Chapter 3: Motherhood
"Humph! You sure ask a lot questions," said Ding Gang. With flaring impatience, his aura clamped down on Zhao Wen's shoulders like the weight of a mountain.
Face pale and her body trembling from the pressure, Zhao Wen weakly said, "Seniors, I ask this question as..as..as..4,200 years ago...Junior lost her infant daughter to sickness."
"Eh? This??" gasped Ding Gang in shock. Embarrassed, he immediately withdrew his aura.
"Brother Ding, you're temperament flares up and down quickly?" noted Jiang He
Somberly, Ding Gang replied, "This Old Man values his family greatly and misses his wife and child. Junior-Junior you have my condolences."
Zhao Wen nodded, turning her face. Tears streamed like rivers down her cheeks. "I wanted to have another child but my Dao Companion was killed and I lost hope after that."
Yun Hao sighed, "This world of ours is endlessly cruel. To think you lost both child and husband."
"If you-you always wanted another child, then could your interest in Fatty be that..?," asked Jiang He
"This!" exclaimed Yun Hao with realization.
Zhao Wen nodded, "This one was about to ask if this could be a possibility. My desire for another child has in fact been a heart demon for me."
"Ah! This old man feels so foolish," said Ding Gang.
"We need to be certain. Zhao Wen, are you willing to accept our Disciple as your son?"
"Son?" Lowering her head, Zhao Wen continued asking, "It's not that this one won't accept your disciple as my own...but-but I wonder?….Can it be a daughter?"
"Girl? You want a daughter? This?..Brother He??" asked Yun Hao.
"If my name isn't Jiang He, it's possible."
Zhao Wen displayed a brilliant smile. However, soon it would prove to be short-lived.
"Since Brother He says it can be done, then we can make him a girl. However, as Masters, how do we explain this to him?" asked Yun Hao.
"This? Brother Hao, I'll let you explain to him." said Jiang He, shirking responsibility.
Yun Hao, "..."
"Hahahaha! Fatty Queen! He'll be a Fatty Queen!" roared Ding Gang.
"Fatty Queen? Hahahahahahaa! I get it—I get it! Brother Hao, you remember how that roly poly tried to run and he tripped?" asked Jiang He
"HA! That was him kowtowing and accepting us as masters," chortled Yun Hao.
Zhao Wen peered about in blank amazement.
Were Grand Empyreans always so fickle?
"I saw him bouncing twice when he fell!" laughed Ding Gang. But a second later his tone switched, as he blared out, "That f*cking coward! A 40 year old man shrieking like that!"
Sighs of disappointment and agreement erupted from the other two Grand Empyreans.
"If it weren't for the great amount of true essence, would I have accepted such a disciple?" said Jiang He
"Indeed..even as a mortal he stood far from the peak of talent," said Yun Hao.
Talentless! A mortal?
Zhao Wen's eyes darkened with trepidation. "Seniors, could you inform this one of your disciple's background."
Jiang He said, "I will show you how we found him. Realize he comes from a world without cultivators. He thought we were beings called Aliens."
A light screen flickered and Rey appeared in his birthday suit as a 40 year old baldy. The scene replayed from the moment they first sensed him. Rey's conversation with the three shocked Zhao Wen's heart.
"Can't I have a do over?"
"Are you trying to kill yourself?"
"Reborn? Like-Like reincarnation?"
"Doesn't that mean, I'll have respect and be a person of means?"
Zhao Wen stood in somber restraint.
He was a poor soul that simply wanted another chance...to be something he could never be.
Sighing, she said, "I see why you have shown me this. Of course you have the power to regenerate him as a female...but-but...What of his hopes?...What of his dreams? I was thinking only of my desire for a daughter. I will accept him as my son. His second life will be nothing like his first…"
Unbeknownst to her, the mighty three Grand Empyreans were talking among themselves.
"See how he honors us with a kowtow!!"
"Hahahaa there the bounce!
"How can his stomach wobble so much!"
