Pregnant with the Immortal Venerable's Child After Divorce - Chapter 19(2.2)

Chapter 19(2.2): I’ll Go With You in the Future.

Afraid of this house that contained a madwoman.

He also couldn’t go out. His father wouldn’t let him wander around.

He even avoided having his Senior Brother and Senior Sister visit because his mother didn’t like them, especially Little Senior Brother.

He actually liked Little Senior Brother very much.

Although Little Senior Brother never smiled, rarely spoke, and was like a block of wood, he would listen when Yan Zhu spoke. Whatever Yan Zhu wanted, Little Senior Brother would find a way to get it for him.

The next time Yan Zhu received a small parcel from Wen Sucheng, Yan Zhuiyun suddenly rushed up and pushed Wen Sucheng to the ground.

“You are not allowed to get close to him!!” Yan Zhuiyun hugged Yan Zhu, her eyes filled with panic as she looked at Wen Sucheng. She loudly drove Wen Sucheng away. Only after watching him leave did she look down at the child in her arms, softly asking: “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

Yan Zhu was stunned for a moment, then gently shook his head, showing her the contents of the small parcel.

Inside was a spiritual robe, covered with shimmering light, as if woven from a heavenly rainbow, and incorporated with a defensive array. It was both beautiful and practical.

“For Mother,” Yan Zhu said. “I asked the Weaver Maiden of the Immortal Clothes Workshop to make it. I was afraid it wouldn’t be ready in time for Mother’s birthday, so I asked Little Senior Brother to bring it back for me.”

Yan Zhuiyun was stunned for a long time. Tears began to stream down her face again. She hugged Yan Zhu and whispered: “Mother doesn’t celebrate birthdays, doesn’t celebrate birthdays. Don’t go near him again, do you understand? He will hurt you.”

Yan Zhu didn’t understand why his mother would say this, but he still nodded.

He rarely approached Wen Sucheng after that, only occasionally seeing him, and always avoiding his mother.

As he grew older, he watched the increasingly aloof and increasingly revered Wen Sucheng among the disciples and began to understand his mother’s meaning.

In the eyes of outsiders, Little Senior Brother was powerful and just, filial and loyal to his master. He would teach on behalf of his master. He would do his best to help his junior brothers and sisters with any difficulties. Outsiders who sought his aid would receive generous assistance. He was a perfect role model, and even his aloof, solitary nature was spoken of as the silence of a man whose word was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

It was just like how everyone believed his father’s love for his mother was profound and enduring, that he was a good husband. As long as he did many good deeds elsewhere, they wouldn’t care what happened to his mother.

Little Senior Brother was becoming a little like his father, only his father knew to wear a mask of pretense, and Little Senior Brother didn’t.

This wasn’t strange.

Little Senior Brother grew up following his father, modeling himself after him, learning everything from him except his personality.

It was just that he wasn’t as “flexible” as his father. He was rigid and earnest, so earnest that he wouldn’t harbor those despicable intentions toward him and his mother.

Yan Zhu looked at his younger self, who always rushed toward Wen Sucheng, and the corners of his mouth, which had always been downturned, finally showed a slight loosening of tension.

At least he knew then that Wen Sucheng wouldn’t hurt him.

Not even his father would; only his mother would.

As he grew older, his mother had episodes more frequently.

When she was lucid, she would smile and say, “Our Little Zhu is like Mother, the most beautiful.” When she was not lucid, she would point at him and maliciously curse him, the one who “looks as disgusting as your father,” to die. There were even a few times when she tried to slash his face with a knife.

Yan Zhu had heard her say “I’m sorry” countless times. Every time after an episode, his mother would say it, the three words filled with intense pain and guilt. She would repeatedly stress that she loved him the most, yet in the next episode, she would say with the most vicious tone that her greatest regret was giving birth to him.

It was all his fault.

Yan Zhu was in pain for a long time.

He knew his mother loved him, but she also hurt him.

