Chapter 12: Return His Identity

This was also the beginning of Shu Wan’s hatred for Yi Chenlan.

Before this, Shu Wan had been a naive, somewhat arrogant little girl. While she wasn’t very close to Yi Chenlan, she never bullied him either.

At the very least, she greeted him as “Senior Brother” whenever they met.

Once Shu Qi noticed this, he felt dissatisfied. He was worried that his daughter was getting too close to Yi Chenlan, so on Yi Chenlan’s eighteenth birthday, he decided to make a move.

In front of everyone, he presented Yi Chenlan with a martial arts manual—the “Eternal Slash.” a sword technique that everyone in the martial world dreamed of acquiring. Shu Qi then spoke many words that, to Shu Wan, were intended to hurt her heart:

“Ah Lan, this ‘Eternal Slash’ is a technique that Master has passed on to you alone. You must study it carefully.”

“Your talent is suitable for this technique, and you can bring out the technique’s maximum power. Wan Wan and Ah Yang will never be able to master it.”

“Do not let others see it. Keep it to yourself and study it alone.”

The proud Shu Wan was immediately filled with fury. She had long wanted the “Eternal Slash.” and her father had even promised it to her.

But now, he had gone back on his word. Not only had he given it to Yi Chenlan, but he also forbade anyone else from learning it, even implying that Yi Chenlan was better than her.

As a mere tool to push the plot forward, Shu Wan, in her uncontrollable anger, sought out Yi Chenlan.

Jealousy drove her mad.

She severed Yi Chenlan’s arm, took his martial arts skills, and made sure he could no longer practice the “Eternal Slash” nor would he ever again receive a word of praise from her father.

Fortunately, she had been in this situation before… Whenever Shu Wan recalled the events, she would always feel a pang of regret.

Such a pure and upright character, and she had written him as one-armed and limping… Sigh, she really wasn’t a good person.

However, things were different now. Shu Wan had changed. She would never commit such a cruel act as chopping off someone’s arm.

Not only that, but she was now also thinking about what kind of gift to give tomorrow…

“Xiao Wan, did Xiao Fang and Xiao Yuan misbehave? You’ve worked hard today, and it must have delayed your practice.”

Unknowingly, they had already reached Song Anzhi’s residence. Shu Wan smiled at the man in front of her and said: “Xiao Fang and Xiao Yuan are very well-behaved. Third Uncle, don’t worry. If you and Aunt are busy, just send them to me. It’s no trouble at all.”

Song Anzhi smiled as he sized up Shu Wan. He thought his niece had become much more approachable and lively, perhaps because she had grown up and become more sensible. “I don’t have much to do tomorrow. Ah Yang is celebrating his birthday. I’ll go visit him.”

Song Yuan, who was standing by, whispered: “Tomorrow is also Brother Ah Lan’s birthday.”

Song Anzhi’s brows furrowed, and his face immediately darkened. “Why mention him? What kind of brother is he to you? Who allowed you to call him that?”

He spoke sharply, his tone heavy. Song Yuan was so frightened that he started to cry.

Shu Wan quickly pulled him into her arms, comforting him, and glanced at Song Anzhi. “Third Uncle, please don’t shout at him. Xiao Yuan didn’t say anything wrong.”

Song Anzhi’s chest heaved, clearly furious. “When your father wanted to take that Demon Lord’s son as a disciple, I disagreed. And now, you want to call him your brother? What kind of propriety is that? If it weren’t for his father, how would Ah Yang have become an orphan at such a young age?”

He let out a deep breath. “Your father has a broad mind, and I admit I can’t compare to him. But I fear that Eldest Senior Brother’s spirit will never rest in peace.”

Yes, if Jiang Xuanfeng’s spirit truly existed, he certainly wouldn’t find peace.

Suddenly, a burst of anger rose in Shu Wan’s heart, but as she thought about how Song Anzhi had been heartbroken and devastated upon learning the truth, the unspoken fire slowly began to dissipate.

She had written all of this, and though it felt painful when she wrote it, being immersed in the situation made her feelings overwhelmingly intense. The emotional burden almost left her breathless.

Shu Wan tried to express herself: “Third Uncle, those grievances are the result of Yi Heng’s wrongdoing. Ah Lan… Yi Chenlan was just a child back then. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I understand.” Song Anzhi said. “But I’ll still hate.”

He felt this way, and so did countless others in the world.

Yi Heng had died, carrying with him the countless innocent lives lost. The living were filled with hatred, but had nowhere to vent it, so they directed all their anger towards Yi Chenlan.

“I understand, Third Uncle.” Shu Wan said, pushing Song Fang and Song Yuan forward. “You should rest early. They are still young, so let’s not burden them with these things.”

