secret

The door was pushed open, and Long Tianxiao and Madam Long walked in. Seeing that Long Chen was already able to sit up, they couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"How is your recovery?"

Long Tianxiao walked to Long Chen's side, checked his complexion, and asked.

"Basically, I've recovered quite well," Long Chen said, rolling his shoulders. After his Fengfu Star had Advanced into a star, his recovery ability was shockingly powerful. After waking up from his sleep, his body had completely recovered.

"By the way, Dad, how are your injuries?" Long Chen asked with concern. Although Long Chen had experienced an intense battle, his injuries weren't severe, whereas Long Tianxiao had been injured more heavily.

Long Tianxiao smiled slightly and said, "They are no longer an issue. The Alchemist Association sent over many Medicinal Pills, and the new president personally treated my wounds. I will be fully recovered in a few days."

Speaking of this, Long Tianxiao was filled with pride in his heart. What kind of existence was the Alchemist Association? That they treated the Long family like this was entirely because of Long Chen.

"Chen'er, these past three days, Mother has been worried to death. Let Mother see if you've lost weight." Madam Long finally had a chance to interject, reaching out to touch Long Chen's cheek.

Long Chen couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration. Seeing that his father also had a strange expression, Long Chen laughed and said, "Mother, if you want to see if I've lost weight, you'll have to pick me up to know."

Long Tianxiao and Chu Yao couldn't help but chuckle. Madam Long said with a hint of feigned anger, "You child, how have you become so impudent, joking with your mother? You aren't in open-crotch pants anymore; how could Mother possibly pick you up now?"

The family was happy and harmonious. Seeing Long Chen's complexion was very good, not at all like someone who had gone through a great battle and suffered heavy injuries, Long Tianxiao felt relieved.

While feeling relieved, he was also secretly shocked. This body's recovery ability was truly horrifying, comparable to a Demonic Beast.

"By the way, how are Xiao Xue and A'man?" Long Chen suddenly asked.

"That child A'man is simply a monster. He endured so many Bone-Eroding Nails and actually only fell into a deep sleep for one night before waking up. As soon as he woke up, he said he was starving and ate everything in the house that could be eaten. He has already run off to the pasture in the suburbs," Madam Long said.

Having experienced this great disaster, Madam Long already considered A'man as her own child, so she didn't need to have any reservations when speaking.

Long Chen smiled slightly, knowing that the liquid given to him by the expert from the Spirit Realm had taken effect. That liquid contained a very rich life force and was extremely precious.

If Long Chen's estimation was correct, it was very likely a trace of that expert's life Origin. This gift could not be considered light.

With A'man's body, having received such powerful nourishment, it was only natural that he recovered quickly.

Although his body had recovered, having been tortured for so long, he needed to replenish a large amount of energy to activate his body. That kid must have gone to eat meat crazily again.

"As for Xiao Xue, I don't know how its recovery is going. We arranged a house for it, but it won't let anyone approach," Madam Long said.

"Haha, let's go and take a look."

Long Chen tidied his clothes and arrived at a side room in the Long residence. One wall of the room had been dismantled.

Because Xiao Xue's size was too massive, it couldn't enter through the door. From afar, one could see Xiao Xue lying on the ground.

"Wuu."

Before Long Chen could get close, Xiao Xue, who had been lying on the ground feigning sleep, suddenly opened its eyes and lunged over like a whirlwind.

Madam Long was given a fright and almost screamed. Facing such a behemoth, anyone would feel instinctive fear; even Long Tianxiao felt immense pressure.

Long Chen laughed heartily and hugged Xiao Xue's large head, saying, "It looks like you've recovered quite a bit."

He spread out his Soul power to probe into Xiao Xue's body and discovered that Xiao Xue's shattered bones had all healed, though they hadn't fully knitted together yet, as there were still cracks in many places.

However, Long Chen's Medicinal Pills were all Advanced Medicinal Pills with very powerful effects. Coupled with Xiao Xue's own powerful recovery ability, there was no longer any serious problem.

"You've just recovered from a major injury, so you need to take it easy. You can't engage in strenuous exercise, understand?" Long Chen said while rubbing Xiao Xue's head.

"Wuu wuu." Xiao Xue rubbed its head against Long Chen's chest.

Watching Xiao Xue acting as obediently as a puppy, Madam Long couldn't help but ask curiously, "Chen'er, can it understand what you say?"

"Mm, more or less. I raised it from a young age, so it can understand what I mean," Long Chen explained.

In reality, Xiao Xue could not understand Long Chen's words, but there was a connection between their Souls, so it could sense and understand Long Chen's meaning.

Similarly, Long Chen could also read some of Xiao Xue's emotions, but this was not language and could not be that precise.

"Where did you get it? Why didn't I know?" Madam Long was stunned.

"Haha, this was sent to me by someone entrusted by Meng Qi," Long Chen answered casually. However, halfway through his sentence, he saw his mother winking desperately at him.

Clearly, she was reminding Long Chen not to mention Meng Qi in front of Chu Yao. Madam Long regretted her own loose tongue.

"Mother? You changed your form of address so quickly?" Long Chen said with an expression of disbelief.

As soon as Long Chen said this, Chu Yao's pretty face instantly turned red. Madam Long pulled Chu Yao over and said fiercely to Long Chen, "Kid, let me tell you, Chu Yao is my first daughter-in-law. If you dare to let her suffer any grievances, I won't spare you."

Madam Long's words were very skillful. The use of "first" was commendable and made people feel comfortable. Long Chen admired her immensely in his heart.

