"My life is drawing to its close. My mission is complete. My shackles will soon shatter. You have your freedom... you have your destiny. May the ancestors watch over you."

  The Prophet Elder spoke with the serene detachment of one who had long embraced mortality, gently closing the ancient registry that had unearthed so many buried memories.

  "Ha... Ancestors' blessings, ancestors' protection—what perfect excuses!"

  Madam Yi's laughter erupted, laced with bitter anguish. Hatred ignited within her, fueling her words into sharp, venomous barbs.

  "You've bound me for years! Now, even my own flesh and blood has been torn away by those same chains! My sons could have ruled this world. They could have been princes! Because of your precious order, I've lost everything!"

  The Elder turned slowly, his gaze settling on her.

  In his memories, the first time he saw her, she was a swaddled infant abandoned at his doorstep.

  Someone had left her there; when he opened the door, her innocent smile—a baby's pure joy—had melted his guarded heart.

  He'd raised her as his foster daughter, keeping her within the regiment. At eight, she awakened her powers, shaved her head, and matured under the adjudicators' rigorous tutelage, emerging as the most promising successor to his mantle.

  Until one day, she knelt outside his door, pleading to follow her heart—to leave and be with her beloved. For three days and nights. In the end, he relented.

  He'd shouldered her karma in place of her birth father, accepted the consequences on his behalf. From that moment, he severed their bond.

  He'd delved into her origins: she was the illegitimate child of his own son, Yuxiang Yang, and a princess of the Fire Glory Kingdom. After her birth, Yuxiang had hidden her away.

  Not long after, his son perished on the battlefield, never betraying the regiment for personal desires. Elder Yuan Yang had let the matter fade.

  As new generations arose, the past dissolved into obscurity. He'd nearly forgotten his own name, secluded from the world for years.

  Without the registry, he might never have realized Timo Yang was his descendant.

  Now, facing the woman before him, hearing her accusations, he coughed softly.

  "Order... belongs to no one. Only through order does light prevail. The Child of Darkness and the Child of Light alike—they've never referred to a single soul."

  A flicker of disdain crossed his eyes. He turned away, refusing to meet her gaze any longer.

  "I am deeply disappointed in you. You ventured into the world, immersed yourself in it... yet failed to comprehend its deeper truths. You've become one of them. Ah... fate is a cruel jester."

  As he sighed, her shrill voice sliced through his words. She advanced step by step.

  "Disappointed? Ha... My dear father, when have you ever been pleased with me? I was imprisoned here for twenty years. At first, I truly glimpsed beauty..."

  She spread her arms wide, spinning in place, evoking the carefree girl she once was.

  "Who wouldn't yearn to return to their father's side? Who wants to be branded a bastard? I thought following your teachings—shaving away worldly troubles, living solely for order—would make you proud. But I was miserable!"

  Tears of rage and injustice welled up, honing her gaze into daggers.

  "All I saw here was a frigid cage! I'm human—I craved love, tenderness, indulgence. Things I've never known since the day I was born."

  Madam Yi recalled her encounter with Fan Yi: investigating a case, a sudden mishap where a magical beast devoured her companion.

  Fan Yi had risked everything to save her. For the first time, she tasted the sweetness of love. From then on, her sole desire was to escape Iron Law.

  "He may have been shortsighted, but he loved me as a woman! It was I who elevated him to regiment leader with my own hands! No one will strip that from me—no one!"

  Timo Yang met her fierce stare once more and quickly averted his eyes in terror.

  It felt predatory... yes, devouring. He peeked cautiously, a mix of fear and curiosity churning within him.

  Madam Yi drew ever closer to the Elder.

  He merely stared out the window at the frost-encased plants, watching her reflection as she spoke.

  "Father, you know why I've returned. I want back what's rightfully mine."

  With a weary wave of his hand, he sighed.

  "Between us, no ties remain. All who live for order may call me Father—you alone cannot. None of this has ever truly belonged to anyone—not in the past, not now, not in the future. Leave."

  A wave of desolation washed over her face. She turned to go, taking two steps before halting abruptly and whirling back, her eyes locking onto Timo Yang.

  "Leave? It's easy to say. I escaped those bindings once, but the pain never faded. Since I'm back... I have no intention of departing again." Her expression softened into one of maternal warmth. "Child... you're Lingfeng Yang's son, aren't you?"

  Timo nodded, his fear intensifying at her sudden tenderness.

  "Regiment Leader Yang—what a noble man. He chose to die on the battlefield with his loyal followers rather than compromise. He could have embraced glory, worn a crown... such a pity."

