20 The Knights’ Sacred Mountain (IV)

Affected by Xingyu's scent, which gave him an intimate feeling, Long Haochen started crying. He couldn't control the tears that suddenly started to drip. Then, he loosened his mouth. Looking at the place on Xingyu's arm that he bit, it was bleeding and had a bite mark. He shouted with a hoarse voice, "WHY‽ WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME‽"

"Because, I am your father."

With that simple sentence, Long Haochen's face, which was full of anger, suddenly calmed down. He stood there, motionless. His eyes were looking straight at Xingyu.

"What… what did you say?" Long Haochen showed an ashen face that was gradually being filled with disbelief.

Long Xingyu sighed and took a step forward, pulling him into his bosom and tightly hugging him. "Yes, I am your father. The father you had never known before. Xingyu is my given name. You have your surname from me. We both are from the same 'Long' family."

After he said those words, his hand released a white light, untying the restriction on Bai Yue's body.

Bai Yue quickly rushed at them, pulling Long Haochen from Long Xingyu's bosom and glared at him, "Are you mad‽ You just frightened me to death!"

Long Xingyu laughed, "I just wanted to test Haochen's ability to keep his calm during fights in all circumstances; but, from what I saw, you are his biggest weak spot."

"Mother… he… is he really…" Only at that moment did Long Haochen react. All his negative emotions turned into shock, and he gave his mother a flabbergasted look.

Bai Yue gently nodded, "I am sorry, Chen-Chen. Mother didn't tell you until now, but a year ago, your father found us. He hoped that you could become a knight as formidable as him and, thus, we hid from you the fact that he came back."

Long Xingyu acquiesced and nodded. "It seems that no matter how much one plans things out, life always intervenes. I was afraid that, after you knew that I am your father, you wouldn't put in any more effort, and that I wouldn't be able to discipline you."

Long Haochen gave his mother a lifeless look. The words his father just said were the most unexpected things he had heard in his life. For as long as he could remember, he only had his mother by his side.

Bai Yue gently caressed her son's head, unable to stop her tears. "Sorry, Chen-Chen. In the past, your mother didn't say anything to you regarding this matter. Ten years ago, a very painful thing happened to your mother, and she didn't know at all how to face your father, so she had to leave her native place and come here. At that moment, I discovered that I was already pregnant with you. Don't blame your father, everything is my fault. He had to painstakingly look for us for nine years. If you have to hate someone, hate me."

The expression Long Xingyu's eyes showed to that mother and son was complex, as he gently said, "Yue, this is already over. All the pain has already left us. Don't think about those painful memories anymore, okay?"

Bai Yue nodded, she was sobbing, "Last year, I promised you that, for your sake, for Haochen's sake, I'd free myself from those unbearable memories. I will devote my future life only to the both of you. During these years, Haochen must have suffered a lot because of me. Honestly, I don't really want him to become a knight like you, I just want him to live safely."

Long Xingyu frowned, showing a complex expression in his eyes once more as he unconsciously clenched his fists, seemingly in an intense internal struggle.

Long Haochen gradually came back to his senses and looked at his mother, then at his father, his eyes revealing a fiery look.

"No, Mother, I want to become a knight. To become a formidable knight!"

Long Xingyu was stunned. Previously he was really wavering, wondering whether what he was doing was right. He was well aware that for both Bai Yue and Long Haochen's sake, a peaceful life would be, by far, the best choice possible.

Xingyu showed a wry smile. "Will you recognize an irresponsible father like me?"

"No, you are not responsible at all! It's my fault, everything is my fault!" Bai Yue's tears, which had just stopped, immediately resumed flowing.

"Father!" Breaking free from his mother's embrace, Long Haochen fiercely threw himself into Long Xingyu's bosom. At that moment, he only felt true happiness.

He was a child, a mere 10-year-old child. Although he never said it to Bai Yue, every time he saw those little kids and their fathers together in Odin Town, he felt envious.

But now, his father was back. They had been separated for so many years, but his father was even more formidable than those other kids' fathers. He was a formidable knight! In Long Haochen's heart, all the past anger turned into joy.

Hearing that shout, Long Xingyu didn't display his excitement. He just stood there, expressionless, before using his firm arms to gently hold his wife and his child in his embrace. However, neither Bai Yue nor Long Haochen noticed this. The current him looked as restrained as before.

After having rushed for a day, and experiencing both sadness and joy upon arriving home, Long Haochen went to bed early. It was the first time in a year that he didn't spend the night seated but drifted into a deep sleep.

Long Xingyu hugged Bai Yue by their son's side. "Yue."

Bai Yue gently nodded, shutting both of her eyes. "You don't need to say anymore. Chen-Chen is like you, he cannot simply live a quiet and peaceful life. You were both born like this, with a need to cause big issues. He has already made his choice; thus, I can only support him. I only have one wish, it is for him to live well. Regardless of what you will teach him, the most important matter will be to protect him, okay?"

"Un, I promise you that." Long Xingyu slowly nodded, gently caressing Bai Yue's long hair.

The next morning, Long Xingyu brought both Bai Yue and Long Haochen to the mountain peak. Since he had already been exposed, he didn't have anything left to hide.

Bai Yue went to tidy up Long Haochen's room, while Long Xingyu called his son in front of him.

"Haochen, you still chose to continue to follow my training, despite knowing the relationship between us. For this reason, I will only become stricter than in the past. You have one last opportunity to change your mind."

Long Haochen replied without hesitation, "Father, I understand that you are only strict for my sake. This time, I experienced a lot of things when I went to Haoyue City. Father, I have to ask, are you even higher ranked than a Radiant Knight?"

Long Xingyu took a step back, standing still for a moment and looking unsure. He then lowered his head in front of Long Haochen.

"Wah! So cool!" Long Haochen hopped excitedly. "Father, in the future I will become a knight as great as you."

Long Xingyu smiled. "How do you know that your father is a great knight?"

Long Haochen stubbornly said. "It must be so."

Long Xingyu added. "I see. You will learn how great your father's prowess is in the future. But you cannot slack off if you want to become a great knight. From today onwards, you won't need to go to the owl-ants nest, anymore. The type of practice that you will have to do is going to change completely."

"I won't need to go?" Even though he went there nonstop for a year, it was still a very dark place. Long Haochen was still somewhat afraid of that place

Long Xingyu nodded. "For the past year, the main goals of the practice were to enhance your reaction speed, your mental capacity, and improve your body. Soaking every day in the hot spring filled with medicine was also done with the same motive. Now that your spiritual energy level is above 100, we can start training your internal spiritual energy."

"Internal spiritual energy?" Long Haochen gave his father an uncertain look. During the past year, everything Long Xingyu taught him was regarding history, skills used by knights, and various knowledge, but he never mentioned the matter of internal spiritual energy.