A World Worth Protecting

1

Wang Baole watched as his mother came up to him and was about to pinch his cheeks. He sucked in a deep breath of air in fear and hastily suppressed the cultivation inside his body. He relaxed the muscles on his face so that his mother wouldn’t receive any backlash from pinching his cheeks. It was somewhat challenging, but he was truly worried that his current cultivation and physical body might cause harm to his parents.

Fortunately, Wang Baole’s reflexes were quick. As his cultivation was suppressed and the muscles on his face relaxed, his mother pinched his cheeks without noticing anything amiss. The aching and pain in her eyes sent warmth unfurling inside Wang Baole.

This was a warmth that couldn’t be felt on Mars. Even when he had his friends with him, the feeling he had then wouldn’t be able to compare with this current heat. He grinned and patted his tummy.

“Mom, look, there’s so much meat on this tummy. Don’t worry, I won’t lose weight.”

“Your tummy’s grown smaller!” Wang Baole’s mother sighed. She pulled Wang Baole onto the couch and began to interrogate him about his life on Mars, asking for all the details. Love filled her eyes, and Wang Baole felt a great warmth and began to relax.

“A girlfriend? Of course! Mom, let me tell you. I have so many girlfriends. Too many, in fact. They’re so troublesome.”

“Someone to take care of me? Mom, I’m a Secondary Rank Two Noble now. There are plenty of people waiting to kiss my ass and do things for me. I even have my own guards. Don’t worry.”

“Ah, mom, I realized when I arrived that you look younger now. Where did you get these clothes from? They look really fashionable!” Wang Baole unleashed his skills at changing the topic and instantly shifted his mother’s attention away. He saw how effective it was and began to pile on more compliments.

In the end, Wang Baole’s mother laughed and scoldingly smacked Wang Baole on the head. The love in her eyes brightened. She didn’t even spare a glance at her husband, who had been taking the dishes out from the kitchen. Wang Baole could only sigh and feel sympathy for his father.

Soon, all the dishes were placed on the dining table. The family of three finally sat down together to have their first reunion meal after years of separation. Wang Baole led the conversation, and the atmosphere was warmed by his mother’s endless laughter, which was punctuated by the dissatisfied snorts from his father.

The topic of conversation soon turned from Wang Baole to grandchildren. Wang Baole’s mother seemed anxious about this particular topic.

“Baole, you say you have so many girlfriends. Why didn’t you bring one home this round? You should settle down quickly… No, you follow me tomorrow, I’m bringing you matchmaking. I think Deputy City Lord Xu’s daughter is quite a good match. She’s especially friendly whenever I see her and seems the sort to bear sons!”

Wang Baole was stunned when he heard that. He had always thought matchmaking to be such an embarrassing thing, especially for someone like him. He was the most handsome person in the entire Federation. What need did he have for matchmaking?

“Nonsense!” Before Wang Baole could speak, his father placed his chopsticks down and lifted his jaw. He said solemnly, “Baole is a senator now, and the City Lord of a special regional city. How can we joke around with his marriage?”

“Old Wang, you’ve become quite impressive. You dare to raise your voice at me now? A mere leader of an archeology team who’s basking in the glory of my son, how dare you pretend to be a somebody in front of me?” Wang Baole’s mother was always kind and loving to Wang Baole, but when speaking to her husband, she was extremely stern and fierce. At present, her eyes were popping out as she glared. Wang Baole’s father shuddered and dared not talk back, only lowering his head and muttering.

“That’s my son too.”

“Shut up and eat!”

Wang Baole’s eyes squinted as he smiled at the sight. He was overcome with emotion. Suddenly, he felt as if he had changed. In the past, he hadn’t had any special feelings when he visited home. This time though, he could feel a reluctance to leave them when the time came.

He suddenly wondered if he had been too busy working towards his ambition and had neglected the old folks at home…

He did frequently speak to his parents. He had also gotten people to send over pills to them quite a few times. Even though his parents lacked the talents for cultivation, with the aid of these pills, they had managed to reach the peak of the Ancient Martial realm.

To a certain degree, this could also increase their lifespan.

But Wang Baole was suddenly very afraid. He feared the cruel passing of time as he continued his cultivation. One day… perhaps he might enter seclusion, only to leave it and find the entire world changed, and the people he had known gone.

