Chapter 77 - 76: Reunion; Meeting the in-laws?(Part 1)

"Uwaah! Ge, look, look!" Xiao Wu pointed towards a beautiful white sundress worn by a mannequin behind a glass window. "It looks so beautiful! Buy it for me would you?"

"Ha... Fine." Tang San let out a resigned sigh and conceded to the whims of the devilish girl. Counting this as the twenty-second dress she had 'asked' him to buy for her.

He moved his right hand to c.a.r.e.s.sed his Twenty Four Moonlight Bridges around his lower waist, and thought with imaginary tears in his mind. 'Guh, Xiao Wu isn't really holding back on her shopping spree no more. Looks like I'll have to go to Yan to either beg him for money or asked him for a job. I still need the money for resources for that new variant of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow I'll have to construct; that Xiao Yan help in remaking it's blueprints. He called it a, shotgun?'

As his mind wondered, he wasn't able to catch on Xiao Wu buying another dress for herself, hence making it a double expense that he did not want for this shopping spree of theirs. What's worse, whenever his mind was preoccupied his body would go in some sort of autopilot, hence he didn't notice the extra clothing that was thrown to him, which went directly to his storage spirit tool, and the extra loss of gold spirit coins from his wallet.

After they walked out of the shop did Tang San regained his sense of reality once more, but it was too late for him to realize the loss of his money. To make things even more worse, they had only just began on their shopping journey.

The duo walked from shop to shop, buying materials and other miscellaneous stuff, while also enjoying their time together.

Xiao Wu hugged the left arm of Tang San, rubbing her two budding peaks into his limb, causing him to blush red, she then dragged him further into the streets as the day rises and slowly drops.

As Tang San hold on a stick of muton on his right hand, he couldn't help but lament at this development. Although he got some of the materials needed for the weapon he was going to make, he couldn't help but let out streams of tears in his mind as the budget he had initially had was now almost at zero.

"Hey ge!" Xiao Wu said loudly that immediately gained his attention. "There's a great place for us to observe the sunset!" She said whilst pointing towards a certain bench that had a lone tree besides it, compared to the other benches that had none within the park they just wandered in, it looked special.

Before Tang San could think any further, he was quickly pulled by Xiao Wu towards the bench and the two immediately sat down together.

"..."

"..."

They both remained silent as the orange yellow sun slowly sets down and darkness rises with numerous stars highlighting the planet.

Tang San closes his eyes, contentment and relaxed expressions clear on his face. The years of hidden pain, frustration, loneliness and other negative emotions he had felt in his last life seemed worth it if it means he could lived this life with the new love ones he had made bonds with.

Xiao Yan; his sworn brother known as the mysterious, ruthless, cunning, and charismatic person he has ever met in both his lives.

Xun Er; a close friend, who he considers as his sworn sister as well, is equally known as mysterious, ruthless, more charismatic than the man she loves, kind and generous to people she acknowledges as a friend, cold and indifferent to strangers, specially men, and the best friend of the girl sitting besides him.

Tang San opened his eyes to turned towards Xiao Wu, her head still sleeping by his shoulder in comfort. With the use of his nimbleness and skills, he moved her head away for a moment without disturbing her and let her head fall back to his shoulder once more, only this time, he had wrapped around his arm, whose shoulder is being used as a pillow, to pull Xiao Wu into a one sided hug.

Xiao Wu didn't react to the sudden change, except further burying her face into Tang San's right shoulder.

"... Hey ge." Xiao Wu quietly muttered.

"Yeah?" Tang San replied, glancing at her head.

Xiao Wu hummed to herself for a moment, raised her head to stare at Tang San, determination and resolve clear on her slowly blushing face.

"Listen, I have something to tell you. Something I've been feeling for a while and it's driving me crazy if I don't let it out, so," She moved her hand to snake towards Tang San's left cheek. Her eyes staring at the shocked and confused pair of eyes of Tang San.

"Will you listen to me? Every word, sound and breath that comes out of my mouth? Will you take anything that I will say to heart, mind and soul?"

Tang San's face turned serious and nodded.

"Of course."

