After charging headlong through the woods for a while, Xuan Yang and the others caused quite a stir. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached from within the trees.
"Who goes there!"
A young man cautiously pushed aside the bushes, shouting toward them from a distance.
Xuan Yang and Shen Yan both tensed, though the newcomer's cultivation was not high, so there was no need for excessive alarm.
Wu Yi froze for two seconds before breaking the stalemate with a loud cry. "It’s me! Uncle! It’s me, Wu Yi!"
Once the young man saw Wu Yi’s face clearly, his tense expression instantly relaxed.
Xuan Yang let go, allowing Wu Yi to land lightly on the ground. Wu Yi stumbled as he ran toward the man. The youth knelt down in disbelief, carefully checking Wu Yi’s face and body. Seeing no trace of injury, he let out a long sigh of relief.
"Where did you go? When the clansmen went back before, they said they couldn't find you! There wasn't even a... a body. Your mother has cried until her eyes are swollen shut! But she said she wouldn't rest until she saw you, dead or alive. She hasn't slept a wink these past few days."
"I almost died! These two over there saved me! Once I woke up, I came back to find everyone, but it seems we just missed each other..." Wu Yi pointed toward Xuan Yang and Shen Yan.
"It’s good that you’re back, it’s good you’re back." The young man looked at Shen Yan, keenly sensing a human aura. Although he had hardly ever seen a human and harbored some prejudice, since a child from his own village said they had saved his life, it would be wrong to repay kindness with enmity.
The people of this small demon village were quite simple; based on this alone, he temporarily set aside his bias against humans.
"Go see your parents quickly. And you two benefactors as well—it couldn't have been easy traveling all the way here. Although our village has only just been rebuilt and is still very crude, please come and sit for a while. Let Wu Yi’s parents meet you..."
Shen Yan hesitated, clearly not in favor of the idea. But he glanced at the enthusiastic Xuan Yang and, considering this was essentially the home of Xuan Yang's distant kin, he didn't dampen the mood by suggesting they leave. Instead, he signaled for Xuan Yang to decide.
"Brother Xuan Yang, my parents really are okay! You were right after all," Wu Yi ran back and grabbed Xuan Yang’s hand. "Even though my family isn't rich and we don't have anything fancy, you still have to come. I'll have Mother make something delicious for you. When I was little, she used to..."
"Ah, then we shall impose on you, haha..." Xuan Yang didn't refuse. Moreover, he wasn't quite ready to part ways with Wu Yi just yet. He wanted to at least see how the Crow Tribe's new village was faring and say a proper goodbye to the little fellow before leaving.
The young man led them into the settlement. In a clearing among the trees, the skeletons of many houses had already taken shape. Though crude, they could at least provide shelter from the wind and rain. Young and middle-aged men were busy hauling timber and stone, while women tended fires in the center of the village to prepare food. It seemed that due to their current circumstances, everyone in the village was huddling together for warmth and eating communal meals.
Wu Yi looked around, a hint of bitterness in his heart. There were far fewer clansmen in the village now. Even though most people were out working, the newly built village didn't have even half the vitality of their old home.
"...It’s different from the old place, but it’s very good here too," Wu Yi said firmly, as if comforting himself.
"Yes... we’ll start our new life here from now on." The young man gave a bitter smile, likely thinking of the deceased clansmen as well, his heart aching.
As outsiders, Xuan Yang and Shen Yan could only remain silent, turning their heads to observe their surroundings. Their unusual group immediately drew everyone's gaze. Xuan Yang was one thing—though his aura was unfamiliar, he was still a demon—but Shen Yan, a human whom most of the village had never seen in their lives, brought quite a shock to the recently traumatized Crow Village.
"Why has a human come here?"
"It looks like Brother Xiao Qu brought them. They shouldn't be bad people..."
"Hey! Isn't that Wu Yi! Wu Yi is back!"
"It really is! Hey!"
The villagers, who had been whispering in hushed tones, saw Wu Yi—who had been missing for a while and presumed dead—bouncing around the village. They immediately forgot the unease brought by the human and swarmed forward to ask about his well-being. Suddenly, Wu Yi was overwhelmed by "uncles and aunties" ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks.
"Oh my, I know everyone is worried about little Wu Yi, but shouldn't we let him go home and report that he's safe first? Hui Niang is the one most anxious!"
