If more people didn't know about this matter yet, and if her speaking out would instantly put Shen Xiaoming in danger, then she could never forgive herself.
Just as Shen Xiaoyan couldn't make up her mind, and as Zhen Lingrong was sadly about to give up questioning, Shen Xiaoming spoke.
"I am the half-human who was auctioned."
Shen Xiaoming had already entered his voice-changing period, and his voice was slightly hoarse. Speaking softly at this moment made him seem even more downcast.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Shen Xiaoming in surprise, her eyes filled with disapproval.
She was still weighing the pros and cons, and he had just blurted it out so carelessly?
Zheng Wei, standing beside them, also looked at Shen Xiaoming with a complex expression. He hadn't expected Shen Xiaoming to be so direct.
Shen Xiaoyan was silent for a moment before looking at Zhen Lingrong, only to see Zhen Lingrong's expression turn to shock.
She hadn't misheard?
Her son had just told her that he was a half-human!
How could that be?
How could her son have become a half-human?
Moreover, why had she never noticed that Shen Xiaoming was a half-human?
"Xiaoming, you're not joking, are you?" Zhen Lingrong asked, her face pale.
Shen Xiaoming shook his head and continued earnestly, "I'm not joking. I am a half-human. I am the half-human who was recently auctioned by the Holy Word Auction House. Sister bought me back."
Zhen Lingrong looked at Shen Xiaoyan. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan remain silent, she knew it must be true.
No wonder, when Li Xin mentioned this matter just now, the three of them immediately changed their demeanor. It turned out that was the reason.
Seeing that Zhen Lingrong had been silent for a long time, Shen Xiaoyan also felt uneasy.
"What are you thinking? If you think we're a burden, we can leave now."
As she said this, Shen Xiaoyan didn't even notice the hint of petulance in her tone.
Zheng Wei glanced at Shen Xiaoyan in surprise. Seeing her staring intently at Zhen Lingrong, he pursed his lips and remained silent.
Zhen Lingrong heard Shen Xiaoyan but flew into a rage, like a ruffled rooster.
"You impudent girl, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Zhen Lingrong in disbelief. She had never expected such words to come from Zhen Lingrong's mouth.
Not only Shen Xiaoyan was surprised, but Shen Xiaoming and Zheng Wei were too.
They hadn't been with Zhen Lingrong for a short time, but this was the first time they had seen her speak so furiously.
For some inexplicable reason, the three of them felt like laughing.
However, before the corners of their lips could even form a smile, they heard Zhen Lingrong's torrential scolding again.
"Shen Xiaoyan, I see you've really grown wings and become defiant. Do you not consider me your mother at all? I never forced you to call me mother, but no matter what, I am your mother. Yet, I never expected that in your eyes, I would be such a self-serving person who disregards family ties?"
After Zhen Lingrong roared for a while, she felt a little better.
She knew her outburst was a bit inappropriate, but she was truly angered by Shen Xiaoyan's words.
She could understand that Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaoming couldn't call her mother immediately.
But she hadn't expected that the two of them not only couldn't call her mother but also didn't consider her their mother in their hearts.
Don't ask her why she felt this way. If they truly considered her their mother, would they have said those words just now?
Even though she knew that Shen Xiaoyan's words carried a stronger undertone of testing, her heart was still in agony.
Shen Xiaoyan rubbed her ear, but another thought flashed through her mind.
Fortunately, Zhen Lingrong had set up a barrier as soon as she started. Otherwise, if this shrewish roar were heard by those people downstairs, how could she, the Hall Master, maintain any authority or solemnity in the future?
After taking a deep breath, Zhen Lingrong looked at Shen Xiaoyan again and saw that she seemed absent-minded. The anger that had subsided instantly flared up again.
"Shen Xiaoyan!"
Shen Xiaoyan instinctively looked up, "I'm here."
Zhen Lingrong:!
Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoming, watching the mother and daughter stare at each other, found it amusing for some reason.
These two, who were called mother and daughter, seemed more like sworn enemies.
Otherwise, why would they start arguing the moment they spoke?
Zhen Lingrong took a deep breath to calm herself.
She silently told herself that she was an adult and couldn't bicker with Shen Xiaoyan, a child.
Besides, she was her own daughter, so it was only natural for her to be angry with herself.
She had heard that children had a rebellious phase.
Shen Xiaoyan was not by her side during her rebellious phase, which might have caused Shen Xiaoyan's rebellious phase to be delayed.
After this self-consolation, Zhen Lingrong indeed felt much better.
Just to prevent Shen Xiaoyan from saying something else that would anger her, she decided to speak first.
"You are my children. No matter what you become, you are my children. Don't say that Shen Xiaoming is now a half-human. Even if he wasn't human, I wouldn't abandon him. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
When Zhen Lingrong said these words, she exuded an overwhelming aura. Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaoming immediately nodded continuously.
