Chapter 313: At least, mother and son were reunited

I looked at the golden bead inside the cube in Liu Junyan's hand, my heart felt as if being cut by a knife.

No need to ask, this golden bead is Liu Mu's inner core.

The Linghai Dragon Clan is searching for it, and the snake clan of Wangting Mountain is also coveting it.

Her illness is not an illness, but a choice she made.

Ten years is enough for the Linghai Dragon Clan to find her, and enough for her to see the true nature of some people.

She secretly gave birth to Liu Junyan, letting him take the surname Liu.

A pure-blooded golden dragon, having mated outside with a snake and produced a bastard offspring, the Linghai Dragon Clan would never accept it; Liu Mu saw this and fabricated such a lie.

So, even if she returned, Liu Junyan could still be left behind.

As long as she hides this inner core well, and as long as the inner core remains unfound for a day, Liu Junyan will be safe enough.

"At first, Liu Zhengfeng just kept asking me, guiding me, wanting to get some clues from me, but I really knew nothing; later he started searching my body, beating me, torturing me…… Under his abuse, I held my breath, I began to practice swordsmanship nonstop, swearing that one day I would slay him with my sword."

My cultivation talent is outstanding, I pick things up quickly, whatever I learn I can do passably; soon I wielded that ancient bronze sword with ease, and after a hundred years like that I faced my first heavenly tribulation……That tribulation, many things happened……

Liu Junyan's voice at this moment was tinged with hatred: "My first heavenly tribulation was fiercer than anyone's in the clan; originally my true form was just like an ordinary large python, but after successfully passing the tribulation, it suddenly swelled several times, grew scales and horns, becoming different from all clansmen."

Only then did everyone suddenly realize that I had not a trace of snake clan blood in me; it was then that my great-uncle personally came to Wangting Mountain to fetch me, saying I am the seventh child among the younger generation of the Linghai Dragon Clan, and the clan's bloodline must not flow outside.

I didn't know him, I didn't want to go with him, but he told me my mother was gravely ill, letting me return to see her……

At this point, mother and son had been separated for ninety years; how could Liu Junyan not think of his mother?

The Linghai Dragon King used this to tempt Liu Junyan, and it really hit the mark in one strike.

"I hadn't seen her for too long; at that time I couldn't care about much, I eagerly followed my great-uncle back to the Linghai Dragon Clan, thinking I would see my mother right away, but he brought me to meet the clan's great elders instead.

I was examined up and down by those old-timers, they felt my bones, they verified my kinship in various ways, even the white scales that had just grown were plucked off a few pieces by them, I don't know what they used them for."

At that time he was dazed and confused, perhaps unaware, but later he surely understood.

Those few scales were likely taken for comparison, to see whether he could later transform into a golden dragon.

Or perhaps they were taken to threaten his mother.

"I stayed in the Linghai Dragon Palace for seven or eight days, each day being questioned and verified in various ways, then a seemingly familiar scene unfolded: my great-uncle began asking me whether my mother had given me a golden bead, and I said no.

He straightened his face and reiterated, saying my mother was already beyond cure, only that golden bead could save her life; I firmly expressed my wish to see my mother, but I still received no reply.

Later, a few companions of similar age appeared around me, they played with me, and inadvertently probed me with questions that always turned toward that golden bead in the end.

Only one person stood far off to the side, coldly watching us."

I said: "Is it Xiaoye, right?"

"Yes, it's him." Liu Junyan said, "I came alone to the Linghai Dragon Clan, and in a short time I saw so many big figures; I faintly realized this place is a dragon's pool and tiger's den, wanting to see my mother, I must endure.

I began to thoroughly dislike those companions, yet I couldn't afford to offend them; just when I felt somewhat helpless, Xiāo gē rushed forward, swung his fists and unleashed a frenzied barrage, knocking those companions to the ground.

It was he who pulled me, hiding here and there, to the palace where my mother was imprisoned; he held the door for me, only then did I finally get to see my mother.

We were still too young, youth means making mistakes, acting without thinking ahead; I only knew I wanted to see my mother, to see how she really was, while Xiāo gē merely couldn't stand their behavior and wanted to help me; none of us expected that this encounter would be, for my mother, practically a death warrant."

Yes, for Liu Mu, being imprisoned, no matter how long, as long as Liu Junyan's identity remained undiscovered and he stayed in the Wangting Mountain snake clan, she could still endure; but once Liu Junyan was taken back to the Linghai Dragon Clan, it meant she would have to make a sacrifice to preserve his life.

"I came suddenly, she didn't have time to hide her weakness; she was on her last breath, leaning against the head of the bed, reduced to skin and bone, her eye sockets sunk in, her hands and feet still locked with black iron chains, her whole body stiff; I called her several times before she slowly turned her head, her gaze toward me at first was scattered……

As Liu Junyan said these things, he became somewhat absent-minded, his emotions instead calming down.

He seemed already numb.

But I could no longer hold back, I embraced him and burst into tears.

He continued speaking: "I watched her scattered pupils gradually focus, then she gained emotion, opened her mouth wanting to respond to me, but the next moment she stretched out a hand like a withered branch, grabbing wildly, she wanted to grab something to cover her hands and feet, to cover the black iron chains binding her……

But she was too thin and frail; the blanket was clearly right there beside the bed, she also clutched a corner of it, yet no matter how she pulled she couldn't draw it……she couldn't pull it……Before she could easily hold me with one hand and with the other strike down a monster, but now she couldn't even pull a corner of the blanket……

At that moment I stood beside the bed, tears blurring my vision as I watched her bustle, my throat felt blocked by a stone, I couldn't utter a word; later……later I reached out and helped her pull the blanket over to cover her hands and feet, but she instead curled her whole body into the bundle, forming a lump……She struggled inside the blanket to tidy her hair, her appearance……In my mind she has always been an extremely dignified woman……

I had completely lost the ability to think, acting on instinct I fetched a basin of water, lifted the blanket, and gently helped her wash her face and comb her hair.

Her hair used to be thick and lush, hanging down to her waist; her hands were so dexterous they could casually style it into various ornaments, but my hands are clumsy, each stroke of the comb would pull out a large clump of hair……Her hair, lacking nutrition, fell out in large bunches, so rough I couldn't possibly smooth it; I could only dip the comb in water and tend to it strand by strand……At that moment I was extremely patient, even thinking that if time were frozen right then, it would actually be fine……At least, mother and son were reunited……