Hua Lu didn't know why he was afraid of ghosts, guessing it was a genetic trait from his cowardly father. Otherwise, with his strong heart, how could he be frightened by mere ghosts?
Stubborn little ghosts always found excuses for their shame.
"Didn't I tell you?"
The ugly man carried the milky-white child and walked through a dimly lit, boundless corridor. He used the dim light in his hand to illuminate a corner, revealing thorny vines twisting and stretching in the air, separating heaven and earth, like a giant cage imprisoning the endless resentful souls within.
As they continued, the dense poisonous net gradually thinned out, becoming sparser until a large, flat, open space appeared ahead.
The previously narrow and cold perspective suddenly opened up.
Ahead lay a vast, emerald green disk, suspended above which was a faint green light source, resembling both the sun and the moon. Within the verdant, mossy water, faint blue wisps of light floated and dispersed.
The light sources above and below illuminated the broad, flat clearing enclosed by the poisonous thorns with great clarity, but beneath the rippling green waves lay an abyss of darkness—
In the center stood a green-skinned tree monster, its height reaching the clouds, obscuring the sky and blocking out the sun. Its arrogant, thick vines extended from the ground like an octopus's suction cups, patrolling the circumference of the emerald disk.
And amidst the black wall woven by the poisonous thorns and the "suction cups" of the green-skinned tree monster, a cryptic shadow hung from the spiked vines.
Upon closer inspection, those shadows were all living beings whose limbs were entangled, with countless thorns piercing their flesh.
As the ugly man stepped in, he heard a sharp cry, like a crane's shriek, from the wind.
Roar—
It was the groaning of the earth, the lament of this realm.
It was not a unique sound made by any creature, but the sound of the wind, the rustling of the poisonous thorns, the shadows cast by the leaning trees, and the cool breeze rushing at light speed into the darkness.
"Here, no one is fiercer than I am."
As the ugly man's faint words fell, the child Hua Lu, before he could even feel the trembling in his body, first felt this emerald disk, as silent as a deathbed—it exploded.
Hua Lu looked up in surprise. His eyesight was astonishing, and he could discern at a glance what kind of demons and monsters those "shadows" were, caught between light and darkness.
He initially thought they were "corpses," but now these "corpses" had come back to life and were in an uproar.
"Why is she back so soon?!"
A ram-like creature with only half a skeleton screamed.
Beside it, a woman with a spider's back frantically moved her four pairs of legs.
"What is she going to do to us this time?"
"I want to die, really! How about we kill each other?" said a half-demon, half-human with a look of determination.
Beside him, a snake-woman with withered white hair draped over her ample chest scornfully said, "Fool, don't you remember last time? Someone stubbornly refused to yield, and so he died. But even after he died and became a ghost, she captured him!"
Those who were not dead, who could still breathe, who had not been poisoned by the poisonous thorns, all indignantly exclaimed, "What kind of devil is she? It's bad enough to be thrown into this damned place, but we have to endure inhuman treatment. Heaven won't allow it, earth forbids it, and we can't even die a quick death!"
"How would I know what she wants to do? In the past, people outside always called us evil demons and bloodthirsty fiends. It's true we're not good people, but isn't being banished and imprisoned in the poisonous thorns enough? Why do they still send her to torture us!"
Not far from this place was a pit, piled high with the corpses of those who had been "tortured" and discarded by her. Most were those of low cultivation who couldn't withstand the backlash of their sinful blood.
Hearing the chaotic clamor from all around, Hua Lu saw so many non-human monsters for the first time.
They were indeed monsters.
None of them were pure-blooded. They were mixed with the blood of demons, fiends, humans, and even demonic and spiritual beasts. Their impure bloodlines made them appear ugly and strange from birth.
Mixed-bloods could never eliminate their excess parts like demons could. Due to their impure bloodlines, they could not cultivate orthodox magic. They could only steal, rob, and do all sorts of evil deeds, seeking to strengthen themselves through evil arts and sinister means.
"What's wrong with them? Why are they looking at us... crying?"
The ugly man said, "Probably scared of me."
Hua Lu: "..."
You expect me to believe that?
Don't believe it?
