Chapter 1549: Zhang Xuan Is My Son!
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
“Birthmark? On my bottom?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
After transcending over to this world, he had washed his body innumerable times, and he had spent some time examining and learning his body before. Indeed, there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, but this should have been something that only he would know of. How would this middle-aged man before him know about it?
Zhang Xuan eyed the middle-aged man before him suspiciously.
Could he possess some ability similar to the Library of Heaven’s Path that would allow him to look at his opponent’s body?
But having a birthmark was not a flaw, so it would be impossible for the Library of Heaven’s Path to detect it! Moreover, he possessed the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination, so if by any chance any seers tried to divine his body, they would not be able to find anything at all!
Thinking again, it was not that rare for a person to have a birthmark on the bottom either, right?
“You…” Zhang Xuan could not help but look at Sword Saint Xing doubtfully, uncomprehending of the intention behind his question.
Seeing the implicit admittance from Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Xing’s heartbeat quickened, and with irrepressible agitation, he continued asking, “Is your birthday on the tenth day of the ninth month, Teacher Appreciation Day?”
“Birthday?” Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. “I am an orphan, so I’m afraid I don’t really know when my birthday is.”
His previous self had been wandering in the world as far as he could remember. Nowhere in his recollections had his father, mother, or any clues to his birthday appeared. As such, the only thing that Zhang Xuan knew was that he was twenty-something this year. Anything other than that was really beyond his knowledge.
“I’ll just be perfectly honest with you…” Noticing the confusion on the young man’s face deepening, Sword Saint Xing decided not to beat around the bush anymore and got straight to the point. “If I’m not mistaken, you are very likely to be my long-lost son!”
“Your son?” Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before a miniature explosion happened in his head. “By your son… are you referring to the young prodigy?”
Sword Saint Xing was not only the head of the Zhang Clan but also the father of the young prodigy. As far as he knew, Sword Saint Xing seemed to have only a single son, so the other party’s words would mean that… he was the young prodigy.
Zhang Xuan’s mind was immediately plunged into chaos.
For the past few months, he had been cursing the young prodigy for being engaged to Luo Ruoxin and yet never being around for her, and if he could, he would have already pummeled him into the ground several times by now. Never had he thought that… the young prodigy would actually be him!
“No, that’s not right. I’ve checked for the presence of the Zhang Clan bloodline in me as well, but it has been shown that there’s no relations.h.i.+p between me and the Zhang Clan!” Zhang Xuan swiftly raised his reb.u.t.tal.
He had once wondered if he was from the Zhang Clan as well, and for that, he had even ‘borrowed’ Zhang Jiuxiao’s blood essence to conduct a blood test. The result from that test showed that there was absolutely no relations.h.i.+p between him and the Zhang Clan at all!
Taking a step back, even if that blood test was inaccurate, he did enter the Zhang Clan’s Blood Reservoir at one point in time, but he did not feel the slightest resonance with it at all. All of the clues went to show that there was no relations.h.i.+p between him and the Zhang Clan. So, how could Sword Saint Xing possible be his father?
“The matter concerning your Zhang Clan bloodline has serious implications, so I’ll explain it to you when we are in a more private setting. However, if you still harbor any doubts regarding the matter, you can verify your blood with my wife. Even if you have lost your Zhang Clan bloodline, your mother’s blood should still flow through your veins!” Sword Saint Xing said as he gestured for Sword Saint Meng to come over.
Sword Saint Meng could tell that the two men had been communicating telepathically with one another, so she swiftly flew over with an agitated look on her face.
Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, “How do we conduct the test?”
Given Sword Saint Xing’s strength and standing, there was no need for him to cook up such a lie. Furthermore, to point out that there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, while that might not be conclusive evidence, it might be good to check it. Whether it was real or not, at least there would be some closure for him and the Xingmeng Sword Saints.
Otherwise, this matter would weigh on their minds.
If, by chance, he really happened to be the missing young prodigy, there would no longer be anyone to stop him from marrying Luo Ruoxin. Everything would fall into place, and it would be a happy ending.
Of course, it would be a little awkward for him to suddenly find himself with two parents, but perhaps because he had been an orphan in his previous life as well, he was not too put off by the notion of it. It would not be too difficult for him to accept the matter with time.
Even if that was not the case, it would not make any difference to his plans anyway. After the other party apologized to him, he would have nothing to do with the Zhang Clan anymore. The current him already wielded sufficient power and influence to stand against the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan.
If they were not willing to budge, he would just have to force them. This was one matter that he simply was not willing to relent on.
