Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 146: Daughter in law

Chapter 146: Daughter in law

This was his fall-back plan but the Divine Emperor had other plans. The old god wanted to settle this matter once and for all and let his son forget about this little demon. As Xiang Yu whispered, "I will find you, just let me go for now," he felt a strange sensation. His heart raced as he sensed something was wrong. He instantly knew what was happening. That vengeful old man was removing his disguise right in front of Han Xin.

He mentally scolded the Divine Emperor before turning to jump. Unwilling to let her go, Han Xin grabbed her wrist, pulling her back forcefully but his body froze as he watched Yu Yu’s face change before his eyes. Before he could react, Xiang Yu wrenched his hand free and leapt.

Han Xin lunged, trying to catch him, but he only managed to grasp the fabric of his cloak. "Yu Yu!" he yelled, his voice bouncing off the wall. He watched, heart in his throat, as the man landed on the cart below. Relief washed over him, but his eyes widened in shock at the sight of Yu Yu’s transformed face.

His entire body grew numb, his breathing heavy, his eyes red with emotion. He watched as he and another man ran towards the Zhen army, his mind reeling from the revelation. He stood there, his aura cold and oppressive, like a storm about to break. His fists clenched, body trembling slightly with barely contained rage.

Han Zhan, who had heard of his cousin’s reckless actions despite his warnings, hurried over. But as he approached, he felt the suffocating intensity of Han Xin’s presence and hesitated.

"Ah-Xin!" Han Zhan called out several times, but he was lost in a dark space, unreachable. Desperate, Han Zhan placed a hand on his shoulder, only to have his wrist twisted painfully. He cried out, "It’s me. It’s me, cousin."

Han Xin’s grip loosened, and he blinked, returning to himself, though his mood remained dark and stormy. "You let her go?" Han Zhan said, referring to the imposter, but Han Xin cut him off sharply.

"Get me the defector from Zhen country. I want him to draw the crown prince of Zhen," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Han Zhan was confused but nodded. "Okay, but Princess Xiu might pay you a visit since she escaped. We have to come up with a reasonable excuse."

Han Xin understood the gravity of his actions but that was the least of his worries right now. Without a word, he turned and walked away, choosing neither carriage nor horse. His steps were heavy with thought as he made his way back to his ancestral home.

He stood outside the gate for a long moment, staring at the placard bearing his family name, lost in thought. A man? How could his Yu Yu be a man and a familiar face at that. It was the same man who appeared in his spring dream. How was this possible?

The gate creaked open, and the elder servant, who managed the household affairs, stepped out. Startled to see the general, he bowed deeply, excitement in his voice. "General Han, welcome home. Madam just sent me to find you and tell you to come home. She will be very happy to see you."

The servant glanced around, expecting someone else. He had heard the madam mention that the General had a woman he was interested in, but Han Xin had clearly come alone. Maybe she was too shy and not yet prepared to meet the Madam.

Unaware of his thoughts, Han Xin nodded silently and stepped through the gate. Ten minutes later he was sitting with his mother in the garden, the delicate aroma of jasmine tea mingling with the scent of blooming flowers.

The tranquillity of the scene was at odds with the turmoil inside of him. His mother, ever perceptive, noticed his troubled expression. "My son hasn’t seen me for a year, and this is the face he shows me?" she remarked her tone a mix of concern and gentle reproach.

Han Xin, too traumatised to speak, stared at the pair of mandarin ducks gliding gracefully across the pond. He had never fallen in love before, and now that he had, it was with a man who might be his enemy. The irony of his situation gnawed at him. What kind of shitty luck did he have?

His mother’s voice broke through his thoughts saying, "I heard you found a woman you like. Why didn’t you bring her with you for your mother to take a look?"

Han Xin rubbed his forehead, feeling a tearing ache in his chest again. "I can’t bring her now. It’s complicated."

She had initially thought her brother must have been hallucinating or high on some concoction he was experimenting on when he told her that Han Xin had found someone he liked. Thus she was truly surprised by his confirmation.

"How complicated is it? Are her parents dissatisfied with you? I told you not to show such a cold expression everywhere. Who would dare give their daughter to you when you have the face of someone owed money."

"No, it’s not that... it’s something else," Han Xin replied, his voice heavy. He paused, then added, "They can’t have children."

His mother’s hand, holding the teacup, froze mid-air. "That is fine," she said after a moment, her voice steady. "You can get a concubine."

"I don’t want a concubine," He said firmly.

"Okay, no concubine. You can adopt," she suggested, trying to find a solution. At this rate, she would take anything. That’s how worried about him she was.

Han Xin remained silent, his thoughts a tangled mess. "What are you hesitating for? It’s rare that you find someone you like," she pressed gently.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, struggling with his emotions. "Can we not talk about it now? We might be going to war soon."

His mother tsked softly, a sound of mild disapproval, but she respected his wish and continued drinking her tea in silence. The garden’s peaceful ambience was suddenly shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps. Han Zhan came running, his voice urgent. "Cousin, cousin we have a portrait."

He reached the garden with a beaming expression but when he saw his aunt, his enthusiasm deflated. He bowed respectfully. "Hello, Auntie, it’s been a long time."

His aunt’s gaze was stern. "Still no manners. What are you yelling for?"

Han Zhan pouted. "Aunt, you always scold me. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was your least favourite nephew."

She replied with a hint of a smile, "You are still so shameless." Her eyes shifted to the paper he was holding, and asked, "Is that a portrait of my future daughter-in-law?"

Han Zhan shook his head. "No," he said, about to open it for her to see, but Han Xin intercepted it, taking the paper from him. "Mother, it’s official business. We have important matters to discuss."

His mother sighed. "You kid, what can you hide from me? Your father shared everything with me, military strategies and all. What can’t my eyes see?"

Ignoring her, Han Xin walked away with the portrait to his courtyard. He unravelled the paper, and his hands froze. The face staring back at him was a younger version of Yu Yu’s true appearance. His heart sank, the confirmation of his worst fears. He slumped into his chair, staring at those cold phoenix eyes, feeling a lump in his throat.

Han Zhan suddenly walked in and peeked over his shoulder. When he saw the handsome young man in the portrait he said, "Who lied about the crown prince of Zhen being hideous with an ugly scar on his face? This is clearly a deity."

Han Xin bit his lip, his voice barely a whisper. "He was the one disguised as Princess Xiu."

Han Zhan gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom that his cousin had fallen for not only a man but the crown prince of the enemy country.

It must have been a joke. His cousin must be lying to him. How was that possible? Han Zhan burst out laughing while patting his cousin’s shoulder. "AHAHAHAHA, that’s so funny. Good one cousin. I didn’t know you were so good at making jokes."