Chapter 434: 434. Wild Imagination

Translator: 549690339

As the dark clouds dispersed, the moonlight shone brightly.

Supported by the sword at his neck, Pu Cheng stared at Su Liang, his eyes ice cold.

Yet, Su Liang smiled, “What’s the matter? Are you blaming me for leading Cheng Yun astray, or mad at me for not surrendering easily? Don’t look at me like that. You don’t actually think I’m as naive as Cheng Yun used to be, do you? Oh, wait, Cheng Yun isn’t like that anymore.”

Finishing her words, Su Liang turned around, “If you truly care about Cheng Yun, choose to work with us and do the right thing. There’s still hope for your son, Sheng Yue, to see the error of his ways.”

Pu Cheng’s eyes narrowed as he watched Su Liang carry Duanmu Zhen into Yuanming Pavilion.

After thoroughly examining Duanmu Zhen and confirming she was unharmed, Su Liang instructed Ren Dong and Qi Jun to enter the palace and return the child. If they encountered Duanmu Chen, they would inform him of the situation. Since no one had come to the palace to search for her, Su Liang suspected that Sheng Yue had used sedatives, and Duanmu Zhen’s disappearance remained undiscovered.

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu hadn’t slept, but Gu Xiaonuan slumbered soundly, unaware of the events taking place outside.

When the children returned to their room upstairs, Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu, learning that the crisis had been averted, could not help but surrender to sleepiness and fell asleep soon afterward.

After settling Gu Xiaonuan, Su Liang stepped out to find Cheng Yun again sitting between the two rooms in the small hall, facing the window. No one was by the lake below, as Qiao Cong had taken Pu Cheng inside after the children and Nangong Qian Qiuyue emerged from the secret chamber.

“Do you like it here?” Su Liang asked.

Cheng Yun nodded, “Sitting here makes me feel…at peace.” It was a position from which he could protect his family, and the children were not far away.

“Go to sleep now, we can discuss other matters tomorrow,” Su Liang gently patted Cheng Yun’s shoulder.

“I’m not tired,” he shook his head slightly, “You should go.”

“Alright,” Su Liang nodded, returning to her room. She was indeed somewhat tired and needed to rest before considering how to pry open Pu Cheng’s mouth.

Su Liang wanted to praise Cheng Yun for his excellent acting, but the timing wasn’t right. He chose to confront reality and look forward, but he still needed time to digest the shock and pressure from the harsh truths.

Before she fell asleep, Su Liang calculated the days, figuring that Gu Ling would likely return within the next few days, and she could truly rest. To be honest, she felt immense pressure in Gu Ling’s absence.

Though Su Liang claimed the crisis had been temporarily resolved, Cheng Yun remained seated in the small hall, staring out of the open window. He didn’t relax until dawn approached, rubbing his weary eyes without returning to his room, afraid of disturbing the children. He finally fell asleep, laying his head on the table.

When Cheng Yun awoke the next day, he found a blanket laid over him. Folding it neatly, he carried it back to his room, where Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu had just woken up and were getting dressed.

Seeing Cheng Yun, the children both beamed, calling him “Uncle Cheng Yun.”

Cheng Yun loved the title. To the children, any older male could be called “uncle,” but “Uncle Cheng Yun” felt more personal and intimate.

After breakfast, Cheng Yun went to exercise with the children, without asking Su Liang how she planned to deal with Pu Cheng.

Chang’an was sent to Su Mansion to summon Su Liang to the palace.

“Sheng Yue is still waiting for a chance to capture me, so it’s inconvenient for me to go out now. It’s just as Ren Dong said last night, please tell His Majesty to strengthen precautions.” Su Liang said. If she left without Cheng Yun or Pu Cheng, it would be an opportune moment for Sheng Yue to strike. Although Su Liang would be on guard, she would not underestimate Sheng Yue’s cunning. After consecutive failures, his next move wouldn’t be simple.

Chang’an didn’t say anything more and went back to deliver his orders.

Learning that Su Liang would not come, Duanmu Chen sighed, “It’s for the best. With that man targeting her, she should be cautious. If she’s captured, it would be disastrous. I intended to discuss placing the children under her care, but considering the circumstances, it’s not appropriate. Gu Ling’s absence is already hard on her.”

