Chapter 130: The Bond Between Father and Son

How did Father discover it?

Chu Youcai suddenly understood. His father’s cultivation must have exceeded fifty years; he had sensed it the moment he entered the manor. Even though he had learned demonic arts, which were intolerable to the world, his father had not shown a shred of blame. He deeply felt the sincerity of his father’s heart.

At this moment, he felt a strong urge to agree to his father’s request. Just as his father had said, if he were to cultivate within the army, he would be killing enemies on the front lines. Surrounded by the overwhelming aura of the military and tens of thousands of men, who would be able to detect his demonic arts? With his father’s support, he would certainly not be suppressed, and given his father’s protective nature, who would dare to snatch away his military merits?

Yet, in the end, he shook his head and said, "I am sorry, Father."

Prince Chu was stunned. He had not expected Chu Youcai to refuse. He suddenly felt as though he could no longer see through his son, and he finally asked, "Do you have some hidden difficulty? We are father and son; why the need for concealment? Even if it were a crime of the greatest magnitude, I would bear it for you. Rest assured. I have already lost one son; I do not wish to lose another."

Chu Youcai shook his head and said, "Father, I must remain here because in two and a half months, I have a life-or-death duel on the Execution Platform with my eldest brother." At this moment, his heart was open, and he held back nothing.

Prince Chu could not believe his ears; his eyes flared with rage! What was the Execution Platform? It was a battle to the death, where neither side would stop until the other was gone! Hearing that his two most talented children were to engage in fratricidal strife, his gaze exploded with intensity. He stared at Chu Youcai like a lion, forcibly suppressing his inner fury, demanding to know the truth.

Why?

At that moment, Chu Youcai quietly recounted everything he had experienced.

After being expelled from the prince’s manor, he killed Wang Hai and Lei Yinyang, attained the peak of Taoist cultivation, and met the Second Mistress. At the storytelling pavilion, Yan Yunfei had stood up for him, throwing Zhu Yuzheng off the balcony and even going to the Prince’s manor to sever the steward’s arm. Then came the slaughter of the locust demons, the countless life-and-death ordeals from the southern city of Yanzhou to Guiyuan Temple, and the near-seizure and refining of the Willow Deity’s remains by Yan Nantian.

As Chu Youcai spoke, his tone was calm, yet everyone knew how many storms and how much bitterness he had endured.

When the name Yan Nantian was mentioned, Prince Chu’s eyes grew icy. Upon learning that Chu Yuwei had sought to kill Chu Youcai to seize the Fish-Scale Blade, his gaze became desolate. He seemed to age significantly in that instant.

He then muttered to himself, "No wonder! No wonder you learned demonic arts! You were driven to a point where you could neither live nor die; the world is vast, yet there was no place for you! No one desires to turn against the human world; it was a choice made out of absolute necessity!" Prince Chu stared at Chu Youcai, overcome by sudden sorrow.

Seeing his father’s expression, Chu Youcai felt a pang of heartache, and tears nearly fell. The world was vast, but he had endured so much bitterness, suffering through countless life-and-death trials alone, tasting a sorrow that no one else could comprehend. He had shouldered all this suffering by himself. Though his cultivation had improved greatly, he had never poured his heart out to Yun Cuixian or the others, knowing they suffered even more. But this bitterness had remained a knot in his heart, one he could never shake off.

Until just now. Hearing his father’s words, he was deeply moved, and a wave of warmth surged within him. The pain of being misunderstood was finally washed away by a gentle breeze, slowly fading into nothingness.

He then said, "Father, it is alright. I chose this path myself. My conscience is clear, and I have no regrets!"

Prince Chu nodded heavily, gazing at Chu Youcai. "Since you are my son, you must have such a heart of resolute progress—to break through thorns and brambles, and no matter what hardships lie ahead, to forge forward without hesitation! You are very much like your mother. Truly, very much like her."

Hearing this, Chu Youcai could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.

Prince Chu continued, "You have carved out your own path now. The road ahead must still be walked by you alone. But you must remember: your home is here at the Prince’s manor, and behind you, I will always shield you from the wind and rain. No matter how many people in this vast world may reject you, this place will always be your home!"

Chu Youcai nodded firmly. At this moment, he finally felt a sense of reliance on the father before him and the home that was the Prince’s manor, along with a newfound sense of responsibility.

Prince Chu patted his shoulder heavily and said, "It was I who failed you before, but from this day on, I will slowly make it up to you."

Chu Youcai felt the heat of his father’s hand and nodded heavily once more.

Prince Chu then gazed into the distance, his eyes turning cold. "Yan Nantian? A fine Yan Nantian, indeed! If it were not for his schemes, my son would never have been pushed to this point!"

"As it happens, Yan Nantian is likely in the imperial palace. I shall go find this fellow now, vent your anger, and teach him a proper lesson!"

At that moment, he soared into the air like a lion, his entire being radiating a vast and unstoppable aura of dominance as he flew toward the east. Three thousand eight hundred miles east of Yanzhou lay the imperial capital of the Loulan Kingdom!

Hearing this, Chu Youcai gasped. Was his father going to find Yan Nantian to avenge him? What was Yan Nantian’s status? He was an elder to Yan Yunfei, one of the four guardians of the Yan Sect, a man of unreachable status in the mortal world, and revered as the Imperial Preceptor in the Loulan palace, with a cultivation level exceeding sixty years of Taoist practice.

Looking at his father’s imposing back, Chu Youcai felt a warmth in his body. But at the same time, a worry arose: Yan Nantian had the Yan Sect behind him, and as an Imperial Preceptor within the palace, would his father be in danger?

Just then, a Golden Dragon Guard stepped forward and smiled. "Third Young Master Chu, you need not worry about the General. In this world, there is nothing the General dares not do! He is but an Imperial Preceptor; you may rest easy and wait."

Chu Youcai knew this Golden Dragon Guard was his father’s personal bodyguard and a vice-general in the army. His status was high, his words carried immense weight, and his father trusted him implicitly—evidenced by the fact that his father had not avoided him when discussing the demonic arts. Hearing such words from a vice-general shook Chu Youcai’s heart, and as he imagined his father’s legendary demeanor, he found himself momentarily spellbound.