Chapter 1715

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since you don't regard me as your grandson, why bother making the long journey?"

Xu Laotaitai sighed softly: "In your mind you must think I am a selfish and cold-hearted person. Among the five of us who crossed over, each possesses different skills: one handles security, adept at various weapons combat and wilderness survival; one is versed in medicine, skilled in various first aid and rehabilitation; one is an astrophysicist, proficient in astronomical, geographical and geological survey; one excels in the manufacture of various instruments and the driving of all kinds of vehicles; and one is a geneticist."

Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed, it seems this crossing-over plan indeed gathered the finest talents from every field; the medical expert must undoubtedly be Guiyi Fu Chuo, but who are the others? Why would a geneticist be needed? Guiyi Fu Chuo didn't say their purpose in coming to this time-space was to investigate the cause of abnormal fluctuations? If it were merely to ascertain the cause, what use would a geneticist be? Evidently Guiyi Fu Chuo never told him the truth. He whispered: "What is your purpose in coming here?"

Xu Laotaitai softly said: "What era were you from before you came?"

Hu Xiaotian answered without hesitation: "2014!"

Xu Laotaitai slowly nodded: "No wonder you don't know; in 2042 the Third World War broke out, the war nearly destroyed everything, our living environment deteriorated sharply, if it continued humanity would face extinction, so the military began implementing the Crossing-Over Plan, dispatching one crossing-over team after another to seek the most suitable world for survival. I am the geneticist among them, responsible for the second plan."

Hu Xiaotian's brow twitched: "In other words, from the start you considered this possibly a one-way expedition, hence you brought this geneticist; if I'm not mistaken, you must have brought seeds capable of breeding and development."

Xu Laotaitai looked at Hu Xiaotian appreciatively: "We call them sparks, signifying the passing of the torch; we brought twenty thousand selected fertilized eggs from the gene bank. If we cannot return, we will find a suitable environment for them to grow and thrive; even if our world is utterly destroyed, at least we can ensure the continuation of human civilization."

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "So from the beginning you weren't here to explore secrets, but to colonize!"

Xu Laotaitai said: "As for the Crossing-Over Plan, I alone know of ten teams, each dispatched to the time-space most likely to harbor life; I don't know the fate of the other teams. We five came to this world, and by ill luck fell into a battlefield; the first to die was the astrophysicist, the second the combat expert..." Saying this, Xu Laotaitai's gaze grew sorrowful, she bit her lip and quietly turned her head away.

If someone could move Xu Laotaitai, it shows how important that person is in her heart; Hu Xiaotian couldn't help wondering whether that combat expert was her lover.

Xu Laotaitai remained silent for a long time before saying: "He died saving me; if he hadn't been injured during the crossing-over process, he wouldn't have been so easily killed."

"And the other two?" Hu Xiaotian had already guessed one of them must be Guiyi Fu Chuo, but who is the other?

Xu Laotaitai said: "After that day, I lost contact with everyone; in this crossing-over operation, most of the equipment we brought was damaged, I narrowly escaped disaster and found that all I had left were those sparks."

Hu Xiaotian secretly mused: twenty thousand selected fertilized eggs also constitute a force not to be underestimated; if all twenty thousand were to grow and mature, Xu Laotaitai would effectively command an army. He suddenly thought of the old lady's cold-heartedness, his heart jolted, and he finally began to grasp the core of the truth. He whispered: "Your children are all…"

Xu Laotaitai smiled and nodded: "In my life I have loved only one person; he is dead, so how could I transfer my affection to another, let alone marry? Where would all those children come from?"

Hu Xiaotian, shocked yet inexplicably admiring Xu Laotaitai, wondered how a woman could endure such a long span of time; Xu Laotaitai should not have deceived herself, according to her words her lover ought to be that deceased combat expert, yet how did she and Xu Lingkong become husband and wife? If it were merely a nominal marriage, given Xu Lingkong's peerless martial prowess, why would he acquiesce?

Xu Laotaitai said: "Your maternal grandfather! Well, let's call him that for now; he is another benefactor of mine in this world. Without him I would not have established the renowned Jinling Xu family name; he has given much for me and borne many accusations and sins."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Does he know about your affairs?"

Xu Laotaitai's wise eyes gazed at Hu Xiaotian as she said: "Only you know."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Hu Buwei, Xu Fengyi, Xu Fengmei, and even all your children are entirely your own creations!"

Xu Laotaitai shook her head: "The words 'manufacture' are not apt; they were already endowed with life, my work is merely to help them revive in a suitable environment."

