They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: The Promise

Yun Qingwu let out his tail and tickled Leng Licí’s palm, asking softly, “A-Cí, are you really not coming back to the Heavenly Realm with me?”

Leng Licí replied gruffly, “No.”

After a moment of silence, he added stiffly, emphasizing, “After you return to the Heavenly Realm, no matter what the truth is, you are not to act rashly. Come back and find me first.”

Yun Qingwu looked at the swaying round-headed doll on the roof beam and chuckled. “That’s rare. The Demon Lord actually knows that one should not act rashly.”

Leng Licí turned over, staring at Yun Qingwu with a stern look. “I’m not like you. I won’t let my emotions get in the way.”

Yun Qingwu understood what Leng Licí meant. His white tail gently wrapped around Leng Licí’s wrist. “I promise you.”

Leng Licí’s expression finally softened slightly. His gaze shifted to Little Dāo, who was already asleep in the middle, still showing some reluctance. Yun Qingwu propped himself up and gently picked up Little Dāo, placing her closer to the wall. He then moved closer to Leng Licí, resting his left arm on him, and smiled. “How about this?”

Leng Licí looked away. “Not how about this.”

Yun Qingwu tutted, then rested his head on Leng Licí’s shoulder. “How about this, then?”

The corner of Leng Licí’s mouth twitched into a smile, which he forcibly suppressed. Finally, he rolled over and completely enveloped Yun Qingwu in his arms, saying stubbornly, “Acceptable.”

Yun Qingwu laughed and kissed Leng Licí’s neck. “The Demon Lord is certainly hard to please.”

Leng Licí snorted. “The feeling is mutual.”

…

The next morning.

The two groups set off on separate paths, one heading toward the Heavenly Realm and the other toward Mount You Su.

Before leaving, the four Yún Chuāns stood together in front of Leng Licí, all looking like they had something they wanted to say but didn’t know how. Finally, the Crazy Old Man spoke. “Little Cí, thank you.”

Leng Licí looked elsewhere. “I didn’t do it for you. There’s no need to thank me.”

The Crazy Old Man took out the gold hairpin left by You Su Xiǎozhú and handed it to Leng Licí. “Could you please keep this for me?”

Leng Licí lowered his eyes to the hairpin, remaining motionless for a long time. Just as the Crazy Old Man was about to take his hand back in disappointment, Leng Licí snatched the hairpin. “Troublesome.”

The Crazy Old Man smiled with relief.

The hearts of the other three Yún Chuāns also settled.

The four men walked a distance, leaving space for Yun Qingwu.

Yun Qingwu wrapped his arms around Leng Licí, whispering into his ear, “Wait for me.”

Leng Licí raised his arms to return the embrace, saying coldly, “I give you seven days. You must return.”

Yun Qingwu nodded. “I will.”

After a moment’s embrace, Yun Qingwu released him, pinching Little Dāo, who was standing nearby, holding out her little hands impatiently. “Daddy will be back soon. Little Dāo must be well-behaved.”

Little Dāo grasped Leng Licí’s hands, nodding. “Little Dāo will wait for Daddy.”

Yun Qingwu smiled and hummed in agreement. He took one last look at Leng Licí and set off for the Heavenly Realm.

Leng Licí picked up Little Dāo. “The person’s gone. What are you still looking at? Let’s go.”

Despite the words, he himself didn’t move, looking once more in the direction Yun Qingwu had left.

…

The Heavenly Realm

Yún Yǎ had received Yun Qingwu’s message early and had been waiting at the South Heavenly Gate. Only when she saw Yun Qingwu’s figure did her anxiously beating heart finally settle.

Yún Yǎ: “Qingwu, was it successful?”

Yun Qingwu nodded, not elaborating. Yún Yǎ felt more at ease and led Yun Qingwu back to the Azure Wood Abode.

In the bedroom of the Azure Wood Abode, Yún Chuān still lay quietly on the bed as when they had left, though his complexion was worse. Yun Qingwu didn’t hesitate. He swept his sleeve behind him, and the four fragments appeared where he had been standing.