  The Elder sensed she wouldn't depart. Power had ensnared her; beneath her feigned piety lay a heart brimming with ambition.

  "I've given you your answer—proof of Fan Yi's innocence. What more do you seek?"

  She burst into laughter again, the sound grating and shrill.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "What do I seek? A father's love? My son brought back to life? Can you grant those? This ancient order... it's nothing but an ancient farce. Just like how you tamed me—a joke!"

  With that, she yanked off her wig, revealing a bald scalp identical to those of the Iron Law women.

  Timo recoiled in shock, frozen for a moment.

  "Scared you, child? I'm hideous, aren't I? But all of this is his doing—he stole everything from me..."

  Glancing at her reflection in the glass, she hurriedly fumbled to replace the wig, terrified of being seen.

  Tears streamed down her face, as if desperate to rekindle the paternal love long extinguished in his heart.

  Yet the Elder remained unmoved.

  Madam Yi hadn't come unprepared; she held irrefutable proof.

  She glanced at Timo. "The Spirit Taming Clan's bloodline endures. The Child of Darkness as well..."

  Then at the Elder.

  "You know why the Spirit Taming Clan was exterminated! By sheltering them, you're harboring darkness itself. You've shattered the ancient oath long ago—the evidence lies within the Eye of Prophecy!"

  He only sighed profoundly, his disappointment boundless.

  "Who embodies light, who darkness—mortals don't decide. Your seed of cause is sown; I'll reap my effect. What do you truly want?"

  At his even colder tone, she turned, suddenly bashful like a young girl.

  "My dear father... may your daughter have one embrace?"

  He hesitated, noting her fragile state, then opened his arms.

  Like the girl of yesteryear, she ran to him barefoot—though this embrace lacked the warmth she had envisioned.

  On her wedding day, no family, no father's blessing. But now... this hug might just mend the scars of old.

  As Madam Yi pressed her head against the Prophet Elder's chest, tears welled in her eyes, her face a mask of profound gratitude—only for it to twist into an eerie smile in an instant.

  Then, Timo Yang saw a wisp of violet mist escape gently from the woman's lips.

  Still moved by the scene, Timo rubbed his eyes, certain of what he'd witnessed: the mist being inhaled by the Elder.

  The Elder seemed oblivious to the anomaly. He gave the junior a hug, patting her back as he had in her childhood, before releasing her.

  The woman tucked away her sinister grin, sniffing as she continued to feign devotion.

  "Elder, your daughter takes her leave! Rest assured, I'll take care of everything!"

  The Prophet Elder watched her depart, his expression complex.

  Timo hesitated, wondering if he should reveal the strange occurrence.

  At that moment, the Elder turned to Timo and shook his head faintly.

  "Darkness has already descended. Never abandon hope."

  With Madam Yi gone and the stone door sealed, pure white spirit essence flared from the Elder, as if he were burning himself alive.

  Timo stared, entranced.

  Suddenly, his consciousness felt yanked away, sucked into a fierce vortex that tore him from reality.

  The world spun wildly. When it stabilized, Timo found himself standing in a vast wilderness.

  A sharp whistle pierced the air.

  Looking up, he saw flaming arrows hurtling toward him, as if guided by eyes, one after another in a dense barrage, swift as lightning.

  Wind scars etched the sky. Timo dodged instinctively, but the arrows passed harmlessly through his body, continuing onward.

  Following their trajectory, he spotted two men in deep-blue battle robes sprinting desperately ahead, shielding a female warrior as they fled for their lives.

  The woman paused every few steps to catch her breath, her movements clumsy. Only then did he notice her swollen belly—she was pregnant, with visible fetal movements.

  As the arrows closed in, one man halted, positioning himself between the onslaught and the others.

  "Clan Leader, run! I'll buy you time!"

  The other man scooped up the woman, wind essence bursting beneath his feet for explosive speed.

  They hadn't gone far when a roar echoed from behind.

  The blocking man summoned earth essence, condensing the ground into a towering stone wall that rose high, halting the barrage of flaming arrows.

  With the wall's shattering, shadows flashed overhead. In a blur of lightning, the man was captured.

  A warhorse neighed. An armored general dismounted, seizing his long blade as flames ignited upon it with a shout.

  One swing—and the man's head rolled away.

  "Pursue!"

  At the general's command, the vanguard blurred into phantoms, chasing the fleeing pair.

  The warhorse neighed again as the general remounted, leading his multicolored-robed soldiers in thunderous pursuit.

  The escaping couple, hearing the scream, halted at the entrance to the Black Forest. The man set down the clan leader, kissed her forehead, and turned back.

