“After about a month and a half of time spent in constant battles I somehow managed to reach level 30 and fortunately I was able to give your mother and sister some security.” Bai Delan sighed and shook his head, “But to get from Yangfang Town to this place really was hell, Zemin. In just four days, I went up from level 30 to level 37, try to imagine the situation.”
Going up a level per day once one reached level 25 could already be considered an extremely challenging feat so for Bai Delan to be able to climb seven levels in a span of four days while the man had already surpassed level 30 meant that he had to at least contend with enemies more powerful than him and that by defeating them in some way or another he had absorbed enormous amounts of Soul Power.
“It was a really difficult journey with mutant beasts and zombies constantly chasing the convoy but we finally managed to get here.” Bai Delan went on to summarily explain the experiences he, Ye Linger, and Meng Qi went through to get here.
“It was really a big surprise we got when all of us spotted a huge wall here. It was only several days later that we learned that Leader Wu, that is, the Mayor of Changping District, used all his power to acquire control of the three largest sub-districts in the entire district and in the process even built a place safe enough that no zombie or normal beast could even dream of getting through. Once inside the walls, everything became smooth and easy. It didn’t even take me long to climb the echelons of power to become who I am today.”
Suddenly, as if realizing something, a glint of guilt flashed in the eyes of Bai Delan, and looking at his son he couldn’t help but bow his head as he said solemnly, “Sorry, Zemin… For not having the power to go and find you, let alone help you… I’m sure you’ve gone through a lot of hardship to get here.
The face of Bai Delan was filled with self-hatred and he gritted his teeth with such force that his gums began to bleed. While he was resting comfortably behind high walls protected by countless guards or out hunting with large parties, his son, whom he was supposed to protect, was fighting zombies and beasts to travel thousands of miles all for the sake of reuniting with his family.
“Father, what are you talking about?” Bai Zemin smiled bitterly at seeing his father acting like this and said in a low voice, “The reason you didn’t look for me is not because you didn’t want to, it was because you simply couldn’t do it.”
“But-“
“If you did charge northward, who would protect mother and Meng Qi?” Bai Zemin cut his father off and said in a deep voice, “I won’t say that it was easy to get here as that would be a too obvious lie. However, I’m sure it wasn’t easy for all of you either… No one expected the world to turn into a living hell dragging us down with it. We all did and do what we can.”
Bai Delan raised his head and looked at his son for a long time before sighing. He closed his eyes painfully and murmured, “Zemin, child… You’ve really changed.”
Bai Delan was always proud of the way he raised his children and believed he knew them better than anyone else. However, looking at the current Bai Zemin, all Bai Delan felt was the foundations of the past as the rest of the edification that made up his son’s existence was too unfamiliar to him despite being his father.
Even sitting doing nothing, Bai Delan felt as if he was looking at a mountain as he looked at the serene face of his son. That maturity in his words and self-confidence reflected in his every move was not something the past Bai Zemin had.
Bai Zemin did not know how to respond to the words his father just said, therefore, he simply remained silent.
How could he not have changed? If Bai Zemin had not changed his life would have been lost long ago. He had changed to a magnitude so great that neither his father nor anyone else in his family had a way of knowing.
Watching the exchange between the two, Meng Qi smiled slightly and a glint of relief shone in her eye. What she feared most was that things in her family would become awkward, after all, Meng Qi had seen too many families crumble in the face of changes in personality or feelings as a side effect of gaining power.
“Big brother, tell us about you.” She said and even used her right hand to hold Bai Zemin’s arm as she stated with some sadness in her eyes, “I won’t say that I’m sorry and that I couldn’t be of any help to you as you will be angry. But I think it’s only fair that we at least be aware of everything you’ve done to get here, I don’t want you to keep it all to yourself and I’m sure dad feels the same way.”
“Indeed. Our princess is right.” Bai Delan nodded and took a deep breath to at least temporarily quell his negative emotions. “Zemin, why don’t you tell us about your journey. I’m sure you have experienced many more things than we have.”
“About that…”
The eyes of Bai Zemin showed hesitation at the words of his father and sister. Being honest with himself, Bai Zemin feared for the responses the two of them would have if they knew all the things he had experienced. The last thing he wanted at this moment that should be filled with happiness was to add layers of worry or guilt over his family.
Worse yet, Bai Zemin’s father, Bai Delan, was an extremely loyal man. Considering that Wu Yijun’s father had helped his family whether unintentionally or intentionally, so if he knew that his son planned to take control of everything and even did not hesitate to slaughter for the sake of his purpose… Bai Zemin did not know what could happen.