"That’s true, that’s true..."
Hearing this, the swarming villagers realized it made sense and dispersed just as quickly as they had gathered.
Hui Niang... that must be Wu Yi’s mother. Xuan Yang blinked, and suddenly an indescribable feeling of stifling pressure surged from his chest, as if his throat were blocked.
The closer they got to the house, the deeper this sense of unease became.
He had never experienced such a sensation before.
"Maybe... we should wait for you somewhere else first..."
Reaching the door, Xuan Yang suddenly felt the urge to retreat for some reason. Even Shen Yan gave him a puzzled look, unable to understand why the previously enthusiastic Xuan Yang suddenly wanted to leave.
"Why? Didn't Brother Xuan Yang say he wanted to come sit at my house? Do you suddenly have something else to do?" Wu Yi was bewildered.
Shen Yan moved closer to Xuan Yang. Sensing something was wrong with his expression and fearing an anomaly, he asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?"
"Ah, no, I don't know... but..."
His words were vague. Before Shen Yan could process the second half of the sentence, the door swung open from the inside with a loud *bang*.
"Wu Yi! I heard it! Is Wu Yi back?"
"Oh, Hui Niang, isn't he just..." The young man leading them was moved by her joy at finding what was lost, and he wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes.
A huge smile broke out on Wu Yi’s face. Shouting "Mother," he lunged into the woman's embrace. Hui Niang knelt directly on the ground, pulling him tightly into her arms.
"Mother knew you were okay! Ugh... they all said you were likely dead, but I knew! It was all nonsense..."
Though she was a mother, Hui Niang’s appearance remained quite youthful, even if she no longer looked like a young girl. For a small village, her features were remarkably striking. Though her attire was simple and practical to the extreme, she faintly exuded a unique beauty that was both gentle and resilient.
"Mother, I’m fine! I was injured before, but some kind people healed me and even brought me back..."
As the two embraced, another person stepped out from the open door, looking plain and honest. He held a smaller child and watched the scene with relief. Clearly, this man was Wu Yi’s father.
Hui Niang was too preoccupied to notice anyone else, but Wu Yi’s father heard the conversation and realized that Xuan Yang and Shen Yan had saved Wu Yi. He hurriedly bowed to the two of them.
Shen Yan gave a polite nod, indicating he accepted the thanks. But looking down, he saw Xuan Yang staring fixedly at Wu Yi. He felt more and more that Xuan Yang’s state was wrong. Ignoring the others, he reached out to steady Xuan Yang’s shoulder and gave him a slight shake, casting an inquiring gaze.
"Father! Little brother!"
Wu Yi looked up and saw his father and brother were there. Hui Niang also realized she had lost her composure for a moment, lingering at the door for so long. She released her arms, allowing Wu Yi to run over to his father.
The man holding the swaddled infant heartily scooped Wu Yi up with his other arm. One in each arm. Wu Yi usually rarely acted spoiled with his father, but having escaped death, he didn't care about his "little man" dignity during this reunion and clung to his father’s neck without letting go.
"You two benefactors, please don't take our earlier neglect to heart. Quick..."
Hui Niang wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood up, patting the dust from the knees of her clothes. As she looked up, her words stopped mid-sentence.
"..."
In an instant, the look in Hui Niang’s eyes shifted from joy and relief to shock, followed immediately by anger.
Shen Yan instinctively thought she might harbor hostility toward humans due to past experiences. But he discovered that Hui Niang’s gaze wasn't directed at him at all, but was fixed on... Xuan Yang.
Xuan Yang felt as if his entire body were being pricked by needles, a shiver running down his spine. For no reason at all, he understood that this woman before him had a significant connection to him. If he could, he didn't want this so-called "bloodline resonance" at all.
Why did it have to be this situation? Why did it have to be Wu Yi’s mother...?
"Quick, Hui Niang, bring the benefactors inside to sit. Brother Xiao Qu, thank you for bringing them! I'll treat you to a meal another day."
"Don't mention it! You all have your reunion first." The young man who led them took his leave quickly.
In the heavy silence, Wu Yi’s father didn't notice anything was wrong and smilingly invited Xuan Yang and the other inside. Hui Niang watched Xuan Yang, her face turning pale and then flushed with anger, devoid of any joy.
