Chapter 146: Distracted and Restless

Initially, the reunion with Wei Qi should have brought joy, but instead, he plunged me into an abyss of endless torment.

How was I supposed to face all of this? Ever since I was a child, I had harbored a deep hatred for my father. While everyone else was basking in paternal love, he had abandoned me and walked away. Yet now, could I still hate him?

I had always loved my mother, and I had always respected my second uncle. Now, what should I do? How could I face either of them?

"Uncle Qi, is everything you said true?" I felt an overwhelming agony. I desperately wanted to disbelieve it, yet I knew it was the absolute truth. Not long after my father left home, my second uncle had moved in with us.

"Dachuan, when have I ever lied to you? Why would I lie to you?" Wei Qi said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

At that moment, I could doubt my father, my mother, and my second uncle, but I trusted Wei Qi. I had no reason not to.

"Dachuan, to be honest, I am grieving too. Your second uncle is my eldest brother; I can hardly believe it either, but it is reality, and your father told me himself. Although your father is the Ghost King, he lives a very harsh life. Go and visit him when you have time," Wei Qi said, his voice dropping low as he pulled me closer.

"Uncle Qi, could I ask a favor of you? Please go to Cao Xuan's house with Fatty and help sort things out. See if Duan Sandao and Zhao Laosao have been completely expelled from their bodies. I know you have the ability and the means to do it," I said, pulling Wei Qi aside.

"Dachuan, are you—are you alright?" Wei Qi asked with concern.

"I'm fine. I just need some peace and quiet." I sat there, my mind completely numb. The sudden turn of events left me utterly lost, with no idea where to go or what to do.

At that moment, an intense longing for Wang Ying washed over me. I wanted to hold her, to embrace her and cry my heart out, but she was not by my side.

We hurried back to Juzhou County through the night. Wei Qi and Fatty went off to Cao Xuan's place to handle her family matters, while I returned home. Standing at the threshold, a profound sense of grievance welled up inside me.

How could this happen? Why did it have to be this way? Wei Qi said my father was the Ghost King—should I go and see him? If I met him, would I even recognize him?

My second uncle had been so ruthless, actually reducing my father to a mute. Standing in the darkness, I could vividly picture my father standing in a grey, desolate world, a look of profound loneliness on his face.

I needed to go see him.

***

Yet, the moment I saw my father, how could I face my mother, not to mention that detestable second uncle? I didn't understand the complex emotional entanglements of adults, but I understood familial love. Growing up, my second uncle had treated me exceptionally well, and my mother's affection went without saying. Conversely, after I turned five, my father hadn't cared for me at all. What on earth was I supposed to do? As things stood, I couldn't face all three of them simultaneously; I would have to make a choice.

I lingered by the doorway for a long time. The moon sank below the horizon, and the night grew even darker than before. Just as I stood there drowning in sorrow, the courtyard gate creaked open.

Wan'er was standing at the entrance. "Brother, you're back?" Seeing me, she hurried over to steady me.

The sight of Wan'er caused every ounce of grievance I had suppressed to flood to the surface. A sharp ache pierced my heart, and tears instantly spilled over. Seeing me weep, Wan'er looked startled and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Brother, what's wrong with you?"

I had no words, nor could I speak them. I simply held Wan'er and wept bitterly. Eventually, she stopped asking and just held me tightly, holding on with all her might.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but when a dim grey light began to tinge the sky, I finally fell asleep. Wan'er woke me up when it was already noon.

Wei Qi and Fatty had returned, and accompanying them was Cao Xuan. She said she had come to express her gratitude; by the time she arrived home, both her grandmother and father had returned and were completely back to normal. Wei Qi and Fatty had stayed at her house through the morning, and seeing that everything was fine, they had come back.

Wan'er stared at Cao Xuan with sheer amazement, whispering to me that Cao Xuan looked uncannily like Ziyu. She even checked Cao Xuan's wrist, but as expected, there was no phoenix-crest blood mark to be found. Had it been any other time, I would have joined Wan'er in investigating Cao Xuan with great curiosity. But right now, I had no mood for it—not even a shred. My mind was entirely consumed by that grey, misty world and the people trapped within it.

"Dachuan, I have an idea. How about we go to the Ghost Realm together tonight? Go see your father; he has suffered too much," Wei Qi said, walking over and throwing an arm around my shoulder.

