Su Li picked up the letter and read it through.
Old Ford's handwriting was neat and proper, bearing the distinctive style of the capital's nobility. The letter began with the exceedingly rare address, "My daughter," rather than the usual official-sounding "Elena."
It was not long.
In essence, he had sensed through the Bloodline Crystal that Elena's strength was steadily increasing, which greatly pleased him.
The old man spent a long stretch praising his daughter's talent, saying she was the finest descendant the Iris Family had produced in four hundred years—far stronger than he had been in his youth.
Then his tone shifted—
"Your mother passed early. These past years, I have not shown you enough care as your father. I understand that you resent me. But sooner or later, the burden of the family will fall upon your shoulders. You understand that better than anyone."
"The situation in the capital is growing more chaotic by the day, and the front lines can no longer hold. Those fools are still squabbling away in court, but Orenda will not last much longer."
"Your father has left you something. It is the family's most deeply hidden treasure; in four hundred years, we have saved up only this one bottle. It was originally meant for my own use, but I am old. Even if I break through, I will only gain a few more years of life. You are different. You are still young."
"I hope you can break through to the fourth tier within ten years. As for this bottle of medicine... keep it. When you reach that stage, you will naturally have use for it."
There was an additional line in tiny writing beneath the signature. The handwriting was far more hurried, as though it had been added at the last minute.