Chapter 59: Xie Meiling (Part 2)
1/2
====
Xie Meiling spent most of her time on the run after being poisoned and escaping from the Xie family. She was able to find shelter with a business acquaintance named Wang Feifei. Although the place was in the slums, it was the best option for hiding from her pursuers. The building was also protected by formations and other measures to prevent sudden attacks.
Wang Feifei tried to find an antidote, but it was useless. There was no cure for the poison that Xie Meiling had been given, and it was already too late to do anything. Despite this, Xie Meiling refused to give up and tried to heal herself, but to no avail. She gradually became weaker and lost control of her body. She also sustained many injuries during her escape, which further damaged her health.
Feeling hopeless, Xie Meiling spent her days in darkness. One day, she woke up feeling a strange sensation, as if someone had released their Qi. She saw an unfamiliar young man in front of her. At first, she didn't recognize him, but the longer she looked, the more certain she became of his identity.
"Qing'er..." she called out to him affectionately. Although the boy had grown into a strong young man, Xie Meiling couldn't help but feel that he was still the same child. His expression was the same as when she scolded him for being reckless.
"Silly boy..." Xie Meiling felt conflicted. She had deliberately avoided contacting Xie Qing to protect him and spare him the sight of her weakened state. It was a matter of pride for her. But this foolish boy was disobedient and found her when she was at her most vulnerable. Xie Meiling felt depressed, as she wanted to remain strong and beautiful in her son's memory.
But despite her feelings, a gentle smile appeared on her face. Her lips cracked slightly from the unfamiliar movement, as it had been a long time since she had smiled. Her hand, hard and covered in scars, reached out to touch her son.
Xie Qing quickly moved to her side. Her hand rested on his head as he bit his lip and looked at her with a stoic expression. Seeing this, Xie Meiling couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Your face looks indifferent, but your eyes are still bright... I can read your emotions like a book, my son," she said, stroking his cheek.
"Mom..." Xie Qing covered her hand with his own. He looked at her with eyes full of tenderness and love. His heart was filled with bitterness at the sight of her weakened state and anger at the realization that he had not been there for her in her time of need.
Xie Meiling could easily read all of these emotions. To her, Xie Qing was like an open book. His beautiful, shining, and attractive black eyes, which others might find cold, were full of emotions. Only Xie Meiling could see these emotions, and only in front of his mother did Xie Qing reveal his soul without hiding his feelings. It was a natural reaction for him, as he was still his mother's son.
Xie Meiling felt her heart melting at the sight of him. The many years spent away from her precious son had caused her great anxiety. She wondered if he was doing well if anyone was hurting him if Xu Mei had taken good care of him.
"You've reached the Core Formation stage, and your Qi is so pure and powerful... Oh, heavens," Xie Meiling smiled and chuckled, pinching Xie Qing's cheek. "And you've grown so handsome. Do I have any fiancées yet?"
"Of course, mom. I'll introduce you to them. But even though I'm handsome, you're still more beautiful than me," Xie Qing replied with a smile.
"Little flatterer. But I appreciate your compliment, good boy. Now mommy is happy," Xie Meiling laughed.
"Heh." Xie Qing closed his eyes and rested his head on her hard and cold hand, feeling comforted. He felt protected in her presence.
...Coincidentally, the girls with whom Xie Qing has close relationships also feel this way.
Yu Yang had already left the room by that point. She decided not to interrupt the mother and son's reunion. She wiped away her tears and smiled happily.
"It's good that I brought the young master here after all."
***
Xie Qing told her about his life in the sect and in general. Xie Meiling listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. By the end of the story, she was speechless.
"Y-you seduced Xu Mei? Unbelievable..." Xie Meiling couldn't believe her ears, but knowing her son, he wouldn't lie to her. Hearing this news, she clenched her teeth and a bitter feeling arose in her chest, as if something had been taken from her.
"Fox! I thought that by entrusting him to you, you would protect my Qing'er from danger, but instead, you jumped into his bed. Shameless!" Xie Meiling thought angrily. Her emotions were a bit strange, but Xie Qing didn't notice them, as Xie Meiling didn't show anything outwardly.
After Xie Qing finished his story, he looked silently into Xie Meiling's eyes, which did not waver. There was silence between them. The first one to break this silence was Xie Meiling herself. She sighed bitterly and shook her head.
"You already know about my situation. Your father poisoned me and now I'm like this," Xie Meiling said, shrugging and shaking her hand.
"He's not my father. He's just a bastard who deserves to die," Xie Qing reacted sharply with a cold face and then continued: "Moreover... I have good news for you."
"Hm?" Xie Meiling tilted her head and looked questioningly at the young man. He smiled and began to tell her about the current state of the Xie family and his plans. Xie Meiling fell silent for a moment and then laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! That's what he deserves, that bastard! And who would have thought that Xie Xui would also have a hand in this? Although, I'm not surprised, to be honest..." Xie Meiling began to speak and narrowed her eyes, squeezing Xie Qing's hand: "There's only one thing that matters to me. Are you sure you can take over the leadership of the Xie family?"
"A hundred percent. I've gained two reliable guys who will help me in the future," Xie Qing said, and then confidently and gently squeezed Xie Meiling's hand: "Mom, I will succeed. I will make everyone who was involved in your assassination bleed. I will torture them to death until all their blood is drained from their bodies."
"..." Xie Meiling fell silent, and then wickedly smiled. She stood up and lovingly kissed Xie Qing's forehead, supporting his face with her hands.
