Go all out

Chapter 37: Mom Would Never Leave You, Even If It Killed Her!

“Yes, my true form is a wolf,” my mom nodded, Yin Fang stared at my mom and asked coldly, “There’s a so-called ‘Wolf Immortal’ in Shanxi. What’s your relationship with him?” “He’s my father,” my mom said calmly. Upon hearing this answer, she didn’t say anything else, but let out a soft snort. I was puzzled. Don’t they say wolves are pack animals? Then why was my mom the only one in the cave she lived in last time? Also, how come my mom’s father was in Shanxi? The atmosphere felt a bit off, so Tianzhan and I quickly suggested we head back and talk about it later. My mom, of course, had no objections. Yin Fang said nothing and simply turned to walk back, as if she didn’t want to stay with my mom. I didn’t think much of it—perhaps Yin Fang had some history with my mom’s father. Knowing the way back was safe, we walked a bit more轻松ly, though my mom hardly spoke the whole way. Instead, she’d glance at Yin Fang from time to time and even let out the occasional sigh. When we reached a fork in the road, I instinctively glanced back at the second path—it was still pitch-black. According to what Tianzhan had said earlier about facial features, taking that path might yield a reward—and that reward was most likely to be some kind of object. I actually really wanted to go in and explore, but my mom kept pulling me along without stopping. Perhaps she didn’t want me to take the second path, so I suppressed my curiosity. After we emerged from that well-like opening, my mom returned to her true form—a white wolf—and told me to climb onto her back. She moved quickly and steadily, scaling the slope as if it were level ground. After waiting up there for a while, my mom looked at me and said, “Xiaotian, I’m going to go into seclusion for the next few months to prepare for the Thunder Tribulation, so you don’t need to come looking for me.” “Mm-hmm,” I nodded, then asked, “Mom, is there anything you need me to do?” Although Mom had expressed confidence earlier, the Thunder Tribulation was no joke. Throughout history, countless spirits and monsters have perished in it. The most recent incident I’d heard about was the giant python in Anhui in ’95 that failed its Thunder Tribulation and was struck dead—it caused quite a stir at the time. I was truly afraid something might happen to Mom. My mom paused for a moment and shook her head. She instinctively glanced at the deep cave beside us. “Watch out for that little girl,” “Mm-hmm,” I nodded. Yin Fang’s reaction just now had been a bit hostile. I wasn’t sure what connection Yin Fang had with my mom’s father, but I would listen to my mom. My mom gently stroked my head with her hand. “Xiaotian, your master is gone. From now on, try to rely on yourself as much as possible. Do you hear me?” “Mm-hmm,” I nodded. My mom continued, “Your master did indeed figure out your background, but I don’t know what exactly he discovered. So if you want to learn about your origins and find your parents, you’ll have to do it on your own.” “I know that. I’ll do my best,” That’s certainly true. My background is very strange. Now I know the only clues are Zhang Daoling and that strange creature that once lived in Longquan—though I’m not even sure if it was a Fu Xi. These two are the key to finding my parents. But where should I go to find them? My mom said that strange creature seemed to have gone to the ? River, but the ? River is so vast—I’d probably spend my whole life searching and still not find it. The only way to take a shortcut is to improve my fortune-telling skills. I’ll need to become at least a Level 4 fortune-teller before I can roughly pinpoint the location of that strange creature. As for Zhang Daoling, I hadn’t even considered how to find him, because the real Zhang Daoling had ascended to immortality over a thousand years ago. Encountering him would depend entirely on fate. “But if you have any problems or difficulties, you can always come to Mom,” my mom said gently. Besides nodding and feeling deeply moved, I really didn’t know what to say. I looked at her earnestly and said, “Mom, thank you for saving my life nineteen years ago.” My mom laughed. “Silly boy, I saved you back then because you were so cute. If you’d been a little uglier, I might not have saved you,” I smiled slightly. My mom stroked my cheek, as if taking in my features. “As it turns out, my judgment back then wasn’t too bad… Xiaotian, your birth mother must have been very beautiful…” I fell