Lan Xue, who had coughed up dark blood, kept repeating apologies to Shen Yue and Shen Ning. She had been conscious the entire time. She wanted to get up and protect her daughter. She wanted to kill every person who had bullied her little girl. But she couldn't move her body. Her mind screamed, her will burned, but her limbs refused to respond.
A heavy, metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, overwhelming her senses. Her soul trembled. In that moment, she thought Shen Ning was dead. Grief and rage swelled within her like a violent storm.
Just as her despair was reaching its peak, she heard a weak but familiar voice. Her daughter was calling out. Then, she heard her daughter say the words: "Brother..."
Lan Xue's soul shook. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her son—Shen Yue—was alive? She had believed him to be long dead in the war. The military had only said one in ten thousand might return. And Shen Yue had always had a frail body. She had tried everything to keep him from being sent to the front lines, but the military's will was law.
Now, her son was here. Not only alive but powerful enough to defeat a seventh-realm Blood Qi cultivator. She was overjoyed. But her body wouldn't let her show it. Her vitality was draining away for reasons unknown, but seeing Shen Yue brought a flicker of hope. Gathering all her strength, she circulated what little remained of her body cultivation to slow the life force loss.
Shen Yue stepped close, kneeling beside her. He activated the system's detection function. He had never used it like this before. A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"System has detected an abnormal presence: Cursed Poison Qi."
Shen Yue's eyes widened. He had no idea what that was or how to deal with it. But then, an insane idea popped into his mind. He took a deep breath.
"Extract Cursed Poison Qi."
Lan Xue gasped. Her body, once heavy and bound by pain, suddenly felt light. Her pain dulled. Across the room, Shen Ning silently wept, understanding the depth of the situation without saying a word. Clone One watched everything quietly, without expression.
Lan Xue felt the lightness of a feather. Her body temperature gradually returned to normal. Shen Yue sighed in relief. He reached into his space and pulled out a pill, gently feeding it to his mother.
Soon after, Lan Xue fell into a deep sleep. Her breathing stabilized. Her life force, once fading, was now calm.
"System has Extracted curse poison qi"
"Phew..."
Shen Ning wiped her tears and turned to him. "Brother, is Mother okay?"
Shen Yue smiled, his voice calm and reassuring. "Who do you think I am? Even if the God of Death comes to take you both, he'll need my permission. And that... I'll never give."
Shen Ning's teary face lit up with a smile, making her look like a delicate doll. Her cute face glowed with relief.
The room, filled moments ago with dread, now warmed with gentle laughter. Shen Yue's clone quietly cleaned up, preparing dinner. Night had fallen. Thanks to Shen Yue's inherited memories, the clone knew how to cook a bit.
An hour passed. The family now sat in the main room, chatting. Shen Ning began telling him everything that had happened since he left. Her expressions shifted—sometimes bitter, sometimes afraid.
A cracking sound interrupted their conversation.
They turned. Lan Xue had awakened. She looked much better. Shen Ning rushed to her side and threw herself onto her lap, crying. Lan Xue gently stroked her head.
Her eyes met Shen Yue's. She was stunned—his once frail body now had muscle, his aura was confident. Handsome and mature. But could a mother not recognize her own child?
She gestured for him to come.
Shen Yue hesitated, then took a step forward. Each footstep made the past and present blur—his predecessor's memories mixing with his own feelings. When he reached her side, Lan Xue's tears fell freely.
Her son had returned. Strong, alive. Her arms reached out, embracing him as though he were a newborn child again. In that moment, a chain deep within Shen Yue shattered. Emotions he had buried surfaced, and his consciousness was pulled inward.
Inside his mind, he found someone waiting.
The original Shen Yue.
He stepped forward, smiling faintly. "Thank you."
Shen Yue narrowed his eyes. "How are you alive?"
The original shook his head. "You have many questions. I don't have time. Listen closely.
You wonder how you came to this world? I summoned you. I don't know how I did it. I don't even know who I really am. But I had a task, and that task is now complete. Still, I couldn't let go of this body's family. So I found a compatible soul—you."
Shen Yue clenched his fists. "You forced me into this!"
The original Shen Yue didn't deny it. "Maybe. But you can't blame me."
The anger in Shen Yue's chest simmered but slowly cooled. "Did you give me the system?"
The original frowned. "System? What system? Is it some sort of curse? Maybe a side effect of the soul-binding..."
Before he could finish, his form began to dissolve into golden dust.
"I don't know what that is," he said, fading, "but I have one last wish: Protect this family."
And then he was gone.
Shen Yue's soul returned to his body. His mother still embraced him, murmuring, "My dear Ning'er... Yue'er... I'm so sorry."
After a while, Shen Ning and Shen Yue pulled away gently. Lan Xue looked at her daughter, who truly resembled a doll. Her scent was pleasant, her fox-themed clothes and bunny shoes added to her charm.
Lan Xue learned the clothes were expensive, bought by her son. She turned to look at him—tall, handsome, his long black hair flowing behind him. In that moment, he reminded her of her husband.
Then, a delicious aroma filled the air. Their stomachs growled. Shen Yue's clone entered, carrying a tray full of food. The preserved wolf meat had been prepared into a proper dish.
Lan Xue blinked in confusion. The boy looked unfamiliar, but... he felt just like Shen Yue.
She asked, "Hey kid, what's your name?"
The clone froze. Then said softly, "Mom..."
Lan Xue blinked, stunned. "Why are you calling me mom?"
The clone looked down. "Can I... call you mom?"
Lan Xue misunderstood. She thought he was an orphan, craving a mother's love. Her heart softened.
"You saved Yue'er's life. You're just like my own child. From now on, you can call me mom."
The clone was speechless. So were Shen Yue and Shen Ning. But they said nothing.
Shen Yue clone smiled, bringing over the food.
They began to eat. Laughter and warmth filled the house. But none of them knew...
Something was watching. Something ancient. Something that had been the reason behind all their suffering.
Far away, in a dark realm, a figure with a massive physique sat on a stone throne. An old man with a long beard and a gloomy face stood before him.
"Is it done?" the figure asked.
The old man bowed. Silence fell.
The storm had only begun.