Chapter 214: Little Pei's Family Reunion Feast on New Year's Eve
And not far from Xiao Boyangalso stopped walking.
He also saw the illusion.
Pei Chunzheng remembered the day his mother died. It was in the twelfth month, right after the snow stopped falling a few days before.
In the evening, the sky in the demon realm was blood red, like a wildfire burning on the desolate plain. A raven perched on a withered tree against the red courtyard wall, silhouetted by the setting sun, as if carrying a red sun in its beak.
Through this courtyard, he saw a maid holding a bowl, looking at a woman who looked pale and fragile on the bed.
The maid wiped her tears and said, "Miss, please drink this bowl of medicine."
The woman weakly smiled while lying in bed, "Rui Zhu, put the bowl down. I don't need the medicine, I'm feeling fine."
"Has he returned?"
The woman muttered, "Oh...he has come back, but he went to the southern courtyard. Today is New Year's Eve."
New Year's Eve, a day for family reunion, how wonderful.
The woman lowered her gentle gaze and pondered.
But she knew, on this day, he wouldn't come to her room, wouldn't sit with her and talk like before, and wouldn't hug Chun'er.
She might be dying soon.
Su Xuezhi thought, and with that thought, she coughed up some blood. Rui Zhu immediately burst into tears. Su Xuezhi raised her hand gently, silencing her, and took the handkerchief, wiping the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth. She asked, "Has Chun'er returned?"
Rui Zhu bit her lower lip, but didn't say a word.
A deathly silence filled the room.
Su Xuezhi's eyes seemed lost.
It seems Chun'er won't come back either.
On this New Year's Eve, besides Rui Zhu, neither her husband nor her son wanted to stay by her side.
Being in such a situation, Su Xuezhi slowly clenched her handkerchief, feeling a painful heaviness in her chest.
It was all her fault.
She shouldn't have married Pei Min .
She was born into the prestigious Su family of the demon realm, and her parents had always treated her well. But she foolishly fell in love with Pei Min . She ignored her parents' consent and pursued him even though he showed no interest in her. She knew that Pei Min had once had a childhood sweetheart named Wei Peilan , who unfortunately died while fighting in the demon realm.
She was of high status and marrying her would have brought many benefits to Pei Min . Even though he had no feelings for her, he didn't refuse the marriage proposal.
She knew all of this.
After marrying Pei Min , they lived a life of mutual respect for a while. But she never realized that Pei Min 's childhood sweetheart, Wei Peilan , hadn't actually died. She was captured after losing in battle and imprisoned by the realm of cultivation for decades.
That time, just like always, Pei Min went off to battle. She carefully tidied his clothes and waited at the door day and night for his return.
Two months later, she finally saw her husband, but he was carrying a girl who was asleep when he entered the house. Her beautiful face looked cold, and her armor clinked as she walked. The girl who was asleep was Wei Peilan.
The entire Wei family perished, and after Pei Min saved Wei Peilan, she had nowhere else to go, so she stayed at the Pei residence. After some time, Pei Min naturally made her his wife, treating her as an equal.
Su Xuezhi knew she was not as strong as Wei Peilan. She was weak, like a flower in the courtyard, only able to rely on Pei Min to survive. But Wei Peilan was different. She could wield a weapon and fight for the demon realm, bearing the scars from battles fought for the realm throughout her life.
In contrast, Su Xuezhi was pampered and weak, unable to lift a hand or shoulder any burden. Pei Min did not like such a woman.
She knew that Pei Min had ambitions.
In the demon realm, strength has always been respected. Su Buhuo, who was expected to be the next Demon Lord, betrayed the demon realm, leaving the position empty. Whoever can obtain the Order of All Demons will become the next Demon Lord. Pei Min tried his best to gather allies, all for the sake of obtaining the Order of All Demons.
Later on, she became pregnant with Chun'er. When she was six months pregnant, her family hindered Pei Min's path. Pei Min and his allies plotted against her family, who were no match for him, and suffered a crushing defeat in the struggle.
Upon hearing the news, she cried and begged Pei Min to spare her family. Perhaps it was her pitiful appearance, crying on the ground with her unborn child, that touched Pei Min's heart. In the end, he agreed to release her brother, but her father had to die.
No matter how she pleaded and cried, Pei Min remained determined and killed her elderly father, then exiled her brother.
Since then, she understood that Pei Min had no romantic feelings towards her. Her father and brothers had stood in his way, and he had been determined enough to kill her father. What about her? If she stood in his way and Wei Peilan's way, would he also be determined enough to kill her?
