Family. (1)

"Alright, the poor guy's had to wait long enough, I'm sure Yumao's gonna suffocate if you leave him be any longer."

Yan Ling sat on a comfortable couch as she spoke, Lan Yun sitting on her lap as she was getting her hair brushed and braided. They were no longer within the large hall where the groom selection had taken place, they had moved onto a flying ship that Yan Ling had brought out. She wanted to get the wedding underway as fast as possible so she wasted no time in heading out to pick up the three people she had mentioned.

Liang Chen, who sat next to Yan Ling and played with Lan Yun's fingers, gave a slight nod of his head. Yumao had indeed been getting a bit antsy within the interspatial ring, he might just start a bit of a revolt if he left him alone any longer. But Yumao wasn't the only one he had to bring out, there were others he also needed to introduce her to. So he swiped his interspatial ring and brought them out, Yumao's energetic voice immediately reverberating throughout the room.

"Howdy, Missus! It's good that you're finally back, Father here's been deathly lonely without you, even crying himself to sleep some nights. But oh, you need to watch out, he said that he had to spank you when you met again. Naturally, if that's your kink then you can just enjoy it, but please warn me in advance so that I can escape to a soundproof place!"

Liang Chen instantly regretted bringing out Yumao. The feathered serpent had shrunk down to a manageable size so that he wouldn't break the table in front of them, but the words he spat out as he hung there in the air made Liang Chen's brows tremble. He had almost forgotten just how badly Yan Ling had ruined him, it was bound to be disastrous when they reunited.

"Crying?"

Just as he feared, Yan Ling's gaze slid towards him, the corners of her mouth tilting upwards as if she was about to laugh. Yumao's gaze followed hers as he nodded energetically, Liang Chen could already feel a headache approaching.

"You've raised my poor little boy to be a liar. But oh, I did say that I was going to spank you so that's gonna happen, you have no idea how many headaches I've gotten from the way you've made him talk."

It had been the same ever since Yumao learned to speak in the human tongue, he had spouted so many words that Liang Chen had never even heard before. And the way he talked to others was especially headache-inducing, it was like he was trying to egg them on. He naturally knew where this speech pattern came from, but the one responsible for it scoffed as if she was offended.

"Bah, nothing but slander, that's all you've ever done. But ah, I'll look forward to the spanking, just tell me when."

Lan Yun leaned her head back slightly as Liang Chen and Yan Ling spoke, looking at Yan Ling somewhat curiously. Yan Ling rubbed her hair a bit and returned her head to its proper position so that she could keep brushing her hair, this definitely wasn't the time to teach her about things like spanking. Yumao landed on top of Liang Chen's head and nestled into his hair, allowing Yan Ling's gaze to drift towards the other people that had appeared.

"Alright, you've had to listen to our ramblings for long enough. Introduce us, won't you?"

There were two other people that had appeared from the interspatial ring, one who she had seen before and one whom she hadn't. Her gaze first slid towards the one she had seen, the infant that Liang Chen was now holding.

"This is Ao Fentian. His family... They died because I arrived in their city. I could not prevent his parents from dying, I could not protect them. His mother begged me, silently, wordlessly. He was all that was left of their family, she wanted at least him to live. So I took him in, I will make sure that he lives a happy life, that is the least I can do for him."

Ao Fentian had tufts of black hair that hung a bit loosely and green eyes that were a bit red, he had probably been crying and kicking up a fuss just before Liang Chen brought him out. He was looking at Yan Ling with a head that moved from side to side slowly, his hands opening and closing repeatedly.

Liang Chen didn't go into too many details, but Yan Ling could imagine how painful it must have been, how chaotic and violent. A child left alone due to someone else's mistakes, he probably saw far too much of himself in that infant. She moved Lan Yun over to her knee and leaned forward, picking up the small infant and placing him on her other knee, rocking it gently as she smiled at him.