Liu Yu and the others stared at the person on the bed for a long time. Without another word, they sat down cross-legged around the bed.

Yún Yǎ and the Earth Mother exchanged glances and nodded. They sat down at the outer perimeter, forming hand seals to begin the Fusion Art. Amidst a brilliant white light, the four men transformed into wisps of light, flying into Yún Chuān’s body, and finally disappearing.

The person lying on the bed with his eyes closed fluttered his lashes and slowly opened his eyes.

“Brother!”

Yún Yǎ immediately got up and rushed to the bedside.

The Earth Mother also rose and walked toward the bed.

“Chuān’er.”

Yun Qingwu took a few steps forward, then stopped, the accustomed address caught in his mouth.

Yún Chuān patted his sister’s and mother’s hands reassuringly. “I’m fine.”

He then looked at Yun Qingwu. He propped himself up, leaning against the headboard, and teased, “What? Took a trip to the mortal realm and you don’t recognize Father God anymore?”

“Father God…”

Yun Qingwu’s tightly strung heart suddenly softened. He finally walked to the bedside and spoke the address.

Yún Chuān responded, gripping Yun Qingwu’s hand. “Little Cí is my child, and so are you. That will not change. In the mortal realm… my memory was incomplete. Father God… didn’t mean it.”

Yun Qingwu’s eyes felt a little sore. He shook his head. “I know.”

Yún Chuān sighed softly, remembering the details of those years, his voice hoarse. “Over the years, I haven’t been a good father either.”

Yún Yǎ: “Brother, this is not your fault either. I know that person with the dignified manners and rigid actions wasn’t the real you.”

Yún Chuān rolled his eyes at his sister. “Are you complimenting me or criticizing me?”

Yún Yǎ turned her head, wiping her eyes, and smiled. “I am complimenting you, of course. I have missed you so much all these years.”

The Earth Mother placed her hand over the hands of the father and son. She looked at Yún Chuān seriously. “Chuān’er, how much do you know about Qingwu’s background?”

Yun Qingwu watched Yún Chuān, his breathing unconsciously shallowing slightly.

The answer to this entire journey was finally about to be revealed.

Yún Chuān looked at Yun Qingwu with a complicated expression, his eyes filled with distress and apology. After a long silence, he lowered his gaze and recalled, “The reason Bái Zé was able to nurture a divine fate was that it was born from the hopes and worship of generations of people in the Nánzé Kingdom. And throughout this world’s history, there has only ever been this one Bái Zé.”

“Only one throughout history?” Yun Qingwu repeated blankly, a trace of confusion in his eyes. “What does that mean?”

Yún Chuān looked back up at Yun Qingwu and continued. “Bái Zé will perish and be reborn once every ten thousand years. Each time it reawakens, it inherits all the memories of the previous Bái Zé. So, there has only ever been this one Bái Zé deity.”

“Then why did I…”

Yun Qingwu’s mind flashed with the images of the Nánzé people he had seen during the days he was unconscious.

This seemed to corroborate the truth of what his Father God was saying.

“Father God forcefully intervened in Bái Zé’s new cycle of rebirth. That is why you were unable to fully inherit the memories of the previous Bái Zé,” Yún Chuān revealed the answer.

The Nánzé Kingdom…

Yun Qingwu was somewhat unwilling to face the answer that was already clear.

But some things had to be faced.

“You are closely linked to the Nánzé people. Only by completely severing the bond between you could the risk of the ‘child substitution’ truly be eliminated for Father God.”

So, he was truly their child…

But precisely because of this, the Heavenly Emperor had orchestrated the tragedy of the Nánzé Kingdom, making him lose the trust of his birth parents, causing him to be shot and killed by them, thus completely severing the bond between them through betrayal.

But what wrong had they committed to deserve such a fate?

“How innocent were the Nánzé people?”

Yun Qingwu’s chest violently rose and fell as he asked the question in a hoarse voice.

