Chapter 605: 12.7 Unknown Star - SSS World: Vearth, The Case of An Liang (7)

While Hei Jue and An Liang were crying about their daughter's unknown ending in An Liang's office, Hei Mo was waiting for the return of Warden Lou and Yun Ming from their investigation. What they've brought back was something Hei Jue and An Liang would have never expected. Returning to the Netherworld, the two urgently look for An Liang and his wife, Hei Jue, only to meet Hei Mo at the throne room.

Hei Mo spoke, "You guys are back. An Liang didn't attack me stealthily, who was preparing to surrender as expected when he planned to kill me. The married couple was having a serious conversation. Did you get the information I told you to look for?"

"Yes, Senior. Please look at this," said Yun Ming as he pa.s.sed the information he and Warden Lou had gathered when they left to investigate.

Some of the information is something System Baize and his host had gathered under the orders of Hei Anjing. It was these two that they had met in the G.o.d System that helped them get the latest information about the Ye Gui and anything about An Liang. They had also found out about the old transaction An Liang made with the second wife of Ye Mo. Some traces were left behind and they found out that a man named Xia Jieye had just destroyed the hideout of the second wife of Ye Mo. An abandoned star not far from Vearth. They've also received some secret coded message from Gui Xiajun an undercover following XIa Jieye that they had saved a few old members of the Hei Clan and among these survivors is the missing daughter of Hei Jue and An Liang, Princess Hei, An Juehua.

Upon seeing this news, even the calm and experienced old G.o.d-like Hei Mo finally lost his cool. Most of the survivors are the loyalists that had left the Hei Clan with him a few centuries ago. He had always thought that aside from him most of his men had died. To his surprise, they were instead captured and tortured for years. What left him overjoyed is that his great-granddaughter was among the survivors.

Hei Mo was stunned yet ecstatic. This is a piece of good news not only for him but for his eldest grandson and his husband. This is after their missing daughter. The daughter they had lost for almost a decade.

"W-Where... Where are the survivors right now?" asked Hei Mo.

Warden Lou responded, "We were told that they are on their way here. Gui Xiajun, who was with the big boss, said they used a teleportation array directly to Netherworld. I don't know where and when exactly..."

The warden's words were cut off as an array suddenly appeared in the middle of the throne room. It was such a huge formation that startled Hei Mo, Warden Lou, and Yun Ming.

Hei Mo recognized what kind of array suddenly appeared before them, "This is a Teleportation Array."

"Is this the one that brat is talking about?" said Warden Lou who remembered Gui Xiajun's message from the G.o.d System.

Yun Ming commented, "Must be but be vigilant in case it wasn't."

The array starts glowing and trembles as it activates. In a split second of brightness within the circle almost a hundred people appeared. Their age varies from the youngest to the oldest and gender from male to female. Most of their clothes were rags and only the young man had similar features to Ye Xiajie.

Gui Xiajun said, "Ah~ we are finally here. Ugh~ my stomach... I feel sick~" while carrying a young lady in his arms.

"Uncle Jun, please don't puke on me~," said an adorable girly voice. The one who spoke is the little girl in Gui Xiajun's embrace.

Gui Xiajun whose mouth was covered by two small soft hands of An Juehua.

"I won't puke. Little darling, you didn't wash your hands right?" asked Gui Xiajun.

An Juehua innocently looked at her clean hands. Her Uncle Ye cleaned her all up before they split up. Her hands might be a bit small for her age due to malnutrition but it was clean and white.

"It's clean. Uncle Ye used a cleansing talisman on me!" said An Juehua.

While the two are bickering, Hei Mo approaches the group but his eyes linger on the little girl who looks so much like his wife. This lovely young lady obviously got his Hei Bloodline, especially those gray irises which are the trademark of their clan. Ash gray eye color is unique to their family clan.

Hei Mo looked amiably towards An Juehua and the little was a bit frightened at first until she saw the old man's eyes which are the same shade as hers. In the past, An Juehua didn't like her eye color. It looks dull and boring for a little girl like her, she had always wanted her father's eye color which is a rare shade of purple. But her daddy says that their eyes are unique only to their Hei Bloodline. This is a feature only their family possessed. So when his daddy lets her meet his extremely beautiful Uncle An, An Juehua starts to love her eye color. Because it had the same shade as that captivating uncle she likes the most.

