1751 A Promise

The hidden story behind Shi Meiyoung's death surfaced as she told everyone everything she knew.

"I was wounded by that woman, the empress. Shouchuang's father did what he could to protect us both and teleported us away, which was how we arrived on this side of the world."

"However, even then I already knew going to die. I was steps away from death with my soul fading slowly. I did my best in the end to save Shouchuang and that was when this young man came to save me. And the rest you know."

The look on the beast's face had long since changed to that of anger.

"That bitch!" the Lynx shouted. "To think attacking the Western Continent in our husband's absence was the worst we thought the two of them could do."

"She was the one responsible for killing my granddaughter," Ren Xiao said. "If only she was alive, I would…" She let out a low growl.

"Such an ungrateful bitch. We healed her when she couldn't have a child. This is how she chose to repay us?" the tiger said.

The others let out all sorts of colorful curses and descriptions to call the empress too.

"She is… dead?" Shi Meiyoung asked after hearing about them talking about her.

"Yes, she is dead," Bai Jingshen said. "But the Emperor is still alive. Don't worry, we'll do something about him."

"We'll avenge you, Mother," Pearl said. "I will avenge you."

Shi Meiyoung turned around, wide-eyed with a look of horror in her eyes. "What?" she asked.

"I will make sure—"

"No!" she said sharply. "You will do no such thing."

"Huh? But he killed you, mother. He… he… I have to avenge your death. Father's death. If I don't do that, how will I—"

"Shouchuang!" Shi Meiyoung spoke loud enough to get Pearl to flinch back in fear. "Your father and I didn't sacrifice our lives protecting you so you could do the same to avenge our deaths in return. Child, we don't want you to die."

"We want you to live your life, free of any burden. Please, promise me you won't do that!"

Pearl's mouth was open but he couldn't form any words. He was speechless, completely taken aback by his mother's insistence.

"I—"

"Shouchuang, Pearl, promise me. Promise me you won't do anything reckless. Don't do anything that will get you killed," Shi Meiyoung said. Halfway through her words, she had tears forming in her eyes, slowly dripping down the path that had dried up around her eyes.

"Grandfather, please help him see sense. Grandmother, please don't let Shouchuang die. Seniors, I beg you to help my child," Shi Meiyoung begged.

She turned toward Alex. "Even if you have to force him, don't let him kill himself."

Pearl looked around at the entire entire group that stood around him, begging them with their eyes.

For the past 20 years, they had made Pearl the one to look for his mother's killers. Now that he had finally figured out exactly who it was that they needed to get their revenge on, he couldn't be told to not do it.

It was just too cruel.

"Shouchuang," Shi Meiyoung called him. "Look at me."

Pearl turned his head back to his mother. "Promise me! Promise me you won't try to get revenge on my behalf."

"I…"

"Promise me," Shi Meiyoung insisted.

Pearl couldn't say no anymore. "I… I promise," he said. He knew he hated the words as soon as he said it, but he meant it with all of his heart. "I promise… I won't try to find revenge."

"Good!" Shi Meiyoung said, feeling glad.

"Child?" Bai Jingshen suddenly spoke, catching everyone's attention.

"Hmm?" Shi Meiyoung looked up and then at herself. "Oh… am I… dying again?"

Her body started to fade away slightly, slowly turning transparent. Wisps of white energy flew out of her body one at a time, each turning into mists of spiritual energy.

"M-mother?" Pearl spoke urgently. "What is happening?" He turned around toward Alex. "Brother, do something. Please."

Alex wondered if his body was somehow unconsciously absorbing Pearl's mother and forcing it to stop doing whatever it was doing, but that had not been the case at all.

It was just something that was happening all on its own. Whatever was going on, Alex had no fault in it.

"I… I can't stop it," Alex told him. "I'm sorry."

"NO!" Pearl shouted. "Mother, no. Please don't leave me."

"Shouchaung! Oh, my dear Shouchaung," Shi Meiyoung spoke in a soft voice. "I might be gone, but I will always be with you. I'm always here with you."

Her body grew more transparent and she could feel herself disappearing.

"I wanted to talk to you about your father," she said. "I wanted to tell you all about him. You would've loved him, Shouchaung. He was an amazing person."

"Mother, you can tell me all about him. We… we have time," Pearl said as she hugged his mother's body. "I have so much to tell you about as well. My journey, Brother's family. I have another mother now, a Human mother. And a father too. I have a brother who is a mouse and a sister who is a Phoenix. I… "

"That is excellent, Shouchuang," Shi Meiyoung said with a mournful smile. "I wish… I wish we had more time. I can… feel my body growing weaker… by the second. I'm… once again going to leave you alone."

Pearl started crying, sniffling next to his mother. "Don't leave me, mother. Please."

"I'm sorry, Shouhuang. At least," Shi Meiyoung said slowly. "At least, I'm not leaving you… completely alone this time."

She turned her head toward the rest. "You have taken good care of my son," she said. "Please continue… doing so."

Ren Xiao rushed to Shi Meiyoung and took her for a hug, licking the side of their head in love. "You didn't have to ask. Of course, we will take care of your child."

Shi Meiyoung gave a satisfied smile and turned to Pearl, seeing his crying face. She had been trying to put on a brave face for Pearl, but seeing his tears made her cry once more.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Shouchuang. I should have been there for you. Both your father and I, we should have… We failed you. I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you."

"No!" Pearl said. "Don't be sorry, mother. You have nothing to be sorry about. It is because of you that I am alive today."

Shi Meiyoung licked her son's face. "Don't hate us for what we did," she said.

"Never!" Pearl answered.

"I… I would've loved to see you grow, loved to see who you would have become. You're special… Pearl. You… are something that has never before existed in this world, something unique. A child… of impossibility."

Shi Meiyoung's body faded even more and more. Pearl tried to talk to her, but she could no longer hear him. It was just her own voice that she could hear.

"You will become the strongest, Shouchuang. Your future… is limitless."

"So… do your best," Shi Meiyoung said. "And remember… I will always be there for you. I love you… my son."

Shi Meiyoung's body fully faded away into a mist of spiritual energy, leaving behind her final words, a declaration of unending love for her child.