Chapter 450: 450. New Discovery

Translator: 549690339

The weather suddenly turned overcast and the children playing across the lake were called into the Yuanming Pavilion.

After Sheng Yue confessed some things that Gu Ling and Su Liang didn’t know before, the atmosphere fell silent.

It was already December. The surface of the lake was coated with a layer of ice. The gaze of Gu Ling and Sheng Yue fell on the ice, seemingly frozen.

After what seemed like forever, Sheng Yue spoke again, “I’ve said so much, do you still doubt my sincerity? If not, please answer my previous question – can you foresee the future?”

“Yes.” Gu Ling looked at Sheng Yue, his gaze fixed on his forehead, devoid of darkness, still the same unremarkable face.

It’s not that Gu Ling felt he should be fair and confess something to Sheng Yue in return. In fact, he couldn’t really predict the future. The conditions, if there were any, were very harsh. He didn’t explain, and Sheng Yue couldn’t possibly know what was going on.

“I envied that.” Sheng Yue said, looking at Gu Ling.

“I lied.” Gu Ling said, his expression aloof.

Sheng Yue’s gaze was slightly condensed, “Fine, at this point, I’m in no position to make any demands. Have you decided what to do?”

Gu Ling shook his head, “We’ll talk later.” He grabbed Sheng Yue, ready to send him back to the dungeon.

Sheng Yue just sighed, he didn’t resist. As he walked around the lake, he asked, “Where is Cheng Yun? He doesn’t seem to be at your house.”

“It’s none of your business.” Gu Ling said.

Just as they were about to enter the dungeon, Sheng Yue suddenly stopped, “I thought you already knew this, but just in case, I’ll ask.”

Gu Ling was silent, listening to Sheng Yue say, “Do you know the background of Ying Ying and Ying Ye?”

Seeing that Gu Ling didn’t respond, Sheng Yue shook his head slightly, “Yue Mei, that poisonous woman, indeed didn’t say anything. If she had spoken, she wouldn’t have survived till now. Ying Ying and Ying Ye are indeed siblings, and their father is indeed the biological son of Yue Mei and someone from Starfall Island, but their mother’s identity might interest you.”

At this point, Gu Ling already had a guess.

He heard Sheng Yue continue to say, “She’s another transmigrator, that’s how my mother described people like you. In fact, there are more people like you than you thought, although I can count the ones I know on one hand. But, I suppose, at one point you thought you were the only transmigrator in this world, didn’t you?”

“What else?” Gu Ling asked.

“As I said, you’ll be interested.” Sheng Yue’s tone seemed to hold amusement, but his icy face betrayed no emotion, “That woman, the mother of Ying Ying and Ying Ye, was not a physically strong and highly skilled warrior like you but rather an ordinary woman with impaired senses. She was weak, afraid of water, and continuously muttered words that others couldn’t understand. Before she was burned to death, Mo Yan found her. However, she had no ability to help Mo Yan find the way. So, you can probably guess what she was used for.”

After pausing for a moment, Sheng Yue continued, “To bear children. Yue Mei has always been a part of Starfall Island, and her son was selected. Mo Yan thought that the children of the transmigrators might be blessed with special abilities that would allow them to pass certain routes. Shortly after the transmigrator, whose name I do not know, gave birth to Ying Ye, she died. Yue Mei’s son couldn’t bear everything happening on Starfall Island. After killing his father, he committed suicide. Before that, Yue Mei had taken Ying Ying away and later took Ying Ye as well. She raised them outside, trained them to have enough patience to deal with Mo Yan’s test, at the same time, using them as bargaining chips to negotiate with Mo Yan. My father had Cheng Yun to become a monk in order to protect him, lest he be found by Mo Yan because Cheng Yun looked very much like my mother. You can say I’m cold-blooded, but in comparison with people like Mo Yan and Yue Mei, I’m not that bad. You know how my father was to me. Don’t you dare expect me to care about him or be dutiful to him, that’s not gonna happen. As for Cheng Yun, I didn’t grow up with him, and my life wasn’t easier than him. I’m not his father, so I feel no responsibility towards him. But if I were to have a child, I would never harm my own grandchild.”

After he finished, Sheng Yue looked at Gu Ling and said his last sentence, “Believe me, even if Mo Yan knew that Su Liang was his granddaughter, he wouldn’t show any mercy.”With that, he walked into the dungeon.

