SOL Chapter 16
by Volare# Mother of Demons (Part 1)
# Mother of Demons (Part 1)
Zhou Ci Hua only encountered some low-level, enlightened demons in the main residence. Upon receiving his junior brother’s telepathic message, he immediately knew something was wrong, realizing the main residence was merely a decoy for the true location.
However, when he followed the signals sent by his junior brother and sister, he found chaos inside the house.
His usually innocent and cheerful junior brother’s voice was filled with anger, bordering on trembling: “Shameless, unreasonable!”
With one hand, he held his sword. With the other, he roughly grabbed the youth on the ground by his long hair, pulling him up. The sword tip pointed directly at the youth’s abdomen, which he was desperately protecting: “You are willing to submit to a demon, bearing his offspring! Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and extract this abomination!”
Even the most kind-hearted junior sister stood silently to the side, her expression dark and unclear.
Zhou Ci Hua didn’t know what had happened but sensed that the youth was not a demon. The demonic energy came from the demonic seed within his womb.
Seeing this, he immediately stepped forward to stop him: “Stop!”
Zhou Ci Hua was influential among the Sword Pavilion disciples. Hearing this, the junior brother wanted to say something but released the youth’s hair, retreating a few steps with pent-up anger. Seeing this, Zhou Ci Hua immediately checked the youth’s condition. When their eyes met, he was momentarily stunned: “Junior Brother?”
They had been separated for years. He never expected to meet again under such circumstances.
The usually calm and taciturn Li Shan now looked lost and uneasy. Seeing Zhou Ci Hua reach out, he clutched his pregnant belly and retreated until his back was against the wall of the small house, anxiously avoiding his gaze.
Li Shan’s collar was torn open during the struggle, revealing the copper bell hanging on his chest. His snow-white chest was fuller due to the pregnancy, and the red tassels swayed back and forth, truly a beautiful sight.
Zhou Ci Hua slightly averted his eyes and reached out to readjust his collar, asking in a soothing tone: “Do you remember who I am?”
Li Shan remained silent. Zhou Ci Hua softly asked again, “Do you remember who you are? Your name is Li Shan, do you remember?”
Li Shan initially wanted to remain silent to buy time, waiting for Li Huai Su to return, but when Zhou Ci Hua spoke that name, he suddenly felt a splitting headache.
He raised his hand to cover his ears, shouting in an almost shrill voice: “Don’t say it!”
The junior brother finally couldn’t bear it anymore, angrily shouting at Zhou Ci Hua: “Senior Brother, you were punished to Between the Surging Waves by Lin Que for saving him. He, on the other hand, has been carefree, acting as a delicate wife and cohabitating with demons to the point of pregnancy. Are you still going to protect him?”
The junior sister also said, “Senior Brother, judging by the months of his pregnancy, he’s about to give birth. We all know the dangers of a demonic fetus being born. We can’t let it go unchecked.”
Zhou Ci Hua stood up, like a silent mountain, firmly blocking Li Shan.
He took a deep breath, saying each word clearly: “If we directly extract the demonic fetus from his womb, I’m afraid he won’t survive either. He has no memory or awareness right now. He is probably a victim too. It’s better to take him back to Cui Wei Sword Pavilion for further action.”
Hearing Zhou Ci Hua defend Li Shan, the junior brother immediately retorted: “Senior Brother, can’t you see his current, debased state of abandoning himself to depravity? Lin Que died suddenly that day and Li Shan disappeared. Although the Sword Pavilion hasn’t announced it, we all know they died under the blade of Enraged Sea Rising Tide. It’s clear that Li Huai Su broke into the Sword Pavilion and abducted Li Shan. The demonic fetus in Li Shan’s womb is probably the result of their incestuous relationship!”
The two sides were at a stalemate. The junior brother ignored Zhou Ci Hua’s obstruction and pressed down on Li Shan again, ready to act.
“Senior Brother, I know you are kind. Since you can’t do it, I’ll do it!”
Before he could finish his sentence, several terrifying sword energies came crashing down from outside, the flimsy door of the small house instantly turning into dust, heading straight for the junior brother. Even a graze would shred a large portion of his flesh.
