Chapter 361: I Am Chu Yuanqing, and I Am Chu Yuanying

Chu Wang Shu had never thought before that her parents’ past could be so grand and heavy, carrying the rise and fall of civilization, the fate of humanity, and the existence of the stars.

She could not have known before that this spell called “Son of Mankind” would hold such a heavy yet hopeful meaning.

But when she thought about it, it made sense; otherwise, how could Dad have created the Pure White High Wall, greater than the Golden Sea, all by himself when there were no extraordinary powers in the world, successfully sealing off all the Disaster groups?

But it was not over yet.

Dad only mentioned the general past he shared with Mom, but he did not explain how everything evolved into what it was now.

After the girl processed this complex information, she asked:

“Dad, you said that after defeating the Calamity God, the planet was about to be destroyed. What happened next?”

Chu Yuanying explained:

“You have stayed in the Ideal State for half a year; you must have found it strange, right? It is a civilization destroyed by the Disaster group, woven from the echoes of time and the obsessions of all living beings, where the Eden Ring, meant to keep the Disaster group out of the galaxy, should not exist.”

“Moreover, there should not be any empires or emperors.”

Chu Wang Shu didn’t know why her father suddenly brought this up, but the development of the Ideal State was indeed a bit too idealistic.

If the real history did have the Eden Garden burning in the galaxy, the emperor who disappeared for a thousand years would also return.

How did the Disaster group break through the four layers of defense: Eden Ring, Golden Sea, Holy Sophon, and the emperor, to destroy the world?

Chu Wang Shu used to think that both sides engaged in an incredibly long tug-of-war, and only then did the Ideal State face its downfall.

But this did not conform to the laws of objective development; after the emperor returned, the Ideal State would enter a phase of rapid growth in both alchemy and other aspects.

If the Disaster group initially could not break through that burning galaxy’s Eden Garden, then there was even less reason for them to breach this strongest defense later.

Unless…

“That is a false history, a melody altered by me.”

“In the true history of the Slit World, there are no empires and no emperors; the Golden Sea will enter a weak period due to the erosion of local gods, and the arrival of the Disaster group will also bring a day of great suffering for all living beings.”

Chu Yuanying revealed the truth hidden for 17 years:

“And reality is like this too.”

“The difference is that I used the blessings of all humanity, and even the thirteen powers of the Calamity God, with your mother’s help, to truly reset, correct, and alter the timeline, bringing time back to before the great disaster happened.”

Chu Wang Shu listened to her father’s story of saving the world and suddenly remembered the killing intent that burned in her soul when facing the Disaster, and the skills that flowed through her flesh and bones.

So, the hero in the Blessing of the Brave was really about Dad, right?

Each bit of that finely honed skill came from the determination to drive away the Disaster group, and when it appeared in oneself, it burst forth in a grand way, revealing a killing intent that even reason could not control.

The girl found it hard to imagine how her parents and their comrades grew up in such a cruel world.

How much suffering did they endure? How many times did they fail? How many times did they feel despair? And how did they manage to become strong again and again, hold on to their beliefs, and keep moving forward until they grew powerful enough to challenge the Calamity God, who could destroy galaxies and consume worlds?

Even though they saw part of the memories, what was shown was only the result, while the hard work and pain in between were brushed over.

Chu Wang Shu could only witness this still-bright glory under his shadow, but she couldn’t see the hardships and struggles her father faced along the way, the times he was truly helpless and in danger.

Those tears, those sad songs, those past experiences he chose to bear alone have become tombstones of knowledge that the younger generation will never know.

Chu Yuanying sighed:

“But our plan still failed.”

Chu Wang Shu felt a bit confused and did not understand at first.

If the plan was to save the world, then whether by restarting the world or by using the Pure White to suppress the Disaster group, it would be considered a miracle among miracles and should not be labeled a failure.

After all, even if the Pure White had collapsed immediately, it had bought humanity a whole 17 years.

In those 17 years, human civilization studied disaster beasts and Light Stones. From this, magical girls and Ether Tech were born, along with various preparations made to face the Disaster group and the end of the world. Surely, this would lead the world to a better future than before.

Chu Yuanying looked at his daughter’s innocent expression, smiled, and explained:

“Pure White is proof of failure.”

“What I want is for my past comrades, loved ones, and you, to live in a world without the Disaster group, without war, and without the need to fight desperately.”

“To achieve this, I altered the course of the world, removing the concept of the Disaster group, trying to eliminate the roots of the tragedy from the start.”

“At first, when I brought you to the new world, I did not see the Calamity God descend. The Pure White High Wall in the sky was considered by me as the remnants of the past world.”

“I thought the plan had succeeded and wanted to live my life like that, but during our time together at the Dazzling Stage, I caught a whiff of the disaster aura and realized they had not left.”

After hearing the whole story, Chu Wang Shu finally understood why her father quietly became an ordinary worker after saving the world, fully blending into the mundane, gradually raising himself.

Because he felt that the world was at peace, and humanity no longer needed him, there was no reason to actively engage with the Countermeasures Bureau, an official organization.

