384 Lin Xintong’s wishes

"Elder Su, it's been a long time since we met." Seeing Su Jie, the woman dressed in palatial attire said smiling.

Obviously, Su Jie knew what these two old fellows were here for. It was to spy on him.

Su Jie tersely responded without any further words.

And at that moment, Su Jie suddenly felt something. He turned around and saw a bevy of girls walk over from a short distance away. Most of them were young, and amongst them, there was a silver haired old granny wearing silk clothes.

This old granny held a dragon-head cane, and her hair was held in a golden jade hair clasp. Although her face was full of wrinkles, it was still a healthy pink in color.

The woman in palatial attire and Lin Xintong's sixth granduncle immediately went forward. Yi Yun naturally understood that this silver-haired old granny in silk clothes was the Lin family's old Matriarch.

Other than a few grand elders, the Matriarch was one of figures who held the most influence in the Lin family. She had even greater influence in matters concerning the internal affairs of the Lin family.

However, although the Matriarch held a high position in the Lin family, she did not give off the slightest bit of imposing pressure. Yi Yun really felt that this Matriarch in front of him was a normal old granny from a rich household that was amiable.

"Xintong, your reclusive retreat has been for so long..."

The Matriarch looked lovingly at Lin Xintong while Lin Xintong smiled sweetly and said, "Originally, I was planning to greet you today, but I never expected you to come here personally."

Lin Xintong was very respectful and loving to the Lin family's Matriarch.

She was the elder who loved her the most back in the day. When Lin Xintong was receiving the cold treatment in the family, the Matriarch had always cared for her.

If the Matriarch had any wish, Lin Xintong would do her best in fulfilling it.

Seeing the Lin family's Matriarch come, Su Jie suddenly felt awkward. He originally planned to speak privately with Lin Xintong, asking for her thoughts. However, before he could even walk into Lin Xintong's bamboo hut's courtyard, all sorts of important figures of the Lin family had come one after another. Even the Matriarch had come.

Although Su Jie was Lin Xintong's master, he was still an outsider in regards to the Lin family's family affairs. Especially with the Matriarch present, there were words he could not say conveniently.

The Matriarch had guessed Su Jie's thoughts and took the initiative to say, "Xintong, today with your master present, say whatever you want to say. This matter has been dragged on for two years. The old fellows in the elder roundtable have been arguing all this time. The Shentu family has also become increasingly annoying, maybe… it is time to make a decision."

Once Matriarch Lin said these words, Lin Xintong's grandaunt and granduncle immediately perked up their ears. They knew that if Matriarch Lin nodded her head slightly in front of Lin Xintong, that would be much better than them saying a million words.

This old granny's attitude was very important!

At that moment, it was not appropriate for Su Jie to speak, so he could only look at Lin Xintong, leaving the decision up to her.

Su Jie was in dilemma. He wanted Lin Xintong to reject the marriage proposal. For her natural Yin Meridians, he had ran around for years, reading all sorts of ancient manuscripts, but he had never found a method to cure it. Now, the Shentu family clan, whom he never liked had announced that they had found the method. Emotionally, this was a bit unacceptable.

However… He was also worried that if Lin Xintong refused the marriage proposal, and if he could not save her, then Lin Xintong would die young. Of course, Su Jie did not wish to see such an ending.

Lin Xintong pursed her lips as she turned silent.

Everyone looked at Lin Xintong. Yi Yun also watched Lin Xintong's expression, trying to guess her thoughts.

"Let us go into the yard first." Lin Xintong said nonchalantly while she took the Matriarch, Su Jie and company into the bamboo hut's small yard.

The yard was not large, but it was elegantly furnished. In the middle of the yard, there was an ancient rattan chair. Lin Xintong invited the Matriarch to sit down before Su Jie, sixth granduncle and grandaunt took their seats.

Lin Xintong brewed a pot of tea as she said softly, "Ever since I turned sensible, I knew about my natural terminated meridians and was destined to die young. As the Matriarch has cherished me, I was able to use the best elixirs, relics in the family when I practiced martial arts. At that time, there were older cousins who were unhappy about this. They said that I was destined to die, yet I wasted the family's resources. If they received those items, they would accomplish all sorts of things. Paternal and maternal aunts always looked at me weirdly, saying I was a unlucky and that I was cursed to have such a body behind my back..."

Up to this, Lin Xintong's voice was calm. However, Yi Yun and Su Jie found that the tone had a hint of sadness. Anyone could imagine what sort of mental scars a young girl, who was at the age when her self-esteem was invaluable, would receive when mocked in such a manner when the Matriarch was not around.

Yi Yun knew that the bitter times Lin Xintong endured while growing up was definitely not limited to what she had said.

