Chapter 37: Decision
Xiao Jiantian slept all the way into the afternoon, waking at roughly 1 PM. By then, Xia Qingyue had long since gotten to her daily routine and so he laid alone. When he rose from his bed... he realised that he had no pressure whatsoever.
The peaceful life... he had gotten it back. No one could possibly interrupt him with what he wanted to do anymore. In fact, he could do whatever he wanted.
This freedom... felt refreshing.
'Hmm... maybe I should start the first basketball league in Primal Chaos.' Xiao Jiantian chuckled at how bizarre that thought was... but being the mad man that he was, it wasn't exactly out of the question.
However, he decided that there were more important matters to settle for now.
~
"Since you're finally awake, I think it's a good time to introduce you to my mother." Xia Qingyue stated with unusual enthusiasm as she wrapped his right arm to her side, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sure she knows who I am already." Xiao Jiantian replied, glancing down for a moment. He was caught by surprise as he did so. The view from a year ago had certainly changed. "They've... gotten bigger."
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue's cheeks turned cherry red. "You've only noticed now?"
"No, I only said that to fluster you." Xiao Jiantian playfully replied. "Naturally, my hands have felt the difference since last night."
"You devil..." Xia Qingyue giggled slightly. Afterwards, she looked up and her eyes locked with his. They stayed still for a few breaths of time before Xia Qingyue broke the silence. "Life has so much more brilliance to it with you around. It's as if even the shortest and most insignificant moment is more wonderful than a dream."
Xiao Jiantian blushed a little, smiling rather easily. "If you're trying to get me flustered too... it's certainly working."
"Jiantian... have you ever thought about making our own family?"
"You don't mean...-"
"It was just something that came to mind recently." Xia Qingyue nodded, her eyes glimmering like the stars "A pride and joy of our own... wouldn't you want that as well?"
"Well..." Xiao Jiantian thought of his only child, the brat he had spoiled as Jun Zhi. Though, in the end, that brat became the founder of an entire nation. As a father, he couldn't have been more proud when he had found out.
Though, he had never gotten to congratulate him on all his accomplishments.
The thought of his other... golden-haired 'pride' naturally followed, though he instinctively moved it to the back of his mind.
"It's not something I'm opposed to. However, this isn't something that should be rushed either." Xiao Jiantian replied with a wise tone. "Let nature take its course. If it happens... it happens."
"You're right." Xia Qingyue nodded. "If you had to choose... would you rather have a son or a daughter?"
"A son, of course!"
"Typical." Xia Qingyue shook her head. "I knew you'd say that."
"Amusingly enough, the opposite may actually be true. Mothers tend to be more indulgent of their sons while fathers are more attentive to their daughters..." Xiao Jiantian expressed, recalling how he used to be a mother's boy in his very first life and the many interactions he had witnessed over time. Then again, his first father hadn't exactly been perfect... but this was so long ago it no longer mattered.
"An interesting phenomenon." Xia Qingyue remarked.
"Mn... now, you did say something about meeting my mother-in-law earlier. I'm aware that her physical state isn't the best at the moment so this issue should be dealt with."
"With a glowing sword to the chest?" Xia Qingyue asked in a playful tone.
"That wouldn't sound too great out of context." Xiao Jiantian chuckled.
"You are the medical saint who stabs people to life, after all..."
~
"... That should do it." Xiao Jiantian stepped away from Xia Dongxue and watched as her body slowly regained its colour. His light profound energy was the purest in all of Primal Chaos so naturally its healing properties far surpassed any other type of healing. Combined with complete mastery of the Great Way of the Buddha... well, to put it simply, even if a person was only a single breath away from death, he had the ability to bring them back.
To say that he was cultivator Jesus in that regard was not a stretch.
"You'll be able to live out the rest of your lifespan without having to rely on life-preserving resources."
"... Thank you, senior Sword God Xuanyuan." Xia Dongxue smiled, bowing her head in respect.
"Ahh... don't call me that around here." Xiao Jiantian countered, shaking his head slightly. "I'm simply Heavenly Lord Xiao Jiantian... or Divine Sword Master Jiantian. However, I'd prefer it if you'd address me as son-in-law. It would only be right."
"Mother, you can't be going around addressing my husband as a senior." Xia Qingyue stated.
