Knight Holy Mountain (IV)

Feeling the most familiar aura emanating from Xingyu, Long Haochen burst into tears. They streamed down uncontrollably. He abruptly released his bite, stared at the bloody, mangled flesh on Xingyu's arm, and cried hoarsely, "Why? Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because I'm your father."

That simple sentence instantly froze the grief and fury on Long Haochen's face. He remained in the same position as before, staring straight at Xingyu.

"Y-you, what did you say?" The daze in Long Haochen's eyes gradually turned into disbelief.

Long Xingyu sighed softly, stepped forward, and pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly. "I said, I'm your father—the father you've never met. Xingyu is my name. You bear my surname. We are both Long." As he spoke, a beam of white light shot from his hand, undoing the restriction on Bai Yue.

Bai Yue rushed over and pulled Long Haochen from Long Xingyu's embrace into her own, glaring at him. "Are you insane? You nearly scared me to death just now."

Long Xingyu gave a bitter smile. "I only wanted to test whether Haochen could remain calm at all times in battle. But it seems you are his greatest weakness."

"Mom, he... is he really?" Long Haochen had finally come to his senses. All his Negative Emotions had transformed into shock as he stared at his mother with wide green eyes.

Bai Yue nodded gently. "I'm sorry, Chencheng. Mommy never told you. A year ago, your father found us. He hoped you could become a powerful knight like him, so he asked me to hide the news of his return with him."

Long Xingyu shook his head somewhat helplessly. "I never expected that man proposes, Heaven disposes. He still found out. I was afraid that once you knew I was your father, you wouldn't work so hard anymore. I was also afraid I wouldn't have the heart to train you harshly."

Long Haochen stared blankly at the parents before him. The word father was simply too unfamiliar in his life. Ever since he could remember, only his mother had been by his side.

Bai Yue gently stroked her son's head, unable to stop her tears from falling. "I'm sorry, Chencheng. Mommy never told you before. Ten years ago, Mommy went through something especially painful. I didn't know how to face your father, so I left my hometown and came here alone. It was then that I discovered I was already carrying you. Don't blame your father. It was all my fault. He searched bitterly for nine years before finding us, mother and son. If you must hate someone, hate Mommy."

With a complicated look in his eyes, Long Xingyu came to the mother and son and said softly, "Yue, it's all in the past. All that pain has already gone far away from us. Don't think about those painful memories anymore, all right?"

Tears blurring her eyes, Bai Yue nodded faintly and choked out, "I promised you a year ago. For you, for Haochen, I would break free from those unbearable memories. From now on, you two are all I have in my life. Haochen and I have suffered quite a lot these years. To be honest, I truly don't want him to become a knight like you. I only want him to live his life safely and peacefully."

Long Xingyu's brows immediately drew tight. An exceedingly complicated emotion flashed through his eyes as he unconsciously clenched his fists, as though he were struggling fiercely inside.

Long Haochen was gradually recovering as well. He looked at his mother, then at his father, and a burning emotion slowly appeared in his eyes.

"No, Mom. I want to become a knight. A powerful knight."

Long Xingyu was stunned. In that instant just now, he had truly hesitated—hesitated over whether what he was doing was right. He knew very well that for both Bai Yue and Long Haochen, living a safe and peaceful life was clearly the best choice.

Long Xingyu smiled bitterly. "Are you willing to acknowledge such an irresponsible father?"

"No, it isn't that you were irresponsible. It was all my fault, all my fault." The tears Bai Yue had just managed to stop immediately began flowing again.

"Dad." Breaking free from his mother's embrace, Long Haochen suddenly threw himself into Long Xingyu's arms. In that moment, he felt an immense happiness rushing over him.

He was only a child, a ten-year-old child. Though he had never said so to Bai Yue, whenever he saw the other children of Odin Town with their fathers, how could he not feel envious?

At this moment, his father had returned. Moreover, their separation all these years had not been his father's fault, and his own father was even more powerful than every one of his companions' fathers—a powerful knight. Long Haochen felt no resistance in his heart. All his earlier anger had turned into joy.

Upon hearing that call, Long Xingyu did not show much excitement. He stood there looking somewhat dazed, then slowly wrapped his wife and son in his strong arms. Neither Bai Yue nor Long Haochen noticed that he still seemed to be suppressing some emotion.

After a day of travel, coupled with the great joy and sorrow after returning home, Long Haochen went to rest early. This was also the first time in a year that he did not spend the night meditating, but truly fell into a deep sleep.

Long Xingyu sat beside his son with Bai Yue in his arms. "Yue."

Bai Yue nodded gently, her eyes closed. "You don't need to say it. Chencheng is like you—he is destined not to be someone who can settle for peace and quiet. You were born to do great things. Since he has already chosen, I can only support him. I have only one request: make sure he lives well. No matter what you teach him, his ability to protect himself must come first, all right?"

"Mm, I promise you." Long Xingyu nodded gently and stroked Bai Yue's long hair.

Early the next morning, Long Xingyu brought Bai Yue and Long Haochen back to the wooden cabin atop the mountain. Now that his identity had been exposed, there was no longer any need to hide anything.

Bai Yue went to tidy Long Haochen's room, while Long Xingyu called his son before him.

"Haochen, although you now know our relationship, you have also chosen to continue cultivating under me. In that case, my demands of you will only become stricter than before. You still have one final chance to choose."

Long Haochen said without hesitation, "Dad, I understand. You were strict with me for my own good. When I went to Bright Moon City this time, I felt it especially clearly. Dad, are you a knight of a rank even higher than a Radiant Knight?"

Long Xingyu froze for a moment. After hesitating briefly, he nodded to Long Haochen.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Long Haochen jumped up excitedly. "Dad, I'll definitely become a great knight like you in the future."

Long Xingyu smiled. "How do you know your father is a great knight?"

Long Haochen said stubbornly, "You definitely are."

Long Xingyu said, "All right, you'll learn in the future whether your father is great or not. But if you want to become a great knight, you cannot slack off in the slightest. Starting today, you no longer need to go to the Owl Ant Lair. Your cultivation method will change completely."

"I don't have to go anymore?" Although he had gone continuously for a year, Long Haochen still carried no small shadow from that world filled with darkness.

Long Xingyu nodded. "Over the past year, your cultivation was mainly meant to train your reaction speed, stimulate the growth of your spiritual power, and improve your body. The medicinal liquid in the hot spring you soaked in every day served mainly the same purpose. Now that your body's External Spiritual Power has risen above one hundred, it is time to begin cultivating Internal Spiritual Power."

"Internal Spiritual Power?" Long Haochen looked at his father in confusion. Over the past year, Long Xingyu had told him almost entirely about history, knight skills, and various other kinds of knowledge, but had never spoken about spiritual power.