“Little Missy, are there pills or rare natural ingredients in this world that can increase the lifespan of an ordinary person?” Wang Baole asked quietly in his head.

Since Little Missy had said she was going to return to slumber in the Dark Artifact, she hadn’t said a single word. When Wang Baole had first left the Dark Artifact and tried reaching out to her, she hadn’t responded. Now though, Little Missy’s voice echoed softly in his head. It was colored with slight sorrow and nostalgia, as well as a certain empathy.

“Yes!”

Wang Baole breathed in deeply. He smiled. As long as they existed, he would find a way to get his hands on them. This would make his worries go away. He looked at his parents, then said as he laughed.

“Mom, why don’t we move? Let’s move next to the Ethereal Dao College in Ethereal City!”

Wang Baole’s father heard that and was about to say something when Wang Baole’s mother snorted. He hurriedly lowered his head and continued eating rice. He followed exactly what his wife had said and only ate rice, not even touching the other dishes…

“Baole, I planned to discuss this with you even if you didn’t raise this matter. It no longer feels as comfortable staying in Phoenix City. Moving away sounds like a good idea.” Wang Baole’s mother thought for awhile, then nodded her agreement. She didn’t ask the exact reason, as she was already aware. Her son was so exemplary and held such a high ranking post. As parents, there were times such as this when all they needed to do was not cause their children any trouble.

Since their son said they should move, then they would move!

She also considered the matter of matchmaking. There would be more potential daughters-in-law to choose from in such a big city such as Ethereal City. She would have so many more options as compared to Phoenix City.

They finished a heartwarming dinner. Night descended. Wang Baole returned to his small bedroom and lay on his small bed, gazing at the moon outside. He smiled and didn’t meditate or train, simply allowing himself to relax and shut his eyes. Then, he dreamed, something he hadn’t done for a very long time.

Time passed. On the fifth day, after his parents had dealt with everything, the entire family boarded Wang Baole’s cruiser and moved away.

Despite how reluctant Liu Daobin’s father was to see them go, he knew that with Wang Baole’s current status and cultivation, it was no longer appropriate for his parents to continue living in the city. Setting aside all other concerns, their safety would pose a problem. Phoenix City was, after all, a small city. It couldn’t compare with Ethereal City, which was next to the Ethereal Dao College. It was nearly a stronghold and almost impenetrable.

Because of Wang Baole’s status, his parents would receive a great deal of protection in Ethereal City. They wouldn’t experience any hardship for the rest of their lives.

Having understood that, Wang Baole’s old parents pushed down the reluctance they felt at leaving. They boarded the cruiser with their son as they were sent off by a crowd of people. The cruiser rose and sped, roaring towards Ethereal City!

Wang Baole allowed the cruiser to fly at a leisurely pace. On the one hand, this was to ensure that his parents wouldn’t experience any discomfort during the journey. On the other, while his father was part of an archeology team and often left the city and ventured outside, his mother had never traveled to such far places in her entire life. Wang Baole intended to make use of this chance to bring his parents around for a tour.

With Wang Baole’s cultivation and status, while not entirely invincible, he still had the ability to protect his parents from coming to harm on Earth. The sorrow of departure dissipated from the elderly couple’s hearts as the scenery of this earth flashed across their eyes. They flew over mountain ranges and landed on a peak laden with snow. They melted the snow and brewed tea, stared at the layers of clouds in the heavens, and gazed at the blue lakes beneath the snow mountains!

They moved past patches of forests. They saw birds and sniffed flowers in the deepest parts of the thick forests. They watched as what should have been vicious, fearsome beasts turn into obedient little puppies, showing their bellies and seeking their favor.

They leaped over vast deserts and drank from the clear waters in the oasis within the deserts.

The cruiser led the family of three speeding under the blue skies, weaving through clouds, and flying over mountains and forests. A life that belonged to a cultivator was unveiled, fractionally, before Wang Baole’s parents.

<em>Mom, when I was a kid, I said that I would bring you and dad to travel the world… </em>Wang Baole looked at his parents’ happy, smiling faces, and watched as they took photos of every place they had visited. He stood on the cruiser, happiness filling his heart. This was a bliss that surpassed the happiness of being promoted to a Secondary Rank Two Noble.