"Yeah... you're making me feel old." Xiao Jiantian added, chuckling slightly.
"Hahaha... my apologies." Xia Dongxue managed a light laugh. "To think that the detached Sword God whose only love was his sword would take interest in my daughter... I honestly couldn't believe it at first. I couldn't be any happier knowing that my Qingyue is in the hands of someone as capable as you. More importantly, it turned out so well... you two look so perfect together, haha."
'My only love was my sword-' Xiao Jiantian felt like coughing up blood as he repeated that phrase in his mind.
"He's a little on the wild side... but I still love him for it." Xia Qingyue replied, making her mother smile.
Xiao Jiantian felt like rolling his eyes. 'Last night, you were the wild one... all that pent-up sexual frustration summoned a whole demon...'
"Mother-in-law... there's something serious I'd like to talk about." Xiao Jiantian stated, the glow in his azure eyes darkening slightly. "As her master... I hope you find it in your heart to forgive Ying'er."
"Her? What did she do now?" Xia Qingyue asked, turning to her mother.
"She was the root cause of mother-in-law being attacked and coincidentally being forced to descend on Blue Pole Star in a wounded state." Xiao Jiantian replied, explaining the situation in a swift manner.
"So it was her too..." Xia Qingyue remarked, adding more reason to dislike Qianye Ying'er. However, the deeper she delved into the matter, the more grateful she was for her existence.
"People say that the Brahma Monarch Goddess was an angel sent by the heavens before your disappearance. Beautiful, talented, strong and kind... the fire to your ice. After that, however...-"
"I know full well what happened." Xiao Jiantian nodded, sighing regretfully as he interrupted Xia Dongxue. "The feeling of being alone in the world is one of the worst feelings one can experience... a feeling that I know far too well."
"It is, indeed...-"
Xiao Jiantian's grip tightened for a moment. "I... refuse to believe that the Ying'er that I watched grow up before my very eyes was nothing more than a facade! There's good in her heart... I know it... it's just that she was misguided. The feeling of being alone made her indifferent to everything..."
"I, too... was like that once... until I met her. Her cute, cheerful and lively smile reminded me that a better world was something worth fighting for. She showed me that no matter how ugly and cursed the world may be... there is still beauty in it if you seek it out hard enough."
"In the end, it's my fault she turned out this way... and that's why, as her Master, I'm willing to take responsibility for everything. No matter what... I've decided... that I won't just abandon her!!"
"And as such... any sin that Ying'er bears, I'll bear it with her."
Xiao Jiantian, realising that he was getting into his feelings a little, laughed. "My condolences... I just spoke my mind on the matter."
"If that is how you truly feel, son-in-law, then I'm willing to forgive her on your behalf." Xia Dongxue replied, having felt touched by Xiao Jiantian's emotions. "If she asks for forgiveness herself, that is."
"You're willing to take responsibility for everything yet have you realised that no one would want to punish you for it...?" Xia Qingyue remarked, holding his tightened hand and loosening it with her warmth. "It's fine... if you believe in her that much, then she isn't beyond redemption."
"If anything, settling this matter is important for you... and if it's through reconciliation then I have no issue with it. I want you to feel fulfilled... that's the least that you deserve after all your suffering. If that means forgiving Qianye ying'er then I am more than willing to do it on your behalf."
"Qingyue..."
"..." Xia Dongxue smiled a little as she watched Xia Qingyue and Xiao Jiantian embrace each other. "Should I leave you two here together?"
"Hahaha... I wouldn't drive you out of your own home, mother-in-law." Xiao Jiantian replied, turning around as he prepared to leave.
~
"Brother-in-law, what did you want to talk about?" Xia Yuanba innocently asked as they walked towards his garden.
"What is your profound strength now?" Xiao Jiantian asked, though he full-well knew what it was.
"7th level of the Elementary Profound Realm..."
"Let's fix that, shall we?" Xiao Jiantian's hand suddenly glowed with a black light. "No one deserves to be weak, especially someone who puts so much effort into growing strong. Your circumstance is unfortunate... and I could've fixed it at a cost. I wasn't truly ever willing to turn you into a tyrant, however..."
"Tyrant? What is brother-in-law talking about?-"
"So, I'll do this instead. Stand still for me."
"..."
