Pov: Vik
Right now, I just want to leave this place and find Xia Yang. As for Lin Chen, he is with us, so we can definitely capture him and punish him according to the wishes of Lu Xiaoran and his family.
But Lina reported something else. "Snake, there are multiple air vehicles moving towards your location. I repeat, there are multiple air vehicles moving towards your location."
She warned us about some flying objects, so we all looked up. From the west, I saw several large wooden boats flying towards us. How could those boats fly? More importantly, I felt strong auras from them. There were multiple experts from the Void Traveling realm, and some of them were particularly powerful.
Seeing this, Lin Chen, who had been silent until now, said, "My parents are here. Those boats bear the insignia of the Lin Family."
He pointed to the insignia painted on the front of the boats.
I was already overwhelmed by what was happening tonight, and now several wooden boats were hovering nearby. Apparently, these people were Lin Chen's parents and their group.
The boats landed just a few meters away, planning to settle in my clearing. I noticed this place was slowly losing its natural suppressive effect; soon everyone here would regain their original cultivation.
While we waited, I alerted my disciples to stay vigilant. When I gave them the signal, they were to evacuate immediately. We were outnumbered, so I took out my M1919 Browning, which was a few meters away.
Now armed with heavy firepower, I felt I could at least cover the evacuation route for my disciples. Soon, the boats landed, and Lin Chen, still recovering from his injuries, got up. He stumbled while trying to walk but managed to stand and shouted, "Father! Mother! I am here."
His shout was answered by a man in golden robes who floated down from the boat towards him. A woman in green robes followed him. They stood before Lin Chen, and I saw tears in his eyes, especially for his mother, whom he thought was dead.
But something seemed off. Lin Chen's parents didn't appear very joyful upon seeing him. Lin Chen's father asked, "Lin Chen, did you get that treasure from the Azure Mountains?"
Just then, a voice interrupted, "No father, he doesn't have it. I have it right here."
I turned toward the source of the voice and saw Xia Yang. My first reaction was to wonder why she was still here; she should have run away. But before I could think further, Lin Chen shouted, "Xia Yang, you traitor! I'll kill you!"
Lin Chen said, "Father! Mother! She's a traitor who robbed me. Please help me kill her!"
Hearing this, the woman in green robes swiftly flew towards Xia Yang. When she reached her, she gently patted Xia Yang's head and said, "Little girl, I'm sorry. Mother is late."
Everyone, including me, was stunned. Why? How? Many questions raced through our minds, but Lin Chen was the one who asked, "Mother, why are you patting her? She's the one who hurt me."
But before he could say more, the man in golden robes slapped him, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, reopening his wound. That man, Lin Chen's father, said, "How dare you talk badly about my daughter? Worms like you can't compare to her. Today, I'm going to kill you."
Lin Chen couldn't finish his words before the man kicked him again, sending him flying towards us. Lu Xiaoran intercepted him in mid-air. Now, Lin Chen was more injured than before. Lu Xiaoran laid him on the ground, and despite his injuries, Lin Chen asked, "Why? Why? Why are you doing this? You are my father, not hers!"
That man didn't respond, only looking at Lin Chen with disgust. Xia Yang laughed and said, "Okay, it's time for you to know the truth, Lin Chen."
She pointed at him and asked, "If they are your parents, then you should know something about them. When was the last time your father praised you?"
Lin Chen tried to answer but stopped midway, lost in thought. Then Xia Yang said, "Okay, let's forget that. When was the last time you were with your mother?"
Again, Lin Chen fell silent as if he were deep in thought. Xia Yang laughed, looking haughty, and said, "Oh Lin Chen, you were such a fool. Let's forget this and think about your childhood. Do you remember anything from it?"
The question angered Lin Chen. Even though he could hardly move, he clutched his head and screamed, "Why? Why? What did you do to my head? Who? Who? Who am I? I'm not Lin Chen. What did you do to me?"
He continued to scream, but his cries felt familiar to me, like what I had seen happen to Lina. Tampering with memories—this should have happened to Lin Chen, but the system told me a chosen one was protected by fate. I felt it myself. So how could they do this to Lin Chen? I realized he was just a pawn in someone's scheme. His entire life might be a lie.
Xia Yang, or Lin Yang as I now understood, looked at Lin Chen with disgust. "To tell you the truth, Lin Chen is not your real name. My true name is Lin Yang, the eldest daughter of the Lin family and their heir. Our family has deep ties to the Azure Mountains. Thirty years ago, our ancestor met a benefactor who shared secrets about the world and about people like you—the chosen ones.
He also revealed a way we could alter our fate. Originally, my Lin family was meant to help you in your story, but we refused to accept it. We defied fate through a forbidden technique, a way that allowed us to find your birthplace. We killed your parents and kidnapped you.
Since then, you have been nothing but a pawn, a tool for us. Today, you finally proved your worth. Thank you, because of you, we can fulfill a long-held dream of our ancestors."
Listening to Xia Yang, or Lin Yang, explain all this made me realize one thing: the depths of this world are profound. In just a few months of teaching my disciples, I had already discovered someone using invincible chosen ones as tools for their plans.