Chapter 530 - The Terrifying Little Demon Empress
“My two masters both changed my destiny. Without them, I might not even be alive now,” Yun Che sighed with emotion. After lamenting, he remembered the most important thing he should tell his parents, and he said promptly, “Father, Mother, didn’t you ask me where the Patriarch"s Crest came from… when I was in the Profound Sky Continent, I saw grandfather!”
Yun Che’s words gave Yun Qinghong a shock. He shuddered violently, and his voice cracked, “Grandfather? Which grandfather… which grandfather?!”
“My biological grandfather, your father, the Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon King… Yun Canghai!”
“Grandfather gave me the Patriarch"s Crest, and told me to bring it back to the Yun family one day.”
"Ah!" Mu Yurou gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
Whoos.h.!.+
The air in front of Yun Che s.h.i.+fted violently as Yun Qinghong rushed to him as though he had teleported. Yun Qinghong couldn’t take into consideration of his strength because of how on edge he was. He grabbed Yun Che’s arms so tightly that he almost snapped them, “You… you really saw your grandfather… where did you see him… where… where is he now… how is he doing…”
Xiao Ying’s death made his mind chaotic, and now he suddenly heard news about his father. Yun Qinghong’s soul had probably never had such extreme ups and downs in his life. A hundred years. For a hundred years, he had never seen his father again, he didn’t even know if his father was dead or alive...
Yun Che knew that Yun Qinghong must have wanted to know of his father’s whereabouts and well-being even in his dreams. When Yun Che thought about the sixteen months he spent under the Sword Management Terrace at Heavenly Sword Villa, he felt embittered in his heart, and he narrated slowly, “Not long after my profound veins were reborn and I started to cultivate profound energy, I joined Blue Wind Nation’s Blue Wind Profound Palace, and represented the Blue Wind Imperial Family for the ranking tournament among the large forces in the nation, and this Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was precisely held in Heavenly Sword Villa.”
“Heavenly Sword Villa”, this was a place Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou would never forget even if they die. Back then, they risked their lives, used the Profound Handle Soul Search on a person from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, and found out that Yun Canghai was not dead, but was actually being imprisoned. The location of where he was being held, was in Blue Wind Nation… Heavenly Sword Villa!
Yun Che immediately retold the whole story: how he joined the ranking tournament, how after it ended he was brought to “see” the “demon” sealing ritual by Ling Kun who was from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, how the “demon” went crazy because of Ling Kun’s provocation, how Xia Yuanba was in danger, and how he was sealed under the Sword Management Terrace with the “demon” because he wanted to save Xia Yuanba.
“Back then, I never would have imagined that the ‘demon’ was actually my grandfather. Grandfather’s body was bound by the Meteorite Chain, his profound strength was suppressed by the Heaven’s Might Soul Suppressing Formation… under such harsh restrictions, he could only control his Profound Handle, and he was further sealed underground where there was no daylight at all by a sword called ‘Heaven’s Punishment’...”
"...I got beaten up by grandfather until I was half dead. After I healed, I kept training myself just so I could kill grandfather and get out of there… Until one day, grandfather recognized the Mirror of Samsara that I took out. Then, he forced out my Profound Handle, and we conducted the blood paternity test… that was when I knew he was my grandfather."
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou stared absentmindedly into s.p.a.ce for a long time. More than twenty years ago, even though they found out where Yun Canghai was, they almost lost their lives without even being able to get close, let alone to see him. They could not imagine what Yun Che did to find him… and now, they heard the answer, the whole story. It was all so bizarre, so odd, that they couldn’t believe it.
“Heaven’s will, it must be heaven’s will! The heaven’s are not blind, they arranged the two of you to meet in a strange faraway realm!” Yun Qinghong was so excited that his eyes were full of tears. On one hand, there was the son who was drifting in the Profound Sky Continent, and on the other hand, there was the father who was imprisoned in the Profound Sky Continent. Neither of them knew about one another’s existence, but it was so coincidental and bizarre that they found each other. Destiny… it really was destiny!