Su Liang brought a pot of hot tea and entered the secret chamber.

Having been given soft muscle powder, Pu Cheng could now eat on his own and move slowly without being tied up.

Su Liang placed the teapot on the table and poured Pu Cheng a cup of tea. With his disguise removed, his bald head and real appearance were revealed. Regaining his calm, he held the teacup and said to Su Liang, “I know what you want to get from me. There’s no need to waste your energy.”

Su Liang took her seat, her expression indifferent. “You think I couldn’t possibly harm Cheng Yun, so you’re set on protecting Sheng Yue?”

Pu Cheng snorted lightly. “I admit, I underestimated you before. Ayue saw clearly last night that everything was a trap you set, and Yunyun was used by you. I fell for it because I believed in Yunyun. But I didn’t realize that you could change him so much in just two days.”

Su Liang shook her head. “It wasn’t me who truly changed him. It was you.”

Pu Cheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It doesn’t matter now. I know what you think of me, but that’s my child. Now that Yunyun is safe, I won’t let Ayue fall into your hands.”

Hearing this, Su Liang’s face showed a trace of ridicule. “If that’s the case, I can only guess that you two have already committed some evil deeds that led to irreparable consequences. You know that even if you and Sheng Yue choose to turn over a new leaf, you won’t be accepted by us because of your past mistakes. Am I wrong in my guess?”

Pu Cheng’s face stiffened for a moment before he concealed his gaze. “You seem to like guessing, but I don’t want to comment on your speculation.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about Sheng Yue for now.” Su Liang took out her jade pendant. “Do you recognize this?”

Pu Cheng’s gaze focused, “This is Yunyun’s jade pendant. How did you get it?”

“This one is actually his.” Su Liang took out another one. “Why do we have two identical jade pendants? I’m sure you must know something about it.”

Pu Cheng’s gaze lingered on the two violet jade pendants for a moment before he shook his head and said, “I have nothing to say.”

It seemed he really did know the origins of these two jade pendants… But Su Liang didn’t press him and instead continued with another question, “Last night, Sheng Yue said his mother, your late wife, was killed by Mo Yan. So his trip to Xingluo Island was for revenge?”

As Su Liang spoke, Pu Cheng closed his eyes. “I have nothing to say about this either.”

“Mo Yan is your enemy. Why did you help him make trouble for us? Or, maybe you and your son are not helping Mo Yan, but are trying to achieve your own ends relating to us?” Su Liang continued asking.

Pu Cheng remained silent with his eyes closed.

Su Liang changed the topic, “If I’m not wrong, your late wife was a transmigrator from another world, right?”

Upon hearing this, Pu Cheng’s eyes twitched involuntarily.

“You shouldn’t be surprised that I know certain things. This is the very reason Sheng Yue sought us out, isn’t it? What was your late wife’s profession in her previous life? Plastic Surgeon? And she taught her skills to Sheng Yue? Or did she teach you first, and then you passed it on to Sheng Yue?”

“You think Cheng Yun is safe because you believe Sheng Yue will definitely fail? Or will it be when Sheng Yue succeeds in capturing me or killing me or Gu Ling that you wonder what Cheng Yun will do? He won’t kill himself, but he will definitely fight Sheng Yue to the death. Last night was arranged by me, but him holding the sword to his own throat was not my original idea. That was what he really wanted to do, but I managed to persuade him against it. If any of you hurt anyone in this family, it will cause double the pain for Cheng Yun, and he will never let you go. You think you can protect both of your sons, but when you should have raised them properly, you didn’t fulfill your responsibility as a father. Now both of your sons have taken two opposite paths, and you can only choose one and abandon the other.”

“Ayue won’t kill you. He promised me.” Pu Cheng’s expression turned complicated as he spoke to Su Liang.

Su Liang scoffed, “So he might have wanted to kill me but you stopped him? Then you were going to help him capture me? Do I have to thank you for that?”

Pu Cheng’s face darkened, and he closed his eyes once more.

“It’s clear that you’re good at avoiding reality. Your late wife really had poor judgment in men.” Su Liang said, “I find it laughable that two days ago I actually believed you were a carefree monk. I won’t use Cheng Yun to threaten you because he’s my family. I won’t use a knife to force you either, because I know it’s useless against you. I’ll give you one more day. If you choose differently tomorrow, I’ll give you another chance.”

