After Thuong An was born, the life of someone who originally only knew how to kill like Thuong Sinh was completely overturned. He was busy from early morning until late at night; the hands that were once stained with blood were now clumsily learning how to wash diapers, cook thin porridge, and brew tonic medicine for Lam Thanh Moc.
But no matter how abundant the food and water in this forest were, they could not provide the necessary items for a newborn baby. Looking at his tiny son wrapped in coarse cloth and Lam Thanh Moc growing thinner by the day due to lack of nutrients, Thuong Sinh could not sit still.
Early that morning, while the fog still covered the area thickly and the mother and child were still immersed in peaceful sleep, Thuong Sinh gently placed a kiss on each of their foreheads and stepped out of the house.
The Marsh-Blood Sword transformed into a streak of black light, tearing through the mist, carrying him straight toward Iron City. He no longer charged in with surging killing intent as before, but retracted his entire aura, silently landing in an abandoned neighborhood located on the city's outer edge.
Amidst the ruined buildings and flickering neon lights, Thuong Sinh walked through each street, his eyes scanning everywhere. He wasn't looking for weapons; he was looking for... diapers, powdered milk, and baby clothes.
"Is there stuff for small children here?"
Thuong Sinh's deep, cold voice rang out inside a dilapidated grocery store hidden deep in a small alley. The shopkeeper was a scrawny old man, eyes narrowing at the stranger who carried a terrifying pressure despite trying to hide it. The old man tremblingly pointed to a dust-covered stall in a dark corner.
Fortunately, this grocery store had existed since before the apocalypse and was located in an area that was rarely scoured. Thuong Sinh found tins of powdered milk that were rusted on the outside but still intact on the inside, soft cotton clothes, and even a few old plastic toys. He didn't haggle, tossing a bag full of fruit onto the table—something worth a fortune in this slum—then gathered all the items into his bag.
As the sun rose high, Thuong Sinh had already returned to the forest. He was completely unaware that the appearance of a terrifying individual at that grocery store had accidentally attracted the attention of a few eyes loitering nearby.
Returning home, seeing Lam Thanh Moc awake and holding the child, Thuong Sinh silently brought out the things he had just acquired.
"You... you went back into Iron City?" Lam Thanh Moc looked at him worriedly.
Thuong Sinh only shook his head, taking a powdered milk tin he had just wiped clean of dust, clumsily reading the instructions: "As long as there are usable items, it's good." "You rest, let me handle it."
Thuong Sinh's life passed in the busyness of caring for the child. Every day, after washing diapers and drying them on wooden hangers in the yard, he would sit by the porch using his hands to prepare milk for the child. He held the milk bottle with two fingers, fearing only that his own strength would break the plastic item.
As Thuong An grew, he looked more and more like him, with eyes black and deep, but his mouth often smiled like his mother. The child was very well-behaved; as long as he lay in Thuong Sinh's arms, he would be silent, eyes wide and staring straight at his face.
"Ah... ah..."
"He wants you to hold him." Lam Thanh Moc sat holding Thuong An, looking across at him as he was currently holding his sword and practicing; although he had passed through a truly peaceful time, he hadn't exactly neglected his training.
If he circulated the "Marsh Blood Corrupting Heart Manual", he would go far outside to do so rather than stay near the two of them to cultivate. He walked over to Thuong An, picking him up gently and cradling him in his chest. Thuong An, in his arms, was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he excitedly waved his tiny hands, touching the faint scar by his father's right eye.
Thuong Sinh looked at the child; his deep eyes, which originally contained killing intent, now held only tolerance. He lightly rubbed the tip of his nose against the child's forehead. He carried the child and sat down beside Lam Thanh Moc.
"Are you finished practicing?" Lam Thanh Moc used her sleeve to lightly wipe his forehead, her eyes full of tenderness.
Thuong Sinh nodded slightly, his voice deep: "Need to maintain the feeling with the sword."
Thuong Sinh glanced at the familiar blue board before him.
