Chapter Ten: Duel of Fate

  Xu Bo gently wiped away the tears on his face, not taking away a speck of dust. With a suave turn of his head, his expression changed rapidly, and he suddenly burst into a smile, this rhythm change was almost miraculous.

  "Looking at me as if I'm some kind of rare treasure, he continued in that beautiful tone: 'That group of dead ghosts' concocted soul curse is really something, it's cost me a lot of effort. This world's most toxic resentment has created this thing that's killing my brain cells! It's really burning my brain! Because of this curse, your father must send you away from his side, never to be heard from or seen again in order for you to live. Now that the Xuanwu blood has been ignited, your father's ink-colored Xuanwu will gradually disappear, and the Bone Gnawing Calamity will accelerate. Although I and your ancestors are protecting you, it's estimated that we won't last more than a few years. To put it bluntly, this scene is also a side effect of the ink-colored Xuanwu blood. Protecting life, staying away from relatives.'"

  "What the hell is this Xuanwu's blood?" Lately, I've been hearing this name all the time. Although I know a bit about it, facing this cold reality, this little knowledge is clearly not enough to keep me warm.

  "Xuanwu is also known as Xuanming. Before being chosen as one of the Four Symbols in the sea, when there was no fire yet, he was responsible for walking yin and connecting the two realms of yin and yang! Have you heard of Bi'an? It's the fourth son of the old dragon family, I don't know how this breed was cultivated to look similar to Xuanwu. As a result, Xuanwu started imitating Bi'an, and when he did, his fans increased greatly, it was quite impressive! And so, logically, he became one of the Four Symbols." Listening to Xu Bo's words made me sigh in admiration, imitation is indeed a shortcut to becoming a star!"

  "When Xuanwu became the Four Symbols, it was overly excited and cried so hard that it shed blood tears. This blood tear is the last drop of Xuanwu's blood in this world, which is the extreme yin power in our Shengtang Four Symbols. Its nature belongs to water, do you know what kind of water is the most violent? Of course, it's boiling hot water! So this Blood Xuanwu is the extreme yin power in this world and has the best therapeutic effect on the grievances between Yin and Yang!"

  Listening to Xu Bo's words, I nodded thoughtfully!

  "Your Cui family ancestors suffered the pain of the Ten Thousand Souls Curse to protect the Tang king's return to Yang, and each generation of the Cui family has only one male heir. After birth, he would be sent out of the Cui family, and only after the previous generation's death would I bring him back to the Cui family to recognize his ancestors. I've done this so many times that I myself can't remember how many. At first, I still had hope, but gradually became numb! Until... until I saw the Blood Fiery Wu Xuan aura at Yishan Cliff, and I knew you'd succeeded! Your suicidal courage ignited the only drop of Wu Xuan blood in the Cui family, which will no longer be passed down. This means that there is no more Wu Xuan blood in this world, and you have gained the opportunity to lift the Ten Thousand Souls Curse that has haunted the Cui family for thousands of years! If you succeed, you'll be the greatest glory of the Cui family, and the Cui family will no longer suffer from loneliness and isolation. But if you fail... you'll be the one who causes the extinction of the Cui family line! Think about it, how thrilling your current situation is!"

  My god, this guy's speaking speed is simply the best in China!

  But I heard this guy's heap of praise words, somehow it sounds like derogatory, Xu Bo's eyes seem to have a hint of schadenfreude, and as soon as I heard his words, I not only didn't feel great, but suddenly became tense?

  It seems that my suicidal move has caused very serious consequences! This purely private action, actually affected the fate of the entire family, but it's always said that I'm stuck on the pillar of shame in the history of the Cui family, and this feeling is really depressing. Did I commit suicide wrong? Was I killed wrong? Was I wrong?

  At this time, Xu Bo turned around, leaving a white flower-like soul-stirring back view, saying: "Since the Bloodfire Xuanwu has appeared, the hope of breaking the curse has been ignited, I should also enter working mode! Let's make up for the work that fell behind in the front-end time."

  Looking at Xu Bo, who was busy with the mold, I said: "What about the four divine artifacts of the Tianyi ceremony now? Hurry up and get them ready! I found that Father's ink-colored Xuanwu has faded a lot and started to fall off. I'm afraid it will be life-threatening if we drag on for too long!" This is true, Father's bone-gnawing pain has worsened a lot recently!

  Nothing to worry about, the mountain man has a wonderful plan! At first, because of my drunkenness, he was damaged in spirit and soul, his IQ dropped greatly, and his professional skills declined severely. Since taking the IQ Revival Pill, his waist doesn't hurt, his legs don't ache, and his IQ has also come back up! Please look for the Tian Feng brand IQ Revival Pill, Tian Yao Zhun Zi Hao! This guy's words made me sweat like rain!

  "Sorry, sorry, but my Tianhun has recently become the ambassador of medicine in the immortal realm..."

  "Depend on..."