With that, Su Liang got up and left.

Pu Cheng opened his eyes after hearing the door close, looking at the cold tea with a bitter expression, and drank it all in one gulp.

“How did it go?” Qiao Cong asked as soon as Su Liang came out.

Su Liang shook his head, “He won’t confess.”

Qiao Cong snorted coldly, “Torture him!”

“Such methods won’t work on him. There’s no need to waste our energy,” Su Liang shook her head.

“Then that’s it?” Qiao Cong felt that it was not easy to capture an enemy and confirm that he knew some key secrets, so it was essential to get the information out as soon as possible.

“We can’t act too hastily,” Su Liang said, “I’ll think some more about what to do.”

That night, Su Liang came to the underground secret chamber again.

The chanting Pu Cheng, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, stood up, “You should know my stance by now.”

“I suddenly remembered something I asked you about during the day, whether your late wife was a plastic surgeon in her past life. You should know that Nian Ruxue’s impersonation of Yan Shiba has been exposed,” Su Liang said.

Pu Cheng showed no reaction.

“Today, I interrogated Nian Ruxue again. She’s different from you; she’s afraid of death and revealed some important information. She said that she was arranged by Mo Yan to follow Sheng Yue and even bore him a son. That child is now on Xingluo Island,” Su Liang looked at Pu Cheng and asked, “Are you and your son being controlled by Mo Yan because of the child that Nian Ruxue gave birth to?”

Pu Cheng was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, “Yes. My grandson is in Mo Yan’s hands.”

Su Liang: …Pu Cheng’s mind really isn’t as sharp as Sheng Yue’s, has he never thought that she might be lying to deceive him?

But even though it was a lie, it was still something that Nian Ruxue had said in person. And if Nian Ruxue’s relationship with Sheng Yue was as described, she would not change her story as it would make her even more valuable.

“The grandson of your dreams?” Su Liang sneered, “Nian Ruxue never said she had an affair with Sheng Yue; I made that up just now.”

Pu Cheng’s expression stiffened, then his eyes filled with rage, “Enough! I never thought you could be so cunning and deceitful! If you’re going to kill me, just do it and cut the crap!”

Being labelled “cunning and deceitful” by someone with no moral bottom line didn’t make Su Liang angry; on the contrary, she felt it was a compliment: synonyms for it were resourceful and intelligent, which, when put more nicely, meant exceptionally smart.

Dealing with someone like Pu Cheng, who has brains but not enough, conscience but not much, and has a face but can’t always show it, was easy, because Pu Cheng’s weaknesses had already been exposed.

At this moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside, “Xiaoliang, Sheng Yue is here again!”

Pu Cheng frowned, and Su Liang cursed, “Seeking death!” As she spoke, she stared into Pu Cheng’s eyes, “I wonder who your son caught today to threaten me. I think with his intelligence, he’ll aim for me, not really caring about your life or death, but it’s not certain.” After saying so, she knocked Pu Cheng unconscious.

Qiao Cong opened the door, grabbed Pu Cheng and dragged him out.

As daybreak neared, Pu Cheng slowly came to, feeling a pain in the back of his neck and weakness in his limbs. He pushed himself up with his arms and found himself in a forest.

Morning fog blurred his vision, and all he could see were the trees seemingly floating in the sea of mist.

“Ayue.” Pu Cheng looked at Sheng Yue, who was sitting with his back facing him by a tree not far away. Sheng Yue’s black cape hung on the ground, and there were two blood-stained nails beside him.

“Hm.” Sheng Yue replied without looking back.

“I’m sorry…” Pu Cheng sighed deeply. “You were injured trying to save me again. I should have listened to you the night before.”

“It’s not fatal.” Sheng Yue said in a low tone.

Pu Cheng sat down cross-legged and took a deep breath of the cool air. “Nian Ruxue is useless, and Su Liang has already found out about her. Don’t ever go looking for her again.”

Sheng Yue responded again.

“Su Liang… she’s infuriating! Before you went last night, she actually told me that Nian Ruxue claimed to be arranged by Mo Yan to follow you and even gave birth to a son for you on Xingluo Island. She asked if it was because that child was controlled by Mo Yan that we were working for him!” Pu Cheng said coldly.

