Against the Gods

Each and every one of Yun Che’s soft words reverberated in Yun Qinghong’s ears like a thunderclap, his upper body violently swayed and the scene before him became blurry. His brain felt like it was going to explode from the violent rushes of blood assaulting his head.

“Child… You are my child… My child!!”

Mu Yurou let out a cry that betrayed her immense heartache as she shrugged off Yun Xiao’s arm and threw herself violently onto Yun Che’s body. She hugged him as if her life itself depended on it and started bawling like a child. The arms wrapped around him began to tighten, and if this embrace grew any tighter…. It would be as though she wanted to draw him into herself. And the mournful and heartbroken sound of her wails seemed to cause the whole world to turn a darker shade of grey.

Yun Qinghong stepped forward to extend his arm, but he stopped midway. And the words he wanted to say seemed to be lodged inside his throat, as though something was stuck there, and once he opened his mouth, the tears which he were trying so hard to restrain threatened to burst out….

The Mirror of Samsara was what they had hung around their son’s neck when they were fleeing all those years ago. Because they prayed that this sacred artifact, which they had protected for generations on behalf of the Illusory Demon Royal Family and was coveted by the Profound Sky Continent, would show its divine might and protect their newborn son who had no choice but to become a fugitive because of them… And that profound imprint was even more iron-clad proof… and the words that he said… Profound Sky Continent, Blue Wind Nation, Floating Cloud City, and Xiao Ying were all names that they had repeated to themselves countless of times… And while he had mentioned these words to Yun Che when he told him of the origins of Yun Xiao, he had definitely never mentioned the name Xiao Lie…

Moreover, that appearance which closely matched his own when he was young, and that feeling of recognition despite having met for the first time… And that practically unreasonable and irresistible intimacy and trust that he felt towards him…

Ah, so it was because of this… because of this…

No wonder he wanted to come to the Yun Family… No wonder he spared no effort, even to the point of fainting due to exhaustion, to ensure that he healed their crippled bodies… No wonder he had treated him and Yurou so well… No wonder he did not hesitate to cross swords with such a strong enemy, just so the calamity awaiting the Yun Family could be averted… No wonder he wanted to become sworn brothers with Yun Xiao…. And finally, now that things have come full circle, he understood why Yun Che did not want to call them ‘Godfather and Godmother’ but ‘Father and Mother’ instead…

Because it turned out that he was their son… Their very own flesh and blood… The son that they had lost over twenty years ago… The heavens had sent him back to their side…

He should have realized this sooner… Because in this world, aside from one’s own direct relatives, there was no reason to treat another with such care and concern, to the point where he would not spare anything to treat them well… But, even though his heart held countless suspicions towards this situation, how could he have dared to dream of such an impossibly perfect conclusion…

“My child… My child…” Mu Yurou’s voice had become completely hoarse. She had wept to the point where her soul seemed to have left her body… and she was no simple woman; she was a strong Monarch who was looked up to by all; she was the wife of Yun Family Patriarch. Her talent was extraordinary, she was nobility, and she was possessed an iron will. In those years, she had ventured forth together with her husband to the Profound Sky Continent that caused everyone’s expression to change when it was even mentioned! It was hard to find another person with this kind of courage and determination in the entire Illusory Demon Realm.

But today, her tears had formed an ocean. All these years, she was always being tortured by her own thoughts, to the point where she had wept an immeasurable amount of tears… And in this entire world, there was only person who could make this woman, who had dared to brave the Profound Sky Continent without fear, so weak. There was only one person who could cause her to shed so many tears… It was her newborn son, whom she thought was lost to her forever.

The front of Yun Che’s shirt had quickly become drenched in tears, but this wetness was filled with a warmth that pierced him to the heart. It caused his heart to steadily tremble, as he slowly raised his hands, supporting her spasming shoulders. He gently said, “Father, Mother, this child is unfilial… Because for more than twenty years, I was unable to be by your side….”

“All is well now that you have returned… All is… well…”

After just saying these few words, Yun Qinghong already had to choke back his emotions, and he did not speak any further.

Yun Xiao just stood there in a daze and he was completely dumbstruck. In his mind, there was only once voice that kept circulating in his head… Big Brother is Father and Mother’s son… their real flesh and blood son...