Later, he doubted whether she truly loved him, or if her kind nature just made her feel guilty.

Yan Zhu couldn’t tell the difference.

But he preferred to believe that his mother loved him.

Mothers always love their children, don’t they?

Yan Zhu stood by, watching a hundred years pass like a shuttle, and found that he was not as painful as he once was.

Perhaps it had been too long. So long that if it weren’t for this illusion, he would have almost forgotten what happened back then.

Forgotten how his mother cursed him, forgotten the venomous resentment when his mother choked his neck and wanted him to die, and even forgotten what his mother looked like, only remembering that she looked beautiful when she smiled.

He missed his mother.

If he also had a child, would that child love him as he loved his mother?

For the first time, Yan Zhu raised his hand and touched his own belly.

There was a small life there.

Yan Zhu couldn’t articulate how he felt about the life inside him, but he didn’t want to bring another version of himself into the world.

“Mother.” Yan Zhu lowered his hand, looked at Yan Zhuiyun, who was reaching out to him, and for the first time asked her: “Do you regret giving birth to me?”

He had heard the answer to this question countless times from his mother when she was having an episode, but he had never once heard it from her when she was lucid.

He believed there must be some regret, which was why he never asked. Only in a moment like this could he ask such a question.

But the illusion seemed to sense his thought. Yan Zhuiyun, who shouldn’t have been able to hear his voice, suddenly smiled and said gently: “Never.”

Yan Zhu’s eyes immediately turned red.

He reached out to Yan Zhuiyun, wanting to hug her, but was choked by her again.

“Little Zhu.” Yan Zhuiyun’s voice, soft as water, fell upon his ear: “Mother can’t bear to let you go.”

The familiar feeling of suffocation returned, reminding Yan Zhu of the pain of being choked by his mother many years ago. But this time, no one stopped his mother.

Yan Zhu glanced at Pear Blossom, who was spinning anxiously not far away.

He didn’t need to say anything, but Pear Blossom already understood. It floated towards Yan Zhuiyun’s back, and its small hand pressed onto Yan Zhuiyun’s back.

Yan Zhu saw Yan Zhuiyun’s eyes slowly widen, staring at him in disbelief.

Yan Zhu lowered his gaze and whispered: “You said you hoped I would live well.”

But the illusion wouldn’t show him this scene.

The path to immortality is long. Everyone has people they care about, experiences of separation and death, indelible wounds, and fears. Even the most selfish person has shadows in their heart.

And the illusion was like a mirror, reflecting the intruder’s inner world, making him long, making him suffer, and making him unable to act on the only way to break the situation.

“Unfortunately, you chose the wrong person,” Yan Zhu looked intently at his mother, who was beginning to melt away like mud, speaking softly. He didn’t know if he was speaking to her or to the illusion: “I won’t be lenient with my mother.”

As his words fell, Yan Zhuiyun completely melted into a puddle of mud. The luxurious palace also began to collapse, frightening Pear Blossom, who quickly burrowed into Yan Zhu’s neck, softly calling out to him: “Xiao Zhu, Xiao Zhu.”

“It’s alright,” Yan Zhu looked at the stone tiles about to crash down and saw that they turned into fragments of light before falling, like a falling snowstorm.

When the palace completely disappeared, the snow also melted, revealing the true appearance of the secret realm. Yan Zhu then realized he was in a forest, and a small figure was standing not far away.

“A Fu…?” Yan Zhu called out hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if this was the second layer of the illusion, so he had to be cautious.

A Fu heard the sound and walked over, speaking softly: “Master… Master…”

His voice was faint and weak, and he didn’t dare to look up at him. His awkward posture made Yan Zhu immediately understand.

He was afraid of Yan Zhu’s anger and was trying to use his fluffy appearance to make him soften.

Yan Zhu looked at the small figure, remaining silent for a long time, still unable to say anything harsh. Finally, he let out a very soft sigh: “Why are you here?”

