Chapter 132

Every few days, Zong Zi Xiao would go to Bailu Pavilion for a period of silence behind closed doors, and Zong Zi Heng would have a brief period of freedom.

He had been trying to break the spell seal that Zong Zi Xiao had put on him to break through the spirit chakra blockade. The weird spell seal must have come from the 'Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Heavenly Secret Scripture'. After finding the book by himself, he studied it for a long time. Constantly searching for shortcuts to break through on a small scale, and now the time required was getting shorter and shorter, which means he could recover his own spiritual power at any time. But it was not this that really bound Zong Zi Xiao to him, but the entire Zong clan.

The current calm was in fact as precarious as a pile of eggs*, and the immortal cultivation world's fear of Zong Zi Xiao would eventually turn into a forceful rebellion, at which point the Zong clan, which was at the center of the storm, would be the first to suffer. In the limited future he could see, there was only endless pessimism, and he could not think of a solution that would restore peace to the immortal cultivation world while also saving Zong Zi Xiao.

Unless he could control Zong Zi Xiao.

Unless he could control Zong Zi Xiao.
Cai Cheng Yi was guarding at one side, watching the young and handsome emperor's face with a gloomy look that could not be dissolved. His frown seemed to have deepened between his brows, and in just over a month, he had lost a lot of weight. Thinking of the bitter experiences that had happened to the emperor, he felt very sorry in his heart and gently advised, "Emperor, have some ginseng soup. You have lost so much weight and you should get some nourishment."

Zong Zi Heng came back to his senses and looked at the fragrant soup with floating steam in front of him, but he had no appetite for it. He waved his hand, "I've already eaten."

"You haven't eaten a few mouthfuls of rice. How can you go on like this?"

"How is Zhong Ming doing these days?"

"His Highness is fine. It's just that he's been clamoring to see you every day." Cai Cheng Yi sighed, "Why not I secretly bring him here?"

"No, if Zong Zi Xiao sees him, he will be scared again."

"His Holiness usually stays at Bailu Pavilion for a few hours and will not be back for a while yet."

Zong Zi Heng shook his head. After a moment of silence, he added, "Eunuch Cai, I want to send Zhong Ming away."

"Ah?"

"Zhong Ming is not originally from the Zong clan either, so if the Zong clan is in trouble, there is no need to get him involved. He is still so young and is the only bloodline left of the Hua family."

"But where can I send him? His Highness has long since ..." Cai Cheng Yi knew the true identity of Zong Zhong Ming, and people only thought the boy was Zong Zi Heng's illegitimate son.

"I think I can send him to where Lao Wu* is. Among all of the siblings, only he is the most reliable." The fifth prince, Zong Zi Yun, had lost his mother when he was young, and he had always treated him well. After ascending to the throne, he made all his siblings move away from Daming, and everyone thought he was trying to strengthen the illegitimately conferred throne, but in fact he just did not want his siblings to be buried alive with him for the Zong family. Zong Zi Yun seemed to have no heart, no fight, but in fact he put his own safety before matters of principle, and he was the only brother who didn't turn against him and left in style with a large sum of money.

"Will Fifth Highness adopt him?"

"For old times' sake ..." Zong Zi Heng was a little hesitant, "Zhong Ming is still too young, I really don't know who I can entrust him to."

"What about Sect Leader Xu?"

Zong Zi Heng shook his head, "Once the war starts, Chunyang Sect will not be able to take care of itself. Lao Wu is now a free and casual immortal, and won't be found easily. Even if he is found, Zong Zi Xiao more or less … will remember a little brotherly love."

After these words, both of them went silent.

Can Zong Zi Xiao still have a bit of sentiment for anyone nowadays? Ever since he obtained the Xuanyuan Heavenly Secret Talisman and immersed himself in the secret techniques of incantation on the 'Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Heavenly Secret Scripture', cultivating with spiritual energy and yin energy together, evil has already entered his heart. With the hatred he was already carrying, he has become colder and more ruthless. Even if there was only one Zong Zi Heng left among his living enemies in this Zong clan, there was no guarantee that he would not exterminate the Zong clan to vent his hatred.

"Then, what does Emperor intend to do?"

"You go and prepare his traveling clothes, and I will arrange someone to send him out of the palace when the right time comes."

Cai Cheng Yi could not hide his sadness: "His Highness is still young and relies heavily on Emperor, how can he bear this farewell?"

Zong Zi Heng felt dejected: "I can't protect myself, so how can I shelter him from the wind and rain? If he concealed his identity, perhaps he can live peacefully." He treated Zong Zhong Ming as if he were his own son, not only because he felt sorry for the Hua family, but also because the boy always reminded him of his Xiao Jiu. The time when Xiao Jiu had relied on and trusted him with all his heart had been beautiful but too short, and after so many years, his memories were already blurred, but when he was with Zong Zhong Ming, he could often recall some forgotten moments.

