"What is it, Grandfather?"
"You... You are Tayami's daughter, there is no mistake. Your face, your voice, your character, they are exactly like my disciple's. You are the granddaughter of our king, you are the direct descendant."
Lin Lin jumped to her feet.
"Impossible, Grandfather."
"Who says it's impossible? You are the adopted daughter of General Kam, and at the time the war broke out, it was precisely General Kam Si Ek who became the champion and commander in Shan-si, who put up fierce resistance and defeated the Khitan people. He was also a mighty man; who knows, perhaps he saw you in the arms of your mother who was fighting fiercely, felt drawn, admired her, and then took you as his daughter. There is no mistake, you are Yalina, Tayami's daughter. Your name is also Lin Lin, and your face resembles hers. Also that sword... isn't it too much of a coincidence that among so many heirlooms, you specifically chose a Khitan heirloom? Lin Lin, there is no mistake, you are the lost daughter of Tayami, who is still being sought by the loyal followers of your late grandfather, King Kulukan."
"Sought after? For what purpose, Grandfather?"
Kim-lun Seng-jin laughed and shook his head.
"Indeed, it is strange how stubborn they are. Because of their stubbornness, sad things happened—the struggle for the throne, supporting their own choices. That is why I kept my distance. Lin Lin, you are being sought by those who dislike the current king, to raise you as queen and fight the king who now rules, who is your Uncle, Kubakan, the current Khitan King."
"What...?"
Lin Lin stared wide-eyed at Kim-lun Seng-jin, then she protested,
"I still don't believe it, Grandfather. It's impossible for me to be a Khitan princess because I don't understand a single word of the Khitan language. Ah, you are just dreaming, Grandfather. This must have proof. Ahhhhh... the only person who can give information must be him."
"Who is he?"
"My adopted father's eldest son, Kam Bu Song. Grandfather, please help me find Elder Brother Kam Bu Song. Not only is this to fulfill my adopted father's last wish, but if I can meet him, perhaps he can tell me whose child I truly am."
Lin Lin then recounted General Kam's last message. Kim-lun Seng-jin nodded repeatedly.
"Perhaps Kam Bu Song can tell the story. However, Lin Lin, do not think that even if you truly are a Khitan Princess as I suspect, I would want you to actually become queen and wage war against your own Uncle. I prefer to see you free as you are now, enjoying the happiness of life without ties that would only cause bloodshed among siblings and your own people."
"If I truly am a descendant of the Khitan King, of course I will overthrow the traitor who seized the throne of the Khitan Kingdom, Grandfather."
This sudden answer startled Kim-lun Seng-jin, causing him to sit gaping at Lin Lin. However, Lin Lin immediately laughed.
"Don't worry, Grandfather. I am not a princess, I am an ordinary person. After searching for Suling Emas without success, I will look for Elder Brother Kam Bu Song while waiting for my two elder siblings, Sin-ko and Enci Eng, to arrive."
Suddenly, the elder jumped up and snatched Lin Lin's hand.
"Come on, let's run out of the capital city. It's dangerous here."
Lin Lin was startled and tried to protest. But suddenly, extremely swift shadows flashed past, followed by a shout,
"Damn thief, return the heirloom sword!"
Hearing this, Lin Lin realized that they were being chased by highly skilled palace guards. But why did they have to run away?
"Grandfather, let's just fight them..."
She cried out while trying to free her hand. But Kim-lun Seng-jin instead pulled her, urging her to run extremely fast toward the edge of the capital city. Lin Lin could not break free. With extraordinary movement, Kim-lun Seng-jin carried Lin Lin leaping over the wall surrounding the capital city, leaving the pursuers far behind.
"Grandfather, why must we run like two mice chased by a cat? It's utterly shameful!"
Lin Lin complained when they had landed outside the capital city wall and Kim-lun Seng-jin released her hand. The elder laughed.
"It's not fear, but I don't want to drag you into trouble. You are still young, Lin Lin, and you are a descendant of the Khitan King. If they find this out, you will be constantly hunted, and you will never be able to live peacefully. Go, continue your efforts to find your elder brother. We part ways here. Practice Khong-in-ban-kin and Khong-in-liu-san well, and you will not be disappointed later. Don't worry about Suling Emas. If I happen to meet him, I will ask him if he truly killed your adopted parents. If he did, trust me, I will challenge him to a fight of ten thousand stances. Now, hurry and go, they are already coming!"
"And leave you alone to face those palace dogs, Grandfather? Not a chance!"
Lin Lin stood firm, even drawing her sword immediately.
"Hmph, stubborn, just like Tayami."
The elder grumbled, suddenly his hand moved, and before she knew it, he had struck Lin Lin's left shoulder with a pressure point strike. Since the maiden had never suspected the elder would attack her, she naturally couldn't dodge, and immediately felt her body become extremely weak. The elder laughed heartily, then his body shot forward, meeting the approaching pursuers. Lin Lin was helpless.
She wanted to run and help, but her body was weak, and she knew that in this state, if she fought, she would collapse after just one stance against an ordinary person. Therefore, she just stood still and listened to how the elder was surrounded and ganged up on by the shouting enemies. Apparently, the elder was deliberately playing with them, running around, allowing himself to be chased, and finally, Lin Lin heard nothing more. Silence surrounded her. The elder had intentionally lured his enemies into chasing him, drawing them away from Lin Lin. The maiden realized this and sighed deeply. Only now did she feel how kind Kim-lun Seng-jin was to her. When she was close to the elder, they often bickered and argued, but after parting, Lin Lin could not stop two tears from falling.
In less than fifteen minutes, the pressure point strike on her shoulder dissipated on its own. Lin Lin then wielded the stolen sword, performing the Khong-in-liu-san Martial Art. The sword emitted a whistling sound and yellow light rolled in the deep night. She felt extremely satisfied because the thin, small, and light sword felt very comfortable to wield. It was perfectly suited to the sword technique she inherited from Kim-lun Seng-jin. She only stopped practicing martial arts after dawn was at the threshold of the eastern sky. The darkness of the night had been driven away, replaced by hazy, gray weather. She looked at her sword. A very beautiful sword, made of yellowish metal, but not gold.
"Hmm, Yellow Iron Sword, a Khitan heirloom?"
Lin Lin thought while looking at her sword.
"And I am a Khitan Princess? It sounds like a fairy tale."
Seeing that the only strange thing about the sword was the long red tassels,