Song Zhizhi looked at Xie Xiuji and gently squeezed his hand in return, as though drawing strength from him.
"Alright." Song Zhizhi nodded, released Xie Xiuji's hand, and followed Qingyu beneath a towering parasol tree.
With a wave of her hand, Qingyu set up a Soundproof Barrier around them. Seeing how solemn and cautious she was, Song Zhizhi felt even more certain that what Qingyu wanted to say was no trivial matter.
Thinking of Xie Xiuji, Song Zhizhi steadied herself and looked at Qingyu. "Master, what do you want to tell me?"
"Do you know who your father is?" Qingyu looked at Song Zhizhi, yet her gaze seemed to see someone else through her.
Her father?
Song Zhizhi thought for a moment, then understood that Qingyu meant this body's father—the original owner's father. She had inexplicably transmigrated into the original owner's body, so the original owner's father was now her father as well.
Song Zhizhi shook her head. "I don't."
Neither the original owner's memories nor the original novel contained any information about Song Zhizhi's father. Song Zhizhi only knew that the original owner's mother,
Song Chao
had once been an Outer Sect Disciple of the Profound Moon Sect. Later, she disappeared while carrying out a sect mission. Five years afterward, she returned to the Song Household with a swollen belly. Not long after giving birth to Song Zhizhi, she passed away.
The original owner had been raised by Xie Miaomiao's father—Song Chao's elder brother, her maternal uncle—and took her mother's surname. While Song Chao was alive, she had never mentioned Song Zhizhi's father's identity.
Everyone had simply assumed that Song Zhizhi's father was already dead.
Now that Qingyu had mentioned her father, Song Zhizhi suddenly recalled all this. Her mood seemed weighed down by those memories as she looked at Qingyu. "Master, do you know my father?"
"Your father and I were friends," Qingyu said with a sigh. "He was the last Phoenix in the Cultivation World, the king of our bird clan, the Demon King of the Demon Realm. Twenty years ago, civil strife broke out in the Demon Realm. He was betrayed by his close kin and gravely wounded, failing his nirvana. We thought the Phoenix Bloodline had vanished from this world with his death. We never expected that he had left behind a trace of his bloodline."
Song Zhizhi stood dumbfounded. Her first reaction was that Qingyu was fooling her. "Master, you're not joking, are you? I'm human. How could my father possibly have been a Phoenix? And I'm only eighteen this year. If he had already... died twenty years ago, then how was I born?"
After all, because of the war ten thousand years ago, the Demon Race was treated in the Human Realm much like rats crossing the street—unwelcome everywhere. The Phoenix Bloodline sounded impressive, but in truth, it would only bring a heap of trouble. Song Zhizhi had no desire to have anything to do with the Phoenix Bloodline.
Qingyu shook her head. "My senses cannot be wrong. You truly possess half the Phoenix Bloodline. I went back and investigated these past few days. Before the King fell, there was indeed a human woman by his side. She should have been your mother. The Demon Race's gestation and childbirth differ from humans'. Sometimes, being pregnant for three to five years is perfectly normal."
Song Zhizhi still found it difficult to accept. If her biological father truly was the Demon King, then something Qingyu could see, Xie Xiuji—whose cultivation was close to Qingyu's...
Qingyu seemed to know what Song Zhizhi was thinking and continued, "The aura of your Phoenix Bloodline was concealed by a Secret Art. Ordinary people cannot tell that there is anything unusual about your bloodline. I can see it because, like you, I am a Half-Demon. My mother was an Azure Luan. The Azure Luan is one of the Five Phoenixes and has a special sense for the Phoenix Bloodline."
Seeing Qingyu's expression, Song Zhizhi knew she was not lying. Her feelings immediately became complicated. She had not expected that after transmigrating, she would even be expelled from the human race. Was there anything more absurd than this in the world?
Oh, there was. Her master was not human either, but a Half-Demon like her.
Knowing that she was not the special one, the unease in Song Zhizhi's heart suddenly faded by more than half.
She pinched the corner of her clothes, lowered her head to look at the weeds on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Master, why are you telling me this?"
Qingyu's expression turned grave. "I originally did not want to tell you these things. The Demon Realm is now in chaos, without a ruler. Your cultivation is too low; it is not suitable for you to wade into that muddy water. You are safer remaining in the Sword Sect. Perhaps your parents thought the same, which was why they hid the aura of your bloodline. It would be better for you to live as an ordinary person who knew nothing."
"But you are with Mingxiao now, and you have even conceived a child. Your background could be exposed at any time. Mingxiao has guarded the Barrier all these years, and countless demons have died beneath the Blood Drinker. Perhaps he does not like the Demon Race. If he learns your identity in the future, how will the two of you get along? Have you thought about it?"
Song Zhizhi had only just learned of her background and had not considered this yet. Now that Qingyu brought it up, she pressed her lips together and lowered her head, seeming to ponder Qingyu's words.
Qingyu patted Song Zhizhi's shoulder. Her gaze swept past Song Zhizhi's back as she said earnestly, "Humans and demons walk different paths. You must think carefully about your marriage with Mingxiao. Men's words cannot always be trusted. I hope love will not cloud your mind. Think carefully about what your master has said today."
For a moment, Song Zhizhi hesitated and wavered. Yes, even if Xie Xiuji was with her now because of the child, would his attitude toward her truly remain unchanged once he learned the truth someday?
Xie Xiuji's clear, gentle eyes suddenly flashed through her mind—his strictness when teaching swordsmanship, his care and tenderness in his spare time...
No, Xie Xiuji is not that kind of person, a voice said in her heart.
Song Zhizhi raised her head and gazed at Qingyu, her eyes full of determination and trust. "Master, Xie Xiuji is not that kind of person."
Song Zhizhi was very clear-headed. She and Xie Xiuji had not come together because of love. She felt that their relationship was more like friendship, so there was no question of love clouding her judgment. Her mind was clear, and she knew what kind of person Xie Xiuji was.
If she had to use one word to describe Xie Xiuji, it would be gentleman.
There was actually a flaw in Qingyu's words. She was not the only Half-Demon by Xie Xiuji's side. If Xie Xiuji truly were someone who discriminated against the Demon Race, how could her master possibly have felt at ease letting Xie Xiuji teach her swordsmanship?
Song Zhizhi came to her senses. "Master, if he changes his attitude toward me because I have half the Demon Race's bloodline in my body, then he would not be Xie Xiuji, would he?"