Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume #1)

42 You Still Believe That?

Back in the mortal world, MadamZhong pressed her child against her chest and ran as fast as shecould. Unfortunately, that wasn't very fast. Her breath alreadycame in short puffs, her legs and feet hurt, but she still hurriedforward. Soon, she stumbled over a rock. She tried to catch herbalance but the small stones on the uneven ground slid away under herfeet. She fell and turned to the side to keep Jing Yi safe. The hardground grazed her skin and Madam Zhong took a painful breath,repressing a moan.

They wouldn't make it. She wassure of that. She looked up at the top of the hill that wasn't thatfar away. They hadn't covered a long distance. If they continued onlike this, the bandit would soon catch up to them.

Madam Zhong sat up and grabbed herson by the shoulders, looking into his eyes. "Jing'er, listento me now. That man just now wants to hurt us. Your father is holdinghim back but we have to do something too. Let's confuse him,alright? If we split up, he won't know which of us he shouldfollow."

Jing Yi shook his head. "No!No, I don't want to!" Jing Yi still remembered the sharp glintof the blade. For the first time in his life, he was afraid. If helet his mother go alone, maybe that bad man would hurt her too?

Madam Zhong understood her son andpatted his head. "I'm sorry, Jing'er, but there is no otherchoice. We have to split up. There, between the trees, go there. Hewon't see you that way."

"Why don't you come with me?"Jing Yi's doe eyes shimmered with tears.

Madam Zhong gulped but pushed himtoward the trees anyway. "Just go. Mommy will run down the hill.We'll meet when the bad man is gone. Go on, be a good boy."

Jing Yi still hesitated.

"You don't want mommy toscold you, do you?"

Jing Yi shook his head. He finallyturned around and disappeared between the trees. Madam Zhong sighedrelieved. At least her son would be safe. Even if she and her husbandcouldn't remain by his side, he'd live.

She turned around and continuedrunning down the path. She stumbled over the stones, slipped and slidfurther down, rolling and tumbling down the hill. But she didn'tcare. Every step she took was another moment more for her son toescape. The bandit wouldn't be able to find him in such a hugeforest.

With that thought, she continued on,not caring what happened to her. Even if every last bone in her bodybroke, it was worth it as long as her son lived.

At the top of the hill, Mister Zhonghad turned around and also hurried down the mountain. He found hertraces on the path and followed them, thankful that she hadn'ttried to flee off the beaten track. Else he might never have foundher and his son ever again.

Like that, half an hour passed.Finally, he saw his wife before him. "Chun'er!"

His wife turned, lost her footingand fell. This time, Madam Zhong didn't get up. Her whole bodyshivered. That voice just now, that figure running behind her ...That was her husband! He was alive, he was truly alive! She claspedher hands over her face and cried.

Mister Zhong ran faster. He caughtup to his wife and fell to his knees just like her. Crying just likeher, he took her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Thecouple sat there, holding each other.

Finally, Madam Zhong sat up, wipingthe tears from her face. "We ... We have to ... go," shegot out between sobs. "Jing'er ..."

Mister Zhong paled. Right. His sonwasn't here! In his relief that his wife was alright, he hadn'teven noticed. "Where is he? Why isn't he with you?" Hecertainly could lose his son but this was his wife they were talkingabout. How could something like that happen?!

"I was afraid you wouldn't beable to defeat him, so I sent Jing Yi into the forest. I thought he ...he'd have a better chance by himself. If that bandit came aftersomeone, it would be me. I just wanted our son to live." Sheteared up again.

Mister Zhong hugged her but hismuscles tensed. How would they find their son in this forest? Hiswife had done so because it would be hard for the bandits. But whatabout them? They knew even less about this forest than the bandits!

"That ... certainly, nothingwill happen to him. Doesn't he still have that bracelet? If hedoesn't know what to do, he'd call that Daoist."

"You're right." MadamZhong nodded and wiped her tears again. "Let's go back towhere I sent him off. If that Daoist Master comes, he'd certainlybring him back there."

Mister Zhong nodded. He took hiswife's hand and together they went up the hill again. Madam Zhonglooked at her husband, still a little doubtful that everything hadturned out well until now. "That bandit ... How did you ...?"

"I didn't." Mister Zhongscratched his head. He was a little embarrassed. If not for that mancoming to his rescue, he would be dead by now and his wife might nothave managed to escape the bandit. "I was just lucky. A DaoistImmortal came by and saved me."

"A Daoist Immortal?" MadamZhong looked up to the top of the hill. "That should be the onefrom our village. Most likely Jing Yi called him."

Mister Zhong shook his head. "Didn'tyou say he was old? Jing Yi also calls him grandfather. But that manlooked really young. Even younger than me." Seven years hadalready passed since Zhong Jing Yi's birth. His father had alreadyexceeded thirty years of age. Qiu Ling on the other hand still lookedto be in his twenties.

Madam Zhong just smiled. "Thatman ... when I first saw him he looked just like that. He probablyfigured that it was safer to appear as an older man to avoid needlessgossip. He probably knew of the rumors concerning Jing'er'sbirth, that's why he appeared as a slightly older man when QiguanCheng Da visited."

"Hah?" Mister Zhongstopped. "Didn't he look like that in the first place? MisterPi said Madam Shen had looked wrong."

"Looked wrongly." MadamZhong slapped his shoulder. "You still believe that braggart?"

"It seemed to be true. Atleast, you didn't say anything."

"Why would I say anything?Wasn't it good for Jing Yi that way? If people had seen how thatman really looked, wouldn't they still have seen a hereticpractitioner in him?"

Mister Zhong thought back to the manhe had seen on the hill. The man had given him a majestic feeling. Hedefinitely had to be one of those people that cultivated immortality!But ... "The man up there wore black robes. Chun'er, are yousure that he really isn't a heretic practitioner? Maybe Madam Shenwas ri—"

Madam Zhong whacked him over thehead. "You dare to say that! He saved the lives of your wife andchild and now even your own life! Even if he was a hereticpractitioner, you should still kneel down and swear to serve himuntil your dying day!"

"Oh, yes ... yes, of course. Ishould." Mister Zhong rubbed his head and turned back.

The two wanted to climb up again butjust then the clip-clop of hooves sounded from the top and severalmen on horses made their way down toward them. Mister and Madam Zhongshared a glance.