Upon hearing Gu Sijun’s tearful cries of "Mother," Liu Jiangfusheng’s eyebrows twitched. He abruptly turned his head to look at the “younger brother” he had previously ignored.
At this moment, Gu Sijun had removed his eaves hat. His hair was a bit disheveled, but beneath the soft fuzz was a small, plump face like a rice ball. Beneath a pair of long, slender eyelashes with black feather plumes were oval, dark, lustrous eyes, slightly drooping at the corners. His lips were pink, and his brow conveyed a lively, stubborn spirit.
“Sijun…”
Like Lebao, Liu Jiangfusheng naturally recognized his son.
He had finally found him.
Liu Jiangfusheng gazed at him deeply, a mixture of stern reproof and the joy of recovery.
He had been away from home for so long. If Liu Jiangfusheng hadn’t been using his "Dragon Eye" to track his whereabouts, knowing he was safe, he would have turned the world upside down searching for him over these past twenty-eight days, causing immense unrest.
At this moment, the crimson flames surging across the sky were drawing closer. Wild red rings of light blazed outwards, like grasping claws attempting to swallow the sky. The suffocating heatwave was imminent.
Lu Ziyin’s forehead broke out in a sweat, his anxiety mounting. He couldn’t understand what was happening, why these two unrelated individuals were fighting. He could only do his best and shout, “Quickly get into the protection barrier of the Suito Kajo Array. That is currently the only safe place in Compassion City.”
He then turned to his companions for this journey and said, “Forget them. If we delay any longer, we’ll all be buried with these reanimated corpses!”
Yan Tianjiao’s gaze flickered enigmatically over Liu Jiangfusheng. He conjured an ice halo above his head to block the attacking red spikes and was the first to leave.
Fu Wanyan pursed her lips, her expression unreadable beneath her veil, yet she watched Liu Jiangfusheng with rapt attention. Her cultivation was low; if she didn’t leave soon, she might be swept into this disaster.
Cheng Hong, however, kept his eyes fixed on the sweet-faced girl, as if a suspicion had taken root in his heart.
He wondered, could it be her?
“What are you two looking at? Hurry up and go!”
There would be plenty of time for gossip and curiosity later; survival was paramount now.
Lu Ziyin grabbed one person with each hand, wasting no words, and dragged them away.
Their departure had no impact on Gu Junshi or Liu Jiangfusheng. He glanced at Lebao held in Gu Junshi’s arms, then at little Sijun held by Li Sheng.
There was no time. If he continued to fight with Gu Junshi over Lebao, he wouldn’t be able to tend to Sijun. But if he took Sijun, Lebao would have to stay with Gu Junshi.
Lebao looked up and saw the blazing flames trembling and rolling in from the horizon, accompanied by deafening roars, like a vast sandstorm. Everything it touched turned to ash in the intense light.
The scene was undoubtedly terrifying and horrifying, especially for a child.
He felt a chill spread through his body, sweat beading on his forehead. “Dad…”
As Gu Sijun’s gaze lingered on Liu Jiangfusheng, his spine stiffened and straightened.
He guessed that the other party might have already recognized him.
But what if he had?
He petulantly turned his face away and grunted.
In this current crisis, he knew that person would never prioritize him.
Time and time again, it was he, Gu Sijun, who was left behind, abandoned, placed last.
Children are sensitive and fragile. Every subtle gesture, every refusal to reach out, can be magnified infinitely in their hearts.
When he was little, he never understood why he preferred Lebao. They were twins, arriving in the world at almost the same time, yet his father’s attitude towards him and Lebao was completely different.
Later, he realized it was because Lebao resembled his father more, while he took after their “abandoning” mother.
He thought that perhaps his father resented their mother for abandoning him, which was why he disliked his eyes, which resembled their mother’s.
But there was nothing he could do about such things; he couldn’t possibly gouge out his own eyes.
Later, he stopped calling him “Dad” and only referred to him as “that person.”
Gu Sijun’s nature had always been sensitive and proud. Since that person disliked him and preferred the pleasing and obedient Lebao, he decided he didn’t want him either.
He decided to leave them and find his mother.
At that time, Gu Sijun had only a vague concept of his mother.
It was the phrase, “There is no mother in this world who does not love her child,” which he remembered very clearly. It was something Moon God, who was always by “that person’s” side, had once said to comfort him.
