In feudal times, the speed of execution depended entirely on who gave the order. By the next morning, every surviving member of the Ling family had been rounded up without exception.
It was already autumn. While the midday sun still blazed with the lingering heat of “autumn tigers,” the mornings were heavy with cold dew.
Ling Xin wrapped her thin clothes tighter around herself—a futile gesture at best. Looking around, she saw only a handful of people standing, and her heart filled with bitter sorrow.
After that palace banquet, the Ling family had been scattered and broken, always confined to one place before being transferred to another.
Because the Goddess had chosen the Ling family, the envy on the faces of those who came to question them was impossible to hide…
A vague realization dawned on her: she was about to receive an enormous, unimaginable opportunity!
Lifting her eyes to the tightly shut palace doors, Ling Xin straightened her posture with effort.
By the time the sun had climbed halfway up the sky, Ling Xiao, who had spent the night playing cards with the System, finally dragged herself out of bed.
“System, I’m so sleepy,” she mumbled, clutching the jade ball and rolling restlessly on the bed. The little girl’s spoiled demeanor was utterly adorable.
Yet the attendants dared not even glance at her, swiftly bringing water, helping her dress, and combing her hair.
“This System is also sleepy,” 18888 yawned, then suddenly remembered something and jolted awake, urging her to hurry and meet the Ling family.
He, an elite System, must protect his position at all costs!
Lady Yang led the group inside, arranging them in a single row. Most were women, with only two young boys among them.
“You must all be curious why I’ve chosen to enter the world with the identity of a Ling family woman.”
The Goddess’s words were clearly not directed at the Ling family. The servants of Fengyang Palace bowed their heads even lower.
The little girl didn’t answer. Instead, she circled the remaining survivors of the Ling family, the hem of her skirt tracing an arc of mysterious significance.
Ling Hua, once arrogant and accustomed to bullying her half-sisters, didn’t dare even breathe heavily, trembling with fear.
Ling Xin steeled herself.
“Our family has never done anything to harm heaven or reason. What made you, Goddess, bring calamity upon us? My father is dead, my mother is dead, and… ah!”
She couldn’t continue, stopped by a heavy slap that loosened her teeth and brought blood to her lips.
“Such insolent and disrespectful words!” scolded a stern-looking matron who had delivered the blow.
Now, Ling Xiao was the Goddess of Great Jin, equal in status to the Emperor. She could not be offended under any circumstances!
In her mind, Ling Xiao sighed. “We seem like villains, bullying others with our power and committing all sorts of evils.”
“Isn’t that great?” 18888 had fully evolved, having completely molded himself into his Host’s shape. He genuinely believed it was far more satisfying to be an arrogant, domineering villain.
After their playful banter, the Goddess spoke with lofty elegance. “It is not calamity, but a blessing.”
A blessing? Ling Xin was stunned, and the other Ling family members also looked up, visibly resentful.
How could the destruction of their family be called a blessing?
Then, the little Goddess’s snow-white face seemed to smile, yet also held pity, untouched by worldly concerns:
“My birth mother’s surname was Ling.”
No words could describe the shock that struck the Ling family at that moment.
They suddenly remembered—yes, everyone has parents. The Goddess’s father was Taizu, but who was her mother?
It was actually a woman from the Ling family… from our own family!
The Ling family was the Goddess’s maternal family. Such an identity was enough for the Emperor to elevate them to the heavens.
Lady Yang was also inwardly astonished. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the remaining Ling family members looking as if they were about to ascend to glory.
That Ling Hua’s eyes were practically brimming with smugness, while the most concerning one, Ling Xin, only showed surprise, even staring directly at the Goddess, waiting for her to continue.
Truly no ordinary person—
The Goddess seemed to recall certain scenes, her eyes deep and dark as lacquer, speaking with rare gentleness:
“After my death, my resentment was extremely heavy, making it difficult to follow the Immortal Path. My master sought the help of the Southern Pole Immortal Elder, who used a Magic Treasure to cleanse my unwillingness, then took the Three Lights Divine Water to baptize my body.”
The System popped up to complain, “Host, your face is so… ah!” The jade bead it inhabited was nearly crushed by immense force.
