Chapter 124: Mother and Son (Part 2)
He had encountered this middle-aged woman many times before and was not unfamiliar with her.
He had often pondered her identity, but could never find the slightest clue. She seemed very mysterious, but she must surely be a major figure within the palace.
Tonight, a storm was brewing over the capital, and a light drizzle had already arrived. Given this middle-aged woman's status and position, by all logic, she should not have appeared here at all.
Chen Changsheng suddenly thought of a possibility, and felt that the fine rain falling on his face had turned somewhat cold.
Perhaps she had come to kill him?
Fortunately, that did not happen; otherwise, he would have truly felt somewhat saddened.
The middle-aged woman lightly tapped her finger, as she always did, signaling for him to sit and drink tea.
Chen Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief.
This grove within the Hundred Herb Garden held great significance for him. It was the place in the capital where his heart could find the most peace.
Over the past two years, those nights spent sitting opposite this middle-aged woman, drinking tea, were the moments in the capital when his heart was most at ease.
If the middle-aged woman had chosen this grove, this stone table for tea, to kill him, he would have found it very unpleasant.
He enjoyed this feeling of sitting quietly without words—very comfortable, very free, easily reminding him of Xining Town...
His brow furrowed slightly, because he now disliked being reminded of Xining Town.
Alright, but the stream behind the old temple was still clear.
His brow gradually relaxed.
...
...
Watching him furrow his brow, watching him relax his brow, watching the youthful greenness between his brows, she suddenly remembered—oh, he still had a few days before he turned seventeen. But wasn't that fake? Still, he was truly a remarkable little fellow. On the verge of death, he could still stop, sit at this table in the grove, pick up that cup of warm white tea, and let his mind wander to other things.
The corners of Tianhai's lips curled upward at an extremely slow pace, and a hint of a smile was caught within them.
If this young man really were her son, it might not be a bad thing. At least he wouldn't bring too much shame to her. That way, when she watched him die, she might be able to feel more of what she wanted to feel, thereby finding the hidden traces of the Heavenly Dao among the starry sky and ultimately attaining true freedom.
The corners of Tianhai's lips gradually flattened at an extremely slow pace, and that trace of smile vanished to who knows where.
She gazed quietly at Chen Changsheng, then extended a finger toward his brow.
Chen Changsheng snapped back to reality, slightly startled, but did not dodge.
It wasn't that he didn't want to dodge; it was that he couldn't.
Whether it was when he first entered the capital or now, whatever she wanted to do to him, he had no way to oppose it.
At first, he had found it hard to get used to, especially when she sometimes grabbed his chin or gently stroked his cheek—it had felt humiliating. But later... perhaps he had gotten used to it.
Her fingertip touched him, and in his sea of consciousness, he faintly heard an extremely soft popping sound, like a bubble being pricked.
The night wind threaded through the Hundred Herb Garden, bringing the fragrance of medicinal herbs and spirit fruits, along with some scents only she could detect.
Because her finger had pierced through the holy light laid down by Xu Yourong in that instant, her divine sense had brought this breeze, and within the wind was his aura.
She closed her eyes quietly, carefully savoring that aura, her expression gradually softening.
That aura was indeed like a spring breeze, intoxicating. It was hard to imagine that if it were fully released, anyone could resist such temptation.
She opened her eyes, lightly tapped the table, signaling Chen Changsheng to drink his tea.
Chen Changsheng had been holding the teacup in his hand all along. He took a sip, then set the cup down.
He looked at the middle-aged woman, wanted to say something, closed his mouth, but finally couldn't hold back.
"I... probably won't be coming here anymore."
He paused for a moment, then looked at her and continued, "I am Chen Changsheng."
She gazed quietly at him, her expression unchanged.
Chen Changsheng was first somewhat surprised, then laughed self-deprecatingly. Having encountered her so many times over two years, with the middle-aged woman's unfathomable level of cultivation, she would naturally have long known his background.
"Since you know who I am, you probably also know my current situation." He looked down at the tea in his cup, as clear as water, and his voice became as light as water. "Even now, I still don't know who you are. Perhaps that's why I feel I can tell you things I can't say to others."
She gazed quietly at him, still without any reaction.
In Chen Changsheng's view—or rather, he chose to see it as encouragement.
He thought for a moment, then said, "I'm about to die."
Then he began to tell his story, starting from before his birth—of course, that was the result of the Heavenly Machine Elder's deductions—then moving to after his birth, which was the scene described to him by Senior Brother Yu Ren: the clear stream and the golden dragon. Next came his life at the old temple in Xining Town, then his arrival in the capital for the annulment of his engagement, and all the subsequent events, up to the present.
At the old temple in Xining Town, there had been no one to talk to, so he had developed a taciturn nature. After arriving in the capital, he had improved a lot, especially after meeting Tang Thirty-Six. Occasionally, he would even show his talkative side. When with Xu Yourong, he also had many things to say, but none of it matched how much he spoke tonight.
