Father's Persuasion

Chen Mo immediately withdrew his perception. The pain eased considerably, but it was still there, so he could only close his eyes and rest.

Yet his mind never stopped turning.

This third eye couldn't be opened often. After just a few seconds, he was already done for.

Chen Mo was somewhat disappointed. With such a huge flaw, it was completely useless to him.

It was useless whether in battle against enemies or in cultivating a Cultivation Method.

It would be nice if it were passive. Then I wouldn't have to worry about being ambushed.

At that thought, Chen Mo's hatred for the person who had ambushed him deepened another notch.

Even if that person had sent him traveling through worlds, they had still crippled his dantian.

Only after quite a while did the pain slowly fade away.

When Chen Mo opened his eyes again, he heard the door opening.

Turning his head, he saw his father, Chen Mingyuan, walking in with some fruit.

"Dad!"

"Ah! Little Mo, you're awake! Did I wake you?"

After speaking, Chen Mingyuan hurried carefully to his son's bedside and studied him closely. Only when he saw that his son did not look heartbroken did the tension in his chest ease slightly.

His son's face was pale, his lips nearly bloodless. It broke his heart.

Before coming in, he had not known how to face his son.

Now, seeing his son like this, he felt even worse.

Everything he wanted to say was lodged in his throat, unable to come out.

"No, Dad. I'm fine!"

Chen Mo smiled. Seeing the look on his father's face, he knew his father had learned that his dantian had been destroyed.

The sight of his son's smile made Chen Mingyuan's heart ache even more.

"Little Mo, how are you feeling now? Any better?"

"Much better. The doctor said I'm fine now. After being observed for a while, I can be discharged. Dad, you don't need to worry. Oh, right—did Mom go home?"

"Yeah, she went back. She hadn't slept at all last night, so I sent her home to rest."

After such a blow, Chen Mingyuan naturally could not rest easy letting his wife go home alone. Only after seeing her safely home did he return.

"That's good!"

Hearing that his mother had gotten home safely, Chen Mo relaxed. From the doctor speaking with his mother alone, and from seeing the words "Middle Dantian shattered" on the System Panel, he knew the doctor had already told her about his condition.

Just like in his previous life, when a patient was diagnosed with a terminal illness, doctors would always inform the family in private first. He had seen it many times.

For a moment, father and son both fell silent.

Chen Mingyuan set the fruit on the table beside them, while Chen Mo stared blankly at the ceiling.

After arranging the fruit, Chen Mingyuan sat on the neighboring hospital bed, silently watching his son.

Just then, Chen Mo's stomach rumbled.

"Little Mo, are you hungry?"

"Mm."

"Bear with it for now. The doctor said you can't eat anything yet. You can eat tonight."

"Okay, Dad. I know."

Then father and son fell silent again.

Chen Mingyuan did not know how to comfort his son. He feared that if his son learned his dantian had been crippled, he would be unable to accept it for a while.

At the very least, he would have to wait until his son was discharged before telling him.

Whenever he thought of how his son had inexplicably had his dantian crippled, Chen Mingyuan was consumed by fury. His hands clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. Only the pain brought him back to his senses a little.

He simply could not understand it. His son had never provoked anyone, so why had someone crippled his dantian?

Earlier, he had called his son's homeroom teacher to ask about his situation at school, then questioned his son's friends as well. They all said that his son had not offended anyone at school.

Although they had already called the police, the surveillance footage had been destroyed. There was no way to know who had done it; they only knew it was the work of a Martial Artist.

The moment Chen Mingyuan heard it was a Martial Artist, he knew they could only swallow this bitter pill in silence.

There was no helping it. Their entire family were ordinary people. Seeking revenge against a Martial Artist was no different from courting death.

Though the law stipulated that Martial Artists could not casually kill or beat ordinary people, if it did not happen in public, who would know?

A Martial Artist could kill an ordinary person without anyone ever knowing.

Martial Artists were not people ordinary folk could afford to offend!

"Dad!"

Chen Mo was the first to break the silence. "I already know about my condition. So what if my dantian is crippled? It just means I almost have no chance of becoming a Martial Artist, right?"

Chen Mo's tone was remarkably relaxed, as though he were talking about something utterly ordinary. Chen Mingyuan could not hear even a trace of sorrow in it.

"Little Mo, you..."

Chen Mingyuan shot to his feet, his voice rising.

"Little Mo, how did you know? Did someone come in and tell you something? No, I'm going to file a complaint with the doctor. How could they recklessly tell you about your injuries?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and was about to leave.

"Dad! Don't go! No one told me anything. I sensed it myself! It's my body—I know it very well."

His son's somewhat anxious voice came from behind him. Chen Mingyuan immediately stopped, then slowly turned around to look at his son.

"Little Mo, I... you... you know... I..."

Chen Mingyuan did not know where to put his hands, and the anger he had felt moments ago faded away.

At that moment, he did not know what to say. A whole heap of comforting words caught in his throat when he saw his son's calm expression.

He had imagined that, upon learning his Dantian had been crippled, his son would cry and make a scene, howl in despair, refuse to believe it, and demand that the doctor explain himself.

After all, becoming a Martial Artist had been his son's only dream. When he was six, he had told him that he wanted to become a powerful Martial Artist.

From that moment on, his son had cultivated diligently without ever stopping, never once complaining of being tired. By now, at eighteen, he had persisted for twelve full years.

If it had been him, he too would have despaired and refused to accept such a reality.

That was why he and his wife had planned to wait a while before telling Chen Mo.

But things did not go as they wished. They had never expected Chen Mo to find out on his own.

And now, seeing his son so calm—calm to the point of being frightening!

Such abnormal composure made Chen Mingyuan's heart pound with dread, and his entire body began to tremble.

He hurriedly seized Chen Mo's hand and said in a trembling voice, "Little Mo, don't scare Dad like this! Seeing you like this scares me. You still have your father and mother, and your little sister. We all love you."

"If it were me, I wouldn't be able to accept something like this either. If you want to cry, then cry. You're still a child."

"You'll feel better after crying. As long as you let your emotions out, everything can be talked through."

Feeling the strength in his father's grip, Chen Mo knew that his father was worried about him, afraid he might do something foolish. That overwhelming concern instantly filled his heart.

This was what it felt like to be cared for by family—so warm, so wonderful.

"Dad, I'm really fine. You don't need to worry. I'm doing very well right now. And I don't need to cry. There must be a way to solve the problem with my Dantian."

"When I go back to school, I can ask the teachers, or classmates from Martial Artist families. We'll think of something."

Chen Mingyuan was stunned for a moment. His son's Dantian had been crippled, yet not only was he not sad, he was actually comforting him instead.

Still, he did not believe his son's words and refused to let go.

During these days in the hospital, he had to keep watch over his son. He could not give him any chance to do something foolish.