Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 838 - 831: The Kind Father and The Filial Son

Chapter 838: Chapter 831: The Kind Father and The Filial Son

Yalunte seemed to know that Cheng Ziang was following him, so he quickened his pace, forcing Cheng Ziang to speed up to keep up with him. After turning several corners, they finally arrived at a relatively secluded corner of the estate.

Facing the low wall in front of him, Yalunte didn’t climb over it. Instead, he stood still, waiting for Cheng Ziang’s arrival since he knew there were some things that one must confront eventually.

Cheng Ziang appeared at the corner, gasping for breath. Seeing Yalunte’s back not far ahead, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his panting.

He clenched his fists, took another deep breath, and then exhaled long to calm his racing heart, step by step, he walked toward Yalunte.

"You’ve been following me, what do you want?" Yalunte asked without turning his head, his voice low.

"If it’s nothing, why run?" Cheng Ziang replied coldly, his words still biting even at this moment.

Hearing this, Yalunte turned around and frowned at Cheng Ziang. Cheng Ziang saw that the Yalunte before him had aged a great deal, no longer looking as handsome as he’d imagined.

Nonetheless, he could still see the spirited demeanor from Yalunte’s past, as well as his compromised and awkward state.

Cheng Ziang met Yalunte’s gaze unabashedly, his expression somewhat odd. He pressed his lips together, hesitated for a long time, and finally worked up the courage to say, "When I went to Holy Heart City, I heard some interesting things."

"Let’s hear them," Yalunte said, shifting his gaze to the ground.

"The Dean of Sacred Heart Magic Academy, Shariya, should be an old friend of yours, right? He told me that you once were the youngest legion commander in the palace, and you often visited Dean Shariya at the Academy. In addition to you, there was another person who frequently visited Dean Shariya—it was Lin Fiollant, the Princess of Odelanqi."

Upon hearing the Princess’s name, Yalunte instinctively trembled, as though the secrets buried deep in his heart were being dissected, the bloody truth within mercilessly laid bare before his eyes.

Cheng Ziang understood Yalunte’s reaction all too well, so he didn’t panic but continued to speak calmly, "The Crown Prince wanted the King to marry the Princess off to the Prince of Masya, thus you stormed the palace and abducted the Princess. You dodged the pursuers from Odelanqi all the way, but the Princess was gravely wounded in battle."

"You originally planned to travel east along Odelan, reaching the Roen River, then taking a boat south to the port, and finally boarding a large ship bound for the south. However, at an inn, you met a Shani person who told you two pieces of news that made you abandon your earlier plan," Cheng Ziang continued.

"Go on..." Yalunte looked up at the sky, breathing deeply, nodding continuously.

"Two pieces of news, one good and one bad. The good news was that the Princess was carrying your child. The bad news was that the Princess was terminally ill, and without timely treatment, she wouldn’t live much longer..."

At these words, Yalunte’s eyes immediately reddened, and his nose turned sour as well. He tried to keep his head back to stop the tears from falling, but his eyes were already brimming with hot tears.

"That Shani person gave you a way out, telling you to go to Yazhi City to seek their base for treating the Princess’s injuries. So you changed your plans and headed to Yazhi City with the Princess, finding their base. They took the gravely ill Princess and sent her through the Otherworld Gate to Earth. Yet, you couldn’t have imagined that this farewell would be a final one," Cheng Ziang said, his voice low, head bowed as he narrated.

Cheng Ziang’s words seemed to strike the softest part of Yalunte’s heart, causing him to shudder. Then, weakly, he stumbled to the wall, resting his head against it as he helplessly knelt down. At the same time, the old man, who had lived through myriad trials and tribulations, finally let out the soft sobs of the vulnerable.

"A month, maybe several months went by without any news of the Princess. At last, you learned of her death. But with your blade drawn in a fit of rage, the Shani person calmly delivered some comforting news—that your child had survived, and they were raising the child. They demanded your service in exchange for raising your child and eventually returning him to you,"

"It seems you already know everything," Yalunte sniffed, still not turning as he spoke in a choked voice.

"I just don’t understand, now that the child has grown up and has been brought to you, why did you hesitate in the end and not recognize him?" Cheng Ziang said, suddenly becoming emotional, his voice rising in pitch.

"There’s a reason for that..." Yalunte snapped back to reality, seeing Cheng Ziang’s face contorting with anger.

"Tell me the reason!" Cheng Ziang demanded, teeth clenched, trembling as he spoke.

"You... it’s better for you not to know..." After much hesitation, Yalunte bit his teeth, and eventually chose to keep it to himself.

"You recognized me from the beginning, so why pretend to know nothing?!" Cheng Ziang exclaimed, his right hand flinging upwards, sending a sharp dagger straight towards Yalunte’s face.

Of course, such an attack couldn’t hurt Yalunte at all. With a flick of his hand, he caught the hilt of the dagger with ease, preventing it from stabbing into his head.

"What kind of lousy master are you, making me call you that? Did you ever consider my feelings?" Cheng Ziang roared, pulling another dagger from his pocket and lunging straight toward Yalunte.

"Clang!!!"

The clash of metal and screeching entanglement rang out momentarily as sparks flew. Yalunte easily deflected Cheng Ziang’s attack after a few exchanges without stepping back.

"I don’t want it to be this way either, I also want to recognize you right away, but..." Yalunte said, his voice filled with regret as he lowered his head.

"Liar!"

Cheng Ziang turned and thrust his dagger straight towards Yalunte’s chest. But his movements were too slow in Yalunte’s eyes, and before he could even touch him, Yalunte had firmly caught his wrist.

Yalunte pulled Cheng Ziang’s wrist to the side, easily breaking his attack. Following that, he twisted Cheng Ziang’s wrist forcefully, losing Cheng Ziang’s chance to attack again.

Then, with a fierce slap to the handle of the dagger in Cheng Ziang’s hand, the dagger flew out of his grip and shot straight into a nearby wall, embedding itself firmly between the stones.

"You could have at least told me in secret, to give me something to hold onto..." Deprived of his weapon, Cheng Ziang also lost his defiance, his entire body slumping as he sobbed with his head hung low.

"I’m sorry... it’s my fault..." Yalunte let go of Cheng Ziang’s wrist and said, filled with remorse, bowing his head.

Once free, Cheng Ziang didn’t immediately escape Yalunte’s range but instead turned and threw himself into his arms, resting his head against his chest. This was a child who had never felt the love of a father, now showing the most sincere emotion to the man he just learned was his father.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s dad’s fault for not considering your feelings..." Yalunte embraced Cheng Ziang, gently patting his back and softly comforting him.

"We’ve had so many chances to be together in private, even if you had told me secretly, asking me to keep it a secret, why, why keep it from me?" Cheng Ziang opened his heart and cried out his grievances, seeking even a sliver of comfort from his father.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s my fault, I’m just... I’m afraid you can’t accept the truth. Your father should be a world-renowned hero, clad in the most splendid armor, riding a magnificent steed that you can look up to and admire, not a fallen man like me... I, I, I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you. I’ve been rotten for decades, and I even thought that perhaps it would be better for you if you didn’t acknowledge a father like me..." Yalunte lowered his head, revealing the deep-seated fears in his heart.

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