"Hello there, Little Tian. I'm Yan Ling and this is Yan Lan Yun, if you want to then you can consider me to be your mother and her to be your sister. We may not be as good as the real one, but we'll be the best we can, I promise."

A fake mother, Yan Ling was intimately familiar with how painful such a thing could be. That was why she was determined to be the best she could be, she would never allow even a shadow of her own mother to exist in her. Ao Fentian laughed lightly as he rocked on Yan Ling's knee, Lan Yun playing with his hands by allowing him to grab onto her fingers. Yan Ling smiled quietly as she looked at the two children, raising her gaze towards the last person that had appeared.

"And this, this is Sheng Lian. Liang Sheng Lian. Do you remember the place where your brother first found me? She was born there, a small little lotus growing from some of the blood I lost back then. I couldn't help but pick her up and bring her along. I nurtured her a little and she ended up taking human form before long and she's chosen to stick by my side for the moment."

Sheng Lian had short black hair that barely reached her ears, and striking violet eyes, her features were so delicate that she almost looked like a flower. But then again, that was exactly what she was, a flower that got to take human form. But she was born from Liang Chen's blood all the same so it didn't matter what form she took.

"It's not for the moment, Father. It is until the end."

Yan Ling's smile couldn't help but widen when Sheng Lian rebutted Liang Chen's closing statement. Liang Sheng Lian, the fact that she had been given that last name meant that Liang Chen considered her family, she was his daughter no matter what. It was the same with Lan Yun and Yumao.

Yan Lan Yun, born from an egg they had picked up and fed a bit of Yan Ling's blood. Liang Yumao, born from an egg that was fed Liang Chen's blood. Of the three, not one of them was born in a conventional way, but all three of them were their children. Yan Ling knew this, and that was why she smiled happily, and that smile only grew wider as Liang Chen shook his head.

"You only say that because you haven't seen how big the world is. One day you'll find something you want to do, and on that day odds are that you'll have to head out on your own. Of course, you're always free to come back, a home is a place to rest when you're weary from travelling after all."

Oh how they had changed. Back then, when they first met, when they first travelled together, could either of them have imagined that they'd ever come this far? With how they acted back then, would anyone ever believe that they'd end up together like this, with such a big family?

"It's nice to meet you, Sheng Lian. Can I call you Lian? Don't worry, I'm not so narcissistic that I'll make you call me mother, you can just call me whatever you want. I look forward to getting to know you better as we travel."

Yan Ling smiled gently at the girl, who honestly looked to be as old as her, if not a bit older. She had never met her before, so even though Sheng Lian called Liang Chen father, she could not expect to be called Mother. But that was fine, family was not defined by something as small as titles.

"Thank you, but please, allow me to call you Mother. Father has told me a lot about the time he spent with you, I think it would be wonderful if I could have someone like you as a Mother."

Sheng Lian was very polite, cupping her hands and bowing slightly. She had heard so much about Yan Ling that this hardly felt like the first meeting. She wasn't a human so she couldn't understand all human thoughts, but family, that was something all races understood. And she felt that it would be nice to be part of this family, this would be a warm home, if a bit of a strange one.

Yan Ling's smile widened again and she beckoned Sheng Lian over, handing Lan Yun and Ao Fentian to her. Children should get along well together, especially if they were siblings. Well, this group of siblings looked quite mismatched, but that was the charm of their family, was it not?

She scooted to the side so that Sheng Lian could sit down. She clearly looked a bit unaccustomed to dealing with children like this, but she would learn in time, that was what it meant to be the elder sister. Well, that was ignoring the fact that Lan Yun would technically be the older sister, but Yan Ling felt that it would just cause headaches if she tried to think too hard about the hierarchy of the siblings. She made sure that the three siblings got along before turning her gaze back onto Liang Chen, that was one family dealt with, but there was one more to check on.

"You didn't bring them out, but how are the new sect disciples?"