"Shsst Quiet! She's talking too us."
"Fatty Queen! Hahahahaah!"
"...All the things he didn't have in his first life, I Zhao Wen, Sun Sword Goddess Empyrean, will give him."
Coughing to regain his composure, Yun Hao said, "There, as you saw he ran in cowardice."
"How embarrassing! There, during the essence extraction he's screaming while emptying his bowels," said Ding Gang.
"Truly disgusting...however he did save our lives. As you can see, asking you to raise him may be asking too much," said Jiang He
"Zhao Wen, we can regenerate him to be a female. If you raise him as your daughter, this is more than we can hope for. In recompense, I will grant two favors from me," said Yun Hao.
Zhao Wen's eyebrows inverted as her face blackened.
These fogies weren't listening to me.
Gritting her teeth, she said, "Seniors, I think you missed my earlier words. I already stated I would accept him as my son."
"Eh!! Hahahhaa, our disciple has a home!" said Jiang He
"Finally the plan will begin!" said Yun Hao.
"Good! Good! Good!" exclaimed Ding Gang.
"Congratulations on becoming a mother! Since you already accepted him as your son, then we'll stick to the original offer. Therefore, we will raise you to Grand Empyrean within 1000 years. Then you will be granted one favor from each of us. So a total of Three-Three favors only," said Yun Hao.
"Zhao Wen this Ding Gang thanks you for accepting our Fatty as your son. My only hope is that you raise him not to be a coward. If you succeed, then I will grant you a second favor."
Weren't these geezers too fickle giving favors, taking favors and giving favors?
"Seniors, although benefits are good...this one only find reward in gaining a child. Even though he may be untalented...even though he was a wastrel...I Zhao Wen, will give him everything."
"Untalented? Humph, I Ding Gang will never have an untalented disciple."
"Brother He, please inform her of the good news," said Yun Hao.
Zhao Wen frowned.
Good News?
"As you know Fatty is a mortal. His blood essence isn't capable of being regenerated. Only the essence of a Grand Empyrean can be the foundation for rebirth. In order to proceed, we will have to intermingle our essence with his. Biologically, Fatty will be our direct descendant--he will be the son of three Grand Empyreans--a once in an Era genius. Now let me ask you...wouldn't you like such a son?"
"It this true, he will be the son of three Grand Empyreans?..I-I would have the opportunity to raise such a genius?" asked Zhao Wen.
"By my estimation, at minimum, Fatty will have the physique of a Martial King," stated Jiang He
Gasping in surprise, Zhao Wen asked, "A Martial King?"
"Mhm...Originally if he was a Grand Empyrean, his physique would be that of an Empyrean as this is the basic price of regeneration after death. But this will work out in his favor when he starts cultivation. If he was reborn as an Empyrean, then he wouldn't be able to cultivate his own Dao and most likely would never reach Grand Empyrean."
Although extremely excited, Zhao Wen restrained herself. A line drew across her forehead in contemplation.
Seeing her reservation, Yun Hao asked, "Child, what other questions do you have?"
"Seniors, let me say I will accept Fat--cough--him as my son regardless of the circumstances. However, I need clarification. Why ask me to raise your disciple? At most I can raise him to Martial King--but to Empyrean in 1000 years--not possible. Also, is it not safer to send him to your sects or clans? I ask this, because due to my clan's own circumstances, I may not be able to guarantee his safety."
"Your questions are justified and some things require clear understanding. He cannot be sent to our sects because he will be killed. There are tenets in the prime sects that cannot be broken. One such law is teaching sect secrets to non-sect members. Should a person be caught doing so, that person and their clan will be killed. He cannot go to our clans as he also risks exposure. When he reaches Martial King, he should be sent to Thunder Sword Sect which is subsidiary of Majestic Thunder Sect," clarified Yun Hao.
