One had to say, Jiang Feng’s intuition was quite strong.
“Chen’er, I’ve let you down. I wasn’t there to support you in your time of need for so many years.” Jiang Feng blamed himself. “I really feel that I’ve let you down. I’ve let your younger brother down too…”
Jiang Chen was gripped with emotion. “Father, you took care of me for many years already. You even waited until I could stand on my own before you came out to look for mother. I should be the one apologizing.”
“What are you saying? What a childish thing to say. You have nothing to apologize for. Do you think I could’ve escaped the Sable Cells if not for you? Do you think I would’ve learned about your mother’s whereabouts without you? Chen’er, if I had to choose the two things I take pride in the most in my life, it would be knowing your mother and raising a good son like you.”
At this point, Jiang Feng had completely forgotten about his former ident.i.ty as a duke in the Eastern Kingdom. It was only after he left the Eastern Kingdom and the sixteen kingdoms alliance did he learn about the vastness of the world and his own insignificance. He finally understood why those people had worn that expression when they took away his wife.
They had the right to be proud. Compared to them, the Eastern Kingdom was lesser than even frogs at the bottom of a well.
“What happened with the chase from the Eternal Celestial Capital, Chen’er? How did you manage to avoid them?”
The conversation would drag on for a very long time if he were to go into every detail, so Jiang Chen gave his father a quick summary. “It’s true that they pursued me, but they didn’t give me too much trouble. Thanks to a series of coincidences, I eventually entered Veluriyam Capital.”
“So you did end up at the Capital? I heard that the Eternal Celestial Capital blocked the way to Veluriyam Capital to prevent you from entering that region.”
“They did. If young master Wei of Veluriyam Capital hadn’t lent me his aid, I wouldn’t have been able to enter Veluriyam Capital.”
“Good, good. The heavens help the worthy, like you said earlier. Where did you go after? You’ve changed a lot after these years. I almost didn’t recognize you.” Jiang Feng was very excited. After all, it was every father’s ambition and greatest happiness to see their son grow into success, a dragon amongst men.
“I’ve barely left Veluriyam Capital since I arrived there. For the past couple of years, I’ve built my own force, made my own connections and even built an important ident.i.ty in Veluriyam Capital. I’m also known as Zhen s.h.i.+, or Pill King Zhen.”
Jiang Feng’s heart skipped a beat as disbelief shone from his eyes. “What did you say, Chen’er? Pill King Zhen? The one who defeated Pill King Ji Lang of Pillfire City?”
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. “So you’ve heard about that too, father?”
“Who hasn’t? Everyone in the Upper Eight Regions is talking about this. Chen’er, are you really that Pill King Zhen?”
Jiang Chen smiled and didn’t deny it. “Yes, that’s me. I used an alias because I didn’t want to expose myself too soon and affect the grand plan to rebuild the Regal Pill Palace. I didn’t want to drag Veluriyam Capital into my troubles either.”
Jiang Feng sucked in a deep breath. The shocking news made him felt a little dizzy, and he had to repeat the gesture multiple times before he finally managed to rein in his emotions. As his spirits surged, he threw a punch at Jiang Chen’s shoulder.
“Good boy! I never thought my son could be this impressive until today, my good man! Pill King Zhen, is it? Hahaha, the famous Pill King Zhen is actually my son! If only I can see the faces of those Moon G.o.d Sect people when they learn about this! Speaking of which, I’ve also heard that you’ve been chosen as the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain by Emperor Peafowl!”
Jiang Feng might have travelled to many places to inquire about his wife’s whereabouts, but that didn’t mean he didn’t pay attention to world news. Jiang Chen being chosen as the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain had happened many years ago. It had spread to every corner of the human domain, especially since he’d gone into the Veluriyam PaG.o.da right after the fact.
The years he spent inside Veluriyam PaG.o.da were more than enough time for the news to spread to all corners of human territory. At the time, Jiang Feng had simply treated it as gossip. Not even in his dreams had he ever imagined that Pill King Zhen was his son!
Jiang Chen didn’t deny this either. He nodded. “That’s true. But, the amount of responsibility I have to shoulder is proportional to the greatness of this status.”
“What’s a young man to fear about shouldering responsibilities? I hear that Emperor Peafowl is the number one great emperor of Veluriyam Capital and the representative of their unparalleled status. This means that Veluriyam Capital will fall under your rule eventually, right? Hehehehe. If that’s the case then, what’s a mere Moon G.o.d Sect?!” Jiang Feng’s tone brimmed with pride. What father wouldn’t be happy to hear such feats from their own son? How would he not hold his head high with pride?
All these years, his heart had ached every time he recalled his wife’s background and the disdainful looks of the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who took her away. That feeling of being looked down on like an ant had been a constant torment to his soul. He knew that it was a gap that could almost never be surmounted. Jiang Feng admitted to it. That was why his only hope was that his wife hadn’t discarded her love towards him.
However, equality in status was the basis of every marriage since the ancient times. If his wife really was the descendant of a top faction, could they really have a happy ending even if he found her in the end? If Jiang Feng were to be frank with himself, he think highly of his chances. However, all of his worries and depression were dispelled when he learned of his son’s current status. None of this was a problem any longer.