I remained blank, devoid of any decision. I didn't know whether I should go see him. He was my biological father, yet he had failed to fulfill his duties as one. Should I resent him? I didn't know; I truly didn't know. How was a man supposed to endure discovering that his wife had been having an affair with his own younger brother?

"Uncle Qi, let me think about it some more." My eyes stared blankly into the distance until they suddenly caught sight of his Cloud-Walking Pestle. "Uncle Qi, wasn't this Cloud-Walking Pestle broken? How did it get back into your hands, and fully repaired at that?"

"Your dad is formidable. There is almost nothing he cannot do. Never mind a Cloud-Walking Pestle—even if your Phoenix Pond Sword were broken, he could fix it," Wei Qi replied.

"Oh!" At that moment, knowing Wei Qi was back brought me immense relief. As long as he was here, I felt I had someone to lean on, and I could push those minor worries aside.

"Dachuan, I have a plan. I'll accompany you to see your father, and then we'll go to the Underworld to confront your second uncle and settle things. What he did was utterly lacking in loyalty; for all these years, I've been a fool to consider him a good brother," Wei Qi declared.

I shook my head dazedly. "Uncle Qi, no. I'm not seeing anyone. One gave me life, while the other raised me with boundless grace. I won't see either of them. I'll ask you for just one favor: go to the Underworld and bring Wang Ying back to me. I believe that given your friendship with my second uncle, he won't do anything to you."

***

Adult affairs, having escalated to this point, were truly beyond my jurisdiction. I no longer wanted to meddle. Right and wrong among them were too difficult to define. Therefore, I might as well just take care of my own life. I would bring Wang Ying back, vanish from the martial world, and sever all ties with the affairs of the mortal and spirit realms. That was my genuine wish.

"Dachuan, that is where you are wrong. You are simply running away. No matter what, you cannot be this cowardly when facing reality," Wei Qi said, gripping my shoulder.

"Uncle Qi, what should I do? Should I stand with my second uncle against my father, or should I stand with my father against my second uncle and my mother? Give me an answer!" My mind was utter chaos; I had no idea how to choose.

"Dachuan, you are a man. A real man must face reality, and you must stand on the side of justice. Do you understand what justice is?" Wei Qi's gaze was resolute, leaving no room for argument.

Fairness and justice seemed so utterly worthless in the face of human ethics and morality. "Uncle Qi, I can't do it. Besides, I heard that the Ghost King wants to conquer the Seven Parallel Realms."

"You're confused, utterly confused! Xingyun is your second uncle's lackey. The one who truly wants to conquer the Seven Parallel Realms is your second uncle! Don't you remember? The first time we encountered Zhao Laosao was in the Underworld, and the underworld army deployment started there too. Do you remember none of this?!" Wei Qi prompted, before continuing, "Look at me—I have a great relationship with your second uncle, and I consider him my eldest brother, but I still must uphold justice. We are all people bearing a mission; we must bravely face reality."

What Wei Qi said made a certain amount of sense. Yet, in an instant, I tore down his logic. My second uncle had taught me those very principles in the past, but the things he had done were too despicable and shameful to ever see the light of day.

"Uncle Qi, I can't do it. I just want to see Wang Ying. I want to take Wang Ying and Wan'er to a place where there are no people and no troubles. Please, help me find Wang Ying and bring her back." At that moment, the only person I wanted to see was Wang Ying.

"Dachuan, talking like this just proves you're in the wrong. Has your life been easy for your father? He brought you into this world but couldn't raise you—it wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't! Your second uncle and your mother poisoned him and turned him into a mute. If he had stayed any longer, he would have died, do you understand? Why don't you feel any pity for your father? Has it been easy for him?" Wei Qi's tone grew somewhat angry.

His words struck a chord deep within my heart. Indeed! For a man to leave his home under such circumstances was undeniably tragic, a helpless resort. As his son, if I refused to acknowledge him now, it really wouldn't be right. Subconsciously, I did want to see him; I just couldn't overcome the psychological barrier regarding my second uncle and my mother. After all, they were the ones who had raised me.

"Uncle Qi, say no more. Just give me some time to think it over properly, alright? My mind is in such a mess." My head throbbed with a splitting pain, leaving me completely incapable of making a decision.