Yun Che continued speaking, “After I met my grandfather, he told me my biological parents’ names and a lot of things about the Illusory Demon Realm. In the time that we spent together, he instructed me in my cultivation, and used his Profound Handle to fight with me day and night. In the end, he even risked using all of his strength to awaken my Profound Handle, and gave me the thing that he was protecting with his life for a hundred years, to bring back to the Illusory Demon Realm… ”
“What happened after that? If you escaped, did your grandfather escape with you? Where is he now?” Yun Qinghong asked impatiently.
Yun Che’s face grew dark. He looked down, and said softly, “The place where grandfather and I were held was suppressed by the Heaven’s Punishment Sword. We could not break out relying solely on my strength back then. The Meteorite Chain that was on grandfather, the Heaven’s Punishment Sword, and the Heaven’s Might Soul Suppressing Formation were all bound to grandfather. After grandfather gave me the thing he was protecting with his life, he… killed himself… to set me free…”
Yun Qinghong was so shocked, he fell back a couple of steps as if he was struck by lightning.
Mu Yurou closed her eyes and covered her mouth as tears silently trickled down her face.
“Just as well… just as well…” Yun Qinghong murmured soullessly, “He was imprisoned in a place without daylight for a hundred years… He had suffered too much… Just as well… Now, he doesn’t have to suffer anymore. He is free. He can rest in peace. Before his death, he was able to find a trustworthy person to pa.s.s on his mission, see his own grandson, and he save his grandson’s life with his own life… when my father pa.s.sed away… he must have been smiling…”
“Yes,” Yun Che nodded his head: “Grandfather died while smiling.”
“Mn…” Yun Qinghong closed his eyes as tears rolled down across his cheeks, leaving a watery trail. Died while smiling… this was the only thing that could ease his sorrow.
“I brought back grandfather’s body.”
Yun Che backed away a little. Following the Sky Poison Pearl’s flicker of light, the Coffin of Eternity appeared before them. After acquiring the Coffin of Eternity, where Hong’er was asleep for however many years, he put Yun Canghai’s body in it. Because he was laying in the Coffin of Eternity, even if thousands and millions of years pa.s.sed by, nothing would be damaged or changed. The second it closed up, it was as though the time inside was eternally frozen.
For a long while, Yun Qinghong lost his focus as he stood beside the Coffin of Eternity. He pressed his hand on the cold body, and fell down slowly, until he kneeled on the ground heavily.
In his memory, his father was a prestigious Demon King of the Illusory Demon Realm. He was a vigorous spirit that s.h.i.+ned so brightly. There was never evidence of him growing old, and he always liked to keep himself at his youngest state. When they stood together as father and son, they looked just like brothers around the same age.
But, inside the Coffin of Eternity, laid an old man… an old man who looked like he had one foot in the grave…
Skinny as a bag of bones, face was dry and withered; his hair, beard, and eyebrows were all messy and white. He looked just like a ferocious devil. If it weren’t for the contour of his face, he could never believe that this was his father… but what he couldn’t imagine more was how much suffering he had gone through for him to become like this...
“Fa… ther…” Yun Qinghong’s whole body was s.h.i.+vering as he said the word “father”; it was as painful as fresh blood. Yun Che looked up, and said quietly, “Bringing him back to his homeland must also be one of grandfather’s wishes… but, please endure your son’s stubborness, and delay grandfather’s burial. I can’t let grandfather die for nothing… even more so, I can’t let grandfather die with ‘criminal accusations’ still on his back!”
Yun Qinghong kept his head low, as his entire body trembled. He bit his teeth together so clearly and loudly, it was hard to listen to.
“Sigh…” Yun Che’s chest felt heavy. “Father, if you want to cry, just cry. Only your family is here. You are my father, and Yun Xiao’s father, but also… Grandfather’s son…”
Yun Che’s words collapsed the front line defense Yun Qinghong had been trying to hold up. The extremely sorrowful grieving cry that came from the Yun Patriarch resounded loudly… from birth to now, this was the first time he cried so carelessly.
