First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2378 – Not Once Turning His Head

Su Yi had spent the past several days in leisure. When he wasn’t cultivating quietly, he fished, admired the flowers or the sunset, sampled tea, or drank wine.

He lived in solitude, enjoying self-sufficiency and freedom.

Take now, for instance. He’d been fishing beneath the sunset for less than an hour, but he already had a dozen or so fish in the bamboo basket beside him.

When Su Yi saw the treasure ship approaching from afar, he furrowed his brow. He assumed he had yet another visitor here on account of his reputation.

But when he saw the figures on board, he was unwittingly stunned.

He recognized Li Sanjiu. He was one of the Dao Protectors who accompanied the young mistress of the Qilin Race, Qi Wei. He was also an extraordinarily powerful Nine-Tribulation master God who’d fought at the battle of Skybright Mountain.

But it was the person beside Li Sanjiu who really surprised Su Yi.

Lu Zhanxuan! Lu Qingmei’s adopted son!

He wore long, plain robes, and his handsome face suggested a determined disposition. He was tall and upright, and he stood out of the crowd.

He really did look rather similar to Yi Daoxuan.

A moment later, Su Yi finally reacted. Lu Zhanxuan is now called Yi Chen, and according to Lu Qingmei, he’s… my past life’s son!

Why did Li Sanjiu bring Yi Chen here?

Su Yi was a bit confused.

“Your Excellency Su, I’m here on orders to pay you a visit.” Li Sanjiu stopped in the distance and clasped his fist in greeting.

“Disembark first,” said Su Yi, putting away the fishing rod and picking up the basket before walking toward a nearby mountain.

Li Sanjiu led Yi Chen onto Sunset Perch Island.

“You arrived at just the right time. I was just about to grill some fish. Stay a while and eat,” said Su Yi, calling him over.

Li Sanjiu fell briefly silent, then said, “It would be rude to refuse.”

The light of dusk faded, and night silently set in. Stars flickered in and out of view beneath the dome of heaven as the River Child built a bonfire on the beach.

He’d placed each fish on a bamboo skewer, and he now roasted them over the fire.

Firelight swayed, and the waves lapped the shore. At night, Sunset Perch Island was extraordinarily tranquil.

Su Yi sat beside the fire, telling the River Child how to cook the fish between sips of wine.

Li Sanjiu and Yi Chen sat to the side.

The former was silent.

The latter was silent, too.

“Your Excellency.” Finally, Li Sanjiu broke the silence.

But just as he was about to say more, Su Yi smiled. “Let me guess first.”

Li Sanjiu froze, then nodded.

Su Yi glanced at Yi Chen, who’d been sitting there, head lowered in silence, this entire time. Only then did he say, “Lu Qingmei contacted the Qilin Trading Company and asked you to bring him here. Am I right?”

“Yes, exactly,” said Li Sanjiu.

“Is Lu Qingmei in life-or-death peril?” asked Su Yi.

Li Sanjiu froze. Yi Chen, however, suddenly looked up and exclaimed, “How… How did you know?”

This was the first sentence he’d spoken to Su Yi since setting foot on Sunset Perch Island.

The words had only just left his lips when he felt inexplicably vexed. He pursed his lips, then lowered his head once more.

Su Yi chuckled. “If she hadn’t met with life-or-death peril, how could Lu Qingmei possibly have sent you to me of her own accord?”

His voice was tinged with mockery.

Indescribable anger surged in Yi Chen’s heart. “It’s true that my mother sent me here, but that doesn’t mean I acknowledge you as my father!”

Su Yi was stunned. Is this kid here to acknowledge me as his dad?

“Also!” Yi Chen looked directly at Su Yi, then said slowly and clearly, “It’s not my place to comment on what exactly happened between you and my mother, but you’d best not insult my mother in front of me!”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose, but then, he laughed. “True enough. Lu Qingmei is Lu Qingmei, and you’re you. I can’t conflate the two of you.”

He grabbed two roasted fish and passed them to Li Sanjiu and Yi Chen. “Go on, see how they taste.”

Li Sanjiu didn’t hold back. He grabbed a fish and tasted it.

Yi Chen, however, refused, then said staunchly, “Thanks, but I have no appetite.”

Su Yi didn’t push him. He just started eating on his own. His appetite was quite good, and he’d soon devoured the entire fish, his face covered in grease.

Yi Chen couldn’t stand to watch any more of this. “Aren’t… aren’t you at all interested to find out what happened to my mother?”

Su Yi accepted a napkin from the River Child and wiped his face clean before responding. “Let’s set aside what’s happened to her for now. Do you want to ask me to save her?”

Yi Chen froze, stunned, then fell silent. He suddenly discovered that there was no need for him or Li Sanjiu to say anything; this unfamiliar father of his was figuring it all out on his own!

“Stretch out your hand,” Su Yi said suddenly.

Yi Chen frowned. “What for?”

Su Yi said casually, “I’ve acquired a son out of nowhere. Surely I ought to at least confirm that we’re related, right?”

Yi Chen’s face flushed red with humiliation and fury. “It’s not like I believe you’re my dad, either!”

He rose, then said, “Also! I’m not here to acknowledge you as my father, nor am I after your protection, and I’m certainly not here to ask you for help!”

With that, he turned and walked off.

Su Yi was stunned. The kid’s got quite the temper!

Li Sanjiu was just about to give chase when Su Yi said, “First, tell me what exactly is going on here.”

Li Sanjiu paused to consider his words, then said, “Not long ago, the Blue Rose Demon Master used a secret talisman to contact Young Mistress Qi Wei. All she said was that if her adopted son, Yi Chen, went to the Qilin Trading Company, we should deliver him safely to Sunset Perch Island.”

