Chapter 119 Autumn, Winter
More than almost a month since the chicken event happened in Han Li's household.
Autumn had come and passed; the leaves of the trees had fallen mostly while some resilient branches still held on to survival with the rare few verdant leaves.
Winter was rising once more in the distant horizons; the sun's shine seemed faint and pleasing from Southern Lust City now.
And as one might expect of winter, it was a time of silence the past few days.
Even the Awakening ceremony that passed yesterday was far less lively in comparison to the usual ones, which were full of chatter and liveliness.
Having mostly been simple pleasantries rather than anything of great expectation.
The fact that another of their clan mate failed in his attempt at Evolution didn't change that one bit other than worsening the silence of snow.
But today was a different day. Different mood. Different festival.
Inside Starlight Zone stood proudly many houses, and in one of them lived Han Li's humble family. In their kitchen, filled with the coolness of the late morning, sat Liyue, Li Yao, Yue Li, and, in the middle seat, Han Li.
Today, they were all fresh after the training, and today was not a normal day for them either.
Han Li didn't speak, silent; he used Life Vision on himself.
_
[Han Li] [Age: 18]
[Lifespan: 300 Years]
[Minor Lust Dao Crystals: 76]
[Talent: Sacred]
[Current Cultivation: Evolution Stage]
[Body: Below Average Evolved Physique]
[Skin Building Completed—Tempered Skin—Vibrating Skin]
[Organ Strengthening: 1% completion]
[Talents]
[Low-Level Lack of Lust]
[Low-Level Fantasy Inducement]
[Low-Level Sensational Barrier]
[Low-Level Seduction]
_
Thinking more detailedly about himself while using Life Vision, the content became more in-depth and showed him deeper details about his body.
Feeling rather satisfied, he used 70 out of the 76 to strengthen his organs, and a cool sensation traveled through his guts, making him release a relaxed breath.
[Organ Strengthening: 8% completion]
He could feel his stamina rising significantly—he had been totally drained after his extreme training today, and now he felt refreshed as if he had just woken up.
It was hard to get drained with his physique in the first place, but since he was drained and then refilled with energy, he felt relaxed like a small leaf in the air, flying high and slow.
"So, about it, Mom, ask me the question again." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"So, Xiao Li, when I cut veggies today, I had this weird feeling as if what I am cutting is not vegetable but air, and when I feel like that, I cut this air multiple times in seconds and then replace it with another air, my speed is also very… fast. I mean, it feels as if even I don't have any control over it.
"But somehow, it felt natural, instinctive even. Like my hand is the knife, gently taking the veggie, it is cut, and then I take another. It is cut before I know it, too. It is so surreal I felt I was dreaming at first."
Li Yao muttered from beside them, "I can see how you call it surreal, too; even watching it felt weird. Like, your knife was moving too fast when your hand didn't seem to."
"It means that you just tapped into High-level proficiency for a second without actually having that level of capability. In a sense, your body was on adrenaline while your mind wasn't," Han Li calmly said while sipping his soup.
"But that is our question, Big Brother," Liyue asked curiously, "I am also High-Level Proficient as of now, right? Why doesn't my spear make such miraculous things?"
Han Li nodded. "This is a valid question, and the answer is simple, too. A spear is meant to move in thrusts strongly and is not a weapon focused inherently on its speed. Whereas the knife is a totally different story. It is fast, it is supposed to be fast, and Liyue, let me tell you something serious—you haven't used an actual spear as of yet, and it is better to remain like that till you are sure you can't have a breakthrough at all. When you are in your spear bottleneck, using an actual spear would wake you to the next route."
The three listened studiously and nodded.
Han Li then looked at Liyue.
"So, have you decided?" he asked.
"We will have our marriage simply then. The date is three days from now. Let us have it at a good place I know, and we will consummate the marriage there too. Then, yeah, it is decided LIyue. Any last-minute doubts?" he asked.
"I am very nervous, but I want to invite some people at least to see the event, I don't really have any friends or such in the city, but still… and yes, big brother, you promised me to give some donation to poor people on our marriage, don't forget that too."
Han Li nodded.
"Let's give the whole count of beggars in the city around some food by us; what do you say, Mom?"
"It will be quite expensive but not too much if me and Li Yao handle a major part of the cooking," Yue Li said softly.
Looking at her grown-up son getting ready for his marriage, she couldn't help but feel melancholic.
Some years ago, he was just a little guy who couldn't reach the bed because of his short size; even before that, he was just a bright-eyed infant crying for no reason all the time. At some point, he had grown up. He didn't need her to raise him up for him to jump on the bed. He didn't need to cry to get what he wanted—he had grown up.
She was proud, deep in her bones. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel as if it had all passed by in a second, like a film that was moving faster and faster.
She raised her hand and caressed his cheek, surprising him.
"My Xiao Li had grown a lot… to think he would one day get married. Such a surreal thing, far more surreal than the knife thing."
Han Li held her hand to his face and smiled.
They then just silently glanced at each other for a long time before Yue Li leaned her face closer and gave him a kiss on his forehead.
He looked at her bright face, full of melancholy, and asked softly, "Wanna marry me too?"
"Hahahaha," Yue Li exploded into laughter.
"Now that you mention it, you used to tell me you would marry me when you were small, too. But no, why would I marry you?" She shook her head.
Han Li felt the cold touch of her hands and said with a smile, "Well, you don't want to be my wife too, like Liyue? She had been telling me a lot about her wife fantasies for a while. You would be stunned."
Liyue blushed from the side and mumbled, "Why bring me into you two's flirting…"
Li Yao comforted her lazily, "They can't even see us now. They are in a different world. The weirdest mother and son you would see in your life, look and note."
"What would you do to me if I became your wife? Isn't it the same as what I am now? It's just a different title instead of Mom. And honestly, I would be horrified if you started calling me 'Yue Li' instead of Mom."
"Even if I call you my wife, too?" Han Li gently moved and brought her to his embrace. The winter had made her skin quite cool to the touch, but to him, it felt warm.
"Even if you call me your wife, it isn't any good, Xiao Li; I like being called Mom; it will be bad if you change that. Don't do it."
Han Li made her sit on his lap and gently began to feed her the soup he had sipped earlier.
She blissfully sipped it.
"So Yue Li," he said, "I had this dream once that you and I—"
Cringing halfway, he stopped.
"So lewd and in front of your future wife at that. Have some shame, you two rabbit men," Li Yao threw a nasty insult and then looked at the starry-gazed Liyue.
"You should try harder than that girl. I have never seen him so dazed looking at you."
Liyue looked at her with a smirk. "I have seen him dazed, though, and many times. In fact, Big Brother gets dazed every time when I… strip."
Li Yao was stunned and then looked fiercely at Yue Li and Han Li, who were basically salivating at each other, and cursed, "Look what you did to my pure Liyue, you cursed bastards."
Liyue coughed and then blushed.
She just wanted to tell that to someone for a long while now. She also had the right to feel pride for making him so dazed, it was natural she wanted to boast.
He had never been able to endure her naked body till today.
What did he call her the other day again?
Ah… a goddess, he had called her.
She smiled and looked at her Mother-in-law and fiance again with a face filled with smiles.