The shadow cast on the ground slowly lengthened, eventually transforming into the appearance of a young man.

He lowered his head slightly and replied: “I sensed you.”

In the past, Yan Zhu would have found his demeanor docile and adorable, but knowing who he was, he felt this posture was inexplicably familiar.

Little Senior Brother was also like this in front of his father: slightly lowered head, serious expression, and a look of complete obedience. It was just that Little Senior Brother was tall and had a strong presence, so he didn’t look as innocent as A Fu.

Yan Zhu stretched out a finger and pressed it against A Fu’s forehead, lifting his head: “Did you see anyone else?”

A Fu shook his head and explained: “I used a special method to find you.”

He didn’t elaborate on what method it was.

Yan Zhu didn’t press for details. He wasn’t worried about Qi Ran’yin and Kong Fu, only afraid that something might happen to Yan Zhitao. He asked: “Is it dangerous here?”

A Fu still shook his head: “The most difficult part is the illusion. It’s better after entering. She’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t run around.”

Yan Zhu finally relaxed and began searching for an artifact to find people in his spatial ring.

He had never thought about Yan Zhitao’s involvement. He had prepared plenty of self-defense items, but none for searching for people.

Yan Zhu could only pin his hopes on A Fu: “Can you find her?”

A Fu couldn’t, but Wen Sucheng could.

Seeing his hesitation, Yan Zhu immediately said: “If you can’t, I’ll figure it out myself.”

But what method could he use? Most likely, it would be the slow, painstaking way, searching inch by inch. Although he had artifacts, it would still be tiring.

A Fu couldn’t let him do that and had to nod: “Let’s find a place to rest first.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Yan Zhu’s face, and his voice softened a little: “Are you tired?”

Yan Zhu was stunned for a moment, quickly understanding his meaning. He raised an eyebrow and asked: “If I’m tired, will you carry me?”

After he spoke, both of them froze simultaneously. Then, Yan Zhu saw a slight smile appear in A Fu’s eyes, and he smiled himself.

If Wen Sucheng himself were here, Yan Zhu would never have said such a thing. Facing A Fu, as his master, he couldn’t ask a little kitten such a question. But now that the two were combined, he could say it.

A Fu nodded lightly: “Alright.”

“With your frame, carrying me?” Yan Zhu looked at him. “Wait until you’re a little older.”

A Fu pretended not to understand the meaning behind his words. He pulled a carriage out of his spatial ring.

The carriage looked ordinary, but inside, it was the size of two or three rooms. Although not comparable to a flying ship, it was comfortable enough to live in.

A Fu pulled him into the carriage and said: “You rest well. I’ll look for her.”

Yan Zhu frowned: “How will you search?”

A Fu took out a stack of paper.

Yan Zhu understood: “With paper dolls?”

A Fu nodded. These things were similar in function to spirit-hosting puppets but much cruder and easier to refine. He could make as many as he wanted. Once sent out, they would report back when they found someone.

Yan Zhu felt relieved: “Then I’ll go rest for a while.”

He said this and didn’t go to the bed, but lay down on a couch.

He thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep, just wanted to rest and gather his spirits, but pregnancy had already made him very sleepy, and the illusion had consumed a lot of his mental energy. He quickly fell asleep after lying down.

Seeing this, A Fu immediately set up a barrier, isolating the sounds and movements outside. Then he lowered his head and began cutting paper dolls.

Although he said he was refining them, these paper dolls, used only for searching, were not complicated to make. A few snips created a whole string of them. He then chanted a spell, infused them with spiritual power, and sent them out the window. They would run off by themselves.

Because it was simple, he was already finished when Yan Zhu woke up and was using a small furnace to refine something.

Yan Zhu was drowsy when he woke up. Seeing the familiar figure refining something, he subconsciously called out: “Little Senior Brother.”

A Fu looked up at him: “Why would Senior Master be here?”

