"Xiaoyao!" Li Chengfeng called out to him.
"Is there something you need, Patriarch Li?" Li Xiaoyao halted his steps, his back to him, his voice indifferent.
Li Chengfeng enunciated each word: "You are my son!"
"Your son?" Li Xiaoyao scoffed coldly, turning to face him with anger flickering in his eyes.
"You chose to abandon me twenty-eight years ago, and now you want me to acknowledge you as my father? I’m sorry, but I refuse to accept this kinship!" Growing up amid the ravages of war and bullets, and upon returning home, contending with cultivators, Li Xiaoyao had long since developed a formidable mental resilience.
But now, in the face of Li Chengfeng, he couldn’t suppress the rage in his heart.
This was the man who had abandoned him shortly after he was born. And now, he wanted to talk about father-son relations, which was utterly laughable.
"I was powerless to stop what happened twenty-eight years ago," Li Chengfeng said with equal fury, aggravated by his past helplessness. If only he had been stronger back then, how would his wife’s family dare to tear them apart? How would they dare to take his son away?
This was the pain of his life; whenever he thought his son might have died early on, he couldn’t forgive himself.
Fortunately, Li Xiaoyao was still alive.
"Powerless to stop it? Hah," Li Xiaoyao clearly didn’t believe his words.
"Xiaoyao, I hope you can listen to my explanation. If after hearing it, you still choose to leave, then I will respect your decision. But for now, I hope you can sit down and listen to what I have to say," pleaded Li Chengfeng, his voice tinged with a hint of begging.
Seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, or perhaps Li Chengfeng’s worn and tired appearance made Li Xiaoyao somewhat reluctant to leave, but he clearly didn’t want to admit that he was moved by compassion, so he said, "I’m curious to hear what excuse you have."
The two sat down at the table, and Li Chengfeng organized his thoughts, his gaze distant, and began to softly recount the events of twenty-eight years ago.
"Her name was Li Xuanji, a very unique name."
"We met in a sea of people. Before meeting her, I never believed in love at first sight. But upon encountering her, I understood that there is indeed someone in this world who can make you fall for them with just one glance."
"When I saw her, I told myself that she was the one, she was it!"
"From getting to know each other to having a child, it was only a short two years. But those two years, we were so fulfilled, incredibly so."
"At that time, my father wanted me to succeeded the position of clan leader and to enter into a marriage alliance with the Xie Family. I was unwilling. For Xuanji, I gave up the position of clan leader, hoping just to have a peaceful life with her."
"After my father learned of this, he severed ties with me, froze all my assets, and made it known to all. From then on, no one dared to hire me. We lived in hardship for a while, but material scarcity did not make us suffer."
"On the contrary, that kind of life brought us closer together. We believed that as long as we were together, we were a complete family."
"We ran a small business, and I would occasionally handle some matters for people. Days went by just like that. I thought our life would continue to be uneventful until one day, you were born."
"Your arrival brought warmth and hope to our little home."
"It also brought a nightmare."
"Xuanji always refused to tell me where she came from."
"I knew her origins must be extraordinary, but I never imagined they would be that extraordinary."
"One day, a strange man suddenly burst into our house. He wanted to kill me; I blocked him and told her to run away with the child."
"But she walked over calmly, holding you in her arms."
"I saw bitterness in her eyes. She seemed not surprised, as if she had anticipated it all along."
"This man, her brother, had come here to take her away."
"Her brother wanted to kill our father and son, she used her death as leverage, and ultimately saved my life."
......
"Chengfeng, I’m leaving. Don’t think about me, don’t look for me. Let the memories of these two years scatter, consider them a dream," Li Xuanji said with a bittersweet smile, cradling Li Chengfeng’s cheeks gently.
Despite his seemingly serene face, Li Chengfeng saw deeply suppressed reluctance hidden within it.
"Don’t go." Angered, Li Chengfeng’s body trembled as he tightly grasped her tender wrists.
"You and I are not from the same world after all." Li Xuanji smiled with a carefree air, but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to be resolute, "Thank you for these two years, I love you."
"Tell me, what should I do? How can I see you again?" Intuition told Li Chengfeng that if he let go now, he would never be able to see her again.
Li Xuanji shook her head and said, "There are some things you’re better off not knowing; treat this as a dream."
"Hmph, a mere mortal, defiling Xuanji’s body, deserves death." The man’s face was emotionless, his eyes brimming with killing intent, "Xuanji, since he wants to know, tell him. Let him understand the vast gulf between him and us so he can completely abandon hope." Stay connected through Freewebnovel
Li Xuanji’s gaze was filled with compassion as the man pushed Li Chengfeng aside, speaking in a condescending tone, "Mortal, if you truly wish to see Xuanji again, come to The Third Realm."
Leaving behind that statement, the man disappeared from the room with Li Xuanji and Li Xiaoyao.
"Xuanji!" Li Chengfeng ran to the window, shouting loudly at the empty sky.
Sitting on the ground, bereft of strength, Li Chengfeng muttered to himself, "The Third Realm, The Third Realm..."
...
"I had always thought that you had been killed by Xuanji’s brother or, at the very least, taken to The Third Realm."
"Although I was a cultivator, at that time, my cultivation level had barely reached the Condensation Realm. I had no power to resist in front of her brother."
"To see her again, I returned to the family, secured a marriage alliance with the Xie Family, and assumed the position of Clan Leader. For over twenty years, I’ve dedicated myself to cultivation, all to break free one day and see Xuanji again."
"Xiaoyao, I did not know at the time that he did not take you back to The Third Realm. You should blame me."
After listening to Li Chengfeng’s explanation, Li Xiaoyao gained a detailed understanding of his own origin.
He had long believed that he was intentionally abandoned by his parents, hence he harbored great hatred for those parents he had never met.
But now, Li Xiaoyao could no longer bring himself to hate them.
His parents had been forced apart, and his father didn’t even know whether he was dead or alive.
Li Xiaoyao’s lips quivered, his voice trembling slightly, "Does she... do you have a photo of her?"
"Yes, yes, just wait a moment." Li Chengfeng sensed a slight softening in his attitude toward him, ecstatic in his heart, and quickly got up to walk toward the cabinet.
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