Genealogy

Kong Family Residence, garden pavilion.

White steam curled up from the tea on the stone table, yet it could not dispel the obvious helplessness on Kong Ming'an's face.

He set down his teacup and looked at the composed old man across from him, his complaint utterly undisguised:

"So... without saying a word, you just 'priced and sold' your own grandson?"

Kong Deming sat upright in the seat of honor, his Silver Moon robe immaculate. He calmly took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the carefully pruned flowers and trees beyond the pavilion as he spoke in an even tone:

"I told you about this beforehand. It was simply left unresolved until now; all I did was bring it up again. And this time, His Majesty was clearly serious and quite sincere. Besides..."

His gaze returned to Kong Ming'an, carrying a calmness that seemed to see through everything. "It seems you do not particularly dislike it either."

Kong Ming'an was briefly at a loss for words.

Dislike it? That was not quite it. He was simply caught off guard by a situation that had suddenly slipped beyond his control. Besides...

He instinctively glanced to his side—

Xu Tianzhen was sitting properly beside him... supposedly.

On the surface, she looked like an obedient girl listening to the elders converse, but in truth, all her attention was on Kong Ming'an. One little hand was stealthily trying to rummage through his pocket with the smallest possible movements, her target perfectly clear:

That damned recording Metal Shard!

Her movements were extremely careful, and she was still trying to maintain an innocent expression that said, "I didn't do anything." Yet her sparkling purple eyes and slightly puffed cheeks completely gave her away.

The corner of Kong Ming'an's mouth twitched.

This really felt strange.

By all rights, Xu Tianzhen's behavior showed a serious lack of boundaries, enough to make anyone displeased.

Yet she was so straightforward about it, even a little clumsy. Combined with her theory of being a "clear-headed slacker" Princess and her current stubborn focus on stealing something, it was difficult for Kong Ming'an to feel any real disgust toward her.

Perhaps... two negatives made a positive? The thought inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

Kong Deming took in their little interactions, his eyes shifting slightly, but he did not expose them. Instead, he continued the previous topic in a grave tone:

"As far as you are concerned, this marriage alliance is ultimately another layer of insurance.

"You brat are more capable than this old man. Among His Majesty's many Imperial Princes, not a single one has amounted to much... Hmm, Xu Tianran is passable, but his intentions are not right. His desire for control is too strong, and he could easily go to extremes.

"If Xu Tianran ascends to that position in the future, and I am no longer here, while you remain as lazy as ever about managing anything, he will inevitably fear and guard against you. Then he will test you, until..."

"Until he touches my bottom line?" Kong Ming'an finished what his old man had left unsaid.

"It seems you have a clear understanding of yourself." Kong Deming nodded slightly before continuing.

"At that point, there may well be another bloody storm. If you have the inclination, there is no need to bear too much burden. Simply take that position. My only requirement is that the emperor after you must be your and Tianzhen's child, to ensure that the Sun Moon Royal Family's bloodline does not end."

He spoke calmly, but his words weighed as heavily as a thousand jun. Even the air within the pavilion seemed to congeal.

Xu Tianzhen, who had been diligently "committing her crime," suddenly froze. Even the fingers that had been picking at his pocket instantly withdrew.

What the hell?!

Were these things she was supposed to hear?!

"Bloody storm," "that position," "the bloodline must not end"... This had completely exceeded her plan of "peacefully being a marriage-alliance tool, developing feelings early, and finding a backer while she was at it"!

She immediately sat upright, her little face tense and her gaze wandering. She looked left and right, refusing to look at Kong Deming or Kong Ming'an, wishing she could turn into one of the pavilion pillars on the spot—or slip into a crack in the stone floor beneath her feet. Her face was full of nervous declarations: "I didn't hear anything," "I don't exist," and "Please don't silence me."

Kong Ming'an glanced at the uneasy Girl beside him, then looked helplessly at his old man.

Kong Deming understood, but merely smiled.

So his grandson truly did not reject Tianzhen... Satisfaction appeared on Kong Deming's face. Then, with a shift in tone, he naturally moved past the subject.

With a flick of his wrist, a thread-bound booklet of unusual material and considerable age appeared in his hand. Two ancient ink characters were written on its cover—Kong Family Genealogy.

"Enough. Now that this matter has been settled, there is no need to say more." He pushed the genealogy toward Kong Ming'an. "This is what you asked me to investigate over a year ago. I had Zhou Ping's son return to the Kong Family Old Residence to sort through everything, and there was indeed a discovery.

"Just as you said, there is a collateral bloodline in the Heaven Dou Empire that lost contact long ago. It is connected to a Kong Family woman who married out many years ago."

Kong Ming'an calmly accepted the genealogy without immediately opening it. He merely asked, "What if there are descendants?"

"If there are descendants, and they are willing, bring them back. If they are unwilling, there is no need to force them.

"But if an Inherited Martial Soul appears among their descendants..."

Kong Deming's gaze sharpened. "Either bring them back, or kill them. The Sun Moon's Inherited Martial Souls cannot be allowed to remain outside."

"Mm, understood. If I run into someone I can't beat, I'll call you."

"Mm?" Kong Deming frowned, then realized something. "There really is one?"

"Mm. At Shrek."

"This..." Kong Deming's frown deepened.

If it were anywhere else, it would be manageable. But if it was Shrek... it could easily pull the whole body with a single hair.

"Don't worry. I'll see if I can poach them." Kong Ming'an put the genealogy into his Storage Soul Tool, gave his old man a reassuring look, and rose to his feet.

"If there's nothing else, I'm off."

"You... sigh, fine. Handle it as you see fit." Kong Deming sounded somewhat helpless.

Kong Ming'an nodded, then turned and left.

Xu Tianzhen, who was still trying hard to make herself invisible, froze when she saw this. She looked at the departing Kong Ming'an, then at the imposing Kong Deming, and hurriedly stood up to bow in a flustered manner.

"Grandpa Kong, then I'll take my leave too!" With that, she practically ran out on tiptoe after Kong Ming'an.

Quickly catching up to Kong Ming'an, Xu Tianzhen returned to that eager, pitiful look, as though afraid she might lose him. She stayed tightly half a step behind him, her eyes occasionally darting toward the pocket that might be hiding the "evidence," wanting to speak but hesitating.

Kong Ming'an naturally noticed her gaze and found it inexplicably amusing.

With a thought, he checked Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen's real-time status through his Soul Tool Communication Device.

"They're both cultivating..." Kong Ming'an muttered, giving up on the idea of going to find them.

Suddenly, Kong Ming'an stopped and turned around.

Xu Tianzhen, who had been following closely behind him, nearly slammed into him. She hurriedly stopped, lifting her little face. Her purple eyes held confusion and a trace of nervousness.

Looking at the Girl before him, Kong Ming'an felt a little interested. He bent slightly and met Xu Tianzhen's lively eyes at eye level.

"Isn't it boring, staying in the palace all the time?"

"Hmm?" Xu Tianzhen did not react at first and answered instinctively, "It's alright, I guess..."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Kong Ming'an's mouth.

"Then do you want to... go out and have a look around?"

Xu Tianzhen blinked.

"Huh?"