When he was sad, he would ask confusedly, “Uncle Moon God, why did my mother abandon us?”
Moon God ruffled his small head and sighed, “There is no mother in this world who does not love her child.”
Yes, there was no mother in this world who did not love her child.
At that moment, he was enlightened and began to anticipate maternal love.
He thought “that person” was either busy with his important matters or busy with the sickly Lebao. He felt like an orphan, neglected and unloved.
He wanted to find his real mother. He had a mother, and if his mother saw his grievances, she would surely pity him.
He decided, and he acted!
At that time, all he thought about was leaving to find his mother. He didn’t tell anyone and didn’t want anyone to find him.
Though he was small, his heart was resolute, even though he was not yet four years old.
After leaving that “home” with a surge of courage, Gu Sijun experienced many hardships he hadn’t faced at “home.”
The outside world was not at all friendly to a child of a few years. Even though he had ample reliance, and that person had secretly set up many protections for him, he still went hungry, felt cold, and suffered pain. But after crying, he didn’t turn back, gritting his teeth and continuing to search for his mother at the ends of the earth.
However, upon arriving in Flower City, he chose to give up.
He wasn’t afraid of hunger, cold, or injury. What made him give up wasn’t the suffering on the road, but because he discovered that perhaps the world… wasn’t as beautiful as Uncle Moon God had said. Perhaps there were mothers in this world who didn’t love their children.
Flower Jiefu, perhaps.
He estimated… he was too.
Not long after arriving in Flower City, he saw an older boy being dragged by his parents onto the street, intending to sell him simply because he was too ugly.
Flower Jiefu was then ugly and dark. He knelt on the ground, clinging to his mother’s leg, crying and shouting, “Am I not your child? Why, why don’t you want me?”
That heart-wrenching cry, that question, Sijun had also asked himself in his heart.
So when he saw Flower Jiefu, he felt as if he were looking at another version of himself.
At that moment, little Sijun seemed to understand.
Perhaps, what he had persisted in not giving up on finding was merely a beautiful dream he had conjured himself.
He rescued Flower Jiefu through a stratagem.
He also gave up on continuing his search.
He was a coward.
He was terrified that his most beautiful hopes and wishes would eventually become as hideous as Flower Jiefu’s.
He was so afraid that he would rather deceive himself, stop searching, and not ask for an answer. This way, at least… he could still hold onto a sliver of pitiful hope.
He tilted his head up to look at Gu Junshi.
But after he gave up, it was as if he had found his mother in a dream.
Therefore, he was still a coward.
He pretended to be foolish, calling her “Mother,” but dared not tell her who he truly was.
If she knew he was her child, would she… would she love him?
“Sijun.”
Liu Jiangfusheng made a decision. Like a cloud veiling the moon, his white figure flashed towards Gu Sijun.
Lebao’s eyes immediately reddened. He bit his lower lip tightly, leaning into Gu Junshi’s embrace, his gaze shifting from bright to dim.
…Dad, he still chose Junjun.
His fingernails dug into his palm, and he lowered his eyelashes, his eyes gleaming with a dark light.
His silly older brother had always thought Dad hated him, but he didn’t know that Dad had always favored him.
Because… he had the eyes of the person Dad loved.
Therefore, no matter how foolish, Dad had never disliked him.
On the contrary, he had to try his best, feigning goodness and weakness, just to get Dad to pay more attention to him.
Gu Sijun had never expected Liu Jiangfusheng to rush towards him in a moment of crisis. In his mind, no matter the time, his choice would always be Lebao.
But it was fine. Because he had now learned to be proactive, rather than waiting to be chosen.
Taking advantage of Li Sheng’s inattention, he wriggled free like a slippery fish from his embrace. Then, channeling his spiritual energy, he spread his arms and lunged towards his mother.
“Mother…”
Thus, Liu Jiangfusheng’s outstretched hand missed Gu Sijun, who was reaching out to another person for an embrace.
Liu Jiangfusheng froze and turned his head to look.
Perhaps it was the tacit understanding between mother and son, or perhaps Gu Junshi had been prepared to receive him from the start. When she saw Gu Sijun completely ignore his biological father and suddenly pounce towards her from mid-air, her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think of anything. Her body had already teleported, her arms outstretched to embrace him, pulling him into her arms.
