The evening sun hung in the sky, casting an orange glow over the sprawling city. Li Cheng dashed through the busy streets, his heart pounding as he ran towards the Li family mansion. The weight of his mother's condition hung heavy on his mind, and he clung to the slim hope that his father might finally show a bit of compassion if he knows about his mother condition.
As he neared the gates of the mansion, fate seemed to smile on him.
He saw a carriage that finally came to a stop in front of the gate. The carriage door swung open and It turned out to be his father, Li Qiang. It seemed he was returning from a trip. Relief washed over him. now, he didn't need to go through the guards or any other obstacles to meet him.
As Li Qiang stepped out of the carriage, a voice rang out across the courtyard.
"Father!"
Li Qiang paused mid-step, a puzzled frown knitting his brows. The voice was unfamiliar. His son, Li Yuen, had long since gone to Immortal Peak, so who could it be?. Li Qiang thought to himself....eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Father!!!"
The voice came again, growing louder and closer.
Li Qiang tilted his head over his shoulder, his eyes falling on a figure running towards him. When Li Cheng finally arrived in front of his father, and without hesitation, dropped to his knees, grabbing his father's garment with trembling hands.
"Father, please help! Mother is gravely ill. She needs to see a doctor and I need to get her some medicine—please!" His voice cracked with emotion, and his entire body shook.
Li Qiang's eyes narrowed, and he scoffed, his gaze turning cold. "Who are you?"
"I am Li Cheng… your son," Li Cheng replied with a heavy heart.
Li Qiang's expression soured. "Get lost! I don't have a son by that name." He said with an irritated tone.
Li Cheng's heart thudded painfully in his chest. "Father, I know you hate me because i don't have a spiritual root like the others… but what about mother? What has she done to deserve this?"
The words hit Li Qiang like a whip. His lips curled into a sneer. "I hate her for giving birth to a useless son like you! Do you understand now? Just look at you—your mate has gone off to the immortal peak to cultivate, while you, you come here begging for medicine for your mother. Do I look like a doctor to you? Or a pharmacist?"
"If you dare come here to cause a scene next time, I won't spare you, and I don't want to see you anywhere near this house again. Now get out, before I lose it!" Li Qiang said, kicking him aside. He then walked towards the gate, and the two guards quickly opened the doors for him, bowing their heads.
His father's words pierced through Li Cheng like a blade and he stood up on his feet.
"Father!!!"
But before Li Qiang could enter the gate, Li Cheng's cold, emotionless voice called out to him.
Li Qiang stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to look at him.
"Father, I have never judged you, despite what you've done to us. Mother has always told me not to hate you. She's always loved you, even when you threw us out… she never stopped loving you. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, when it rains, I can hear her speaking softly…"
Li Qiang's expression remained stone-cold, though his fists clenched in frustration.
"She would worry about you, wondering if you had covered yourself properly because you always catch a cold when it rains. She'd even wonder if you remembered to stoke the fire in the hearth to warm the room…"
Li Qiang stood motionless at the gate, not looking at him, but Li Cheng's words poured out with painful sincerity.
"She loved you, Father... But today, I see your true colors. You don't deserve her love. You're nothing but a greedy, heartless man!"
Li Qiang's expression twisted in fury. He spun on Li Cheng, eyes blazing. "You dare insult me?. I can see that your mother has failed to discipline you. Today, i will help her a bit.
With a snarl, he shouted to his guards.
"Someone, hold him down!"
Two guards rushed forward, grabbing Li Cheng roughly. They forced him to his knees, and despite his struggle, they overpowered him easily. Li Cheng's heart raced, and he tried to break free, but the guards held him down.
Li Qiang's voice was icy. "You've been causing trouble here for too long, and I never paid attention to it. But today, you come to humiliate me…"
"Lock him up, and no one is to release him until I say so," Li Qiang commanded the guards. They dragged Li Cheng towards the dungeon, but Li Cheng continued to cry out in despair, "My mother is sick! Please let me go! She has no one to take care of her! Please, father!!!"
Li Qiang paid no heed to his cries as the guards dragged him toward the dungeon, his voice growing weaker with every step.
But Li Qiang was unmoved. He turned on his heel and walked toward the gates, ignoring Li Cheng desperate pleas.
As Li Qiang was about to enter the mansion, a voice interrupted him.