Sect disciples. The Storm Wolf sect had already been destroyed, at one point only having Liang Chen, Yan Ling, and Yan Ying. But Liang Chen had picked up Yi Xue and the others, adding them to the sect by saving them. Granted, they had separated a while ago, but she knew her man. That was why she could respond so confidently to his question.

"You knew that I've picked up new ones?"

"I wouldn't say that I knew, but I've known you for long enough to understand what sort of things you do. You have a habit of picking up people. So, how are they?"

He was a broken man, a wounded man. And perhaps because of that, he had a habit of picking up people similar to him. Those who had lost, those who had been robbed, those who had been abused, those who were angry. He moved forward, and they saw his back as inspiration so they followed.

"Hurt. They're hurt."

That was the best word Liang Chen could think of when he was asked about the new disciples he had picked up. All of them came from the Mystic's Hidden Realm and all of them had seen the depths of human depravity, all of them had lost and suffered far too much. They were hurt, and he hadn't been able to fix them.

"They always are, isn't that why you pick them up?"

Hurt, how fitting wasn't that word for him? He was hurt, so he attracted others that were hurt, it was how he had first attracted her all those years ago. Pain resonated, it yearned to be shared between kindred spirits, it yearned for a place to rest.

Liang Chen swiped his interspatial ring again, it would be best for Yan Ling to see the new disciples herself. A bit of wind came from him as he touched ring, gently pushing aside the rest of the furniture in the room. There were quite a few disciples, but this flying ship was definitely something fit for a Sovereign God, even this one room had more than enough space to house all the disciples.

"You've called for us, Storm Lord?"

The disciples were quick to react when they arrived in the ship, kneeling respectfully in Liang Chen's direction. As always, Jiao Hui Xin was at the front, her scarred eyes kept closed so that others didn't have to look at what had become of them. Liang Chen waved his hand to have them stand up, gesturing towards Yan Ling.

"It's nothing serious so there's no need to be nervous. Do you recall what I told you when we first met? I said I could be considered one of the leaders of the Storm Wolf sect. Well, this is the other leader of the sect, the true one. Wolf Queen Yan Ling, my wife."

The true leader. Liang Chen was never a leader, he didn't have what it took to be a sect leader, it was a title he just had to don for a bit as he took care of some people. But Yan Ling, she wanted to be a sect leader, it was her dream, and she deserved that title more than he did.

"Jiao Hui Xin greets the Wolf Queen."

"Zi Tin greets the Sect Leader."

"This Chang Toh greets the Wolf Queen."

The disciples, who had yet to get up from their kneeling positions, lowered their heads once more. How many times hadn't Liang Chen told them that he wasn't fit to be a leader, that he wasn't someone who should be a sect leader? They had their own thoughts on the matter, but what could they say when the man in question refused it so vehemently?

Yan Ling looked at the people he had gathered, her brows flinching. They looked far worse than the first batch with Yi Xue. The first batch consisted of warriors and a few cultivators, most of them had just been unlucky in where they ended up. But these people, they were just normal people who had suffered. She could see the scars, the signs of torment, the marks left by years of suffering.

She got up from the couch and moved over to the one at the front, kneeling down in front of Jiao Hui Xin. Her eyes bore marks that showed that they were once sewn shut and her elbows and knees were badly scarred from how violently they had been broken. She was thin, even thinner than Liang Chen, she must have been starved for a long time to end up like this. Yan Ling's hands reached out and looped around the girl's neck, pulling her close.

"You've suffered. It must have been hard, it must have been painful, and it must have been sad. Thank you for holding on as long as you did, thank you."

There was nothing else she could say. She couldn't even begin to imagine where he had dragged them up from, what sort of hell they had lived in until he arrived. Their life had been pain, it would have been easier to just end things. But they had held on until he found them, she wanted to praise them for that. Liang Chen cut in as Yan Ling embraced the girl, she could do what he couldn't.

