After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 26

“Can I… hug you?”

Zhao Chao’an leaned forward, glaring at the City Lord with bared teeth. “Hey, you’re scaring her!”

The City Lord slowly removed his mask and knelt before Ying Buran. “I’m sorry for frightening you,” he said softly. “You don’t need to be so distant and respectful. Let’s get to know each other again.”

“I… am your mother. My name is Jiang Liuyan.”

Ying Buran and Zhao Chao’an froze in shock. Zhao Chao’an recovered first, unable to stay seated. She immediately moved closer to Ying Buran, scrutinizing the City Lord from head to toe in disbelief.

Hiss. Now that the City Lord had removed his mask, ignoring the scar that ran diagonally across his face from upper left to lower right, there were indeed many similarities to Ying Buran, especially around the eyes and eyebrows.

No way, no way! Could the City Lord of Chasing Wind City really be Ying Buran’s mother? Or was this some kind of disguise? According to what she knew, Ying Buran’s two mothers had been killed by the Nine Nether Sect when Ying Buran was born.

If Ying Buran’s mother was still alive, why hadn’t she been there during the time when Ying Buran was being persecuted by the two sects?

Ying Buran had considered this as well. According to Zhao Chao’an’s account, she had been wandering alone her entire life, with no one ever searching for her—except for the Flowing Cloud Sect’s intervention after Zhao Chao’an’s Ghost Soldiers disrupted her ritual.

In a daze, she seemed to hear voices calling her “Calamity Star,” blaming her for bringing misfortune. She also seemed to see herself being driven out of one place after another, never finding a home…

These felt like memories, fragments of her past.

If all this were true, did her mother know? Would she have avoided searching for her because of her “Calamity Star” status?

She knew that couldn’t be the case, yet she couldn’t stop herself from thinking it. She realized she now found it difficult to fully trust someone she had just met, as if she had been deeply betrayed before.

Suddenly, someone took her hand. Ying Buran turned to see Zhao Chao’an sitting beside her, gripping her hand tightly. Zhao Chao’an nodded slightly and mouthed silently, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“I… cough, cough… May I ask why you never searched for Ying Buran during all this time? Did something happen that day?” Zhao Chao’an stroked her chin with her free hand, asking tentatively, her usual carefree demeanor completely gone.

Jiang Liuyan watched Ying Buran lower her head in silence, unsurprised by the lack of immediate acceptance, yet still unable to suppress a pang of disappointment.

Hearing Zhao Chao’an’s confusion, she explained, “Ever since I took power, I’ve been searching for her, but I’ve never been able to find her. Someone—no, not just someone, but even the ‘heavens’ themselves—has been preventing me from finding her.”

The Flowing Cloud Sect and Nine Nether Sect’s petty schemes alone could never have completely evaded her investigations. That left only one explanation: the Spirit of Heaven had intervened.

“I eventually found Xiao Ran again because someone leaked information to me—a member of the Heavenly Sacrifice,” Jiang Liuyan said, glancing apologetically at Ying Buran before slowly lowering her head.

How utterly useless I am, she thought bitterly. I had to rely on others to find my own daughter, after all the suffering she endured for so many years.

“…You’ve suffered too,” Ying Buran said softly, reaching out to take Jiang Liuyan’s hand. “Don’t blame yourself. You did everything you could.”

None of this was within their control. She knew her mother had always tried to find her, and that was enough.

Jiang Liuyan froze for a moment, her heart aching with tenderness. She never imagined her daughter would be the one comforting her now. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Ying Buran and asked softly, “Can I… can I hug you?”

Ying Buran looked back at her and nodded slightly.

“Thank you,” Jiang Liuyan said, rising to gently embrace Ying Buran, her voice trembling with emotion.

Ying Buran returned the embrace. A sharp pang of emotion welled up in her chest, threatening to bring tears to her eyes, but she forced them back. At last, she had a mother—she was no longer homeless.

Watching this scene, Zhao Chao’an secretly wiped away tears, genuinely happy for Ying Buran. Her A’Ran had endured so much suffering; now, finally, someone could love her selflessly.

But another question lingered in her mind. After the mother and daughter had finished catching up, she asked, “So, when did you realize A’Ran was your daughter?”

“During the Celestial Celebration,” Jiang Liuyan replied, releasing Ying Buran and sitting down beside her, her hand still tightly clasped in hers as if afraid she might vanish again. “My spies informed me then, and we’ve been planning her rescue ever since.”

Zhao Chao’an scratched her head, struggling to recall that period. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands. “Oh, I remember now! No wonder there were so many people lurking around the Flowing Cloud Sect back then!”

Jiang Liuyan hadn’t realized Zhao Chao’an had also been monitoring the situation. Slightly surprised, she asked, “You knew about this too? How long have you been watching them?”

“I’ve been observing them since before A’Ran was brought to the Flowing Cloud Sect. But those other old fogeys kept blocking me, saying the Underworld shouldn’t interfere with mortal affairs. It made it so difficult to act, forcing me to sneak around in the shadows. Tsk, a bunch of stubborn old fools.” Zhao Chao’an’s anger flared at the mention of this. If the other Ghost Kings and King Yama hadn’t restrained her, she would have taken A’Ran away long ago.

The Heavenly Sacrifice had caused turmoil in the Underworld as well, finally making them realize they couldn’t stand idly by. Where were they before? Zhao Chao’an mentally spat at the other three Ghost Kings and King Yama.

