Chapter 23: Mother Returns

Chapter Twenty-Three: Mother Returns

When Ye Bai came home, he felt he had answered quite well, except for the last essay question—he wasn’t sure how many points he’d get for that. He called Fatty to ask; Fatty said it was doable. Ye Bai sat on the sofa, recalling everything he had experienced in the Alya System.

It was said the King of the Sky Sea brought out a stone from the Land of the Nether Sea. Sometimes, one could sense the stone in their hand, and sometimes it seemed to vanish completely. Not long after the King brought the stone back, the virtual space appeared in the Main City of the Furious Sea.

Gradually, this virtual space began to emerge in Green Forest and Wild Sand Main Cities, expanding from main cities to their districts, and eventually covering all of human civilization. At first, only those above the Growth level could enter; they used the space to exchange information. One day, upon entering, people discovered stations within the space.

Alya was born then—a system developed by the Main City of the Furious Sea specifically to manage this intangible space. Under Alya’s administration, the space flourished.

Ye Bai mentally estimated his results, thinking he’d lost no more than five points. The entrance examination consisted of two parts. The first was a theoretical test, full score two hundred, graded collectively by Alya, with final rankings published a week later. Each of the Four Great Academies accepted five hundred students; the top five hundred from each main city and its affiliated districts could proceed to the next round, and rankings were not mixed between cities.

The second part was a practical test. Those who passed the first round entered their assigned Alya No. 1 combat suits. Two thousand candidates were deployed into random environments, accumulating points by hunting mutant beasts and competing with other candidates. Again, cities and districts kept separate rankings; the top three hundred from each main city would be admitted to the academy.

That afternoon was perhaps Ye Bai’s most leisurely one. He lay in his chair, lost in thought, letting his mind wander. It wasn’t long before Mu’er returned home after school.

The first thing she did was rush to the calendar, crossing off the day.

“Yes! Today is Mom’s last day on her business trip—she’ll be back tonight,” Ye Mu hopped around on the floor, chattering about what delicious food they should have for dinner.

She ran over, tugging at Ye Bai. “Brother, let’s go buy groceries. Tonight, we’ll ask Mom to cook for us.” She wiped her mouth, clearing away the drool at her lips.

When Ye Bai and Ye Mu returned home, Ye Mu carried a small bag of her favorite magic mushrooms, their surface shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Ye Bai, however, bore two large bags of food and daily necessities.

Ye Bai’s face was bitter, thinking to himself that if his sister was so wild about shopping now, he’d be exhausted when he had a girlfriend—it was more painful than traversing the Ghostwood Mountains.

He silently vowed never to go shopping with his sister again, shuffling forward to open the door. But as soon as he stepped inside, he saw his mother asleep on the sofa.

“I can sense the Land of the Nether Sea growing restless. I wonder how he’s faring inside.” In the Alya space, a woman in a sky-blue cheongsam sat on the throne, raising her numb leg, her crimson lips drawing smoke from the cigarette between her fingers.

“Mom!” Ye Mu, who entered after Ye Bai, saw Shangguan Yan on the sofa and shouted excitedly, before Ye Bai could stop her.

Shangguan Yan was still dressed in her usual white lab coat. In Ye Bai’s memory, his mother had only worn different clothes a handful of times.

The weary figure on the sofa fluttered her lashes, slowly opening her eyes. They were no longer pure and dark, but clouded and full of exhaustion. Shangguan Yan smiled affectionately at the figures in the doorway.

“You’re back, went out shopping?” Her voice was tinged with age, but Ye Bai could hear sadness beneath it.

“Quick, put the groceries in the kitchen. I’ll cook for you soon. Mu’er hasn’t had my cooking in so long.”

Ye Mu was already nestled in her mother’s arms. Shangguan Yan stroked her daughter’s hair, seeing how the little girl she hadn’t cared for had grown into a young lady, a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Before long, Shangguan Yan was in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

“Bai, come in here—I need to talk to you.”

Ye Mu was about to dash in to listen, but Ye Bai shot her a glance, and she stopped, giving a guilty smile.

