Yang Gongming and the rest of the family were overjoyed. Yang Pojun clenched his hands with delight.
There was no doubt that they felt pressed when Yang Chen vanished during a crisis. The First Senior Official, too, continued inquiring where he was, but the Yang family members had no idea.
With the whole world ostracising China and the array of guardians unreachable, he also treated Yang Chen as their lifesaver.
Yang Chen’s heart warmed when he felt his mother’s longing and affection for him. A smile blossomed on his face as he consoled, “Mom, don’t cry. I’ll explain everything to you. I’m fine…”
It took him a lot of effort to mollify Guo Xuehua.
Only then did they realize there was a beautiful woman behind him.
Although Yu Xuening tried to cover up her beauty, she still looked gorgeous, like the reincarnation of a goddess. It was hard for ordinary people to look away from her.
Fortunately, those present were not average people, so they did not embarrass themselves. On top of that, Yang Chen had plenty of pretty women with him.
“This lady is Yang Chen…” Guo Xuehua regarded Yu Xuening with interest and dislike. She apparently assumed her kid was busy having fun with her.
A bitter smile formed on Yang Chen’s face, and he gave them a simple introduction of Yu Xuening to the others. Since the situation was dire, there was no need to hide some things. Thus, he shared everything, such as the Ten Thousand Demon Realm, the demons, and the devil cultivators.
Yang Gongming was also shocked to know that the woman before them was a Nine-Tailed Divine Fox over 50,000 years old. Seeing her youthful appearance, he found it hard to accept that he was meeting a “living fossil.”
Guo Xuehua breathed a sigh of relief when she ascertained that Yu Xuening was not Yang Chen’s lover. Otherwise, she would not know how to interact with a daughter-in-law who was tens of thousands of years older than her.
Yu Xuening listened to them quietly with a faint smile. From time to time, she would take Yang Gongming’s books or play with the electronic devices, so she was not bored at all.
Once Yang Chen recounted his experience, Guo Xuehua recalled something and asked, “Yang Chen, do Ruoxi and the others know you’ve returned?”
Yang Chen shook his head. “No, I came home as soon as I solved the matter in the illusionary dimension.”
His response made her happy. She hugged him enthusiastically again as if her prior sadness had faded and the cold no longer mattered.
“I knew it! My son is the best. How sensible of you to visit me first.”
Yang Chen flushed a little. He felt that his mother was treating him like a little child.
Meanwhile, Yu Xuening giggled, as though she was enjoying his awkward reaction.
Yang Gongming cleared his throat and disrupted their peaceful mother and son bonding moment. “Yang Chen, you know let them know that you’re. Something happened on the island when you weren’t around.”
Yang Chen frowned. “How is that possible? I had three experts of the Demon Sect to guard the place. No one should be able to hurt the islanders.”
“They weren’t hurt. Princess Jane was summoned by the army alliance of Europe and America…” Guo Xuehua recounted the earlier incident to him.
His expression turned grim instantly. He couldn’t care less about the Noah Ark, but he could not tolerate the fact that they dared to seize Jane when they knew she was her woman.
After deliberating for a moment, he said, “The temperature in Beijing is too low, and it’s not safe here. I’ll bring all of you to the island first.”
Guo Xuehua appeared troubled and looked at Yang Gongming.
The old man shook his head. “The four major clans and the First Senior Official agreed that we would employ our forces to protect the citizens. We would not leave Beijing until the last moment. If we are at our wit’s end, we’ll contact you or the other islanders. So, be rest assured and do what you’re supposed to do.”
Yang Chen furrowed his brows as he did not expect him to be so stubborn. Perhaps, it would be more accurate to describe his obstinacy as the pride of a member of the Yang family and the mission to uphold his family’s glory.
Knowing that there would not be any problem in a short period and that his grandfather knew what to do, he did not force him to follow.
Since he had met his family, Yang Chen was eager to meet his wives and child. However, just as he turned around, Yang Gongming called him.
The latter approached him and tapped on his shoulder.
“Kid, this isn’t just about the nation’s future, but humanity’s survival. The greater your power, the greater your responsibility. Because of this, no one can force you to shoulder the responsibility. If you find yourself at a crossroads, don’t be affected by other people. Follow your heart when you make the decision. Don’t have regrets,” he whispered to his ear.
Yang Chen was quiet for a moment as he contemplated his words. In the end, he nodded.
Seeing that his son was leaving, Yu Xuening followed along, and they headed to the Mediterranean Sea.
In the forgotten realms, the temperature at the main island and the archipelagos had dropped to below zero degrees.
Snow floated above the sea, but it only specked the islands.
A large number of tropical plants had died, causing the forgotten realms to look barren.
The islanders had taken cover in their houses and lit up the fireplace to shelter themselves from the biting cold.
Fortunately, the island had emergency supplies available all the time, so they did not have to worry about food and other necessities.
Wang Ma, Su Xin, the Liu couple, Ma Guifang, and the other women’s relatives had moved into the ancient castle located by the cliff.
It had an electric generator to provide a stable supply of heat, and a large number of guest rooms allowed them to live comfortably.
At that moment, a few of the women and their relatives were seated at the long dining table.
Although the dishes were not lavish as usual, they were still scrumptious. Unfortunately, none of them had the appetite, except for Lanlan, who was chowing down on the food happily.
Sitting beside her, Lin Ruoxi would occasionally wipe her greasy mouth with a napkin or feed her some vegetables despite her rejection. It made the atmosphere seem calm and peaceful.
Cai Yan played with the spaghetti on her plate with the fork and said enviously, “Ruoxi, the world is coming to an end, and Hubby’s whereabouts are still unknown… How can you stay so calm? Even Sister Tang Wan couldn’t stand it and went to meditate in the basement, yet you can still feed Lanlan.”
Lin Ruoxi looked up and lifted the corner of her lips into a smile before continuing to feed her daughter.
Wang Ma forced a smile. “Miss might look composed, but she’s anxious just like everyone else. It’s just how her personality is.”
Her remark evoked a chuckle from the others. Having spent time with Lin Ruoxi, they sort of understood that she was not being aloof on purpose. It was just how her temperament was.
Having said that, they would have been extremely nervous if it were not for her repose.
After all, everyone on the island viewed her as the leader during Yang Chen’s absence.
“Mommy, where’s Sister Ting?” Lanlan asked suddenly.
Sister Ting was Yu Lanting. The little girl was not afraid of strangers. After the three women brought her on a trip to Europe, she started calling Yu Lanting Sister Ting, even though the latter was over 2,000 years old.
“She should be on the island? Why?” Lin Ruoxi asked.
Lanlan pouted. “Sister Ting promised to bring me to her house to play. It’s been so many days, but she hasn’t brought me there yet.”
“She has to stay on the island to protect everyone else, so she can’t bring you to her house to play yet. You’ll have to wait for your daddy to come back,” Lin Ruoxi said while stroking her daughter’s head.
Lanlan blinked. “When is Daddy coming back then?”
“Your daddy…” Lin Ruoxi seemed pensive, then smiled all of a sudden. “He’s almost back…”
At that moment, two figures appeared outside the castle and strolled in through the main entrance.
The women in the castle sensed something, and they beamed with joy. Concurrently, three figures dashed over from one direction. They were Yu Lanting and the other two demons.