143 Sorry for killing you.
A heavy waterfall, almost akin to the Niagra Falls on Earth, was the first sight that Yue Li witnessed as her eyelashes fluttered open. Then, as the panic started to rise, she felt herself leaning against her son's chest and immediately breathed out a sigh of relief.
But once more, her gaze shifted to the great waterfall and panic once more rose up in her guts. She also realized that they were now high up, on top of a large tree, to be exact. It was so tall, looking up, she felt as if the clouds were not that distant.
She felt Han Li gently kissing her nape and turned back to him, her eyes bright. "Where are we?" she asked.
"Inside the Sacred Demon's empty space," Han Li replied, a slight smile on his face.
Yue Li looked towards the sky, the sun was still barely visible, but it was already nearing dark. "So realistic, Xiao Li, it's almost like the real world," she said in awe, full of reverence. "Will your Empty Space become like this too?"
Han Li looked at her curiously, not interrupting her amazement. With a smile, he said, "I don't know, maybe it might. But my theory is that all Sacred Stage Cultivators have Empty Spaces similar to this, a World of its own inside them. Maybe that is their source of god-like strength."
His mother nodded enthusiastically and decided. "When your Empty Space becomes like this, we will set up a mansion in the middle of the world, and then, I don't know... we will do something interesting."
Han Li couldn't help but smile. How cute. "After I get it, sure."
She squinted at him. "So tell me, what will we do in this world? Explore? Have sex? You were so stiff when we were flying. But you seem to be in a better mood now. And why are we on top of this tree? Also, how long was I sleeping?"
"In this world..." Han Li grew serious, "we survive."
Her words got caught on her throat and she looked at his red eyes with a frown. It was also then that she noticed her son was wearing something she had no recollection of buying for him or him buying. He was not in those clothes when they came here too.
"Where did you get those clothes?"
"I told you when we were flying here, until we get out, no questions, and you will obey all my words," he replied calmly, looking far west, on the opposite side of the waterfall.
Yue Li looked at him with a disgruntled expression, even a bit pale. "I am not your slave, bastard. Tell me, did you kill once more?"
Han Li looked back at her. "Look west, I mean, there." He pointed.
She looked west, and Han Li said calmly. "There is a Power Born there, and there, inside the cave behind that great waterfall, a Power Born also flew into it a second ago."
"So what?" she asked.
"So, my lovely mom, tomorrow, they will come to kill us. In about 24 hours from now, a Trial will begin, but before that, there will be many fights, and today, at least thousands will die for no reason. I killed, yes, I killed. But due to that, I might not have to see you die, understood?"
Yue Li took a deep breath and, deep down, felt a coldness take hold of her heart. She involuntarily slapped Han Li. He looked at her calmly.
"...You will also help, not half-heartedly, but with full heart, every family that you hurt by killing them. If you lose money or even pride, let it be."
"Okay."
"Do you remember the names of the people you killed? Were they unknown?"
"I know who they were."
"Okay, we will both bear this sin together. Remember Xiao Li, now it is also my goal to make you have the power to revive people."
Han Li looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were sparkly with tears, but her words didn't stutter. "I had always wished to be a part of that great ambition of yours, so now, it will have one more meaning." She closed her eyes, settling her heart. "You will one day become the controller of Life and Death and will revive each and every one you killed. And I will apologize to them for the mistakes my son made."
This was the difference between a person with a Heart of Cultivation and one without; she could keep calm in confusion; if it was Liyue, she would be jittery now, but not Yue Li. She could atleast process the information and think.
She had at first seen his ambitions as a joke, but she wasn't his mother for no reason. She had seen him train like a madman, and if that was a joke, she didn't know what wasn't.
"You will... apologize to the people I killed?" he asked, amused.
"You will, too. And then only will I consider you a great son. So work hard."
Han Li chuckled with a rather amused expression and gently cleared her tears using his sleeves.
"That seems interesting. We will make Liyue apologize too. It was her husband who killed them after all."
"Then, you might as well include Li Yao, too. She is your mistress? Is that the word? Or Mother-in-law, I guess..."
"Then I have to make Ruo apologize, too."
"...Ruo?" Yue Li frowned, a displeased expression immediately plastering itself on her face. "Who is this wench I don't know about?"
"I haven't seen her yet, either, but she would be in this Demon World. You won't call her a wench once you see her; believe me, she is gorgeous."
But he was a bit worried about her situation in this world. It could totally end up dangerous.
"Mom, it's time to find a Life-Type fruit and trade it. Then we go find our Little Ruo. It would still take hours for Power Borns to begin their rampage. We have to find her before that."
But he had some confidence she wouldn't be in danger at this point—or he wouldn't have wasted time sweet-talking his Mom, and there was a reason for that confidence. ill-placed as it was.