"Patriarch Li, wait!"
Li Qiang's irritation flared. He spun around and see Fang Bo, the patriarch of the Fang family.
"Hahaha… Patriarch Li, when I came earlier, I saw you were attending to your family matters, so I didn't dare to interfere," Fang Bo said. He had arrived earlier when the whole scene was unfolding but had halted his carriage at a distance and waited for it to finish.
Li Qiang scowled. "Since you didn't have any intention to interfere, then don't bring it up again," Li Qiang said in annoyance.
Fang Bo raised his hands in mock surrender, his smile never faltering. "Alright, alright. I won't say another word. But can we go in now? I have some important matters to discuss with you."
Li Qiang grunted, irritated but resigned. "Come in, then."
They both walked into the mansion, leaving Li Cheng behind, his cries echoing faintly in the distance.
Li Cheng spent the next week locked in the dungeon, enduring relentless torture at the hands of the guards. Every blow left him bruised and bloodied, his body broken. There were moments when he would lose consciousness, but the guards would pour cold water over him, bringing him back to the pain.
He hung motionless on the black chains that were used to bound him. His eyes had lost their light, and he looked more like a broken toy.
One week had passed quickly, but it had been one hell of a week for Li Cheng.
Through it all, one thought consumed him—his mother. He couldn't abandon her. She needed him.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Li Qiang gave the order for Li Cheng's release. The guards dragged him from his cell and threw him out of the mansion like a cabbage. His clothes were torn, and his body barely held together. He stood in front of the gate for a while and suddenly knelt down, his hands trembling as he bowed three times.
"Father, thank you for bringing me into this world. But from this day on, Li Cheng has nothing to do with the Li family anymore," he said, his voice steady despite the overwhelming pain.
With a grim expression, he tore the corner of his clothes with an overwhelming pain and threw it at the gate before standing up and walking away.
His heart was heavy as he dragged his broken body along the familiar path toward home.
By the time Li Cheng reached the small house where he and his mother had lived, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with shades of pink and purple. He broke through the door with a bang!!.
his heart pounding in his chest.
"Mother!
Mother!"
he called, his voice echoing in the empty room.
But there was no answer.
Li Cheng's chest tightened as panic set in. He rushed outside, calling her, but the entire neighborhood was quiet. No one answered.
One of their neighbors, who had heard someone screaming earlier, came out of her house. Recognizing the voice faintly, she saw Li Cheng running around, calling for his mother.
"Li Cheng!! Is that you?" she asked.
Li Cheng heard the voice, turned towards the source, and saw a middle-aged woman standing a few meters away. He soon recognized her as one of their neighbors.
"Madam Zhou… yes, it's me," Li Cheng said as he ran towards the elderly woman. "Have you seen my mother, Madam Zhou?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Madam Zhou approached him slowly, a somber expression on her face. "Li Cheng… where have you been? Your mother has been asking for you. Even in her last breath, she couldn't stop worrying about you."
Li Cheng's blood ran cold. "What do you mean? Where is she?"
Madam Zhou's voice trembled. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your mother… she's gone. She couldn't hold on. She passed away two days after you left to find the medicine."
The words struck him like a thunderclap. Li Cheng staggered back, his heart shattering into pieces."No… it's not true. My mother can't be dead. She's strong… she's always been strong."
Tears welled up in his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. "She can't be gone…"
"Madam Zhou, that's not true…
It's not possible
It's not possible!!.
. My mother can't be dead!" Li Cheng said as tears began to spill from his eyes.
"My mother is a strong woman. We've been through hell and made it out. We've faced storms, fire, and heavy downpours, and we survived until this day… So, Madam Zhou, tell me it's not true."
"Li Cheng, I know it's hard to accept, but your mother is really gone. Come, let me show you where we buried her."
Madam Zhou led Li Cheng to his mother's grave, not far from their backyard.
The earth was fresh, and the smell of the dirt still lingered in the air. Li Cheng fell to his knees in front of the grave, his body shaking with sobs.
"We waited for you to return before burying her, Li Cheng," Madam Zhou said softly. "But after two days, we couldn't wait any longer. All the neighbors came together, and we buried her." madam zhou said with a heavy heart and soon left the place.
Li Cheng's world crumbled around him as he knelt there, tears streaming down his face.