Predicting the future?

Deep into the night, at Yan Yun’s residence.

She had neither refined medicine nor cultivated today, choosing instead to rest in bed.

Her nerves had been taut for days; despite the Lin family finding nothing amiss at the Jiang family estate, an inexplicable anxiety gnawed at her, growing stronger with each passing moment.

Yet, as she lay in deep slumber, an eerie event unfolded.

Within the silent room, the sudden, crisp sound of a water droplet echoed.

The moment this sound materialized, an invisible force instantly permeated the surroundings.

At that instant, the entire world seemed to cease its motion.

Leaves dislodged by the wind hung suspended in the air.

Candle flames no longer flickered.

Even living beings held their breath.

Immediately after, a strange rift abruptly tore open beside Yan Yun’s bed.

A pair of slender, jade-like hands emerged from the fissure.

They gripped the edges of the rift and forcefully tore them apart.

As the rift widened progressively, a silver-haired woman, clad in a white and purple gown, floated out from within.

She gently descended into the room.

Upon her arrival, she cast a glance around the room.

A look of profound sentiment flickered across her face.

Her gaze then settled upon Yan Yun’s sleeping countenance.

“Oh my! What a little darling. The flames are practically licking at your brows, yet you’re still fast asleep. Wake up, little girl, wake up quickly.”

The mysterious woman settled beside Yan Yun and called out to her several times.

Yan Yun, deep in slumber, groggily opened her eyes, peering at the person by her bedside.

“You… who are you?” Yan Yun questioned, her voice laced with unconscious confusion.

Though she couldn’t discern the other’s appearance clearly, she seemed strangely unafraid of this sudden presence by her bed.

“Never mind who I am. I’m here to help you. You’ve caused such immense trouble, yet you can still sleep soundly. Are you not worried about the safety of the Jiang family and the Yan family? The Yan family, after all, nurtured you. If they were to be destroyed because of your actions, how could your conscience bear it?” the mysterious woman continued.

Yan Yun listened, utterly bewildered.

“Ah, never mind! It’s pointless trying to explain it to you. Let me show you the future instead, so you don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Seeing Yan Yun’s bewildered expression, the mysterious woman sighed.

She then raised a finger and gently touched Yan Yun’s glabella.

Immediately, a series of scenes, like a rapidly playing film, flashed through Yan Yun’s mind.

She witnessed the Lin family, accompanied by a tombstone, two coffins, and a vast contingent of cultivators from various other powers, descending menacingly upon the Yan family.

The one leading them was Lin Jingbo.

Upon their arrival, they pronounced a death sentence upon the Yan family.

The reason: Yan Lingyun, the elder sister of the Yan family’s progenitor, was none other than the Heavenly Poison Maiden (TL Note: A notorious figure from a millennium ago, infamous for poisoning numerous powerful sect cultivators.) who had poisoned many powerful sect cultivators a thousand years ago.

They presented irrefutable evidence, leaving the Yan family speechless and utterly unable to defend themselves.

Subsequently, the Yan family was subjected to a devastating assault by the Lin family.

She watched as her father, brothers, and sisters successively met tragic ends at the hands of the Lin family.

As for her, being absent from the Yan family, she narrowly escaped this calamity.

With the Jiang family’s aid, she fled under the cover of night.

Subsequently, she was hunted by the Lin family, forced into constant hiding.

Not long after, Jiang Yao found her.

She changed her appearance and sought refuge within the Yunhua Sect.

Fairy Yunxia, the Grand Elder of the Yunhua Sect, had once received a great kindness from Yan Lingyun.

Without hesitation, she offered Yan Yun her protection.

However, she was eventually discovered.

Numerous major sects converged upon the Yunhua Sect, coercing them to execute Yan Yun.

The Yunhua Sect refused, consequently incurring attacks from these powerful factions.

For the sake of the Yunhua Sect’s safety, Yan Yun was forced to reveal herself, confronting these formidable enemies alone.

Then, Yan Lingyun appeared.

She unleashed her full power to carve out a path to survival, taking Yan Yun with her to escape.

Yet, she herself ultimately vanished completely from this world.

After enduring these successive injustices, Yan Yun transformed.

She, too, embarked on Yan Lingyun’s old path, becoming an enemy of the entire cultivation world.

She was clearly not at fault; the Lin family was.

But no one offered her justice.

At this point, the vision faded.

****

The next day, at the first hint of dawn, Yan Yun abruptly opened her eyes and sat upright.

She felt as though she had just awakened from a terrifying nightmare.

“What… what was that? A dream?” Yan Yun questioned, sitting on her bed, a look of utter panic on her face.

Immediately, as if sensing something, she raised a hand to touch her eyes and cheeks.

She discovered that, at some unknown point, her face had become streaked with tears.

Last night, she felt as though she had truly experienced a life she had never lived before.

This life had been so vivid that it remained fresh in her memory.

“Though I don’t understand what happened, given the current situation, there’s a very high chance things could indeed unfold in that direction. No, I cannot allow everything that transpired in that vision to truly come to pass.”

After a period of intense deliberation, Yan Yun decisively left the Jiang family estate and arrived at the main entrance of the Yan family.

This marked her first return to her maiden home in over a year.

The moment she arrived, the Yan family guards at the entrance were utterly taken aback.

“Eh, Third Young Master, you… you’ve returned?” A guard hastily inquired.

Yan Yun, her face clouded with gloom, nodded.

Then she stated, “I need to see the Family Head.”

With that, she walked inside.