“Give me a droplet of your blood!” Sword Saint Meng told Zhang Xuan telepathically.
Zhang Xuan tapped his finger forward, and a droplet of blood flew forth from his fingertip. Taking in a deep breath, Sword Saint Meng took out a jade token and carefully placed the blood droplet on it. After which, she made a small incision on her finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood on the jade token as well.
Weng!
As the two droplets of blood made contact with one another, they swiftly fused together. With a light buzzing sound, the jade token exuded a blinding crimson light.
“T-this…” Sword Saint Meng’s eyes immediately reddened, and her body trembled from agitation. “Your name is Zhang Xuan, right? My son, I have finally found you!”
“…” Zhang Xuan was still in a dumbfounded state. He turned his gaze toward the jade token to examine it closely.
He recognized the artifact—it was a tool used to test one’s bloodline. Those who had direct blood relations would not only have their blood droplets fusing together, the jade token would also emanate a blinding crimson light.
In other words… he had direct blood relations with Sword Saint Meng!
Could this mean that he was really the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints?
So, he was the very same young prodigy whom he had hated with a pa.s.sion.
Could this be the will of heavens? Not only was Yang s.h.i.+, whom he had mentioned on a whim, a real person, even his fate with Luo Ruoxin was also predestined.
Sword Saint Xing was also stunned by the results before he took in a deep breath and burst into hearty laughter. “Hahaha, we have finally found him!”
He had still been uncertain before this. After all, what were the odds of finding the son whom they had lost many years back amid the ma.s.sive Master Teacher Continent? However, seeing the two droplets of blood fusing perfectly with one another, even this final sliver of doubt vanished from the bottom of his heart.
After the two men were done fighting with one another, they had begun communicating telepathically with one another. Then, all of a sudden, everyone had become agitated at once. Unable to take the suspense any longer, Ren Qingyuan hurriedly asked, “Sword Saint Xing, what’s wrong?”
“Pavilion Master Ren, our Zhang Clan shall drop all enmity with Zhang Xuan! We’ll no longer pursue the previous matters… Also, I hope that the Master Teacher Pavilion will sell our Zhang Clan a favor and retract the arrest warrant!” Sword Saint Xing clasped his fist.
“You want us to retract the arrest warrant? This…” Ren Qingyuan could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Previously, it was the Zhang Clan who had stirred the pot the most violently. Why would they suddenly drop the matter and even request him to retract the arrest warrant?
“Once the Master Teacher Pavilion issues an arrest warrant, it cannot be retracted easily, unless… there are some kind of unique circ.u.mstances. What has happened?” Ren Qingyuan asked once more.
If the Master Teacher Pavilion issued and retracted its arrest warrant lightly, that would be as good as undermining the authority of its words.
Even if they wanted to retract it, they would have to find a valid reason to do so!
It was not so cheap as to be retracted after the two of them fought a battle and decided to make peace!
“Zhang Xuan is the missing young prodigy of my Zhang Clan! We have just verified it with a blood test, so there’s no mistake about it!” Sword Saint Xing said.
“Our teacher is… the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?”
Zheng Yang and the others stared at one another in shock.
They had followed their teacher ever since their time in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and they were painfully aware just how poor their teacher was. He had slowly paved his way forward with his own strength, having no one to rely on at all. How in the world did he become one of the core members of the Zhang Clan within such a short period of time?
Not to mention, the legendary figure who was born as a Connate Saint, the young prodigy!
With an incredulous look on his face, Zhang Wuheng roared in disbelief, “That’s impossible! I tested his bloodline, and he definitely has no relations.h.i.+p with the Zhang Clan at all!”
“Zhang Wuheng, are you insinuating that I can’t even recognize my own son?” Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly. “As the First Elder of the Zhang Clan, you actually tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate and issued an arrest warrant on your own clan head… Return to the clan right now and await your punishment! Don’t force me to make a move!”
“I…” Zhang Wuheng staggered weakly on the spot, and his face became ghastly pale.
If Zhang Xuan was truly the young prodigy, that would mean that he was the real clan head of the Zhang Clan! Even as the First Elder, the crime for attempting to kill the head of the Zhang Clan was more than enough to put him to death multiple times!
“He’s your son?” Ren Qingyuan widened his eyes in disbelief as well.
He had run a check on Zhang Xuan’s background before issuing the arrest warrant, and it was stated that the young man was an orphan from the Tianxuan Kingdom, having no background at all. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they were actually telling him that he was the head of the Zhang Clan.
If that was true, the Zhang Clan was perfectly justified in requesting for the retracting of the arrest warrant!