Hei Mo looks at his great-granddaughter with a bit of tear in the corner of his eyes.

With his lips and voice a bit trembling, Hei Mo asked, "A-Are you... Huahua? An Juehua?"

"Y-Yes, I am. Grandpa, why do you have the same eye color as Huahua? Daddy says only our family has the same color. Who are you sir?" asked An Juehua politely.

Hei Mo smiled when he heard his great granddaughter's soft and mellow voice.

"Huahua... Little princess, this old man is named Mo and surnamed Hei. I am Hei Jue and Hei Anjing's grandfather. I am your great grandfather." introduced Hei Mo.

An Juehua was surprised. She didn't expect to meet her great grandfather after all these years. His daddy never mentioned anything about their Hei Clan except for his Uncle An and Granduncle Sian. But after being separated from her parents all these years she misses her family too much.

She reached out her small hand towards his great grandfather with tears on her face.

"Great Grandpa, hug~," said An Juehua.

Gui Xiajun gently pa.s.sed the little girl to the elder in front of him. An Juehua hugged her great-grandpa as she cried. All the suffering she-bear at such a young age was now poured out as tears.

"Wuwuwu~ Great Grandpa! Boohoo... I was caught by bad guys. They hurt grandpas, grandmas, uncles, aunts, big brothers, and big sisters~ boohoo... They don't let Huahua eat delicious food and whip me for no reason..."

"It's okay now. Don't cry, darling. you are now safe..."

All the grievances the little girl had suffered were now being told to her family. Hearing all these, Hei Mo's hate for the Ye Gui race had deepened. Even though that was the race that his deceased friend had left behind, he couldn't forgive them any longer. That is the very same race that continuously harms his family.

Hei Mo comforted the traumatized young lady in his embrace. He gently pats his back letting her rant all her grievances until she falls asleep from crying too much.

"She... had suffered too much," said Hei Mo as he tenderly caressed his Great granddaughter's thin cheeks and felt even guiltier upon seeing her state.

He had also noticed a few loyal subordinates of his looking thin and weak. They, like the young lady in his embrace, suffered too much in the last few years they were imprisoned. Some old G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses kneeled before Hei Mo and saluted him.

"Old Patriarch we had returned. Forgive our late arrival and... We had successfully protected the princess with our lives. But we had lost some brothers, so I would ask for their safe journey to reincarnation."

Hei Mo stopped the guys from kowtowing and controlled his qi to pull them all up.

"Stand up, please. You have done a great job. I would like to give my sincere thanks to you. Thank you for protecting my Great Granddaughter all this time." said Hei Mo.

He lowered in the proud head for the first time in ages rendering everyone in the throne room speechless and stunned. They knew what kind of a proud man the former Patriarch was. He had never feared the power or fame the Mo Family has and treats them no different than another family despite being a regal clan.

This person had always stood tall in front of them like a tall mountain. No one could make him bow his head. But now to show his grat.i.tude and respect to those who protected his descendant, this arrogant man lowered his head. This was enough to show his sincerity towards them.

"Please raise your head, Old Patriarch."

"That's right. It was our duty to protect the younglings of the Hei Clan."

"Especially the youngest princess, she is lovable and sweet. We are willing to protect her."

"Don't bow, Elder. It was our duty to do such things."

Hei Mo raises his head and nods at their clansmen. He could see their bad state and knew that they needed to rest and nourish themselves properly. Before he could issue more orders, they heard Hei Jue and An Liang scream the young princess's name. Yun Ming had called for these two and informed them about An Juehua and the other members of the Hei Clan.

Hei Jue and An Liang exclaimed, "HUAHUA!!?"

"It's Huahua. It is really my little darling," said An Liang with tears on his face, he was trembling as if he was afraid that he is dreaming right now. Unable to reach out and hold his daughter.

Hei Jue ain't any better. His face was also full of tears as he gently caressed the sunken cheeks of his baby. Even if he hadn't seen what his daughter had suffered, just her state alone shows the result of the separation the child and father had undergone.

The two looked at the sleeping figure of their missing daughter. They recognized her at first sight.