  "However, Chunfeng's IQ has almost recovered, and now I want to find the traveling Chunfeng to study together how to break the curse of Wan Hun. As for the method of opening the Tianyi ceremony, the whereabouts of the four divine artifacts will certainly take some time to research, but with my and Chunfeng's strength, it shouldn't be a difficult task. So as an envoy, I'll just say this much. If you have any further questions, ask your father directly. As for the parts that need supplementation, your ancestors will find you in due course. Little friend, when you see your ancestor, please greet him on my behalf. He will personally teach you how to use the Soul Reading Technique, which is a little surprise!"

  Before the words had fallen, I felt as if something had left the room. When Xu Bo turned around, the first thing that caught my eye was the black paper umbrella. I found that this guy had returned to his original state when he first entered the door, with no pupils in his eyes, like a body frozen by a spell. Meanwhile, Cui Mubai and Tie Yi on the side looked as if they had seen it all before, apparently having witnessed such a scene. However, this bizarre scene thoroughly dispelled my doubts.

  "My father looked at me with a seemingly contradictory gaze, as if hesitating over a major decision. Then he slowly said: 'Son, people are all selfish, and I am no exception. The fact that we can be together is already a miracle. I'm telling you this because it's my responsibility as a member of the Cui family, but I don't want you to take risks to lift the curse because of my private feelings as a father. For a father, his child's safety and health are always the most important things! So I don't hope that you will sacrifice your happiness for the sake of family responsibility. You are my child, and to me, nothing is more important than you, not duty, not mission.'"

  With Father's words, I felt a warmth that had never appeared before, flowing through my whole body, having a family and a father is really great.

  I know what this sentence from Father means and what kind of courage is needed.

  "Son, after you have obtained the Blood of the Vermilion Black Tortoise, you will have the opportunity to choose your own destiny. Even if you don't lift this curse of the Ten Thousand Souls, you won't suffer the same fate as I did, and you can live a normal life. Although you won't be able to have children of your own, at least you won't face death. It's already a miracle that we can meet, and lifting this curse is like another miracle; the probability of two miracles happening in a row is just too low! The Cui family now has the countless wealth bestowed by the Tang king Li, and with Cui Bo's management, it's considered one of the richest families, living without worries. This curse that has gone unsolved for thousands of years must be a path fraught with thorns, concerning life and death. As a father, I couldn't bear to watch my child jump into such a deep and bottomless pit of hardship, struggling at death's door; I really can't bear it."

  Every word that came out of my father's lips was a knock on my heart, he would rather endure the pain of losing hope than see me suffer, and those tears were even more heartbreaking for me. They made me understand what family is, what kinship is, what love is, this luxurious emotion that I haven't felt in a long time.

  I pondered for a moment,

  "Would you have the Xuanwu's blood in your body if you can't break the curse of Wan Hún?"

  "Heh heh, the Cui family's Xuanwu bloodline only has a single drop left, and my pattern will naturally fade away slowly until it disappears."

  "What if it disappears?"

  "I'm gone, I'll be living in a tomb."

  "I'm going!"

  At this point, I said in a firm tone that I had never had before. "Dad, many times, I don't know what I want to do or can do. I know I've never been a brave person and often retreat even before difficulties come. In 27 years, I have failed countless times, including the love that I consider my life."

  But this time, even if breaking the curse of ten thousand souls is like ascending to heaven, even if I die nine times and am reborn a thousand times, I must do it. For so many years, I have been disappointed, regretful, I cannot let this kind of disappointment and regret that is worse than death define my life. I don't want to escape, nor do I want to lose, even in death, at least I can be free and easy. Dad! I want a home, I've thought about it for 27 years, what I want is not you accompanying me for one or two days, one or two years, but for a lifetime.

  I want you to see me grow up, see me get married and have children, we can truly live like ordinary people, simple and happy. If I had to choose between my own happiness and watching you suffer from the pain of the curse of ten thousand souls, and I could never become a father for the rest of my life, I couldn't do it, really couldn't do it. What's the point of living such a life? What's the meaning of such an existence? Is there anything more shameful than living alone and dying alone? Just like you said, what's the point of having wealth if you don't have family to share it with? What's the point of beautiful scenery if you don't have family to appreciate it with? If this is fate, then so be it. I've died once before, no big deal if I die again. With the ancestors' judge around, I'm not afraid of death anymore. The underworld is my home! No matter what the cost, I will lift this curse of ten thousand souls! You just wait to hold your grandson and drink that bowl of daughter-in-law tea!

  I burst out laughing, and seeing me like that, Father also laughed, even tears streaming down his face. Fate had bound us father and son tightly together.

  At this moment, our eyes meet, in this second, we burst out laughing. Although the road ahead is thorny and life-and-death related, at this second, we only want to enjoy this hard-won kinship. Today there's wine today drunk, tomorrow worry comes tomorrow sorrow, because of kinship, I have had courage that I never had before.

  Although the history of failure for over 20 years still makes me uneasy, as the only self-destructed person in a great ghost official family, I will inevitably be on the pillar of shame. How to reverse it, how not to stink for ten thousand years, the situation is pressing, whether you like it or not, can't escape, can't avoid, can't hide, then just accept it calmly.