Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 42: The mother he deserved

Xiang Yu’s eyes twitched as he saw his mother’s figure standing before his very eyes, the fog swirling around her. She looked stunning, wearing the red dress she would have won when she entered the Huang family as a concubine. The dress flowed elegantly around her, accentuating her graceful movements. On her wrists were her favorite gold bangles jingling softly with each movement. Her hair was styled in a dazzling golden crown with intricate tassels and red rubies hanging like teardrops, catching the faint light and shimmering with an ethereal glow.

Her skin was flawless, her face meticulously made up, exuding an aura of timeless beauty. The familiar scent of rouge and rose wafted through the air, enveloping Xiang Yu in a wave of nostalgia. Around her neck hung the jade pendant he had been missing, its green surface gleaming against the red fabric of her dress.

When he slaughtered his father, he left the northern demon realm and reappeared near Bai Ting city in the forest where he had his ass beat by that hideous immortal. He checked the place where his jade pendant had fallen but he found nothing. He desperately sifted through the soil but it had disappeared. His heart ached more than his wounds.

That day, all the demons in the northern realm bowed to him in awe and reverence of his strong aura. But now that he was alone, his powerful exterior vanished, and he broke down in tears. His father never cared for him, his mother abandoned him and now the jade pendant that he worked hard to gift his mother was also gone. He curled up on the ground and cried himself to sleep in the middle of a forest.

"Yu Yu." Her voice sweet and inviting drew him back from the memories of his lonely figure curled up on the ground crying. Her hands stretched out towards him, a warm smile playing on her lips.

Xiang Yu’s heart clenched at her address. The only people who usually called him that were madam and the young aunties at the brothel. His mother refused to call him that unless she was drunk or extremely happy. This was the mother his young self had longed for, the one who had always seemed just out of reach. Her smile was so genuine, so full of love, that for a moment, he was tempted to step forward, to embrace the illusion and lose himself in the warmth he had been denied since birth.

But he knew better. His mother’s sudden appearance, her perfect form, and the jade pendant all pointed to one thing: this was a trap, a cruel heartless trick by something evil. He steeled himself, his jaw tightening as he resisted the urge to reach out. freёnovelkiss.com

His hand tightened around the hilt of his whip, his intention clear. This illusion, this mockery of his past, needed to be shattered. The woman before him was not the mother he knew. Given the opportunity, he would kill her over and over again, relishing each moment. A twisted smile curled his lips as he prepared to strike.

But before he could lash out, a figure appeared out of nowhere. His ten-year-old self ran into his mother’s waiting arms. The woman laughed joyously, picking up the boy and spinning him around. The child’s giggles filled the air, his voice calling out affectionately, "Mother!"

Xiang Yu felt a sour taste in his throat, a pang of jealousy stabbing at his heart. Such a perfect world could only exist in dreams and illusions. It was an unattainable goal that would never been realised even if his mother was alive. It was as though he was asking for too much. He watched as his younger self touched the jade pendant hanging around his mother’s neck. The boy’s eyes lit up with joy. "You are wearing it!" he exclaimed, his small fingers tracing the pendant’s smooth surface.

His mother ruffled the boy’s hair, her smile tender. "Of course. How can I not when Yu Yu bought it for me."

The boy beamed, his face glowing with pride and happiness. Li Hua hugged him tightly, stroking his hair gently. "I love you, Yu Yu," she whispered, her voice filled with warmth and affection.

Xiang Yu froze in place, his grip on the whip loosening. His vision suddenly blurred, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the body of his younger self, hugging Li Hua. The sweet fragrance of rouge and roses filled the air, making him feel strangely comfortable. The warmth of her body seeped into his chest trying to melt away the thick ice encasing his heart.

A twisted smile crept onto his face as he slowly reached for the dagger sheathed in his lapel. With a ruthless look in his eyes, he drove the dagger into her heart. Her smile faltered, her eyes widening in horror. Xiang Yu stepped back as she staggered, clutching her chest, blood seeping through her fingers. "Why?" she cried, her voice filled with pain and confusion.

Xiang Yu’s expression remained cold and unfeeling as he watched her fall into the fog. She knelt to the ground while staring at him with teary eyes but he felt nothing. Her figure was slowly engulfed by the thick fog before she completely vanished. The quiet of the foggy landscape was restored with the only sound the faint echo of her dying breath.

He sneered as he turned his head away. Suddenly his father’s face appeared a few inches from his own. It was obviously another illusion but he wasn’t in the mood to entertain this bastard. He was momentarily startled but quickly recovered. With a swift, powerful motion, he punched his father square in the face. The illusion of his father disappeared into the fog with a growl, leaving him standing alone once more.

The fog swirled around him, thick and oppressive but Xiang Yu was the least bit affected. "You better do better than that," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain as he walked into the fog. The fog swirled around him, trying to disorient him and lead him away but he knew exactly where the twins were. His steps were deliberate, each one taking him closer to his goal despite the fog’s attempts to confuse him.