Sleep, Mom

"Bang!"

A deafening crash rang out!

The furnace suddenly grew larger, blasting the entire room apart!

The roof collapsed, the walls shattered, and splinters and masonry flew everywhere. Amid the billowing dust, a figure flew backward out of the rubble and slammed heavily into the opposite wall.

"Cough, cough..."

The figure coughed up a mouthful of blood and slowly raised his head.

Hu Fangyuan took a closer look, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

It was Hu Heming!

His own father!

In that split second, a vicious glint flashed through Hu Heming's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. Crossing his arms in front of him, he took the blow head-on.

Already gravely wounded, he now coughed up blood without end even when facing this good-for-nothing youngest son of his. He had been knocked against the wall and struggled to get up.

"Yuan'er, it's your father! It's your father!"

As Hu Heming looked at Hu Fangyuan walking into the room, a perfectly measured hint of delighted surprise appeared in his eyes.

His face was covered in dust and blood, his beard and hair bristled, and his clothes were in tatters. He looked utterly bedraggled. Yet his eyes were filled with "fatherly love" and "gratification," as though he were truly happy that his son was still alive.

"Yuan'er, thank heavens you're not dead."

Hu Heming's voice trembled slightly, sounding utterly sincere.

The old Hu Fangyuan might really have been fooled by this display.

But now...

Hu Fangyuan sneered inwardly.

Even at a time like this, the old bastard was still putting on an act.

On his face, however, Hu Fangyuan wore an expression of overwhelming delight and surprise.

He hurried forward, his face full of "excitement" and "joy," and said loudly, "Father, you're not dead!"

Seeing Hu Fangyuan so excited, Hu Heming felt a little puzzled.

He did not know why Hu Fangyuan was so happy.

After all, among his many children, Hu Fangyuan had always been the least remarkable. His martial soul was a dull gray furnace, and his innate soul power was only rank six. Although that placed him among the upper ranks of his siblings, his persistent lack of combat ability had gradually made him all but invisible in the Hu Family.

He had also given this son the least attention.

Sometimes, he could not even remember this son's name.

Yet now, this least remarkable son had shown such excitement at seeing him still alive.

Hu Heming felt slightly moved.

But he quickly suppressed that trace of feeling.

Now was not the time to be moved.

He had to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible!

Hu Heming immediately nodded, adopting the kindly expression of a loving father, and said as gently as he could, "Yuan'er, hurry and help your father up. We'll go to the Hu Family's treasure vault. Those Evil Soul Masters have already looted it, so it's definitely a safe place. Before long, once the troops from Changhuo City arrive, those damned Evil Soul Masters certainly won't dare come back."

His tone was full of "concern" and "protectiveness," as though he were truly thinking of his son's safety.

Hu Fangyuan sneered inwardly, but put on an obedient expression and nodded. "All right!"

With that, he walked toward Hu Heming.

As Hu Heming watched Hu Fangyuan approach, a barely perceptible gleam flashed through his eyes.

This foolish son really was easy to deceive.

Once he helps me up, I'll seize the opportunity to subdue him, then use the secret art...

I'm the most important person in the Hu Family. As long as I'm still here, the Hu Family won't perish!

This son was never anything remarkable anyway. If he dies, he dies. There's nothing to regret.

Hu Heming rapidly turned his plans over in his mind, while his face took on an expression of wistful gratification.

"Yuan'er has grown up. If your mother could see you now, she'd certainly be proud!"

As he spoke, Hu Heming even looked to one side with a show of deep affection.

Hu Fangyuan followed his gaze, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

As it turned out, this was Hu Fangyuan's mother's room.

And his mother had already become a corpse.

Her body lay in a corner of the room, her clothes disheveled and her hair in disarray. Her face still held the fear and despair of her final moments. There was a huge bloody hole in her chest, and the blood had already dried to a dark brown.

Her eyes were still wide open, staring fixedly toward the doorway, as though waiting for someone to save her.

But all that had come to her was death.

Hu Fangyuan stopped and turned to look toward his mother.

Hu Fangyuan stopped and turned to look toward his mother.

Her body lay quietly in the corner of the room.