Zhou Ci Hua reacted quickly, immediately using a hand seal and drawing his sword, forcefully blocking this violent attack.
As the dust settled, a tall figure walked slowly in from the breached wall.
Zhou Ci Hua’s body was almost paralyzed by the sword energy. Seeing the face of the newcomer, he immediately turned cold: “Li… Huai… Su.”
The remaining two people froze upon hearing this name, their hands on their swords almost trembling.
Turning around slowly, they saw Li Huai Su wearing plain white robes, a hint of sarcasm on his face. He had rushed back in such a hurry that his hair was slightly disheveled, but it didn’t detract from his elegant demeanor. He showed no signs of having entered demonic cultivation.
Li Huai Su looked at the junior brother, his smile growing colder: “You only dare to strike a helpless person. You’re scared like this when you see me. What courage.”
As the words fell, blood gurgled from the junior brother’s mouth and nose, and he fell to the ground. He was staring at Li Shan with wide open eyes even in death, bleeding from all seven orifices, Li Shan could barely make a sound.
The long sword in his hand rolled to Li Shan’s feet. Li Shan silently stared at the snow-white blade, feeling a moment of familiarity.
In Liuyuan, Li Huai Su never let him touch these sharp objects. Once, out of curiosity, he touched the scabbard of Li Huai Su’s sword but somehow angered him.
Zhou Ci Hua decisively said to the junior sister: “Leave quickly. I can hold him off for a while.”
Knowing that she would only be a burden, the junior sister glanced at Zhou Ci Hua and immediately turned to leave.
Li Huai Su barely spared her a glance. She wouldn’t be able to leave Liuyuan anyway.
However, after hearing Zhou Ci Hua’s righteous words, he tilted his head at Zhou Ci Hua in confusion: “Zhou Ci Hua, how many moves do you think you can last against me? Who do you think you can protect?”
Zhou Ci Hua knew that his talent and swordsmanship were inferior to Li Huai Su. He forced a wry smile: “I hope you will be generous enough to enlighten me.”
Li Huai Su sneered, his long sword appearing like a snake. Three moves had already passed in a flash of lightning, and Zhou Ci Hua was already struggling just to defend.
“No progress at all.” Li Huai Su gave a mocking comment, his sword light like snow, revealing fatal moves.
However, this strike failed to cut Zhou Ci Hua down. Instead, it was met with a tremendous sword energy.
Li Shan held his sword horizontally in front of him, blocking Zhou Ci Hua. Li Huai Su met Li Shan’s eyes, unable to read any emotion from his light-colored eyes.
“Go.”
The male disciple hadn’t participated in the Sword Cleansing Ceremony yet, and the sword he carried was just an ordinary disciple sword. The sword was weak and couldn’t withstand the clash of energies between the two Lis. It broke into pieces after just ten moves.
Li Shan’s body, like this broken sword, couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed. He simply closed his eyes, as if offering his neck to be slaughtered.
Li Huai Su forcibly stopped his sword, Enraged Sea Rising Tide pressing on Li Shan’s shoulder. His emotions surged, almost forcing a question from his throat: “When did you remember?”
Li Shan lowered his eyes, supporting his body with difficulty, his breath intermittent: “Just now. I lost. Kill me.”
Li Huai Su blurted out the same question that Tian Chang had asked him that day: “Why would I kill you?”
Li Shan said each word slowly: “If I hadn’t shamelessly seduced you, how could my brother have committed such an absurd act?”
Li Huai Su felt a thunderclap in his ears, his whole body trembling, even the hand holding the sword was shaking.
He never thought that one day he would be unable to hold his own sword.
Li Huai Su suppressed himself and withdrew his sword. He had no doubt that if he didn’t, Li Shan would directly crash into his sword.
He took a deep breath, his dark eyes fixed on Li Shan, almost on the verge of rage: “You call this absurd? You call this an absurd act?”
Looking at the almost crazed Li Huai Su, Li Shan felt the demonic blood in his body churning as well, but he didn’t want to say anything more.