After Gu Ling locked Sheng Yue up in the dungeon and came out, he looked at the dark sky, took a deep breath, he felt scared, not for him, but for Su Liang.

He believed that even if she didn’t meet him, Su Liang, being clever, would hide herself well, but like Sheng Yue said, in addition to being a transmigrator, Su Liang had another identity – the blood descendant of Mo Yan, another transmigrator. Who knows if that crazy old man would be mad enough to use even his own granddaughter as a tool to achieve his goal.

Gu Ling returned to Yuanming Pavilion and saw the children playing on the carpet in the flower hall on the first floor. Gu Xiaonuan was in Ying Ye’s arms, smiling sweetly at Gu Ling, “Dad!”

Following were two voices saying “Master”, and another saying “Handsome Brother.” Gu Ling smiled at them and then went upstairs.

Weng Ming and Lao Bai were debating on how to use Sheng Yue’s blood, Su Liang opened the window, saw no one in the pavilion, turned around, and saw Gu Ling appear at the door.

“How was it?” Su Liang came out and held Gu Ling’s slightly cold hand.

Gu Ling pulled Su Liang back to their room and held her tightly.

“What’s wrong? Did Sheng Yue launch any magic attack on you?” Su Liang asked inexplicably, making a joke.

“I just feel very fortunate.” Gu Ling sighed.

Su Liang frowns, pulled Gu Ling to sit down, and rubbed his brows, “What’s going on? What did that man say?”

Gu Ling then told Su Liang everything that Sheng Yue had explained.

Su Liang was also deeply shocked.

Before this, she really thought that Sheng Yue’s mother died in the forbidden area of Xingluo Island, but she didn’t expect she was accidentally killed by Pu Cheng. Pu Cheng even acted like a romantic hero in front of her, which was disgusting! Su Liang’s mother not only saved Pu Cheng’s wife but also formed a sisterhood pact with her. Pu Cheng knew everything before, but he acted like he didn’t, proving that he was just a selfish and shameless person.

What Su Liang couldn’t even think of was the origin of Ying Ying and Ying Ye. Given how indifferent and even cruel Yue Mei was to Ying Ying and Ying Ye, Su Liang once thought that these two children were abducted by her. She planned to raise them as puppets, even suspecting Ying Ying and Ying Ye were the descendants of Yue Mei’s enemies and she stole. Unexpectedly, Yue Mei was actually their grandmother, and their mother was a Transmigrator.

“Sister Ying said that she saw a light at the bottom of the pool…” Su Liang focused on, “Though I believe Mo Yan’s idea of raising descendants of transmigrators as tools is despicable and useless. But could Ying’s discovery have any connection with her mother’s identity?”

Su Liang admitted that her mind was a little messy at the moment. Perhaps as a fellow transmigrator, her method differed from the others. She had no special abilities or magic treasures and didn’t come from any space-time gate… No, perhaps it was, just a different kind of space-time gate?

Gu Ling shook his head, “There’s no need to think about these. But we need to remind Ying to be careful.” As a person who survived from the forbidden area and a descendant of a Transmigrator, it’s hard to guarantee that Mo Yan wouldn’t target her again.

“Right!” Su Liang stood up, “We have to tell Sister Ying right now! Our defense in the south can only temporarily stop the ships of Xingluo Island. If they make a big enough detour, they can bypass our defensive line.” The coastline was so long, it’s closest and most convenient to land near Nanshan City and Jiaye City, but does not mean they could not land elsewhere.

“Let me go.” Gu Ling pulled Su Liang to sit down, “You need some rest.”

“Damn it, I really want to skin Yue Mei alive now! How can she do such a thing? She didn’t reveal a word while being tortured before, probably afraid that revealing the truth would lead to a quicker death!” Su Liang said coldly. They have interrogated Yue Mei about the truth of Ying Ying and Ying Ye’s origins before. Ying Ying came to see Yue Mei after returning to the capital city, trying to find out who her parents were from Yue Mei, but Yue Mei insisted they were just short-lived ordinary people.

Gu Ling gently patted Su Liang’s back, “It’s not worth getting angry over such a person.”

“She’s not even human.” Su Liang snorted coldly.

