Chapter 528: Yun Xiao, Xiao Yun
“Che'er, quickly, sit down…”
Mu Yurou pressed Yun Che down onto a wooden chair, her face like a rain-drenched pear blossom, her hands still trembling slightly. She looked at her son before her, unwilling to shift her gaze away even for an instant.
In her hand, she still held the Lunhui Jing. On Yun Che's arm, the mark of the Arcane Firmament was still flickering faintly. And in her sight, his face bore a seven-point resemblance to Yun Qinghong in his youth—along with a bloodline throb so clear it felt almost tangible. This was her son… her biological son.
“Che'er… my child…” Mu Yurou murmured softly, choking up again. “Am I really… not dreaming…”
They had already lived together for over two months, and Yun Che usually addressed her as “Mother.” But now, facing him, her heart and emotions were utterly different. Yun Che opened his mouth and said softly, “Mother… I’m sorry. The first time I met you, I knew you were my biological parents. But… I only acknowledge you today.”
Mu Yurou slowly shook her head. To her, this didn’t matter at all. At this moment, nothing in the world mattered to her. She felt that all the surprises and happiness in her life combined could not compare to this moment. She said softly, “Husband, look at our child. How handsome he is—even more so than you when you were young. He must attract countless girls. And he is so well-behaved, so understanding, so kind… For over twenty years, we not only failed to fulfill a single day of our parental duties, but also caused him to suffer and wander from the moment he was born. Yet our son doesn’t blame us at all… not at all…”
“Moreover, his boldness and wisdom far surpass mine at his age. His medical skills are unmatched in the world. He has only been back for two months, yet he has freed us from the abyss, made your eldest brother—who refuses to submit to anyone—eager to swear brotherhood, destroyed Prince Huai’s painstaking schemes, and restored hope to our Yun Clan. This is our son.” Yun Qinghong raised his head and said, his voice filled with immense excitement and pride.
“Our son…” Mu Yurou stroked Yun Che’s cheek with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. After a great cry, she wanted to be strong, not letting her newly returned son see only her tears. But despite repeated efforts, she could not stop them. She said dreamily, “I thought I would never… never see you again… Heaven has eyes…”
Yun Che reached out and gently wiped the tears from his mother’s face. “Mother, don’t cry. Our family has reunited, and you have all recovered. All the suffering is over.”
“Mm… Mother won’t cry… won’t cry… Mother is just… too happy…” Mu Yurou nodded and tried hard to wipe away the tear stains on her face. But she had shed too many tears; after wiping for a long time, her face was still moist and wet.
“Che'er,” Yun Qinghong let out a light sigh and said slowly, “How have you spent all these years? And how did you find this place from the distant Tian Xuan Continent?”
Yun Qinghong’s question struck Mu Yurou’s heart heavily. She grabbed Yun Che’s hand and said urgently, “Yes, Che'er! Have you had a good life all these years? Did you suffer a lot?”
At this moment, Mu Yurou’s heart was entirely focused on her son, and she couldn’t think much. But Yun Qinghong knew that given Yun Che’s maturity, which was completely disproportionate to his age, what he had endured was far more than “a lot of suffering.” Without hardships that ordinary people could not bear, how could he possess the mindset, courage, and abilities that ordinary people could not have?
Yun Che smiled and said, “I will tell Father and Mother all the details of my life in time. But first…” He reached out, pulled Yun Xiao over, and said, “Father, Mother, now is the time to tell your other son about his origins. Yun Xiao is no longer a child; he has long been a true man who stands tall between heaven and earth. He also has the right to know his true background.”
Yun Xiao was momentarily stunned, then his eyes cleared, and he nodded firmly: “Father, Mother, please tell me about my background. I want to know where I come from and who my biological parents are. Please rest assured. Although I am not your biological son, the years of upbringing and love you have given me are real. In the future, whether I return to my clan or find my biological parents, you will always be my parents—for a lifetime.”
Before, Yun Xiao had felt confusion, hesitation, and a sense of loss. But after saying these words, he found that all his anxiety and disappointment vanished, replaced only by calmness and ease, and a heartfelt joy for their family reunion.
Although he was not their biological son, they had treated him as their own all these years, caring for him meticulously. Just this nurturing kindness was enough to repay for a lifetime. His big brother had saved his life, helped and guided him time and again, and even delayed this family reunion for two full months to protect his feelings…
Though not blood-related, they were all genuinely good to him. What was there to be lost or unable to accept? His most beloved parents had finally found the son they had missed for so many years; of course, he should be happy for them. His most respected big brother had reunited with his parents; of course, he should be happy for him…
At this moment, he clearly felt himself suddenly grow up, just like the kind of… spiritual elevation Yun Che had described.
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou exchanged a glance, then smiled with joy and relief. Yun Qinghong nodded: “Good! Good child. Xiao'er, your biological father and I were sworn brothers, and he was the only true confidant in my life. You and Che'er have also sworn brotherhood. Our two families have long been one family.”
“Ah…” Yun Xiao’s mouth fell open. “Father and my biological father… knew each other?”