Xiao Jiantian removed Xia Yuanba's veins before replacing them with something far more suitable for his nature, using the primordial energy of the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins and his own blessing to refine it into something even greater.
"Don't worry about the loss of profound strength, you'll catch up in no time with your new profound veins."
"... Ah, really? Brother-in-law is too kind-"
"Heh, you're family to me and how could I allow my family to be looked down on by anyone?" Xiao Jiantian grabbed both of his bulky shoulders encouragingly. "You know, when you have the time, we could hoop together."
"Hoop?"
"It's a little game I've been playing... it'll be the newest sensation when I get it up and running."
"Spending time with brother-in-law would be a blessing so how could I reject?"
"Good." Xiao Jiantian nodded. "With some practice, I'm sure you'd make a fine big man."
~
After hearing that Xiao Che was off somewhere in the Blue Wind Empire with the Golden Crow, Xiao Jiantian sent for him to return to the Floating Cloud City. Aria told him all about how Xiao Che had been 'forced' into moving out which made Xiao Jiantian laugh. When he found out that he had married the Blue Moon Princess and was fulfilling his dreams, he was naturally proud of his non-blood-related brother.
'So, he finally became his own man... I suppose I have the Golden Crow to thank for that.'
...
The next time he visited Huan Caiyi in the Illusory Demon Realm, he was met with a... surprise.
"What's wrong? Are you surprised?"
"No way you're Caiyi..." Xiao Jiantian frowned a little as he observed every last detail.
Her small and delicate figure had developed into a womanly, lady-like frame seemingly overnight. Now, if he were to grab onto something... there'd actually be something to feel. Her breasts and buttocks weren't exactly huge, but these assets were actually visible now. In terms of height, she was certainly taller... matching the height of an average woman. Her overall appearance had aged from a fourteen-year-old to something comparable to an eighteen-year-old.
Her elegance and beauty... it's as if the 'Little Demon Empress' of old had evolved into the Demon Empress.
"Yeah, no... you're like a body-double or something. Where are you hiding the real Caiyi?"
"Hmph, how rude... I make the effort to look better for you and the first thing you do is deny it." Huan Caiyi turned away.
"Seriously, though... how did you change like that? Was it my 'yang nourishment' that made you grow up?"
"Maybe it was... who knows?"
"I don't mind it in the slightest." Xiao Jiantian stated, smiling a little. "In truth... I'd have absolutely no regrets ravaging you this time, hahaha-"
"Of course, you wouldn't, you shameless devil..."
"Don't act like you didn't like it... in fact, you were the one who got on top of me and didn't leave for a long while." Xiao Jiantian playfully shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to be truthful to oneself-."
"So... if I said I wanted more... you wouldn't reject me, would you?"
'This woman...'
"Maybe later." He tapped her forehead, turning around. "I need you to come with me and get your Golden Crow inheritance matter sorted."
"The Golden Crow Divine God mentioned that I'd need a hundred or so rounds... didn't it?"
"That was just her being a pervert." Xiao Jiantian replied. "She knew full well that it would only take a single time. However, for her own amusement, she stretched it to a hundred times."
"Wow... to think that the Golden Crow Divine God is really like that."
"Even Aria, the Phoenix God, is a pervert. From my experience, these Gods are... not as pure as people imagine them to be."
"Just like the 'detached' Sword God..."
Xiao Jiantian chuckled. "Right..."
~
The Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, 2018 AXJ.
Xiao Jiantian kneeled over the grave of Xuanyuan Xiang, holding a delicate and beautiful sword that had a white flower attached to its handle. Despite never being a Sword Master himself, he was honoured like one by Xuanyuan Jiantian... and Xiao Jiantian now. The atmosphere around his grave was calm... peaceful... serene.
"Disciple Xiao Jiantian pays his respects... to master."
Xiao Jiantian placed the sword horizontally in front of Xuanyuan Xiang's grave.
"Although your body, mind and soul might've withered with time... this disciple will always carry on your spirit. I... might not be the perfect saint you wanted me to be... but I won't ever forget your teachings. Not ever again..."
"However, this world needs a King that is both revered and feared... it's the natural way of things. I can't be the perfect saint again... nor can I become a heartless devil once more."
"I can only be myself."
Xiao Jiantian took a deep breath as he stood up and left Xuanyuan Xiang's grave with greater clarity.
'Caiyi... thank you.'
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