Gu Ling nodded, “I’ll go get Ying Ying, you talk to her.” He then left.

Lian Mansion.

Yesterday was their wedding, today, Lian Shun brought Ying Ying to meet his parents. Ying Ying received two more gifts, Lian’s mother held her hand, liked her no matter how she looked.

Lian Shun was pulled by his father to play a game of chess, then he looked outside absent-mindedly.

Lin’s father shot him a glance, “Your wife isn’t going anywhere. Your mother is just talking to her.”

“Alright, I admit defeat.” Lian Shun put down the chess piece haphazardly, stood up and said, “I’m not skilled in chess. Dad, you might as well play with Uncle Lin.”

“I would love to, but Brother Lin wins every time with his excellent chess skills. Now I don’t have enough hands to carry two grandsons and a granddaughter, no time at all!” Lin’s father exclaimed.

Lian Shun laughed, “Dad, do you really want to hold your grandchildren? If so, it’s best you stop asking me to play chess or have mother chatting with my wife. We are quite busy!” With that he ran out.

Lian’s father laughed in exasperation, “Rogue boy…”

However, before Lian Shun could meet Ying Ying, he saw Gu Ling dropping out of the sky, appearing in front of him.

Lian Shun froze, “Gu Xiaoling, why are you here? Don’t tell me you missed me and came to play with me. I just got married yesterday and I don’t have time for you!”

“Not here for you.” Gu Ling shook his head, “Where is Ying Ying?”

Lian Shun frowned, “My wife doesn’t have time either!”

“My wife is looking for her.” Gu Ling replied, sounding indifferent.

Lian Shun touched his forehead, “What… What is with Su Xiaoliang? Can’t she understand that we just got married? Who would return to their parent’s house so soon after marriage?”

Ying Ying, hearing the commotion, came out. Seeing Gu Ling, she was very surprised, “What happened?”

When she heard that Su Liang was looking for her, Ying Ying nodded without hesitation, “OK, I’ll be right there.”

Lian Shun: … He knew it would be like this. However, he also knew that if Su Liang and Gu Ling were looking for Ying Ying today, it must have been something really important otherwise Gu Ling wouldn’t have come at all.

“Let’s go together.” Lian Shun said.

Gu Ling glanced at their clasped hands, and didn’t object. As for whether she should tell Lian Shun about certain things, that’s her decision to make.

However, when Lian Shun and Ying Ying entered the Yuanming Pavilion following Gu Ling, the children excitedly ran up and dragged Lian Shun away to play with them. In particular, Ying Ye, shaking Gu Xiaonuan’s hand, called for Lian Shun.

Lian Shun suspected Gu Ling was behind this, but he couldn’t resist the children’s enthusiasm and allowed Ying Ying to go upstairs by herself.

This made Lian Shun suspicious: was there something they didn’t want him to know? It couldn’t be…

The door shut, leaving only Su Liang and Ying Ying in the room. Su Liang looked at Ying Ying’s complexion, “It seems your wedding night went well.”

Ying Ying maintained her composure, “Did you think I would be tired? There are some things I would never concede.”

Su Liang coughed lightly, “Very good, quite amusing. Lian Ershan is very lucky. Alright, let’s get down to business.”

“Yes, what’s the matter for which you approached me today? Has Sheng Yue given any instructions that involve me? Or is there something you need me to do?” Ying Ying asked seriously. However, she felt the last scenario was unlikely. Even if they now needed help, and she was willing, neither Gu Ling nor Su Liang would let her go.

Su Liang nodded, “Yes. Sheng Yue explained it was related to Ying Ying’s origins. Even though he can’t be trusted, making up such a lie wouldn’t benefit him at all.” If his deceit was discovered, it would affect the trust Gu Ling and Su Liang had in him.

After all, as the principal person in question, Yue Mei was at the Su Mansion. She hadn’t revealed anything, but now that they knew the truth, Gu Ling and Su Liang could interrogate Yue Mei to determine the validity of the facts. Maybe Yue Mei would admit everything once she realized her secret had been exposed.

Upon hearing this, Ying Ying immediately perked up, “Really? Who are my parents?” What she didn’t ask was, were they still alive…? Once an arrogant and independent woman, Ying Ying was forced to toughen up from a fragile and young age due to countless hardships. As she endured beatings and chastising from Yue Mei and nearly drowned numerous times, she always hoped her parents would swoop in to save her. And her younger brother Ying Ye, who hadn’t grown much mentally due to trauma, constantly cried for his mother and repeatedly asked Ying Ying why everyone else had parents but they didn’t.