“Mother…” He hugged her neck tightly, rubbing his fluffy head against her joyfully, giggling.
Gu Junshi’s wildly beating heart finally felt full and settled.
She frowned sternly, but her tone was filled with无奈: “Don’t you know how dangerous that was?”
“It’s not dangerous, because Mother will catch me,” Gu Sijun said proudly.
Lebao watched the synchronized movements of Gu Junshi and Gu Sijun. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. His eyes suddenly misted over, unclear whether it was jealousy or envy.
Gu Junshi let out a soft sigh. Honestly, so many chaotic things had happened at once that she didn’t know where to begin. Most importantly, she didn’t have time to take things slow.
“Hua Mi…”
Li Sheng, unwilling to be a mere background character and fearing being forgotten, called out to her tremulously.
She turned her eyes, and using the same tactic again, unleashed “Formless” to envelop Li Sheng. She said to Liu Jiangfusheng, “Lebao and Sijun… I will look after them first. If you want your children back, you should know what to exchange for them.”
At this moment, the Mountain Splitting Ghost, the Ji Du Demon, and the Cang Yu Fiend also arrived, drawn by the commotion. They surrounded Gu Junshi.
“Go.”
Taking the people with her, Gu Junshi gathered everyone within her power and transformed into a midnight meteor, heading towards the protective boundary of the “Suito Kajo Array.”
Meanwhile, Liu Jiangfusheng stood alone, his white figure bathed in the resplendent red light. He watched as Gu Junshi left with his two children.
At the same time, two figures appeared behind him. One was a pale-skinned, elegant, otherworldly white-haired man. The other was a dark-skinned, tall man with deep, sharp features and a fierce gaze. They, along with Liu Jiangfusheng, stared in the direction Gu Junshi had departed.
“Holy Master, the two young masters…”
Liu Jiangfusheng, whose expression had been cold just moments before, now had a faint smile gracing his snow-white face. He looked like a fallen god from the heavens, his beauty and splendor amplified by a touch of ethereal purity.
“She will not harm them. Let them stay by her side for now.”
Sometimes, even he had to admit that blood ties were a magical thing.
Even without acknowledging each other, even without knowing each other, even for the first time meeting, the blood connection between mother and son still made them familiar and close.
In the past, the two children were always evasive and distant towards strangers, regardless of gender. How could they now, upon seeing her, not want to stick to her and never leave?
Take Lebao, for instance. If he truly didn’t want to stay by Gu Junshi’s side, escaping in the chaos wouldn’t have been difficult given his abilities, especially since Gu Junshi had no intention of harming him, nor was she guarding against him.
Yet he had hesitated and not left with him. He understood perfectly what that meant.
And Sijun, this ill-tempered and stubborn child, who had been mischievous since childhood, was also an overly sensitive child. But before her, he begged with such heartbroken cries not to be abandoned, like a young cub reluctant to let his mother leave.
Liu Jiangfusheng had never seen this side of him. In his presence, he was either throwing tantrums or being obstinate. To make him soften even a little was like trying to break his spine; he would rather die than yield.
This little ungrateful child, when it came to his mother, his heart seemed to change completely.
The temperaments of these two children were different, but in one aspect, they were consistent—their recognition of their mother.
—
At this time, the only place in Compassion City that could shelter all its citizens was within the protective boundary of the “Suito Kajo Array.” The city’s inhabitants had received the warning from the bronze bells and were rushing towards this area if they had managed to survive.
This area was enclosed by Guanghui Zen Temple, Jizhao Gu Temple, and Jingxu Ni An. It was not small and could accommodate several hundred people with ease.
Within the protective light shield of the array, those who had narrowly survived this sudden disaster watched the outside world, anxiously awaiting the final outcome.
At this moment, several rays of blue, gold, and green spiritual light arrived outside the barrier but were blocked by the boundary outside the “Suito Kajo Array.”
“Quickly open it!”
Lu Ziyin urgently shouted, patting the barrier.
But the people inside hesitated; no one moved.
Who knew what would happen if the barrier was opened at this moment.
However, they could not refuse. Because a subsequent beam of boundless black light directly smashed a “hole” into the barrier, which was strong enough to withstand a killing array.
The crowd in Compassion City: “……”
This was it, they were doomed!