He paused, then continued, “Earlier, on our way here, Yi Chen was clearly opposed to coming here. He wanted to go back, but I stopped him.”

Su Yi’s eyes flashed, and he pondered that seriously before sighing. “I understand. I got a son out of nowhere. It’s hard to accept that all at once. And that kid got a dad like me out of nowhere. I’m sure that’s hard for him to accept, too.”

Li Sanjiu couldn’t help but say, “Your Excellency Su, is Yi Chen… really your own flesh and blood?”

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. “Before this, I only half believed it, but now, how could I have any doubts?”

He called over the River Child. “Go bring him back.”

The River Child’s eyes darted about, and he said with a laugh, “Rest assured, Your Excellency. I’ll bring the young master back immediately!”

With that, he turned and left.

‘The young master’? Su Yi shook his head slightly. He felt a bit exasperated.

Yi Chen returned shortly after. Rather, the River Child brought him back against his will. He’d even sealed his cultivation base.

“Let go of me!” Yi Chen roared and struggled with all his might.

“Don’t be angry, Young Master,” giggled the River Child. “His Excellency still has questions for you.”

Su Yi waved, and the River Child stepped aside.

Then, he gazed intently at Yi Chen. “Let’s set aside the question of whether or not we’re father and son for now. Just take me for a stranger.”

Yi Chen said coldly, “If we’re strangers, why not just let me go?”

Su Yi took a sip of wine. “Very well. I’ll give you an opportunity. If you want to save your mother, answer my questions honestly. Refuse, and I’ll let you go immediately. I promise not to interfere any further.”

Yi Chen’s expression shifted erratically. He fell silent.

A long time passed before he finally said, “My mother told me not to ask you for help. She said doing so would be no different from inviting my own humiliation. She also forbade me to cast aside my pride and lower myself by begging you to help her!”

Su Yi’s gaze was inscrutable. “Is that so? Do you plan to do it anyway?”

Yi Chen gnashed his teeth. “I had no intention of coming to Sunset Perch Island in the first place! I didn’t want to follow Mother’s orders! But…”

Here, his expression filled with uncertainty, as if he were incomparably conflicted. A long time passed in silence.

Su Yi, however, could roughly guess what he was thinking. “Never mind that. Tell me what happened to your mother.”

Li Sanjiu chimed in from the sidelines, “Yi Chen, my young friend, His Excellency Su and I still have no idea what happened to you and the Blue Rose Demon Master. Why not tell us the situation? There might well be an opportunity to turn things around.”

Yi Chen pondered that in silence for a long time before agreeing.

Beneath the swaying light of the bonfire, his handsome face flickered in and out of view.

As he recounted everything that had happened in the Bamboo Mountain Forbidden Zone, Su Yi couldn’t help but sink into thought.

Li Sanjiu finally understood what had happened, and he couldn’t help but feel startled.

It might have seemed like this disaster was targeting Yi Chen, but in truth, it was really aimed at Su Yi!

After all, if Yi Chen was really Su Yi’s flesh and blood, controlling Yi Chen would give his enemies leverage to threaten Su Yi!

Put bluntly, if Yi Chen weren’t Su Yi’s son, this disaster would never have befallen him.

Su Yi had remained silent throughout Yi Chen’s tale, but now, he asked suddenly, “Did your mother say anything when she arranged for you to come see me?”

When he saw that Yi Chen clearly didn’t want to talk about it, Su Yi sat upright and fixed his gaze on Yi Chen. “This is important. Surely… you don’t want your mother’s effort and sacrifice to go to waste?”

Yi Chen instantly felt intense pressure bearing down on him, but when he recalled his mother’s predicament, he cast all thoughts of pride and dignity aside, gnashed his teeth, and repeated everything his mother had told him.

After hearing the whole thing, Su Yi slowly leaned back into his wicker chair and gazed into the night sky in silence.

Yi Chen stood there. He too was silent.

Li Sanjiu looked at Su Yi, then looked at Yi Chen. He suddenly had a strange feeling. The two of them became father and son out of nowhere, yet their dispositions are extraordinarily similar! They both have deep-seated pride and self-confidence!

But when he recalled Su Yi’s relationship with Lu Qingmei, Li Sanjiu couldn’t help but sigh deeply to himself.

It’s absurd! A pair of Dao Partners who split up and became irreconcilable enemies now have a son together. How on earth is Su Yi supposed to handle a relationship like that?

And as his son, how is Yi Chen supposed to face his father?

Never mind the rest. If Su Yi refuses to save Lu Qingmei, will Yi Chen still acknowledge him as his father?

But if he does save her, how will Su Yi and Lu Qingmei settle their grudge? It was Lu Qingmei who hurt him in his past life, leading to his death. How could such a grudge be forgiven casually?

Lu Sanjiu felt a headache coming on just thinking about it.

Time slipped by.

The silence was so intense that even the River Child felt suffocated. He could tell that Su Yi had most likely just encountered a thorny problem as enormous as the heavens themselves.

But then, Yi Chen suddenly said calmly, “You needn’t trouble yourself over this. As Senior Li Sanjiu is well aware, I never expected your help in the first place.”

He rose, then said, “No matter what happened between you and my mother, all I know is that my mother brought me up, and that this time, she risked her life to save me.

“If anything happens to my mother, I naturally ought to face it with her. There’s no way I’d choose to stay with my stranger or a father just to stay alive!”

Yi Chen’s calm, determined voice echoed throughout the darkness and the oceanic winds as he strode off.

Never once looking back.