At that moment, Ying Ye was downstairs with Gu Xiaonuan in his arms, laughing with all his teeth showing while he played games with Ji Xiaoshu, because their team had just won a game against Zhengzheng and the newcomer, Lian Shun.

Earlier, Su Liang had candidly revealed to Ying Ying about the transmigrator. Now, after revealing Ying Ying and Ying Ye’s true parentage, Ying Ying’s hand abruptly gripped the edge of the table and her previously bright complexion immediately turned few shades duller. She said to Su Liang, “I’m okay.” But then, she abruptly stood up, “I’m going to find Yue Mei! I have to ask her!”

“Go ahead, Ying Jing. You know where she is, do whatever you want,” Su Liang wasn’t surprised by Ying Ying’s reaction.

Kind people often believe in the phrase ‘tigers don’t eat their children’. But in reality, throughout life’s unexpected turns, it’s inevitable that one sees the opposite. Su Liang in her previous life had seen in the news about wicked parents, in collaboration with their illicit lovers, flinging their biological children down the stairs leading to a premature death. To this date, she still vividly remembers the parents performing an insincere act of grief on the television.

Yet, when such incidents happen to someone else compared to when they potentially involve oneself, the pain and grief experienced are completely different.

Su Liang hadn’t experienced Ying Ying’s suffering. She could sympathize but not empathize with her pain, she could only empathize with her. However, she didn’t regret revealing the truth to her. Ying Ying deserved to know the truth.

Lian Shun noticed Ying Ying’s figure passing the doorway in a flash. He quickly got up to follow, but she was already out of sight.

“Gu Ling, what on earth is going on?” Lian Shun turned to find Gu Ling standing behind him.

“She went to the dungeon.” Gu Ling said.

Lian Shun immediately followed her.

Later that evening, Qi Yan came to report that Lian Shun and Ying Ying had left to go home, and that he had cleaned out Yue Mei’s body from the dungeon according to Su Liang’s instructions, discarding it at the burial mound.

After dinner, Gu Ling held Su Liang closely as they walked by the lake.

“Great God, you said, Mo Yan was willing to do anything to go back. What’s it for? Is it really for his lover over there?” Su Liang asked.

Gu Ling shook his head, “No.” Mo Yan had transmigrated for decades, it was unlikely that he had not considered that his lover in the other world had likely remarried or even passed away due to sickness, old age or some unfortunate accident.

“Yeah, if he really cared that much, he wouldn’t forget about his parents over there… Although there are people like that who are so engrossed in love that they don’t care about anything else, even their parents. Their brains must be broken!” Su Liang complained, “I was thinking today, if Mo Yan has been trying to go back for so long, fearing death so much, could there be another reason? Could he be fantasizing that going back could prolong his life?”

In her previous life, Su Liang liked sci-fi books and movies. In that genre, there are often plots about future worlds enabled by technology that could cure all diseases, including cancer, and even allow humans to live for centuries through hibernation. Even though it seemed like fantasy then, the speed of human technological progress was unpredictable.

At least, the medical technology of that world was far more advanced than here, and people there certainly lived much longer on average. Humans in that world were also continuously exploring outer space, constantly pushing the limits of technology. As they say, the only limit is one’s imagination.

Since Su Liang had shared everything with Gu Ling, he knew what she was talking about and what she was thinking. He shared her sentiment, “In this world, Mo Yan is already the ruler of Xingluo Island. Plus, he has the portable space. His ambition has swollen, he’s not satisfied with his current status, and doesn’t want to die a natural death. Perhaps he imagines he can take his magic treasure back to the original world, bring a large amount of gold and silver treasures, become someone important, make up for his past humiliation, and seek revenge on his past enemies.”

Gu Ling didn’t make this assumption without basis: If Mo Yan’s world before transmigration was a lawful society, it was possible that someone like him who had such scant regard for human life might have been a failure or even a serial killer. Even a good person couldn’t instantly become evil simply because they had transmigrated.

Su Liang sighed deeply, “We need to have a serious discussion about cooperation with Sheng Yue.”