Li Huai Su was always clever. How could he not know the things that Li Shan understood?
It was just burying his head in the sand, deceiving himself.
Li Shan held his bulging belly and clumsily knelt down, making a gesture of prostration, saying very seriously: “Brother, everything is my fault.”
Li Huai Su stared blankly at Li Shan, a feeling of indescribable powerlessness spreading in his heart.
He had known this day would come, hadn’t he? The fairest spring dreams leave no trace. The King of Xiang was willing, but the goddess was indifferent.
Now it was just him reaping what he sowed, getting what he asked for.
Li Huai Su didn’t say a word, but Li Shan felt the demonic blood surging more violently in his body.
Almost the next moment, he suddenly felt a large gush of warm liquid uncontrollably flowing between his legs, wetting his underpants and the hem of his clothes. The liquid spread, pooling into a puddle on the cold floor.
Li Shan could barely straighten his back, but he saw Li Huai Su slowly step forward, the black tip of his boots falling into his line of sight.
Li Huai Su knelt on one knee, supporting Li Shan’s upper arm to help him sit up. Li Shan didn’t have much strength. When he met Li Huai Su’s eyes, he felt a moment of terror.
Li Huai Su had reverted to his usual gentle and amiable manner in front of others, as if nothing had happened between him and Li Shan. He reached out to tidy Li Shan’s collar. He looked at Li Shan, his eyes filled with an unusual tenderness, saying to himself: “Your water broke. Let’s go back, let’s go back to the Demon World.”
Li Shan reluctantly shook his head. Li Huai Su pretended not to see it and forcefully pressed the back of Li Shan’s head, pulling him into his arms.
In a daze, Li Shan felt a warmth on his shoulder.
The residents of Peach Blossom Village awoke the next day to find that the once-lavish Liuyuan had once again become withered and dilapidated, as if it had been abandoned for decades, causing them to be terrified.
This incident was also recorded in the local county annals. Later generations spoke of it as the work of gods and ghosts, a fleeting dream.
*
Li Huai Su brought Li Shan back to the Joyful Heaven and ran into Tian Chang, so he bluntly and confidently told Tian Chang to prepare: “He’s going into labor.”
Li Huai Su wrapped Li Shan tightly in his outer robe, not revealing a single inch. Tian Chang insisted on coming closer to see.
Reaching out to lift the cloth covering Li Shan’s face, he saw that although Li Shan’s face was pale due to the impending birth, his figure looked healthy. Clearly, Li Huai Su had taken good care of him during this time.
Demons already have difficulty procreating, so they naturally wouldn’t care about trivial matters like whose child it was.
Seeing that Li Shan looked much better than when he was in the Joyful Heaven, Tian Chang suddenly felt a sourness tinged with a desire to win: “You’re quite capable, pretending to be a gentleman all the time. How long has it been since you took him away, and he’s already pregnant?”
Li Huai Su was silent for a moment. Seeing that Tian Chang was unreliable and unusable, he planned to settle Li Shan on the soft couch and find the witch doctor of the Heavenly Demon Clan himself.
Tian Chang inexplicably felt that he was being looked down upon by Li Huai Su, so he took the initiative to act.
Perhaps because Li Huai Su had taken such good care of Li Shan during his pregnancy, carefully following the doctor’s orders for diet and activities, this birth was much smoother than the first. Li Shan remained conscious until the baby’s loud cries echoed in the palace.
Li Huai Su finally breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Li Shan was safe.
Tian Chang cleared out a quiet and secluded courtyard in the Joyful Heaven for Li Shan, and the decorations were all according to Li Shan’s preferences.
Li Shan was weak after giving birth, his face pale, with a thick layer of weariness. He softly asked Li Huai Su: “Where’s the child?”
Li Huai Su reached out to brush away the wet hair on his forehead, saying softly: “I was afraid the crying would disturb your rest, so I had someone take him away.”
Li Shan stared at Li Huai Su’s dark eyes, as if looking into a silent ancient well, remaining silent for a few seconds before saying: “You’re afraid I’ll strangle him.”
Li Huai Su’s hand paused, unable to respond.