Chapter Eleven: Silent Musings

  "What has become of these four divine objects? Is it a case of 'one goes and one comes back, going and coming'? I pondered this matter, which seemed to be not very difficult."

  "Is it that simple? You think it's just a delivery? Put it there, pick it up and leave, is that still called a divine instrument?" Listening to Father's words seemed very reasonable.

  His father continued, "As for how to find the four divine artifacts that open the Heavenly Ceremony, it was previously because of the ignition of the Xuanwu blood that it was not continued. The four divine artifacts will appear with the appearance of the Xuanwu blood. Without the Xuanwu blood, it is impossible to obtain them. Simply put, if the divine artifact is compared to a car, then the Xuanwu blood is like gasoline. A car without gasoline is just a piece of scrap iron."

  Moreover, all four divine artifacts have guardians, either heavenly trenches, evil spirits, angry ghosts, or malevolent demons. Obtaining the artifacts will be a complex and perilous process that requires meticulous planning. As the saying goes, "preparation is key to avoiding trouble," only then can one's mind be at peace! Let's wait until Xu Bo wakes up before making any decisions. Besides, I won't die anytime soon. For now, our task is to enjoy this hard-won happiness!

  Looking at his father's expression in front of him, the hardships are self-evident.

  At this time, my stomach suddenly let out a protest, instantly making the scene very awkward! As we followed Father's gaze, we looked out of the window at the night that had gradually darkened and couldn't help but laugh together!

  My internal organs are also protesting with a drumbeat, occasionally emitting a lingering and mellow sound that makes me feel somewhat embarrassed.

  "Look at my memory, I forgot about the time as soon as we started talking! Now it's not early anymore, and it's almost past dinner time. We've been chatting for a whole day without realizing it. There are just too many things to talk about after being suppressed for over 20 years. It's really a relief to finally be able to say them out loud. But anyway, we have plenty of time in the future. For now, our priority is to go out and eat! Your mom has also returned from Guangde Mountain Jing Si An and came to visit you many times while you were sleeping. I shouldn't monopolize your time anymore. Let's go out and have a reunion dinner!"

  My father didn't say it, and I really didn't notice this matter. Yes, since I have a father, I will definitely have a mother. According to my handsome appearance, my mother must also be a great beauty. This is truly an instant reversal of fate, with surprises coming one after another.

  I couldn't wait to push my father to see the legendary mother, completing my transformation from grass to treasure, this happiness came too suddenly.

  "Wait, Dad, you just said Mom came back from somewhere? Guangde Mountain? Jing Si An? Didn't Mom live in the Choi family villa? Weren't you two divorced?" The spark of excitement that had just been lit was instantly extinguished by half with his father's words!

  Maybe it's because of the emotional fluctuations, but my reaction speed is at least half a beat slower, and I feel like I'm not keeping up with the rhythm.

  "My father's face was filled with deep helplessness, 'All these years have been hard on your mother. In fact, she is the biggest victim of this matter! Clearly knowing that her own child is in the same city, yet unable to meet, enduring the pain of separation from flesh and blood. For a mother, it can be said to be as painful as cutting flesh and scraping bone, or being slowly tortured.' At this point, my tears burst forth."

  "Alas, I have wronged you and your mother all these years. Due to the curse of Wan Xuan, relatives can only bear the unbearable weight of life. After you were sent to Ande, your mother cried every day, her mind depressed, and she attempted suicide multiple times. Fortunately, Shunyi Shifu from Jing Si An came to discuss the matter of Lazan's assistance and consoled your mother for three days and nights, finally helping her transform her grief into prayers for your well-being. After three days, your mother improved, but Shunyi Shifu lost her voice. She had exhausted herself consoling your mother, rendering herself mute, unable to utter a complete sentence even to this day. In the past, when Lazan was assisting, her eloquence was unmatched in all of Fengdu Prefecture!" My father's words brought me back to the scene that year.

  I immediately worshiped, this kind of professional integrity that makes oneself from a eloquent speaker to a mute is worthy of being worshipped with all one's body!

  "After that, your mother moved to Jing Si An in Guangde Mountain to live a secluded life, burning incense and reciting Buddhist scriptures every day to pray for your well-being. Except for occasionally coming back to ask about your situation, she rarely returned to the Cui family anymore. This has been going on for almost 27 years now." My father's eyes had an unmistakable hint of desolation and loneliness, a gaze that pierced deep into my heart.

  "It's been 27 years, I thought time could heal her wounds, but these 27 years haven't weakened her thoughts of you at all..." As I listened to my father's words, the ease I had just felt instantly vanished. It turned out that in my heart, my parents who I didn't care about and abandoned had done so much for me, while I was complaining every day. Tears burst forth with my father's words, and my body shook violently, tears falling like rain.

  My father looked at me, forcing a smile and said: "Child, today's tears are enough, if you cry again, our house will be flooded. The day of happiness has arrived, we should smile, we should laugh!" I nodded hard, trying to squeeze out a stiff smile, which was so ugly that it didn't need to be seen.

  I originally wanted to push my father out the door to eat, but Xu Bo had a tight grip on my father's wheelchair and mechanically pushed it, leaving me no room to intervene. Even with all my might, I couldn't budge Xu Bo, who was holding onto the wheelchair with one hand while holding an umbrella in the other.

  Anxious, I kicked the door open without any response. Father smiled and shook his head. Iron clothes first pushed open the door and went out. Having no choice, I could only push Xu Bo forward, feeling a cool and refreshing sensation in my hand.

  The name "mom" that I have been afraid to touch in my mind is about to appear before my eyes, the wings of my nose are starting to sweat nervously, feeling a bit tense and urgent. As soon as I stepped out, I saw many people standing on both sides of the door, different in appearance but same in expression, everyone was smiling, very kind and warm.