Xuan Yang’s heart felt cold. He could feel how much Hui Niang loathed him. He didn't need this biological mother anyway! But since Hui Niang hadn't spoken, it would be awkward to just turn and leave. Thus, Wu Yi’s father, who seemed rather thick-skinned, took the initiative to warmly usher the two of them into the house.
The interior was as crude as Shen Yan had imagined, barely providing shelter. Wu Yi’s father also seemed a bit embarrassed, asking the two to sit on wooden stools to rest.
He went back to the small room to lay down Wu Yi’s younger brother, then returned to chat with them. Wu Yi was clearly excited to be home, dragging them along as he told his father all about what he had seen on the journey. As soon as Hui Niang entered the house, she said she was going to boil water for tea and disappeared.
"We call it tea, but we only have herbal leaves gathered from the forest. Please don't laugh at us..." Wu Yi’s father gave an embarrassed smile. "Ai, why is Hui Niang taking so long to boil water today? Usually, it would be ready by now... I'll go check."
"...It’s fine," Xuan Yang suddenly spoke up.
The man was startled. Since entering the house, this young demon lad hadn't said a word, only nodding in agreement when Wu Yi spoke, and his smile seemed a bit forced. Seeing that both he and Shen Yan wore fine clothes, Wu Yi’s father thought their poor house had put the benefactors in a bad mood.
"True. There’s no reason to leave guests hanging."
Xuan Yang looked at the honest smile on Wu Yi’s father’s face. He thought that perhaps the man had no idea Hui Niang had once had another child. He might not even know about Hui Niang’s past. But even if he did, so what? Why was he instinctively trying to cover for that woman?
Perhaps Hui Niang didn't want to serve them tea at all. After waiting a while longer, even Shen Yan could see something was wrong. He suggested they take their leave, but Wu Yi’s father refused, insisting they stay for a meal before going. His attitude was very firm. Perhaps having overheard the conversation in the back, Hui Niang finally returned carrying several clay cups.
In the cups of the two guests, Xuan Yang and Shen Yan, floated two pitiful leaves. In their own cups, there was only plain water, nothing else.
"Right now, the village's food is kept in one place. Ai, having just gone through that, every family is struggling. Everyone is eating communal meals for now. Once things get better, we'll go back to the way it was... but this is a special case. I'll go ask if I can get some ingredients so our Hui Niang can show off her skills. Don't look down on our small place; Hui Niang’s cooking is praised even in the neighboring villages."
"Really? I haven't eaten Mother's delicious food in so long." Wu Yi also looked at his father expectantly.
"..."
Even Shen Yan, who didn't fully understand the situation, could see that Hui Niang’s expression was absolutely not that of someone who wanted to cook for them. He thought to himself that this man was far too dense, lacking even the slightest ability to read the room. It was a wonder he managed to marry such a strikingly beautiful wife.
In a small village like this, the head of the household made the decisions. Wu Yi’s father went out to the village entrance to ask about ingredients, leaving only Hui Niang and the others in the room.
"Brother Xuan Yang, what’s wrong with you today? You’ve suddenly become so quiet..." Wu Yi looked at Xuan Yang’s expression, asking in a low, worried voice.
Hui Niang spoke up. "Wu Yi, you must be tired after the journey, right? Go back to the room and take a nap with your brother. I'll call you at dinner time."
"Eh? Now?"
"...That’s right. Wu Yi, go rest for a bit. We’re tired of talking too, we'll rest a while." Xuan Yang forced a smile.
Wu Yi was confused by the sudden suggestion, but Hui Niang was very firm. She stood up, picked Wu Yi up, and headed toward the room. Since Brother Xuan Yang also said he didn't want to talk, Wu Yi confusedly followed the adults' instructions.
"What exactly is going on?" Shen Yan took the opportunity to ask. But Xuan Yang couldn't explain a single word, causing Shen Yan a rare moment of anxiety.
Closing the door tightly, Hui Niang returned to face Xuan Yang and Shen Yan. Her forced smile had completely vanished. She sat opposite Xuan Yang, staring at him intently, her voice low with suppressed anger. "Did that man tell you? Did he send you here? I completely forgot all of that long ago. Why do you have to appear before me now?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Xuan Yang asked, puzzled.
"Stop pretending. You’re that man’s child, aren't you?" Hui Niang said coldly.
It was as if Xuan Yang were merely "that man’s" child, and not hers.
