Chapter 145

On the first day of Lunar New Year, Zong Zi Heng dressed in a grand robe and tassel and went to the Heaven and Earth Platform at the top of Mount Daming to pay homage to his ancestors, accompanied by envoys from all the immortal families.

Paying homage to his ancestors is an annual event. Before the ritual officials were preparing, Zong Zi Heng had tested Zong Zi Xiao's intentions --- he was worried that Zong Zi Xiao would not allow him to pay homage to his ancestors of the Zong clan.

But Zong Zi Xiao did not stop him, and of course, it was impossible for him to attend.

After reciting the ritual words aloud on the altar, Zong Zi Heng knelt before the shrine again, whispering his sins in silence. No matter what brought him to this point, he felt ashamed towards the Zong Clan’s ancestors, and the Zong Clan’s royal power was destined to die by his hand. Either it will be destroyed by Zong Zi Xiao or destroyed by his own hands. To unite the immortal cultivation world against the Zong Zi Xiao, he had to break the old system and rebuild himself from the ashes.

He had already carried many sins, so it made no difference with this additional sin, and he shall put an end to this already hopeless situation.

After the rituals were over, the people returned to Wuji Palace one by one. Zong Zhong Ming had fallen asleep because he had woken up too early, so Zong Zi Heng carried him down the hill.

It was only when he returned to Zong Zhong Ming's bedchamber that the child woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, and was startled: "Father, the ritual!"

"It's over." Zong Zi Heng stroked the child's soft hair and smiled dotingly, "You were sleeping so soundly down there, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?"

Zong Zhong Ming said dejectedly, "I was wrong."

"It's okay, you're still young. You also fell asleep last year too."

"I won't fall asleep next year, really!"

Zong Zi Heng looked at the child's cute and round little face, and his heart felt a piercing pain as he said softly, "There is no next year."

"Hmm?" Zong Zhong Ming seemed not to have heard clearly.

Zong Zi Heng squeezed his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Zhong Ming, Father wants to tell you something very important."

Zong Zhong Ming unconsciously sat up straighter. His large, clear eyes staring unblinkingly at Zong Zi Heng.

Zong Zi Heng became determined, "You can't stay with Father anymore. You have to leave Wuji Palace and leave Daming."

"I don't want to!" Zong Zhong Ming shrieked shrilly, clutching Zong Zi Heng's collar in horror, "Father, Father, why, why are you kicking me out?"

Zong Zi Heng's heart ached as he gently stroked the child's face, "You are so smart, you should know why."

"Because of that devil?" Tears rolled down from Zong Zhong Ming's eyes in big globs, "Let's find a way to kill him. I don't want to be separated from father, please, don't chase me away."

Zong Zi Heng held back his tears and choked, "Zhong Ming, Father also wants to watch you grow up, but if you stay here, your life will be in danger. Only if you leave can Father be free from his coercion."

"I don't want to. I'm not afraid of death. I won't go." Zong Zhong Ming shook his head desperately and pleaded, "Don't chase me away. I don't want to go anywhere."

Zong Zi Heng held the child tightly in his arms and said in a trembling voice, "Zhong Ming, father is sorry for you. Father is already unable to protect myself, and unable to protect you. Only if you survive will father be able to rest easy, do you understand?"

Zong Zhong Ming started wailing.

"Good boy, Zhong Ming. Your fifth uncle will take you away. He will take good care of you. In the future, we will see each other again."

Even a seven-year-old child knew that they would not see each other again.

Zong Zhong Ming cried for a long time until he was tired and hiccupped in Zong Zi Heng's arms. His eyes were so red and swollen that he could barely open them. So pitiful.

Zong Zi Heng wiped his face and hands with a silk handkerchief, and his eyes were still red from shedding tears.

"Father." Zong Zhong Ming said hoarsely, "Will you be able to defeat that demon when I'm gone?"

"With you gone, Father will not be worried and will be able to concentrate on him, otherwise, he will use you to threaten me."

Zong Zhong Ming rubbed both eyes with both hands, and after rubbing for quite a while, he still could not stop his tears. He sobbed, "Then, then when will you come to pick me up?"

"...... When Father has solved this deadly situation, I will definitely come pick you up."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know." Zong Zi Heng said with difficulty.

"But it will definitely come, right?"

"Yes, I will definitely go, no matter how long it takes."

Zong Zhong Ming nodded and flattened his mouth, "Fine, I'll go with Fifth Uncle, I'll wait for Father to come and take me home."