On the way back, Shu Wan kept her head lowered, walking briskly as though she had a personal grudge against herself.

She suddenly realized that, all along, her actions had been ineffective, a mere scratching of the surface.

She hadn’t truly addressed the root of the issue.

Things like care, love, respect, and friendship weren’t that hard to obtain. What Yi Chenlan lacked was simply his identity.

Shu Wan knew what her next goal was.

She had to restore Jiang Xuanfeng’s son’s identity to him.

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Shu Wan tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. It sounded easy to restore someone’s identity, but putting it into practice was fraught with difficulties.

In the plot she had written, both Yi Chenlan and Jiang Yang resembled their mothers.

Yi Heng’s wife had died young, and Jiang Xuanfeng’s wife had disappeared shortly after giving birth. So, Shu Qi had secretly kept the truth of the identity swap hidden for many years.

Halfway through the novel, Jiang Xuanfeng’s wife, Zhu Yao, suddenly returned.

It turned out that she was the saintess of the Divine Sect from the Western Desert.

She was originally forbidden to marry. After falling in love with Jiang Xuanfeng, their feelings were discovered by the sect, and she had no choice but to painfully separate from her husband and beloved child.

She endured decades of suffering before finally finding a chance to escape. Upon entering the Jianghu, she learned that her husband had long been killed by Yi Heng, and her son had been locked in a constant struggle with Yi Heng’s son.

She thought to herself that she would definitely seek revenge for the person she loved.

Zhu Yao went alone to Snowy Night Mountain. At that time, Yi Chenlan had taken over Yi Heng’s position, wearing the black silver mask left behind by him.

Zhu Yao, trained as the saintess of the Divine Sect, was forbidden from letting her enemies see her face, so she covered it with a thin veil. The two of them then had a masked on as they dueled.

Zhu Yao was severely injured and realized she couldn’t defeat him. She waited for the right moment to use her Qinggong and escape. Yi Chenlan, also gravely wounded, allowed her to leave for the time being.

Zhu Yao had been harmed in her vital veins and feared that if she didn’t see her child again, she might die with regret.

She forced herself to hold on to life and made her way to Zhongshan Sect, where she finally recognized Jiang Yang. But as she searched for the totem she had personally carved on him years ago, she froze in shock.

There was no tattoo on Jiang Yang’s side.

In truth, when she removed her veil, everyone present was stunned.

It wasn’t just the tattoo. It was because Zhu Yao and Yi Chenlan looked so incredibly alike. If they weren’t mother and son, it would have been hard to believe.

Though she held Jiang Xuanfeng’s token, that could have been obtained by certain means, and at first, many had doubts about her identity. But her appearance was so strikingly similar to Yi Chenlan’s that, in that moment, everyone couldn’t help but form one speculation.

Zhu Yao and Jiang Yang then pricked their fingers to perform a blood test to confirm their relation.

The result was as expected.

Zhu Yao, already gravely injured, was struck by the devastating news.

To learn that the child she had longed for, whom she had nearly killed, shattered her heart.

Her mind in turmoil, she passed away just days later, unable to see Yi Chenlan for the last time.

She died with regret in her eyes.

From then on, Jiang Yang continued his path in the light, while Yi Chenlan walked his dark and solitary path, burdened with the stigma of killing his own mother.

In short, the plot continued in its chaotic and twisted course.

Shu Wan turned over again, letting out a long sigh.

In order to reveal the truth of the identity swap, she had to find Zhu Yao, the only witness. However, the Great Desert Sect was incredibly mysterious, hidden in the desolate western desert.

In her writings, there was a saying: “Only those from the Great Desert Sect can move freely in Jianghu; others will never be able to find the sect.”

This meant that only those belonging to the Great Desert Sect could travel easily, and it was impossible for outsiders to find them.

But she had to find a way. Shu Wan bit her lip, thinking. Fortunately, she had written a small side story about Jiang Xuanfeng and Zhu Yao. The two of them had first met and fallen in love at a place in Jianghu called Luo Xian Mountain Villa.

Jiang Xuanfeng’s master disapproved of his marrying this mysterious woman, so the two had secretly pledged themselves to each other, with the owner of Luo Xian Mountain Villa acting as their witness.

Could this villa owner know anything?

Shu Wan quietly set a small goal for herself: she would find a way to leave the mountain, go to Luo Xian Mountain Villa, gather information, and then… then she would find the Great Desert Sect.

Once she figured things out, it wasn’t long before they started to feel increasingly sleepy.

Shu Wan squinted her eyes and collapsed on the bed, struggling to stay just barely awake—she had the nagging feeling that there was something she hadn’t done yet…

That’s right!

Yi Chenlan’s birthday gift!

What to give him!