When he first met Lin Xintong, he only knew her as a cherished daughter of Heaven that was high above. She was like a snow lotus at the top of a high mountain, unperturbed by worldly affairs. Who would have ever thought that she would have such a childhood?

"Child, it was hard on you." The Matriarch sighed as she lovingly touched Lin Xintong's face.

Lin Xintong gently held the Matriarch's old hand and carried on, "When I was young, the Matriarch would tell me every time I felt hurt that the natural terminated meridians had a cure. She even said that if I were to join up my terminated meridians, then I would become a Great Empress that was strongest in the entire Tian Yuan world."

"From then, I swore in my heart that I would definitely join up my terminated meridians in this life."

"I was unwilling to accept the machinations of fate. I was not willing to let them look at me like that, or letting them looking forward to my death."

"This thought began taking root, sprouting and growing from a very young age. Slowly, it has become the greatest thought and pursuit of my life."

When Lin Xintong said this, Yi Yun recalled the words Lin Xintong said when they were in the Cloud Wilderness's Desolate Human Valley.

Back then, he only found Lin Xintong pure and determined. She was going against all odds, despite knowing they were against, but he never knew why Lin Xintong was behaving like that.

At that moment, Lin Xintong's grandaunt could not resist saying, "Xintong, since you have thought it through, why are you in a dilemma? Now, the chance is right in front of you. As long as you nod your head, wouldn't the thought you had since you were young be accomplished? When you become a peerless Great Empress and live for generations, that would be something countless number of people would envy!"

"When you were young, indeed, I did not care for you enough, but… the family has so many children. Which elder is able to take into account every child's feelings? I gave you the cold treatment when you were young, but now, I have repeatedly appeared before you and persuade you with this old face of mine. I know that you do not have any good feelings for a snobbish person like me. In fact, your heart is filled with contempt and disdain, but you just do not say it."

"However, whatever I say is reasonable. Xintong, I will not mention anything about the family. I know you don't like hearing about that. Then let me ask you, life and your innocence, which is more important?"

This woman indeed had good intentions and she was honest. Yi Yun had to admit that for her to say those words with her status, she was pretty to the point.

Life and innocence, which was more important?

Probably 99% of girls would choose the former.

Lin Xintong nodded, "Grandaunt, you are right. I already understood all of these reasonings when I returned home two years ago and received the news."

"However… I don't want to. It is not because I dislike the Shentu family clan, and it has nothing to do with the questionable character of Shentu Nantian. But… I do not want to use my own body in exchange for a martial path carefully paved by someone else."

"The goals I set when I was young did not only include joining up the terminated meridians, it also included searching for the pinnacle of martial arts after I joined up my terminated meridians."

"For martial artists, their martial path is embedded in their hearts. Practicing martial arts is to go against the Heavens. It is originally fraught with difficulties!"

"Joining up natural terminated meridians may be difficult, but can it be more difficult than exceeding a peerless Great Emperor? However, up to now, there has not been a person who has gone beyond the realm of peerless Great Emperor."

"The practice of martial arts is perilous, it requires one to open up a new path forcefully on the way up the dangerous peak that has no path. If I were to sell my beliefs and body to exchange for this path, then, even though I become a Great Empress, so what? In my heart, there would be a seed of failure buried in. With my beliefs sold, it would never be restored. Then, I would probably not have any breakthrough after I became a Great Empress. I probably will never reach the realm of the peerless Great Empress from the past."

"This is not what I want. My life has just begun. Although my lifespan may seem very short to you, but to a common mortal, it is already extremely long. Since I am determined to fight for my destiny, then my fight has just begun now. I still have nearly 500 years I can use. Why would I give up now?"

When Lin Xintong said this, everyone turned quiet.

Yi Yun drew in a deep breath. Lin Xintong's words really shocked him. Her determination was something he had never seen throughout his life.

The Matriarch's eyebrows ticked before she finally let out a long sigh, "Xintong, you are still so stubborn. However, sometimes, some paths cannot be opened up just with faith."

The Matriarch had ultimately experienced a lot. She was very awed of this world.

When people are young, they would often be arrogant and frivolous. They would often wish to challenge everything in the world, believing that they could defy fate. They believed that if they had the perseverance and ability, anything could be done.

However, compared to young people, older people tended to succumb to reality. In the end, the Matriarch still did not believe that by abandoning the opportunity the Shentu family clan provided, Lin Xintong would be able to defy the fatal fate that awaited her.

Often, reality was much more cruel than the ideal.

Beside Su Jie, Yi Yun could tell that the Lin family's Matriarch was most concerned about Lin Xintong's life. She did not wish to see her grandchild die before her.

Hence… she had already leaned towards accepting the Shentu family clan's offer.

Yi Yun suddenly said, "Do you all think that the Shentu family clan can definitely heal Miss Lin?"