Zong Zi Heng turned his back, wiped away his tears fiercely, and turned around again with a small qiankun pouch in his hand. A pure white heavy satin fragrant cloud veil was embroidered with an elegant lotus-petal orchid. That's the variety he bred himself - the Dangshanhe*.

Zong Zhong Ming took the qiankun pouch: "Father, what is inside?"

"There are many gold, silver and jade stones, magical treasures and immortal pills inside. Enough for you to enjoy for several lifetimes, and three very important things that Father wishes you to cherish."

"What are they?"

Zong Zi Heng picked them up from his qiankun pouch: a sword, a booklet, and a potted flower.

"This is Father's Dangshanhe." Zong Zhong Ming cautiously stroked its soft petals. He knew that his father treasured this pot extremely, and his father, who almost never lost his temper with him, had once scolded him because he had naughtily pulled one off.

"This potted flower is very important to Father, so you raise it well for me, ok?" This was the last love he had received from Xiao Jiu, even if Zong Zi Xiao no longer remembered it. All that remained of their past was this potted orchid. Perhaps one day, both of them will go up in smoke, so let him selfishly leave something behind to prove the true love he and Xiao Jiu once had.

Zong Zhong Ming nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, Father." He then asked, "I heard from Eunuch Cai that Father used to raise a garden of orchids, why don't you raise them now?"

Zong Zi Heng said lightly, "I don't raise them anymore because I don't have the heart to do so. This is the only pot left from father."

"If Father likes it, Zhong Ming will grow many, many orchids for Father and wait for Father to come and find me."

Zong Zi Heng nodded with a smile.

"This is the Junlan sword." Zong Zhong Ming touched the heavy sword. For some reason, he preferred this sword to the famous Zongxuan sword of the generation, which hung around his father's waist. Although it was still too big and heavy for him now.

"It is a very good sword. It came from the hands of Old Master Ran, and was gifted to me by Master Xu from Chunyang Sect; Father gives it to you today, and it will be your companion for life."

Zong Zhong Ming hesitated to take it.

Zong Zi Heng put the sword into his hand.

"Thank you, Father." Zong Zhong Ming hugged the sword with joy and sorrow in his heart.

"And this sword manual." Zong Zi Heng picked up the book. Its cover was empty without words, only to flip it open to reveal a few dashing little words across the title page: Junlan Sword Technique.

"Could this be a sword technique of Father's own creation?"

Zong Zi Heng nodded, "The Zongxuan Sword Technique is fierce, tricky and aggressive. Although it is one of the most powerful sword techniques under the sky, it is too hostile and I actually don't like it very much." His fine white fingertips gently stroked over the sword manual, "Swordplay is not for killing, but for saving people. It can be elegant, like an orchid and a gentleman, so father combined my life's learning and created my own set of swordplay."

Zong Zhong Ming flipped through a few pages and only found the sword strokes drawn on the diagram were very elegant, but he couldn’t understand most of them.

"Your Zongxuan Sword Technique has a shallow foundation, so it's not too late to change it. With your fifth uncle guiding you, you will definitely be able to practice it well." Zong Zi Heng stroked the child's head, "Zhong Ming, after you leave Daming, you can no longer use the Zongxuan Sword Technique, and you can no longer take the surname Zong."

"Why?"

"Because you will have to remain anonymous. You will understand when you grow up."

"I'll listen to Father." Zong Zhong Ming said sullenly, "Then what's my surname?"

Zong Zi Heng sighed softly, "You shall be surnamed Lan." He had already written a letter and handed it to Zong Zi Yun, from which Zong Zhong Ming would learn of his origins the day he becomes an adult. For now, this child could neither be surnamed Hua nor Zong, and when he grew to adulthood and knew the truth, he could decide for himself what identity he wanted to live under.

He had prepared enough wealth for Zong Zhong Ming to start a sect. In the future, if Zong Zhong Ming wanted to rebuild the Huaying Sect, he would be rich enough to do so, and this was all he could do for the Hua family.

Zong Zhong Ming jumped into his arms again and cried, "Father must come and take me home. I will wait for you for as long as it takes."

Zong Zi Heng hugged the child tightly, weeping silently.

 

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PS: ahhh poor child T___T  

 

Dangshanhe*[荡山荷]---if you guys still remember the flower Lan Chui Han…(kindly refer to chapter 6)

 

Edited on 1 May 21 (Emzie)

 

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