As the carriage reached the Tang Clan, Rin looked ahead and saw an enormous manor rising like a fortress — vast, imposing, and shaped more like a castle than a clan estate. Towering walls stretched outward, engraved with ancient patterns of poison sigils and hidden mechanisms.
At the gate, Tang Clan guards noticed the approaching carriage. Upon seeing the Tang Clan emblem, they immediately straightened and opened the massive doors.
The carriage entered the Tang Clan grounds, rolling across stone paths lined with pavilions and towering halls. The atmosphere itself felt heavy — ancient and oppressive, as if the clan had been standing here for centuries without ever bowing to time.
The carriage stopped.
Rin, Lianzhen, Yu Meixian, and Tang Xiuying stepped down. Several Tang Clan warriors were already waiting, ready to escort them.
Tang Xiuying smiled proudly. "Do you like it? This is the Tang Clan."
Rin and Lianzhen looked around — and then suddenly froze.
A crushing pressure descended from above.
It felt as if a demon from hell had descended upon them. The killing intent was overwhelming, suffocating the air. Rin and Lianzhen felt their legs grow heavy, their breathing uneven.
Even Yu Meixian struggled, barely standing under the pressure as she looked upward.
There — suspended in midair — stood a woman appearing to be around forty to fifty years old. Her gaze alone carried absolute authority. She stepped forward, walking through the air itself.
Rin's eyes widened. "Void Step… she's a Void Realm expert."
In an instant, the pressure vanished.
Everyone gasped for breath, their chests rising sharply as they steadied themselves.
The woman descended to the ground.
Tang Xiuying immediately bowed deeply. "Greetings, Mother."
Rin and Lianzhen looked up sharply.
"She's the Poison Queen," Rin muttered.
Yu Meixian, Rin, and Lianzhen greeted her respectfully.
The Poison Queen glanced at Yu Meixian with a faint smile. "You look healthy, Yu Meixian. You've improved too, ha."
Yu Meixian replied calmly, "I'm just training a little."
Tang Xiuying stepped forward eagerly. "What about me, Mother?"
The Poison Queen's expression darkened instantly. "You brat. You brought men into the house again?"
"Mother, this is not—" Tang Xiuying tried to explain.
A sudden Qi wave burst forth.
Tang Xiuying was blasted backward. "Stop your excuses!" the Poison Queen shouted. "You again promised men marriage for your pleasure, you scoundrel!"
She appeared beside Rin and Lianzhen, her tone turning cold. "I apologize for my daughter. She is a loafer and a scoundrel. I know what you lost will never return, but in the name of the Tang Clan, I will compensate you. Please do not spread this matter outside the Tang Clan. Let this go."
"Mother! You have a big misunderstanding!" Tang Xiuying cried.
Lianzhen laughed awkwardly. "Ha ha… you see, Rin is my brother."
The Poison Queen's eyes widened in shock. "Brother?"
Her fury exploded. "You ungrateful daughter! You slept with two brothers together?!"
She moved toward Tang Xiuying. A dagger floated into her hand, emitting disastrous Qi. "What lies did you tell these brothers for your filthy pleasure?! Do you know how hard it is for me to suppress your previous rumors?!"
Tang Xiuying's face turned pale with fear. "Mother, calm down! It's not what it looks like!"
"Save it!" the Poison Queen snapped. "Today is the day I remove the stain on the Tang Clan's name!"
Yu Meixian stepped forward, standing between them. "They never slept with Tang Xiuying. They are traveling with me."
The Poison Queen halted, her aura calming slightly.
Yu Meixian continued, explaining everything.
The Poison Queen fully lowered herself. "Oh… it's a misunderstanding."
She placed a hand on Yu Meixian's shoulder. "You don't know, Yu. Last time, she almost got pregnant. Five men came to our gate demanding justice. Tang Xiuying promised to marry them and had affairs with them. It was only because of Tang Clan medicine that we could abort the child. Rumors spread that the Tang Clan uses young men for pleasure — promising marriage and abandoning them. Do you know how hard it is to suppress such rumors?"
"Mother, please keep quiet!" Tang Xiuying shouted desperately.
She looked at Rin.
Rin stared back at her with a disgusted expression.
Tang Xiuying collapsed to her knees. "It's over…"
Yu Meixian said coldly, "You deserve it."
The Poison Queen exhaled slowly. "Let's talk inside."
They sat at a table inside the grand hall.
The Poison Queen spoke calmly. "I will say this — my friend raised a great disciple. I've heard of your reputation, Yu Meixian. Unlike my daughter."
Tang Xiuying sat lifelessly. "It's over… it's over…"
The Poison Queen then looked at Rin and Lianzhen. "I will say — you two are not bad. At your age, reaching this level, ha. I am also sorry for what happened to the Sima Clan."
Rin and Lianzhen were shocked. "How do you know?"
The Poison Queen laughed. "At my level, we can read Qi. You both are clearly using Sima Clan martial arts."
They were stunned.
Rin thought to himself, So we cannot hide ourselves from a Void Realm master…
The Poison Queen continued, "So you are traveling with Yu Meixian?"
"Yes," Lianzhen replied.
"To Kunlun?" she asked.
"Yes."
"It is a hard journey," the Poison Queen said. "But you can reach it with Yu Meixian."
Lianzhen glanced at Yu Meixian, his cheeks turning red.
The Poison Queen smiled faintly. "Lianzhen, Rin — it's your first time in the Tang Clan. Why don't you look around? I have something to discuss with Yu Meixian."
They left.
Lianzhen went to meet the Patriarch of the Tang Clan, the husband of the Poison Queen. Rin headed toward the back of the Tang Clan, where a forest-like garden grew — perhaps to find herbs.
The Poison Queen asked quietly, "Is your master depressed about her loss against the Sword Empress… now that she has died?"
Yu Meixian replied with sadness, "No. It's because she could have won if she had completed her martial arts."
"By completion, you mean the Seven Ring?" the Poison Queen asked.
"Yes."
The Poison Queen waved it away. "Let's forget about that. How about you join the Tang Clan?"
"I already said no to Xiuying," Yu Meixian replied.
The Poison Queen smiled faintly. "You really are just like your master."
Then she continued, "Maybe it's fate that you are going to Kunlun."
Yu Meixian looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
"There is something your master left behind in the Kunlun Sect."
Yu Meixian's eyes widened slightly.
It was the first time she had ever heard this.