A Spouse From The East

The story 'A Spouse From The East' was well-known among adventurers.

Although there were many examples of someone losing insanity before wealth, such as The Battle of Throne where siblings by blood bite each other for the sake of the throne and its wealth, this story was slightly different.

It's about a merchant husband and a scholar wife. They married for about 20 years through thick and thin. They had two sons whose job was decent. They lived a peaceful life and loved each other deeply.

Having a successful business, they had wide information channels. Both sons had their own land to be taken care of, gaining experience from managing it. One day, the first son brought news, regarding a new business possibility in his region.

Facing difficulties was understandable, and parents' duty was to guide their children. His father departed to his region, personally surveyed the business.

It was a newly-discovered cave with enormous mineral potential. As a father, the merchant genuinely felt proud and praised him greatly in any incoming event, lifting the first son's name into a new feat.

Many great forces and prominent figures started to approach the first son, flattering him with the expectation to gain his favor and become a business partner.

His mother guarded him from the background, worried if their family's enemies took advantage of this situation to harm him. It was his golden age, and as a mother, she wanted the best for her son.

Monitoring his movement, whom he met, and so on. His mother unknowingly did this.

This happened until she smelled something that was not right. Top secret rumor knocked on her ears, saying that the mineral business was not as simple as it seemed.

Instinctively, her heart grew anxious as she dived more, sending more spies to confirm the rumor.

On the other hand, her husband knew this a day earlier. As an adept businessman, he knew something amiss and immediately dispatched his best agents to confirm the truth.

Both of them did not tell each other about the rumor because deep inside, they wished the best for their son.

During this waiting moment, the second son gathered them, asked advice on how to be as great as his brother. He frankly said that he witnessed the early days of his brother, the days before their parents knew about the cave's existence.

Turned out, his brother picked a seed when they strolled in the nearby mountain. As he picked it up, the seed emitted a faint glow and the ground trembled, crumbling walls before their eyes.

This wall hid the cave, and days afterward, his brother finally had the guts to reveal it.

When his parent asked where the seed was, he said that he did not know. After that, his parent told him some advice and arranged some business options to try.

Even after weeks, his brother's fame still rose like a superstar. Occupied with many things, his brother could not meet him personally anymore. Only through letters.

Having a strong bond, this family made him cherished more than anything. He always looked up to his brother and was amazed by the recent brilliant business development.

However, his father who was often available to him began to reject his visit, saying that a big scale business was going on. It saddened him, but he understood his father position as a prominent figure.

Visiting his mother, recently his mother's complexion was quite strange. More wrinkles on her face, avoiding some matters, especially about his brother's matter.

Inexperienced as he was, it didn't mean he was a fool. He knew something was up, and thus assigned his men to snoop around, getting the ongoing events to the smallest detail.

Alas, he did not have sufficient power to get useful information. Most of the information was considered as superficial, the gossip that common neighbors usually talked about.

After having enough of the puzzlement, he barged into his father's room, demanding an explanation. Yet, the room was empty.

Asked the on-duty guards and secretary beforehand, his father should be in the middle of a meeting with clients. But, no meeting was held in the room.

Frowning, he decided to visit his mother. Rushing through the crowded street, he used his family insignia to cut the waves of people. After arriving at his mother's place, the guard said his mother was not present.

A guard was only a guard. He knew that a mere guard would not know where his mother went to. Nevertheless, he had one place left, his brother's region.

As he arrived at the region, numerous guards of his family were stationed, strictly guarding the region, not letting any single soul enter unless permitted.

Showing his identity, he easily entered the region. However, what transpired before his eyes shocked him the most.

Chains coiled around on his brother's body with many visible slash marks on his skin. In the entrance of the cave, which was next to his brother's house, his parents stood with cold eyes.

Powerful bodyguards surrounded his brother, making him like a criminal waiting for judgment. What was going on, he asked. Yet, instead of answering, a flash of greed passed through his parents' eyes, forcing his brother to enter the cave.

Only his parents, he, and two men entered the cave.

Because of curiosity and worry, he had no choice but to follow them. The narrow cave barely had light from lamps. Scents of dust and stone filled the air, the deeper he went in the colder temperature.

After a while, his brother murmured something and they stopped. A drop of water dripped on his skin from sharp stalactites as his father took a deep breath.

"O, the marvelous seed."

His parent lifted a lamp in his hand, started to chant in a solemn voice, reverberated loudly.

"You are the true form of life."

Soon, the temperature was slightly warmer.

"Bloom becomes a flower."

In the depth, a small light reflected into his eyes.

"Grow into a forest."

Suddenly, he heard noises. In that particular corner where he saw a flickering light, vines slowly spread on the wall. Strange odor struck into his smelling senses, and he couldn't help but immediately pinched his nose.

A faint rumbling sound reverberated as the chain on his brother was released. And, to his surprise, he saw his brother's body trembled, looking at him as though his brother tried to say something.

He couldn't guess what it was. But, he had a premonition that something was about to happen, and not a good one at that.

As the sprouting vines kept advancing toward him, even some stalactites fell or were swallowed by it. It swiveled to the point whole side of the wall had vines.

His heart was palpitating and his palms sweated seeing the incoming vines.

"Check it." His mother commanded one of the two men.

The man in black walked slowly toward the vine. As he reached a five meters distance, the vine instantly lashed toward him, slicing him into pieces.

At the same time when everyone's eyes were on the man, his brother bolted, pounced toward his father with a small, pointed branch. His brother stabbed his father in the back, around the left chest.

"Unfilial bastard!" his father growled, smacking his brother on the back of the neck with the lamp.

Just as he was about to rush and help, one of the two men landed two clean hits on both, killing them in one move!

He immediately looked at his mother who...had an indifferent expression. His mother was the most kind-hearted person he knew, the shelter when his world was on the verge of collapsing.

But, this expression definitely belonged to the heartless!

"O, immortality. Come forth, come to me!"

His mother raised both hands, declaring the last chant as a big turmoil occurred within the cave. The wall started to crack as though it withstand something heavy like a dam with overload water. Vines sprouted rapidly, crushing everything that blocked its path.

The last man died by the vine, and his mother walked toward him. Feeling scared, he couldn't move his body even an inch!

Arrived in front of him, his mother said, "the seed is a priceless treasure. It grants immortality, and you will be the sacrifice. Be honored!"

As she said that, the whole cave collapsed, followed by a massive landslide from the mountain, burying the whole region of the first son.

His vision turned black. He heard a strange hollow sound. It seemed to come from a distance, a very far distance beyond.