"Give me your hand." Ling Xiao ignored the High Priest’s anger and said, "I don’t think you’ve been poisoned. Why would you think you were?"

The High Priest was stunned. She realized she had misunderstood the young man, and her face grew hot. ’Damn it,’ she cursed internally. ’To make a fool of myself in front of a mere youngster, time and time again.’ But then, she recalled the Elixir he had fed her. A sliver of hope suddenly rose in the High Priest’s heart, and she extended a hand from under the covers.

Ling Xiao placed three fingers on the High Priest’s fair, delicate wrist. He focused his senses for a moment, then frowned and muttered to himself, "There are no signs of poison in your body at all. So why don’t you have any Inner Strength? Hmm? Your Dantian... uh..."

Ling Xiao froze in astonishment. This woman... her Dantian was completely empty! ’This... How is this possible? Even with my old constitution as a Celestial Vein Master, I still had a Dantian! How could someone not have a Dantian? Even an ordinary farmer who knows no martial arts has a Dantian! For example, when lifting a heavy object, they might let out a sharp cry and feel their strength increase slightly. That, in fact, is power from the Dantian!’

’Martial Artists are simply better at utilizing the power of the Dantian and storing their Inner Strength within it. The more Inner Strength they store, the more powerful they become!’

So, despite having the mental state of a Mid-Golden Core Stage cultivator and having reached the sixth level of his Great Freedom Heart Scripture, Ling Xiao currently looked as if he had seen a ghost.

A self-mocking smile appeared on the High Priest’s face. "Well? Did you find the root of the problem? You really are a child with brilliant medical skills, aren’t you! My Dantian... I wasn’t born without it. It was... viciously destroyed by someone!" As she spoke, her face twisted into a ferocious, venomous expression, and tears began to stream down. "Those despicable people! They took advantage of the fact that I had just given birth to my daughter to strike me. As long as I live, I will not rest until I have my revenge!"

Ling Xiao suddenly asked in a low voice, "Your husband’s family... they were a military family?"

The High Priest’s slender hand shot out from under the covers and seized Ling Xiao’s wrist. Her grievously injured body miraculously sat up. Her beautiful eyes widened as she asked in a shrill voice, "You... How do you know that?!"

Ling Xiao recalled what Ye Zi’s adoptive father had said after being controlled by his Spiritual Power. He had said that when he found Ye Zi, she was in the arms of a soldier. That soldier didn’t seem to be from the Lanyue Empire and was covered in blood, heavily wounded...

"I know a girl..."

Ling Xiao looked at the High Priest, who had suddenly held her breath, and said softly, "She looks just like you."

THUMP!

The High Priest’s face went blank as her lifeless eyes stared at nothing. She collapsed back onto the bed without any sign of excitement, but tears streamed continuously from the corners of her eyes.

First, she wept silently, then she began to sob quietly, and finally, she broke down, wailing loudly.

Her crying made Ling Xiao feel awkward, and he didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, no sounds came from outside, and no one approached. Ling Xiao’s embarrassment lessened slightly. He could somewhat feel the High Priest’s pain of being separated from her own flesh and blood. In his heart, he was now basically certain that this woman was Ye Zi’s mother.

’Although she looks a little too young, this world is full of countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Some of them can have the same effect as a Beauty Pill, so it’s not that strange.’

After a long time, the sky outside had grown completely dark. The High Priest cried for a long while before finally stopping. Her once-clear voice was now hoarse from weeping as she asked softly, "Is... is she okay?"

"She’s doing very well. Right now... she’s in Penzes City, at my residence. She’s living a good life!"

Ling Xiao thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. Helping Ye Zi find her birth parents had always been a wish of his. Now that he had found one, he wouldn’t stop her from meeting Ye Zi, even if this woman was irredeemably evil. Unless... she had any intention of harming Ye Zi.

"That’s good, that’s good... It’s a good thing I didn’t hurt you. Otherwise, she... she would have hated me to death!"

The High Priest said in an emotional voice, "For so many years, I thought she was gone. Beast God be praised, she’s still alive. That’s wonderful, just wonderful!"

