Shuoxia City.
As the carriage arrived at the gate of the Shen residence, the guards spotted it from afar and immediately pushed open the large vermillion doors, leading the carriage inside.
“Young Master, please come in. I will go and inform the family head,” a servant said, unloading their belongings and hurrying towards the main hall to deliver the message.
The towering pavilions and winding corridors reached for the sky, while small bridges and pavilions dotted the landscape with their trickling streams. The red lanterns, engraved with patterns of phoenixes, swayed gently in the breeze.
The familiar surroundings triggered memories for Shen Tanqi, bringing back scenes he had seen in the deep-sea mermaid pearl.
Inside the mermaid pearl.
The family head and the first lady held his hands as he learned to walk, step by step across the stone bridge. Sometimes he’d step on the family head’s feet, making him wince in pain. When he grew older, he’d run across the bridge flying a kite, with the family head and several servants chasing after him. One time, he tripped and fell, knocking out two front teeth, and was laughed at by the family head for half a day.
Lost in thought, a slight smile curved Shen Tanqi’s lips. At this moment, he finally felt a long-lost sense of homecoming.
This was his home, where he had grown up.
He gently woke the two sleepy little ones in the carriage. Holding Mian Mian, he lightly tapped the sleepy Goldfish’s pink nose and chuckled, “Still sleeping, little piglets? It should be you two who are called Mian Mian.”
Goldfish clung to his hand, snuggling into Shen Tanqi’s arms, and murmured softly, “Dandan is not a little piggy, Dandan wants daddy to hold…”
Taro Ball rubbed his eyes, snuggled up to Shen Tanqi’s arm, and whispered, “Daddy, me too.”
Every time they woke up, the first thing they did was to let Shen Tanqi hold and kiss them. This had gradually become a post-nap ritual for the two little ones, who were very clingy.
Shen Tanqi chuckled softly and helplessly, placing Mian Mian into Yu Ce’s arms, and taking turns to cuddle and comfort each child.
After calming the little ones, Shen Tanqi held one in each hand and looked up at Yu Ce, who seemed a bit unhappy, lips pressed together.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Tanqi wondered if it was because the kids always sought him first upon waking, rather than Yu Ce.
Yu Ce, holding a child, looked up and whispered in his ear, “Why is it that every time I wake up and want you to hold me, you tell me to get lost?”
Shen Tanqi: …
He couldn’t help but laugh a little, lowering his voice to retort, “What do you think?”
Yu Ce feigned innocence, looking away with a quiet complaint, “You always favor the kids over me.”
“Ugh.”
Shen Tanqi felt an itch to smack someone. Yu Ce was getting more and more mischievous and seemed to enjoy provoking him.
Just then, the servant who had gone to deliver the message returned, saving Yu Ce from a playful reprimand. “Young Master, the family head is waiting for you in the main hall.”
Shen Tanqi was momentarily stunned before replying, “Alright.”
As he was about to step forward, he hesitated and drew back. At this moment, he suddenly felt a pang of homesickness and nervousness. Previously, when he didn’t know that the family head was his biological father, he had fewer thoughts about it. He simply envied the original Shen Tanqi for having such a loving family. Now, knowing the truth, Shen Tanqi felt a bit timid.
That was his father.
When he was a child, it was his father who held his hand as he grew up, just like how he now held Goldfish and Taro Ball’s hands.
He had already kept them waiting for too long.
Yu Ce seemed to sense his hesitation and gave him a gentle push on the waist, whispering, “Go on, don’t keep the family head waiting. If he gets impatient, he won’t scold you but will take it out on me instead.”
Shen Tanqi imagined the family head’s frustrated face, blowing his beard and glaring in anger, and couldn’t help but smile. It was exactly the kind of thing his father would do. The worries in his heart vanished without a trace.
He nodded, tightened his grip on the two little ones’ hands, and walked over the stone bridge laden with memories, through the winding corridors, until they reached the threshold of the main hall.