Yan Zhu: “…”

He smiled, swallowed the rest of his words, and changed his question: “Did you find anyone?”

“I found Kong Fu and asked him to search,” A Fu replied. “Do you want to eat something?”

Yan Zhu gave a soft “Oh,” gently shaking his head. He sat there with his head down, looking a little dejected: “I don’t know where Ran’yin is either, and if we’ll ever meet again. If… if Little Senior Brother were here, it would be great.”

A Fu stiffened: “What would happen if Senior Master were here?”

Yan Zhu lifted his eyelids to look at him, then let them droop down again. His eyes looked a little fierce, and his voice carried a hint of displeasure: “With Little Senior Brother’s cultivation, we wouldn’t have been dragged into this in the first place.”

A Fu pursed his lips: “I did something.”

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for Yan Zhu to break the illusion. The root cause was that the single sword strike had weakened the secret realm’s rules, and thus the power of the illusion.

It was just that this was his fragment of consciousness. Although he had carefully molded it, his level was limited. If his true self were here, he could indeed break open this secret realm completely.

“It’s still the same,” Yan Zhu hugged his arms, muttering, “Now we don’t know how long we’ll be trapped here.”

A Fu lowered his eyes upon hearing this: “Master had planned to come earlier, so he doesn’t like it now?”

Yan Zhu didn’t immediately grasp his meaning: “Don’t like what? The secret realm? I still like it, just not this kind of accident.”

A Fu looked up at him: “Then why did you never go?”

Yan Zhu was silent for a moment, then spoke honestly: “Without Senior Brother coming with me, I didn’t know who else to ask.”

A Fu fell silent.

So Yan Zhu liked secret realms, but just didn’t like going with him? Was that why he was so anxious to leave now?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Yan Zhu said: “Actually, I told Little Senior Brother I wanted to go to a secret realm when we were first married.”

A Fu looked at him.

He remembered this too. It was a newly discovered secret realm. The conditions inside were unknown, only that it was roughly at the Nascent Soul level. Although he had just reached the Spirit Transformation stage at the time, going to that secret realm was easy for him. But for Yan Zhu, who was only in the Foundation Establishment stage, it was a very dangerous place.

“Little Senior Brother just said ‘Mhm’ at the time. I didn’t know what he meant, and I was too embarrassed to ask more, so I just waited. I waited until the secret realm closed, and he still didn’t come to find me,” Yan Zhu said. “Later, he gave me a spatial ring, and I realized he had gone by himself. He gave me everything he got inside.”

It was the same later. Every time Yan Zhu mentioned a new secret realm, Wen Sucheng would go and bring back everything he found.

Yan Zhu lowered his head, placing his hand on his knee, absentmindedly tugging at the pattern on his clothes that resembled flowing landscapes: “I actually wanted to go with Little Senior Brother, but I didn’t know much, and Little Senior Brother was busy. I was too embarrassed to ask him, so I secretly researched. Later, I found out that secret realms also depend on one’s cultivation level. My level was too low. Going inside would only hold Senior Brother back.”

A Fu frowned upon hearing this: “I… Senior Master wouldn’t think that. If Master wanted to go, he would definitely protect Master.”

Yan Zhu didn’t respond to that, but said: “There are actually quite a few low-level secret realms, but most start at the Golden Core level. Those below that are rare. So I could only cultivate first, until I advanced to the Golden Core stage. I thought I could finally go, but my father wouldn’t allow it.”

He still remembered his father coming to find him that day, telling him not to be so willful, saying he wasn’t suitable for secret realms.

Yan Zhu was dissatisfied: “Everyone else can go, why can’t I?”

“Can you be compared to them?! You can’t even hold a sword steady. What can you do against those demonic beasts except run?” Wen Tianren’s voice was actually low and deep, not sharp, but perhaps because his tone was too loud, it stung Yan Zhu’s ears: “Can’t you just be as obedient as your mother and stay at home, stop going out and embarrassing me?”