As for the remaining one… just thinking about him gave her a headache. Best not to dwell on it.

Jiang Liuyan nodded, gaining a clearer understanding of the Underworld’s current situation. Zhao Chao’an’s presence here likely meant the Underworld was now aligned with them—at least the Zhao Chao’an who had come to the mortal realm was.

After explaining her side of things, Zhao Chao’an asked, “By the way, what happened on your end that day? I didn’t see you at the Heavenly Sacrifice.”

If Jiang Liuyan had been there, she might have been able to save more people. But thinking back to that day, it did seem easier than expected.

Jiang Liuyan said, “That day, I went to intercept the three Ancestors. Most of those who followed the First Generation have already died from the backlash, leaving only those three.”

“Actually, you can subtract one,” Zhao Chao’an said. “The one from the Heavenly Evolution Sect was killed by their Sect Leader.” After speaking, she couldn’t help but study Jiang Liuyan again, but she still couldn’t see through her. “You stopped all three of them alone?”

Jiang Liuyan nodded. “Mm, barely. It was mostly because they feared death. If they had disregarded their lives, I would have fallen there long ago.” It was precisely because the three Ancestors were terrified of being injured or killed that they hesitated to attack directly, choosing instead to stall for time until the Heavenly Sacrifice occurred.

“When the Heavenly Sacrifice activated, their power surged significantly, then partially vanished. I suspect they had already connected with the Spirit of Heaven.”

Hearing this, Ying Buran looked at Jiang Liuyan with concern. “Were you injured during that time?”

Jiang Liuyan remained silent for a moment before vaguely replying, “I was injured, but it doesn’t hinder my movements.”

That means it’s serious, Zhao Chao’an silently added to herself, thinking that Jiang Liuyan was just like Ying Buran in her original timeline—as long as she didn’t die, she’d be fine.

But Zhao Chao’an didn’t press the issue. Since Jiang Liuyan didn’t want Ying Buran to know, she would respect her decision.

After all, she’s my future mom, if things work out.

Ying Buran glanced at Jiang Liuyan, then at Zhao Chao’an, and silently assessed the severity of the injury. Instead of pressing for details, she asked, “How did you manage to escape?”

“Someone—or rather, a ghost—helped me,” Jiang Liuyan explained. “She intervened at the critical moment, giving me an opening to escape. With the former Sect Leader of the Flowing Cloud Sect’s death, the Ancestors had to manage the chaos, and I seized the opportunity.”

That ghost… she’s no ordinary spirit, and she might even know me.

Jiang Liuyan kept this to herself. She only had a vague, bold suspicion, and prematurely sharing it with Ying Buran could be devastating if she was wrong.

“Let’s wait until we’ve investigated thoroughly before jumping to conclusions,” Zhao Chao’an said.

The mention of ghosts immediately made Zhao Chao’an recall who she hadn’t seen upon returning to the Underworld. The other four Ghost Kings were present, and King Yama remained rooted in his own domain, never stirring. It couldn’t have been any of them.

But if not them, who else possessed such power?

Surely not the Ferryman?

“So, what happened after that?” Zhao Chao’an asked, deliberately skipping over the question.

Jiang Liuyan glanced at her and summarized briefly, “After that, Xiao Ran was taken away by you, and Chasing Wind City officially declared its opposition to the Flowing Cloud Sect and Nine Nether Sect. Our ties with the Heavenly Evolution Sect and Myriad Phenomena Sect gradually weakened.”

“Recently, we experienced a suspected outbreak of Heaven’s Wrath. The Flowing Cloud Sect claimed our previous investigations into Heaven’s Wrath were flawed and, in alliance with the Myriad Phenomena Sect, severed all ties. They declared they would only assist with treatment if we surrendered and submitted to their authority.”

“Are there no physicians in the city?” Ying Buran asked. Chasing Wind City had been investigating Heaven’s Wrath for years; they should have had plenty of experts in the field.

At this, Jiang Liuyan’s brow furrowed, and her voice turned several degrees colder. “There were, but they were the first to fall victim. Only Physician Qu remains unharmed. I suspect there’s a traitor within the city, so I ordered a complete quarantine and severed all communication channels. Only then did the targeted outbreaks cease, leaving only sporadic cases.”

Zhao Chao’an scoffed, her disdain for such tactics evident. “That’s all they’re capable of now—resorting to petty tricks. Have you found the traitor yet?”

“We’ve narrowed down the search area and should have them apprehended within the next few days,” Jiang Liuyan replied. “But we still have some use for them, so don’t trouble yourselves with this matter. Leave it to me and Military Advisor Yun.” She added, “I’m already deeply grateful for your assistance.”

She reached out to stroke Ying Buran’s head, eliciting the first genuine smile Ying Buran had shown since arriving. “It’s our duty. So… Mother, is there anything else we can help with?”

Jiang Liuyan froze at the title, her expression softening visibly. She smiled. “Well… recently, we’ve been under attack by Ghost Soldiers. I imagine you have some understanding of them and how to counter their tactics. I’d be grateful if you could focus on that.”

“They haven’t shown any signs of attacking today, so you can rest easy tonight. Leave the reconnaissance to the professionals. Now, I have a question for you, if you don’t mind.”

Ying Buran met her gaze and nodded, signaling her to proceed.

Jiang Liuyan gently touched the half-mask on Ying Buran’s face, her voice trembling slightly. “This… is there something wrong here? I can sense the ghostly energy behind this mask.”