"My wife is different from me, she has always wanted to be a sect leader. She is good at teaching others, with her help you will be able to grow stronger far faster than you would be able to with me. Especially you Hui Xin, she also specializes in the law of wind so there is a lot you can learn from her."

Hui Xin needed the law of wind to replace her eyes, Yan Ling was perfectly suited for that so she'd improve by leaps and bounds. She was also the daughter of a sect master so she had been taught ever since she was young, the type of knowledge she had was different from what Liang Chen had acquired from just reading and fighting. She was what they needed to grow stronger, not him.

The disciples respectfully accepted his words and allowed themselves to be brought back into the interspatial ring, practically emptying the room again. Yan Ling sat back down on the couch, her gaze landing on Liang Chen.

"So you're just gonna throw them at me again, are you? I recall that you did much the same with Yi Xue and the others when we last reunited."

It was a bit of an exaggeration, she had really only spent a few days with Yi Xue and the others, teaching them a few things in the short time she had. And besides, it wasn't like she minded, it was fun to teach them.

"It can't be helped, I'm incapable of teaching others. They'll only go astray if I try to teach them anything."

Liang Chen didn't deny it and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to teach them things like this in the first place, it was enough that there was one of him. They should have just lived happily and safely someplace far away, somewhere they could lick their wounds and overcome their pain. Following him and fighting would only deepen the pain and add to it. But since they were adamant to learn, it was best to throw them to a professional. But, that was a notion that Yan Ling shot down with a smile.

"No, that's not true."

She knew the truth. She felt like the disciples also knew, Yi Xue and the first batch of disciples probably also knew. Perhaps it was just Liang Chen who didn't know, too twisted to look at himself properly. But they knew, and sometimes that was all that mattered.

"They're alive right now, aren't they? They're moving forwards, aren't they? They suffered, they lost, they cried, but they still live and can still move forwards. Why is that? It's because you picked them up. I can teach them how to use their laws, but you are the one who taught them how to live and move forward. Never belittle that fact. Living is hard, especially after suffering, it is beautiful to teach others how to keep living, no matter how they do it."

She hadn't been there, but she could somewhat guess at the flow of events. They suffered, he came along and killed those who made them suffer, that was what he always did. They were suddenly freed, but they couldn't even get revenge on those who made them suffer, couldn't kill those who stole from them. They had nothing, so what should they even live for at that point? He was the one who gave them that something, he gave them a reason.

"You're blowing it out of proportion."

Liang Chen rolled his eyes slightly. He hadn't done something like that for Hui Xin and the others. In fact, he had actually rejected them at first, he didn't want to teach them. They always had the will to live and the desire to move forward, he had nothing to do with it.

"I have to, otherwise you will just keep putting yourself down."

Yan Ling simply smiled. You could deny it all you wanted, the truth would still remain the truth, that was what made it the truth.

The family, now consisting of two parents and four children, continued to enjoy their time together as the ship moved. Liang Chen knew where Yan Ling had trained, it was in an entirely different multiverse, so the only way for them to get there was to take a specialized spatial array. Luckily, they had one that was pretty close, the one that belonged to the Nine Star Demon God.

Liang Chen didn't know what he should have expected from a spatial array that took you from one multiverse to another, but it was quiet. There was just a quiet hum that travelled across the ship and then it was done, there was hardly even any vibration. It could have something to do with the fact that it was a spatial array that belonged to one of the rulers of their multiverse, but this was his first experience with it so he couldn't be sure.

A slightly strange sensation washed over Liang Chen when they arrived in the other multiverse, it was as if he was standing in a river that had just changed direction in the blink of an eye. His thoughts were evidently visible on his face, Yan Ling cutting in.

"Does it feel strange? I was told that time here flows differently from our own universe, but I'm sure you can feel it better than I can. But ah, I asked the Nine Star for some help and he called in a favour for me so time in the place where we're heading is flowing in tandem with the time of our own universe. It'd be a shame if the people living there didn't get to be around for our reunion and wedding after all."

