True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress

The air in the main hall of the Hua Clan felt frozen in place. Hua Kun didn't respond right away, and Hua Gen, standing beside him, was visibly startled. Clearly, their guest had come prepared and already knew the clan's deepest secret.

"Peak Lord Mo Yue, you honor us. Please, have a seat."

Hua Kun sidestepped the question posed by Jian Dan and shifted the topic. The stagnant air began to flow again. Jian Dan gave a small nod, then took the seat to Hua Kun's right.

"Patriarch Hua I am not one for beating around the bush," Jian Dan said plainly. "This so-called flower viewing is just a formality. Why did you really invite me here today?"

Hua Kun hadn't expected such directness. The rhythm he had planned was completely disrupted.

"Mo Yue Daoyou, I invited you because of the message you sent through an intermediary."

"'A dream lasting a hundred years, and the soul returns when it ends.' What does it mean?"

Jian Dan turned her head slightly, surveying the guest hall's furnishings. Beneath her black boots, the floor was paved with bluestone bricks, but she could sense the soft layer of soil hidden beneath. Something was lurking underground—plants, ready to break through the surface at any moment.

"Patriarch Hua," she said calmly, "you already know what it means, don't you? Why ask me?"

"Mo Yue Daoyou, could you elaborate anyway?"

Hua Kun spoke with careful precision, asking the question formally.

"Your clan's ancestor is close to waking. For now, you must ensure his body remains unharmed, his meridians unblocked, and it would be best to prepare something to nourish the soul. Once his spirit returns, he will still require time to recuperate."

Jian Dan's words laid everything bare. With the truth now on the table, Hua Kun no longer tried to hide it. Mo Yue didn't play by convention, and she had bluntly dragged the clan's most guarded secret into the open.

"Our ancestor reached the late Mahayana stage. A hundred years ago, he claimed to have gained insight and went into seclusion within the clan grounds. But not long after, his soul flame began to flicker and lose stability. Realizing something was wrong, we rushed to his secluded chamber."

Hua Kun paused briefly before continuing.

"All the protective arrays were still active. We couldn't see what was happening inside. I used the Patriarch's token to break through the outermost layer, and found a jade slip left behind by the ancestor."

Only then did Jian Dan speak.

"Your ancestor probably said that if he could survive the ordeal, he would transcend and ascend to the Immortal Realm. If not, he might vanish entirely. He wanted you to be prepared, didn't he?"

Everyone present was stunned. What she said matched the contents of the jade slip almost exactly.

"Peak Lord Mo Yue," Hua Kun said solemnly, "his message mentioned a hundred-year limit. That time is nearly up, yet his soul flame is growing weaker by the day. It is nearly extinguished."

Now that everything was laid bare, Hua Gen, who had been standing silently behind Hua Kun, stepped forward. He bowed deeply to Jian Dan before speaking.

"Mo Yue Jūnshàng, because of the words you sent us, the Patriarch believes you may know certain hidden truths that could help our ancestor. That is why he risked this sudden invitation. Please, if you know something, we humbly ask for your guidance."

He bowed once more.

Hua Kun made no move to stop him. This was the greatest sincerity a clan could offer.

Jian Dan had come with the intention of building rapport. She understood when to press and when to hold back. Since they had already revealed their purpose, there was no need for further pretense. It was time to lay her cards on the table.

"You're too kind, Patriarch Hua. I wouldn't say it's guidance, just a sliver of hidden knowledge I came upon by chance."

She turned to the six black-robed guards behind her.

"You may step outside. What comes next concerns the Hua Clan. It's not something you need to know."

Gong Yi had planned to stay quiet in the background, but now that Jian Dan had spoken, he couldn't remain inside. He cast a glance at the seated Patriarch received a nod from Jian Dan, then left the hall and took up guard outside the door, still as a statue.

"Your people are loyal," Hua Kun remarked.

"They are simply fulfilling their duties," Jian Dan replied.

This time, it was Hua Kun who activated the hall's restrictions. He was ready for a private conversation.

"Patriarch Hua, I believe you know who my master was."

Jian Dan opened with a seemingly unrelated question. This time, Hua Kun responded with patience and a slow nod.

"Peak Lord Mo Yue studied under the Heavenly Demon Palace's Mo Mei Zhūnzhu. Unfortunately, Mo Mei Zhūnzhu is presumed to have perished."

"So the Patriarch Hua did his homework on me."

Jian Dan smiled slightly, then continued.

"By chance, I inherited my master's demonic artifact and cultivation methods, and learned some hidden truths of the cultivation world. Among them were things concerning your clan. From the very founding of the Hua Clan, your symbol has always been the twin lotus. Am I wrong?"

"You are correct," Hua Kun answered without hesitation.

"I also know that the true heirs of your clan have always been born as twins."

Hua Kun's heart skipped a beat, though his expression remained still. Hua Gen, on the other hand, looked completely confused. It was his first time hearing this.

"There is a purpose behind this twin lineage. Sometimes it is a boy and a girl, sometimes two boys or two girls—it depends on the fortune of that generation. Due to the unique cultivation method passed down in your family, only one heir is ever acknowledged publicly. The other becomes the family's hidden guardian, only stepping forward during times of crisis. However..."

Hua Gen, listening intently, couldn't help but blurt out, "However what?"

"However, the twin heirs must ascend together. Only by doing so can they withstand the Ninefold Lightning Tribulation. For the Hua Clan, this tribulation takes the form of Falling Blossom Lightning."

"That's correct." This time, it was Hua Kun who confirmed the secret. It was knowledge passed down only to the clan head.

"Patriarch Hua, the heir of the previous generation—your ancestor—was born alone, wasn't he?"

This time, Hua Kun couldn't conceal his shock. He nodded with difficulty.

Jian Dan went on.

"Actually, your ancestor was originally born as a twin. But during their development, one child consumed the other."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack. A bright red, man-eating flower burst from beneath Jian Dan's chair and shredded it into splinters. She had already moved, standing calmly in the corner of the hall, fingers poised against the willow leaf mark on her wrist.

"Hua Qian, stand down."

Hua Kun rose to his feet, frowning deeply.

But it was already too late.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of stone bricks being torn apart echoed through the hall. One after another, blood-hued carnivorous flowers erupted from the earth. Each was the size of a millstone, opening wide to reveal their sharp, steel-like fangs. They spun through the air, lunging straight at Jian Dan.