Hu Xiaotian recalled the twenty thousand fertilized eggs Xu Laotaitai had brought, feeling a chill run down his spine; these twenty thousand fertilized eggs are all the result of genetic selection, and each of Xu Laotaitai's children is a notable figure. Having been in this world for fifty years, those twenty thousand eggs should have long since matured into adults, and they are likely scattered across every corner of the world. He whispered: "Just how many children do you have?"

Xu Laotaitai chuckled: "Are you worried I'll raise all the sparks to adulthood?" She sighed: "By the time we arrived in this time-space, half had already been lost, and the remaining nutrient solution is insufficient to nurture all the sparks to maturity, so you needn't worry."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Hu Buwei is!"

Xu Laotaitai did not deny: "Even with Xu Lingkong's aid, I alone in this world would be isolated and helpless, so I decided to acquire some assistants; I had thought I could never return, so I resigned myself to this life, seeking only peace, but I soon discovered that I am not the only outsider in this world."

Hu Xiaotian recalled what Guiyi Fu Chuo had previously told him, that they came merely because they sensed abnormal spacetime fluctuations; it now seems all lies, and Xu Laotaitai's account is far more credible. He whispered: "Is it because of Chu Fufeng?"

Xu Laotaitai nodded: "It appears you know quite a bit; Chu Fufeng, Long Xuan'en, and Xu Lingkong are sworn brothers. Long Xuan'en was not so muddle-headed in his youth; without the aid of these two sworn brothers, he could not have smoothly ascended the throne of Dakang. Among the three, Chu Fufeng possesses the highest wisdom, versed in astronomy and geography, yet he is no ordinary person."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Chu Fufeng is the founder of the Heavenly Secrets Bureau, ultimately done in by Long Xuan'en."

Xu Laotaitai's following words left Hu Xiaotian deeply shocked.

"Chu Fufeng did not die at Long Xuan'en's hands, but perished by my design."

Hu Xiaotian, still shocked, couldn't help thinking that Chu Fufeng must have uncovered Xu Laotaitai's secret, and she had to strike him to protect herself. He whispered: "He is the elder sworn brother of Xu Lingkong; why did you kill him?"

"If I didn't kill him, I would die at his hand; I had no choice."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You plotted his death, yet you took his son Chu Yuanhai as your adopted son?"

Xu Laotaitai nodded: "After all, I am a woman; I naturally possess compassion and cannot bring myself to harm a child."

Hu Xiaotian suddenly recalled Xu Lingkong's later departure without farewell; he began to understand the true reason Xu Lingkong left home, hid his identity, and lived in seclusion. He whispered: "Xu Lingkong discovered the truth; he could not bear to kill you, yet did not know how to face it all, so he chose to leave."

Xu Laotaitai sighed ruefully: "If there is anyone in this world I owe the most to, it is him."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Is Chu Yuanhai's death related to you?"

Xu Laotaitai softly said: "Among these outsiders from heaven, their greatest ability is memory inheritance; I originally thought Yuanhai knew nothing, but later discovered that even at a young age he already understood everything, his mind deep and scheming; he outwardly showed filial piety toward me, attending to our Xu family's business, yet in secret he laid traps, aiming to exterminate the Xu clan."

Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed: the hatred for killing one's father is irreconcilable; Chu Yuanhai knew Xu Laotaitai was the enemy who killed his father, so he would certainly not let it rest; the later annihilation of Chu Yuanhai's clan is now clear, and the chief culprit must be Xu Laotaitai.

Xu Laotaitai said: "I don't want to kill him, after all I raised him to adulthood myself, got him married and established his career, and helped him achieve fame and success. Yet despite all I've done, I cannot dispel the hatred he bears toward me. He wishes to kill me and destroy our Xu family; if I do not act, the sacrifice may well be more than just my life. If it were you, what would you choose?"

Hu Xiaotian remained silent, recalling Ji Feihua's face in his mind; if Ji Feihua knew the truth, she would surely slay Xu Laotaitai without hesitation, even leaving no survivor in the Xu household, given her temperament she would certainly do so.

Xu Laotaitai said: "Now, in the midnight reverie, I often think of Yuanhai's appearance; I admit I still harbor feelings for him, yet I have no regrets."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since you exterminated the Chu clan, you then placed Hu Buwei within the court."

Regarding the sci-fi elements in the text, Zhangyu believes they do not affect readability, nor reasonableness; at month's end, please support with Monthly Tickets, follow the public WeChat account, Three Palaces revised edition, hot serialization ongoing. (To be continued~^~)