Death… and me

"Yes. He comforted me at that time, and told me that we'll find our son. He told me that our son is also perhaps a young hero," Chu Fei Ling gently chuckled and said, "Then, I said 'if only that 'puppy' of ours can be half as good as you, brother… Ah, I and my wife will have no regrets in our life if he can be even a fraction of what you are…' My Sworn Brother then comforted me, and said that our son will have boundless future prospects. Moreover, he said that our son is definitely handsome, confident, and dashing. And, that he is a promising young talent with grace and class… Girls go crazy about him when they see him…"

Chu Fei Ling said with a smile, "I clearly knew that he was saying all those things to comfort me. But, I strangely felt soothed after he mentioned those things…"

Yang Ruo Lan opened her eyes wide. She opened her small mouth, and became petrified.

Her eyebrows remained raised for a long time, while a smile had been formed on her lips. Then, the look in her eyes became even stranger. She then finally came to her senses, and looked at her husband as if she was looking at a deity. Finally, she couldn't help but bloom with a smile on her face.

[Does your son truly have boundless future prospects?]

[Oh yes, he truly has boundless future prospects. He turned over the entire Lower Three Heavens with his strength. Then, how could I say that he doesn't have boundless future prospects?]

[Will your son definitely be handsome, confident, and dashing? Will he be a promising young talent with grace and class?]

[There is no doubt in that…]

[Girls will go crazy about him when they see him?]

[I absolutely believe that. You can tell that just by looking at the two outstanding beauties — Wu Qian Qian and Tie Bu Tian. The empress of an imperial capital was perfectly happy to give birth to his child. If this isn't being completely crazy about someone… then I don't know what is.]

[But… these words had come from his own mouth… Isn't it somewhat… funny, right?]

The smile on Yang Ruo Lan's face diffused. But, it gradually filled her entire face instead. And, she was just silently smiling from her entire face now…

[All things about him must be true. However, one more thing should be added to them – Your son is truly very shameless.]

"Your Sworn Little Brother is truly an interesting person," Yang Ruo Lan looked at her husband with a vague smile.

"The boy is indeed good," Chu Fei Ling's sworn brother was being praised. So, he felt much honored. Therefore, he replied while feeling pleased.

"Fei Ling, there is something… that I think I must tell you," Yang Ruo Lan heaved a long sigh of relief.

"What?"

"Um, our son went missing eighteen years and nine months ago, right?" Yang Ruo Lan slowly said.

"Yeah…" Chu Fei Ling sighed, "That makes me very anxious…"

Yang Ruo Lan didn't pay attention to what he said and continued, "It is said that King of Hell Chu is an abandoned child. King of Hell Chu's master — Meng Chao Ran — had adopted him… eighteen years ago"

"Eh…" Chu Fei Ling's eyes widened.

"You also know that the Empress of the Imperial Palace… that is, my junior martial sister has given birth to King of Hell Chu's son," Yang Ruo Lan started to tell him in detail. She slowly said, "It is said that he is a carbon copy of King of Hell Chu. And, the appearance of King of Hell Chu is 80% similar to yours according to Junior Martial Sister."

"Ah~~" Chu Fei Ling opened his mouth wide.

"We can conclude from this that the King of Hell Chu that I had met back then… was a fake. In fact, I haven't met the real one," Yang Ruo Lan snorted.

"Huh…?" Chu Fei Ling's face turned a little black.

"That Sworn Little Brother of yours was also surnamed Chu. His name was Chu Yang. And, that is also the other name of King of Hell Chu," Yang Ruo Lan slowly said.

"Oh…" Chu Fei Ling's face became somewhat green.

"Therefore, we can conclude that your sworn brother is King of Hell Chu," Yang Ruo Lan pressed harder and harder.

"Eh…" Cold sweat seeped out from Chu Fei Ling's forehead.