The Yan family members who saw Yan Yun return each displayed expressions of amused curiosity.

“Yan Yun? He’s back? Does this even count as visiting his maiden home?” Many within the Yan family still maintained their previous attitude towards her.

Naturally, Yan Yun had long grown accustomed to such reactions.

Meanwhile, Yan Long, upon learning that Yan Yun had returned home and specifically wished to see him, was considerably surprised and perplexed.

After all, this son of his harbored no affection for him whatsoever.

He was well aware of this fact.

Such a sudden visit surely meant something important.

Thus, he immediately ordered for Yan Yun to be brought to his study.

Upon entering the study, Yan Yun observed Yan Long, who was engrossed in family affairs, and remained silent for a long while.

“You’ve returned so suddenly, and you sought me out, yet you remain silent.” Yan Long inquired, continuing to attend to his tasks.

Once Yan Yun confirmed that only Yan Long was present, after weighing the pros and cons, she uttered a sentence without any preamble.

“Those few from the Lin family? I killed them.”

Yan Long, who had just picked up his brush, froze instantly.

Then, with a look as if he hadn’t heard clearly, he pressed, “Huh? What did you just say?”

Yan Yun knew her words would be difficult to believe.

But she had to make Yan Long believe her, even if it meant revealing her true identity.

“It was I who killed the Lin family members.” Yan Yun reiterated, her tone solemn.

Yan Long stared intently into Yan Yun’s eyes.

Seeing her gaze steady and her expression grave, the brush in his hand slipped, and he abruptly rose to his feet.

“You… you killed them?” He questioned, utterly incredulous.

To him, this was undoubtedly a wild fantasy.

If Yan Yun truly wished to alter everything that had transpired in her vision, she absolutely had to make Yan Long believe her.

Thus, Yan Yun retrieved the Thousand Illusions Necklace from her collar.

In front of Yan Long, she removed her disguise.

Simultaneously activating her poison cultivation, she transformed, as if performing a magic trick, reverting to her true form before Yan Long.

Yan Long had been stunned the moment Yan Yun produced the Thousand Illusions Necklace.

Let alone when Yan Yun transformed back into a girl.

“Though it seems unbelievable, I truly did kill those from the Lin family. I was sitting right beside you at that auction.” Yan Yun stated, her voice now distinctly feminine.

Yan Long watched his third son, now transformed into this appearance.

His mind short-circuited, and his heart churned like a stormy sea, rendering him incapable of thought for a long while.

After a moment of stunned silence, he abruptly moved to the doorway and issued an order to the maids standing outside.

“All of you, withdraw.”

The maids and guards immediately departed.

Only after everyone had left did he re-enter the room and close the door.

“Yan Yun, what on earth has happened to you? How did you come to be like this?” Yan Long approached Yan Yun, his expression grave as he questioned her.

Yan Yun let out a heavy sigh, and began to recount the story of their Yan family ancestor, Yan Lingyun, to Yan Long.

As she spoke, Yan Long’s face drained of color in astonishment.

He had never imagined that the notorious Heavenly Poison Maiden of a thousand years past was actually the elder sister of their Yan family’s progenitor.

And his third son, in a bid to acquire cultivation aptitude, had unexpectedly discovered their progenitor’s legacy within the library, subsequently cultivating poison arts in secret, thereby gaining the qualification to cultivate.

However, this path had also transformed him into a woman.

The reason she spoke of Yan Lingyun first was to make it easier for Yan Long to comprehend the situation.

A moment later.

“I never imagined so much had transpired with you. Alas! I am truly an unfit father.” Yan Long let out a long sigh after hearing Yan Yun’s recounting.

However, Yan Yun had no desire to dwell on that particular issue with Yan Long.

“Therefore, you should understand that with the Lin family’s methods, they will likely soon uncover the connection between our ancestor and the Yan family. Given our ancestor’s infamous reputation in the cultivation world, do you truly believe the Lin family and her former enemies will spare the Yan family?” Yan Yun reminded him.

Yan Long was no fool.

If this were true, the Yan family would indeed be in grave peril.

“Alas, Yun’er, if not for these circumstances, would you have kept this secret from everyone your entire life?” Yan Long sighed deeply.

Yan Yun’s brow furrowed.

“Have you not grasped the gravity of the situation? How can you still be preoccupied with my personal issues at a time like this?”

She found herself utterly speechless.

The danger was imminent, yet he wasn’t even attempting to save himself.

Yan Long gave a wry, helpless smile.

“If what you say is true, then the Yan family has no path to survival. What good would my worries do then? I can only pray that none of this truly comes to pass.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Yun’s face twisted with exasperation.

“You… are you not even going to consider a solution? Must you wait for others to arrive with evidence and utterly destroy the Yan family?”

Yan Long looked at his third son, now a daughter, with a bitter smile.

“Then tell me, what solution do you propose?”

Yan Yun had, in fact, already devised a plan.

“Listen to me: Go to the Immortal Alliance’s Inspectorate and report me, publicly severing all ties between the Yan family and myself.”

Yan Long was startled.

“You… what kind of joke is this? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. How could I possibly allow you to face such a crisis?”

Yan Yun had no time to waste words with Yan Long.

“This is how it will be. I’m leaving right away. After I’ve run off, the Jiang family must also declare that they’ve cut ties with me. That’s it. If you don’t go, I’ll report myself. I am not joking.”

With that, Yan Yun re-applied her disguise, then turned and departed, leaving Yan Long utterly bewildered.