He sorted through his entire life and then rambled it all to her.
"The Demon Lord went to Cold Mountain. I had my suspicions at the time, but there was no evidence. Now, though, the situation is... clear. I know my master is using me."
He concluded, "But I've always had that illness. In the end, it's a matter of bad fate. Who can I blame?"
No matter what he said, she just listened quietly, occasionally taking a sip of tea, her expression very calm.
It was as if names like the old temple in Xining Town, the golden dragon, the Holy Light Continent, Chen Xuanba, and Zhou Dufu held no shock for her at all.
After finishing his account, Chen Changsheng's mouth was dry. He drank the remaining tea in his cup before realizing she was a bit too calm.
This made her seem even more mysterious in his eyes.
"Who... exactly are you?"
He looked at her with curiosity.
The Hundred Herb Garden was very quiet. Not a single breeze stirred, so naturally there was no sound of wind. The light rain had suddenly stopped, so there was no sound of rain either.
Even the chirping of insects at the base of the walls and in the grass had vanished.
After a long silence, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Who am I?"
Chen Changsheng was extremely shocked, because it was she who had spoken.
He heard it clearly—those three words came from her lips.
He had always thought she couldn't speak.
In two years, he had always been the one talking; she had never uttered a single word.
Yet, it turned out she could speak; she just didn't want to.
Who was she?
Beyond his shock, Chen Changsheng suddenly felt an intense wariness and unease.
Because she stood up.
She suddenly became immensely tall, as if a mountain had suddenly appeared between heaven and earth.
She slowly clasped her hands behind her back, her robe sleeves lightly brushing, and a great wind arose in the grove.
She looked down at Chen Changsheng from on high, her expression indifferent, and the temperature in the grove dropped several degrees.
The night wind lightly brushed her face. Her brows extended toward her temples, like swords about to fly, or more like wings about to spread.
Her eyes became exceptionally bright and spirited, as if stars resided within them.
That ordinary face, in the span of a few breaths, transformed into the most beautiful face one could imagine.
The aura emanating from her became overwhelmingly powerful.
Who was she?
She was, of course, the one and only, supreme above all—Heavenly Sea Saint Empress.
The grove in the Hundred Herb Garden grew even quieter.
Chen Changsheng held his teacup, too shocked to set it down.
It was unknown how long passed before he snapped out of it and placed the cup on the table.
He was silent for a long time, then looked at the teacup and said, "Greetings."
Two very simple words, the proper courtesy, but they were the last thing that should have appeared between him and her.
His voice was very calm, but his emotions were unimaginably complex.
At the same time, he also figured out a few things.
When Xu Yourong entered the Zhou Garden, she had also disguised herself, and no one could see through it. Later, she said it was a secret technique of the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions. But he had thoroughly read the Daoist Canon and had never heard of it.
Now, he naturally understood that Xu Yourong's disguise and the Saint Empress's methods were the same—perhaps because of the Phoenix's ability to transform?
"Shouldn't you call me 'Mother'?" Heavenly Sea Saint Empress said, looking at him.
When she said this, her voice was very indifferent, though it was unclear if there was truly no emotion behind it.
Chen Changsheng raised his head and looked at this woman, so beautiful it was hard to look directly at her. He thought, is this my mother?
In the years since his master had picked him up by the stream and brought him back to the old temple in Xining Town, he had, of course, pondered this question countless times—who his parents were—but had never found an answer.
It wasn't until that rumor began spreading in the capital last year that he started to seriously confront the issue again. Then, not long ago at Cold Mountain, he had received some degree of confirmation.
Whether before or after the rumor, he had occasionally wondered: if they met... what would that scene be like? What should he do? Even when he jumped out of the window of the National Academy's small building earlier, determined to go to the palace and face her, he was still thinking about these questions.
But now that the actual meeting had occurred, he realized all his preparations were meaningless.
His mind was somewhat dazed, his body cold.
He looked at her cold, indifferent, beautiful face and could not find even a trace of what he had once tried to imagine possessing—like warmth.
Heavenly Sea Saint Empress sensed his emotional shift and raised an eyebrow. "Useless thing. I shouldn't have given birth to you in the first place."
When she said this, her brows were like swords, as if they might fly into the night sky at any moment.
Coupled with the indifference between her brows, it made her feel even colder.
Chen Changsheng was somewhat angry, his breath slightly rough as he said, "I just went to kill Zhou Tong."
This statement, appearing at this moment, seemed somewhat abrupt and inexplicable.
Heavenly Sea Saint Empress said, "Trying to prove you're somewhat useful? Have the courage to face this world? Begging me for a few candies?"
Chen Changsheng thought, that's not it. I just wanted to tell you that there are things you don't care about, and I can not care about them either. If I have the courage to kill Zhou Tong, then I have the courage to face you.
Even if we are mother and son, even if you are a mother cold enough to personally kill her own son.