My Mother Has a System but Won't Use It

127  Hidden Undercurrents

"Liyue…" Han Li smiled wryly. "Don't worry, I have an idea."

"What idea? What is happening in the first place?" she asked, seated on his lap now.

Hua Feilan had already taken her leave for now to prepare some things, and their family was the only one currently in the hollow. Yue Li and Li Yao sat to the side, looking at them focusedly.

Han Li pondered for a second and looked at his wife.

How weird.

Even though he had seen such things as mere titles, there was still a warmth to the name. Maybe it wasn't all meaningless wording. "Let me first tell you what is going on." He stroked Liyue's hair. "And you can decide my actions from here on since I am also a bit hesitant about the choice, and the benefits barely match the risk."

Feeling the warmth of his hand as he glided his hands across her head, she grew silent and listened for what was happening.

"Basically, many cruel cultivators are attacking the city, and all three clans are in a startled state. Some of even the Starlight Clan kids are in their hands, supposedly—kidnapped. And we can't enter the city now; most probably, some of the demons are inside the city, too."

"Why are they attacking?" Liyue asked, grasping her brother's robe. Nervous.

Han Li thought about this question deeply for a second and then spoke out his thoughts, "Detached Empty Spaces. Have you heard of it, any three of you?"

They shook their heads.

"The empty spaces inside us is a mysterious space that holds our Sparks, Dao Souls, and everything of that sort. And when someone at the stage of Power Birth or higher dies, their empty spaces disintegrate into the atmosphere, while their sparks or dao souls rise to the sky—in myths, they are said to one day transform into stars."

They nodded once more.

They had heard of it before.

"But there is a rare chance of an Empty Space not disintegrating, and then it transforms into a treasure. A physical orb that could actually be touched physically. The Dao Soul inside it would still phase through its physical bounds and fly off into the sky once the cultivator dies, but not the Empty Space in itself—that is, if the rare instance occurred in the first place."

"What can it be used for?" Liyue asked softly, feeling him stroke her lips through her veil with his own lips. She could also feel the warmth of his breath.

Han Li smelled the unique scent of his wife and spoke, "It can be absorbed to gain a hell of a lot of energy, and I can absorb it slowly over some months; even one of them would cause my cultivation speed to skyrocket for a few days. And not only that, it can be used to cook some special recipes in my hand."

Yue Li asked, feeling something amiss deep inside her. "I don't know Xiao Li; I don't like what is happening."

Frowning, Han Li looked at his mother. "Why?"

Li Yao and Liyue also wondered about that question. In Liyue's mind, she had already accepted that her Big Brother wouldn't be there today on their own first night, and she was planning just to have a good time before he went away and wait till he came back. As frustrated as she was, he had taught her to seize opportunities when it was before her; she can't contradict him now. But it would be better if some kind of actually good reason made him decide not to go today.

"Xiao Li, I don't know… something about this whole thing seems very unsettling to me."

Han Li frowned deeply. "For no reason at all?"

She nodded.

He frowned even deeper.

According to his thoughts, the only treasure that was around here at this point in time that could incite a Power Born level battle was the Detached Empty Spaces that was supposed to be near this city, hidden somewhere even he didn't know, not yet excavated or usable.

The only reason he came to the conclusion that it was these empty spaces was due to one single thing. There was nothing around here worthy of Power Borns taking action except that—rarely would people as intelligent as the Power Born willingly risk their lives. Petty things normally never bothered them.

They wouldn't fight with another Power Born even if their Clan Children were stolen at times. People below Power Born didn't really matter to them at all—it was that simple. 'There were no eternal enemies, only eternal benefits.' For people the age Han Li had been, revenge and emotional things were never worthy of their life, if they still lived without offing themselves after 500 years, they had a reason, an ambition, worth living for.

Then it could only be that particular treasure which he wasn't sure when it would pop up. Detached Empty Spaces.

'Mom's instincts…' he pondered. "So here are the losses and benefits: if I mess up, I might get my identity of an Evolved exposed. If I don't and everything goes well, I can lessen tens of months of cultivation into months or even days if luck had it. And I am more than 60% sure everything will go well."

