"Xin Haotian? The Sword Saint?" Baron Rosalind asked in wonder. He already knew that Xin Haotian had been with Aldrian’s group all this ti, as Elena had inford him.
"Yes. Do you know Xin Haotian’s origin, Your Excellency?" Aldrian asked.
"Well, his origin has been a mystery for a long ti. No one knows anything about it since his rise to the title of Sword Saint thousands of years ago. Many theories have erged since then—so believe he is a hidden young master from an unknown noble family—but none of them have been proven." The baron answered.
"Theories about his origins are based on the power of his cultivation technique, his swordsmanship, and the sword he wields. He is still young for an Emperor-stage cultivator, and his sword—said to be a divine-grade artifact—is not sothing that can be obtained just anywhere."
"However, so argue that the Sword Saint might simply be a fortunate man who stumbled upon an unknown inheritance, gaining all of this power by chance."
After hearing the baron’s answer, Aldrian turned to Elena.
"Uhm, I only know as much as everyone else. I truly don’t know the Sword Saint’s origin," she admitted.
Aldrian nodded, but at that mont, sothing finally clicked in Baron Rosalind and Elena’s minds. Their eyes widened.
"Wait, Young Master, don’t tell —?!"
"Yes, you’re right. Xin Haotian cos from one of the hidden families within the Everlasting Forest. In fact, he is their young master. You could say he is indeed from a noble family. His family mbers sotis blend in with the people of the continent, but due to their secretive nature, no one truly knows about them," Aldrian explained.
He had learned about Xin Haotian’s status directly from the man himself during their journey. Xin Haotian had revealed that he was the young master of the Xin family, which explained why his family dared to bestow upon him sothing as rare as a divine-grade artifact—most likely a legacy artifact.
He was their young master, and a formidable one at that.
Baron Rosalind and Elena were truly shocked by this revelation. Was this the truth behind the Sword Saint’s origin? No wonder he seed to have appeared out of nowhere, sweeping across the continent with his glorious achievents—battling devils and defeating powerful opponents. If he had co from the Everlasting Silent Forest, it made sense that there were no reports of his origins.
"Then... who are they?" Baron Rosalind asked. "All this ti, the Everlasting Silent Forest has been known for its deadly nature, trapping anyone who dares to enter. But if there are families living there, doesn’t that an they can enter and leave as they please? Also, Young Master, you ntioned that these families are guarding the forest—what exactly are they guarding?"
"To answer that, let’s take a step back and look at the history of the Everlasting Silent Forest," Aldrian said before beginning his explanation.
He told Baron Rosalind and Elena about the arrival of a dragon and a phoenix to this continent, as well as the agreent they made with the four aboriginal families, who later beca the hidden guardian families of the forest. He explained why these families remained within the forest’s secret realm, upholding their duty for many years.
Aldrian then recounted what had befallen these families during the great war against the devils three million years ago—how only two of them had survived the annihilation. His explanation was based on what he had learned from Xin Haotian and the knowledge he had gained from his visions.
Baron Rosalind’s heart pounded loudly as he listened to the story of the hidden families and the revelation that there were actually survivors after the great war. Of course, he was well aware of the war against the devils three million years ago—it was one of the most significant events in the continent’s history. The devils had sought to dominate the continent and had nearly succeeded, if not for their sudden and unexplained retreat back to their own territory.
But to think that sothing like this had happened? That the true reason behind the devils’ retreat was the might of the dragon and the phoenix?
Baron Rosalind let out a deep sigh after hearing Aldrian’s story. He looked at Aldrian with a solemn expression.
"Then, Young Master, are you suggesting that our ancestors were the survivors of that hidden family? The Ragius family?"
"Yes, your ancestors were actually survivors of the Ragius family who took refuge here," Aldrian answered. "It has been millions of years, and over ti, their descendants seem to have detached themselves from the forest and the agreent. It’s no wonder none of you knew your true origins or your connection to the Everlasting Silent Forest."
