Sidekick Fights Back (Married The Protagonist’s Mother)-90. The return
Su Kang and the others exchanged confused glances.
The Barren Lands? The ancestor's orders?
Nothing about her explanation made conventional sense.
Su Hua seemed to read their thoughts. She shook her head with a faint, wry smile. "Honestly, I don't know the exact reason either. Grandfather was very secretive about the real purpose of his mission." She took another sip of tea, her expression growing more thoughtful. "He spent most of his time traveling between the different tribes, just collecting information. He was learning their histories. He even tried to establish friendly relationships."
"But why?" Su Liang commented, his brow furrowed. "The tribes of the Barren Lands are extremely hostile to outsiders."
"It was hard in the beginning," Su Hua confirmed. "They avoided any connections with us. Most of our attempts were met with suspicion. But," she paused, her eyes meeting Su Liang's, "when we explained that our Su clan's origins were also in the tribal lands, a few of the smaller tribes became friendlier. They decided to establish a tentative connection with us."
"Why would the ancestor do that?" Su Feng said, lost in thought. "I just don't understand the purpose of going there."
"It might be for information gathering," Su Liang reasoned. "And don't forget, when the first ancestor came to Jiang State, he was already a Core Formation cultivator. The Barren Lands can't be completely devoid of opportunities. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for our ancestors too."
Su Feng nodded at his words. "And what about Wanguo State? Why did you go there?" he asked.
"That was also mostly because of Grandpa," Su Hua replied. "We were close to its borders, and I was looking forward to seeing it. But it turned into a bad experience for me." A flicker of frustration crossed her face. "I didn't expect there would be so many annoying flies. I had to hide my face most of the time."
Su Liang laughed a little. "Whenever you travel outside, you should hide your face. Here, your surname keeps people away, but they won't recognize it in other states."
Su Kang watched her, a warm, reassuring smile touching his lips. "Sister Hua, I will prepare something for you. You don't have to look for opportunities now. Just prepare yourself and wait a little while."
She laughed, a clear, bright sound that filled the room. "Little Brother, you are always so thoughtful." Her gaze softened with genuine affection. "But you don't have to worry about this elder sister of yours. I still haven't given up. You just focus on your own matters."
She didn't want Su Kang to bear her burden. He just smiled and didn't say anything further. He would wait until the pills were ready.
"Su Hua," Su Liang then said, his tone shifting. "I need to tell you something about Su Feng. I want you to talk with him later. He isn't listening to me, but I believe your words will have an effect on him."
"Hmm? What's this about?" Su Hua frowned. Her gaze immediately shifted to Su Feng.
Su Feng shot a glare at his cousin. "You don't have to worry about this," he said, his voice tight with irritation. "I know what I'm doing. Sister, it's nothing serious. Let me handle it."
"Alright," Su Hua said, her eyes still on Su Feng. "I won't ask Brother Liang anything more about it." She then turned back to Su Feng, her expression softening. "But I will be waiting for your explanation." She gave a firm nod. With that matter settled, she placed her empty cup on the table. "Now, Brother Liang, tell me what else has happened in my absence."
For the next hour, Su Liang and Su Feng gave her a thorough accounting of all the important events that had transpired.
…
In the main study, Su Jinhai sat across from an old man. Though his hair and beard were white, his physique was still strong and imposing. A jade scroll rested on the table between them. The old man pushed it towards Su Jinhai with a weathered hand.
"This is what you wanted," the old man said, his face a stern mask.
"Uncle Li, thank you for your hard work," Su Jinhai replied, taking the scroll and placing it carefully into his storage ring. He looked at the elder, a rare, hopeful light in his eyes. "Uncle Li, I have good news. We finally have a means to get Core Formation Pills. You don't have to worry about Hua'er's cultivation anymore."
The stern expression on the old man's face finally cracked, replaced by a flicker of stunned surprise. Su Jinhai then gave him a brief summary of the new secret realm.
"Uncle Li, it was thanks to Su Kang that we got this opportunity," Su Jinhai said, his voice lowering slightly. "Can't you forgive him now?"
In the past, Su Hua had given her own opportunity for a breakthrough to Su Kang. Grandpa Li had objected fiercely but failed to stop her. Since that incident, he had ceased all interaction with Su Kang to show his dissatisfaction.
