Chapter 13 — The Most Despised Son Who Shocked the World

While Vo Ky devoted all his energy to practicing Toa Bone Nhat Quyen, Duong Tuyet Y secretly deployed Duong Gia's private information network to investigate Nhat Pham's accident. She wrote a letter to her family's trusted butler, asking to send someone secretly to Tuong Phu Thanh in the name of a medicinal merchant.

After nearly a month of careful investigation, Duong Gia's people have collected important clues. They found a wandering medicine dealer specializing in supplying rare elixirs to large families, who sold a stimulant drug used to control demon beast behavior to an unknown person two months ago — just in time before the fateful group hunt. Although the drug buyer kept his face covered, the drug dealer still clearly remembered the token used to pay: a jade pendant engraved with the Tuong family crest, the type that only close subordinates of the royal family were given.

In addition, Duong Gia's people also found a maid who used to serve in Khinh Vu's private mansion, was fired for an unclear reason, and is currently living in hiding in a small town half a day's journey from Tuong Phu Thanh. This maid, after being persuaded and assured of her safety, revealed that she had overheard a conversation between Khinh Vu and Mr. Loi about "dealing with the illegitimate son's younger brother to spite him", although she could not hear all the details of the plan.

The maid also added that she was fired from her job just a few days after the fateful hunting trip, for the reason of "breaking a precious porcelain item", a reason that she herself felt forced to do, as if Khinh Vu wanted to eliminate the people who were near her at that sensitive time to avoid information leaks. Duong Gia's people recorded this entire testimony, accompanied by the maid's signature, and carefully stored it in a wooden box sealed with an anti-forgery charm.

"This is indirect evidence, not enough to directly accuse the council of elders." Tuyet Y explained to Vo Ky during a secret evening meeting at Bach Ngoc Lan garden, showing him the detailed notes her people had collected. "But it's enough to prove there was intentional staging, not a random accident like everyone believes."

Vo Ky read each line of notes carefully, his hands clenched white when he saw the words describing Khinh Vu's words as narrated by the maid. Even though he had guessed the truth a long time ago, seeing it confirmed by concrete evidence still made the anger in his heart boil violently.

"Thank you." He spoke, his voice choked, his eyes following each line in the notebook again. "If it weren't for her, I probably would never have any evidence to confront him in front of the whole family."

"I promised to face this with you." Tuyet Y replied, her eyes determined. "But I think we need more direct evidence before we act publicly. If we only rely on the testimony of a fired maid and vague traces of buying and selling stimulant drugs, Khinh Vu can completely deny it, and even turn around and accuse us of slander, especially when he has the support of the homeowner."

"She's right." Vo Ky nodded, trying to calm down. "We need to wait for the right time, when there is enough evidence and in the presence of the entire family, so that he cannot deny or overturn the situation."

"I also have people continue to monitor Mr. Loi." Tuyet Y added, her voice full of careful calculation. "He is the most important clue, all of Khinh Vu's dirty work is done through his hands. If we can find more evidence directly related to him, perhaps it will be enough to force Khinh Vu to bow his head and admit guilt."

"You did more than I could have expected." Wuji said, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude.

During the discussion, Tuyet Y suddenly asked a question that startled Vo Ky. "Vo Ky, I want to honestly ask you something. What is your true strength, which I have felt many times? I don't need to know the details if you don't want to talk, but I need to know whether you have enough strength to confront Khinh Vu head-on, so that I can mentally prepare and plan accordingly."

Vo Ky looked at her for a long time, considering carefully. He remembered the advice of his three seniors about keeping it absolutely secret, but he also understood that, if he wanted to build a truly effective confrontation plan with Tuyet Y, he could not continue to completely hide it.

"I carry within me a special constitution called Ma Cot." He spoke, his voice quiet but clear, deciding to trust her more fully. "That is the reason why the spiritual root measuring stone cannot accurately measure me, and also the reason I can endure attacks that ordinary people cannot survive. I have been secretly practicing it for the past ten years under the guidance of three seniors in seclusion at Tuyet Cot Nhai. If everything goes according to plan, I will be strong enough to face Khinh Vu head-on at the final round of the Training Trial Conference."

Tuyet Y listened, her eyes did not show any fear or alienation like Vo Ky had feared, on the contrary, she nodded as if all the pieces had finally fit together completely in her mind.

"So that's the reason." She whispered, her eyes looking at him with a deeper admiration than ever. "The two hundred pound rock, the cold air that won't hurt you, the ability to survive the Black Mist Demon Wolves. I once thought you were simply incredibly lucky, but it turns out that behind it all is a process of hard training that I didn't dare to imagine."

"Ten years, every night without missing a day." Vo Ky said, his voice was soft. "There were nights when I collapsed countless times, and there were nights when I thought I wouldn't be able to get up again. But thinking about my mother and younger brother's eyes, I found the strength to continue."

"I guessed somewhat a long time ago." She said, her voice gentle. "But I never thought that it was a Demon Bone — a physique that I had only heard of in my family's ancient records, described as a lost legend. You have truly carried within you such an extraordinary thing all these years without anyone knowing."

"I ask you to keep this a secret." Vo Ky said, his eyes pleading, his voice low and full of confidence.

"You don't have to ask, I will keep it completely confidential, no matter what happens." Tuyet Y placed her hand on his hand, her eyes sincere. "And I am even more confident that you have the strength to overthrow Khinh Vu's arrogance. But I want you to promise me one thing: when the time for confrontation comes, let me participate, not just watch from afar. I will bring the evidence before the entire family, while you confront him head-on."

"I promise." Vo Ky replied, holding her hand tightly, a feeling of warmth and peace of mind spread throughout his chest, dispelling some of the loneliness that had followed him for the past seventeen years.

At that moment, under the moonlight shining through the leaves of Bach Ngoc Lan, the two did not say another word, simply sitting together, feeling the connection that had grown over the past months had now become a solid consensus, ready to face any challenges ahead together.

On the way back, Tuyet Y stopped for a moment, looked back at the faraway direction of Tuyet Cot Nhai hidden in the night mist, her heart filled with deep admiration for the boy who had silently endured and trained himself for ten long years, without a word of complaint, without once revealing a flaw, just waiting for the right moment to prove his true value.

She thought of her father, of the pressure of a political engagement that was weighing heavily on her shoulders, of the expectations that the entire Duong Family placed on a swordsmanship genius like her. Perhaps, she thought to herself, between two people who seemed to be completely opposite in origin - one was praised by the whole family, one was abandoned by the whole family - there was something deeper in common than anyone could realize: both were fighting to regain the right to decide their own lives.

Little did she know, that moment would come sooner than either of them expected, and it would come in such a devastating way that no one, no matter how carefully prepared, could anticipate or be fully mentally prepared.