“You’ve broken through to the Entry level, haven’t you?” Shangguan Yan placed the washed vegetables in the sink and continued, “How does it feel?”

Ye Bai paused at the threshold; as far as he knew, his mother was just a Body-Refinement level researcher, but perhaps that was no longer true. He had broken through, but how could a Body-Refinement practitioner know?

He smiled, taking the cleaned vegetables she handed him, placing them on the cutting board. “Yes, I broke through two days ago, but it was a little strange.”

Shangguan Yan smiled, reaching out to touch Ye Bai’s hand. “Bai, I know you’ve worked hard all your life. I haven’t been home much, and you and Mu’er have suffered.”

“Don’t tell anyone about what happened when you broke through—not even your mother. This is what your father left for you.”

She picked up the knife and began chopping the vegetables.

“I’ve never told you about your father—today, I can tell you a little.”

Ye Bai stood behind his mother, watching her shoulders tremble—clearly, it was painful for her to remember.

“Your father’s name is Ye Yu.”

“You mean Ye Yu?” The man on the throne stood abruptly, visibly agitated, his golden silk robe rustling with his powerful presence.

The woman in the blue cheongsam on the adjacent throne glanced sidelong at him. “Old Sha, calm down. If it weren’t for Brother Ye, none of us would be here today.” She sat upright, her proud figure accentuated.

“But these past years, the Land of the Nether Sea has stirred again. From the depths, I sensed Brother Ye’s aura.”

Shangguan Yan steadied herself, finishing the vegetables, turning to say, “I think you should know—we didn’t originally live here.”

Ye Bai nodded. He’d been three years old when they moved; his mind still held vague memories of their old courtyard, but they had faded as he grew.

“Back then, we lived in the largest courtyard in Green Forest Main City.”

Shangguan Yan’s eyes brightened at the recollection—her happiest days were when his father was there.

“But on your father’s last mission, he left me this vial of medicine. He told me that if he didn’t return, I should take you somewhere quiet, so you and your sister could grow up happily.” Her eyes dimmed again.

“You sensed Brother Ye’s aura? Does that mean the place has reopened?” The man in the golden robe was beside himself.

“Go. Let’s go, we must rescue Brother Ye.” The space beside him began to shift, while the man in green nodded softly, “Mm.”

A flash of blue light behind the cheongsam woman restored the disturbed space. Her slender fingers slid along her jade neck as she quipped, “A hundred years have passed—your temper hasn’t changed.”

“When I detected Brother Ye’s aura, I immediately checked the place—it’s not open yet, just a bit loose. I estimate it’ll take another three or four years to fully open.”

The green-robed man was more composed. Stroking his chin, he said, “This time, we must rescue Captain Ye. Back then, when Sister Shangguan and Captain Ye’s only heir went missing, it was my greatest responsibility. This time, we must succeed.”

His aura grew denser, destabilizing the entire Alya space. The cheongsam woman and the golden-robed man exchanged shocked glances. “Xiao Mu, you aren’t…?”

Ye Bai waited for his mother to continue, but Shangguan Yan shook her head and turned back to cooking.

Today was meant to be a day of reunion, a day of joy, but now the three around the table ate in silence, none speaking.

Ye Mu tried to cheer her mother up, attempting to make her smile, but although Shangguan Yan’s lips curved, there was no laughter in her eyes. Ye Mu looked at Ye Bai, who only buried himself in his food.

A lively evening had inexplicably become a silent one.

The next morning, Ye Bai woke and paced his room, exercising. Entering the living room, he saw a letter on the table.

“Bai, by the time you read this, Mother has already left. I don’t know how long this trip will take. I didn’t ask about your entrance exam because I believe you’ll succeed. Take care of yourself and your sister. Forgive me.”

Ye Bai noticed the paper was stained with tears, blurring several words.

He read on: “It’s not that I’m heartless, but I have to go—this research is for me. Bai, you may call me selfish. When I finish, I hope our family can truly reunite.”

At the end, Shangguan Yan had written a few more words, but they had been crossed out.

Ye Bai held the letter, gazing at his mother’s tightly closed bedroom door. His heart ached. He wiped his eyes and sat on the sofa, beginning a week of waiting for his results.