The large doors were wide open, as if waiting for his return, allowing a clear view of his face.
Consort Shen wasn’t present; only the family head and a few servant girls were in the hall. The others must have been busy with their own tasks.
He looked up and saw the family head, pretending to sip tea, lips pursed. He called out, “Dad.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his heart shook, and his eyes reddened. He suppressed the lump in his throat and pretended nothing was wrong, saying, “I’m back.”
He was back, bringing with him those precious, once-lost memories.
The teacup clinked as it was placed on the table, and the family head lifted his eyelids, saying, “I heard you got third place in the sect competition. Why didn’t you get first?”
The two little ones, upon seeing the family head, instantly woke from their drowsiness, running over cheerfully, shouting, “Grandpa, Grandpa…” like two little gourd dolls.
The family head, smiling broadly, pulled the children close. He could never get enough of holding his grandchildren, finding joy just in looking at them.
Shen Tanqi smiled at the children and quietly replied, “I wasn’t skilled enough this time. Next time, I’ll definitely bring home first place.”
The family head was busy enjoying the pleasure of playing with his grandchildren and, without lifting his head, snorted, “You used to shout every day about becoming the greatest cultivator, and now you only get third place? I think you should just come back to Shuoxia and take over the family business.”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi’s mind flashed back to the young family head chasing him around the courtyard with a jade cane. Despite all these years, the family head still didn’t want him to pursue cultivation.
Well, it made sense. The path of cultivation was laden with danger, much like entering a river, where one’s fate was often out of their own hands. The family head’s worry and fear for his safety were justified.
His eyes grew warm again, and he casually said, “We’ve got three precious grandchildren now. Surely one of them can take over the family business for me.”
Of course, he was referring to the little one in his arms who had yet to open his eyes.
“By the time my grandchildren are old enough to take over, your father will be long gone!” The family head’s anger surged, but as he moved, a metallic taste of blood spread in his throat.
When Yu Ce left Shuoxia City last time, he had asked if they should use the dragon ball for treatment.
But recalling past events only fueled his anger more, so he had sent Yu Ce away with the dragon ball.
In recent days, his condition has worsened. He woke up coughing every night, unable to sleep afterward.
Shen Tanqi noticed his weakness, furrowed his brow, and said in a serious tone, “Dad, have you been taking that elixir lately?”
At this, the family head glared at him, “I stopped a while ago. Didn’t you ask Yu Ce to tell me to stop?”
Shen Tanqi felt slightly relieved. He stepped forward and gently lifted the sticky little ones off the family head’s knees, giving Yu Ce a look. Then, he turned back to the family head and said, “Dad, since we’re all here today, let Yu Ce use the dragon ball to help you recover.”
The family head slowly raised his eyes, looking past Shen Tanqi to Yu Ce behind him.
In the few days they had been apart, he could no longer gauge Yu Ce’s cultivation level. This boy was certainly no ordinary talent, even among the daemon race, he was already a top-tier genius.
Thinking of the daemon race, the family head’s eyes grew colder.
If it hadn’t been for the incident in Yudong City back then, Yuan’er wouldn’t have been harmed by the daemons…
After a long pause, he shook his head and said indifferently, “No need, stop trying to curry favor with me.”
He cherished Shen Tanqi’s children, but only because they were Shen Tanqi’s. If they had been other daemon children, he wouldn’t have spared them a glance. Just one look would remind him of Yuan’er’s tears when she died, her smiling tears that burned an indelible scar on his heart.
Yuan’er had been killed by daemons. She died with a smile, dreaming of a day when Shen Tanqi’s illness would be cured, and the three of them could travel to faraway places. She never got to see Shen Tanqi recover.
The family head allowing Yu Ce into the Shen family home was already his greatest act of tolerance towards someone of daemon origin. He wouldn’t change further.
Shen Tanqi saw the determined look in his eyes and understood what he was stubborn about. Some past events and deep-seated beliefs couldn’t be easily changed overnight.
