Meeting Yun Tong

It had been almost two weeks since the incident, and the Town of Nerverkeep was still under curfew.

The Hun Family was healing, and all the distant relatives of the family were given permission to commute and help heal the Hun Family.

This Incident also postponed any talks of weddings between the Hun Lai and Yun Tong, and such, most of the time, Hun Lian immersed himself in cultivation.

The weather of the Neverkeep was cloudy and a thunderstorm was brewing in the sky.

Two Adjudicators of the Imperial Family had arrived last week but they were still investigating the matter.

It was pretty obvious with their attitude, that they were deliberately stalling the investigation so that they could milk the Mayor and the Xiao Patriarch of their last gold and in the end, save them.

"We cannot implicate the Yun Family for this, Ming. Not only is there little evidence against them, but also because they have a 2 Star Alchemist in their ranks.

If we prosecute them and the Alchemy Hall intervenes, then the case will be directly transferred to the Ordinance Jury."

A dwarf man with a long moustache spoke to the Mayor of the Neverkeep as he scribbled something on his book.

The Mayor was sweating bullets as the pressure coming from the Dwarf man was humongous.

"Then…What does Lord recommend?" asked the Mayor sheepishly.

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Hun Lian came out of Liu Si Xing's room with a smile on his face.

In these past few days, Liu Si Xing has warmed up to him. Usually, after treating her, he would simply leave, but nowadays, he lingers around and chats with an embarrassed Liu Si Xing.

He could never get over her face and figure no matter how often he sees it.

To him, She was an essence of morning dew, always fresh and comforting to the eyes and mood.

Liu Si Xing saw Hun Lian leave after closing the door behind him and fell on the bed with uneasiness. In the entirety of her life, she had never thought that a day would come when she would willingly let a man touch her body every day. It also fascinated her how Hun Lian knew how to treat her.

Did he have a Rogue Master? Did he receive the inheritance of a powerful cultivator?

All kinds of questions would plague her mind all day, and when she would ask him about it, Hun Lian would divert the topic.

It was weird to live like a commoner, spending the entire day doing miscellaneous things while looking forward to her treatment in the evening.

Since her cultivation was sealed for the last few days, fatigue also came to her like it would to a normal person, and she soon slept as her eyes became hazy and the dreams captured her.

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Hun Lian came to his courtyard and took a quick bath, after which he left the Hun Family compound.

The streets of the Neverkeep were eerily quiet as the curfew was still in place.

Only the members of the Hun Family were allowed to come out, and after showing his badge to the patrolling soldiers, he turned towards a specific direction and took off on foot as the beast carriages were also banned.

All along the way, he could see the soldiers distributing free rations to each house of Neverkeep and hence there were no complaints from the citizens as they were getting free food without working.

It took him just half hour to reach his destination, the Yun Family compound, and as he approached the gate, he slowed down and came to a halt.

"Young Master Hun!? I am sorry, I didn't know you were supposed to come today. Please come, I'll notify the Elders."

A guard saluted Hun Lian as they knew that he was supposed to marry their Heiress Yun Tong.

Hun Lian nodded to the guard and entered the Yun Family with slow steps as the guard rushed inside and conveyed the news of his arrival.

His purpose for coming here today was simple; he wanted to start developing feelings in Yun Tong's heart, despite her lack of interest in romance. She was critical to Hun Lian's plan in obtaining a valuable item from her, and even her mother would be crucial to his plans in the future.

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Yun Huang personally came out and received Hun Lian and eagerly took him inside.

"Junior Hun? Is everything alright? Why did you leave your family compound without an escort?"

"Patriarch Yun. My reason for coming here today is to let you know that regardless of what the Imperial Adjudicators rule, I will leave for the Perpetuity Sect in 2 weeks.

So If the Yun Family is still interested in the marriage alliance, then I would like to talk with Miss Yun Tong about her opinion before I leave."

Yun Huang was surprised to hear Hun Lian's purpose for coming here, but he recalled that Hun Lian was eager to meet his daughter that day as well.

'He must really like my daughter' Yun Huang thought as he nodded.

"You are leaving so early? The Hun Family is still not fully reco-" Yun Huang stopped himself from saying anything more and thought for a moment.

'Because of Elder Yun Jin, no one can touch us without evidence in Neverkeep; but if we have to grow, then…Hun Lian is indeed a good and talented boy, a perfect match for my daughter.

If we can get the backing of the Perpetuity Sect, then we could grow exponentially'

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Yun Huang looked at Hun Lian and agreed with his request and asked a servant to notify his daughter that Hun Lian was coming right now to meet her.