  "Good young master, good young master, good young master..." It seems to be a servant from the Cui family. I made an effort to put on a clever and elegant expression. My father introduced me one by one: "Ming'er, this is Sister Li, this is Mother Wang, this is Aunt Zhang." I pushed Xu Bo, Xu Bo pushed my father, and we walked past them one by one. I called out to each person and smiled sincerely at everyone. Along the solid wood paved staircase, Xu Bo pushed my father into the dining room on the first floor. The feeling of being called "young master" was still quite comfortable, and it never got old!

  I followed behind, still feeling a bit constrained in my heart. As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the hall, I saw a woman wearing a dark blue dress and with her hair tied up, busy with something. However, her hair had an unnatural color that didn't match her age - it was silver white without a single black strand. My father, who was in a wheelchair, turned his head and nodded at me.

  At that moment, due to over-excitement, okay, I admit I cracked my voice. In an unprecedented, extremely twisted tone, I yelled out "Mom!" I clearly saw my mother's whole body tremble and almost fall! Guess she was scared by me.

  My mother turned around, looked at me, and I suddenly understood that I was so handsome for a reason. The years couldn't hide my mother's beautiful face. At this moment, my mother's whole body began to shake violently, her face covered with tears. I rushed over quickly, hugged tightly, very warm, it was the warmest moment in my life.

  "Child, I thought you were dead! My child, you've come back, finally come back. Mom is sorry to you, mom is sorry to you!" I gently patted my mother's shoulder, the scene that I had fantasized about countless times in my dreams had really happened, and I was enveloped by a happiness so sudden it took my breath away.

  We stand like this, embracing each other, reluctant to let go, like a beautiful sculpture, still and unmoving.

  "Alright, alright, everyone sit down, it's time to eat. Even if you're not hungry, Yu, and I'm not hungry, our Ming must be starving! It's been ages since I've had your cooking! Hurry up and serve the meal! Ming, your mom hasn't cooked in over 20 years, and today I get to bask in my son's glory, what a treat!" I smiled sheepishly.

  At the dinner table, I heard my father say that after I left the Chui family and entered Ande, my mother cried every day, passing her days in tears, and every day she chased after Tie Cheng and Tie Yi, asking about me. The two of them would think of running away whenever they saw their mother, and often didn't dare to return home.

  My mother entered the quiet hermitage of Guangde Mountain, reciting scriptures and chanting Buddha's name, praying for my blessings all day long, and soon her hair turned white with worry. Listening to Father's words and looking at Mother's smile, tears dropped into the rice, filling my mouth with a full and happy flavor.

  The food was incredibly delicious, I had never eaten such a good meal before. My father and mother barely ate but sat opposite me, watching and smiling. Maybe my eating appearance was indeed very wolf-like. Every single grain of fragrant rice was deeply imprinted in my heart, turning into a little warmth that made my whole body sweat.

  There's no doubt that this is the best meal I've had in my lifetime, the taste of home, the taste of mother, stuffed my belly to the point where it's round like a pig that doesn't know how to control itself, the hole on my belt has reached its limit, and I'm humming with satisfaction.

  My mother kept pulling me to ask this and that, chatting, always having too many things to say. She also took out many new baby clothes she made herself, full moon, one year old, two years old, all the way to my current appearance. Although I've never worn them before, seeing these still makes me hold them tightly in my arms, reluctant to let go. Every stitch is a mother's love, every smile is a mother-son bond. Meanwhile, Father Cui Mu Bai was silently watching us with a smile on his face from the wheelchair beside us. The scene is harmonious, I'm drunk.

  It wasn't until around 11 o'clock at night that I was ready to return to my room and sleep. This day had been filled with too many events, completely overturning my 27 years of life. Astonishment, happiness, surprise, fatigue - all sorts of emotions were intertwined together, really making me feel a bit exhausted. And from time to time, I pinched my thigh to confirm that this wasn't just a beautiful dream, resulting in severe bruising on both legs, and now even walking is not smooth!

  At this time, Xu Bo, the living dead man, pushed his father's wheelchair towards me. His father took my hand and said: "Child, the road to breaking the curse is extremely difficult, and the difficulties along the way are unpredictable. Before that, you should go do some things you wanted to do when you were Zhuo Fan but didn't get to do. Don't leave too many regrets in life, for regret is the hardest wound to heal in one's lifetime."

  "Regret?" I muttered.

  "It's a pity that every time you want to laugh, it's the power of sadness!" After finishing speaking, Xu Bo pushed his father away and left, and the distant back view gradually transformed into Zhou Mo's figure.

  "Regret, my regret." I silently recited these words in my heart, and the person that came to mind was Zhou Mo, still Zhou Mo, always Zhou Mo. Zhou Mo is the heaviest regret of my 27 years of life.

  Thinking of Zhou Mo, that inexpressible oppressive feeling comes again, I start to take deep breaths one after another, trying to calm down my irregular heartbeat. My regret? My Zhou Mo!

  This person I once entrusted with all my dreams, at that time, we often fantasized about the future together, I put everything in the future, but didn't know, maybe we really don't have a future. Thinking of saying goodbye to Zhou Mo and his tears, another heart palpitation. Zhou Mo's eyes are sometimes clear, sometimes blurry in my mind, in the overlap of clarity and blur, I finally fell asleep. In a half-dreaming state, I felt someone covering me with a quilt, vaguely I saw my mother's appearance, I knew I was smiling, smiling happily like a child.

  At this time, I also decided to do one last thing for Zhuo Fan. For love, for the person I wanted to spend my life with, I took out the birthday gift my father had given me 27 years ago, which had been accumulating in a bank account that was now a staggering amount. I did one last thing for Zhuo Fan, for the love that I once considered my life. This is a story for another time, to be continued next time.