RNP Chapter 9: Open and Frank
Chapter 9: Open and Frank
No matter how precocious Dai Yuhao may be, he is still just a six-year-old child, and he cannot remain calm in the face of a collapsing mountain.
Leng Yaozhu clearly captured every change in his face; the shock of his secret being discovered was absolutely real, which further convinced her of her judgment.
The child she had watched grow up and taught for three years was none other than Huo Yuhao, the first tower master of the Spirit Pagoda, a legend from ten thousand years ago.
She didn't rush to ask any more questions. The silence in the room seemed to have gained weight, making it difficult to breathe.
Dai Yuhao kept his head down for a long while before he slowly raised his head, as if he had used up all his strength, to meet Leng Yaozhu's complicated and indescribable gaze again.
Those still moist and frightened eyes now contained a mixture of panic at having their secret exposed, and... guilt for concealing it.
His lips moved slightly, trembling almost imperceptibly: "Aunt Leng, you...you knew everything?"
Seeing his expression, as if he had done something wrong and been caught red-handed, Leng Yaozhu felt a slight relaxation in her heart, and even a surge of indescribable pity welled up within her.
She suddenly reached out and gently tapped Dai Yuhao's forehead with her fingertips, with a hint of reproach and affection.
"You think you can hide this little secret from me?"
This small, affectionate gesture instantly dispelled the oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
For Dai Yuhao, in this completely unfamiliar world, Leng Yaozhu is the only "family" he can rely on and trust completely.
At this moment, unaware of the truth, he naturally felt a sense of guilt for deceiving those close to him.
When Leng Yaozhu pointed at him like that, his eyes reddened slightly, and he quickly lowered his head again, not daring to look into her eyes.
"Aunt Leng, I didn't mean to keep it from you!"
He desperately tried to explain, "I have absolutely no idea what's going on!"
"I only know that sometimes when I'm asleep, I just... I end up here, and when I wake up I go back."
"They come and go without any pattern whatsoever..."
"At first, I really thought it was just a dream. But as I grew older, I gradually realized that I seemed to have traveled through time and space to a world ten thousand years in the future..."
Now that the biggest secret had been exposed, Dai Yuhao simply poured out all the confusion and panic that he had kept inside for so long and had no one to confide in.
He spoke quickly, somewhat incoherently, but clearly enough to describe his situation of being passively shuttling between two worlds, a situation he could not control and was completely unpredictable.
Hearing his tearful confession, Leng Yaozhu's eyes softened completely.
She sighed softly, sat down beside him, and reached out to embrace his trembling little body, letting him lean against her.
"Alright, alright, Aunt Leng isn't mad at you."
Her voice returned to its usual gentle tone as she patted his back.
"This is too bizarre. Let alone a child like you, any adult would be at a loss and not know what to say if they suddenly encountered this situation."
The warm embrace eased Dai Yuhao's tense nerves slightly. He sniffed, buried his face in Leng Yaozhu's side, and mumbled an "Mmm".
Leng Yaozhu gazed into the void, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
Her expression gradually turned serious. Even a quasi-demigod with time attributes could only influence things for a short while, and it was absolutely impossible to travel through time and space across tens of thousands of years.
This is something no human could accomplish; only the power of the gods could create such an incredible phenomenon.
A moment later, she gently released Dai Yuhao and sat back down in the seat opposite him, her expression more solemn than ever before.
"Yuhao, listen up!"
"You come from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion ten thousand years ago. For unknown reasons, you have traveled through time and space to this day, ten thousand years later, and have come before me."
"And you, ten thousand years ago, although you are still a child now, your future... is not that of an ordinary person."
The tears in Dai Yuhao's eyes had not yet dried, but they froze abruptly because of those words, and were then replaced by an even stronger sense of astonishment. He began to quickly process the limited information in his mind.
His own unique eye-based martial soul, his own name, Dai Yuhao...
Fragments of information surfaced in my mind, and an absurd yet astonishing idea emerged.
Even though he didn't know much about the history of ten thousand years ago, he was currently in the Spirit Pagoda and knew some information about Huo Yuhao, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda.
Just then, Leng Yaozhu gave her answer directly: "If I'm not mistaken, Yuhao..."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried immense power; every word seemed to strike Dai Yuhao's heart, which had suddenly stopped beating.
"You are the legend from ten thousand years ago, the creator of the Soul Spirit system, the revered Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao!"
The words fell.
The room was deathly silent.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yuhao's mouth involuntarily opened wide, as if he were frozen in place by an invisible force, even his breathing stopped.
Ten thousand years ago, he was just Dai Yuhao, an illegitimate son living in a corner of the White Tiger Duke's mansion, relying on his mother for survival and suffering from cold stares and bullying.
My biggest wish every day is for my mother to have less to worry about and for me to grow up quickly.
Perhaps... perhaps it would be even better if there were a chance to get a little closer to that father who is as distant as the blazing sun.
And now, someone is telling him that this humble child will be the founder of the Spirit Tower, which will be comparable to Shrek Academy ten thousand years from now!
The absurdity brought about by this huge change in identity was like a monstrous wave, completely overwhelming his tender six-year-old heart.
Time passed in the dead silence, and several minutes later he slowly closed his mouth, which had been agape in shock.
His face showed no excitement or pride at future achievements, only a deep and unfathomable bewilderment.
Leng Yaozhu sighed softly and said with emotion, "I've only just managed to process this news myself."
She paused, her gaze falling on Dai Yuhao's bewildered face, her tone somewhat complicated: "To be honest, Yuhao, I don't even know... how to face you anymore."
Perhaps it is because they are still young that their minds have not yet been bound by too many worldly frameworks and heavy responsibilities.
Dai Yuhao's bright eyes gradually regained their luster. He raised his head, his gaze no longer wandering, but looking seriously at Leng Yaozhu, whose expression was complicated.
"Aunt Leng, I don't know what the future holds."
"But in my heart, you will always be my Aunt Leng."
"It was Aunt Leng who raised me, taught me, and protected me."
These words were like a warm current, instantly breaking through the invisible barriers and confusion that Leng Yaozhu had built up in her heart because of her future identity.
She paused slightly, looking at the pure dependence and unreserved trust in the child's eyes, and a bright smile gradually appeared on her face.
Yes, no matter who he was in the past or who he will become in the future, the person sitting in front of her right now is Dai Yuhao, whom she has taken care of for three years, whose eyes light up when she brings him delicious food, whose chest heels up when she affirms him, and who subconsciously moves closer to her when he is afraid.
The complex emotions eventually transformed into a sense of relief and a more resolute gentleness.
Leng Yaozhu reached out and, as she had done countless times before, naturally ruffled Dai Yuhao's hair.
"Silly child."
Her voice softened completely, and the last trace of hesitation in her eyes disappeared.