(T/N: This novel has 4 volumes and has an independent story with its own male lead and female lead, but somehow the volumes are interconnected with each other. For example, volume 4 that I translated is related to the other volume as the female lead is searching for her sister,who is the female lead for the other volume, but the main focus of the story is about the female lead herself. Volume 4 has only 3++ chapters.)

Chapter 8

From Sui Feng’s mouth, it was learned that Xuan Niang’s daughter, Sui Xin, died at just thirteen years old. She was the only daughter in their family, and Xua Niang’s husband, Sui Feng’s second uncle, had died ten years ago. In the end, Xuan Niang was quite pitiful, so Xuanyuan Tianxin’s gaze towards Xuan Niang softened even more.

Sui Feng’s father was the older brother of Xuan Niang’s husband. Since Xuan Niang was now mentally unstable, Sui Feng’s family took her in to care for her.

Seeing that Sui Feng, this young man, was very easygoing, and only a year older than herself, Xuanyuan Tianxin played up her soft and harmless appearance even more. Along the way, she went from calling him Sui Feng to calling him brother Sui Feng.

However, what puzzled Xuanyuan Tianxin was that it seemed this youth named Sui Feng wasn’t actually surnamed Sui at all, and “Suifeng” was just a given name, not a surname.

Xuanyuan Tianxin was always the type to not hold back her questions, so she asked, ” brother Sui Feng, your surname isn’t Sui, right?”

She asked this for a reason. From what Sui Feng had mentioned, aside from Sui Xin, who tragically passed away two years ago, the only younger generation in their family were Sui Feng and his brother Sui Yun. However, Sui Feng had just mentioned that his second uncle’s name was Yu Hao and his father’s name was Yu Fan, hence her question.

Normally, the first character in a child’s name is different from that of the parent’s generation. However, when introducing themselves, people usually start with their surname, so this was also what Xuanyuan Tianxin found strange.

However, to Xuanyuan Tianxin’s surprise, Sui Feng, who was originally smiling, suddenly changed his expression. He fell silent for a moment before speaking with a dim look on his face, “Perhaps it’s because you’ve just arrived in Daze City that you don’t know. Our clan was deprived of our surname over a hundred years ago. All members of the family can only use their given names and are not allowed to use surnames.”

Deprived of their surname?

Xuanyuan Tianxin paused at his words, her gaze bewildered as she looked at Sui Feng. “Who deprived you of your surname? Why would they do such a thing?”

Sui Feng gave a bitter smile, his expression growing even dimmer. “Because we were deemed unworthy of bearing that surname. So the Lord of the Wuxiang Palace, along with all the higher-ups, jointly petitioned the Emperor to strip our clan of our surname.”

At this point, despite the youth’s usual gentle demeanor, a remarkable hatred flashed in his eyes. Through gritted teeth, he continued, “We were deemed unworthy because we couldn’t inherit the inherent talents in our bloodline. But my sister, Sui Xin… she was the most talented child of our generation. Yet, because someone didn’t want our family to rise again, they quietly struck at the heart, poisoning my sister who had just turned thirteen… If it weren’t for them… How could she have died in the Daze Mountains!”

Seeing the deep-seated hatred in Sui Feng’s eyes, Xuanyuan Tianxin was shocked, but she couldn’t understand why, even if someone wanted to suppress Sui Feng’s family, they would strip them of their surname?

To not even tolerate a surname was incredibly strange.

And this Wuxiang Palace, it sounded quite powerful. To think they could jointly petition the Emperor with all the higher-ups to pressure him into decreeing the stripping of a family’s surname—this was unheard of.

It seemed that Xuanyuan Tianxin’s eyes reflected a hint of doubt. Sui Feng himself didn’t know why he was pouring out his heart to this girl he had just met, but now that the words had been spoken, he didn’t continue to hide anything.

“Because the surname of our clan represents the divine in the entire Longhao Kingdom, or rather, in the whole Haotian Continent. If it weren’t for the fact that each generation of our descendants is inferior to the last, we would be the descendants of the gods.”

The hatred in Sui Feng’s eyes gradually diminished, replaced by a touch of pride as he spoke of his family’s surname.

“In the entire Haotian Continent, apart from the only Celestial Goddess, only we bear the surname Xuanyuan.”

Xuanyuan?!

Xuanyuan Tianxin’s expression shook, her gaze somewhat stunned as she looked at Sui Feng.

He said… his surname was Xuanyuan?!

Seeing Xuanyuan Tianxin’s somewhat stunned expression, Sui Feng thought she was shocked by his family’s surname. He chuckled heartily, “You don’t need to be surprised. The entire Daze City, or even the entire Longhao Kingdom, knows our surname…” He paused, his gaze dimming once more, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse as he continued, “But no one dares to mention it anymore, because this surname has been stripped from us. We can no longer tell the world that we bear the name Xuanyuan.”

“Why?” Xuanyuan Tianxin felt her heartbeat quicken slightly.

Sui Feng gave a bitter smile. “Because we are unworthy. Even if we are truly the descendants of the Celestial Goddess Xuanyuan, because the talent in our bloodline has gradually declined, the people of the Wuxiang Palace say we have insulted this divine surname, so they forbid us from calling ourselves Xuanyuan.”

“The Celestial Goddess Xuanyuan…” Xuanyuan Tianxin’s heart skipped a beat. As she looked at Sui Feng, her gaze became much deeper. She didn’t even realize that the peculiar gaze of the Golden-winged Great Peng, who had been quietly nestled in her arms, went unnoticed.

“Sui Feng brother, what is the Celestial Goddess Xuanyuan? And what is your family’s talent and bloodline?”

Hearing Xuanyuan Tianxin’s question, Sui Feng looked at her in astonishment. “You don’t know the Celestial Goddess Xuanyuan?”

How could this be possible? Even though the Xuanyuan Divine Clan had been deliberately suppressed by the Wuxiang Palace, and even the Temple of the Celestial Goddess in the Imperial Capital had been sealed, everyone in the Longhao Kingdom, even toddlers, knew about the exploits of the Celestial Goddess Xuanyuan.

But judging by Xuanyuan Tianxin’s expression, it was clear she wasn’t feigning ignorance. Sui Feng furrowed his brows in confusion but still answered truthfully, “Every thousand years, a Celestial Goddess descends from the heavens to the Haotian Continent. Throughout the history of the Haotian Continent, there have been three Celestial Goddesses descended. However, the first and third descended to the Tianhao East Continent. The Celestial Goddess who descended to our Longhao West Continent is the second.”

“All three Celestial Goddesses bear the surname Xuanyuan. Before the first Celestial Goddess descended to the Haotian Continent, there was no surname Xuanyuan in the entire East and West Continents. Our family is the direct descendants of the second Celestial Goddess.”