"Good boy. I'm proud of you. Although I don't want to put you in danger, I won't doubt your confidence," she said and kissed him again, this time on the cheek, and then hugged him tightly to her frail body, gently stroking his hair: "My boy is already so grown up that mom doesn't have to worry, right?"
Xie Qing smiled, hearing the encouraging tone of Xie Meiling's voice. He raised his head and lovingly kissed her forehead, and then her crown. Then he moved away and confidently declared:
"I swear by the heavens. If I don't take revenge on everyone who harmed my mother, then let the Heavenly Punishment fall on me and grind my soul to dust."
"S-stop..." Xie Meiling tried to stop him, but suddenly there was a rumble outside the window, and the sky filled with clouds. There were flashes in the clouds, and somewhere lightning struck.
The woman looked in shock at her son and for the first time in a long time was convinced that he had truly grown up. His face was no longer innocent. Every word he spoke was full of confidence, his posture was straight, and his eyes were piercing.
"My Qing'er..." Xie Meiling's breathing became heavy, and her cheeks turned red. She lovingly looked at her son, who was still smiling brightly.
What Xie Qing did was none other than the "Heavenly Oath." It had tremendous power, and if you didn't fulfill your oath, the Heavenly Punishment would fall on you. That's why few people use it.
However, Xie Qing did it. His confidence and anger awakened in him a determination to see the matter through to the end. Until all the guilty were killed, his soul would not rest for a single moment.
"I've been too passive for too long. It's time to start the hunt."
***
Somewhere in the Xie family estate...
Xie Hai and Xie Xui were in the head of the family's room. Xie Hai was lying on the bed, covered in wounds, and Xie Xui was watching him. They were discussing something when suddenly chills ran through their bodies. Moreover, there was lightning in the courtyard.
"Heavenly Lightning?!" Xie Xui exclaimed in astonishment, jumping up from his seat. His soul trembled before such a powerful force. He could only shiver with fear, not understanding why the Heavenly Lightning had appeared.
Moreover, he felt as if something had intruded into his fate. Xie Xui felt some kind of gaze on him, coming from somewhere very far away. And it scared him.
It wasn't just these two. The elders of the family, the guards, the old chief maid. Everyone shuddered, and a primal fear invaded their souls, making them feel as if they were being watched. Their hearts grew cold. No one understood what was happening. Unnoticed, a scythe appeared behind each of them, just one centimeter away from depriving them of their heads.
***
Xie Qing closed his pulsating eyes, feeling them hurt. Moreover, he also gained certain advantages. The oath guided him. He felt many people were somewhere far away. One of them was even in the capital.
"How much I want to kill this person... he's just within reach, so close. But... that can wait. I need to take care of my mother's condition," he thought and shook his head.
Although anger tore him apart from the inside, there was no one more important to him now than Xie Meiling. Moving to a free room, he sat on the bed and opened the Shop. There, his gaze was attracted by one item.
[Phoenix Healing Ointment] | [Price: 30,000 Spiritual Stones] | [Description: A wonderful ointment that will heal all wounds, and scars, and remove poisons and curses. Made from the blood of a phoenix. Of course, the effect won't be immediate, you need to apply it for a week]
"30,000 Spiritual Stones!" Xie Qing almost fainted. From his savings, he had a maximum of 2700 Spiritual Stones. It was too little. Xie Qing's mind was in disarray, and he clenched his teeth, not knowing what to do. In desperation, he took out the communication token and sent a message to Qing'er.
This was Xu Mei's communication token. Although he was uncomfortable asking her for such an amount of money, the situation forced him to. Money could be earned, but life could not be returned.
And so, the waiting began. A minute, five minutes, ten minutes... silence. Xie Qing frowned and began to worry. But when he was already on the verge of going crazy with nerves, Xu Mei's voice sounded, a little tired.
"Foolish disciple?"
"Master... I need your help," Xie Qing said in a helpless voice, sighing with relief.
"What? Em, wait... Hey, bitch, can't you see I'm talking? Get lost, don't bother me!"
"..."
Xie Qing lost his voice. It seemed that Xu Mei was talking to someone else, not him. He was even a little confused. After that, Xu Mei spoke again, but this time in a serious tone.
"What happened... h-hubby."
Xie Qing's face almost cracked from the smile when he heard her call him that. But remembering the situation they were in, he sighed.
"Master, I..."
What followed was a summary of events that would have taken several more paragraphs, but Xie Qing managed to explain everything quickly. Xu Mei fell silent for a moment and then replied:
"I don't have any money with me right now... I used it all to buy myself an alcohol collection." She said with shame in her voice but then added: "But you can call Zhang Mei. She's rich and will lend you the money. I'll connect you."
"Em?"
Xie Qing, who had already begun to lose hope, was very pleased to hear this. Soon there were interferences, and another female voice sounded, cold and without a drop of emotion.
"What do you want, fool?"
"Hey, don't insult me!" Xu Mei shouted angrily, and then quickly explained the situation: "Zhang Mei, the situation is serious. Can you lend me 40,000 Spiritual Stones?"
"Ha? Do you hear yourself? You still owe me the 10,000 that you borrowed a hundred years ago," Zhang Mei coldly reacted.
"Zhang Mei, I'm serious," came Xu Mei's grim voice.
"Eh?!"
On the other side, Zhang Mei almost spat out the tea she was drinking. She knew that when Xu Mei started talking in that tone, it was already very serious. She immediately stopped teasing her.
"...What happened?"
"I won't explain to you, but whether you lend me the money or not will determine the fate of an important person," Xu Mei said in a cold voice: "Don't worry, I will return..."
"Wait, Master," Xie Qing finally spoke up.
"Hm? Are you also there, Xu Mei's disciple?"