He had expected Hui Niang wouldn't give him a warm welcome, but such a hateful gaze was something Xuan Yang hadn't anticipated.
"You even let Wu Yi call you brother. He doesn't have a brother like you...!" Hui Niang seemed blinded by rage, losing control. "When the villagers went to look for Wu Yi and couldn't find him, it was you who took him, wasn't it! How could you coincidentally appear in the demon lands? You intentionally approached him to gain his favor, didn't you? Just like that scumbag father of yours..."
"..."
Xuan Yang’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Shen Yan narrowed his eyes in displeasure, frowning as he interrupted. "Enough. I don't know what grievance lies between you, but do not speak so harshly. Is this how you repay the benefactor who saved your son’s life? Without us, he would have died of exhaustion long ago."
Hui Niang fell silent. She likely realized her words were just a vent for her misplaced anger. But she was a proud woman, so she didn't apologize, merely maintaining a cold, motionless expression.
"I'm afraid I've disappointed you, but I've never even met the 'scumbag father' you mentioned. He probably doesn't even know a son like me exists, having long since returned to his hometown without a care in the world." Xuan Yang shrugged with feigned nonchalance, his tone more exaggerated than usual. Hui Niang gave a few self-mocking cold laughs, murmuring under her breath, "Ha, haha... it really is fate... to be able to hatch and grow like that... not a single bit like me. With that man, it’s... like you were carved from the same mold..."
"What did you say?" Hui Niang’s muttering was almost swallowed, indistinct. Xuan Yang asked with a frown.
"Nothing... I don't want to see you. Leave."
Hui Niang issued an order for them to go.
Xuan Yang gave a cold laugh. "If it weren't for your husband and Wu Yi insisting we stay, I would have left the moment I sensed you at the door."
"..."
Hui Niang remained silent. She sat quietly opposite Xuan Yang, no longer looking at him, unwilling to speak further.
Xuan Yang stood up and looked at Hui Niang. His demon instincts told him this woman was a very close blood relative, but her face was so unfamiliar it made him feel cold.
If he stayed any longer, it would be hard to leave once Wu Yi woke up or his father returned. Having reached this level of hostility, Xuan Yang had no desire to stay for an awkward dinner.
Seeing him lost in thought, Shen Yan didn't rush him. He left the house first and waited outside.
After a long silence, Hui Niang finally pulled a rusted hair ornament and some spirit stones from her storage bag. As if squeezing the words through her teeth, she said, "You did save Wu Yi, after all. I don't owe favors."
"No need. You see how I'm dressed, don't you? I really have no use for such junk!" Xuan Yang had never been so biting and sarcastic in his life. He almost racked his brain to think of more nasty things to say before leaving, as if he would lose if he didn't. This house was as dilapidated as the ornament Hui Niang had produced. Thin walls, a wooden roof with many gaps crudely stuffed with leaves and straw—it was the definition of destitute.
However, on a cabinet in the corner of the room sat many pieces of "junk." Wu Yi had once said those were the various memories of their family, kept there as mementos. Even when they moved to the new village, the items that hadn't been destroyed in the disaster were all brought to the new place.
Xuan Yang thought to himself that Hui Niang truly loathed him to the core. Perhaps she was a good mother, but she certainly wasn't his.
Without taking them, or even reaching out to touch the items pushed across the table, Xuan Yang maintained a relaxed air and strode out of the house. He pulled the door shut behind him.
"Let’s go," Xuan Yang said to Shen Yan with a smile.
"Where to?"
"To the city? Ai, staying in a small place like this is just stifling."
Shen Yan looked at Xuan Yang with concern. He felt that Xuan Yang’s current state was off. But he knew everyone had their own secrets. After a moment's thought, he simply replied, "In any case, let’s leave here first."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 荟娘 | Hui Niang | Wu Yi's mother. |
| 小曲哥 | Brother Xiao Qu | A young man from the Crow Village. |
| 乌鸦一族 | Crow Tribe | The demon clan Wu Yi belongs to. |
| 血缘感应 | Bloodline resonance | A mystical connection felt between close relatives in cultivation settings. |
| 渣滓 | Scumbag / Dregs | Used by Hui Niang to describe Xuan Yang's father. |
| 大锅饭 | Communal meals | Lit. "big pot rice," referring to shared village meals. |
