C3 Mother's Reminder

Tucked away behind the screen, Xiao Pei dried off and slipped into a clean white dress. She touched her feverish cheeks, flashed Chu Yan a warm smile, and scampered out of the room. It wasn't long before she returned, tray in hand.

Xiao Pei was unsure of what Chu Yan had requested, but his piercing gaze fixed upon the lone tray in her possession. In an instant, the deadly aura, born from countless battles, seemed to solidify the very air within the room.

Xiao Pei shivered, not out of fear of Chu Yan, but from the overwhelming presence he commanded. She trusted that His Royal Highness would never harm her.

"Just place it there. Let's turn in early tonight; we set off at dawn," Chu Yan said, his voice softening as he dispersed his intimidating energy and gestured to her.

"Your Highness doesn't need Xiao Pei—" Her words faltered, her lips quivering and cheeks aflame.

At Chu Yan's stern look, Xiao Pei burst into laughter and darted out, closing the door behind her. But not before pulling a playful face at him. "I knew His Highness was only teasing—hee!"

With that, she hurriedly shut the door and dashed to the adjacent room. She dove into bed, curling up cozily under the covers.

As her cheeks glowed with heat and her head spun lightly, Xiao Pei hugged her knees, lost in thought. "His Highness is nothing like the other princes. They took consorts and fathered children at just twelve or thirteen, while His Highness remains alone, always proper with me—though sometimes teasingly so. Heh—"

"And His Highness's embrace... it's so warm. Why do I feel so dizzy and hot? Surely, I'm not coming down with a cold..."

Drifting into slumber, the young girl fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring room, Chu Yan brooded, his brow furrowed as he regarded the two items on the tray before him. A chilling, unspeakable aura enveloped the space.

He had made three demands: the return of his mother's keepsakes, the company of his maid Xiao Pei, and lastly, the recovery of his formidable weapon from his days on the battlefield—the Dragon-Breaking Spear.

Now resting on the tray were the remnants of his mother's possessions and his Dragon-Breaking Spear.

Yet, of his mother's belongings, only a single, unassuming earring remained, and of Chu Yan's Dragon-Breaking Spear, only the spearhead was left—the shaft appeared to have been cleanly severed by some sharp instrument.

Chu Yan chuckled after a long gaze, "So you think you can take advantage of my lost powers? Well, watch out. What's mine will be reclaimed, piece by piece, from your grasp."

He lifted the modest earring from the tray, his fingertips tenderly tracing its surface, stirring a gentle warmth within him.

His mother, in her lifetime, often impressed upon him that this earring was her most cherished treasure.

Chu Yan had found it odd back then, for his mother was the emperor's most favored consort, showered daily with countless exotic treasures.

In comparison, this earring seemed no more valuable than a piece of junk metal.

Each time Chu Yan inquired about its significance, his mother would only offer a knowing smile, assuring him that when the time came for its use, he would understand.

"The time for its use, huh?" Mulling it over, Chu Yan brought the earring to his ear and pierced his lobe with its sharp end.

The expected sting was absent, as was any discomfort.

Puzzled, Chu Yan wondered—despite his fall from the fourth stage of the Genuine Force to that of a mere mortal, surely he hadn't lost the ability to feel pain?

Unbeknownst to Chu Yan, the blood oozing from his earlobe was being slowly drawn into the bronze earring, which now emitted an eerie purple glow.

"What in the world?" He caught sight of the abnormal glow in the water's reflection.

Before he could even process the event, a powerful force seized him, yanking him violently. The world spun, a kaleidoscope of lights whirling before his eyes, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.

When Chu Yan regained his composure, he was astonished to find himself in a world shrouded in chaos. Before him stood a towering pagoda, its grandeur undiminished despite the ravages of time. The ancient edifice, weathered and speckled with decay, exuded an aura of primordial vastness that made Chu Yan's heart skip a beat.

"Was it the earring that brought me here?" he wondered. Chu Yan was no stranger to grandeur, and his past experiences had convinced him of the existence of immortals in this world. He had even heard tales of immortals who could carve out sanctuaries within the void, crafting paradises in the smallest of spaces.

"Could the earring my mother left me be a talisman of the immortals?" The thought deepened Chu Yan's intrigue. His mother, remembered for her grace and nobility, was revered as a goddess. Yet, she had never revealed any extraordinary powers. And if she truly were an immortal, how could she have perished?

Dismissing these musings for the moment, Chu Yan approached the tower with determination. Now that he was here, he was intent on uncovering its secrets. As he reached the base of the tower, his gaze fell upon the wall beside the ancient door, where words were inscribed.

A cursory glance sent a shiver through him—the handwriting bore a striking resemblance to his mother's. Ignoring the potential dangers, he hurried forward to read more closely.

"Chu Yan, my son," the inscription began. Those four words pierced his heart, bringing a sting to his nose. He had not shed tears when falsely accused of patricide and treason, nor when his hard-earned reputation plummeted overnight. Even when a vile poison stripped him of his formidable powers, reducing him to a mere mortal, he remained stoic. And when cast into the notorious Abyss Demon Prison, his eyes stayed dry.

Chu Yan had always held onto the belief that he would reclaim all that he had lost. But now, confronted with his mother's unmistakable message, emotion welled up within him. His mother was gone, and the warmth of her embrace was something he would never experience again.

The delicate yet unyielding script of his mother unfurled before him, as though she herself had arrived, whispering softly and tenderly to Chu Yan.

Drawing in a deep breath to clear the mist from his vision, Chu Yan's gaze sharpened as he studied the handwriting on the wall.

A hunch nestled in his heart, suggesting that the Immortal's magic was somehow entwined with his mother, and that her deliberate act of leaving him a message was driven by a significant intent.