  "The bloodline of the Wind Taming Clan—I entrust it to you!"

  At his words, the woman bit her lip until it bled, turned away, and stumbled into the Black Forest.

  Behind him, the stone bridge collapsed.

  River waters churned below, and the grass at his feet ignited instantly.

  Three-colored spirit essence surged around the man. Wind essence coiled, lifting him into the air.

  His left hand controlled fire, his right water.

  As the massive fire serpent and water dragon clashed, thick mist billowed forth.

  In an instant, the fog seeped into the Black Forest, obscuring the woman's figure completely.

  The pursuing shadows halted in mid-air, wary of approaching the man—and even more terrified of entering the Watch's cursed Black Forest.

  "Flesh as pact, essence sacrificed to the heavens!"

  With the man's roar, his spirit essence erupted fully. In the intense spirit combustion, his body turned to ash, his essence root scattering entirely.

  The explosion rippled outward. Ground flames transformed into a sea of fire, waves surging like galloping steeds toward the enemy.

  Where the inferno passed, vegetation turned to ash instantly. Low-cultivation essence wielders charred to blackened bones.

  "Water barrier!"

  As the heat waves barreled toward the entire army, the general bellowed. The essence wielders rallied, fusing their power into a shimmering defensive dome.

  Only after another dozen fell did the general's coalition barely hold out.

  Then, piercing screeches echoed—"Scree..."

  A massive griffin-like beast dove from the skies, wind blades tearing at the army's energy shield.

  Yet now, the towering trees were all consumed by flames, leaving a blackened, barren expanse stretching to distant seas and mountains before the blaze subsided.

  Beasts, drawn by the scent of scorched flesh, roared one after another, converging on the scene. The general's squad became their feast.

  "Death to any who stand in my way!"

  With a furious shout, the general—wreathed in triple-essence power—appeared behind the beast unnoticed.

  A colossal fire blade descended from above, too swift to evade.

  The beast was cleaved in two. The general absorbed its spirit energy greedily.

  As he savored it, a woman's agonized scream echoed from deep in the Black Forest... followed by silence.

  "Find her—alive or dead! Into the forest!"

  With the danger cleared, the general leaped ahead, leading the charge into the Black Forest.

  Screams rang out continuously from within. His army dwindled rapidly.

  When the general, with a handful of surviving essence wielders, finally located the clan leader, she had been gutted—bloodied and mangled, with beasts still tearing at her corpse.

  Timo stared at the gruesome scene, still trying to comprehend, when the vortex sucked him in once more.

  This time, he emerged to see a Watch Regiment female general, cradling a blood-soaked infant, dismounting a thunder eagle and rushing into the medical division.

  As time blurred forward, the infant grew into an adult, becoming a distinguished warrior in the Watch army.

  This infant was Yuan Yang, the last bloodline of the Wind Taming Clan—rescued from the beasts' jaws.

  Before her death, the female general revealed his origins to the grown Yuan Yang.

  Upon learning the truth, Yuan Yang chose to dedicate his life to guarding the regiment. He married, had children, and nurtured descendants.

  After his son Yuxiang Yang became a general, Yuan Yang shaved his head bald. That year, he witnessed the birth of his grandson Lingfeng Yang.

  Five years later, as adjudicator, Yuan Yang opened the stone door and beheld a baby girl—only then did Timo snap back to reality.

  "By my count, I should have lived two hundred and thirty-four years. Your father Lingfeng's name was chosen by me. The Wind Taming Clan was slaughtered to extinction—I never imagined the ancient prophecy would fulfill itself upon my bloodline."

  When Timo returned to reality, the Prophet Elder stood beside the Eye of Prophecy, his pupils milky white, his body cracking apart.

  "You... were that woman's child?"

  Timo's reaction was a mix of shock and joy.

  "That woman... she was my mother, the last clan leader of the Wind Taming Clan. These are the answers the Eye of Prophecy revealed to me."

  "My grandfather is Yuxiang Yang—you're his father. That makes you my great-grandfather!"

  Timo exclaimed, brimming with excitement.

  "The Prophet Elder is father to all. Those people you mentioned—and that woman—mean nothing to me. Nor do you. This is my final answer before I depart."

  As the Prophet Elder's voice faded, his body shattered completely. The five fish in the pool vanished instantly, and the glowing Eye of Prophecy dulled to black.

  https://www.patreon.com/collection/1934633?view=expanded。

  https://www.paypal.me/RocYangWriter(Note: PayPal is for tips only; early access is managed via Patreon.)