Xiao Wu smiled gratefully and she then took a deep breath.

"Ge, for the last past year and several months I've been–"

She stopped, her face turned stiff; as all the colors from her face was quickly drained, her body shook and tensed up uncontrollably.

"Xiao Wu?"

His spiritual senses and instincts had screamed at him, that an extremely powerful being has taken interest of him and is quite near him; as he soon felt the space around him and Xiao Wu seemed to be more suffocating and heavy!

"Xiao Wu!" Tang San didn't hesitate, or said anything further, his eyes turned into a shade of dark purple; activating his Purple Demon Eyes for a more greater reaction time, eye coordination and etcetera. He grabbed Xiao Wu into a princess carry, stood up, and quickly turned towards the opposite to where the more 'heavy' space is he had felt.

Blue lightning spark and lit up all around him while his body turned somewhat transparent. A mix of the Three Thousand Lightning Movement Technique and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. His calves and feet tensed, his eyes burning in desperation to get Xiao Wu and himself–

"Oi."

Tang San suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder, without even thinking, he let go of Xiao Wu's legs from his right hand, he then used his right leg to hold her legs, and turned around to use that said hand to swiped at the stranger. A hidden blade suddenly popped out of under his right wrist and was about to pierced the smirking man's windpipe, who looked remarkably like–

"Dad?!" Tang San said out loud in surprise and shock, his hidden blade stopped quickly, inches away from taking away his dad's life.

"Hey kiddo." Tang Hao simply replied, nonchalantly ignoring the blade that was about to pierced his neck.

"Dad? Wait, ge is he you're father?!" Xiao Wu's senses returned back to reality as her widened in proportion out of shock and disbelief.

Tang San couldn't fault her for the disbelief in her voice, as he himself couldn't believe that the man in front of him was really his dad.

"... Who are you and what you done to my father?" Tang San questioned Tang Hao suspiciously, through the six years he spent with his father; he never saw him act so happy.

Although Tang Hao expected the reaction of his son as much, a twitch on his lips could still be seen.

"Little san, is that how you greet your father?" Tang Hao said with a tone of coldness and indifference.

"Ah," Tang San gasped. "It is you father! Geez, since when did you become so handsome and happy? I mean I don't mind the sudden change of personality and emotions, god knows how many people die out of desperation and loneliness. Don't tell me, did you get a girlfriend?"

Tang Hao's jaws dropped, while Xiao Wu let out a giggle but then closed her mouth shortly after; as she didn't want to disrespect her love interest's father.

'Xiao Yan-gege is really a bad influence on San-gege.' She then had let Tang San let her down so she could stand up properly, her eyes glancing at him. 'Though it's not really a bad thing.' Unknown to both, they had completely forgotten the sudden threat around them.

"Y-YOU!" Tang Hao pointed his finger at his son, irritation clear on his face. "What about you? I know my son and he wouldn't be acting so disrespectful to his father. Who are you and what have you done to my son, you imposter?!"

"Ha?!" Tang San cried indignantly as he gritted his teeth and retorted. "I take back my word. There's no way you're my father! He disappeared for six years now, saying he had something to do, so there's just now way he'll just appear in front of me after all this time, you're the one acting sus here!"

"Why you-!?" Then the father and son duo continued on their argument at each other as time went on.

'Its been half an hour now. When the hell are they going to stop?'

"Ara, ara." Suddenly, a melodious and strange voice sounded out besides Xiao Wu; causing her turned around to gasped as she saw the most beautiful woman she has ever seen, excluding her mother that is in her opinion.

A pale, beautiful woman with long silver-blue hair that looked as if it made from nature. Her features are lovely, with cool blue eyes, perfect skin, and rosy lips. Despite wearing a simple white and blue sundress, her voluptuous figure and beauty seem to stand out even more. Especially the c.h.e.s.t area.

Her eyes were closed, tilting her head down to rest on her left hand, she smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt. Though, feeling as if someone was was staring at her, she opened her eyes and turned towards Xiao Wu.

"Ara? What is it dear? Although I don't mind much of the staring... but it is kinda rude when not saying anything to the person you're staring at."