"Your family and the Xin family are the true aboriginal families of this continent, long before the empires were built as they are now, before the arrival of people from other continents. Your true roots lie here, and your ancestors made an agreent with the phoenix. That is the true history of your family."
Silence filled the room after Aldrian’s final explanation.
After a few monts, Baron Rosalind stood up from his sofa and walked toward the window, gazing at the scenery outside. The sky was already illuminated by the morning sunlight. His expression remained calm, but the turbulence in his heart was evident in his eyes.
To think that the Rosalind family’s history could be like this... He believed Aldrian’s words because everything made sense. It also aligned with doubts he had harbored for a long ti. Where had their legacy artifacts co from? There were no records of a blacksmith master who had forged them.
There was no way they had simply been found by chance, right?
The imperial family’s treatnt of his family and the way he had been educated since childhood—to believe that their family was better off as a barony and should remain neutral in the empire’s politics—all of it made sense now. They had simply wanted to live in peace, far from trouble.
This was a truly shocking revelation. At last, they knew the true history of their ancestors.
After a few monts of silence, Baron Rosalind turned his head toward Aldrian.
"Young Master, you said that our ancestors gave the imperial family a divine artifact in exchange for a peaceful life and a place to live. May I know what that artifact was?"
Aldrian smiled. "You’ve already seen it."
Baron Rosalind looked confused for a mont before his eyes widened slightly.
"The guqin?" he asked.
Aldrian responded with a nod.
"The guqin was actually brought out by the second prince as a ans to make peace with . He sent an envoy to Caritas a few days ago, but as you can see, my response to his proposal for peace is that I’m here."
Elena smiled upon hearing this, while Baron Rosalind burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You are truly courageous, Young Master. I can just imagine the second prince’s fuming expression when you simply took the divine-grade artifact without giving him anything in return—and instead, you’re here, killing his faction’s troops."
Aldrian simply smiled and took a sip of his tea. After setting the teacup down, he looked at the baron.
"Now that you know about the guqin’s origins, do you want it back?" he asked.
Baron Rosalind was montarily stunned, but then he waved his hand dismissively.
"No, Young Master. Although that guqin was sothing our ancestors gave to the imperial family in exchange for their favor, it is already in your hands. It wouldn’t be right for us to ask for it back after the imperial family willingly gave it to you. Moreover, our family does not specialize in musical instrunts like the guqin, so it would be wasted on us," he said.
"After hearing you play last night, I believe the guqin is already in good hands. There is no one more suited to wield a divine-grade guqin than you."
Aldrian smiled and nodded.
"Then I must thank you. I’ve grown quite fond of the guqin and was thinking of keeping it."
"Yes, that is as it should be, and in fact—" Baron Rosalind’s gaze shifted toward the scarf still wrapped around Aldrian’s right arm and shoulders.
"I can give you the scarf as well, Young Master. It seems far more useful in your hands than in ours. Although it is a divine-grade artifact, we have never been able to make proper use of it. All we know is that it is incredibly strong and soft, but beyond that, its purpose remains unknown. It would be better in the hands of soone who can truly wield its power. Keeping it stored away without purpose would be a waste."
Aldrian’s eyes widened slightly. Baron Rosalind was truly too generous! Even if they couldn’t use the Heavenly Scarf of Divine Phoenix, they could have simply kept it as an heirloom or even sold it to the highest bidder! This was a peak divine-grade artifact, after all, its value was nearly imasurable. It could easily be worth billions of peak-level energy stones, making it one of the most expensive artifacts of all ti.
However, Aldrian inwardly sighed in relief. To be honest, he would have found it a pity to leave the scarf behind. After all, "he" was the one who had created it in the past as a gift for the phoenix ancestor, and it seed to react only to him.
"However, Young Master, in return, I would like to ask a favor."
Aldrian smiled at the baron. If he wanted to request sothing in exchange, so be it. He had already obtained two divine artifacts once used by the phoenix ancestor.
"What is it, Your Excellency?"
"Please, Young Master, when the ti of the prophecy cos, I ask that you also help our family or at the very least, protect Elena." The baron said with a solemn expression.
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