Time. Liang Chen was connected to time far more closely than any other living being, it was part of him and he was part of it. And now he had entered a space where time flowed completely different to what he was used to, it was only to be expected that it would feel different.

But gradually, he got used to the sensation, the couple leaving the flying ship as they got closer to their destination. Yan Ling made Yumao and the others return to the interspatial ring for now, they would have plenty of time in the future to greet those they were going to meet now.

The two walked across a small plain, their steps calm as they held hands and took in the scenery. The land was green, flowers scattered about the plain to add some colour. A hill rose up ahead of them, Yan Ling assured him that their target was just beyond that hill. As they walked, a scent slowly made its way into Liang Chen's nose. Wheat, someone was growing wheat not far from here. He could also smell animals, probably cows, so it seemed like a farm rested beyond the hill.

And then, then his feet stopped. He hadn't thought much about it earlier, but as that scent hit him, he was reminded of who Yan Ling said they had to meet. A couple and their daughter. A farm. Wheat. Cows. It was just a quick glance back then, but as he looked around now he realized that even this plain was a bit familiar. Yan Ling smiled at him, gently pulling on his hand.

"Your feet stopped. They should keep moving."

She knew. She had been told and that was why she knew. And because of that, she knew why his feet had stopped, why they refused to move, why he suddenly looked so pale.

"I c...I can't go there. No, not there. Anywhere else is fine, but not there."

He couldn't help but stutter. This place was not one he should be. No, this was the one place in this Sphere of Existence that he shouldn't be, the one place he had no right to be. He wanted to leave, but Yan Ling did not allow him to pull back, gently tugging on his hand to pull him forward.

"You can. You will. And above all, you must. They're waiting, you know? I told them that I'd bring my husband to be along in the future, I told them that they would love him."

Yes, they would love him, they would treasure him more than anything else. How could they not? Liang Chen didn't know how Yan Ling had learned about them, much less how she ended up meeting them, but that wasn't important right now.

"Yan Ling... I can't do it again. They're free, they're finally free."

They were free, they were happy, and above all else, they were safe. They got to escape from the carnage he brought, the suffering he forced upon them. They didn't need him back in their lives, he would just inflict pain on them again.

"And you're shackled. The chains have seeped into you and twisted you."

Yan Ling's voice was soft, softer than it had ever been before as she held his hand, gently tracing his knuckles. The past that formed him, the pain that twisted him. He had stepped past it and moved forward, but it still stuck to him like chains, coiled around him and dug into his flesh. It was painful for him, but at the same time, it was dear to him so he couldn't completely remove it. And that was why she needed to bring him here, why she had to make him step forward.

"It's fine, it really is. You're no longer that little child, you're no longer helpless. You have grown strong, you have grown confident. If you decide to protect someone, you can do it, you have that strength. And if you end up falling short, then I'll be there to pick up the slacks. As will Yumao, as will Sheng Lian, as will the disciples. What one can't accomplish, a hundred will."

It wouldn't be like back then, when he was the lone child crying in a crowd full of cheers and condemnations. He wouldn't have to watch helplessly, he wouldn't fail at the last step. This time he could act, this time he could protect, he was that strong now. She looked deep into his eyes, his pupils trembling. And then she tugged on his hand once more.

"Come, Liang Chen. You, of all people, deserve it."

His feet moved as she pulled on his hand. One step, two, three. Slowly but surely, they took him to the hill. And indeed, resting not far from the base of the hill was a farm, rows of golden wheat stretching towards the sky and a small fenced path that separated the wheat from a plain where light brown cows grazed. Several other farms were dotted across the area, forming a small village divided by crops and farm animals.

Yan Ling kept tugging on his hand, pulling him down the hill and onto the path. The wheat field was rather large, but there were only three people working it, and one of them spotted them as they headed over.

"Oh? Is that little Yan Ling I spy? You've already come running back?"

