Chapter 107: My Son Has Grown Up

As the atmosphere in the courtyard turned icy, the arrogant maidservants finally turned their heads to look behind them.

They wanted to see who was bold enough to speak to them in such a manner!

Lady Dan also cast her gaze toward the entrance, where she saw a young man standing in the doorway, his face etched with frost.

"Wuji?" Lady Dan called out, her voice trembling; she could hardly believe her eyes.

Standing at the entrance was indeed Wei Wuji, who had just arrived.

As he approached the small courtyard, he had heard the incessant squabbling and knew immediately that something was amiss. Sure enough, upon entering, he found a group of people cursing him right in front of Lady Dan. This set Wei Wuji’s blood to boiling, and he longed to slaughter the wretches on the spot. However, as this was his first time returning home, he did not want to cause an unsightly scene, which was why he had merely ordered them to get out.

Hearing Lady Dan’s call, a lump formed in Wei Wuji’s throat. He could see that she had suffered greatly during his absence, and he knew that, in essence, it was all his fault.

At this moment, as he heard her voice, there was so much he wanted to express—gratitude, apology, and guilt. Yet, when the words reached his lips, all he could manage was, "Mother!"

"You’ve returned?" Lady Dan asked through tears. Her once-sturdy frame wavered, and she had to be steadied by Lan’er, who stood behind her.

Ever since she had sent her son off to the battlefield, Lady Dan had been plagued by nightmares, terrified that some misfortune might befall Wei Wuji. She had even berated herself deeply, regretting that she had ever agreed to his recklessness and succumbed to his persistent pleas to secure him that position.

Seeing Lady Dan’s tear-streaked face, Wei Wuji felt a sharp ache in his nose, and his own eyes grew moist.

"It is I, Wuji. Your son has returned!" Wei Wuji choked out, his knees buckling as he knelt upon the ground.

This gesture was voluntary, coming straight from the depths of his heart. His mother had sacrificed far too much for him—one only had to look at their surroundings. Compared to the rest of the imperial city, this place was nothing more than a mockery. Yet, for her son’s sake, she had willingly allowed herself to be driven out of the main palace, reduced to living in this pathetic state.

Whether in his past life or the present, the role of a mother remained remarkably similar: they would pour everything they had into their children. Now that Wei Wuji had stepped into this life, whether it was due to the lingering obsession of this body or his own personal feelings, he felt that this mother deserved this act of reverence.

When Wei Wuji knelt, the maidservants standing between the mother and son immediately dropped to their knees as well, pressing their foreheads firmly against the ground. They trembled with fear; the touching scene before them offered them no comfort, for the words Wei Wuji had spoken earlier were far too terrifying.

Do not let their previous haughtiness deceive you—it was merely the behavior of foxes borrowing the tiger’s might. Now that the tiger himself had returned, they could no longer swagger. The one who had personally cursed Wei Wuji was especially pale, struggling to stay upright. To insult a young master was a capital offense; it could lead to the extermination of one’s entire clan and implicate friends and family. Even the high-and-mighty Lady Wei would not be able to save her, for this was an ironclad rule of the Wei clan that no one dared to defy.

In this poignant scene, the presence of these outsiders was truly an eyesore. Zheng Dali, showing a rare moment of sensibility, bowed as he entered. After paying his respects to the mother and son, he growled in a low voice to the maids, "Are you not going to leave yet?"

As if granted a reprieve, the maids scrambled to their feet and, under Zheng Dali’s fierce gaze, fled in a panic.

"Wait!" Wei Wuji, having lifted his head, called out to those leaving.

"Young Master..." Zheng Dali bowed low, waiting for his instructions.

"Twenty slaps to the mouth for all of them; forty for the one who spoke last," Wei Wuji said, his voice cold and briefly devoid of warmth.

"Understood!" Zheng Dali bowed slightly and turned to leave.

By this time, Lady Dan had managed to dry her tears. Supported by Lan’er, she walked slowly toward Wei Wuji, muttering to herself, "My son has truly returned..."

Wei Wuji felt that ache in his nose again, his own tears threatening to fall. Mocking himself for his sentimentality, he replied in a raspy voice, "Yes, Mother. Your son has returned."

"Good... it is good that you are back..." Lady Dan said, smiling through her tears. All these days, she had lived in constant fear, but now, she could finally find peace.

"Quick, quick... stand up!" Pushing Lan’er aside, Lady Dan said anxiously, fearing that kneeling for too long might harm him.

Only with her assistance did Wei Wuji slowly rise, secretly wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Let me look at you. Has my son been injured?" After helping him up, Lady Dan inspected him from head to toe, terrified of missing anything.

"Mother, I am perfectly fine. I haven’t been hurt," Wei Wuji said dismissively.

Lady Dan seemed not to hear him, continuing to examine him on her own.

"Mother, I really am fine. On the battlefield, it was your son who was doing the injuring; who could possibly hurt me?" Wei Wuji said with a breezy air.

"Nonsense..." To his surprise, Lady Dan perked up and scolded him with a stern face. As Wei Wuji stared in confusion, she explained, "You have never even killed a chicken in your life, yet you claim to have killed men on the battlefield? Even though your mother has never stepped out of this courtyard, I am not so easily fooled by your tall tales."

Hearing this, Wei Wuji was left speechless; it seemed his mother was quite a stickler for the truth.

He had no choice but to explain, "Mother, I truly did fight the Qin soldiers, and I even took a few heads!"

But seeing Lady Dan’s expression—which clearly suggested she would believe whatever she wanted—Wei Wuji lost the motivation to continue. Once she was certain he was truly unharmed, Lady Dan let out a long sigh of relief. If anything had happened to Wei Wuji, the only reason for her existence in this world would have vanished.

"Thank the heavens for keeping my son safe," Lady Dan whispered, closing her eyes in prayer.

Wei Wuji couldn't help but chuckle to himself; he hadn't expected his mother to be so superstitious. While she was praying, the sounds of pained cries drifting in from outside interrupted her thoughts.

"What is happening outside?" Lady Dan opened her eyes, frowning. Because Wei Wuji had spoken in a low voice earlier, she was unaware of his arrangements.

"Mother, I had Zheng Dali teach those wretches a lesson to vent your anger," Wei Wuji said with a grin, mentally patting himself on the back.

To his surprise, Lady Dan’s expression shifted, and she became quite annoyed. "My son, what have you done!"

Wei Wuji was bewildered, wondering what the harm was. "Mother, did I anger you?" he asked tentatively.

"Those women were sent by Lady Wei. If you treat them like this, wouldn't it make Lady Wei lose face?" Lady Dan said, her voice full of anxiety. Her son was still not putting her mind at ease. "If you offend Lady Wei, I don't care about myself, but what if it ruins your future?" She was so worried she was nearly stamping her feet.

Seeing her concern for him, Wei Wuji was deeply moved. Having been an orphan for so many years, he truly cherished this feeling.

"Mother, you need not worry. They were mere servants, yet they dared to bark in your presence. I would never let that slide," Wei Wuji said righteously. "Besides, what if I did offend Lady Wei? I let you suffer in the past, but I will never let it happen again." He said this almost as a roar, though he kept his voice low. "I will protect you, Mother. No one will ever dare to hurt you again." Finally, he puffed out his chest, his eyes filled with determination.

Looking at her son, who seemed like a different person than he had been two months ago, Lady Dan was stunned. "My son has grown up... My son has grown up..." she murmured, her tears flowing once more.