“Mm.” Yun Qinghong nodded, then took Yun Xiao’s arm: “Xiao'er, sit down. Your mother and I will tell you about your background in detail today.”
In the not-so-spacious room, the four sat facing each other. For Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, and Yun Che, the feeling of “home” had never been as clear as at this moment. With deep emotion and gratitude, Yun Qinghong began to tell Yun Xiao about the three years he and his wife had spent in the Tian Xuan Continent—especially his meeting with Xiao Ying, their mutual understanding, shared ideals, and sworn brotherhood… all the way to how Xiao Ying had planned an escape route for them to survive and quietly exchanged his own son with theirs.
Yun Xiao listened silently. After Yun Qinghong finished telling everything, he was dazed for a long time. Then, he murmured to himself absently, “So… my hometown… truly is in Tian Xuan Continent…”
“The Tian Xuan Continent is not as dangerous as the Huan Yao Realm claims. The danger lies only in a certain group of people. Comparatively, the biggest difference between Tian Xuan Continent and Huan Yao Realm is basically the distribution of races. It is a world dominated by humans and beasts, with very few demons appearing.” Yun Che said. In the Huan Yao Realm, the Tian Xuan Continent was demonized, and he didn’t want Yun Xiao to develop unnecessary prejudice or resistance because of that.
“Mm…” Yun Xiao nodded slowly, his expression still somewhat hazy. He would need enough time to accept and digest these things. “Xiao… so I am surnamed Xiao… no wonder… Father and Mother named me Yun Xiao…”
“Heh, because we always hoped that one day you could return to the Tian Xuan Continent to acknowledge your ancestors.” Yun Qinghong said with a smile.
“Big brother, are my biological parents… still well now? Do they still live in that place called… Liu Yun City?” Yun Xiao asked with a misty gaze.
Although Yun Che had long known that this question was bound to be asked and had prepared himself accordingly, when Yun Xiao actually asked it, his expression still froze instantly, and he remained silent for a long time.
Yun Che’s expression made Yun Qinghong’s face change slightly. Thinking of all the hardships Yun Che must have suffered over the years, his heart tightened even more. He grabbed Yun Che’s shoulder and looked straight into his eyes: “How is Xiao Ying now? In that Liu Yun City, the Xiao Clan was also one of the few prominent families. He must be… living a carefree life, right?”
Yun Che exhaled heavily. He did not answer Yun Qinghong directly but looked at Yun Xiao and said solemnly, “Yun Xiao, remember what I said before. A true man must face all the tricks of fate with calm composure. The things in this world, whether joyful or sad, have already happened. The only choice is to accept and face them… And it is how one accepts and faces them that tests a person.”
Yun Xiao looked at Yun Che, his hands quietly clenching. After a long while, his gaze became resolute: “Big brother, tell me… no matter the outcome, I will accept it calmly.”
Yun Che nodded, then closed his eyes and said slowly, “Uncle Xiao… he died twenty-two years ago.”
Yun Qinghong shot to his feet, his face turning as pale as paper in an instant. There were few things in this world that could provoke such a violent reaction from him… but Xiao Ying was his only sworn brother in life, his only true confidant, and a man who had shown him immense kindness. Back then, if not for him, they would never have returned alive to the Huan Yao Realm.
He never imagined that Xiao Ying was already… dead… twenty-two years ago… already dead…
And that time… could it be… could it be…
“He… he… how did he die? How did he die?” Yun Qinghong said in a trembling voice.
Yun Che did not hide or hesitate and said directly, “Twenty-two years ago, shortly after Father and Mother fled Liu Yun City, those villains who were pursuing you somehow learned that you had contact with Uncle Xiao. They found him and pressed him for your whereabouts. Uncle Xiao would rather die than speak, so… so…”
Yun Qinghong’s body shook violently.
“After Uncle Xiao died, his wife soon died for love. Grandmother was overwhelmed by grief and fell into depression. She passed away shortly after giving birth to my little aunt, who is a year younger than me. I didn’t even have time to see what they looked like alive… Grandfather raised me and my little aunt alone…”
“…” Yun Qinghong’s lips quivered, his eyes bulging. His whole body suddenly shook violently, and a mouthful of blood burst out. He fell heavily backward.
“Ah… husband!”
“Father!”
Mu Yurou and Yun Che cried out in shock and hurriedly stepped forward to support Yun Qinghong’s body. Yun Qinghong’s lips moved, and the crimson bloodstains were shocking. His eyes stared vacantly upward as tears streamed down: “It was I… I who killed Brother Xiao… It was I who destroyed his family… It was I… I… who ruined them…”
“Brother Xiao was as important to me as a mountain… yet I caused his family to be broken and destroyed…”
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[Addressing a bug: While browsing the book review forum today, I saw a handsome guy point out that in Chapter 298, Yun Canghai mentioned handing over the clan leader token to Yun Qinghong before leaving the Huan Yao Realm. I immediately rolled back to check and found that the 12th paragraph of Chapter 298 clearly mentions it. I have now corrected it. Thank you to this attentive reader! To avoid making your face too envied, I won’t reveal your name~~~~]