Farewell
Xiaoshuai made up his mind to leave with Mu Yu when the latter decided to leave a few days after. The impish twins were the only ones staying behind; they didn’t want to leave Feng Haochen even if he wanted them to leave.
Mu Yu scrubbed the twins’ heads. “You two better not be naughty.”
“I know. No being naughty and no angering Shifu. First Brother told us already. I didn’t need the reminder.” Kongkong didn’t want Mu Yu to leave in spite of his grumbling because they were essentially a big family.
“It’s going to be boring,” sulked Miaomiao. She grew close to Tian Ran ever since Lan Ling’er left since they were girls.
“If I hear you two blew up another loo or bee hive, I’ll come back to teach you two a lesson,” Mu Yu reminded, recalling the ghastly catastrophe Kongkong was behind a few days ago.
“Bee hive? We did no such thing, ever!” Kongkong enthused.
“That is not a bad idea. Thank you, Fourth Brother. We will be sure to give it a try.” Miaomiao and Kongkong gave each other an excited smile.
“Hey, I’m not playing,” Mu Yu warned, gripping the twins’ collars tight.
“Uncle Feng, take care. I have thrown out your tattered clothing and bought you several new sets. New clothes will raise your spirits. I also purchased a few pairs of new shoes. I told Daoist Qing Song to send you some clothes and shoes at certain intervals; I gave them your sizes already for that matter. I personally pulled out the weeds in the vegetable garden for you. Let Elder Xun cook instead of Uncle An from now on. You should not bother cooking…”
Feng Haochen patiently listened to Tian Ran and gave her a smile. Once she was done, Mu Yu conveyed, “Uncle An, Elder Xun, please take care of Shifu. Shifu, we will be leaving now.”
“Take care,” Uncle An replied in his signature tone.
Elder Xun: “Leave it to me.”
Feng Haochen gave Mu Yu a pat and adjusted the latter’s collar. “Remember not to let the power mislead you. The world of cultivation out there is even crueller and larger. Always check with your conscience whenever you decide to do anything.”
Happy to see Mu Yu’s resolute response, Feng Haochen turned and gave Tian Ran a shoulder pat. He paused for a moment before saying, “Stay safe. Make sure to pass the letter on to your shifu.”
“Can I give you a hug, Uncle Feng? I want to tell my shifu I hugged True God Sword Shadow Dust Gale. I want to see her jealous reaction, hehe,” requested Tian Ran, with a melancholic and forced smile.
Feng Haochen invited Tian Ran with his arms open. She shook, but she hung onto her tears for dear life. In truth, she stored his clothing in her sleeve; it was just an instinctive act. Nevertheless, they were souvenirs that could accompany her through lonely times.
“Take care, Shifu.”
Mu Yu and Tian Ran waved back as they took off on their flying swords. Mu Yu stored the scenery of Moyun Mountains to memory, knowing it might be a long time or even his last time seeing it.
Feng Haochen heaved a pent up breath.
Uncle An: “Patriarch, did you decide to not tell Tian Ran?”
Feng Haochen’s doleful expression was the answer. He elaborated, “It is painfully obvious she is my daughter when she is literally identical to Yuyan. She’s fifteen this year. Take away the nine months of pregnancy, and she should be sixteen. That was the same time I made a mistake. I would never have known Yuyan was pregnant with her if she didn’t come here. Sigh.”
Feng Haochen didn’t reveal his identity as Tian Ran’s father to her because he guilty for abandoning his duties as a husband and father.
“I would boldly guess she likely knew you were her father. She has been so nice to you during her one year stay,” Elder Xun opined.
“Either way, I can’t provide her with a better life than she currently has. Not being there for her hurt her once. Revealing myself would hurt her a second time. It has been a fulfilling year to me. I don’t know if I can find the will to stay here after I tell her the truth. Alas, my duty lies here. I must take responsibility for what I have done. If she refuses to leave, I would be leading her to her death. She has come so far without her father. Let her continue as though her father was never there for her.”
Like his hair buffeting at the mercy of the wind, Feng Haochen’s life was at the mercy of ten years. He couldn’t erase the bitter emotions with a smile.
Did it really matter that they didn’t publicly acknowledge each other? Are two people only considered family if they publicly displayed their affection, or was it something personal to them, something only they needed to know?
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
