Hidden Bloodline

Hidden Bloodline

Walking into the restaurant, Nie Yun realized he had wasted some time just now. Nie Lin and the shopkeeper were already standing in a private room, bowing and scraping before the two young men seated inside.

He had seen both of them in his previous life. They were Feng Xiao and Nie Liu, the son of Nie Shengyuan, head of the Nie Long Branch! He had not expected them to arrive so quickly.

"Didn't I tell you to check the surroundings? Why did you take so long? Hurry up! If Young Master Nie Liu starts cursing, even if they chop off your head, you won't be able to bear the consequences!"

The moment he entered, he heard a sharp rebuke. A steward-like man glared at him furiously, clearly annoyed that he had been gone for so long.

"Yes, this subordinate was wrong!" Nie Yun was now disguised as a waiter, and he played the part flawlessly as he hurriedly lowered his head to admit fault.

"Hmph, then hurry and take this pot of wine over! Surely I don't need to explain what to do?" the steward snorted coldly.

You don't need to explain? How would I know what to do if you don't tell me? Nie Yun grumbled inwardly, but his face revealed none of it. He scratched his head with an embarrassed look. "I'm afraid I'll get nervous... Could you say it once more...?"

As he spoke, Nie Yun deliberately stammered, making himself seem flustered and helpless.

"Useless trash! How did I end up taking you as a subordinate?" The steward did not suspect a thing. After berating him, he lowered his voice. "When pouring wine for Young Master, twist the lid to the left. When pouring wine for Young Master Feng Xiao, twist it to the right. Don't let anyone notice, or I'll chop you into pieces and throw you into the river to feed the fish!"

"This lowly one understands!" Nie Yun nodded repeatedly.

So it was one of those twin-chamber wine pots, nothing more than a trick commonly used by swindlers!

The inside of this kind of wine pot was divided in two. Twist the lid left, and the liquid from the left side poured out; twist it right, and the liquid from the right side poured out. It sounded mysterious, but in truth it was merely a shallow little mechanism!

"Why aren't you going yet?" the steward snorted.

"Yes!" Nie Yun picked up the wine pot and headed toward the private room.

As he walked in, he deliberately suppressed his aura, making himself appear to possess no cultivation whatsoever.

"Haha, with Brother Feng's talent, once his Bloodline Factor opens, his cultivation will surely soar by leaps and bounds. He might even directly reach the fifth level of Qi Sea Nine Heavens, the Body Egress Realm. This is merely good things taking time; there's no need to worry!"

The moment he entered the room, Nie Liu's laughter rang out.

"Sigh, I hope so too! Forget it, let's not talk about it!" Feng Xiao seemed to have something weighing on his mind and shook his head.

"Bloodline Factor opening?" Hearing their conversation, Nie Yun immediately recalled the incident involving the "wastrel young master" from three hundred years ago and understood at once.

According to what he knew from his previous life, Feng Xiao was not a playboy. On the contrary, he was an exceptionally diligent person. At only twenty years old, he had already reached the middle stage of the fourth level of Qi Sea Nine Heavens, the True Qi Realm!

At that age, with that level of strength, he should have been considered reasonably talented. Unfortunately, the Bloodline Factor within him had been blocked from birth, leaving him unable to form a dantian! Before the True Qi Realm, the disadvantage of lacking a dantian was not especially obvious. He could perhaps make up for it with medicinal herbs and external aid, but once he reached the True Qi Realm, things became different!

In the True Qi Realm, one refined the spiritual energy in the body, casting away the false and preserving the true, until one's power became incomparably pure. No matter how good the external aid was, without a dantian to refine it, one's cultivation speed would immediately slow down! Feng Xiao had begun cultivating Qi Sea at eight, reaching the fourth level of Qi Sea Nine Heavens at fourteen. Yet because he lacked a dantian, over the full six years from fourteen to twenty, he had only advanced from the initial stage of the True Qi Realm to the middle stage!

Such a rate of advancement would have been impossible for any collateral disciple whose Bloodline Factor had opened! To be honest, it was absurdly slow!

Because of this, a true genius had become a wastrel in everyone else's eyes, subjected to no small amount of doubt and ridicule.

However, having lived through his previous life, Nie Yun knew that those doubts would soon be shattered! It was not that Feng Xiao's Bloodline Factor was blocked and unable to open—it was that he possessed a highly renowned Hidden Bloodline!

As its name suggested, a Hidden Bloodline had Bloodline Factors that lay dormant and did not awaken easily. They required pills with pure-yang attributes to activate them!

Of course, everything had its pros and cons. A Hidden Bloodline was difficult to awaken, but once it opened and transformed into a dantian, one's cultivation speed would improve by leaps and bounds. In Nie Yun's memories of his previous life, Feng Xiao had stumbled upon a fortunate opportunity and successfully awakened it. In just half a year, he had leapt to become the leading figure among Luoshui City's younger generation. He had even won this Talented Youth Competition and obtained the Luoshui Golden Shield!

