Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 623 - 059: Inner Troubles

Chapter 623: Chapter 059: Inner Troubles

Reflecting on the vast heavens and earth, I stand alone, shedding tears in silence.

In life, sometimes, apart from loneliness and solitude, there is only loss and confusion that brings one to sigh in regret.

Zhou Wangchen was in high spirits yet tinged with sorrow.

It was an inexplicable feeling, an indefinable emotion.

Accustomed to melancholy and aloofness, suddenly everything going smoothly gave him a sense of overwhelming unreality.

Especially the perpetual ache in his heart—his unfortunate son, Zhou Yan, had truly grown up now and even had a smart and adorable daughter.

It was only upon seeing his son’s daughter, his granddaughter, that Zhou Wangchen’s emotional knots truly unraveled.

His realm, stagnant for so long without progress, began to loosen once again.

"Superior Water, Supreme Forget Love. If there is no true affection, how can one speak of forgetting love? The Ancestor Blood that Yan’er gave me, the inheritance of Supreme Forget Love Swordsmanship in the Forbidden Land, the cost incurred by the enforced execution of the Heavenly Destiny plan... Have all of these finally become a thing of the past? Seeing my child happy and successful, as a father, can I truly let go of my worries."

Zhou Wangchen muttered to himself.

His hair had turned white, yet he did not appear old. Previously, he had always been tranquil, his emotions steady due to his cultivation, which also made him appear young.

The vitality he had once lacked had long since been restored.

Yet, the guilt and remorse in his heart could not be mended, and only now, Zhou Wangchen finally felt relieved.

"Yan’er, these years, you’ve worked hard. Seeing your achievements today, your mother and I are proud of you."

When Zhou Wangchen and Li Yunjin faced Zhou Yan alone, they couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

"Father, Mother, I am not toiling; all this is my duty. What distresses me is that I have not had the ability to provide you with happy, prosperous days," Zhou Yan said softly.

"Yan’er, as long as you are safe and your cultivation journey is smooth, wherever we are, we are happy."

Li Yunjin said softly, her demeanor kind yet tinged with an immense sense of guilt and self-reproach.

Tears brimmed in her eyes.

The young, talented man before her, almost the top genius of the entire Sword Burial Ancestor Star, was her son.

How proud and honored she felt!

Li Yunjin was proud, but her heart harbored even greater guilt, for compared to Zhou Wangchen, her care for Zhou Yan had been almost nonexistent for over twenty years!

Zhou Yan’s nose tingled slightly, and he smiled gently, saying, "Mother, I understand what you have gone through these past twenty years. Even when you were imprisoned in the Abyss, you must have thought of me every day; I can feel it. So, in my heart, Mother has always been by my side, never once leaving."

"Yan’er, you are a good child, Mother’s pride..."

Zhou Yan’s words moved Li Yunjin to tears that she could not hold back.

In this harsh world, many things are beyond one’s control, so one can only silently endure pain and torment.

These sufferings are nothing, because if the child cannot understand and harbors resentment and blame, that would be the most painful thing.

From childhood, Zhou Yan had grown up step by step on his own. His father barely concerned himself with him, and his mother had not even met him. In Li Yunjin’s eyes, the child must have suffered greatly and probably resented her.

But through real communication, she came to know that her son was a wonderful child, well-behaved and understanding, considerate of his parents, possessing a sincere filial piety that was touching.

There were no grudges or discontent, and he even spoke comforting words to his parents, each phrase so touching that it brought tears to the listener.

Li Yunjin was not a woman prone to tears, but before her son, her beautiful eyes swelled and teared up continuously.

Sometimes, endless suffering and tribulation cannot make a tender-hearted woman cry, yet a simple gesture, a few sincere words can break through the defense of a strong woman’s heart.

"Mother, I have established Lei Yan Sacred Land—a place free from rules, a safe and stable haven. I no longer want to see our loved ones suffer, so there, it can be said to be a beautiful world. There, there are family and friends, as well as other cultivators who possess ’beautiful spirits’; it will not be dull nor lonely.

From now on, you and Father should stay there. This way, I can also embark on the path of cultivation with greater peace of mind."

Seeing his parents like this, Zhou Yan, feeling a surge of warmth, couldn’t help but say.

"Yes, Mother will listen to you, Yan’er. From now on, you just focus on finding more good girls to help bring more children into the world. Mother won’t go anywhere else; I’ll just stay in your Holy Land looking after the children, ensuring they grow up happy and never lack maternal care and affection," Li Yunjin said, her eyes moistening again.