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"What!? How could father do this? Just like that, I am supposed to meet a stranger and decide if I have to marry him? Well, I don't have to meet him to answer this question.

I don't want to marry anyone! Tell Father that I will not see anyone!"

A tall girl with an hourglass figure was screaming at a servant in her courtyard. Half of her face was covered with slightly curly red hair while some tiny freckles could be seen on her face.

She was obviously the Young Princess of the Yun Family, the Prettiest girl of Neverkeep, Yun Tong.

She was wearing a pink frock with floral patterns which covered her shapely body very modestly and right now, a frown could be seen on her face.

Hun Lian heard her shout as he made his way towards her courtyard with her father and couldn't help but smirk.

"Now now, Tong'er. This is not the way my Successor should speak."

Yun Huang's voice frightened the servant who had conveyed the news to Yun Tong, and after bowing to Yun Huang who had just reached in front of his daughter's courtyard, left from there.

Yun Tong was annoyed as she saw her father not honouring her request of not meeting any potential suitor. She still wanted to find her mother and had no time to take on the responsibility of being a wife.

She slightly bowed to her father in acknowledgement and finally saw Hun Lian again.

The last time, Hun Lian was supposed to meet her, a tragedy had struck his family, she didn't think that in these trying times, the Hun Family's Young Master would still come to meet her.

As Hun Lian reached Yun Tong's courtyard, he could see a beautiful flower garden with lilies and jasmine planted everywhere.

From his memory, he knew that these were her favourite flowers, and as he gazed at the girl in question, he could see why she was called the prettiest girl of Neverkeep.

Although she could not be compared to Liu Si Xing or some other heroines who appear later in the novel, but once she unlocks the power her mother left behind for her, she will truly become the definition of breathtaking.

"Nice to finally meet you, Miss Yun." Said Hun Lian as he slightly bowed towards her in greeting.

"Charmed, Young Master Hun" replied Yun Tong with courtesy even though she was aggravated.

"Well, you two kids talk now, I will be in the main hall. Solitude!" As soon as Yun Huang said 'Solitude', two maids who were taking care of the garden bowed to them and left, followed by Yun Huang himself, giving his daughter and Hun Lian some alone time to talk and ask each other questions.

After Yun Huang left, Hun Lian went into the garden and started appreciating the flowers in silence while completely ignoring a restless Yun Tong.

"Young Master Hun? You wanted to talk to me?"

Yun Tong tried to sound polite but her slightly high-pitched tone betrayed her.

"Miss Tong, I will be leaving for the Perpetuity Sect in 2 weeks. I came here today to let you know if you are comfortable with postponing the marriage?"

'Marriage? When did she even agree to it for him to be talking about postponing it?'

Yun Tong didn't know how to react to this news.

She knew that sooner or later her father will marry her off, and she really didn't want to tie the knot so early. She wanted her mother to be present with her when she started that chapter of her life, and now when she heard that Hun Lian was leaving the town soon, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Right now, under curfew, they would not get married, and if Hun Lian leaves before the curfew is lifted, then she wouldn't have to worry about any marriage.

'But what if father marries me to someone else? He was talking about an Alchemy apprentice that impressed Elder Jin. What if father arranges a marriage between him and me?'

As Yun Tong was thinking about her predicament, She heard Hun Lian's next word.

"If you want, we can have a small engagement ceremony now. Once we are engaged, we can organise the wedding anytime in the future."

This sudden piece of news forced Yun Tong to think again.

If she does agree to be Hun Lian's fiancee, her father could not force her to marry anyone else, and she doesn't have to be with Hun Lian for a long time.

Even though Yun Tong didn't exactly know where the Perpetuity sect was located, but she knew for sure that it was very far.

This could give her enough time to hopefully find her mother!

Hun Lian knew what she was thinking and deliberately revealed this information. Now that when she was considering Hun Lian's suggestion, he struck the Iron when it was hot.

"What!? Miss Tong, Where did you find that Pagan Jewel!?"

Yun Tong came out of her daze as she heard the surprised tone of Hun Lian, who was gesturing at her chest.

She frowned and looked down to see the black gemstone necklace her mother gave her. Instantly as if she saw hope, her eyes lit up and she asked Hun Lian

"Does Young Master Hun know what this is? It was given to me by my mother before she disappeared-"

"Miss Tong, Calm down. Let's first sit somewhere, shall we."

Yun Tong nodded and hurriedly sat on the bench in her garden. She had always thought that this locket was something special. Why would her mother leave her with this? Where did her mother go? Why did she even leave?