silent, a wave of gloom washing over me. How should I put it? Before, I’d thought my birth mother had abandoned me in the snow to fend for myself, so I hated her—truly, from the bottom of my heart. But now I knew that Zhang Daoling had brought me here. I wasn’t sure why he’d brought me here—maybe he found me on his way back, or maybe my parents had left me with him, or perhaps my birth mother simply didn’t want me at all… “Don’t hate someone so easily, you know? Because you’ll never know what she was going through at the time. Maybe she had no other choice…” my mom said gently. I muttered, “Mom, do you have any children?” “I have a daughter. Why?” My mom paused for a moment. “She’s sort of your sister, but she’s still very young—she can’t even take human form yet. Do you want to meet her?” I nodded, but then asked, “Mom, would you ever abandon your daughter?” “I…” My mom shook her head. “No, I never would—not even if I died.” Then, with a gentle look in her eyes, she continued, “And you, too—I’d never leave you behind, not even if I died.” I was moved, but I felt more bitterness than anything else. That’s right—my mom would never abandon me, even if it meant dying. But what about my birth mother? “I feel like you’re the one who’s really my mom. As for my birth mother…” I said, almost to myself. My mom sighed. “Don’t say that. I was just lucky back then—that’s how I came to meet you… All right, I’m heading back now. Be careful on your way down the mountain,” “Mm-hmm,” Watching my mom transform into a white wolf and dart away at lightning speed, worry welled up inside me. Mom, please make sure you get through your lightning tribulation safely. After a while, Tian Zhan and Yin Fang crawled out one after the other. When Yin Fang realized my mom was already gone, she snorted coldly, while Tian Zhan walked over curiously. “Your mom went back,” “Mm-hmm,” Tian Zhan’s expression shifted slightly, as if he were marveling at the sight. “You know, your mom is really amazing,” Hearing Tian Zhan say this out of the blue, I looked at him curiously. “Why do you say that?” In my heart, I knew my mom was indeed pretty amazing, but hearing it from Tian Zhan’s mouth made it feel different. Tian Zhan said with a smile, “I just realized when I saw your mom a moment ago. I’d heard that she can have a pretty fiery temper sometimes, and she’s very protective of you. If anyone dared to hurt you, I’d bet your mom would definitely wipe out their whole family.” “Huh?” I was startled. My mom looked so calm and composed—she even spoke with a bit of a girlish charm. I really couldn’t imagine what she’d be like when she got angry. After all, she’s over three hundred years old—which, in wolf years, is only a little over thirty in human years. She’s still a long way from menopause… “You’ll find out soon enough—your mom’s background isn’t simple either,” Tian Zhan said meaningfully. I believed that. Just a moment ago, Yin Fang had mentioned that my mom’s father was a Wolf Immortal. He certainly couldn’t be an Immortal, but it was enough to prove that my mom’s father—my grandfather—was incredibly powerful… Hmm, calling him “Grandpa” at this point seemed a bit premature, “All right, that’s it for now. Let’s head back and get a good night’s sleep,” Tian Zhan stretched, I certainly had no objections. Though Tian Zhan had come up “empty-handed” this time, judging by his expression—especially during the time I’d been upstairs—had he run into my master? I didn’t ask. I glanced at Yin Fang—she certainly wouldn’t tell me anyway. In fact, because of what happened with my mom, she even seemed a bit annoyed with me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Of course, before leaving, the three of us put the boulder back together. And as we turned to head back, Tian Zhan said meaningfully, “He’ll be coming back here.” I figured he must be pretty interested in the second path, too. The three of us didn’t say much on the way back. Once we reached the village, Yin Fang headed straight to the village entrance to catch a ride home—it seemed she didn’t want to stay here at all. After Tian Zhan and I got back, I went out to buy some nice ingredients, cooked a meal, and we both ate our fill. We even had a few bottles of beer each. When it was time to sleep, we slept soundly until dawn. My goal right now is simple: to quickly become a Level 2 fortune-teller, and then we’ll see. Because no matter what, my birth mother abandoned me, and I have to find her and ask her straight out why she abandoned me.