Chapter 607.2: Recognition
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Xiao Heng moved his gaze away from his father’s waist, turned around, and sat on the edge of the well. But as soon as one of his legs swung in, there came a sudden cat's meow from the bottom of the well.
Xiao Heng's hair stood on end!
Marquis Xuanping's expression grew serious. He looked steadily at his son and said, "Ah Heng."
Xiao Heng's legs started shaking. He was someone who wasn't afraid of poisonous snakes but was scared of cats.
Years ago, Marquis Xuanping would have chided him, “You are my——Marquis Xuanping’s son. Do you not even have this much courage?"
But tonight, he didn't say that.
Instead, he told him, "Come here. I'll think of another way."
There was no other way, and time was running out.
Now was the only moment; they had to rescue the child immediately. Otherwise, they would either abandon the child or die together.
Gripping the rope in front of him, Xiao Heng gritted his teeth and jumped down!
This seemingly ordinary jump made Marquis Xuanping's heart surge.
His son had grown up.
He had truly grown up.
Not in height or age, but he had truly grown into a towering and upright man. He was a promising and accomplished scholar-official.
Even though he didn't go to the front lines to kill enemies, he also used his passion to guard the people of the State of Zhao in his own way.
"I found him, you can pull us up!"
Xiao Heng's trembling voice echoed from the well.
He was afraid.
But he hadn't succumbed to his fear.
Sure enough, he is my son, Xiao Ji's son!
Marquis Xuanping quickly pulled the rope up, lifting Xiao Heng and the child from the bottom of the well.
Xiao Heng's movements were very careful, after all, the well opening was so narrow that any slight mistake could potentially scrape or bruise the child.
He held the child high above his head.
Marquis Xuanping took the child and placed him on the umbrella that had fallen to the ground with one hand, and pulled his son up with the other.
It was then that he noticed a cat clutched in his son's arms.
Xiao Heng was stiff all over, his face deathly pale, resembling an immobile little statue, "Can you please remove it quickly?"
Marquis Xuanping chuckled and grabbed the cat, tossing it into the bundle hanging from the saddle.
The child's condition didn’t look good, with multiple bruises on his body. They needed to find a physician quickly.
Xiao Heng fetched a cloth from a house to wrap the child and held him in his arms.
Marquis Xuanping was a bit surprised, "Oh, you’re quite good at it. Ready to be a father anytime?"
Xiao Heng gave him a sidelong glance, "We have Gu Xiaobao at home."
The child was older than Gu Xiaobao but probably not a year old, so the methods used to carry Gu Xiaobao would work for him as well.
The pair of father and son, with an extra child, a horse, and a cat, headed towards the official road.
However, just as they were about to leave the village, a section of the mountain ahead collapsed with a thunderous roar, shaking the ground at the village entrance.
Although the landslide wouldn't reach the village, the resulting mudslide would be a disaster for the village.
"Go!"
Marquis Xuanping shouted.
The horse quickly galloped onto the official road, but at that moment, an old banyan tree at the village entrance snapped and fell straight towards them!
In the nick of time, Marquis Xuanping stepped on the stirrup and leapt into the air, embracing the thick tree trunk with both hands and forcefully pushing it aside.
The tree was pushed away, but Marquis Xuanping was also pinned under it.
His old waist injury flared up instantly, and the wounds on his thighs and back threatened to reopen. His face turned deathly pale at once.
Xiao Heng tightened the reins and stopped the horse.
He dismounted, ignoring his sprained right foot, and ran towards Marquis Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping suppressed his pain and said to Xiao Heng, "Just go, go quickly."
"Let's go together! I'll move the tree!" Xiao Heng bent down, attempting to lift the massive tree.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the tree pressing on Marquis Xuanping wouldn't budge.
He took a rope from the bundle hanging from the saddle, tied one end to the tree and the other to the horse, then pulled with all his might.
However, the tree was too heavy and stout.
Xiao Heng's palms were rubbed raw, and speckled blood stains dripped down along the ropes.
The mountain ahead continued to collapse. Marquis Xuanping looked into the distance, and with the little strength he had left, he said, "Go on, I'll rest for a bit. I can push it off myself later."
Tears welled up in Xiao Heng's eyes, "You're lying!"
Marquis Xuanping weakly smiled, "Don't be so distrustful of your father... Your father is a first-rank military marquis... lifting a tree with one hand... is nothing..."
Xiao Heng clutched the rope, sobbing and shouting, "Then lift it! Lift it now!"
Marquis Xuanping, still smiling, said nonchalantly, "I said I'd rest for a bit... Go on... Don't let the child get drenched... We've just saved him from the well..."
"I'm not leaving!"
The rope was deeply embedded in Xiao Heng's bleeding palm, but he still couldn't pull.
"I regret it!"
"I should've learned martial arts!"
"I shouldn't have studied! I should've grown up in the army!"
"You're right! A scholar is useless!"
"I'm useless!"
He cried out in despair, tears streaming down.
Marquis Xuanping's smile faded, and he looked at Xiao Heng through the pouring rain, "I said that without meaning it... I'm your father... I haven't learned as many words as you did... I was embarrassed... I wanted you to learn martial arts... Because I'm good at it... That way, you would admire me a lot..."
These were words Xiao Heng had never heard before, ones he had never even considered.
To think even proud men like Xiao Ji could have harbored such a sense of inferiority.
Perhaps he sensed the end was near, if these words weren't spoken today, there might never be another chance to say them in the future.
Marquis Xuanping tilted his head slightly to get a better look at his son one last time, "Ah Heng, I've never told you, but I've always been proud... Having a son like you... Those braggarts always boast about how capable their sons are... Ha... Can their sons compare to mine?"
"My son could recite poetry at three years old in the imperial audience hall... Can theirs?"
"My son entered the Imperial Academy at four... Can theirs?"
"My son is the Young Chief at thirteen, what about their young soldiers?"
"My son became the top scholar at eighteen, but what about theirs?"
"The proudest achievement of my life isn't my military accomplishments or my title. It's you. You've always been the son I'm most proud of."
Xiao Heng's heart felt like it was tearing apart.
Marquis Xuanping's eyes warmed, and he smiled, "We're running out of time. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."
With that, he mustered the last of his strength and struck Xiao Heng with a palm strike, precisely sending him onto the horse's back.
Marquis Xuanping said to his horse, "Take him away——"
With a deafening roar, the last section of the mountain also collapsed, and a torrent of mud and rocks surged from behind.
The horse reared up on its hind legs and galloped away.
Marquis Xuanping smiled as he watched his son, while the mudslide rushed down.
Xiao Heng turned back and shouted in despair, "Don't——"
With a thunderous crash, the mudslide engulfed the village.
Just then, a towering black figure soared from the pouring rain!
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