As he’d mentioned earlier, what was a Moon G.o.d Sect when his son ruled over Veluriyam Capital itself? One Veluriyam Capital was at least worth two first rank sects, and the Moon G.o.d Sect was at most one first rank sect. They were completely incomparable to Veluriyam Capital.
As the saying went, a father rides on his son’s success. Now that Jiang Feng’s son was the future ruler of Veluriyam Capital, who in the Moon G.o.d Sect would dare stop him from reuniting with his wife? Who dared keep the father and mother of Veluriyam Capital’s ruler apart? Jiang Feng’s blood boiled with pa.s.sion when his thoughts traveled to this point.
He finally understood why his son was so calm all this time. He finally understood why he didn’t think their family’s reunion was a big issue, and why he’d dared make that bold promise. His son wasn’t running his mouth, but actually had the power to make their dreams a reality! Jiang Feng felt much better after knowing all this. If one of his sons wasn’t still missing, he might have laughed like a madman there and then.
“Oh right, Chen’er. I noticed that the experts of the Ten Ultimates seemed terribly afraid of you when you were there. Those are some of the fiercest and most dangerous criminals in the Sable Cells, so why were they afraid of a half-step emperor realm cultivator?” Jiang Feng suddenly recalled the situation when they escaped the Sable Cells and voiced his doubts to Jiang Chen.
“Heh heh, they’re only a little bit wary of me. Old Brother Mo is the main reason why they were as meek as they were. Old Brother Mo is a great emperor and the one of the top cultivators in the wandering cultivator community: Emperor Peerless.”
“Ah? Emperor Peerless?” Jiang Feng’s mouth fell open. Of course he had heard of the great Emperor Peerless! How could he not know when he was a wandering cultivator himself? He’d just never imagined that his son would be powerful enough to invite a great man like Emperor Peerless to rescue him, not to mention that the great emperor looked like he didn’t mind listening to Jiang Chen’s orders.
“Chen’er, I heard that Emperor Peerless is a loner of sorts, so how did you…” Jiang Feng sounded a little doubtful.
“Father, Old Brother Mo and I got along well the moment we meet each other. We admire each other very much and so have a close friends.h.i.+p. His troubles are my troubles, and I’m sure that Old Brother Mo will treat my troubles with equal seriousness.” Jiang Chen didn’t see anything wrong with their current friends.h.i.+p. A different person might think that Jiang Chen was the one benefitting because Emperor Peerless was a great emperor, but Jiang Chen himself didn’t think this was the case at all.
In fact, neither did Emperor Peerless think so either. Disregarding that Jiang Chen had saved him and Madame Yun from a deadly poison, the lad had even cured his wife of her illness and released them from a lifetime of pain and suffering. Even if the emperor excluded these from the equation, he was still certain that it was only a matter of time before Jiang Chen’s pill dao and martial dao talents exceeded his. This was even before accounting for the mysterious expert behind the young man’s back. These were all thing Mo Wushuang couldn’t compete with Jiang Chen in the slightest.
Of course, Emperor Peerless hadn’t thought that much about things. He’d simply thought that Jiang Chen was a worthy person to be friends with the moment Jiang Chen had gifted him the Pinecrane Pill.
Jiang Feng relaxed a little when he heard his son’s rea.s.surances. He felt very proud that his son was able to call a great emperor his brother. It proved just how excellent his son was. Had Jiang Chen been another young man, he might not even dare to breath loudly in the presence of a great emperor, much less becoming brothers with one. If one had neither the ability nor the backing, a great emperor wouldn’t bother to even acknowledge a person’s presence.
Father and son chatted idly with each other for a moment before Jiang Feng asked about his younger brother, Jiang Tong and nephew, Jiang Yu. Jiang Chen told him everything that had happened in the sixteen kingdoms alliance.
When Jiang Chen had returned to Skylaurel Kingdom, he learned that Jiang Tong and Jiang Yu had long since vanished from public eyes alongside the Precious Tree Sect. They hadn’t been attacked by Eternal Celestial Capital. Jiang Feng felt even better when he heard this his brother and nephew were fine. However, he wasn’t much interested when Jiang Chen talked about Jiang Han province and the Jiang family. He had given up on those people a long time ago.
Jiang Chen could sense that his father’s horizon and psyche had changed entirely after spending so much time away from the sixteen kingdoms alliance. Naturally, it was a gratifying change. A while later, Jiang Chen took his father to Emperor Peerless so the latter could express his grat.i.tude.
Emperor Peerless had a rough idea of Jiang Feng’s ident.i.ty by now and didn’t put on airs before the man. “Brother Jiang Feng, I’m calling you my brother, but I’m also calling your son my brother. Wouldn’t you say that the seniority between us has gone completely out of whack?” He cracked a joke and chuckled.
Jiang Feng also laughed. “There is nothing wrong if we keep it separate. Normally, we both should address you as our senior, but my son would be troubled since you address each other on equal terms. Therefore, if you may forgive my impertinence, I would like to address you as Old Brother Mo too.”
Emperor Peerless laughed loudly. “As it should be, as it should be! Congratulations for raising a good son, my man. Oh, how blind and foolish the Moon G.o.d Sect must be!”