"Forty years ago, the Old Ancestor went out one day and returned covered in injuries. He had also suffered severe internal damage and had multiple toxins accumulating in his body. No matter how we asked, the Old Ancestor refused to tell us what had happened."
The Second Elder continued, "We've been agonizing over his injuries and the toxins in his body. There are too many types of poisons in the Old Ancestor's system. If we were to neutralize one, all the others would erupt at once. The Old Ancestor later told us that the poisons couldn't be cured at all, because they are all counteracting each other. If one were to be removed, the others could no longer be suppressed."
Seraphina Ashworth's clear eyes deepened as she listened quietly.
The Great Elder's gaze turned somewhat profound. "Ever since then, we spread the news that the Old Ancestor had disappeared. Rumors have been circulating in the outside world that he has passed away from illness, and we never tried to stop them."