Besides, Bai Zemin was fully aware that he was an anomaly that simply put should not exist. Therefore, it was highly likely that even if he told what he had experienced on his journey from the north to here, his family probably would take it as a joke to lighten the mood.
Frankly, he was afraid not of them but of himself. Regardless of his love for them, it was true that the Bai Zemin his family loved was in some way not him.
Just as Bai Zemin found himself in a quandary, he felt the body of his mother quiver in his arms embrace.
“Mom!” He quickly looked down and tightened his grip on her.
“Um…” Ye Linger’s eyes slowly opened and for the first second, she saw everything blurry.
But when the image before her cleared and she saw that haunting face so close looking at her with worried eyes, Ye Linger, who had stopped crying, felt her eyes fill with tears once again.
She gently extended a hand forward so slowly that she laid bare her fear of the image in front of her being nothing more than a mirage that might disappear if she made a sudden move.
It wasn’t until her hand touched the face in front of her that Ye Linger was finally willing to believe what was happening. Her greatest wish, her biggest dream, the reason she stayed up late every night praying silently… It really was right in front of her.
Bai Zemin placed his hand on the back of his mother’s hand to let her feel his warmth as he delighted in her caresses.
“… My son… My precious baby…” Ye Linger whispered in a voice somewhat choked by the tears she was struggling to hold back.
Bai Zemin wrinkled his nose as he felt his eyes itching and in a hoarse voice said weakly, “I’m back, mother.”
“Mm… That’s good… That’s good…” Ye Linger nodded with what in Bai Zemin’s eyes was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life.
…
Bai Zemin spent the rest of the morning chatting with his family about things of not too much importance and even when they sat around the table for lunch none of them talked about evolution or anything else that was going on outside the walls of this house. The four of them had that tiny tacit agreement that for at least as long as it lasted they would behave as they did in the past.
No Soul Record, no Soul Power, no zombies, no mutant beasts, no mutant plants, no goblins, no soul evolvers… The family of four spent the morning and most of the evening laughing and chatting or playing tabletop games.
Of course, Bai Zemin was the center of attention at all times. There came a point when seeing how the mother-daughter pair spoiled Bai Zemin so much Bai Delan became a bit grumpy and complained muttering about the unfairness of life.
Unfortunately, Bai Delan got THE GAZE from Ye Linger and the man almost peed his pants right there on the spot.
Lilith stood invisible in a corner of the large living room, watching the family reunion. She had never seen Bai Zemin smile the way she saw him smile today; he was not that powerful Leader that tens of thousands worshipped as if he was the God of War who had reincarnated to save mankind, he was not the existence that had shaken the entire universe, much less the one who received the title ‘Irregular’ from the Soul Record itself. Today, Lilith saw another side of Bai Zemin, his side of happiness that came from the depths of his heart and one that was free of the slightest intention of battle, murder, or conquest.
The more she watched as he smiled to the point of completely surpassing the number of times he had smiled since she had first met him, Lilith could not stop her eyes from blurring at the distant memories.
She, one of the most powerful existences in the universe, couldn’t help but feel envious for the first time in decades. But the envy Lilith felt towards Bai Zemin was not evil in any way… What she envied was the beautiful family she had before her eyes… Because the cruelty of life forced Lilith to bury the meaning of the word family as remembering it only brought back memories that she would rather forget despite it being one of her biggest driving forces by which she continued to move forward.
In the end, relieved but also a bit sad, Lilith completely disappeared from the place and floated thousands of meters high in complete silence, with nothing but the wind and clouds, as well as the rays of the descending sun being her company.
Of course, Bai Zemin had no way of knowing how complex Lilith’s feelings were at this moment.
“Oh, right.” Bai Delan suddenly stopped his movement just as he was thinking about how to save his white king from Bai Zemin’s black tower.
“What’s wrong, father? Do you surrender?” Bai Zemin folded his arms and raised his head so high that his nose was practically pointing skyward.
“You…” Bai Delan didn’t dare continue as he felt two piercing eyes watching him from behind.
With his mother as the supreme guardian, Bai Zemin took the opportunity to make his father suffer willingly.
“Cough… Anyway.” Bai Delan cleared his throat and said slowly, “Zemin, why don’t you go check on that little thing in the back of the house?”
“Em?” Bai Zemin looked at him in confusion and tilted his head as he repeated his father’s words, “Little thing? What little thing are you talking about?”