"You had told me that you and your sworn brother seemed to have a predestined relationship, and that his appearance is 80% similar to yours," Yang Ruo Lan looked at her husband with a firm expression in her eyes.

"I…" Chu Fei Ling felt feverish. It was getting a bit fuzzy in front of his eyes. He felt a bit confused.

"You became friends with your sworn little brother for two days. And, he gave you the core of the Mysterious Yang Jade. He gave you so many wonderful elixirs that are difficult to come across. He gave you two Heavenly Armaments. And, there are only a few of those in the entire Nine Heavens. Moreover, your sworn little brother noted each and every word that you told him. He also noted the illness of your wife, and acted upon it. He did many good deeds for you. He didn't even forget to give things to your wife…

"You and your second brother are born of the same parents on the other hand. You two have grown up together since you both were crawling babies. But, he still wants to assassinate you.

"But, your sworn little brother gave you so many things in just two days. He gave you everything… as if he was shoving things on you lest you might not accept them… I wonder if… he gives so many things to others too…"

Chu Fei Ling's face had turned black and green. He should've dug a pit and buried himself in it if he still hadn't understood what Yang Ruo Lan was trying to imply.

"Your sworn little brother is a shrewd man. He is wise and intelligent, and can be considered the best in the young generation. He is vicious and merciless, and has a decisive conduct. Then, how could he be so devoted to a stranger?

"He would have died 'god knows how many' times by now if he were to be that naive, right? Did he do all that… just to gain your praise? Do you think that he doesn't know… that a person's wealth arouses the envy of others? Even brothers with good terms become greedy when they see benefits in something, right? However, he took out all of his peerless and rare items in front of you? Wasn't he afraid that you might snatch them from him? Or, that you might kill him for them?

"How was he so comfortable with you?

"And, why did your sworn brother start to cry when he heard your story… You must know that he's a crafty, wise, and brilliant strategist, right? So, how could he be so frail on an emotional level?

"You were together for just two days… You 'Brothers' didn't even undergo any test of emotions. And, he still gave all those things to you…" Yang Ruo Lan became angrier as she continued to speak, "Chu Fei Ling! Are you a pig?"

Chu Fei Ling was profusely sweating. He felt as if he was in an extremely difficult situation. Sparkling and translucent beads of sweat were dangling on his eyebrows. And, those beads of sweat were then dripping onto his eyelashes. Sweat was falling down drop by drop. In fact, it was also falling into his wide open mouth. However, he seemed to be completely unaware of all this.

"You mean to say… he is… our son?" Chu Fei Ling said with a groan.

"You don't say!" Yang Ruo Lan gave him a cold and hateful look.

"Oh my God!" Chu Fei Ling sat down on the floor. His face turned into the color of a pig's liver. And, his entire body suddenly started to sweat profusely. He felt so ashamed that he couldn't show his face.

The more he thought about it… the more possible it felt. However, it wasn't just a possibility. It was a fact!

"I truly admire you. You tried to find your son for eighteen years. And, you were anxious that entire time like anything. Then, you met him with great difficulty. But, you made your 'son' your 'sworn brother'. This 'honorable' father forced his son to swear brotherhood when the son didn't want it. You pressed your son's head to make him kowtow, and forcefully made him swear brotherhood to you…"

Yang Ruo Lan shook her head and sighed, "Chu Fei Ling… I truly admire you a lot. What could possibly make you so brainless that you did these things?

"You became Sworn Brothers with your own son… you forced him to call you 'Big Brother'. You forced your own son to call his mother 'Elder Sister-in-law'… Oh my great husband, Mr. Chu Fei Ling! There's no one like you in the entire Nine Heavens. You are unprecedented, and can never be duplicated."

Yang Ruo Lan felt like laughing after grilling him over and over.

Chu Fei Ling opened his eyes wide while being in a daze. His face turned deathly white in a flash. Then, it immediately turned the color of a pig's liver. Then, it became miserably green. It was safe to say that his face was changing colors like a chameleon… He finally covered his face. Then, he groaned, and fell back on the floor… [I am done for!]

