Vol 4 Chapter 117: The Rebellious Imperial Princess

"Se-Senior?" The young servant girl looked nervously at Lin Jing, not understanding why he was stepping on the formation pattern she was about to trace.

"Look around," Lin Jing reminded simply. The servant girl looked and was shocked to discover that everyone - from the steward who had just scolded her to the other menial disciples nearby - had frozen in place.

Of course, they weren't truly frozen. Lin Jing had simply used illusion magic to isolate himself and this servant girl from outside interference.

"Do you know who your parents are?" Lin Jing asked directly. The servant girl froze, realizing she was facing a supreme expert, and didn't dare show any disrespect.

She immediately dropped to her knees with a thud, not daring to look directly at Lin Jing's face.

"This junior's mother was an outer sect disciple of the Mystic Wonder Sect."

"As for my father... I've never met him. I only heard others say he was a rogue cultivator my mother met during her travels..."

A rogue cultivator... Lin Jing frowned.

"Is your mother still alive?"

"She... died in childbirth," the girl said, lowering her head.

Lin Jing looked toward the Ancient Domain and roughly understood. This "rogue cultivator" was likely some Ancient Imperial Prince.

This prince must have had a fleeting romance with this Mystic Wonder Sect disciple while traveling.

After growing bored, the prince simply left without a second thought, never realizing the female disciple had become pregnant.

Lin Jing had seen this plot countless times in dramas.

Most likely, the Mystic Wonder Sect disciple never knew her lover's true identity.

"Which damned prince was it?" Lin Jing pondered. "As a prince, he could have any woman he wanted. Why prey on some low-level female cultivator?" His gaze returned to the still-bowed girl.

The girl was quite delicate-looking. Her mother must have been beautiful too.

Perhaps even possessed some special physique...

With her birth mother already deceased, this complicated matters. The girl was only about ten years old - too young for Lin Jing to comfortably consider kidnapping her to teach the Human Domination Devil Arts under Mo Pine's tutelage.

At this age, she needed parental love more than anything. Having already suffered ten years as an orphaned servant, would he really be human if he subjected her to demonic cultivation training?

If she truly had no living relatives, he might not hesitate. But knowing the First Ancient Emperor's character, Lin Jing believed the old man would acknowledge this descendant and provide compensation. She might have better options.

"Forget it," Lin Jing sighed. Better to reunite her with family. There were plenty of candidates for the Human Domination Devil Arts - no need to ruin this girl's life.

"What's your name?"

"Yu Xun'er," the servant girl answered.

Yu Xun'er... Yu was likely her mother's surname. As for her father's surname... Lin Jing's expression turned strange. Why did this feel familiar? Did he have a friend with this name in his past life?

"Would you like to meet your birth father? Your other relatives?" Lin Jing asked. "I could take you to them."

Just as Lin Jing was marveling at what a villain he was, the previously timid servant girl suddenly widened her eyes and raised her voice sharply: "No!"

"I refuse!"

"I can live on my own. If he truly cared about Mother and me, he wouldn't have abandoned us."

Huh... Lin Jing looked at her in surprise. That was genuine resentment.

Though anyone in her position would likely feel the same.

That prince's separation from the Mystic Wonder Sect disciple probably wasn't due to some accident. If he'd truly loved her, bringing her to the Ancient Domain wouldn't have been difficult.

Yet he left without a trace.

Definitely some irresponsible prince sowing wild oats.

"Are you certain?" Lin Jing asked calmly. "What if your father holds a far higher status than you imagine? Returning to him could end your hardships."

"Still no! One day I'll cultivate until I'm strong enough to confront him myself and demand why he abandoned us!"

"But even a Nascent Soul Transformation sect master of Mystic Wonder Sect would be insignificant before your father," Lin Jing pointed out.

Yu Xun'er froze. Before Lin Jing spoke, she'd never considered her father might be someone important.

But this only angered her more - if he was truly such a powerful figure, how could he let them fall to such circumstances?

"No matter who he is!" she declared resolutely.

"What if he's the Ancient Imperial Prince - current leader of the Destiny Rankings, crown prince of the Ancient Clan?" Lin Jing tested.

The servant girl gaped.

"My father is...?"

"Ah, no, just an example," Lin Jing scratched his ear. The Ancient Imperial Prince didn't seem the irresponsible type - probably one of the other star children.

The Second Ancient Emperor's first few children were quite outstanding. Rumor said the later ones... not so much. Probably used up all their luck on the first batch.

"Ancient Imperial Prince..."

"Even if my father were the Holy Son of the Demon Court, I'd never forgive him!" Yu Xun'er clenched her fists, her demeanor completely transformed from before.

"...You know about the Holy Son of the Demon Court?" Lin Jing was surprised.

Good. At least in her eyes, the Holy Son ranked above the Ancient Imperial Prince.

"So even if you carry the Ancient Imperial bloodline, you refuse to let me return you?" Lin Jing asked.

"No need, Senior. My life in Mystic Wonder Sect is fine. This is my home," Yu Xun'er met Lin Jing's gaze firmly.

Lin Jing shook his head. "You'll never reach your desired cultivation level here. I'll give you three choices: First, remain here. Second, I return you to your family. Third, follow me to cultivate. Choose."

"Oh, and earlier wasn't a lie. Your true bloodline is Ancient Imperial royalty. You're the abandoned descendant of some Ancient Imperial Prince..."

"Confronting him won't be easy..."

Yu Xun'er was stunned. Wait... she truly was... Ancient Imperial bloodline?

"Think carefully. Even as an illegitimate child, returning would make you revered by thousands. Even Mystic Wonder Sect's current sect master would treat you with respect."

"Then Senior is...?" Yu Xun'er suddenly grew suspicious of Lin Jing's identity. His willingness to return her suggested he was connected to the Ancient Kingdom or even her father. Yet he also offered to take her as a disciple, making his motives unclear.

"Me? I'm the Holy Son of the Demon Court you mentioned," Lin Jing's eyes gleamed strangely. If she refused to return to the Ancient Clan, he'd keep her temporarily and let the First Ancient Emperor handle it...

Meanwhile, Yu Xun'er's mind blanked. The man before her was actually that legendary figure even more renowned than the Ancient Imperial Prince? That monstrous talent who shook the Great Yuan Continent within a century of cultivation, said to rival even celestial physiques...?

He shouldn't even be affiliated with the Ancient Kingdom... Why would he seek out lost imperial blood like her? Though only ten, her harsh life in the servant division had matured her beyond her years as she absorbed knowledge preparing for outer sect admission.

Holy Son of the Demon Court... Could he be planning to nurture her imperial bloodline to control her as a puppet against the Ancient Kingdom?!