Following up, Jiang He said, "We needed to accept him as our direct disciple for two reasons. First, this is one of his rewards—the promise of long life thru cultivation. Second, in order to guarantee his safety as well as cultivate in the fastest way possible, he can only be our successor. This is necessary to allows us to regain our peak power, to save our clans and defend the Nine Chaos Heavens."
"In order to accept Fatty as our disciple we had to forsake our Sects as well as our Clans. You absolutely must hide his true nature at all costs. This is because his body will house the secrets of three prime sects, three Grand Empyreans and three Ninth Heaven Clans," said Ding Gang.
"This?"
Zhao Wen's face flushed red with anxiety, her forehead breaking out with sweat. Closing her eyes, she imagined Rey's roly poly body as a huge planet-like weight in her arms. Her feet felt like she had sunk knee deep into a deep trench of mud.
Can I not have another life?
Child, are you trying to kill yourself?
All the things he didn't have in his first life, I Zhao Wen, Sun Sword Goddess Empyrean, will give him.
I will accept him as my son.
Glaring up at the blood bead in unwavering determination, Zhao Wen said, "I will raise him in my clan."
"Child, your resolve is remarkable. You will be a great Grand Empyrean," commended Yun Hao.
"Can you explain why you can't guarantee his safety? You mentioned clan circumstances??" asked Jiang He
Nodding she said, "As his mother I will die defending him. But you should know, my clan's inheritance is being actively being targeted. No doubt, everyone knows human greed never ends."
"It must be your clan's inheritance. With you being an extremely talented Empyrean the inheritance must be that of Grand Empyrean...which in the Third Chaos Heaven is deeply desired by everyone. May I ask if your inheritance can only be practiced by members of direct blood?" inquired Yun Hao.
"Senior Yun Hao is correct. My Zhao clan's Great Limitless Way can indeed only be practiced by direct blood descendants," replied Zhao Wen.
"The Great Limitless Way?? Will you allow us to evaluate it?" asked Jiang He
"Seniors? This..?"
"No need to worry about us taking your clan's inheritance. Clearly there is a restriction that only allows your clan members to practice it. We merely want to know the origins of your ancestor," answered Jiang He
"My Ancestor? You can determine the origins of my clan?"
"Mhm...The prime sects each have great libraries and actively record all known Daos," said Yun Hao.
Pulling out a scroll from her robes, Zhao Wen offered it up. "Seniors please."
The light of grand empyrean senses flickered about the scroll as the three quickly evaluated it.
"This-This is an Archaic Grand Empyrean inheritance!" exclaimed, Ding Gang.
"Isn't this the luck of gods?" said Jiang He
"Haahahaa….Good! Good! Good!" said Yun Hao.
"Seniors?" asked Zhao Wen, surprised about their excitement.
"Will you allow me to verify your constitution?" asked Jiang He. Before Zhao Wen could reply, Jiang He already examined her. "This! Brothers it is true! She's a descendant of an Archaic Grand Empyrean."
"Please what is all this about Archaic Grand Empyrean?" asked Zhao Wen gritting her teeth. She was flustered about how she didn't have an opportunity to respond.
If only I was stronger.
"Brothers, I will explain. If you recall, we recognized that you have an Innate Sunlight Body. This is a bloodline inheritance. In addition, The Great Limitless Way has a bloodline restriction. Combined together, these two facts suggests your ancestor was an Archaic Grand Empyrean. Archaic Grand Empyreans originated from beyond the rift and many of them were not human. Only non-human races can restrict cultivation techniques to bloodlines. Why is this important? Two past points are key...first there are no Celestials in the Nine Chaos Heavens...second Archaic Grand Empyreans aren't from the Nine Chaos Heavens. If one hopes to become a Celestial, you need to cultivate a Celestial grade dao. In the Nine Chaos Heavens, only Archaic Grand Empyrean daos maybe Celestial grade daos. Child, the possibility of you being a descendant of a Celestial is high," said Jiang He
After taking a breath, Jiang He excitedly continued, "Child, if we take some of your essence, we can include it in his regeneration. Not only would he be your direct blood descendant, he-he would also be the descendant of three Grand Empyreans and a Celestial. Our three bloodlines can't compare to yours, however, our essences will trigger the Archaic bloodline. The benefits would be immeasurable to you, your clan and our Disciple," said Yun Hao.
