Sovereign of the Three Realms

Xu Qingxuan’s lip curled, but she didn’t give him a reply. She supported her mother as they walked towards the back garden. “Mother, you absolutely must stay calm, alright? No matter what happens, please remember that your daughter is right by your side.”

Xu Meng nodded repeatedly while saying, “I know, I know.” However, she literally couldn’t be more nervous than she was right now.

They quickly arrived at the entrance to the garden. A person suddenly ran out from behind a nearby flower rack and screeched to a halt, staring at Xu Meng and Xu Meng only. They felt as if the entire world had come to a standstill as they stared into each other’s eyes. It had been thirty years. It had been an eternity.

Xu Meng’s tears fell like raindrops as she whispered, “My dearest Feng.”

“Meng’er!” Jiang Feng shed manly tears, and he rushed forwards to hold Xu Meng in a tight embrace. He was afraid that a sudden breeze would suddenly rip away the scene in front of his eyes like a dream.

They had been separated for thirty years and were reunited thirty years later. The outpour of emotions was something no language in the world could possibly describe. The only way they knew to express it to the utmost was to hug each other as tightly as they could.

“My dearest Feng, Meng’er isn’t dreaming, is she? Meng’er definitely isn’t dreaming, is she?” Xu Meng whispered quietly and shakily.

“It is not a dream, Meng’er. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. The heavens have taken pity on us and reunited our family once more. This is fate, Meng’er. This can be nothing else but fate.” Jiang Feng’s voice was just as shaky and emotional as Xu Meng’s.

Xu Qingxuan’s eyes turned a little wet. Her body trembled a little with emotion. The human heart was made of flesh, so how could she not be overjoyed to see her father and mother reuniting with each other once more? She had never seen her mother as happy as she was today since young. It was as if her entire body was smiling and reverberating with happiness. It was a kind of happiness that Xu Qingxuan had never seen until now.

Xu Qingxuan wiped the tears from her eyes for a second before abruptly recalling that Jiang Chen was right beside her. She hurriedly tamped down her feelings and shot a slightly chastising glance at him. However, she noticed that his eyes were red as well. “Hey, don’t you think you should be… somewhere else? This is a private matter, you know. Also, what on earth are you crying about?”

Xu Qingxuan was confused by Jiang Chen’s reactions. I’m crying because my parents have reunited with one another, but why are you, a messenger, crying? Don’t you think you’re a little too absorbed in the drama?

Jiang Chen was greatly amused by Xu Qingxuan’s reaction. “Is there a rule that says that your parents can’t be my parents?”

At first, Xu Qingxuan didn’t understand his meaning. What? My parents are your parents? Are you taking advantage of me, boy? 

She thought so was because the parents of one’s spouse counted as the other spouse’s parents as well. However, when she saw that Jiang Chen was completely serious and not looking like he was taking advantage of her in the slightest, her mind abruptly turned blank. There was a buzz inside her head, but she was unable to decipher its meaning immediately.

“Oh Holy Maiden Qingxuan, foremost holy maiden of Moon God Sect. Do you think I’m worthy enough to be your older brother?” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.

“What? You…” The answer cut through the fog in Xu Qingxuan’s head like lightning.

My brother? Shao Yuan is… my… brother? Xu Qingxuan turned to look at her father, then back at Jiang Chen. For a time, she was completely speechless.

By now Jiang Feng and Xu Meng had managed to rein in their emotions a little. Their father happily led their mother by the hand towards them. “Meng’er, today is truly the happiest I’ve ever been in the past thirty years, for we are not the only ones who have reunited with one another. Chen’er, come quickly and pay your respects to your mother!”

Jiang Chen dared not dilly dally as he smiled at Xu Meng, strode towards her and knelt on the floor, kowtowing. “Your child, Jiang Chen, greets you, mother.”

Xu Meng’s emotions skyrocketed yet again as her eyes turned red. “Jiang Chen? You’re… you’re Chen’er?”

She flung herself at Jiang Chen and hugged him. She pulled him to her bosom and rained kisses on him. For an instant, Xu Meng felt as if she had travelled back in time nearly thirty years ago. At the time, Chen’er was but a breastfeeding baby and knew only baby talk. It was as if time had rolled back to nearly thirty years ago.

“Oh, Chen’er, my poor child. I have done so much wrong to you and your father. Come, Chen’er, let me see you.” Xu Meng shed tears while holding Jiang Chen’s head.

This was obviously not the time to care about his disguises, so Jiang Chen pulled off his mask and revealed his true face. It was obvious that he resembled both his father and his mother, excluding the parts of his figure that had developed from his growth. He had sharp, straight eyebrows that framed bright eyes, a sharply defined face, and a bearing that bespoke of something extraordinary. He was starting to look like a man who surpassed the greatest young geniuses in the Upper Eight Regions in every way.

Xu Qingxuan was completely stunned as she stared at the face that shared a bit of resemblance to hers. Is he really my older brother? Is he really Jiang Chen? I didn’t realize my brother is this handsome and graceful! His cultivation is nothing like the small place they call the Eastern Kingdoms at all… Her thoughts were in disarray.

Xu Meng smiled through her tears and nodded repeatedly, “Good boy, good boy. You share your father’s features, but you are even more handsome than he is.”

