Gouge just walked into the inner room and saw a table laden with his favorite dishes: duck legs, braised pork knuckle, farmhouse stir-fried pork, and stir-fried wild vegetables.
Min Rou looked at him with loving eyes, hurriedly inviting him to sit down and eat. However, her swollen eyes could not conceal the traces of her recent weeping; tears still lingered at the corners of her eyes. She smiled and said, "Child, eat. Mom cooked these dishes just for you."
Shi Potian stared blankly at Min Rou, his mind full of doubts. With tears in her eyes, Min Rou lovingly stroked his temples, gently patted his back, and softly hummed a childhood lullaby. There was no trace left of the formidable Ice-Snow Divine Sword; she was simply a tender mother caring for her child.
Ever since Shi Potian returned from Xiake Island and Mei Fanggu hanged herself, his heart had been in great turmoil. Especially upon learning that the woman he had called "Mom" for over a decade was not his biological mother, his mind was a blur of confusion. Seeing Min Rou's deep affection for him now, he felt an overwhelming warmth welling up inside. After a long moment, he said, "Madam Shi, thank you for your kind intentions, but my mind is in a complete mess right now. I want to be alone for a while."
Min Rou ignored him, instead reaching into her clothes and taking out a pair of tiger-head shoes. Shi Potian looked on blankly, unable to grasp her meaning.
"Look, these are the tiger-head shoes you wore when you were a little baby. They were still here. How well they fit—though unfortunately, you could never wear them again."
A pang of sorrow pierced Shi Potian's heart, and he nearly burst into tears.
Min Rou sighed, sat down on a stool, and said, "Child, that year before you were even a month old, Mei Fanggu—that is, the woman who came to harm your mother—came when your older brother Shi Zhongyu was just over a year old. She was so vicious. Not only did she want to kill your mother, but she wanted to kill you, and your brother too."
Shi Potian said, "I heard Madam Shi mention this before. So... so that mother of mine with the yellowish, swollen face, who was so much shorter than you, was actually the wicked villain who came to harm your family?"
By this point, Min Rou was sobbing so hard she could no longer speak. Shi Qing supported her and continued, "Child, at that time I rushed back and saved your mother, but that cruel woman snatched you away and fled. Fearing she might harm you in secret, I stayed by your mother's side every moment, not daring to pursue her. I never expected—ah!"
She was overcome with such intense grief that as she recalled the past, she choked with sobs again. After crying for a long while, she resumed:
"I never expected that on the third day, she would send back the corpse of an infant, with two black and white short swords bearing my wife's and my names plunged straight into its heart. What a catastrophe, what a catastrophe!" Min Rou wept bitterly beside him. Even after all these years, she could not forget the despair and agony of that moment.
Min Rou held up the pair of tiger-head shoes and said, "I originally thought I would never have the chance to see you again. I never imagined—never imagined that in this lifetime, I would still have the chance to see you, my poor child. These tiger-head shoes are truly, truly the ones you wore when you were small."
Shi Qing could no longer maintain his composure either, and said with great emotion, "Although that corpse looked a lot like you, it certainly wasn't you. Otherwise, since Mei Fanggu was a maiden, how could she have given birth to you? And if it were you, why would she call you 'Gou Zazhong'? Why would you look so much like Yu'er? Why is it that every time my wife and I see you, a feeling of closeness and paternal love wells up naturally in our hearts?
There is simply no such coincidence in this world. Though she wanted to conceal the truth, the fact remains: you are indeed my wife's and my second son, Shi Zhongjian! Back then, she abducted you, yet subjected you to nothing but beatings and scoldings—clearly, she was treating you as my substitute, venting all her rage upon you."
Min Rou cried out, "Older martial brother, my older martial brother! Our son has come back. May the Bodhisattva bless him to be safe and sound. Your humble devotee Min Rou vows to observe a vegetarian fast for three years."
Shi Potian let out a long sigh and thought, *So that's why Mom...* Gouge realized that if he continued to call Min Rou "Madam Shi" when she was already in such deep sorrow, it would be like rubbing salt into her wounds. He immediately corrected himself and said, "Mei Fanggu used to beat me mercilessly and say, 'Now you know to beg for my mercy? Why don't you go beg that delicate little hussy instead?' So that was the reason! No wonder, no wonder."
Thinking of the mother who had shared more than ten years of life with him on the desolate mountains—specifically Mount Xiong'er—although she had not treated him well, he still felt a lingering attachment. But now that she was dead and gone, and considering that she was the one who had kept his entire family apart, he finally let go of his obsession with her.
Now that the truth had surfaced and the lingering doubts of the past were completely cleared away, Min Rou was overjoyed. Even the stern and unsmiling Shi Qing could not help but wear a broad smile, while Shi Potian's mind gradually cleared, and his former radiance returned. He said to Min Rou, "Mom, so you really are my mother. Last time at Changle Help, my two sworn brothers helped you tell my brother and me apart, but back then your child thought I would never be able to stay by your side again."
Min Rou wiped away her tears and smiled. "Jian'er, let's not talk about these sad things anymore. The two of us must be starving—let's eat."
The three of them ate together, and in her overwhelming joy, Min Rou exceptionally ate two extra bowls of rice.