After suppressing the chatterbox System, Ling Xiao resumed her Goddess demeanor.
“After a few more days and nights, my birth mother also entered the underworld and soon reincarnated.”
After this brief account, the Goddess seemed unwilling to discuss what had happened further. She suppressed her emotions and calmly said to Ling Xin:
“My master, the Mount Tai Prefectural Lord, oversees the Book of Life and Death, which records the births, deaths, illnesses, and old age of heavenly deities, earthly ghosts, and mortals. I once flipped through it and learned that the Ling family’s accumulated virtue in the underworld has been exhausted. Disaster will surely follow.”
Ling Xin’s eyelashes trembled incessantly, and a tear finally fell. “What kind of disaster?”
The Goddess, unable to comprehend mortal suffering, replied, “Involvement in the struggle for the throne, execution of the entire family.”
Would everyone die?
Ling Xin widened her eyes. No matter how clever or scheming she was, she was still just a young girl. It was only through sheer resentment that she dared to defy the Goddess.
Now knowing the reason but unsure whom to hate, she collapsed weakly to the ground.
A flicker of admiration passed through Ling Xiao’s eyes. In a distant past, she too had been like this—unyielding, refusing to accept fate, using every means to climb higher.
“When I enter the mortal world, I will trigger the Ling family’s calamity ahead of time, but its severity will also diminish as a result. Isn’t this a blessing?”
Both the Fengyang Palace attendants and the Ling family members nodded in agreement.
Unwilling to show her pitiful state, Ling Xin forced herself to stand up, offering a bitter smile and a bow:
“They will receive your care in the underworld as well, won’t they? I was too foolish to presume to speculate about the Goddess.”
As she spoke, she looked gratefully at the Goddess, filled with deep regret. How could her shallow self have imagined the greatness of a deity?
“I almost believed everything she said, Host.”
“Me too. I didn’t even think about the underworld part,” Ling Xiao filled in the gaps, accepting Ling Xin’s gratitude without changing her expression.
She had the demeanor of someone who did good deeds without seeking recognition, yet was misunderstood.
The System felt goosebumps all over. His previous hosts had at most deceived those they were trying to win over, but none were as smooth as Ling Xiao now.
With the truth fully revealed, Lady Yang looked at the young Goddess with increasing affection. To do so many good deeds and still be misunderstood…
“Your Highness, the Ling family is your maternal family. According to custom, they should be granted rewards. What do you think?” Lady Yang stepped forward and whispered, ensuring her voice was soft but audible to others.
The Ling family women and young ladies overheard, their eyes burning with anticipation as they watched, their hearts pounding like drums.
As for whether such a custom truly existed in the court, Lady Yang didn’t care.
If the Goddess agreed to grant rewards, then it existed. If she disagreed, then it didn’t—a very Schrödinger’s custom.
The world is full of talented people! Ling Xiao sighed inwardly.
She nodded slightly and parted her lips. “Tell the Emperor to grant generous rewards but refrain from bestowing titles or stipends.”
As if joking, why should they get such a big advantage? Giving them some money to send them off would suffice.
Lady Yang was taken aback. Seeing the Ling family members unable to hide their disappointment, she felt much more at ease. The Goddess still valued His Majesty and the Li family more.
The palace attendants prepared to escort the Ling family members away.
“Ling Xin, stay.”
Hearing the Goddess speak, Ling Xin turned back excitedly, completely ignoring the gloating look Ling Hua gave her as she left.
She found it laughable—the Goddess was so great, capable of casting her into hell without a single word. How could she possibly be here to personally punish her?
Sure enough, after Ling Xiao expressed that she needed her to stay by her side, citing the reason as “taking care of a junior from the maternal family,” the young girl clenched her fists and nodded with all her might.
Once everyone else was gone, the great Goddess kicked off her shoes, collapsed onto the bed, and went back to sleep.
System 18888 sighed, “Who would have thought that after all this fuss—the Book of Life and Death, the Goddess’s birth mother—it was all just for a mere Ling Xin?”
A muffled voice came from under the blanket, “For this little bit of vinegar, I made the whole batch of dumplings.”