Jiang Feng chuckled foolishly. “But of course! He is my son, isn’t he? Meng’er, you may not know this, but our son is not inferior to… to… he’s not inferior in the slightest…”

The man looked at Xu Qingxuan with eyes filled with fatherly love. Xu Meng finally realized something and beckoned her daughter to come closer. “Xuan’er, what are you waiting for? Come and pay your respects to your father!”

Xu Qingxuan wasn’t heartless. Looking embarrassed, she walked closer towards them before kneeling. “Father, I’ve been jealous of you for the longest time, you know? Mother misses you every day. But it’s all worth it to see how happy she is today.”

“Haha, good, good! It didn’t occur even in my dreams that I, Jiang Feng, would have such an amazing son and daughter. Meng’er, everything we’ve endured until now is worth it. Chen’er, you are your sister’s elder brother. You better take good care of her from here on out, you hear?” Jiang Feng said.

Jiang Chen smiled slightly. “I don’t know, father. My sister is the holy maiden, so maybe she is the one who should be taking care of me.”

Xu Qingxuan snorted softly. “You’re a smooth talker, I see. You want me to call you my brother? Well, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Beat me at something and I’ll do that without qualms.”

He smiled. “Of course. But how should we compete?”

“Don’t you even think about pill battles. Let’s compete in martial dao!” Xu Qingxuan knew that there was no way she could beat her stinky brother in pill dao.

Xu Meng put on a straight face and chided. “Xuan’er, stop it. How can you talk to your brother like this?”

Xu Qingxuan giggled. “Oh mother, it’s only been minutes since you’ve seen your son and you’re playing favorites already! Hmph, I don’t care. He must beat me first if he wants me to call him brother. Otherwise, I’ll add the word ‘stinky’ and call him ‘stinky brother’ every time we see each other!”

Xu Meng looked a bit embarrassed as she looked at Jiang Feng. “My dearest Feng, I’m sorry. I think I spoiled Xuan’er too much. She’s not a bad person, but she can be pretty sharp tongued sometimes.”

Jiang Feng laughed loudly. “She’s a girl, isn’t she? It won’t do if she doesn’t have a bit of a temper. Chen’er, you better work hard to earn your status, you hear? It won’t be easy to be Qingxuan’s brother.”

Xu Meng rolled her eyes at Jiang Feng. “What kind of father are you? Stop sowing discord between our children!”

Jiang Feng couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m just kidding, Chen’er. You have nothing to be worried about at all. Sure, Xuan’er is a holy maiden, but Chen’er is no small fry himself. Do you know that Chen’er has a second identity? He’s Pill King Zhen, also known as the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, Veluriyam Capital.”

“What?” This time Xu Qingxuan was completely stunned. “What did you just say, father?”

Jiang Feng rubbed his own nose. “Well Chen’er, please explain things to your sister, will you?” He threw the responsibility to his son.

Jiang Chen smiled wryly. “It’s a long story, and I still need to keep this identity a secret. I had to do something in Pillfire City earlier, and Veluriyam Capital and Pillfire City are sworn enemies. That’s why I disguised myself as Shao Yuan now.”“Are you really Pill King Zhen?” Xu Meng cocked her head and stared at Jiang Chen. “Did my stinky brother really beat that Pill King Ji Lang?”

“Your one and only,” Jiang Chen joked. He didn’t put on airs. He briefly explained his experiences, with a white lie that the reason he possessed his extraordinary talents today were all thanks to his non-existent “teacher”.

A story made up of half-truths and half-lies was generally more interesting than the truth itself. Xu Qingxuan was quickly absorbed in Jiang Chen’s legendary tale.

“Brother, you mentioned that a mysterious old man had taught you your martial dao and pill dao, right? Did he come from Myriad Abyss Island? Does Myriad Abyss Island really exist in this world?”

“It does. It definitely exists.” This was one thing Jiang Chen could ascertain because Huang’er herself came from Myriad Abyss Island.

A hint of fascination passed through Xu Qingxuan’s clear eyes. “It would be worth all the hardships of cultivation if I can visit that mysterious place one day.”

Jiang Chen smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll definitely be able to go there one day.”

“Really? Did you teacher promise to bring you there, brother?” The light of expectation appeared in Xu Qingxuan’s pupils.

“We don’t need his help. We can go there ourselves when our strength reaches a certain level. There are no place in the world that’s inaccessible if you have enough strength.”

Before Xu Qingxuan knew it, she was starting to address Jiang Chen willingly as her brother.

Xu Meng was very gratified to see how excellent her son had turned out. She looked at her daughter. “Xuan’er, from today onwards, you are to remember that your surname is Jiang. The name I gave you at your birth, is Jiang Xuan.”

However, Jiang Feng remarked, “Names are unimportant, we are. There is no need to be hasty, Meng’er. Xuan’er is still a holy maiden of Moon God Sect, and it isn’t something we can change immediately.”

Jiang Chen agreed with his father’s sentiment. “Mother, for now sister’s name is among the lower priority. Incidentally, would you happen to know where our younger brother is?”

Xu Meng’s eyes brimmed with infinite sadness once more. It was one of the wounds she suffered during her miserable life, and one that wasn’t healed just yet.