"Can... can I see her?" The High Priest’s words were hesitant, as if she wanted to ask but was afraid of being disappointed by an unfavorable answer.

"Why not?" Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.

"She... she doesn’t hate me?"

Ling Xiao thought about it. He had never heard Ye Zi say a single hateful word about her parents. ’And with her kind nature, how could she hate her? She’d be overjoyed to find her mother, wouldn’t she?’

The High Priest continued, "I... I became the High Priest of the Beastmen. Will she despise me? Will she look down on me? Her mother... actually believes in the Divine Spirit of the Beastmen... Beast God above, please forgive my words!"

"No matter what you’ve become, you’re still her mother. I believe that if she knew her mother was still alive, she would be so happy she’d demand to see you immediately," Ling Xiao said.

"No... don’t... you absolutely mustn’t."

The High Priest spoke incoherently, "You must not tell her I’m still alive, I beg you! In this world... she is the only person I have left to care about. If those people find out I still have a descendant, they... they will definitely not spare my daughter! I must... I must kill every last one of them. Only then... will I go and reunite with her!"

As she spoke, the High Priest looked at Ling Xiao with a pleading expression. "Young man, she... you like her very much, don’t you? She will become your woman. You must protect her. Don’t let her come to any harm. You... ask for anything. As long as I can do it, I will grant it! Even... even if you want to be the High Priest of the Beast Race! I will give the position to you. I’ll just say... I’ll just say it is the will of the Beast God!"

Looking at the High Priest’s sincere expression, Ling Xiao said, "You can rest assured. As long as she is with me, she won’t suffer the slightest grievance."

"Yes, I believe you. I believe you!"

Wiping the corners of her eyes, the High Priest suddenly asked, "What’s... what’s her name?"

"Ye Wen Ni. I call her Ye Zi."

"Ye Zi... It’s a beautiful name," the High Priest murmured to herself, then asked, "And you?"

"Ling Xiao."

"Very well, Ling Xiao. Thank you. Thank you for coming here and bringing me news that my daughter is safe. Tomorrow, you should go back. Go back to the human cities and don’t come here again. By the time you try to return, you probably won’t be able to find this place. If one day I can kill all my enemies, I will definitely come find you! The Beast Race may not have much else, but we have plenty of Magical Beast Crystal Cores. You have a Space Ring, right? You can fill it with Crystal Cores before you leave! It will be enough for you and your descendants to live a life of wealth. Also, if you’re willing, you can choose a thousand Elite Warriors from the Beast Race to take back with you. Though, I suppose the humans over there wouldn’t accept you having Beastman soldiers. They’re actually very obedient!"

As the High Priest spoke, she closed her eyes wearily, but her face was full of a happy smile. "You may go for now. Someone will make arrangements for you."

Just then, Ling Xiao spoke up. "If... and I’m just saying if... you could have your Dantian back, how long would it take you to recover your strength as a Sword Emperor? And then, with the strength of a Sword Emperor, could you get your revenge?"

The High Priest didn’t think for a moment that Ling Xiao could help her with this. Shaking her head, she said, "Since I trust that my daughter is with you, then I’ll consider you my son-in-law. There’s no need to hide some things from you. However, you must not try to help me. That is simply impossible. Since you know about hidden families, then you must have also heard that they are divided into first, second, and third-rate sects and families—and of course, the unrated ones. But have you ever heard of super-sects or families?"

Seeing Ling Xiao’s blank expression, the High Priest sighed. "If I could get my Dantian back and use my family’s Secret Technique, I guarantee I could recover my strength as a Sword Emperor within a year! Back then, when I was in my twenties, I was already a Demon Sword Master! And over all these years, my progress has never actually stopped! My Spiritual Power has already reached the level of a Tier Three Sword Emperor! But... as for getting revenge, the hope is slim."

At this, the High Priest suddenly sounded deflated, but the hatred in her eyes burned even brighter.

"Even if I die, I won’t let them have an easy time of it!"