[I'm truly done for this time!]

[I've disgraced myself to death!]

Chu Fei Ling would've died from laughing too much if such a joke was on someone else. However, this joke was on him…

It was clearly the most embarrassing thing in the world. Nothing could surpass this.

Finally…

"That little bastard! That scoundrel! Why didn't he tell me anything…?" Chu Fei Ling abruptly jumped up. He seethed in rage, and blew his top. His appearance had also become very sinister, "He made such a big fool of me!"

"I'm afraid that he didn't say anything because you probably didn't give him a chance to do so, right?!" Yang Ruo Lan softly said.

Chu Fei Ling recalled the scene from back then. He then muttered while being extremely regretful, "No wonder… no wonder… he had hesitatingly tried to say something several times… But, I kept forcing him to become my sworn brother…"

Yang Ruo Lan became wild with rage when she heard this. Then, she firmly twisted his ear, "You still have the nerve to say this? Our son would've perhaps returned home long ago if you had given him the chance to speak… Everything is your fault! You pig-head!"

Yang Ruo Lan had realized that she would've reunited with her son long ago… if not for her husband's silliness which had delayed it for so long. She felt extremely hateful in her heart at this moment.

[Don't you know that it has been eighteen years since our son hasn't come home. I haven't seen him this entire time? I, I… his own mother doesn't know what he looks like because I haven't seen him for these many years!]

[You ugly and stupid swine…]. She almost went as far as to say this…

"He should've told me even after we became sworn brothers. It should've been very important for him to acknowledge his family and come back to the clan…" Chu Fei Ling was extremely angry as he shouted. But, he stopped in the middle of the sentence. His voice became lower and lower. He suddenly felt increasingly guilty. In fact, he even felt an increasing lack of confidence in his heart…

However, Yang Ruo Lan got furious instead, "You bastard! You just had to go and make things so complicated. You made him your sworn brother. How could he still dare to tell you? Wouldn't you have peeled his skin if he had done so?"

"I…" Chu Fei Ling couldn't continue speaking after this word. He heaved a long sigh of regret, "Sigh~~" Then, he held his head, and started to pull his hair. He squatted down, and didn't utter a word thereafter…

Yang Ruo Lan was also silent. Both husband and wife remained silent.

"Ruo Lan… this… this matter mustn't leak out." Chu Fei Ling suddenly had a thought. He then hurriedly grabbed his wife's hand, and pleaded, "If you tell this to anyone… I, I, I… I will, oh~~~ ah…"

Yang Ruo Lan felt happy and funny. But, she shook off his hand with all her strength, "Do you think that this matter can be kept a secret? We can't conceal it from your father at least, right?"

"I…" Chu Fei Ling felt like a deflated balloon, "My old father has a big mouth… The entire Chu Clan will know… if he came to know this. And, the Yang Clan will know if the Chu Clan knew… which means that the entire Upper Three Heavens will know this. I… I'll die…"

"Humph!" Yang Ruo Lan was still outraged.

Chu Fei Ling stared blankly in a daze for a long time. He then gnashed his teeth and said, "When that little bastard comes back home, I… if I don't smack his ass, then I…"

"You will what? You will what?" Yang Ruo Lan sneered, and looked at him. Then, she stuck out her chest and interrogated in detail, "What will you do? Let me tell you, Chu Fei Ling! My son will come back. We owe him eighteen years. Eighteen long years! The consequences won't be good if you dare to even lay a finger on him."

Chu Fei Ling was completely baffled. So, he slumped down to the ground, and weakly said, "I… was just saying…"

"Even saying is off limits," Yang Ruo Lan shouted.

Chu Fei Ling groaned with a sigh. However, his eyes suddenly lit up. And, his face became flushed with excitement. "Then, wouldn't it mean that the little guy in the Imperial Palace… is our grandson… our own grandson?"

….