So… what about me… I guess… I really wasn’t Father and Mother’s… flesh and blood after all…

He had already known about this fact long ago and even the entire Demon Imperial City knew as well. Being unable to wield the power of a Profound Handle, that was an inescapable truth… but because Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou had never admitted it before, this matter which everyone knew as fact, had, in his own heart, been covered with a hazy veil which he did not want to tear away…

But today, this final layer had been completely and utterly ripped away… His emotions were in complete chaos, he was at a loss of what to do, and he did not even know if he should still continue to stand in this place… And at this time, his mind suddenly recalled what Yun Che had just said to him…

“Ah, so this is the twist of fate… that Big Brother said that I was about to face.” He softly murmured.

Yun Che’s words had immediately provoked even louder weeping from Mu Yurou. All these years, what she endured was not only a sense of loss but also the torment of guilt. Because all those years ago, it was because of them that their son had to become a fugitive even though he was just born. Moreover, it was because she had been stricken by the cold poison when she was pregnant that they had to destroy his profound veins and make him a cripple for life to expel that poison from his body. At that time, she was already filled with so much grief that she wished she was dead as her guilt threatened to engulf her. And the only thing on her mind was that if she could escape from this situation, she would do all she could to make it up to him and protect him. But when they finally returned to the Illusory Demon Realm, her son had been left in the Profound Sky Continent, a place which they could not return to, and that denied her even of the opportunity to nurture and accompany her child…

But now, her child had come back, and his return to her side seemed like a dazzling dream. He harbored no resentment towards them and did not even utter a single complaint. Instead he healed her body, gave her a rebirth of sorts and even helped the Yun Family avert a calamity… And in the end, he still knelt before them, saying that he was ‘unfilial’...

Her own son had not only come back, but had become so excellent, and had also become so kindhearted…

In the past twenty-two years, she had lost count of how many times she had cursed the heavens, had lost count of all the times she had resented this cruel fate. But right now, she used all her heart and sincerity to piously thank the heavens…

Yun Che had thought that after he had given himself a two month cushion, he would be able to maintain his cool in this situation. But after he had been buried in his mother’s embrace, heard his mother’s heartfelt cries, and felt her hot tears which flooded over him, his eyes had completely moistened. She had engulfed him in an extremely tight yet oh-so-warm embrace. And amidst this warmth, the tears which had been dammed up at the corners of his eyes finally burst free; they trickled down his face, tracing little pathways, as a feeling of weakness slowly rose in his heart...

All these years, he had suffered too many hardships, had been through too many twist and turns, and even life and death situations. Thus, his will had long ago been hammered into something hard and unyielding. The amount of blood he had shed was a million times more than the tears he cried. He had single-handedly gone up against a huge clan and also an entire nation by himself. He had also gone up against an entire continent before… to the point where he was forced to skirt the border between life and death constantly, but he still held his head high with unyielding tenacity back then, and had worn a cold, blood-stained smile that expressed his defiance till the very end...

But at this moment, this feeling of weakness was so real and irresistible that it caused him to have the urge to just break down and cry…

He knew that this was because he was in his mother’s arms.

It was only after two lives, till this very day, that he knew what a mother’s embrace was like… He was finally not a parentless, rootless wanderer covered in sand and dried blood any longer...

————————————

Time seemed to have slowed down. No one came to disturb their family reunion, and nothing else seemed to have taken place that day.

But in the end, Yun Qinghong was still Yun Qinghong. After some time, he had finally been able to take hold of his emotions as he mutely stared at the mother and son who were still caught in their embrace. Sometimes he laughed, while at other times, he closed his eyes. Finally, Mu Yurou’s completely hoarse crying had stilled. He gave a small sigh of relief and said in the most relaxed tone he could muster, “Yurou, the heavens have given our son back to us and it is cause for great joy. But you see, your crying has frightened Che’er and Xiao’er silly.”

Mu Yurou raised her head; her entire face was stained with tears. She lightly sobbed and held Yun Che’s face in both her hands. Her motions were so gentle, it was thought she was holding a delicate treasure that would easily break. She peered at him through misty eyes and softly whispered, “Yes… This is my son… Che’er… my son…”

Her entire body gave a light quiver and she put her face on her son’s face. And even though she tried her best to restrain her weeping, the tears in her eyes still rolled down her cheeks. She was unable to stop… The hands which held her son refused to let go, as if she was afraid that once she did let go, he would disappear from her world once more.