"Child, should we do this...he would be your true blood son."
Zhao Wen's eyes gleamed brightly like blazing stars. "I-I can have a true son?"
"As his cultivation grows, the bloodline memories will unlock. At this point, the secrets of your ancestor and cultivation inheritances will be revealed. I don't have to explain how this benefits your clan."
The Sun Sword Goddess jumped to her feet. "This...I will have a true son! How much essence do you need? I will give you all of it!"
Sighing, Yun Hao said, "I mention the benefits yet you only see your true son. Isn't this the true heart of a mother?"
"Child, two drops of blood will be more than enough," chuckled Jiang He
Without hesitation, the Sun Sword Goddess gritted her teeth and sent over two drops of blood."
As the blood drops merged with the blood bead, laughter erupted all about.
"Congratulations!!"
"I see the Archaic Grand Empyrean traces now. With your clan's Great Limitless Way, his battle prowess will be unmatched."
"Ah to waken and see how he merges the Way into our inheritances. To witness the potential of a peerless genius."
Chortling heartily, Zhao Wen said, "Wouldn't it be best if we start my son's regeneration?"
"Hahahahaa, look how impatient she is. Child, know that your Ancestor...she was a powerful Archaic Grand Empyrean. Simply shocking," said Jiang He
"My-My Ancestor was a woman?"
"Very beautiful as well. As Grand Empyreans, we can see faint memories in the blood and this is what we mean by traces. She most certainly was a descendant of a Celestial. I surmise, that if Fatty reaches Grand Empyrean, he will see far more than what we can," said Yun Hao.
"Junior, you luck is truly great. In light of my misunderstanding earlier. In addition to the one favor, when it's time to seek vengeance for your husband, I Ding Gang will go with you. But the luck I refer to is that of you accepting our disciple as a son. At the bone age of five, his memories will merge with his former self. In addition, we will leave him memories that will guide his cultivation. Included in those memories will be various secrets….any of which could potentially be key to the survival of your clan," said Ding Gang.
"What!!"
"Although your heart of a mother prioritizes his safety. That may not be the case of your clan members. We've seen all sorts of treachery, therefore, we intertwine the fate of your clan to his. Your clan will have no choice but to protect him," said Yun Hao.
Zhao Wen pondered for moment. "Even though my heart says my clan will never hurt him...my son's safety comes first. I'd rather have any extra measure at my disposal," she commented with understanding.
"This old man is truly impressed with your character. If I had a son, I most certainly would propose marriage," said Ding Gang.
"Indeed."
"Indeed."
Zhao Wen's eyes flickered.
Damn fogies just noticed my worth just now?
"Brothers, we're out of time. Let us start," said Jiang He
Zhao Wen's eyes popped open in surprise. "NOW!?"
"Begin!" roared Ding Gang.
"Fatty grow well!" yelled Jiang He
"This Yun will remember you!"
With roars and yells, light erupted from the blood bead and endless soul wrenching screams followed and continued for hours and hours and hours.
The next day Bai Guang's eyes fluttered open as she slowly woke up.
"Koo..Koo..who's my little boy?"
Bai Guang sat up with a confused frown. The playful child-like voice sounded like her master. Her jaw fell open as her eyes witnessed a surprising scene.
"Master?? Are you holding a baby?"
Looking up with a radiant smile, Zhao Wen said, "Mhm! Hurry, come meet my son!"
"EHH!!"
Running over, she asked, "Master's son??"
"Isn't he adorable?"
"Master?..Awww..he's so cute! Disciple wonders when you had a son?"
Zhao Wen's eyes glowed as her hand fell onto Bai Guang's head. "Don't you remember Lord Yun Hao, his father?"
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