Xiao Wu blushed red in embarrassment, shaking her head, she then bowed.

"I'm so sorry for staring miss! I shouldn't have done that; as I am a stranger and so are you, I should have started introducing myself in the first place."

The woman giggled and shook her head in return.

"Oh it's quite alright, though looks like we got off the wrong foot. How about this; my name is Ah Yin, what about you? What's your name?"

"Xiao Wu ma'am." Xiao Wu politely replied with a smile.

A smile appeared on Ah Yin's face. A certain memory of two individuals appeared in her mind as she observed Xiao Wu.

'To think, she would looked like a combination of two of her parents. Xiao Wu and Xiao Lin, I hope you could see your daughter all grown up into a young lady right now.'

"Oh please Wu'er, just call me auntie." Ah Yin said while patting Xiao Wu's head.

"Eh?" Xiao Wu muttered in confusion and surprise.

"Or better yet!" Ah Yin's face turned into realization; as her right fist popped on her left palm. "You can call me mother."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened and jaw practically dropped to the ground. Her mind trying to comprehend what she just heard while her emotions tensed up.

She couldn't understand why a unknown woman she just met; like for five minutes, would quickly decide to let her call her mother!

That word brought a variety of emotions running in her heart, mostly sadness and anger, the past replying inside her mind, "Y-YOU!" Before she could snapped at the woman, Ah Yin however made the first move.

"There, there. Shh, shh, it's okay." Ah Yin took Xiao Wu into her embrace. Patting down her hair in a soothing and comforting manner. "I'm sorry if it brought up some unpleasant memories for you, I was ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e, I'm sorry Wu'er." She then moved her hand to wiped the tears from Xiao Wu's eyes.

'Tears...?' Xiao Wu thought for a moment, before she shook it off as she let herself be completely enveloped into Ah Yin's comfortable embrace, calming down her once rising emotions.

Several moments passed in silence before Xiao Wu raised her head from the sizable c.h.e.s.t of Ah Yin.

"Sorry..." She muttered but Ah Yin shook her head and said.

"No, it's my fault for taking it too far as to let you call me mother. We should have started to getting know each other first, like as my son himself introduces you to me."

Xiao Wu nodded for a moment at the first half of the sentence before her body stiffened into a statue at the last half.

"S-Son?" Ah Yin nodded, joy and happiness clear on her face, as she then turned and said.

"Yes, my son Tang San. I heard from a certain shameless alchemist and owl how you two are so close; that you both sworn to become siblings! Oh, who would have thought I would get myself another child. Oh happy day!" Unknowingly, Ah Yin hugged Xiao Wu into a death grip and started spinning her around in the air with a joyous expression.

Xiao Wu however, didn't react to the sudden bone crushing experience of her ribs or the nauseousness of being twirled around. No, her body just froze in place in Ah Yin's embrace. Her mind though, raced at the speed of light as she kept on hearing what Ah Yin said.

'Son, Tang San. Siblings. Another child. Son, Tang San. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings. Siblings....' Her face then turned to horror as her thoughts repeated the word 'sibling' in her mind.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!!!!' Xiao Wu's mind crashed.

While the mother and daughter/in-law? were having their moment, the father and son duo were having theirs by standing by the side with blank looks.

"Hey dad..." Tang San started.

"Yeah son?" Tang Hao replied.

"Is she my mother?"

Tang Hao simply nodded.

"... Okay cut the crap whoever put me in a illusion. I suggest you give up now before I beat the crap out of you." Tang San angrily stated into empty air.

"Little San, what are you talking about?" Tang Hao asked in confusion. Thinking his son had gone crazy or something.

Tang San turned towards his father and simply said.

"There's no way my father would somehow be able to bag the woman embracing Xiao Wu. The last I've seen of him, he was exactly like a deadbeat dad looking deprived and poor. There's just no way, in any situation or logic, can someone like my father marry a woman like her."

"..." Tang Hao opened and closed his mouth several times; wanting to deny it but for some reason, he didn't have the confidence to say it.

*

[Pic of Tang Hao]

[Pic of Ah Yin]