to one of the materials for the World Crossing Gate, the Gleaming Gold South-Pointing Compass. Being with the Si Nan Family would undoubtedly accelerate the investigation, but it would likely bring trouble upon me.

What should I choose?

I closed my eyes in contemplation. Reason told me to choose one, while emotion urged me to choose two. How should I balance them?