The ugly man remained unfazed, his brows as calm as ever. But as his gaze swept over every spot, the noisy, almost chaotic atmosphere instantly changed.
Like chickens and ducks confined in a cage whose necks were being choked, they fell silent and held their breath.
Those ferocious faces that once made children cry at night and adults tremble in fear now looked instantly submissive.
Hua Lu was dumbfounded.
He had to... believe it.
His large, dewy deer-like eyes widened, curious and astonished, "What did you do to them?"
How could a single glance make these monsters, who killed, set fires, and did all sorts of evil, tremble with fear, as if he were going to skin them alive.
The ugly man, however, uttered a profound sentence: "Some things are not suitable for children to know, so don't pry."
Hua Lu: "..."
He had lived in Hua City for so many years, and he truly didn't know if there was anything he couldn't hear.
However, while he felt looked down upon when others treated him as a child, what the ugly man said made Hua Lu feel protected.
Hua Lu didn't know why, but he had an inexplicable fondness for the ugly man. It wasn't just because he believed him and saved him when he asked for help, but also because, after such a brief interaction, this person was like a beam of light, gradually filling the dark void within him.
Perhaps he was indeed more evil and fiercer than those villains, but Hua Lu was simply not afraid.
Because, Hua Lu instinctively knew that the other person had never been perfunctory with him.
Did he really have a child already?
Could he not have one more?
Hua Lu pinched his little finger, his small face tightening.
No, he had to try harder to see if he could become legitimate!
"What are you thinking about?"
His head was lightly patted.
Hua Lu opened his mouth and said, "I want you to be my father."
The ugly man paused. Seeing that he was serious, he regretfully told him, "Child, I cannot be your father."
Hua Lu thought he refused him, and being rejected again, he became very dejected and disappointed. He bit his lip and turned his face away.
"...Who wants it."
The ugly man offered no explanation, only saying, "You'll understand later."
They stopped talking. The ugly man, carrying Hua Lu, walked towards the thick trunk of the green-skinned tree. The wriggling "feet" that roamed its body seemed poisonous to them, keeping a distance. Then, the middle part of the trunk was sliced open as if by a knife, forming a long, narrow slit.
As the ugly man and Hua Lu approached, the slit automatically expanded from left to right, forming a void and a rotating space. He directly entered it, holding the child.
After the pair disappeared into the tree hole, the demons and monsters who had sealed their mouths finally had the chance to vent.
"Where did that human child come from? He could hug and snuggle with such a terrifying person, he's simply not afraid of death."
"I think she must have taken a liking to the human child's looks and secretly abducted him to be her son!"
They said it with certainty, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.
"You say, now that she has found another amusement, will she bother us less in the future?"
This statement was met with joy.
"Although it's truly insane for her to extend her demonic claws to a human child, if it can lead to our liberation, then that child has made a great contribution!"
—
The ugly man and Hua Lu were entirely "swallowed" by the tree hole. When they were "spit out" again, the scene before their eyes had abruptly changed, as if they had arrived in a brand new world.
It didn't even seem like they were in Fengdu anymore.
Although Fengdu was located in the twenty-eight heavens of the cultivation world, it was not governed by the cultivation world. It occupied its own realm, perpetually shrouded in smog and darkness, devoid of light.
Where there was no light, brightly colored creatures naturally could not survive. Therefore, in Fengdu, one would not see the flowers and trees nourished by spiritual energy outside the cultivation world. Even if there were some plants, they were all like the poisonous thorns.
But here, there was sunshine, colorful flowers, green grass, green trees, and clean spiritual butterfly streams...
Inside the tree hole was a small world. By the flowing stream stood a courtyard pavilion with glazed green tiles and white walls. Crimson pavilions were shaded by green trees, with flowing water gurgling, bees humming, and butterflies dancing. Ten thousand acres of flowers and trees in the background were scattering snow-white petals, like a quiet and beautiful fairyland.
Having been in Fengdu for so long, Hua Lu had almost forgotten that besides dark and gray colors, there was such a bright and sunny world.
At this moment, a black figure was reclining with an arm propped on the glazed tile eaves, a hem of his robe dangling down.