So, she voluntarily moved out of the main house and started living in a separate courtyard to the west, raising Chun'er on her own.
The day Pei Chunzheng was born was also in the lunar twelfth month, when the plum blossoms in the courtyard were in full bloom.
She named him "Chunzheng", hoping that he would grow up to be a proud and spirited young man.
However, her relationship with Chun'er was not good.
Since the day her father and brothers were killed, she had been filled with resentment and regret, obsessing over it every day and neglecting Chun'er, leaving him to Rui Zhu. She ignored Chun'er's feelings.
She knew that ever since Chun'er could understand, he had disliked her, this resentful and obsessed woman.
Perhaps because she was nearing death, her mind suddenly became a bit clearer.
Today is New Year's Eve, and she wanted to see Chun'er and also wanted to see Pei Min. She wanted the whole family to have a reunion dinner together. But it had been a long time since she last spoke to Pei Min. Thinking about this, Su Xuezhi suddenly felt a bit nervous and looked at Rui Zhu. "Rui Zhu, could you... could you go to the main house and ask if we can invite the master over?"
Rui Zhu was slightly taken aback and before she could respond, the curtain at the door was lifted. A confident maid walked in.
Su Xuezhi immediately recognized her. It was Gu Luan, the maid by Wei Peilan's side. The maid in the yellow clothes came in and smirked. "The master asked me to come and deliver a message. He won't be having dinner here today. Please enjoy your meal, madam."
Su Xuezhi let out a sigh of relief in her throat, and the anxiety in her heart disappeared instantly. She wanted to smile, but couldn't find the smile.
In fact, she had already anticipated this response. She just didn't expect that before she even asked, Pei Min had already sent someone to deliver the message.
Su Xuezhi held onto the chair, took a deep breath, and her head started to hurt again. She could faintly hear Rui Zhu and Gu Luan arguing by her ear. Suddenly, Gu Luan screamed and rushed out of the room.
After witnessing Gu Luan running out, Rui Zhu quickly crouched down and anxiously checked on her, saying, "Madam, are you alright? Let me help you to bed."
Su Xuezhi nodded.
Just as she was being helped onto the bed, they heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.
The wind and snow blew into the room through the curtains. Pei Min stood at the door, accompanied by a woman in a bright red dress. Both of them looked elegant and radiant, like a perfect couple. Gu Luan stood behind Wei Peilan , tears in her eyes.
"Pei Min ?" Su Xuezhi supported her dizzy head and gasped for breath, "You're here?"
The man didn't move. After a while, his face, similar to Chun'er's, finally showed a hint of indifference as he coldly responded, "You're sick."
Gu Luan was Pei Lan's servant girl. If it wasn't for Gu Luan sacrificing herself, Pei Lan wouldn't have survived. Didn't I tell you to treat Gu Luan well?
Su Xuezhi took a deep breath.
"I am also your wife. Yet, how have you treated my father and brothers, and your father-in-law and brother-in-law?"
Pei Min's face slightly changed.
Su Xuezhi coughed a few times, tight grip on her clothes, and tears started to flow.
"Father...brother..."
She remembered when her father was executed.
When she was naughty as a child, like a little lion cub, her father and older brother would affectionately call her "Snow Lioness."
Her father's aged head flew into the sky, blood pouring like rain, no longer able to kindly call her "Snow Lioness."
And her older brother, who always took care of her with a smile, was exiled to the most dangerous part of the demon realm, the hell.
*
Pei Chunzheng looked expressionless.
It was as if a voice was laughing in his ear, saying, "Look, this is your father and mother."
Who would have parents like that?
To end up like this, it is truly the woman's own doing.
The woman inside the illusion cried so hard that she couldn't catch her breath, crying and coughing up blood. It seemed like she wanted to release all the resentment and unwillingness from all these years.
Pei Min's face became increasingly ugly.
Wei Peilan took a step forward, a worried expression appearing on her cold, beautiful face. "Pei Min..."
"Peilan," the man's cold eyes softened slightly, "You go out first."
After Wei Peilan left.seemed to be pushed to his limit. His eyes turned slightly red, unable to suppress his demonic nature any longer. He rushed forward, grabbing the woman's neck, slowly strangling her. In the woman's wide eyes, filled with shock, he swallowed her whole.
