Chapter 243 Clarify

Two years ago, before returning to the Ancient Spirit Continent, Ling Luoyi visited the Azure Continent one last time to retrieve something from Qiu Yuanxi. As she passed through Thunder City, a sickly young man approached her.

"Lei Chengjing of the Lei family greets the War Saintess. I have something I wish to discuss with the War Saintess. May I ask if you have time?"

Ling Luoyi, walking along, heard this and saw him cough weakly. Feeling a pang of sympathy, she agreed and allowed Lei Chengjing to lead the way. After they sat down in a teahouse, Ling Luoyi asked, "What is it you wish to discuss with this殿下?"

"I am the third young master of the Lei family. I've heard that the War Saintess and the Medicine Saintess are close friends. You must have heard of me, haven't you?"

"You are A Yuan's fiancé?" Just hearing the name, Ling Luoyi couldn't recall, but upon hearing "third young master of the Lei family," she remembered. Qiu Yuanxi often mentioned this fiancé to her.

"Yes. Since the War Saintess knows of this, you must also know from the Medicine Saintess that neither of us wishes to fulfill the engagement?"

"This殿下 is aware."

"Then does the War Saintess know why I sought you out?"

"Since Young Master Lei sought this殿下 out personally, how could this殿下 possibly know your intentions?" Ling Luoyi took a sip of tea and said, "This殿下 had no intention of saying much, but I have heard some rumors about the Lei family. While it has nothing to do with me, A Yuan is my friend, and there are some things I must say."

Lei Chengjing likely knew what Ling Luoyi was about to say, but he still replied, "Since they are rumors, the War Saintess knows they cannot be taken seriously."

"Rumors cannot be taken seriously, but isn't Young Master Lei aware of the Lei family's current situation?"

Lei Chengjing stiffened and asked, "Has the War Saintess investigated the Lei family?"

"It's not an investigation. This殿下 merely heard some things from A Yuan and made some deductions. The direct lineage of the Lei family has fewer and fewer offspring, and their health deteriorates with each generation. Even the children born from concubines of the direct lineage are unwell. Yet, the collateral branches, who were part of the same lineage generations ago, are the complete opposite. Doesn't Young Master Lei find it curious as to why?"

Hearing this, Lei Chengjing's suppressed doubts resurfaced. Indeed, even the collateral branches, who were part of the same lineage as the family head generations ago, were now flourishing. Unlike his father, who had many concubines but only a handful of children who survived to adulthood, and all of them were sickly.

Considering the root of the problem, Lei Chengjing asked with certainty, "Is it because of the Lei family's engagement with the Qiu family all this time?"

"Since Young Master Lei has the answer, why ask this殿下?"

"No one would believe this reason."

"This殿下 knows, but if it continues, the direct lineage of the Lei family will wither away. Although this matter ultimately only affects the Lei family and not the Qiu family, it is because A Yuan is the one to be married into the Lei family, and A Yuan always wishes to break the engagement, that this殿下 is telling you this."

Lei Chengjing was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is there a way to resolve this issue?"

"Since you know the crux of the matter, surely Young Master Lei knows the solution?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Chengjing stared at Ling Luoyi, and Ling Luoyi gazed back at him without blinking. After a moment, they both spoke in unison, "The Lei family's concubine-born!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět

Returning to the present, after hearing Ling Luoyi's explanation, Qiu Yuanxi exclaimed, "So it was Lei Lao San who pushed this marriage through?!"

"It appears so. If the Lei family does not wish for self-destruction, the engagement with the Qiu family must be broken. However, the Lei family cannot abandon the engagement, so they can only change the person. Replacing it with a concubine-born from your family is useless; it must be a concubine-born from the Lei family. This way, the benefits brought by the engagement will cease to exist."

"In that case, my full sister would be unwilling to marry a concubine-born young master of the Lei family who could never become the family head. And by losing the benefits of the engagement, the Lei family's concubine-born young master who fulfills the engagement will also resent her because of her concubine-born status. Rather than letting two strangers become a resentful couple, it's better to let them choose for themselves. So, Lei Lao San had this plan all along."

"Precisely. The news from the Liuying Water Pavilion indicates that Lei Chengjing accompanied the fifth and ninth young masters of the Lei family to meet your concubine-born sisters. Unexpectedly, the fifth young master and your seventh sister took a liking to each other. The fifth young master is a contented person and knows that even if he married a Qiu family lady, he would not inherit the position of family head, so he will not be unhappy with your seventh sister because of this."

"Indeed, among the direct lineage of the Lei family in this generation, only Lei Lao Wu and Lei Lao Jiu have the best health. As for their personalities, Lei Lao Wu is the most gentle, and he is indeed more suitable for my seventh sister. But Xiao Luo'er, I am still very worried about my seventh sister's future. Will she end up like my aunt?"

"No. Although due to the Lei family head, Lei Lao Wu also has a blood relationship with your family, your seventh sister's offspring will be much better than your aunt's. Perhaps the children will be a bit weak, but with you around, it's not a big problem."

"Is that so? I never expected the Lei family's direct lineage to become like this because of this reason. But Xiao Luo'er, it has always been said that marrying cousins strengthens the family ties. How could they almost become extinct?"

Hearing this, Ling Luoyi smiled and said, "Let me give you an example. If you pour a cup of tea into a cup of water, what will happen to this cup of water?"

As Ling Luoyi spoke, she poured a cup of tea into clear water. The image also transmitted this scene to Qiu Yuanxi.

"What else? The water will become turbid." Qiu Yuanxi watched the clear water change and said.

"Then what about pouring another cup?"

Saying this, Ling Luoyi poured another cup of tea, and the water became even more turbid.

"I understand!" Qiu Yuanxi said suddenly, watching, "The clear water is the Lei family, the tea is the Qiu family. Mixing the tea and clear water creates children with the combined bloodlines of the Lei and Qiu families. Xiao Luo'er, I remember you saying before that some people, even though their parents were ill, did not fall ill themselves because they happened to fall within the probability of not falling ill. But that doesn't mean that person won't fall ill. So, if that child with combined bloodlines marries into the Qiu family again, it will increase the probability of his children falling ill."

"That's correct."

"In that case, Lei Lao Wu also has a blood connection with the Qiu family. Then what about my seventh sister's children?"

"A Yuan, don't worry. Didn't I just say? Your seventh sister's offspring are not a problem, only that their bodies will be a bit weaker. As long as their children do not marry daughters from your family for the next few generations, your seventh sister's grandchildren and great-grandchildren will get better and better."

"Xiao Luo'er, how many generations is 'the next few generations'?"

"At least three generations."

"I understand. I will caution my seventh sister." Suddenly remembering something, Qiu Yuanxi looked at Ling Luoyi strangely and asked doubtfully, "Xiao Luo'er, where did you learn all this? I've read all the medical books in Qingxin Hall, but none of them record this."

"This is not something learned from books. Looking at the entire Lei family, this phenomenon is not surprising. A Yuan, sometimes you cannot rely solely on medical books."

"Oh. Right, Xiao Luo'er, Qingxin Hall has accumulated quite a few low-level elixirs. I've already sent them to you. Handle them as you see fit."

Ling Luoyi in the image raised the paper crane she had just received and said, "A Yuan, I've received it."

"Good. But speaking of which, I was startled when I just heard about my seventh sister and Lei Lao Wu."

"I was also startled when I first learned about you and my elder brother."

"Xiao Luo'er~"

"Alright, I need to go inspect the next location."