Her current disheveled state did not even remotely resemble her usual noble and elegant comportment.

Yun Qinghong took a step forward and his hand pressed down on Yun Che’s shoulder. His face bore a faint smile, but when he opened his mouth, he seemed to choke on his words. It was only after a good period of time, with a smile that faintly trembled, he softly said, “Che’er, welcome home… We have already waited for you for a very long time in our dreams…”

Yun Che quietly wiped the corners of his eyes and raised his head, softly replying, “Father, Mother, I am sorry. This child has only come back now. And because of this, I have caused both Father and Mother so many years of pain.”

“You are not late at all.” Yun Qinghong laughed as he shook his head, “As long as you have come back to us, all is well.”

The person before him who was so excellent that it caused him to exclaim in admiration, who had caused Mu Yubai to disregard his status and seniority in order to become sworn brothers with, was actually his own flesh and blood. The kind of pride, joy and contentment he felt… was intense beyond description. He even felt that even if he had to use his own death to trade for this moment of truth, he would go with a smile on his face.

“Yurou, our son has already come back and he is even this big. He won’t run away again, so how long do you want to keep hugging him?” Yun Qinghong lovingly patted his wife’s back, “Can it be that you want our son, on the day of his return, to kneel there the entire afternoon?”

Yun Qinghong’s last words had an immediate effect. After she saw that Yun Che had knelt there motionlessly for nearly half a day, Mu Yurou instantly felt such self-reproach and regret that she almost cried once more. She hurriedly wiped her tears and extended her hand to lift Yun Che up, “Che’er, quickly get up, the floor is cold… Oh, this is all Mother’s fault, I had even forgotten that you were kneeling on the ground.”

Yun Che stood up as Mu Yurou lightly supported him. He shook his head and said, “This is nothing, Mother. I was unable to be by your side all these years, so the amount of kneeling I owe the both of you, even kneeling for three days and three nights wouldn’t make up for it.”

This kind of close intimacy was simply too precious and too warm. He was willing to present his best and most obedient side, in order to bring them comfort and joy. At their side, Yun Xiao hesitated for a good long while before coming forward in a rather timid manner, saying, “Father, Mother, Big Brother, Congra… Congratulations on finally being able to reunite as a family…”

“It is not ‘a family’, it is ‘our family‘ reunion!” Yun Che pulled Yun Xiao close, “The words you just said sounded like you weren’t part of the family at all.”

“But, I… I…” Yun Xiao softly bit on his lips and looked at a complete loss. He faced Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou, bowed his head, and said in a lifeless and dazed voice, “I… I… In the future, can I still… call the both of you… Father and Mother?”

His words caused Yun Qinghong and his wife to be slightly startled, but after that, they laughed at the same time. Mu Yurou said in a gentle tone, “You silly child, you have always been Father and Mother’s Xiao’er. The son we watched grow up, whom we loved the most. So why would we not let you address us as Father and Mother?”

“Hey, Yun Xiao! What are you saying? We are sworn brothers, you know!” Yun Che patted him on the head, “When we said our vows to each other when we became sworn brother, we swore that we would be brothers for life, that your parents would be my parents and my parents would be your parents. It was only two months ago, but now you don’t even recognize this big brother of yours anymore?”

“No, it’s not… I…” Yun Xiao waved his hand, and his eyes became misty for a short while. At this moment he suddenly realized why Yun Che wanted to become sworn brothers with him… Because his parents were actually Yun Che’s parents… This was a vow which they could not go back on, and the reason why Yun Che had waited two months before he had identified himself was because of him… Solely because of him…

A warm current which carried far too many emotions flooded over his entire body. Yun Xiao raised his head, his face revealing a dazzling smile, “Sorry, Father, Mother, Big Brother, I was just thinking too much. The parents who love me the most has found their other son. My most respected big brother has found his real parents. So the happiest person in the room should actually be me! Father, Mother, Big Brother… Congratulations on our family reunion!”

Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou looked at each other and laughed. Yun Che let out a huge laugh himself. After the tears and the sadness had gone away, all that was left on their faces were warm smiles which emanated from within.