For some time now, Gouge had remained by his biological parents' side, though they had left that place and traveled to Xuansu Manor. Ever since it was burned down by Bai Wanjian and his group, new rooms had been rebuilt upon the ruins. Although not as grand as before, it still possessed the dignified air of a renowned chivalric family.
Upon returning home, Shi Qing pointed at the new Xuansu Manor and said, "Junior Sister, when Senior Brother Bai burned everything to the ground last time, I thought the Black and White Twin Swords would never have a foothold in the pugilistic world again, which is why I kept delaying the rebuilding. Little did I know that our luck would turn, and I, Shi Qing, would actually acquire a successor with such astonishing martial prowess. Heaven has truly been generous to me."
Min Rou smiled and said, "Indeed, Older martial brother. It is an immense joy that Jian'er is still alive in this world. Even a thousand or ten thousand Xuansu Manors would not be worth one percent of our son's preciousness."
As Min Rou spoke the words "our son," the world-famous Black and White Twin Swords could not help but finally remember that there was still an unfilial son up on Sky-Scraping Cliff.
Both of them guessed what the other was thinking, and an awkward silence fell between them. Ever since they had reunited with Shi Potian and witnessed his heroic righteousness and compassionate heart, they had long since acknowledged that he alone was worthy of being the descendant of the renowned Black and White Twin Swords in the martial arts world.
As for Shi Zhongyu, although he was also their offspring, compared to Jian'er he was like earth to heaven, separated by an unbridgeable gulf.
That fellow was glib-tongued, unlearned, opportunistic, playful, and lustful to boot. Not only had he wreaked havoc within the Snow Mountain Sect and stirred up numerous troubles, but he had also sneaked into the gang-related turf wars of Changle Help. Having explicitly promised others that he would shoulder the disaster of the copper-token banquet, he had instead hidden away in a pleasure house for over half a year, showing zero sense of duty or responsibility. To top it all off, he had even had the nerve to mock the real master, calling him a hypocrite—an ugly, repulsive face that truly made one want to vomit.
Shi Qing frowned. At this moment, making him defeat ten martial arts masters would be easy, but getting him to discipline Shi Zhongyu all over again would be harder than scaling the heavens.
What kind of person was Gouge? His mind was clear and untainted; while he was not well-versed in worldly sophistication, he understood things at the slightest hint and remained completely free of vulgar cunning.
He said, "Father, Mother, I see that our family's reunion is still missing only my brother. How about I go find him first, and you two can follow later?"
Shi Qing and Min Rou exchanged glances and had no choice but to nod in agreement.
In truth, deep down in Shi Qing's heart, he had not completely given up on Shi Zhongyu; otherwise, he would not have gone out of his way to implore Xie Yanke to discipline him. It was simply that he himself lacked the patience to do so, and was thus forced to entrust the boy to someone even more ruthless—using violence to suppress violence—in the hope that he might finally change for the better.
Min Rou did not overthink things so much. No matter how unfilial her child was, in a mother's heart he was still her son, whom she would ultimately forgive.
After staying a few more days to enjoy family warmth, Gouge bid farewell to his parents and set off first on the road to Sky-Scraping Cliff.
By now, his qinggong had long since reached the pinnacle of perfection, and ordinary horses could not even match his own speed. Thus, he abandoned his horse and traveled ahead. After much discussion, Shi Qing and Min Rou still decided to go up to Sky-Scraping Cliff to see this unfilial son.
At this moment, Shi Potian had no idea what kind of miserable existence his *oniichan* was enduring up on Sky-Scraping Cliff.
He was just like Boss Yu from that modern Chinese movie *Sorry, We're Close* released long after.
Every day he simply clung to the mountainside, staring down with eyes full of longing.
For these past few months, Xie Yanke had forced him to tend the fire, cook, wash dishes, chop firewood, do laundry, fetch water, and even compelled him to practice martial arts—while strictly forbidding him from eating meat. Xie Yanke claimed that whenever the boy had his fill of food and wine, he started hatching crooked schemes, and stubbornly forced him to eat a vegetarian diet for months on end, denying him even a single hearty meal.
Although Shi Zhongyu was full of scheming plots, his martial arts were completely inadequate in front of Xie Yanke. Under the pressure, he was scared so stiff his bones felt weak.
Every night as soon as darkness fell, his eyes would glow with hunger like a wild ferret's. He had eaten the wild mice on the mountain, and didn't spare the roe deer either; whatever meat he laid eyes on, he ate. He was long past being the picky, pampered young master he once was.
At this very moment, with unkempt hair and a full beard, he was the spitting image of a modern caveman. Every day he prayed only that Shi Potian would have a change of heart and come to Sky-Scraping Cliff to rescue him. Xie Yanke's coercion had nearly driven him mad; these past few months were quite simply the most agonizing period of his life.
Ding Dingdang had accompanied him at the very beginning, but finding the mountain tedious and stifling after a while, she had simply run off down the mountain by herself.
Xie Yanke had only said that *he* wasn't allowed down the mountain, but he hadn't forbidden Dingdang from leaving, so the old man turned a blind eye and let her go.
Shi Zhongyu did not know how many times he had woken up crying; every time he thought of his former glory and happy days, he burst into bitter tears.
He couldn't beat Xie Yanke, he couldn't run away, he was forced to do heavy physical labor, and they wouldn't even give him meat to eat—when would days like this ever come to an end?
Little did he know that very soon, his nightmare was going to be dialed up to an extreme level!