Sheng Yue spoke calmly, “Did Father admit it at the time?”

Pu Cheng frowned, “I thought Nian Ruxue really said that, and admitting it could confuse Su Liang, which would benefit you. I didn’t expect it to be all made up by Su Liang. She is too cunning!”

“I’m not surprised,” Sheng Yue said.

The atmosphere fell silent, and only the sound of the cool wind blowing through the trees could be heard. The thick fog flowed and surged like water with the wind.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about what our family would look like if Mother were still alive.” Sheng Yue’s tone floated with the morning mist, light and faint, but it draped a heavy sadness over Pu Cheng’s expression.

After a while, Pu Cheng finally spoke, his voice heavy. “Su Liang has guessed that your mother is a transmigrator. Even because of Nian Ruxue, Su Liang guessed what your mother did in her past life, and it seems that she knows everything about Gu Ling. If your mother were still alive…” Pu Cheng looked lost and sighed, “Then our family would have been able to live happily together for the past twenty years, instead of not even having a home like we are now.”

“Is that so?” Sheng Yue asked quietly.

Pu Cheng’s face turned ugly, “What do you mean? I know that when your mother died, you were already not young and knew a lot. Your mother used to be set on going back, but it doesn’t mean she didn’t love me or you and Yunyun. She just couldn’t let go of her family there. She said as long as she could find a way back, she could always come back! She could even take us to her world to start a new life together! Haven’t you been following Mo Yan all these years to find that way, to go to the world your mother was talking about?”

Sheng Yue was silent for a moment and then sighed softly, “Is there really such a way…”

“Who knows… Mo Yan came from Xingluo Island, and he’s been guarding the place he came from his whole life, longing to return, but he’s too afraid of death to take the gamble.” Pu Cheng’s tone was icy as he mentioned Mo Yan, “He used people from this side to explore, and they all died, but he’s been looking for his kind to help him explore the road. After your mother died, it took him so many years to find just one Gu Ling. Even if Mo Yan knew that Gu Ling was his grandson-in-law, he wouldn’t give up. But Gu Ling is too troublesome. It’s impossible for him to abandon everything here, and the biggest obstacle is Su Liang. Mo Yan originally wanted to kill Su Liang and sever Gu Ling’s ties, but it all failed. In my opinion, you should stay away for now. Some things Mo Yan will do himself, and when the time is right, you can intervene.”

Sheng Yue fell silent once more. After a long while, he spoke, “Father hopes that I will leave and find the place where my mother came from, doesn’t he?”

Pu Cheng looked up at the sky, his eyes distant. “Now that things have come to this, I will tell you honestly. I haven’t stopped you all these years or even secretly helped you because what you want to do is what I’ve always wanted but never dared to do… Su Liang was right, I’m the best at escaping. You’re not like me. You’re like your mother, not afraid of taking risks and sacrificing everything for what you want.”

As Pu Cheng finished speaking, he stood up from the ground. The effect of the sedatives hadn’t worn off yet, and he walked unsteadily toward Sheng Yue. “You…”

“Sheng Yue”, with both hands intact, choked Pu Cheng’s neck!

Pu Cheng’s face turned ashen, and he saw a familiar slender figure emerge from the thick fog, accompanied by Su Liang’s cold, misty voice. “Uncle Pu Cheng, I told you last night, your eldest son doesn’t care about you. How can you not believe it? Ajun, you did well. I have to find some more treasures to give you as wedding gifts.”

Qi Jun, who had perfectly impersonated Sheng Yue once again, smiled faintly, “It’s all thanks to my master’s teachings.” In fact, he was still shocked by the secrets Su Liang had shared with him the night before and the words Pu Cheng had just said. However, it didn’t affect his perfect performance under Su Liang’s guidance, trapping Pu Cheng into revealing important information before being exposed.

Su Liang looked at Pu Cheng, who was almost vomiting blood from anger, her expression indifferent. “A way back? What a wild dream. But now I know that the woman you’ve been so devoted to all these years, even though she followed you and gave birth to two sons for you, still wanted to return with all her heart. Pu Cheng, every time I see you, you become even more ridiculous. Ajun, bring him with us. Let’s go.”