Scumbag

"What do you think?" Xu Ling asked as she took a sip of tea, "About his state of existence."

"I'm not sure," Ru Meng shook her head, "I also checked him, but no one can tamper with someone's existence to such a degree.

"The only conclusion I can draw is that he was naturally born this way."

"Yes..." Xu Ling sighed, "Why don't you ask the middle person?"

"...That being is too unpredictable," Ru Meng sighed.

"Why are you afraid? We both are stronger than it," Xu Ling smiled, "Just do it."

Ru Meng took a ring from her finger and said a few strange words. The ring began to float and expand in diameter until it stopped and began to act like a portal.

From it a hologram of a humanoid being emerged, it was impossible to say if that being was truly human or whether it was a man or woman.

"Why did you call me?" the being spoke with an angry tone, "I was in the middle of doing something."

"We have known each other for a long time, so stop your petty tricks," Ru Meng said faintly, "I want to trade with you."

"Three strands," the being spoke again, its voice was cold and genderless, "It is the minimal price and can increase depending on the value of the information."

"At most two," Ru Meng shook her head, "One mine and one of hers."

"Xu Ling," the being muttered, "Your fame didn't recede despite you living in seclusion all those years."

"It has been a while," Xu Ling nodded to it, "Accept the deal, we want information about a mortal being without any potential troublesome cause and effect, it can't cause trouble to you."

"Two is too little, do I look like a beggar?" the being snorted regardless, "I won't change my terms."

"You continue as stingy as always," Ru Meng was angry, "I will give you another strand of mine."

"What kind of information do you want? And who is the being?" the being asked.

"I want you to ask that existence whatever Wu Xue, second son of the master of the Wu Clan, had his existence tampered with," Ru Meng explained with a serious face.

"Second son..." the being muttered, "Isn't he the son of your nominal disciple, Xu Ling? Is this what you call 'no troublesome cause and effect?' Bullshit!"

"I am personally giving you permission, what are you worried about?" Xu Ling said with a tired tone, "Just do it."

"Hmph!" the being snorted and was silent for a few minutes.

Ru Meng and Xu Ling patiently waited.

"...I received the answer," the being said with a strange tone, "It was short, it said the following: 'Wu Xue has not been tampered with, he is a natural being.'"

"Okay, you can go, now," Ru Meng took two strands of her hair and Xu Ling gave her a strand of her own hair, "Take it, you greedy thing."

The being received the strands but didn't go away immediately.

"What is it?" Ru Meng asked with a frown.

"That being... I want to take him as my disciple," the being asked with a strange tone, "It will be good for him, don't you think?"

"Go away!" Ru Meng furiously cast a spell, forcibly closing the portal and turning it back into a ring, "Trying to rob my disciple? Dream on!"

"..." Xu Ling twitched the corners of her mouth but said nothing, she was sure Ru Meng completely forgot the fact she wasn't the first master of Wu Xue.

"I wonder how things are developing in the Wu's house."

At another place, Wu Ying was severely beating Wu Cang into a pulp.

When the latter was bleeding through all his orifices and his skin was black and blue, she stopped, but just because she didn't want to scare her sons too much, her rage had yet to diminish.

"Do you want to be like him?" she looked at Wu Xue and Wu Tian.

Both of them shook their heads out of fear.

"Yes, of course not," she nodded coldly, "Do you want to do what he did?"

"Never!" both swore, "May lightning fall upon us otherwise!"

"Hmph!" she snorted and looked at Wu Cang, "What are you going to do now?

"Actually, it doesn't matter what you want to do, I will give you two choices.

"Me or her."

Wu Cang trembled and his eyes turned red, "Impossible!"

Wu Ying's eyes turned even colder and she began to emit ferocious intent.

"I know I did wrong!" Wu Cang got up from the ground and wiped the blood off his face, "But I don't repent what I did!"

Wu Xue and Wu Tian were shocked by 2hat they heard, they doubted if their father was mentally sick.

"You know it, don't you?" Wu Cang looked at his wife, "If I repent my choice, I will be worse than trash."

"I don't care," Wu Ying said word by word.

"Yes, I understand your rage," Wu Cang smiled bitterly, "But I will never make such a choice, it's absolutely impossible!"

"Then I will be the one making a choice," Wu Ying said with red eyes, turning more and more unstable, "I will leave with both my sons, you better bid farewell to them."

"Impossible!" Wu Cang shook his head.

"What?" Wu Ying sneered, "Are you going to forbid me from divorcing?"

"That's right!" Wu Cang nodded, "I will take the role of a villain thoroughly."

Wu Xue and Wu Tian looked at each other and frowned, even though they were both kids, they knew their family was family apart.

"Ha..." Wu Ying sighed with tears beginning to appear, "Yes, you would do such a thing... you have always been like this."

"You have always known," Wu Cang looked directly at her eyes, "And still married me.

"I fell in love with you, I can give my own life to you if you want, you also know that.

"But it's impossible for me to let you leave me.

"Not while I'm alive, that is..."

He then kneeled on the ground and smashed his head on the floor.

