Chapter 280: He Has Such a Bitter Fate
Yu An shared her plan with the four boys, though she didn’t tell them that this place was actually an Illusion Realm.
"I have a feud with the Tian Family. After I’ve turned this place upside down, I’ll get you out of here."
"By then, the Tian Family will have their hands full, so you’ll be able to go home to your families."
The four little ones were excited as they listened to Yu An, but Feng Xuan’s expression turned somber when he heard her last sentence.
"I don’t have a home anymore," he said in a muffled voice, lowering his head. "I have nowhere to go."
Yu An was stunned. ’Even if Patriarch Feng wouldn’t take in a Feng Xuan who had escaped from the Tian Family, what about his mother, Feng Zhi?’
As if guessing what she wanted to ask, Feng Xuan said sullenly, "That man with the surname Feng was so eager to curry favor with the Tian Family that he practically delivered me here himself. He’ll never let me set foot in the Feng family home."
"My mother... After I came to the Tian Family, she... fell ill and passed away."
’That can’t be right,’ Yu An thought. ’Logically speaking, I healed Feng Zhi’s internal injuries. During the month we lived together, I even had her eat plenty of fruits and vegetables grown with Divine Spring Water. Her health might not have been perfect, but she shouldn’t have gotten sick so easily.’
Just as Yu An was about to probe for more details, she saw Feng Xuan clench his fists. "Actually, my mother didn’t die from an illness. I was supposed to be sent to the Tian Family after I turned three, and she knew it was no place to be, so she tried to run away with me."
"Unfortunately, we were caught in less than a day. If I hadn’t threatened to kill myself back then, Patriarch Feng would have separated us."
"Left with no other choice, he just had people keep a close eye on us both."
"Even so, I noticed that after we were brought back, my mother’s body grew weaker and weaker. The doctor would come, but all he’d say was that she needed to rest."
"Feng Zhi probably guessed what was happening to her, but she didn’t dare say anything, afraid she wouldn’t even be able to spend her last days with me. So she pretended not to know, letting her body waste away."
"She made up a lot of excuses to get money from Patriarch Feng, burying it all in different places, and she patiently taught me how to survive."
Feng Zhi had been a farm girl, so she knew the wilderness like the back of her hand. When Feng Xuan first arrived at the Tian Family and wasn’t getting enough to eat, he was the one who taught the other children how to identify edible wild vegetables.
He had only been at the Tian Family for two days when word came that his mother had passed away from an illness.
The news hadn’t come from Patriarch Feng, but from a letter secretly delivered by the old nanny who had always served Feng Zhi.
Feng Xuan was a precocious child. He suppressed his grief, channeling all his energy into his martial arts and cultivation at the Tian Family, all for the day he could finally leave and subject the person who killed his mother to death by a thousand cuts!
The training was arduous, but with this burning hatred in his heart, it never felt unbearable.
This was the first time Feng Xuan had mentioned his deceased mother. Mo Yan and the other two boys had always been curious. They had all spoken about their own families, but whenever it was Feng Xuan’s turn, he would just mumble his way through it.
The three of them had just assumed his family treated him poorly, so they didn’t press the issue.
They never imagined his life had been so tragic.
Compared to Feng Xuan, while none of them were favored by their fathers, at least their mothers were still alive.
’Once we escape the Tian Family, we can reunite with our mothers, and then we’ll go find our fiancées with them!’
The other three boys tried to comfort him, and Feng Xuan quickly composed himself. "I’m fine. I’m not sad anymore. Fairy Sister, please, tell us your plan."
He couldn’t wait to leave the Tian Family. At the very least, he had to go visit his mother. The nanny had told him that Patriarch Feng considered a death by illness unlucky and had her body thrown directly into the mass grave.
The nanny had bought a cheap coffin and buried Feng Zhi in secret, fulfilling her duty to her mistress.
"This is my plan..."
Yu An gathered them together and spoke for a while before turning to Feng Xuan. "After we leave the Tian Family, I’ll go back with you."
"You will?"
Feng Xuan’s eyes lit up. "Won’t that be a bother for you?"
"Of course not."
Han Li spoke up. "Actually, we could all travel together. Fengze City, where the Feng family lives, is on the way past our three homes."
"Really?" Yu An was pleasantly surprised. "That’s great. I wouldn’t feel right about you all going back alone anyway."
’As for the other children... I’ll figure that out later. It might be like that little forest last time—the moment I try to leave the Tian Family’s domain, this whole scene might just disappear.’
Yu An had already checked their health. Since they hadn’t been at the Tian Family for long, they hadn’t yet been tormented to the point of developing any major issues.
They were only slightly malnourished. After all, eating the kind of food they were given each day, it would be a miracle if they were getting any nutrients.
In case the illusion disappeared before she could act, Yu An decided to feed the boys a proper meal first.
The Tian Family was heavily guarded, so they weren’t worried about the children escaping. As a result, the children’s living quarters were unguarded, and no one ever did a headcount.
This gave Yu An the perfect opportunity. She brought the four boys into her space. Finding themselves abruptly in a new location, Mo Yan and the others immediately took a defensive stance.
"Where are we?"
"Don’t worry. This is one of my Magic Artifacts."
Yu An’s voice came from behind them. When they turned, they saw her graceful figure.
Mo Yan was stunned. "Fairy Sister?"
"You can see me now?"
Yu An blinked. Seeing all four of them nod, she realized she was no longer in a state of Invisibility.
’Oh well, it doesn’t matter.’ She also took the opportunity to call her Zaizai over so they could all meet.
Han Li asked curiously, "Fairy Sister, who are they?"
"They’re my children," Yu An said, patting each of their little heads. "Come on, say hello."
Seeing Han Li’s stunned expression, Da Hu’s eyes twinkled, and he said sweetly, "Hello, big brothers."
The four Zaizai behind him followed his lead, also calling out, "Big brothers."
Mo Yan and the other three fell silent, not because of the greeting, but because...
The Fairy Sister’s children looked exactly like the four of them!
They had no time for an existential crisis, because the Zaizai wanted to take photos with the younger versions of their Beast Father and were already dragging them all over the place for pictures.
Yu An’s lips curled into a smile, and she went to cook.
She also steamed a large batch of buns, using diluted Divine Spring Water to make the dough. These buns were for the other children.
Once they were steamed, she distributed them to each of the children’s rooms. The aroma wasn’t overpowering; at least, it wouldn’t drift beyond their living quarters.
So, just as the children were preparing to go to sleep hungry, as they did every night, a basin of buns suddenly appeared out of thin air. The aroma was so enticing it made their mouths water instantly.
They didn’t dare to move. Then a voice spoke, telling them to eat their fill and rest well, for tomorrow the Tian Family would fall into chaos, and they should use the opportunity to escape.
The children looked at each other, stunned. Finally, one of the older boys was the first to pick up a bun.
His voice was still boyish. "These buns smell amazing. We haven’t eaten food like this in so long. Let’s just eat first! Even if we die, at least we won’t die as hungry ghosts!"
With him taking the lead, the other children began to pick up buns and eat as well. The warm food filled their stomachs, and warmth spread through their bodies.
The same scene played out in many rooms. Perhaps it was because their bellies were full, but they found themselves feeling a sliver of hope for the chaos promised for the next day.
’Could they... could they really escape in the chaos?’