Long Chen looked at his mother and then at Chu Yao without saying anything, just laughing foolishly, which made Chu Yao want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Alright, now that the Long family has cleared the storm and everything is in the past, it's rare for the family to be together. Let's have a good meal," Long Tianxiao said.

For Long Tianxiao, who had been fighting abroad for many years, being able to eat a meal with his family was an unattainable thing.

Soon, the servants prepared a sumptuous feast. However, seeing that most of them were new faces, Long Chen couldn't help but be surprised.

"Your father replaced them all," Madam Long explained.

"Why?"

"You child, you are usually so smart, why are you so stupid at a time like this? They have followed our Long family for so many years and have always been loyal. This time, they were implicated so heavily and almost lost their lives. Our Long family owes them too much. Your father gave each of them a large sum of money, enough for them to live a life without worries for the rest of their lives. This can be considered compensation for them. However, there were some who were unwilling to leave, so we let them stay. In any case, we have kept this gratitude in our hearts," Madam Long sighed and said.

These servants had no blood relation to the Long family, yet when the Long family was down and out, they did not abandon them.

Yet, his own maternal family, who were clearly his own flesh and blood, had persecuted them so severely. In comparison, it really made one sigh with emotion.

Seeing the melancholy on Madam Long's face, Long Chen and Long Tianxiao exchanged glances and quickly changed the subject to talk about happy things, which soon diluted Madam Long's melancholy mood.

"Dad, I'll toast you a cup."

Long Chen held a large bowl of wine and said to Long Tianxiao, "For our family reunion, let's finish a bowl!"

Long Tianxiao laughed heartily and also picked up his wine bowl, clinking it with Long Chen's. Chu Yao and Madam Long also picked up their wine bowls, and happy smiles appeared on all four of their faces.

Long Chen and Long Tianxiao drank it in one gulp, while Madam Long and Chu Yao clearly couldn't handle their liquor. After one sip, Chu Yao's jade-like face flushed, and her autumn-water-like eyes shimmered, adding to her beauty.

"That child A'man has been out for two days, why hasn't he come back yet?" Madam Long felt a bit uncomfortable with A'man missing.

"Haha, it's fine. A'man hasn't returned, so it must be because he hasn't eaten his fill yet. Don't worry," Long Chen laughed.

"Dad, what is the current situation in the Imperial Capital?" Long Chen asked while pouring wine for Long Tianxiao.

"It's quite calm. Originally, Fengming's biggest opponent was Great Xia, but Great Xia is already in a chaotic mess. The prince was assassinated, and now several people in power are crazily fighting for the throne. Even if they eventually establish a new emperor, they will have suffered heavy damage to their Origin Qi and won't be able to threaten Fengming. As for Fengming, the other princes have already withdrawn from the competition for the throne. The Seventh Prince has been recommended as the Crown Prince and is in charge of the court," Long Tianxiao said after taking a sip of wine.

The other princes were all good-for-nothings, but they weren't stupid. Because no one could compete with the Seventh Prince, as he had a sister who was an expert at the Tendon-Transformation Realm behind him.

Furthermore, who didn't know about the relationship between Chu Yao and Long Chen? With the Long family as backing, anyone who didn't want to die wouldn't go to fight for the throne.

Since they couldn't fight, why not do a favor? The other princes shouted their support for Chu Feng to ascend the throne, and thus everything became logical.

"Come, Imperial Sister, I'll toast you a cup. Having a brother-in-law who is an emperor is really exciting," Long Chen looked at Chu Yao and suddenly said with a mischievous smile.

"You bad guy," Chu Yao said with slight anger, glaring at Long Chen with her beautiful eyes, causing the three of them to burst into laughter.

"You brat, you are not allowed to bully Chu Yao," Madam Long suppressed her laughter and scolded lightly.

To alleviate Chu Yao's anger, Madam Long exposed some of Long Chen's embarrassing stories from when he was a child. This time, it was Long Chen's turn to have a look of helplessness, which made Chu Yao giggle non-stop. The meal was eaten very happily and warmly.

After the meal, Long Chen hesitated for a long time before biting the bullet and saying, "Dad, Mother, I want to go and see the outside world."

Madam Long's smile vanished instantly, and Chu Yao was also stunned. Only Long Tianxiao seemed to have expected this result long ago, and his expression remained calm.

The whole family fell into silence. Madam Long said with a trembling voice, "Chen'er, do you really want to leave this home?"

Long Chen lowered his head. He dared not look at his mother's sorrowful eyes. The family had just reunited, and this topic was truly too heavy.

But Long Chen really wanted to go and see the outside world. His dream lover was in the outside world. The Spirit Realm, the Pill Valley, and that figure from his dreams that could destroy the heavens and earth all clearly told him that his future was not in Fengming.

"Mm, I plan to take Chu Yao and A'man with me," Long Chen felt as if he couldn't even hear his own voice. His heart was aching.

Hearing Long Chen say this, Chu Yao was visibly relieved, but looking at Madam Long's heartbroken expression, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"The child has grown up and should be allowed to decide his own future. We must learn to let go," Long Tianxiao, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly said.

"Chen'er, since you have decided, I will tell you a secret."

"Long Tianxiao, you…" Madam Long suddenly stood up and looked at Long Tianxiao with a face full of anger, which gave Long Chen a fright.

In his impression, his parents were like guests to each other and had never turned red-faced. But today, his mother's reaction was so intense that it left Long Chen in a daze.

"He has the right to know the truth," Long Tianxiao said firmly, looking at his wife.

"You…, Long Tianxiao, I hate you." Madam Long suddenly burst into tears and turned to run out.

Seeing this, Chu Yao hurriedly followed her out, leaving only the father and son behind for a moment.