The Countermeasures Bureau is not the Time-Space Detection Bureau; if Dad doesn’t speak up, they won’t guess the truth even if they try their hardest, so they cannot provide any financial support.

And so, the two became parallel lines.

If Dad hadn’t also gone to the Dazzling Stage, perhaps the two sides would never have crossed paths in their entire lives.

The lovely daughter thought of this and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine as she realized a very important question.

Wait, since Dad had never contacted the Countermeasures Bureau before, why would Sister Charlotte call herself an old friend of theirs?

Also, normally, she wouldn’t know that the creator of the Pure White was Dad, and it would be impossible for her to recall memories of him fighting Disaster at the Twelve Apostles Winery when he was young.

You see, that was a fragment from another world line, and it cannot be obtained by normal means.

In the end, thinking back, whether it’s the Son of Mankind from Patronus Magic or Dad’s words, both indicated that he was the only father of his daughter.

So, the guess that Charlotte is a biological sister falls apart, but why does she resemble the mom Dad spoke of so much?

Unless…

“Little Shu, I have to tell you a truth.”

Chu Yuanying interrupted his daughter’s thoughts. He carefully chose his words and said:

“Your mother is not dead.”

The lovely daughter’s eyes widened in shock. She felt that things were starting to become strange, but she was still incredibly happy about this news. In an instant, she forgot her worries, jumped up from the table, and eagerly asked:

“Really? Then why did Dad put up a gravestone for Mom?”

Chu Yuanying smiled a complicated smile and quietly said:

“That is not just your mother’s gravestone, but also a memorial for my past comrades, for me, and even for that planet.”

“And its anniversary is also the date I came into this world.”

“The reason I told you that your mother has passed away is because, normally, you would never be able to recognize each other in your lifetime, so it’s better to say it directly.”

Chu Wang Shu was about to ask more questions when she suddenly realized the secret within.

Wait, Dad said that he and Mom were both born in the year of the great disaster, and Dad reset the world, turning time back to that same year of the disaster.

In other words…

“It’s exactly as you imagine.”

Chu Yuanying said quietly:

“Your mother was only three years old when you were three years old as well.”

The lovely daughter sat down again, her brain was working hard to process, and the huge amount of information started connecting countless clues and truths together.

Known: Mom is the same age as me.

It is known that Charlotte cannot be her sister, but she looks very much like her mother, is the same age as her, loves to be called “Mom,” and knows a secret about her father from the first playthrough.

Theoretically, from this point, one can conclude that there is a 90% chance she is her biological mother.

However, the problem is there is another very abstract known fact.

That is—Chu Yuanqing and Charlotte are in a romantic relationship!!!

Chu Wang Shu’s brain was almost about to explode; she felt like her head was filled with exclamation marks saying “calculation error,” and no matter how she thought, she could not figure it out, her mind started to crash.

After a long time,

The little girl chose to empty her mind and directly looked at Chu Yuanying, asking innocently:

“Dad, is my mom really Sister Charlotte?”

Chu Yuanying remained silent.

It is no wonder Little Shu guessed so quickly; Charlotte was so obvious. After figuring out that her biological mother was the same age as her, she could only think of one person.

Instead, he should feel lucky that she did not ask, “Is Mom Chu Yuanqing?” That would have been an even more troubling situation.

Chu Yuanying took a deep breath, readying himself mentally, and calmly admitted:

“You guessed correctly; Charlotte is your mother.”

Chu Wang Shu’s mind went blank; she could not fool herself. Since Sister Charlotte was her mother, with her personality, if she had the memories of the first playthrough, cheating would be impossible.

And Dad had said that for the past few months, whether during the filming of “Dazzling Stage” or in Ideal State, he had been by her side…

At that moment, an extremely absurd possibility appeared in her mind.

The little girl was a bit afraid to think further. She swallowed hard, looked at her dad, feeling emotions she couldn’t quite explain, and quietly said:

“Dad, do you… know Chu Yuanqing?”

Chu Yuanying did not remain silent for long. He had planned to take everything to his grave, just like the past from the first playthrough. At least this way, he could keep his dignity as a father.

However, this pride was nothing compared to the time spent with his daughter in the end.

As a result, the structure of the technique collapsed. His deep-set eyes and cold, hard face began to show tiny cracks. Everything that belonged to Chu Yuanying, like the fading moonlight, turned into scattered magic energy particles.

When the bubble faded away, what remained was a familiar person.

This was the friend who had been by his side since he joined “Dazzling Stage.”

This was the mentor who had made him envision his father many times and therefore relied on her even more.

This was the idol who was gentle and patient with her, as beautiful and perfect as the mother in her dreams, full of motherhood, giving her courage and warmth.

Chu Wang Shu’s mind went blank. She thought it was a joke, but neither her father nor Little Qing could play such a joke on her.

So, this was real.

Chu Yuanqing was Dad, and Dad was Chu Yuanqing.

Those gentle moments, that pampering, those similar coincidences, those warm memories that people cherished, and those things that could not be explained by coincidence, all now had answers.

Because it was Dad, the taste of the food was similar.