Yan Zhu instantly jumped three feet high: “Don’t mention my mother! I have Little Senior Brother! He will protect me! He’s not like you!!”

“You have the audacity to mention Sucheng!” the man roared. “He’s already at the Unity Stage now. Going to low-level secret realms to snatch things all the time—isn’t that shameful?! Do you know what those people are saying about him behind his back?!?”

Yan Zhu fell silent.

He hadn’t known there was such a saying.

Little Senior Brother had never told him.

“I never mentioned it to Little Senior Brother again after that,” Yan Zhu said. “Without me, the secret realms Little Senior Brother went to became much higher level. The things he brought back each time were all of high quality. He’s truly amazing.”

“There’s no such saying,” A Fu’s breathing was a little heavy. He had always thought Yan Zhu’s interest in secret realms was just a fleeting impulse. He had never considered this kind of reason: “Cultivation is inherently a struggle against heaven and against man. Senior Master isn’t stealing treasures or murdering people. What’s shameful about going to some low-level secret realms?”

“It’s not shameful for others, but Little Senior Brother is different,” Yan Zhu said. “He’s the next Sect Master of the Bright Heart Sect, the famous Descending Snow Celestial Venerable. He should be deferential to those people.”

He spoke very slowly, his tone carrying a grievance he didn’t even realize. It made A Fu’s heart ache.

“In the future… I’ll go with you,” A Fu said. “Senior Master will also go with you.”

Yan Zhu didn’t reply but stared straight at him.

A Fu felt a little uneasy under his gaze. He could only turn his eyes to the furnace beside him. Seeing that the item was finished, he cast two hand seals, took the item out, stood up, and took it to Yan Zhu, saying: “Give this to that girl later. I’ll make a better one when we get back.”

It was a pair of matching jade pendants for finding people. It was made in a hurry, with no intricate carvings, just a simple “Yan” character engraved on a round piece of green jade.

Yan Zhu looked at the two jade pendants in his palm, not taking them. He looked up at A Fu and said: “When we get back, Little Senior Brother will make me a new one.”

A Fu fell silent again.

Seeing him like this, the little bit of calm Yan Zhu had left was suddenly overtaken by anger and a bitter ache. He looked at A Fu and asked: “Did you see my illusion just now?”

A Fu frowned, not answering.

But silence was the best answer.

That was an illusion that “belonged” to Yan Zhu, like a dream he had. Logically, others shouldn’t have been able to see it, but Wen Sucheng always had ways to enter.

To be honest, this was a bit underhanded, but the illusion couldn’t be interfered with from the outside. If he wanted to help, he had to go inside. It was only because he heard Yan Zhu stop Pear Blossom that he didn’t intervene.

“You didn’t know about those things, did you?” Yan Zhu continued to ask, not knowing if he was asking A Fu or Wen Sucheng.

“I know some things,” A Fu said.

He thought Yan Zhu would ask about his mother and father’s affairs, but Yan Zhu said: “Then do you want me to swear an oath? An oath not to be angry with you, not to pursue the matter of you deceiving me.”

A Fu’s face instantly changed. He immediately shook his head, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no sound came out. He only lowered his head.

Yan Zhu became even angrier. He wanted to scold this person, but facing A Fu, he always found himself unable to open his mouth.

This realization made him even more distressed. He was the one who was deceived, yet he was the one being controlled.

He bit his lip hard, turning his head away from the person in front of him, like a pouting child. He knew this had no deterrence, but he didn’t know how to express his anger so that the other party would understand his feelings without appearing like a madman.

But after getting angry, he felt a sense of frustration, because Wen Sucheng was a block of wood who definitely wouldn’t know how to coax someone. Maybe in the end…

Before he could finish the thought, Yan Zhu felt something brush against his hand.

He froze, turning to see A Fu half-kneeling, resting his head on Yan Zhu’s knee. Like a little kitten who had made a mistake, he softly rubbed against his hand.