Yun Che grabbed Yun Xiao and walked outside. From walking in to walking out, it felt like a complete different world.
“Are you unsettled?” Yun Che looked at him and asked.
Yun Xiao just shook his head and said, “I knew from the beginning that this day would come eventually. I always thought that when this day came, I wouldn’t know what to do at all… but, now I feel like I’m even more safe and settled.”
“Me too.” Yun Che smiled and said, “The reason is simple. Even though we both used to have a home, our hearts do not belong there. But now, I feel like I found my home. And as for you, you found out about your background, and you didn’t lose the parents who raised you for over twenty years. Of course you feel more safe and settled.”
“The only thing that I didn’t think of, is that things would get so complicated. It feels like I’m listening to a bizarre story.” Yun Xiao sighed with emotion.
“Life, in many cases, is far more bizarre and remarkable than made up stories,” Yun Che looked at him, and suddenly said, “Yun Xiao, since you found out about your background, you should change your name. How about… Xiao Yun!”
“Ah?” Yun Xiao paused for a second, and agreed right away, “Alright! From now on, my name is Xiao Yun! Even when I’m in public, I will call myself Xiao Yun! Or else, my parents who are looking at me from above the heavens would scold me for being unfilial.”
“Hahaha!” Yun Che laughed loudly. After this entire day of fateful twists and mental breakdowns, he truly felt that Yun Xiao had matured a lot. Perhaps it was because after knowing where he came from, he released the stress, the worry, and the confusion that he always carried, and found a clear-cut life goal.
The two of them stood at the entrance of the backyard, just in case someone would get close and disturb Yun Qinghong. They stayed silent for a while. Suddenly, Yun Che asked, “Yun… um, Xiao Yun, have you ever seen the Little Demon Empress?”
“Yes, I have.” Xiao Yun nodded, “Actually, all these years, the Little Demon Empress came and visited father a lot of times, and she came alone and quietly every time. No one else knows about this.”
“It seems like the Little Demon Empress trusts and respects father greatly. And father also seems to be very loyal to the Little Demon Empress, or rather, the Demon Emperor Clan,” Yun Che muttered. “What kind of person is the Little Demon Empress?”
“Um… how should I put this… ” Xiao Yun thought seriously for a while, and said with hesitation, “Actually, I’ve only seen the Little Demon Empress for a few times, and I’ve never really looked at her directly, because everytime I face her, I feel… a bit scared.”
“Scared?” Yun Che’s eyebrow raised.
“The Little Demon Empress’ aura is really scary,” Yun Xiao described, “Even when I was far away from her, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Her eyes were even scarier. I never had the guts to look into her eyes directly. Even if she merely glanced at me, I would feel chills go through my entire body… her facial expression was also the same, no one seemed to have ever seen her smile. Her whole face was like… it was frozen.”
“Oh… that horrifying?” Yun Che’s eyes widened.
Xiao Yun tried very hard to think of more information about the Little Demon Empress and said, “The Little Demon Empress was always in gray clothing… not light gray, but the kind of gray that was very dark and dead. And… and… oh! When father and I talked about the Little Demon Empress, he mentioned that she was very cruel. Hundreds of years ago, when the Little Demon Empress got her position, a lot of people were against her because she was a female. Many of those people were killed, and a bunch of those people were killed by her. After that, everyone s.h.i.+vers when they see her, and no one dared to disobey her anymore.”
“...That does sound cruel,” Yun Che’s eyes slightly widened, and his brain was painting the image as Xiao Yun described the Little Demon Empress: her stares were like a knives, her terrifying appearance… she might even be ugly, with no emotions on her face, her aura was so cold that it could pierce your bones, and she was in a dead gray robe… a middle-aged woman.
After he finished imagining, Yun Che couldn’t help but s.h.i.+ver… because he thought about those reanimated ghouls of legends. They were so similar that they were almost ninety percent alike!