Firelight shone through the broken window, making her face flicker between light and shadow. Her eyes were still wide open, staring fixedly toward the doorway, as though waiting for someone to save her.

But all that had come to her was death.

Hu Fangyuan gazed silently at his mother's body, a jumble of emotions churning within him.

In a great clan like the Hu Family, mothers rising in status through their children had always been the norm.

Hu Heming had a bevy of wives and concubines, and numerous children.

Each wife's or concubine's standing was closely tied to the children she bore. If her child had talent, the mother's status rose like a boat on a rising tide; if her child lacked talent, she too was neglected.

Hu Fangyuan's mother had originally been just one of Hu Heming's concubines. Her background was humble, and her looks could only be considered above average. Among Hu Heming's many wives and concubines, she had been utterly unremarkable, and even giving birth to Hu Fangyuan had done little to change that.

In this world where Soul Masters reigned supreme, there was simply no preference for sons over daughters within a clan.

As long as a child had talent, they would receive the entire clan's nurturing and attention just the same!

At six years old, Hu Fangyuan had awakened his martial soul and been tested as having rank-six innate soul power.

In a remote little city like Lingbi City, that result already qualified him as a genius. Hu Heming had been overjoyed and immediately begun to value this son, showering Hu Fangyuan's mother with affection as well.

Those had been the most comfortable days Hu Fangyuan and his mother had ever spent.

Hu Heming often visited them, bringing all kinds of precious cultivation resources. His mother had always worn a smile, caring for Hu Fangyuan in every possible way. Every day, she personally cooked for him, washed his clothes, and kept him company while he cultivated.

But the good times did not last.

Because the Heaven Refining Furnace had not awakened, Hu Fangyuan had been unable to display his potential, and Hu Heming had gradually given up on him.

The Heaven Refining Furnace, that dull gray furnace, had nothing special about it beyond its somewhat ancient appearance. It had no sharp edge, no heavy striking power, and even the most basic conduction of soul power was astonishingly slow.

Hu Heming had invited several master Soul Masters to appraise it, but every verdict was the same: this was a trash martial soul.

Someone with rank-six innate soul power and a trash martial soul was worth less than someone with rank-five innate soul power and a normal martial soul.

Nor was Hu Fangyuan the only one among Hu Heming's children with rank-six innate soul power!

For precisely that reason, Hu Heming's enthusiasm had soon cooled.

He had begun distancing himself from Hu Fangyuan and his mother, investing more resources and energy in his other talented children.

As a result, his mother's care for him had also dwindled considerably.

She had grown quiet, and the smiles on her face had become fewer and fewer. She no longer personally cooked for Hu Fangyuan or washed his clothes, nor did she keep him company while he cultivated. Sometimes, when Hu Fangyuan went to see her, she merely answered him indifferently with a few words before sending him away.

Hu Fangyuan knew she was resentful.

She resented his failure to amount to anything, resented his trash martial soul, and resented him for making her fall from the clouds into the mire.

But Hu Fangyuan did not blame her.

After all, she and Hu Heming were both still young. It was perfectly normal to level up an alt.

In this world where the strong devoured the weak, having no talent meant having no future. His mother was still young. She still had a chance to bear another talented child and regain Hu Heming's favor.

Rather than pin her hopes on a son with a trash martial soul, she might as well start leveling a new character.

It was practical, and it was cruel.

But Hu Fangyuan understood her.

Yet the instant he saw the state in which his mother had died, Hu Fangyuan still instinctively froze where he stood.

He had thought he would not care.

He had thought he no longer had much feeling left for this mother of his.

But when he actually saw her body, saw how she had died with her eyes still open, his heart still gave a sharp, painful spasm.

After all, she was his mother.

After all, she had once given him a brief spell of warmth.

After all, blood was thicker than water.

Hu Fangyuan took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and slowly walked forward.

He crouched down, reached out, and gently laid his hand over his mother's eyes.

"...Mom, go to sleep."

His voice was soft, so very soft, as though he feared disturbing her peaceful slumber.

His fingers slid gently downward, and his mother's wide-open eyes slowly closed.

The fear and despair on her face seemed to ease a little as well.