Hei Mo slightly reprimanded this young couple and said, "Don't shout. The little girl had just fallen asleep. She looks very tired."

Pa.s.sing An Juehua gently to his eldest grandson, Hei Jue, Hei Mo said, "Go home and look after her for a few days. I will handle the things in the Netherworld for a bit."

"But... Elder..." said An Liang but received a warning gaze that instantly shut the man's mouth.

Hei Mo spoke, "Call me Grandfather. Aren't you officially married to Jue'er? Don't worry about the things here. Even though I might be a bit old I could still handle small things like this. Moreover, I no longer have any interest in power or fame. I no longer have any greed to seek the power of the Netherworld. I just...wanted to atone for my sins. Even just for a little bit."

Hei Jue calls, "Grandfather... I do not think Jing'er would blame you for the past. He even gave you his blessing. He doesn't hate you as much as you thought."

"I know but... I feel guilt every time I meet those two. I will try to look for their exact coordinates and leave the things about the clan to you guys as before. I am a retired old man right now." said Hei Mo as he walked away. Following him is his loyal subordinate from the same generation.

After these elders had paid their respect to the current patriarch of the Hei Clan, they took their leave together with the Old Patriarch and continued to serve him. Yun Ming and Warden Lou handle the rest of the people. Gui Xiajun also wanted to leave with these two when he remembered what his elder brother had said.

Gui Xiajun pats his Brother Liang's shoulder and says, "A message from Big Brother to you. Do you want to hear it, Brother Liang?" he asked with an evil smirk on his handsome face.

An Liang flinched for a moment before saying, "W-What did Xiao Ye say?"

"Big brother says to wash your neck before he returns. He would beat you half-dead for what you did. He is so angry but I don't think he would kill you. Thought it would be a bit hard for him to forgive you." said Gui Xiajun who remembered his brother almost going mad and almost getting all of them killed in that abandoned star. If not because Saozi woke up on time that maybe none of them including him would be able to return here alive.

An Liang knew something bad must have happened again. Though he hadn't met that Xia Jieye, his friend's other self, he knew that man is the madness part of his friend's soul. The part of him that made him ruthless.

"Did something happen?" asked Hei Jue who got a gist of something that had happened before these people arrived here.

Gui Xiajun honestly answered, "You remembered about that missing soul fragment of saozi... I mean Lord Hei right? We found him in the abandoned star which imprisoned the little girl and the rest of them. But when we arrived that soul fragment could no longer even materialize as a spirit. He faded and lost his form completely. Then we investigate what happened for Saozi's soul to end in such a state. The thing we've found is too unbearable to watch even for me. They had tortured that soul fragment of Saozi and Big Brother almost lost it. In the end, to prevent the destruction of that world, Lord Hei forcefully materialized and stop brother. All this time that soul fragment had been guarding your little girl. So he kind of learned about you giving information to the Ye Gui race."

"I...I... Understand. Tell him I've received his message and that... I am sorry~" said An Liang.

Gui Xiajun stared at this man whom he had treated as a brother because he is his Big Brother's friend. Deep inside he was also angry about his betrayal but knew the reason why he also couldn't completely hate An Liang. Because it was his daughter's life at risk.

"You should say that to him. Don't get me too involved I don't want to die yet. I will get going now~" said Gui Xiajun.

An Liang stopped him for a moment and said, "I'm sorry to you too, A'Jun."

"No need to say those words to me. I wasn't the one in danger after all," said Gui Xiajun as he left. He was showing clear detachment towards An Liang.

An Liang knew that Gui Xiajun was angry at him for betraying his brother. But he couldn't get openly angry as he knew that he had no other choice but to betray them. He couldn't only bite his lower lips in regret and guilt. Now he had lost the two friends he made in his life.

Hei Jue pats his husband's back and hugs him.

"Cry... Cry if you want. We can atone for it together. Let's help them in their trials secretly. This time it's our turn to help them." said Hei Jue.

An Liang hugged his wife and daughter. He vowed to atone for his sins of betrayal to his most precious friends and family. Now nothing he held back to do so as his daughter had finally returned to their side.

"Yes. It is our turn to help them." said An Liang with his purple eyes filled with determination and seriousness.