"Hmph." Grandpa Li snorted, turning his head away. "That brat has yet to seriously apologize to me."
Su Jinhai smiled wryly and shook his head with a soft sigh. He didn't say anything more. According to him, Su Kang had already apologized enough.
As evening began to cast long, cool shadows, everyone returned to their own courtyards.
…
Su Kang sat in his room, his expression thoughtful.
It seems Grandpa Li's mission was to establish connections with tribes in the Barren Lands. Was it for resources? Perhaps the ancestor was worried about the clan's younger generation. With the harvested spiritual herbs, that worry should be lessened. We just need to find a way to refine two or three pills for now,
he mused.
"Fate, is there any other way to get more destiny?" Su Kang asked lazily in his mind.
"I have already told you all possible methods," Fate's voice echoed. "Bask in the destiny of Heaven's Chosen. Form relationships with those who have high destiny. Acquire spiritual artifacts, pills, or rare items formed by the blessings of Heaven. You currently have access to none of these."
"Fate, what you did to me on Earth… absorbing a person's destiny directly. Is that possible to do again?" Su Kang asked. He had been contemplating this for a long time. If he could take it directly from people, things would be much easier.
"It is possible, but they would die as you did. Such an act is also easily noticed by the heavens, and the target would feel something was wrong during the process. They would not simply sit and allow it. Furthermore, it cannot be done to individuals who play a significant role in the grand scheme of things."
"So it can be done," Su Kang smiled.
"Do not expect too much from this method," Fate warned. "It is dangerous. You will have to kill someone, and there is no guarantee of how much you will gain."
"Don't worry," Su Kang said with a satisfied smile. "I'm not going to kill people for no reason. I was just wondering if, when I'm already going to kill someone, it's possible to absorb their destiny. As long as it's possible for ordinary cultivators, I don't need to worry about the details."
Fate said nothing more. It could tell Su Kang beforehand if absorption was possible for a target. The rest would depend on Su Kang's ability to subdue or best them for the process.
"Alright, that's good." He stood up, a new resolve in his eyes. "A week has passed. I shall visit Yunxi and congratulate her on her breakthrough. The time has also come to slowly introduce her to others. I can't hide her forever," he murmured.
Su Kang went to her courtyard, which was surrounded by a dense bamboo grove. He directly dismissed the maids as he stepped inside, gesturing for them to leave their posts.
His steps were quiet as he moved towards her study chamber. He entered the study without a sound.
Bai Yunxi sat at a large darkwood desk, her posture elegant even in deep concentration. Her world had narrowed to the jade scroll unfurled before her. Several other scrolls and beast-skin parchments were stacked neatly to one side. The soft glow of a spirit-stone lamp cast a warm light on her focused expression. She was completely engrossed in the texts.
Su Kang moved silently across the room. He approached her from behind, carefully concealing his presence, a playful smirk touching his lips. He bent low. Then, his arms shot out, wrapping around her waist in a firm, sudden embrace.
A jolt of pure panic shot through her. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Her body went rigid, a gasp catching in her throat as her mind instantly went on high alert, preparing for a fight.
Then she felt his lips pressed a warm kiss against the soft skin of her neck, just below her ear. A familiar warmth, a familiar scent.
The tension drained out of her in a rush. She relaxed into his hold, a shaky sigh escaping her. It was her husband.
“Yunxi, I missed you,” Su Kang whispered, his voice a low, intimate murmur right beside her ear. His arms tightened around her, pulling her back against the solid warmth of his chest.
For a moment, she simply leaned into the embrace, her own hands coming up to rest on his forearms. She twisted slightly in his grip, turning her head to glare at him over her shoulder.
“You… why did you come in like this?” she admonished, her voice a sharp whisper, laced with a mixture of lingering fear and fresh anger. “You should have announced your presence. I was afraid for a moment there!”
---
Author’s thoughts:
I’d be happy if any of you want to join me on Discord for chapter feedback. I thought a lot before finally deciding to write this. I’m debating whether to show Fate’s flashback now or wait — I wasted a few days just over that. I don’t have anyone to discuss things like this with. If anyone would like to be a beta reader or help me with decisions like this, I’d be really grateful.
90. The return
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