"Sigh. I just keep causing trouble for you." The smile on Zhan Yunge's face disappeared. She let go of her father and eldest uncle and shrugged.
"That is nonsense." Old Master Zhan glared at her.
Zhan Yunge smiled ingratiatingly. "You are right. I was just spouting nonsense."
"Come on in." Old Master Zhan turned and entered the ancestral hall.
Old Master Zhan had already asked his granddaughter about her feelings towards Nangong Xuan. If she did not want to marry him, he would call off the wedding. Considering his status, he was confident about asking permission from the emperor to let her keep wearing the sun and moon necklaces until she was 16 years old.
Old Master Zhan had told Zhan Mingting to tell Nangong Xuan about Zhan Yunge's heavenly tribulation. After Zhan Mingting told Old Master Zhan about his conversation with Nangong Xuan, he knew no one cared about her more than Nangong Xuan. In his heart, he genuinely wished their relationship would work out. She would feel a lot better if there was someone like him around to take care of her.
For this reason, Old Master Zhan had permitted Nangong Xuan to enter the ancestral hall. Typically, only the direct progeny of the Zhan family could enter it and no sons-in-law were allowed in here. Naturally, the Zhan family had never had sons-in-law and Nangong Xuan would be the first one in a millennium.
"Kneel," said Old Master to Zhan Yunge.
Zhan Yunge pursed her lips. "Grandpa, even if I have been naughty, do you really have to punish me by kneeling in the ancestral hall?" Despite her words, she knelt on the prayer mat obediently.
Everyone's lips twitched in unison. No one could bear to punish her ever since she was a child. Moreover, what could she possibly do? Would they ever have to punish her in the ancestral hall?
Even though she had done a lot of naughty things during her time in the capital, they threw her deeds to the back of their minds. They knew she was simply trying to lighten up the atmosphere.
Zhan Yunge kowtowed to her ancestors automatically. She kept praying that her ancestors could save her from her heavenly tribulation.
"Tell me the truth. Why did you know about your heavenly tribulation from the day you were born?" Old Master Zhan did not permit her to stand. He wanted her to kneel in front of the ancestors and answer him. This meant he only wanted the truth from her.
Although Nangong Xuan did not want her to kneel, he could not say a word. They were in the Zhan family's ancestral hall and they were already making an exception by permitting him to be here. They had done it on account of his love for Zhan Yunge.
Zhan Yunge slumped her head and sighed. "Grandpa, I am speaking in front of my ancestors, so I will say only the truth. You have to believe every word I say!"
Old Master Zhan's beard twitched as he frowned. "I will believe everything you say."
Zhan Yunge raised her head and glanced at Old Master Zhan, her uncle, father, and older brother before finally looking at Nangong Xuan. She said hesitantly, "I am worried you might think I am some demon after hearing the truth."
They were stunned to hear this. A demon? Why did it sound so serious?
Nangong Xuan said without hesitation, "I would never think that."
Zhan Yunge felt moved. She said to herself, "Even if I would have to face my heavenly tribulation in this lifetime, my family would miss me dearly. Also, this extraordinary man would miss me after I am gone. It would be a worthy lifetime."
Old Master Zhan glared at her. "Have you forgotten what our family is in the business of doing? We would know best if you are a demon."
"Perfect. That's great." Zhan Yunge nodded in relief.
"This is not the first time I am facing this heavenly tribulation. I have reincarnated for countless lifetimes. In each lifetime, I would die when I turned 16 years old. I would get reincarnated with my past memories without entering the Netherworld. However, my memories are not intact. In each lifetime, I am always an orphan and know no family. I always gained consciousness when I was three years old. This is the only time I was born with a family."
Everyone was astonished to hear what she had to say. They were mentally prepared that it would be an inconceivable story, but this was not what they expected.
"In my past lifetime, I told my best friend I had reincarnated with memories from my past life. I ended up being hunted down as a demon and died on my 16th birthday. Since I was mistaken for a demon and attacked, my souls and chakras were damaged. After I was born, I slept for three years straight because they were badly injured. Naturally, it was impossible for me to activate my souls and chakras. Fortunately, Big Brother Xuan gave me the sun and moon necklaces. Now, my souls and chakras have completely recovered."
Zhan Yunge spoke succinctly with a calm look on her face, but it was impossible for any of them to stay calm.
What on earth had she experienced previously?
She raised her head to look at Nangong Xuan. "I spent every day making trouble during the five years I spent in the capital hoping you would ask the emperor to call off our marriage. After all, I was destined to die young, so there was no reason to let anyone waste their time on me. Since I never had a family in my life, I could not say no to them. Now that I was born with a family, I could not help feeling greedy."
Zhan Yunge felt teary just talking about it, but she suppressed her emotions and refused to cry. She raised her head and opened her eyes, doing her utmost to stop them from trickling down her face.
Zhan Mingting walked up to his daughter and pulled her up. He embraced her and said, "Don't be scared. There is hope for you to survive this heavenly tribulation. When you were just a month old, your grandfather already found a way out for you. In this lifetime, you will have a happy life."
Zhan Yunge was stunned. Was there a chance she could survive this heavenly tribulation? How was that possible?
Zhan Mingting continued speaking, "The solution lies in the sun, moon, and star necklaces. If Nangong Xuan did not present you with the sun necklace, we would never have agreed to the marriage. We had no intention of allowing you to marry royalty to begin with."
Nangong Xuan's lips twitched. He ought to count his lucky stars that he had presented her with the sun necklace as an engagement gift.
Zhan Yunge got up from her father's arms. She pulled the sun and moon necklaces up from her neck. The sun and moon necklaces gave their wearer vast Yin and Yang energies. The star necklace could grant its wearer with boundless spirit energy. Souls and chakras could absorb the spirit energy and transform them into soul and chakra energies, so all cultivators wanted to get their hands on the star necklace.
Even though Nangong Xuan was the crown prince of Shengyu Empire, it took him 15 years to find the moon necklace. If they wanted to obtain the star necklace, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack and seemed rather hopeless.
"Since you were able to obtain the sun and moon necklaces, this means these necklaces are fated to be yours. Perhaps they are exactly what you need to survive your heavenly tribulation. When the time is ripe, I am sure you will find the star necklace. However, I called you to the ancestral hall for another reason as well."
Old Master Zhan walked up to the altar as he spoke looking at a round, red lacquer, wooden box.