Even so, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't help but mutter in her heart, what did she mean by "even if he wasn't human"?
If he wasn't human, what else could he be?
She glanced up at Zhen Lingrong's face but decided to keep the question to herself. Otherwise, she felt Zhen Lingrong would break down.
Seeing that Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaoming were relatively well-behaved, Zhen Lingrong stopped being angry and gently asked what had happened.
When it came to the main issue, Shen Xiaoyan's expression also turned serious.
She recounted to Zhen Lingrong the story of Shen Xiaoming running away, somehow ending up in the Holy Continent, meeting those people, becoming a half-human, and finally being bought by her.
Zhen Lingrong listened, her eyebrows furrowed into a knot.
She hadn't expected that the root of all this was actually her fault.
She was not the kind of person who would shirk responsibility, thinking that the consequences of Shen Xiaoming running away were all his own fault.
The reason Shen Xiaoming ran away was entirely to find her, so she bore all responsibility for Shen Xiaoming's subsequent experiences.
However...
"According to what you just said, Xiaoming was a definite half-human when you bought him back. So what is he now?"
As she asked the question, Zhen Lingrong suddenly thought of something.
She looked at Shen Xiaoyan in disbelief. "You... you heard about that method?"
Shen Xiaoyan nodded. "Yes."
She didn't deny it, nor did she consider making excuses.
If Yi Zixie knew about it, then Zhen Lingrong, as the Hall Master of Changqiu Hall, couldn't possibly not know.
Instead of lying and being found out by Zhen Lingrong, it was better to tell the truth.
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan's straightforward answer, Zhen Lingrong felt her heart break.
Perhaps she hadn't known what heartache was before, but at this moment, she truly understood it.
Thinking about the secret method she had read, and the pain and suffering it described.
Zhen Lingrong felt so heartbroken that she couldn't breathe.
She really hadn't expected that the children who didn't grow up by her side would endure so much suffering.
If Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaoming had grown up by her side, how could she have let them go through such things?
But it was too late to say anything now.
Since it had already happened, she could only accept it.
However, Zhen Lingrong then thought of something else. It hadn't been long since Shen Xiaoming was taken away by Shen Xiaoyan.
The execution of that secret method required a long time.
Moreover, during the time she had been in contact with Shen Xiaoyan, Shen Xiaoyan's body had shown no problems, not like someone who had had blood drawn repeatedly.
What was going on?
Zhen Lingrong was puzzled but didn't ask.
She didn't need to think much to guess that Shen Xiaoyan must have some secret.
Although she was Shen Xiaoyan's mother, she didn't want to pry into Shen Xiaoyan's secrets.
As long as it didn't harm Shen Xiaoyan, she would rather pretend not to know.
To her, the more secrets Shen Xiaoyan had, the more trump cards she had for survival, which was what she wished for.
Shen Xiaoyan hadn't really decided whether to tell Zhen Lingrong about the space matter. Seeing that Zhen Lingrong didn't ask, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Since she now understood the whole story, Zhen Lingrong didn't waste any more time and asked Shen Xiaoyan, "What do you want to do now?"
Shen Xiaoyan shook her head helplessly. "I don't know what we should do either."
She had originally planned to leave directly, but now that Zhen Lingrong knew about it, would Zhen Lingrong let them leave?
More importantly, could they hide like this for their entire lives?
If they didn't plan to hide for their entire lives, then they definitely couldn't leave.
After hearing Shen Xiaoyan's words, Zhen Lingrong's eyes flashed with admiration.
As expected of Zhen Lingrong's daughter, her first thought when facing a problem wasn't to run away.
Although even if Shen Xiaoyan had chosen to run away, she wouldn't have agreed.
But voluntary and forced were two completely different matters.
"In that case, you don't have to worry about anything. Just watch me tonight."
Hearing Zhen Lingrong say it so casually, Shen Xiaoyan knew she must have confidence, otherwise, she wouldn't be this Hall Master.
But thinking about it, Zhen Lingrong was, after all, the Hall Master of Changqiu Hall. With her status and ability, what did she need to fear?
However, if all the forces except Changqiu Hall united, even Zhen Lingrong would probably have to think carefully.
But would those forces unite solely because of Shen Xiaoming?
It wasn't that Shen Xiaoyan was being overly optimistic, but she truly felt it was impossible.
These so-called major powers were, in many instances, actually more selfish.
This was because their own interests were paramount in their hearts.
Therefore, unless they could gain immense benefits, it was unlikely for them to unite.
And Shen Xiaoming, although a rather special half-human, hadn't reached that point.
What Shen Xiaoyan could think of, Zhen Lingrong naturally could also think of.
This was also why she had been so confident earlier.
As long as it wasn't a group fight, she could handle a group in a one-on-one fight.