Yue Li and Li Yao looked at each other nervously while Liyue looked at Han Li's face.

"What will happen if you fail and you are exposed?"

"Not at all worth the risk!" Li Yao said calmly. "You would become the complete attention of the whole world around us. Many will come to kill you."

Han Li remained silent. That was true.

Being too much of a genius was not good.

18 years of age was too young for an Evolved.

But the reason he was even considering it was one fact.

If the Power Borns aren't included, he had a 100% chance of returning as if nothing ever happened.

"Liyue, so, leave that behind you; I was just speaking to clear my own head. But I will leave you the chance to decide. No matter what, I won't die, so don't worry. Would you mind me going out for a while and returning on a day I promised to be with you? When I return, I will devote all my time exclusively to you for three days. Not even bothering with the other two."

Liyue remained silent.

Even if he said it in a joking way, even Yue Li and Li Yao didn't consider this a joke. At all.

He was doing something dangerous.

Yue Li worriedly asked, frustrated, "Don't you usually do such things without telling us? You even evolved that way. Why the change now?"

Han Li looked at her. "I wouldn't have told you this, but you see, you have to stay three days somewhere else hidden, and knowing everything is better than not knowing."

Yue Li snorted. "You are not going anywhere. If you do, I am coming with you, and that's it. You have no reason to risk your life when you have me." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Li Yao and Liyue were startled at the words, wondering about the hidden meaning and blushing slightly. Indeed, he could cultivate faster by bedding them after all; that was enough.

Han Li, on the other hand, thought about the [Luck-Chat System] he hadn't used at all the past few days. If he had the right resources, maybe he could trade it for a detached Empty Space, too. He had never tried that in the past life—so maybe.

'Hmm, so stubborn…' He chuckled inside, 'Maybe I should do it another way. In fact, I had been a bit blinded by greed and…' His eyes darkened.

It was not his mother's instinct alone that had noticed it.

Something was happening that was making him unsettled deep down. Something that he couldn't quite put his fingers on. There was this gnawing sensation at the depths of his heart that just wouldn't go away after the timeline changed this time.

And there was something hazy about everything, as if he was missing something or as if his head was being led astray by some magical force from the actual truth. Something was going on that he didn't know about.

And that, more than anything, made him want to participate in this fight some way or the other. Only then could he know this thing—that might as well be a wrench in his plans if he let it play as it wanted—clearly.

Until he was sure of what it was and he was under control, his sleep wouldn't be peaceful, no matter what it was. Sigh…

Even his deals were ignored. They really didn't want him to go.

So, more than the tangible benefits, he had to go fight to understand what the change was in the timeline and what long repercussions it might have.

"Moms, Liyue, this wedding is far from over. We would do it once more, and next time, 10 times more luxuriously—and our First time Liyue, I will make it a memorable one that we will remember even eternities later."

Yue Li got ready to block his path. She was a bit agitated, and she was ready to actually fight. "Xiao Li, listen, stop. I am coming with you."

Han Li chuckled.

He wouldn't have normally let her come, but this time, he had a plan.

"Okay."

"Big Brother," Liyue called out from his lap.

He looked at his wife. "Can I come too?"

He shook his head.

"Mom would be helpful, but you will be a burden."

Her heart shivered.

She nodded.

Han Li kissed her gently through the net of her veil. "But don't worry, I love you. I really do. In fact, I wouldn't really mind staying behind and hiding with you if it weren't for some doubts I have."

"...You love me?"

Han Li smiled. "What? You still feel that distance with me you once talked about that I need to spell it out for you?"

Liyue sighed.

"3 days... my first night is ruined... what a bad day... my wedding gift better be grand. Or I might get mad at you. And I think I am better at being mad than Mother Yue."

Han Li awkwardly brooded.

Liyue brushed aside her hair from near her nape and showed it to him, her eyes shining gently.

"And also, give me that hickey thing."

A hint: the story is about to start fr fr now and I will try posting more chaps a day. 

Enjoy!