Over the past few centuries, he had considered many possibilities, but he had never imagined that the culprit behind the catastrophe of the Nánzé Kingdom would be the relative he respected and trusted.

And the reason, shockingly, was merely to cover up a so-called family scandal.

Ridiculous.

Too ridiculous.

“When I was traveling in the mortal realm, I accidentally learned that there was a special treasure land like the Nánzé Kingdom. So, I shared this information with Father God, but I never imagined Father God would…”

Yún Chuān’s throat tightened. “So, when Father God brought you back, I recognized your true identity immediately. I tried my best to stop all of it, but…”

Yún Chuān gave a bitter smile. “It seems I failed to do anything.”

Yun Qingwu pulled his hand away. These words pierced his heart like ice shards, one after another. He felt as if he had been thrust into the deepest winter. In the extreme chill, even the pain of tearing flesh was numb.

This was also the first time Yún Yǎ had learned the truth. Her face alternated between green and white, and a chill ran down her spine. She murmured, “But Father God said the existence of the Nánzé people violated the laws of heaven, and that was their fate… How could this be…”

“Fate?”

Yun Qingwu gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.

“Qingwu, where are you going?” Yún Chuān called out.

Yun Qingwu didn’t turn around, saying coldly, “I want to ask the Heavenly Emperor who gets to decide this ‘fate’.”

“No!” Yún Chuān’s face was anxious. He threw back his blanket, intending to get out of bed.

Yún Yǎ also moved faster, blocking Yun Qingwu’s path. “Qingwu! Calm down!”

“Calm down? Am I not calm enough?” Yun Qingwu turned around, looking at Yún Yǎ with an indifferent expression. His voice was calm, yet there was a slight tremor in the calmness. “I just want to ask. I’m not going to run a spear through that person’s heart.”

“Qingwu, questioning him is meaningless. You will only end up like me. Father God never changes his mind about what he believes is right, regardless of what others say. You know this truth in your heart, don’t you?”

Yún Chuān walked forward, gripping Yun Qingwu’s shoulders. Feeling the tremor in Yun Qingwu’s body, his heart ached, and he pulled his son, who was now even taller than him, into an embrace.

“Little Cí is still waiting for you.”

Yun Qingwu bit his lower lip hard and closed his eyes.

“Qingwu, I will help you get justice for this matter,” the Earth Mother, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Yun Qingwu opened his eyes and looked at the Earth Mother.

Earth Mother: “Seven days from now is the day when the Hundred Gods report for duty. If we use your background as the catalyst on that day, we might be able to use the resulting public opinion to have the Celestial Empress take over the investigation. We can then follow the clues to reveal the matter of the Nánzé Kingdom.”

“However, this method will inevitably plunge you into a whirlpool of public opinion. You need to consider carefully.”

Yun Qingwu broke free from Yún Chuān’s embrace and did not hesitate. “I cannot use my background as a catalyst. I can be the target of discussion and ridicule, but I cannot let A-Cí experience harm again.”

The Earth Mother mused, “But without this incident, it might be difficult to achieve the desired effect, unless you can find evidence that the demise of the Nánzé Kingdom was orchestrated by the Heavenly Emperor. But even so, it might not achieve the same effect.”

Yun Qingwu’s eyes darkened slightly. “Why? Are thousands of lives not enough to demand justice?”

The Earth Mother sighed softly. “Qingwu, some things are not as simple as you imagine. Billions of years of development created the Heavenly Realm as it is today. Some things are far more important than the lives of mortals. You may find it absurd, but the current situation cannot be changed overnight.”

Yún Chuān understood the unspoken words of his mother. He also did not wish to expose these matters to Yun Qingwu at this moment.

“Qingwu, I think you should discuss this matter with Little Cí.”

He patted Yun Qingwu’s shoulder. “No matter what you two ultimately decide to do, Father God will stand by your side.”

“Auntie will too.” Yún Yǎ immediately chimed in. Perhaps only by doing this could she completely uproot the emotional knots that had formed in her heart over the years.

Yun Qingwu’s tightly clenched fists relaxed. He nodded. “I understand.”