Because it was Dad, he would unconditionally spoil her, encourage her, love her, comfort her, accept her, and support her…

The lovely daughter’s heart was in chaos, with too much information to handle, so she stood there, looking silly and unable to find words.

Chu Yuanqing looked at her daughter’s reaction, feeling sad. She knew Little Shu would find it hard to accept that she had become a girl, and she was ready to face strange looks, but this silence still made her heart ache.

The girl’s bright golden eyes were dim and lonely, and her delicate, pretty face was filled with regret as she lowered her gaze to her sleeves, which didn’t reach her wrists.

To say goodbye as a father, she changed into her true clothes, which meant she now wore a loose shirt and an oversized suit jacket.

Did she look silly like this?

Even though she had gotten used to this body, the dignity and habits of being a man and a father still lingered deep in her soul, turning into a sensitivity prone to wild thoughts.

Would Little Shu be able to accept this?

Would she blame herself for keeping it a secret until now?

Would she doubt if she was lying?

Would she feel out of place and awkward?

Would she feel that… this version of herself was not fit to be a father?

These mixed doubts, like insurmountable mountains and seas, had prevented her from speaking the truth, and they had not melted away even to this day.

The boy in her heart had not yet died, but even though her faith was unshakable and her will could suppress the Disaster group, she could not put up a defense in front of her daughter.

Chu Yuanqing had developed a weakness and was no longer the unmatched hero wielding the flame sword.

The lovely daughter came to her senses and saw her father’s dim eyes. The complicated and chaotic thoughts in her mind collapsed like a crumbling building, overwhelmed by a tsunami called heartache and guilt.

How could her mind go blank like this?

Although she didn’t understand why her dad had turned into such a cute girl like Honey Qing, from the perspective of the other person, this felt very sensitive, and she had to give her affirmations right away!

The adorable daughter immediately stood up and hugged her now slender and soft father before Chu Yuanqing could react. She clumsily reached out to touch her pure white hair, trying to comfort her like Chu Yuanqing used to comfort her, and stumbled over her words:

“Dad is really cute now, and I really like you.”

“And after Dad became a girl, you have this lovely motherly side, super gentle, and um… oh right, you look so cool dancing like a girl group to protect me!”

As Chu Wang Shu spoke, she felt her dad’s body grow stiff in her arms. She belatedly realized something was wrong, but stopping now would only make it more awkward, so she decided to keep complimenting him without thinking:

“Well, anyway! So many people outside like Dad now, and you have over a hundred million fans on Weibo, which means you are really charming! Everyone loves your performances!”

“I really really like you too, and I admire you! I’ve always seen Dad as my idol! I truly, truly don’t dislike the new Dad. I like you a lot, so much!”

The girl said this, carefully lifting her head. She looked into her father’s bright eyes, shining like jewels, leaned closer, and softly said:

“So… please don’t be sad, okay?”

“Otherwise, I will be sad too, sad enough to cry.”

Chu Yuanqing felt mixed emotions. She had not yet managed to escape her disappointment, and in her daughter’s heartfelt words, she experienced a deep shame and embarrassment, wishing she could disappear. But looking into her child’s sincere eyes, the warmth in her heart overcame these feelings.

The Pure White Witch gently pinched her daughter’s cheek, rested her forehead against hers, and sighed with a mix of helplessness and amusement:

“Okay, I won’t be sad anymore, and Little Shu, let’s not talk about those things, alright?”

God knows what it would be like for her daughter to see her dance in a girl group, but for now, she didn’t want to face that kind of embarrassment.

Chu Wang Shu hadn’t thought of so much yet. Hearing this, she happily nuzzled against her mother, smelling the sweet fragrance, lifted her adorable face, and with a bright smile, said seriously:

“Daddy must remember, no matter how you change, you will always be my idol in my heart.”

“Dad worked so hard to raise me. If I cared about those things, that would be very wrong. Besides, Dad is really lovable now, and there’s no need for him to feel shy.”

Chu Yuanqing’s face was hot, and she felt embarrassed. She didn’t want to hear her adorable daughter keep talking about being cute. She pressed her lips together, looked away into the empty space, and changed the subject, saying:

“Little Shu, this time I brought someone else to see you.”

“Can you guess who it is?”

Chu Wang Shu’s thoughts were interrupted. She wanted to ask a question, but suddenly she smelled a strong magic energy response. A brilliant blue light stirred a strong wind in the room, and the gateway of nothingness opened.

The Last Diva stepped out. She looked up at the father and daughter, her blue eyes like melted ice, and her beautiful face was filled with nostalgia and joy. With a gentle smile, she tilted her head slightly, looking both proud and like she was showing off, and said:

“What do you think? Isn’t Mom’s magic amazing?”

After the Holy Maiden spoke, she didn’t wait for a reply. She took a few steps forward, and the dreamy, soft atmosphere around her melted into a loving warmth, wrapping the father and daughter in her embrace. With her lashes lowered, she softly said:

“I’m sorry for leaving you both alone for so long.”

On Charlotte’s beautiful face, an unusual sadness blended with her expressions, her smile held happiness as well as guilt. She felt the warmth of her husband and daughter and sincerely and gratefully said:

“I love you both.”