Otherworldly Affairs Office

Chapter 1102: Showdown (Part 2)

"Of course I believe you, you’re my son, what’s there not to believe! But as the saying goes, it’s not the ten thousand things you’re afraid of, it’s that one in ten thousand. Whatever you do, you still have to be careful and cautious, never act rashly or carelessly. You don’t need to worry about things at home. Your mom and I are enjoying a peaceful, easy life now, all thanks to you two. We were actually thinking that now we’re finally idle and have some money, we could go travel a bit. But—ay! Seeing how things are for you now, it’s better for us to just stay at home and let your colleagues protect us." Old Pei said as he pushed on the armrest to stand up, rubbing his waist that had turned sore from sitting too long while sighing with emotion."Dad, give me another year, at most two. I’ll definitely wrap up everything on my plate, then I’ll go with you and Mom, the four of us as a family, and we’ll travel around the world." Pei Yan promised beside him.

"Alright! For now you still have to put your career and your own safety first." Old Pei said, picking up the empty fishing rod and tidying up the gear as he continued to remind him, "And also, take good care of your sister. From what you just said, your sister’s been carrying everything on her own for over ten years. Now that you’ve grown up too, the men in our family have to be able to shoulder things."

"I get it, Dad! Don’t worry!"

"And about this matter—you said your sister will also talk to your mom, right? I figure your mom probably knows by now. But you..." As Old Pei spoke, he sized his son up and pointed at his arm, saying, "But as for your arm and eye, don’t let your mom know for now! She probably won’t be able to accept it all at once. After this, whenever you go on a mission, she’d be on edge every second. Wait until those big things you mentioned are all settled, and the world’s peaceful again, then find the right chance to tell her."

"Got it."

Seeing that the sun had already set beyond the western hills, the father and son packed up and headed home. Looking at the sunset scenery that he’d long grown used to, Old Pei, however, felt a different kind of emotion tonight and sighed, "So you’re saying this mountain, this lake, and even this sunset are all fake?"

"Uh, not exactly fake. You could say it’s a so‑called little world. That sun is definitely fake though." Pei Yan lifted his head and looked toward the sky as he spoke.

"Then what about the fish in the lake? The ones I caught before, your mom cooked them for us to eat! Those are fake too?"

"Those are real! Those are fish our Hall bought from an outside fish farm and stocked in here, the genuine stuff! In the future, the time flow in here will be synchronized with the outside world, and they’ll build more recreational facilities. I’m thinking you and Mom can come here every few days to relax." After saying that, Pei Yan turned back and glanced at the fishpond in puzzlement. "Our Hall chief said there are so many fish in this lake you could catch them at random, so how come we didn’t get a single one today?"

"With that faint but constant stench of blood you’re giving off, even sitting this far away I can feel it, let alone the fish in the lake. From the moment you sat down there, there hasn’t been a single living thing within ten meters of the spot. If you two could catch anything, that’d be the real miracle."

The one who said this was Cen Xiaoran, who was walking toward them. Now that he knew the old man’s identity, Old Pei couldn’t help being a bit restrained when he saw him. He wanted to step forward and greet him but had no idea what etiquette people in Pei Yan’s circle used. His hand lifted halfway, and he didn’t know whether he should go for a handshake or the old‑style cupped‑fist salute. His expression was quite awkward. Seeing him like that, Elder Cen took the initiative to say hello: "You know about your son’s situation now?"

"Ah, yes, I know it all! Uncle, Cen Hall! My son will be troubling you to look after him from now on. He’s still young and doesn’t understand much. If he makes mistakes, teach him, punish him as needed! No need to be polite." In the end, Old Pei still reached out and shook Elder Cen’s hand, entrusting his son to him.

"Just call me ’Uncle.’ I won’t be holding this position for many more days anyway! Your son is outstanding. Our Hall holds him in high regard. Don’t worry, we’ll be strict with him, won’t let him go down the wrong path, and we’ll make sure he’s safe, so that after he finishes his missions, he can come home safe and sound and be reunited with you."

With Elder Cen’s promise, Old Pei felt much more at ease. Seeing that the old man seemed to have something to say to his son, he tactfully thanked him repeatedly, then picked up the fishing gear from his son’s hand, said, "You two talk," and headed home alone.

"Is the smell of blood on me really that strong? How come I don’t feel a thing? I’ve already restrained my aura a lot because I was afraid of scaring my family." Pei Yan lowered his head and sniffed around himself as he spoke, then smiled wryly.

"That’s because you’ve been in a bloody, kill‑or‑be‑killed environment for so long that you’re already used to it and don’t notice it. You can fool ordinary people, but those with truly high cultivation, or wild animals that are sensitive to death, can still keenly pick up that hint of danger. I heard from Xiaogu that you’ve now mastered at least three ways of controlling your qi, and you’ve even fused with a Divine Artifact that can hide your form. But you still haven’t completely integrated the path of qi; you can’t freely retract and release it. That’s your flaw, and in the future it will become a weak point in combat and bring you danger."

"Then how should I fix this flaw?" Since Elder Cen had pointed it out to his face, he must have a way to solve it. Pei Yan didn’t stand on ceremony and asked directly.

"I can’t help you. Didn’t I say already? There are a few old fellows in the Hall of my generation who want to meet you. Remember our agreement—after your vacation, come back to the Hall first."

"Alright, I won’t forget!"

After saying goodbye to Cen Hall, Pei Yan practically jogged a few steps to catch up with his father up ahead. When the two of them returned home together, the moment the door opened, Pei Yan sensed that something was off in the air inside. Seeing his mother, Li Yuhua, looking at him with red, swollen eyes after hearing the door open, then glancing at his sister beside her who gave him a nod, Pei Yan knew that his mom had already learned the truth from his sister.

Li Yuhua had many things she wanted to ask her son, but she still held back and didn’t say them. Instead, she busied herself arranging for everyone to eat first. After the restaurant delivered the dishes they’d ordered, the family sat around the table and happily enjoyed a reunion meal. During the meal, everyone deliberately avoided talking about the work of Pei Yan and his sister. Li Yuhua just talked with her son and daughter about little things that had happened recently with the new neighbors. In the past, when his mother used to ramble on like this at mealtimes, Pei Yan always let it go in one ear and out the other, just echoing her here and there. Now, listening to it, he actually found it especially interesting.

After dinner, Old Pei used the excuse of going for a walk and dragged his daughter out with him to stroll around the neighborhood, while Pei Yan obediently stayed home, ready to accept his mother’s inspection.

Because of the groundwork his sister had laid earlier, the whole questioning process didn’t make Pei Yan feel particularly awkward. Li Yuhua mainly focused on asking whether his work was dangerous, and whether doing these things would hurt his body and leave any lasting sequelae. Pei Yan gave her all the most appropriate answers.

In the end, Pei Yan still couldn’t avoid undoing part of his disguise and letting his mother see the scars on his body. His mom might be simple, but she wasn’t stupid. With so many battles in the stories he told, she wouldn’t believe for a second that he could come out without a scratch. Although he didn’t dare reveal the loss of his arm and eye, just the many scars on his upper body that he showed were enough to make his mother so heartbroken she burst into tears.