"I won't ask you to forgive me, that's too much.

"But I beg you to at least not hate her, for she didn't know I was a married man, our child is also innocent, both yours and hers."

"That's impossible," Wu Ying clenched her teeth and fists, "Even if I try my best, I will still hate her in the depths of my heart, and I will always hate you!"

"Then at least the children!" Wu Cang begged, "My child with her is thoroughly innocent, please promise you won't act badly towards her."

Wu Ying took a deep breath and said, "You are actually planning to keep me as your wife forcefully, so why do you need my promise?"

Wu Cang was silent for a moment and then said, "I'm a villain, yes.

"But I want them to be better," he looked to their sons.

"You think I don't know you are using our children as a tool to manipulate my feelings?" Wu Ying said with increasing rage.

"You both..." Wu Xue suddenly interrupted, "Why are you like this?"

Wu Ying and Wu Cang looked at him with scary eyes.

"I mean," Wu Xue caressed his head, "Someone is lacking in this talk, do you think she is unimportant?

"You think you can conclude without her? Is she a side character?"

"Son, stay out..." Wu Cang ordered with a grave tone.

"He is right," Wu Ying wiped the tears out of her face, "I need to talk to her as well."

Wu Cang hesitated, he was afraid.

Wu Xue looked at this and felt dispirited.

"Please excuse me," the door opened and a beautiful woman entered, she was the one in the center of the vortex, Su Yan.

"I just couldn't bear it," she said and went to Wu Cang, carefully caressing his wounds and casting healing spells.

Wu Ying was deeply disgusted by their intimate behavior.

"You can't change reality," Su Yan said and looked at Wu Ying, "I'm his woman, the mother of his child, it will never change.

"I'm also angry at the thought of him having another woman, you, I feel an immense rage welling up inside me at the thought of you being together...

"He is the culprit of all.

"But things won't change even if I hate him, I'm unable to erase my love for him, and I begot his child.

Su Yan approached Wu Ying and looked into her eyes directly, "I hope we can at least hold back from trying to kill each other, for the sake of those who are innocent.

"I'm okay with you hating me and hating him, but please stop at this," Su Yan then kneeled on the ground and implored, "I beg you!"

After a moment of silence, Wu Ying said in a freezing tone, "You three, get out. I want to talk with her alone."

Wu Cang got up from the ground and left along with Wu Tian, but Wu Xue walked to Su Yan.

Silently, he hugged her, surprising her and his mother.

Wu Xue then cast a final glance at his mother and left without saying a word.

Wu Ying bit her lip, she knew what Wu Xue meant, but she was unwilling to accept.

"Why did you do that?" Wu Cang asked Wu Xue when they both were out of the house.

"I accept her," Wu Xue said with a smile.

"Huh?" Wu Cang lifted an eyebrow, "I thought you would hate her, and me as well."

"I don't," Wu Xue shook his head, "I love you, father, I love my mother too."

"If a mere relationship complication could erase my love for my parents, it wouldn't be love."

"Our family is falling apart," Wu Tian muttered, "And I'm not as simple-minded as my brother, father.

"I not only hate that woman, I hate you for making my mother suffer so much."

Wu Cang's expression turned gloomy, "I'm sorry."

"It's not enough," Wu Tian shook his head, "I will always side with mother in this matter."

"Brother..." Wu Xue sighed, "It's not bad to be simple-minded. At least, I don't let things such as pride stain my relationships."

"You..." Wu Tian was angry and clenched his fists, "You are just a little kid, what can you possibly understand?"

"Enough," Wu Cang shouted, making both of them quiet, "Don't argue more, isn't it enough for me and your mother to be fighting?"

"How thoughtful," Wu Tian snorted and walked away from them.

"Father," Wu Xue said while grabbing his hand, "Do you love my mother?"

"...?" Wu Cang was confused by the sudden question but still answered, "With all my heart."

"Don't lie to me," Wu Xue smiled bitterly, "How many were in your heart?"

"...What do you mean?"

"I read a lot," Wu Xue smiled and looked at him meaningfully, "I know that a man's heart can be occupied by many women, and right now you are saying you love mother with all your heart...

"Then what about the one you just brought home? Do you have a second heart for her?"

"Kid, do you even know what you are talking about?" Wu Cang was speechless, "You didn't even enter puberty, what could you possibly know about love? Reading books won't bring you true knowledge in this matter."

"Yes?" Wu Xue caressed the back of his head, "Then I might be wrong. But in any case, as long as you truly love my mother, I won't care even if you have other women out there, just don't exaggerate, okay?

"Human effort is limited."

"You..." Wu Cang didn't know if he should cry or laugh, but he was inwardly relieved that at least one member of his family wouldn't hate him for what he did.

"Anyway, can you answer my previous question?"

"What?"

"How many?"

"..."

"Judging by your silence, there's another one, huh? Otherwise, you would have just said two."

"Sigh..."

"Just take your time, father... but good luck managing the hate you will receive."

"Will you help me? My beloved son."

"I don't want to receive free hate."