But all of that would happen a year from now. At the very least, to everyone's eyes, Feng Xiao was still a wastrel at present!

"I can refine pills with pure-yang attributes. Perhaps I can use this chance to do him a favor..."

As he thought of this, a plan slowly took shape in Nie Yun's heart.

Even if he did not help Feng Xiao, Feng Xiao would obtain his opportunity half a year later. He might as well take the chance to earn a favor and gain a little advantage in the process!

As the Feng Family's sole heir, once Feng Xiao awakened his Bloodline Factor, he would possess authority second only to the clan head! That status alone was worth Nie Yun spending some effort on now!

"Haha, true enough. Brother Feng came out today to clear his mind, so let's not think about these unpleasant matters anymore!" Nie Liu laughed.

The two chatted casually for a while longer. Though Nie Yun still could not see through the true nature of their relationship, no matter what Feng Xiao said, Nie Liu flattered him and used the opening to add a few more words. Feng Xiao had already been feeling depressed, but after talking for a while, host and guest were both thoroughly pleased.

"This Nie Liu is no simple man!"

After listening for a while, neither of them had asked for wine, so Nie Yun quietly remained at the side, inwardly on guard.

For a young master from a declining branch to latch onto the Feng Family's young master and converse with him so congenially, this Nie Liu was clearly no ordinary character. No wonder that in his previous life, the other man had driven his sister to death, yet he himself had never realized the Nie Long Branch was behind it!

"Young Master, Young Master..."

While the two were talking, a servant came over.

"Young Master is entertaining a guest. What is it?" Steward Nie Lin went outside. After a while, he returned with a grave expression.

"Young Master..."

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" Nie Liu raised a brow.

"Nie Xiaofeng of the Nie Tian Branch has come to see you..." Nie Lin hesitated before cupping his hands and reporting.

"Has it gotten to the main point?" Seeing this, Nie Yun sneered from where he stood.

To be honest, the moment he saw the elaborate setup, he had already understood Nie Liu's plan. His sister had come looking for him in the morning and surely had not been received all this time. Now, bringing her out deliberately at this moment was clearly meant to keep Feng Xiao from finding it abrupt and lay the groundwork for what came next!

My cousin came to borrow money, so naturally she should join us at the table. Then you suddenly let your beastly nature erupt... Even if Feng Xiao was clever, he likely would not realize he had long since stepped into the other man's trap!

"Th-this is hardly the time for her to come. Tell her I'm entertaining a guest and have no time to see her!" Nie Liu waved his hand.

"But she says it's urgent. Young Master, no matter what, Nie Xiaofeng is your cousin. If you refuse to see her like this... it would not look good if word spread through the clan!" Nie Lin wore a troubled expression.

"I said I won't see her, so I won't see her... So what if she's my cousin! I'm accompanying Brother Feng to clear his mind today. We're not discussing any business!" Nie Liu deliberately furrowed his brow.

Nie Yun had seen this kind of coordinated act to lure people into the trap countless times in his previous life. He saw through it at a glance, but while he could, Feng Xiao could not. Hearing Nie Liu say this, Feng Xiao not only fell for it, but also felt that Nie Liu was exceptionally loyal and righteous. He quickly waved his hand. "Your cousin may have something to discuss if she's come at this hour. You don't need to worry about me!"

"Th-this... Since Brother Feng has spoken, then fine, let Xiaofeng come in!" Nie Liu put on a reluctant expression as he gave the order.

"Yes!" Nie Liu answered and headed outside. Before long, a girl followed behind him into the room.

The girl wore plain clothes. The faint sorrow between her brows, coupled with her somewhat delicate frame, made one feel reluctant to harm her.

"Big Sister... It really is Big Sister!"

He had known that his sister was coming, yet when Nie Yun saw her standing before him, his heart still surged uncontrollably!

Though his sister was only a year older than him, she had always taken especially good care of him since they were young. When she had been driven to suicide, he had cried himself hoarse for an entire day. Whenever he thought of it, his heart felt as though it were being twisted by knives, filled with endless regret!

He often wondered whether, if he had taken a firmer stand back then, his sister would not have died and this regret would not have been left behind!

Besides, why had his sister been forced in the first place? Was it not because her worthless younger brother had caused trouble and been unable to pay the fine?

Yet despite the turmoil in Nie Yun's heart, his face remained as still as an ancient well. No one noticed anything amiss.

"Cousin Nie Liu, I... I came this time to borrow money from you..."

The moment Nie Xiaofeng entered the room, a flush rose uncontrollably to her slightly pale face.