In this decade, with no future to look forward to, he could only warm himself by remembering the past.

---

Every time he left Bailu Pavilion, Zong Zi Xiao would be in a very bad mood. The memory of his mother did not make him feel any better, but only reminded him over and over again that the only person in the world who really cared about him had died long ago.

He walked quickly through the zig-zag corridors of the palace, so full of anger that he wanted to destroy everything he saw!

Suddenly, he sensed someone was following him.

"Who's there?!" Zong Zi Xiao turned his head violently and spotted a movement in the grass. He waved his robe's sleeve and swept his spiritual pressure across the air.

"Ah-----" came the shriek of a child from the grass.

Zong Zi Xiao frowned and watched as Zong Zhong Ming rolled and crawled out of the grass, patting his clothes while glaring at him menacingly.

"Looking for death?"

"Why won't you let me see Father!?" Zong Zhong Ming pointed at Zong Zi Xiao.

Zong Zi Xiao ignored him, lifted his leg and was about to go.

However, Zong Zhong Ming chased after him. His short little legs ran but were not slow, and quickly blocked Zong Zi Xiao: "What right do you have? My father is the Human Emperor, and has also reached the eighth Chongtian of the Zongxuan Sword. He's the most powerful person in Jiuzhou, so why can't you let me see him?"

Zong Zi Xiao sneered, "Get lost."

"I know. It's because you are Father's younger brother, so Father didn't beat you up, otherwise a bad person like you would have been beaten to death long ago." Zong Zhong Ming raised his small chin, very sure of what he was saying.

Zong Zi Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked down at Zong Zhong Ming: "Who taught you that? Did Zong Zi Heng tell you that I am his younger brother?"

"Hmph."

Zong Zi Xiao looked at the tiny, spirited toddler and thought to himself. If Zong Zi Heng really did have a biological child, what would he be like? Surely he would be smarter, better looking and more gifted than the Hua family's child. And if he inherited Zong Zi Heng's looks, he would be perfect.

But that was no longer possible. If Zong Zi Heng wanted to have a child, he would have to give birth for him. He wondered if there was any evil magic in the world that could make a man give birth to a child, and if there was, he would have to try. He could not help but imagine, and many images had already come to his mind. When he looked at Zong Zhong Ming, he was inexplicably a little more pleasing to the eye. He said, "Since you know that I am your father's younger brother, what should you call me?"

Zong Zhong Ming seemed to think hard for a moment, then shook his head, "I won't call you that."

"You should call me uncle."

"I won't say it." Zong Zhong Ming pursed his lips, "Unless you let me see Father."

Zong Zi Xiao held his head down and ordered, "Say it."

"No calling, I won't say it!" Zong Zhong Ming said angrily, "I hate you."

"If you don't call me that, you'll never see him again in your life."

Zong Zhong Ming was so angry that he shouted, "Xiao Jiu!"

Zong Zi Xiao was baffled, "What did you ... call me?"

"Xiao Jiu. Aren't you Xiao Jiu? I'm not calling you uncle." The most respectful thing when calling someone is their title, and the least respectful thing is the person's birth name. Zong Zhong Ming looked smug as if he had taken advantage of the situation.

Zong Zi Xiao squatted down and glared at Zong Zhong Ming grimly: "Did your father tell you this too?" There were few people in this world who could call him by his birth name.

"No, I guessed it myself." Zong Zhong Ming curled his lips, "Father would sometimes call me Xiao Jiu, and when I asked him who Xiao Jiu was, he wouldn't tell me. Eunuch Cai said you are the former Ninth Highness, so isn't that you?”

Zong Zi Xiao's body trembled lightly as he held Zong Zhong Ming's shoulders and whispered, "Your father called you 'Xiao Jiu’? When and why?"

Zong Zhong Ming tried to break away from Zong Zi Xiao's grip: "Let go of me!"

"Speak up!" Zong Zi Xiao said in a stern voice.

The child was shocked by Zong Zi Xiao's expression and he mumbled, "Father, Father said that he called the wrong name. Initially, I even thought I had an elder brother."

"... What else did he say?"

"Nothing else." Zong Zhong Ming used his round eyes and rolled over Zong Zi Xiao, "It's just that, when Father mentioned Xiao Jiu, he always looked sad, and now I know why, because you are a bad guy."

Zong Zi Xiao only felt his heart pained and ached, as if he had been cut several times without seeing any blood, a kind of pain that he could not even scream out.

Was it, in fact, Zong Zi Heng also missed their old days?

He wanted to hear his elder brother call him "Xiao Jiu" again very much.

 

 ----

as precarious as a pile of eggs* [危若累卵]----pile of eggs that may collapse anytime; in an extremely precarious situation

Lao Wu [老五] --- An informal address to the fifth prince of Zong Clan

 

Edited on 27 Apr. 21 (Emzie)

 

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