The one who spotted them was a rugged man with strong features, he looked as if he had been carved from stone. His skin was tanned from working in the sun, but his black eyes were darker than his skin, as was his shoulder-length brown hair. The man had a toothy and bright smile, and the two others that were working the field were making their way over as well, clearly rather happy.

"I'd ask if someone has bullied you again, but who's this?"

The one who spoke this time was one of the two that had made their way over, a tall and mature woman with clear blue eyes and long black hair. Her skin was smooth but tanned from the work, and what should have once been a delicate figure had become a bit muscular thanks to the hard work. The woman's gaze lingered on Liang Chen, who couldn't help but freeze up slightly. Yan Ling pulled on his hand again, wrapping her arm around his elbow.

"This is the man I was talking about, my pride and joy. He's finally returned to me so we can finally hold our wedding. I promised I'd come to pick you up for that, didn't I?"

The eyes of the three people lit up when Yan Ling explained who he was, the man's toothy smile growing into a grin as he stepped closer. His eyes ran across Liang Chen's body, momentarily resting on his face before settling on his shoulders.

"Oh ho, so this is the one you couldn't stop bragging about? He looks a bit skinnier than I imagined, is he not eating well?"

It wasn't to the point of being scrawny, but you could definitely call him delicate and slim, his muscles could only be seen when he wasn't clothed. But naturally, Yan Ling wouldn't be nice enough to say that, grinning back at the man.

"He never is, he's an inconsiderate bastard like that."

The woman stepped forward as Yan Ling grinned, mimicking the man as she observed him, her gaze resting on his face for a few moments with some uncertainty. But she saw the same as the man, the young man really was too scrawny, even their daughter was better than him. And in a situation like that, there was only one thing they had to do.

"Hmm, we'll have to fix that, won't we, dear?"

The man nodded his head a few times as he agreed with his wife, his gaze returning to Liang Chen's face. It lingered there for a few seconds before he stretched out his hand, they hadn't even greeted each other properly yet.

"Of course, of course, children need to eat well. But hmm... you look a bit familiar, friend. Have we met before?"

Liang Chen looked at the hand that was held out to him, his breath caught in his chest. He was nervous, or perhaps anxious was a better term for it. He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't have come here and ruined things.

Things looked as if they were going to become a bit awkward since he was just staring at the hand, but the man who held out his hand got an elbow to the side before things could reach that point.

"Alright, that's enough staring dad. Can't you tell that you're making him uncomfortable?"

The youthful voice came from the third, and last person, who had been working in the fields. It was a young girl who looked like she was just approaching her twenties, she had the same chestnut brown hair as her father and the same clear blue eyes as her mother. Her features were strong, but not as strong as her father's, and she was slightly less tanned than the two, possibly thanks to the large-brimmed straw hat she wore. She elbowed her father's waist once more while nodding to Liang Chen, using her thumb to gesture towards Yan Ling.

"Sorry about him, he can be a bit insensitive at times. You do look a bit familiar, but Yan Ling here has told us so many things about you that we've just naturally formed an image of you in our heads, can't be helped that we find you familiar."

Yan Ling simply smiled widely without saying anything, her gaze moving between the people that had gathered here. The girl stretched out her hand in place of her father, smiling warmly as she did the introductions.

"I'm Qing Chun, dad's Qing Feng and mom's Qing Lan, nice to finally meet you."

Liang Chen couldn't help but swallow even though his mouth felt dry. The names, even the names were the same after reincarnation. Their features had warped slightly due to the hard farm work, but the base was unmistakably the same, it was as if he was peering into the past.

Yan Ling gave his hand a gentle squeeze as he looked at the hand, smiling at him oh-so-gently from the side. She urged him on with her gaze, wordlessly told him that it was fine, that he deserved this. So he reached out with his own hand, stumbling over his words slightly.

"The name is Liang Chen... It's nice to meet you."