[ Thuong Sinh ]
[ Cultivation ]: 4851/5000
[ Realm ]: Energy Refining (Late Stage)
[ Combat Skills ]: Blade Wind (Grand Accomplishment), Phantom Steps (Minor Accomplishment), Sword Kinesis: Gale Transformation (Minor Accomplishment), Blood-Condensing Mace (Entry Level)
[ Accumulated Points ]: 942
Having passed through such a long time, if he had maintained the cultivation speed from before Lam Thanh Moc was pregnant, his cultivation would have exceeded the current level long ago. But he didn't regret it at all; watching Thuong An grow and feeling the warmth from Lam Thanh Moc's hand when she wiped his sweat was more important than cultivation.
To him now, cultivation was no longer about becoming stronger to find kin, but to become the sturdiest wall to shield his small family. As for the remaining points, he could buy other manuals.
"Ba... na..." Thuong An began to squirm in his lap, his tiny hands patting the Marsh-Blood Sword placed by his feet.
Thuong Sinh let out a chuckle, a deep sound emanating from his chest. He didn't put the sword away but gently took his son's tiny hand, letting the child feel the roughness of the fabric wrapped around the hilt.
"He seems to like your sword," Lam Thanh Moc teased, her eyes narrowing because of the afternoon sun. "Thuong An has eyes very much like yours," she said softly, her fingers toying with Thuong An's ear. "Deep and still, but later I hope he will smile more than his father."
Thuong Sinh did not answer; beneath the ancient tree, Thuong Sinh just sat there holding Thuong An, sitting beside Lam Thanh Moc watching the sun gradually sink behind the distant cliffs.
"Thanh Moc," Thuong Sinh called suddenly. "Yes?" "Tomorrow, I will repair the eastern fence; there is a bit of a draft there."
Lam Thanh Moc laughed, raising her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling: "Alright, then I will help you sow seeds. Thuong An probably likes going to the stream to watch the fish jump, too."
Night gradually fell, and the forest began to light up with soft blue glowing fungi. Thuong Sinh closed the wooden door; in the small house, the flickering firelight cast the shadows of the three onto the wooden walls.
The next morning, while the early mist still lingered on the leaves, Thuong Sinh had already awakened. He did not wear the stiff Gale Leather Armor but wore only a comfortable white cloth shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal firm forearms. He carried a bundle of hard timber he had carved since yesterday afternoon out to the eastern fence.
Not far away, under the shade of the ancient tree, Lam Thanh Moc was sitting on a wooden chair lined with animal skin. She held Thuong An in her lap, occasionally reaching out to tease his chubby cheeks. Thuong An seemed very excited today, his jet-black eyes fixed on his father, his tiny hands waving back and forth.
Thud... Thud...
The sound of the wooden hammer tapping on the bamboo stakes rang out rhythmically. Thuong Sinh worked very meticulously. He used internal force to lightly press the timber ends together so they fit without needing iron nails, ensuring the fence was both sturdy and had no sharp edges to hurt Thuong An when the boy practiced walking.
Occasionally, Thuong Sinh stopped his hand, looking back toward the mother and child. Seeing Lam Thanh Moc smiling at him, he said nothing, only nodding in response.
"Look, Thuong An, Father is building a home for us." Lam Thanh Moc lifted the baby's small hands, waving them toward Thuong Sinh.
Thuong An giggled, his mouth emitting "ah... ba..." sounds that were not yet clear words.
Thuong Sinh heard the sound; his hand movements paused for a moment. He put down the hammer and walked over toward the shade of the tree. He used his hand, slightly stained with wood dust, to lightly rub Thuong An's head, then turned to say to Lam Thanh Moc: "The sun is starting to get harsh." "You take the child inside; I will come in once I've finished the repairs."
Lam Thanh Moc stood up, lightly dusting her clothes: "Alright, I'll go prepare some cool water." "Mm."
Thuong Sinh watched her back as she went into the house, then looked down at the newly erected fence. He felt that the current life, though simple and without world-shaking battles, made him feel filled inside with something more than ever before. He picked up the last piece of timber and continued the work. Amidst this dangerous mutated forest, the sound of his hammering rang out like a confirmation of his existence amidst the forest.