After a pause, he took out a sapphire pearl from his robe and placed it beside the family head’s hand.
“Dad, this is a deep-sea mermaid pearl,” Shen Tanqi said, his eyes downcast.
At his words, both Yu Ce and the family head held their breath, their eyes fixed on the mermaid pearl.
“This is a mermaid pearl. Did you kill that wretched mermaid?” The family head trembled as he gripped the pearl, ready to smash it, but Shen Tanqi quickly caught his hand.
Shen Tanqi urgently said, “The deep-sea mermaid pearl can reveal the past and the future. Don’t you want to know what really happened, how mother died?”
The family head’s eyes were bloodshot, haunted by the image of Yuan’er’s dying tears and her fragile, pale face. He barely heard Shen Tanqi’s words. “I know the past better than you do!” he shouted, snatching the mermaid pearl from Shen Tanqi’s hand, gripping it tightly before making to throw it on the ground.
In that instant, his wrist was firmly held.
Yu Ce’s gaze was dark as he took the mermaid pearl from the family head’s hand.
“Ah Qi, why do you have the mermaid pearl?”
Shen Tanqi lowered his head, stammering, “Sorry. I wanted to tell you earlier, but there was never a good time. It was Xie Chi who…”
The hardest part was explaining that Yu Ce’s father had been killed by Xie Chi. Even now, he couldn’t find the right words, imagining how painful it would be for Yu Ce to hear such news. He himself would be devastated, so how much worse would it be for Yu Ce?
Yu Ce glanced at him, sighing softly, “You don’t need to hide it. He passed away in the Western Sea ten years ago. The mermaid pearl was kept by a servant there.”
Shen Tanqi looked up in shock, “Then Xie Chi…”
“He must have obtained it from the servant, hoping to provoke you into confronting me,” Yu Ce explained, holding the mermaid pearl, feeling the faint life energy within it.
Shen Tanqi felt a sense of relief. Just as he was about to speak, the family head’s sharp voice cut him off.
“Enough!”
The family head stood up and walked over to Yu Ce, staring coldly at him. “That mermaid is someone you know?”
What is the connection between the mermaids and the dragons?
Yu Ce was about to speak when Shen Tanqi stepped forward, taking the mermaid pearl from his hand and waving it in front of the family head. “Listen to me, Dad. Look at what’s inside before you make any decisions, okay?”
The family head opened his mouth to scold him, but Shen Tanqi quickly added, “There are memories of Mom inside. If you smash the mermaid pearl, you’ll never see her again!”
His words made the family head freeze. Slowly, he reached out and took the mermaid pearl from Shen Tanqi’s hand.
After a long pause, the family head, like a confused child, asked in a trembling voice, “How do I use it?”
Shen Tanqi sighed, gently rubbing the mermaid pearl twice. A thin mist emerged from it, surrounding them with flickering fragments of light.
He glanced at Yu Ce beside him and gave him a light push. “Go with Dad. You couldn’t come to Shuoxia to fulfill the promise when you were ten. Now it’s time to meet my mother.”
Yu Ce looked at him, stunned. “Your mother?”
How did Ah Qi know about his promise with the woman from Yudong City? The woman who saved his life on a snowy night, who brought him to the clinic and fed him medicine—she was… Ah Qi’s mother?
“Ah Qi, wait, you—”
Before he could finish, Shen Tanqi, seeing the mist about to disperse, quickly pushed him into the thickening fog. “Go! Everything you want to know is inside. Trust me, you’ll thank me after you see it!”
Yu Ce, shoved into the mermaid pearl’s mist: “…!”
He wanted to say, couldn’t he avoid being alone with his father-in-law? As the saying goes, the more a father-in-law looks at his son-in-law, the angrier he gets…
Oh well, sooner or later, it has to happen.
He’ll try his best to come back alive.
In his heart, Yu Ce silently lit a candle for himself.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