Zhou Yan heard the words, and a sudden pain struck his heart as he thought of Yanyan.

Up until now, Yanyan alone had endured far too much.

He was the child of his who had suffered the most, without exception.

There was also the child named ’Nian Nian’ who, not yet born, had chosen to commit suicide— all of this weighed heavily on Zhou Yan’s heart.

Yet Zhou Yan did not show any sign of it, because he did not want to cause his parents any more worries. Instead, he wore a warm smile and said, "Well, Mother is going to be busy in the future, as I am quite popular among women."

Hearing this, Li Yunjin smiled faintly and said, "That, Mother naturally knows. You are as outstanding as your father. And your father, apart from Mother, had several other confidantes, such as Aunt Ye Yuting of Qi Meng, Zhou Wangru, and Zhou Yanyun of the Zhou family... Sadly, they all had tragic fates, and passed away young."

"What, Zhou Yanyun... She passed away too?"

Zhou Yan felt a chill in his heart, followed by a sigh of lament.

This wasn’t the first time he had learned of the demise of old acquaintances.

Before this, Zhou Yan had already known that Zhou Yuntian, Yang Qingtan, as well as Xiao Zhan’s daughters Xiao Linlin and Xiao Chan’er, had all passed away.

And now, another woman his father cherished, also known as Lee Yan Yun, had died.

Such perhaps was life.

Once together in their prime, scholars with high spirits, harboring hearts that could laugh at the world, yet now, all were irrevocably changed.

"She entered the Heavenly Punishment Forest with me, and as she was saving me, someone killed her in one strike. At that moment, it was Xia Ming who used a Holy Artifact to block that killing intent. Sadly, she thus perished. Ah, if I weren’t so powerless, how could I fail to protect even my own woman."

Zhou Wangchen seemed to sink into a painful memory.

"Husband, you still have Yunjin by your side. You must live a happy and blessed life, so Yanyun won’t be sad. If you are grieving, she won’t rest in peace either..."

Li Yunjin comforted.

"Yes, Yunjin, I understand," said Zhou Wangchen softly.

The atmosphere turned somewhat silent for a moment.

Zhou Yan sighed softly, knowing these matters were inevitably heavy. For his father, Zhou Wangchen, who had cultivated the Affectionate Sword Dao, this lifetime would carry such a burden—failing to protect his own woman and witnessing her death.

Only if his father personally vanquished that foe and avenged Lee Yan Yun could this emotional knot be untied.

"Yan’er, Yanyun suffered a lot following your father, yet she barely experienced any happiness. The Heavenly Destiny plan almost completely destroyed the Lee Family, and it was partly because of our Zhou Family.

If, if you have the capability, please help the Lee Family. Gather the surviving Lee family members together and offer them a way out—Yan’er, as you know, when the Lee Family was strong, its members lived well and comfortably, but when the Lee Family fell, many tried to kick them while they were down. The Lee Family became a target for plunder and murder, making it hard for them to survive... I hope Yan’er can help them. This is a father’s request, and I hope you can agree. But of course, if it’s difficult for you, it’s also alright..."

Zhou Wangchen mused for a long while before suddenly saying.

He knew saying such words would burden his son, but he couldn’t remain silent.

He lacked the capability, but his son had it. Though this made him feel even guiltier towards his son, he had no choice.

"Father, don’t worry. I will have someone handle it as soon as I return to the Sword Burial Ancestor Star, it’s an easy matter and will be settled in just a few days. All true descendants of the Lee Family cultivators will be gathered easily," Zhou Yan immediately agreed upon knowing his father’s thoughts.

Zhou Wangchen was very excited and touched.

"Father, do you know who the murderer of Aunt Yun is? Afterward, I will pass something to Father to help you condense your blood and flesh body, so you can take revenge yourself," Zhou Yan asked after a moment’s thought.

"That person is very powerful. Yan’er you should not—"

"Father, now even Saints must give me face. That person cannot be beyond the Saint Realm, right? Please be straightforward," Zhou Yan interrupted his father.

His father was good in many respects, but somewhat indecisive and overly quiet.

"This... this person is Duan Xinghun, the Young Master from Yuhun Island on Sword Burial Ancestor Star. He is inscrutably strong, very formidable," Zhou Wangchen murmured.

"Young Master from Yuhun Island? Duan Xinghun? I hope he makes it to Nine Origin Heavenly City; otherwise, it would be quite boring."

Zhou Yan smiled confidently.

Women like Yun Shu could repent and regret their past actions, hoping for Zhou Yan’s forgiveness. As for some Young Master of Yuhun Island, his fate would certainly not be any better!