Since she was but a child, she cried herself to sleep with these questions and now, after so many years, she suddenly heard Hun Lian refer to her locket as 'Pagan Jewel'.

Hun Lian sat beside her on the bench and asked her to hand him the necklace.

Yun Tong hesitated for a moment before she shakily took it off and handed it over to Hun Lian.

"This is indeed a Pagan Jewel, Miss Tong. Recently, The Person who came to recruit me in the Perpetuity Sect introduced me to them.

These are incredibly rare; and it is still not known how they are made.

We only know one thing about them and that is that they could contain a legacy of someone.

Hun Lian's introduction of the Pagan Jewel came as a ray of bright sunshine in her bleak world.

"So, Young Master Hun, May I know how do I access the legacy inside of this Jewel?"

Yun Tong was shaking at the moment. This could be the moment she knows about her mother's whereabouts, and hence she became emotional.

Hun Lian looked at her eyes turn pink as she held back the tears which wanted to spill out, and he sighed.

"Miss Tong, You cannot access this Pagan Jewel yet. Only Someone from the Transcendent Realm can help you unveil its secrets."

Hun Lian's words poured cold water on her excitement.

Since she was a child, she had spent much of her hours cultivating, but she found that something was always slowing her down.

The resistance inside her increased when she reached the Qi Gathering Realm, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't breakthrough.

Repeating Hun Lian's words in her head, Yun Tong suddenly thought of something and looked at Hun Lian with sincere eyes.

"Young Master Hun. Since you are in the Transcendent Realm, and also know how to unlock this crystal, can you help me?"

"Miss Yun, Do you really want me to help you unlock this?"

Yun Tong nodded so hard at Hun Lian's question that it looked like she was a bird pecking her beak to drill a hole in the tree.

As soon as she nodded, Hun Lian slammed his lips on hers without any warning.

Yun Tong's eyes widened as she felt his tongue enter her mouth, and before she could resist this sudden assault, A huge amount of information started to appear in her mind and a memory of her childhood was unlocked.

In that memory, She saw her mother carrying a little Yun Tong in her arms.

Her mother gently caressed Yun Tong's sleepy cheek and said with a sorrowful voice.

"My dear Princess. You are not who you think you are. You are not a human…you are just like me.

By the time you see this memory, I will be far away from you.

I know that my sweetheart would want to find me, but I want to warn you against it.

I cannot reveal to you where I am going, but if you still want to find me, All I can say to you is "Celestial Realm".

Your mother is leaving you her Origin blood which will help you unlock your bloodline. I am also leaving you a cultivation technique that will help you in your impossible journey.

My dearest daughter, Your mother hopes that you find someone worthy of your love in future and settle down and start a family instead of trying to find me.

Always remember dear, Your Mother Always loves you."

The memory came to an abrupt end and right after that, the information about the cultivation technique came to her.

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Hun Lian separated his lips from Yun Tong and just looked at her who was crying with her eyes closed. He had to admit that while looking at Yun Tong's mother, he was also dazed.

She was a mature woman with a curvaceous figure, and scarlet hair that fell like a waterfall behind her back. It felt like she was a deity, which was appropriate as he knew exactly who she was.

He gently took Yun Tong's sluggish hands in his palm and he put the Pagan Jewel in her palm before closing it.

"Once you reach the Transcendent Realm, drop your blood on it and then you can receive your mother's Origin blood.

I would also suggest you not to discuss this with anyone, not even with your father.

This matter looks very mysterious and equally dangerous."

Yun Tong opened her eyes which were red from crying and a sharp blush came on her already pink face.

"Thankyou….Thank you, Master Hun.."

Yun Tong expressed her gratitude with a choked voice as she addressed Hun Lian as Master instead of Young Master.

She was grateful to finally have a lead on where her mother could be, and also finally knew that she was not the reason her mother left. Her mother hinted at some danger and she was not going to let it stop her from finding her.

"Miss Tong, I suggest that we do an engagement ceremony now, and when in future you join some sect, which I know you will, we will marry?"

Suddenly listening to Hun Lian talk about marriage, she remembered the abrupt kiss by Hun Lian, and even though she knew that it must be required for sharing the knowledge of the Pagan Jewel, she couldn't help but feel certain feelings taking hold of her heart.

A piece of information surfaced in her mind as she saw Hun Lian. It was about how her husband would receive a blessing from her when they consummate their marriage.

The embarrassment which came with that information made Yun Tong flee inside her boudoir, but she did leave a very timid 'okay' in her haste.

'Mission Accomplished'

Hun Lian smiled to himself for a play well acted as he got up and started walking out of her courtyard.