The moment he entered, the ugly man sensed something unusual. This space now contained another aura besides their own.
He stopped and looked up, catching sight of a corner of black robe.
"My wife, how did you go out and bring back such a big child for your husband?"
The black figure on the eaves flipped over and jumped down.
The wind lifted his ink-black hair and a dark purple thread embroidered with gold hair tie. His exceptional, knee-length hair cascaded magnificently.
He had a noble and slender build, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The fitting robe he wore seemed to perfectly accentuate his noble and unique temperament.
He had a pair of narrow, long eyes, with long, straight eyelashes that, unlike soft downy curls, were more like sharp black feathers. Only the area around his eyes was exposed, while the rest of his face was obscured by a mass of black mist, making it impossible to discern his features and facial contours.
The ugly man knew that this was because he had not yet fully integrated his lost memories. He had not recovered his complete self, and therefore could not fully reshape his face.
In this life, he would no longer have that old face; he should have a face that truly belonged to himself.
"Weren't you out looking for the four things that were suppressed?" the ugly man asked faintly.
He had always adopted an attitude of ignoring and disregarding his occasional absent-minded remarks.
The Human Emperor seemed not to see the ugly man's scar-like ugly face. He took out a strand of hair tied with a string and a finger that had lost its color but was still fresh from his sleeve pocket.
"The soul staff has been retrieved, and the hair and little finger have also been recovered. Now only one thing remains..." he said earnestly, then his eyes suddenly changed as he looked at the child, "But there's no rush, when do you think our wedding should be held?"
The ugly man, hearing him bring up the old matter repeatedly, asked, "Do you insist on marrying me?"
The Human Emperor's gaze shifted back to him, "You saved my life, so I offer myself in return. Is that too much, A Miao?"
The ugly man was indifferent to marriage, but its premise was sufficient value.
"Was it really you who saved me back then?"
The more the Human Emperor's memory recovered, the deeper the influence of the evil spirit's realm became. His eyes were deep and dark, and he said with such affection, "Of course, your abdomen was cut open by him, and you were in mortal danger. Who else could have saved you?"
Why doubt?
Why trust that man so much?
The ugly man's hand gently stroked his abdomen again. After she woke up, her abdomen was flat, and the child she was carrying was gone...
The events of the past had always been like a needle pricking her heart. She had never given up searching for him for so many years, but he had vanished like a stone dropped into the sea. But she would find him, and she would clearly understand what had happened back then...
"You vowed to marry me, but what dowry do you intend to offer?"
The Human Emperor placed his hand on himself and grandly displayed it, "Myself. What do you think... is that acceptable?"
"Wait—"
At this moment, Hua Lu suddenly screamed at the Human Emperor, "Why do you want to marry him? He's a man!"
"A man?"
The Human Emperor found the child's three-views-shattered expression amusing and intended to tease him, "That makes it even more interesting."
Upon closer inspection, the child's eyes did resemble hers somewhat...
The Human Emperor's heart sank slightly.
Such shameless words made the ugly man's face subtly darken, like a parent whose child had encountered a strange uncle and been taught something bad, saying, "He's still young, please watch your words."
"He doesn't seem like a simple child..." the Human Emperor, however, said dismissively.
Hua Lu's expression stiffened, and he suddenly looked at the ugly man nervously.
The ugly man showed no sign of leniency, saying, "That's no excuse for your lack of restraint. Precisely because he understands everything, you should be even more careful."
Hua Lu was stunned.
The Human Emperor, however, was surprised, "You're quite protective of him, aren't you? You never seemed this concerned even for Gu Er."
The ugly man ignored him and then put the child Hua Lu down. To avoid causing the child to make wild guesses, she peeled off a layer of skin from her scalp—
When her true self stood before Hua Lu, his pupils widened, and he remained motionless.
"Mother—"
He suddenly shouted and then excitedly rushed into her embrace.
Gu Junshi was stunned.
"What did you... just call me?"
Hua Lu cried with tears streaming down his face, looking pitiful. But he suddenly realized something: she had abandoned him before. If he said it now, would she drive him away?
"I, I thought you were a man, so I recognized you as my father, but now I want to recognize you as my mother."