Halfway through swallowing, the blood calmed his demonic nature. Pei Min seemed to realize that something was wrong. Confused, he released his grip, looking at Su Xuezhi's body, soaked in blood, lying on the ground.
"Ah... Ah Xue?"
He was trembling a bit, his voice hoarse.
Su Xuezhi looked at him steadily. She was dying, even if she had only half of her body left, she couldn't breathe for a while.
She looked at the man who had eaten her alive and couldn't help but start laughing. The more she laughed, the louder it became. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she regretted her first half of life more and more. She regretted it so much that it felt like a knife in her heart.
He actually got angry because of the servant girl next to Wei Peilan and swallowed her alive.
How she wished for a family, to have a reunion dinner together with her father, her older brother, and Chun'er, without Pei Min .
At the moment before she died, she suddenly wanted to see Chun'er, to hug this child who rarely received her love. However, Chun'er despised her and deliberately avoided her on New Year's Eve.
Pei Min panicked, "Ah... Ah Xue..."
*
"Actually, you want to see your mother, right?"
"You want to receive your mother's love."
"Shut up," Pei Chunzheng said in a deep voice.
The boy's face showed no emotion, but he clenched his teeth tightly, tightened his fists, and stared intensely at this illusion.
After practicing with his sword, the boy rushed back home, holding a bracelet in his hand. His beautiful face had a hint of worry and nervousness.
Even though his mother rarely cared for him, to every child, their mother is their world.
He stepped over the threshold and immediately saw a woman lying on the ground, with her lower body missing. Her intestines were exposed, and her bones were chilling. Pei Min, in a daze, knelt beside her.
Su Xuezhi had lost half of her face, and her eyes couldn't see anymore. She seemed to smile briefly and reached out her icy hand to touch his face.
"Chun'er... my dear Chun'er."
"It's New Year's Eve today. Will you accompany me, my child?"
Chun'er, she felt sorry for her little Chun'er.
"Little Chun'er." Su Xuezhi took a deep breath, widened her eyes, and stared at him intently. It seemed like she wanted to engrave his image in her eyes. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
"Come closer, my dear."
The young boy knelt on the ground, trying to push his mother's intestines back in, but they slipped out again and again. His hands were soaked in fresh blood, and his body felt stiff and cold. He heard Su Xuezhi's words, but he couldn't understand why he couldn't move his stiff body closer.
The woman died without closing her eyes.
He stood up and drew his sword. The sword gleamed suddenly, catching Pei Min by surprise. He didn't expect his son to strike him so suddenly. The sword pierced his abdomen swiftly and accurately.
His abdomen shattered, and Pei Min couldn't believe it as he coughed up blood. He looked at him and said, "Chun'er?"
He sheathed his sword and continued walking outward, expressionless. He found Wei Peilan waiting at the door and dragged her inside, shocking her with his gaze.
After many years of injuries and illnesses, Wei Peilan had long been dulled by the luxurious life in the backyard. She maintained her lofty and aloof expression, clinging to her ridiculous pride. She wanted to scold him in anger, but she was no match for him at all. He dragged her to her mother's side like a helpless duckling.
As soon as Pei Min saw Wei Peilan, he panicked and struggled to reach her, wanting to protect her and angrily scolded him, saying, "Chun... Pei Chunzheng, what are you doing?!"
This man, who used to be calm, lost all composure when he saw his beloved woman in danger.
Without any expression on his face, he swung his sword and cut off the man's arm along with half of the woman's body, then dragged in his half-brother, Wei Peilan's son.
His half-brother cried out loudly, with snot running down his chubby face.
Pei Min clenched his teeth and knelt in front of him, his once beautiful face devoid of its previous coldness, trying to maintain his father's dignity as much as possible, saying, "Achun, you can kill me, but spare your brother."
Pei Chunzheng found it ironic.
This proud man was willing to kneel before him like a dog, pleading for mercy for the sake of these two mother and son.
He didn't answer. With one swing of his sword, he cut his half-brother in half, right in front of Pei Min , who widened his eyes in shock. Then, he devoured his beloved woman and son, right in front of Pei Min .
This woman was his mother, and even though he despised her, as a son, he had to seek revenge for her.
But, was it really true?
A sneering voice seemed to echo in his ears.
Pei Chunzheng's thoughts were in chaos. He tightened his grip on his sword, his peach blossom eyes widening, tears flowing from them.
His lips moved slightly, and he painfully uttered a word.
"Mom..."
"Mom..."
He wanted to hold her.
How he wished to hold her before she died.
