Chapter 28: Dongyao City
Within Dongyao City, inside the City Lord’s residence.
City Lord Si gazed at his late wife’s memorial tablet, recalling last night’s dream. His thoughts were in turmoil.
Soul cultivators rarely dreamed. If they did, it was either because someone had sent them a dream, or because it was a warning.
He gently placed a hand on his wife’s tablet and murmured, “A-Luo, was it you who sent me that dream?”
At that moment, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly grew hot. He took it out and saw a message from Si Xu.
It said that Si Ran was not his younger brother. His real younger brother was at Black Tortoise Academy.
City Lord Si wondered: Could it be that Xiao Xu had the same dream as him? Or had Xiao Xu already met that child?
He very much wanted to visit Central City, but—
“Second! Second!”
Just then, Old Master Si’s voice came from outside the room as he pounded on the door.
He even tried to force his way in, but the door was sealed with a restriction set by City Lord Si, and Old Master Si could not break through it.
“Father, what is it?”
City Lord Si quickly composed himself and went out to open the door.
The moment Old Master Si saw him, he roared, “What on earth is going on with Xiao Xu? As an older brother, why is he always picking on his younger brother? And he even unilaterally canceled the marriage I arranged for him!”
“Does he even have any respect for me as his grandfather?”
“And with his wood-attribute physique, he should have gone to Azure Dragon Academy, which suits him best. Instead, he went to the declining Black Tortoise Academy. He’s ruining his own future!”
“As his father, how can you let him be so willful? Just standing by while he’s both unfilial and foolish!”
City Lord Si’s expression gradually darkened. “Father, that’s going too far. When has Xiao Xu ever been unfilial?”
“Every year he sends your holiday and birthday gifts on time, and he has never once asked you for anything. Unlike Xiao Ran, or the children of my elder and third brothers, who require you to give them extra allowances. And that’s called unfilial?”
“Then what do you call the children who constantly ask you for soul stones and spirit flowers, and even forget to send you gifts for the holidays? Utterly unfilial? Shameless?”
“How can you speak of your sons and nephews like that?” Old Master Si’s beard trembled in anger. “Children being forgetful is normal. And I gave those things willingly!”
“Xiao Xu only looks good on the surface. Yet he even dared to cancel the marriage I arranged for him! He—”
“How could this marriage not be canceled? Even if Xiao Xu hadn’t done so, I would have found a time to call it off.”
At the mention of the engagement, City Lord Si grew even angrier. “While I was away from the city, you arranged a marriage for Xiao Xu without my consent—and to someone fickle, arrogant, and frivolous. Why is your malice toward Xiao Xu so deep?”
City Lord Si truly despised his father’s favoritism. Of the three sons, he favored the third most and valued the eldest highly, but often ignored him.
He had let it go before. After all, he had been obsessed with cultivation since childhood and never cared much.
But when it came time to select the City Lord, his father had been especially disgusting about it—insisting that the eldest brother, as the legitimate firstborn, was most suitable for the position and demanding that he yield it.
Yet the City Lord was chosen from all descendants of the Si family based on merit—not just from the three brothers. What right did he have to demand that he give it up?
If he had stepped aside, the position would have gone to their third uncle’s young cousin—nothing to do with the eldest brother at all.
Later, when the three brothers each had children, City Lord Si had already prepared himself for the old master to dislike his three children as well.
After all, the old man didn’t even cherish him much—how could he cherish his children?
But instead, Old Master Si doted especially on Si Ran, always taking his side among the three children, causing Xiao Yi and Xiao Xu to suffer many disadvantages.
Tsk. Now that he thought about it, the old man truly didn’t like his children. Who knew which family’s stray child Si Ran really was?
City Lord Si didn’t want to overthink it. But looking at Si Ran’s face—somewhat similar to his own—he guessed that Si Ran’s father was also a member of the Si family, perhaps even from their own branch.
The eldest brother was mediocre in talent but decent in character—he wouldn’t do such a thing. But the third brother, who had always felt that things were stolen from him…
City Lord Si quietly clenched his fists. If it was truly the third brother’s doing, then their branch could no longer remain in the City Lord’s residence.
Old Master Si was unaware of his thoughts and continued criticizing Si Xu.
“Xiao Xu is inferior to Xiao Ran in every way. He’s scheming and calculating, always unable to tolerate his younger brother being better than him—”
“Enough!” City Lord Si barked in a low voice. “It’s not even certain that Si Ran is my son!”
“What are you saying?” Old Master Si nearly fainted from anger. “Xiao Ran is also your son! How can you be so biased?”
…
How dare you ask that?
City Lord Si took a deep breath. “Xiao Yi and Xiao Xu both resemble A-Luo in their features. Si Ran doesn’t share a single similarity with her.”
He couldn’t say directly that the information came from Si Xu. The old master would never believe Si Xu’s words—he would only say Xiao Xu was jealous and trying to destroy his younger brother.
“All these years, I’ve been investigating A-Luo’s premature labor back then. I’ve discovered that Si Ran may not be A-Luo’s and my child. Our real child should now be in Central City.”
“As for Si Ran, he may be Third Brother’s child…”
“You—you—you…” Old Master Si stammered for a long time, unable to refute him.
Because he knew City Lord Si was very likely telling the truth.
His youngest son had always been romantic and carefree. There had once been a confidante of his whose appearance bore five or six parts resemblance to Si Ran.
Old Master Si had long suspected the truth. Afraid it would cause the second and third brothers to tear each other apart, he had pretended to be deaf and mute about it.
But he also felt that it was pitiful for Si Ran not to live with his biological parents, so he had taken extra care of him. After all, Si Yi and Si Xu had their own father’s affection.
Though City Lord Si, burdened with heavy responsibilities, spent most of his time outside the city fighting fiend beasts and returned only a few times a year, staying only briefly each time.
Though the Third Master Si often lingered at home, openly displaying his favoritism toward Si Ran.
Even so, Old Master Si felt that his third son and grandson Si Ran had been deeply wronged.
But if he were truly to let the father and son acknowledge each other, Old Master Si didn’t dare.
So he put on a kindly smile and said to City Lord Si, “Second, Dongyao City is one of the most important defensive lines of the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent. As its City Lord, you cannot leave lightly.”
“How about this? I’ll make the trip to Central City. You stay here with peace of mind—”
City Lord Si interrupted him directly. “I will send a soul avatar. I must see that child with my own eyes.”
A soul avatar was a unique technique of Soul Emperor–level experts. First, using special materials and one’s own blood essence, a puppet body is refined. When needed, half of the cultivator’s soul is split off and infused into that puppet.
The process of splitting the soul was undoubtedly painful and would cause some damage to his soul power.
But as the City Lord of Dongyao City, as long as the fiend beasts were not eradicated, he had to guard this place forever.
And as a father, he had to find out who his real child was—and make amends to that child.
Meanwhile, in Central City, Si Er—who was arranging his small courtyard—sneezed several times in a row. He had the strange feeling that many people had been talking about him these past two days.
Had the villagers from the small mountain village returned? They would worry if they couldn’t find the original owner of this body, wouldn’t they?
Fortunately, after the first term of classes ended, there would be a short break. Students could rent the academy’s fastest mounts to return home.
He would need to plan carefully, buy some suitable gifts, and go back to visit everyone.
After all, without them, the original owner would have long since starved to death.
