Wayfarer

Chapter 121: What Happened That Year

When Xiao Nanfeng confirmed his identity, Ye Sanshui hesitated, worried that Xiao Nanfeng was lying to him.

"Senior Brother Ye, what benefit could I derive by pretending to be Xiao Nanfeng?" Xiao Nanfeng laughed.

Ye Sanshui frowned. Eventually, he sighed. "I was too careful. Indeed, what good would it do you to mislead me about your identity?"

"Being careful is a good thing," Xiao Nanfeng replied, smiling.

"How did you end up coming to the Taiqing Immortal Sect?" Ye Sanshui asked curiously.

"Senior Brother Ye, were you very familiar with my father?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, instead of replying.

"Familiar? We fought a war together! It's a pity it didn't last for long. The troops of the Ye clan were under the command of General Xiao, ever since my father's generation."

"Is that so? Senior Brother Ye, could you have a seat and tell me about my father?"

Ye Sanshui nodded, sitting down by the pond.

"General Xiao was the junior brother of Emperor Tianshu, both of whom were elders of the Taiqing Sect. The year that the Taiwu Empire fell to internal revolt, the two of them set off together to found their own kingdom. They managed to seize control over what would later become the Tianshu Empire. At first, General Xiao was the more famous, with countless subordinates to his name. However, there could only be one emperor of the land; in respect to brothership and seniority, General Xiao stepped down from contention and helped Emperor Tianshu unify Taiwu. He was then granted the title of Marquis and the largest plot of titled land in the Tianshu Empire. Emperor Tianshu himself had said many times that he would share the world with Marquis Xiao; they seemed to be particularly close with each other," Ye Sanshui recalled.

"Oh?"

"Even after the founding of the Tianshu Empire, there were still many rebellious soldiers from the previous dynasty that had yet to be wiped out. Other empires in the vicinity were eyeing the nascent Tianshu Empire. Marquis Xiao himself led troops to suppress internal rebellion and defend against external invasion, securing peace for the empire. At the time, he was an undefeated legend, fair and just, who would reward any success and provide detailed guidance with regards to cultivation to his subordinates. Countless officers benefited from his advice, and all praised him for what he did."

"How did my father go missing?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed, frowning.

"You don't know?" Ye Sanshui was shocked.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "All I heard was that my parents went missing on the battlefield, never to be heard from since."

"No, that's just the story that was told to the public. I know the truth." Ye Sanshui shook his head immediately.

"Oh?"

"I learned of this from my elder brother. Allegedly, your mother had suffered an assassination attempt. I don't know about the severity of the injuries she incurred."

Xiao Nanfeng's frown deepened.

"Marquis Xiao mentioned that he was going to bring your mother to a certain hidden realm in hopes of her revival. That was why he left so suddenly, leaving no word behind."

"Revival? Again?" Xiao Nanfeng grimaced.

He suddenly had an uneasy premonition. Emperor Wei had entered the divine domain of this realm in hopes of the same—but didn't revival imply that she had died?

"What's the matter, Young Master?" Ye Sanshui asked curiously.

Subconsciously, Ye Sanshui had even changed his mode of address toward Xiao Nanfeng.

"It's nothing. Keep going," Xiao Nanfeng commanded, quashing the worry he felt. He urged himself not to speculate. What if he were overthinking things? What if his mother's 'revival' just implied straightforward recuperation?

"After Marquis Xiao left, he felt that it would be too dangerous to take you along with him, so he entrusted you to Emperor Tianshu. Emperor Tianshu agreed at once, promising that he would treat you like his own son, safe from any danger.

"Emperor Tianshu himself promised my father that he would protect me? Ha!" Xiao Nanfeng gave Ye Sanshui a disdainful expression.

"Did he not?" Ye Sanshui began to frown.

"You said that my father had many officers to his name? Why hadn't I seen any of them over the past decade?"

"Because the assassin who critically injured your mother had to be none other than one of Marquis Xiao's trusted officers," Ye Sanshui replied, his face distorting.

Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow.

"We still don't know who was responsible, but at the time, we were certain that the only people with the opportunity to commit the crime were among Marquis Xiao's most trusted officers. Emperor Tianshu worried that you would be in danger if any of these officers had access to you, so he commanded them to leave Marquis Xiao's lands on threat of death. Only Marquis Xiao's housekeeper would remain, tasked with overseeing your development. Simultaneously, he had Marquis Xiao's trusted officers keep an eye on each other in case the traitor attempted to sneak into Marquis Xiao's land. That's why the Ye clan, along with the other clans beholden to Marquis Xiao, never met you," Ye Sanshui explained.

Xiao Nanfeng's face grew dark. He could sense the web of a great conspiracy revealing itself around him.

"Young Master, shouldn't you have been living in the marquis' lands? How did you end up at the Taiqing Immortal Sect, and why have you been deliberately hiding your surname?" Ye Sanshui asked.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath before explaining what he had suffered over the last decade.

"What? A mere housekeeper—how dare he!" Ye Sanshui cried out.

"I won't forgive him," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"It can't be. An entire decade? Emperor Tianshu has forbidden all of Marquis Xiao's officers from checking up on you, the Xiao heir, but he had to be aware of your circumstances! Why did he do nothing? How could he—"

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He had been wondering all this himself, but he needed facts and more information to bolster his case.

"Over the last decade of Marquis Xiao's disappearance, I heard my elder brother mention that Emperor Tianshu has been doing his best to win over Marquis Xiao's troops, including the Ye clan. Could it be that..." Ye Sanshui blanched as he thought of a fearful possibility.

"We'll deal with real-world affairs once we get out of this hidden realm," Xiao Nanfeng replied, shaking his head.

His mother, assassinated; the killer, yet unknown; him, under de facto house arrest for a decade. How could Emperor Tianshu have done nothing? All this seemed to be extraordinary. Xiao Nanfeng was concerned that he had more on his plate to worry about than the Chief Steward himself.

"Young Master, the Ye clan benefited greatly from Marquis Xiao's benevolence, and my father's will states unequivocally that we shall remain forevermore his retainer. The Ye clan will surely intercede regarding what has happened to you. I swear this on my father's name," Ye Sanshui began formally.

"There's no need to go to such lengths, Senior Brother Ye."

Ye Sanshui shook his head firmly. "I apologize for having offended you in the past, not knowing your identity. Please forgive me, Young Master. You have even saved my life twice over. I may be a stick-in-the-mud, but never shall I be considered disloyal. Your will is my command."

"Rest first," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Ye Sanshui didn't seem to be joking, but Xiao Nanfeng couldn't trust him fully, either. There were many secrets that he bore, and he had to be careful beyond measure.

"Yessir!" Ye Sanshui nodded firmly.

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