Ling Qiaolian's intention of disclosing all of this was to shatter Ru's emotional resistance. She wanted to break this girl whose eyes reminded her of Ximen Xi while her personality bore more and more resemblance to Xia Xue. Her biggest regret in life had been that she was never able to break Xia Xue. But in her mind, Ru was an easier target now. So what if she couldn't break the mother, this daughter of hers would do.

After all, at the end of the day, Ru turned out to be exactly like her mother; falling for love and willing to do anything for that love. She was gonna use that love to crumble Ru.

"You're like a curse," she told Ru who listened in silence. "I poisoned you even before you were born but you still survived. I poisoned you again on that night when Ximen clan perished. But you yet again survived." She laughed in mockery. "Even when I poisoned to kill you ten years ago, you somehow resisted that as well." Her sword poked at the place Ru was stabbed earlier by Xiao Zhiren making her squirm while the blood gushed out without any break. "How are you gonna survive now? This is the world's deadliest poison."

Seeing her laughter, Rong was infuriated. It was like looking at that scene from all those years ago...

*Flashback*

A small boy was holding his little sister against his chest as he sobbed looking at the blood that surrounded him. The cries that rose in the dark of night. The flames that were slowly engulfing everything around him.

A pair of gentle arms suddenly wrapped around him as he picked up.

"Ma!" he cried as he felt that familiar embrace.

The woman before him had the bluest eyes like his own. Even her features resembled his own. But the face that had always been gentle and kind was now seemingly cold. The woman ran towards a secret room and opened the door of the secret passage. She put her son down and caressed his face softly while her other hand poked at the small nose of her daughter whom he held tightly as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Rong, listen to mom carefully. Promise me you'll do as mom says."

The small kid took a moment to observe injuries on his mother's body but still nodded, "I'll do as you say."

"Follow this path and run. Don't look back," the woman instructed firmly and sternly.

The kid shook his head, "No, I won't leave mom behind."

The woman held his shoulder and shook him, "Ximen Rong!" Her voice held a sharp touch while her eyes glazed with fire. "Don't forget who you are! Don't act like a kid. Right now, you have to save yourself. And you have to protect your sister."

He hesitated as he looked at the peacefully sleeping figure of his sister in his arms and tears slid down his eyes. He was torn.

His mother stroked his head as she spoke softly, "When you reach your grandfather, he'll be able to cure her poison. She'll be fine. But for that, you'll have to go find him at Shadowwick." She took a pause as she took off her jade pendant and tied it around her daughter's neck saying, "When you see your uncle tell him, I, Xia Xue doesn't want my Ruxue to grow up in the shadow of this night. You call her your brother, don't forget to raise her like a brother as well. Mom has faith in you."

She kissed both of her kids and held herself back from crying. She was the young miss of Xia clan, tears were always frowned upon in that clan. Besides, she couldn't break down before her own kids now.

She was about to get up when Rong held her sleeve and tugged at it. "You won't come with us?" No matter how rational he could be at this age, he still wanted his mother.

She touched his head as she said, "Mom can't leave your dad alone. But mom will follow you later with dad. Run now and don't turn back."

While she was closing the door of the secret passage, the little kid knew that was the last time he was seeing his mother. However, he was proud to say that the last image of his mother in his mind was of a lady, who wanted to save her kids but wasn't willing to run herself just to save herself. She couldn't leave her husband behind.

*End of Flashback*

Even to this day, Rong had that memory engraved in his mind. Even when he reached Xia Clan back then and everyone rushed to save his mother, what they found was just dead bodies everywhere. In one night, one of the biggest clan perished.

He had insisted on following his uncle and grandfather, he still remembered he found his mother lying in his father's arms. She didn't look like she was dead. Instead, it seemed like she was just sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. And when he heard from his uncle that Xia Xue killed herself after fighting all night just because she couldn't live without Ximen Xi, it really made him question love.

That was one of the reason, he strongly despised the idea of seeing his Ru falling in love. He didn't want to lose his sister as he did with his mother.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Ru staring at him intently and frowned at what he saw in her eyes.

When Ling Qiaolian noticed her gaze, she snickered, "Do you really think he can save you again? He might have been able to save you when your clan was murdered or when you escaped from my claws ten years ago but he can't save you this time."

Ru didn't look perturbed to hear her words, she calmly shifted her eyes towards Xiao Zhiren who had woken for who knows how long and was now staring at her with a complicated expression. He couldn't move at all. Ru's single attack had given him a serious internal injury, he couldn't even feel his limbs.

"HAHAHA! You still have faith in your love? How naive of you!" Ling Qiaolian's voice turned dark and eerie as she continued, "No one can save you from me."

The shiny sword blade that was inches away from Ru's neck was suddenly gripped into a hand. Ling Qiaolian was startled.