The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 316: An Ashamed Monarch

An Ashamed Monarch . . .

While deeply lost in thought, Cha Eun Xiao suddenly heard a frantic voice calling out, "Brother Xiao... Brother Xiao... What happened to you? Why are you suddenly crying... You cry... so many tears. Who upsets you... Brother Xiao... You... Could... Could you stop crying?"

The voice carried genuine concern and worry, as though the speaker might cry alongside Cha Eun Xiao if he continued shedding tears.

Opening his eyes, Cha Eun Xiao was greeted by the worried gaze of an exceptionally beautiful girl. She had an alluring figure, a charming face, and an innocence that belied her appearance. Under Cha Eun Xiao's guidance, Bing-Er had been gradually maturing.

He mustered a smile and reassured her, "Be good, Bing-Er. I am fine. I am getting better. I am not crying..."

As he spoke, however, fresh tears welled up in his eyes, his nose became stuffy, and his voice took on a quivering quality, giving him the appearance of someone in tears.

Cha Eun Xiao's attempt to reassure Bing-Er seemed utterly unconvincing.

Bing-Er's concern deepened, and she said, "But you are crying. You don't want me to worry, so you try to comfort me... Brother, you are lying..."

Cha Eun Xiao insisted through his tears, "No. I really am not crying. Really. Look closer?"

He managed to produce a forced smile, though it only made his situation more pitiful.

Bing-Er was taken aback and then began to sob, saying, "You are still crying. You are crying. Brother Xiao, I felt sad looking at you crying... I want to cry too..."

In an instant, Bing-Er had seated herself on the floor and started shedding tears in earnest, her crying resonating throughout the room in a torrential outpour.

Cha Eun Xiao felt a wave of panic wash over him.

[Oh no. The one thing I fear the most is a woman crying...]

In the face of a woman's tears, Cha Eun Xiao was utterly clueless about how to respond.

Cha Eun Xiao made a resolute decision and pulled Bing-Er into his embrace, holding her tightly. Tears streamed down his face as he spoke softly, "Don't cry, Bing-Er. I won't cry either. I'm really not crying. Please don't cry."

Inwardly, he couldn't help but curse, [What in the world is this martial art? It's causing me to shed tears for such an extended period. The amount of tears I've shed in my two lives combined couldn't compare to this. This is truly embarrassing. Please don't let Uncle Song find out!]

Bing-Er continued to sob, her words interspersed with sniffles, "If you stop crying... purr... Bing-Er will stop too... purr... But you are still crying. You never stop. I... Purr..."

Her cries grew even more pronounced and sorrowful.

Cha Eun Xiao's own eyes remained brimming with tears, and he felt utterly helpless about how to console Bing-Er.

He had no choice but to let her cry it out. Tears continued to flow uncontrollably from his eyes, like an unending spring.

Meanwhile...

The heavens seemed indifferent to Cha Eun Xiao's silent pleas. Song Jue couldn't ignore the heart-wrenching cries any longer, his curiosity getting the better of him. He thought to himself, [What on earth is happening?]

His previous understanding of Cha Eun Xiao's rule – "do not enter my room" – was that he simply wanted some privacy or was engaged in activities he didn't want to be seen. So, Song Jue had respected his wishes and never entered Cha Eun Xiao's room.

However, the loud cries of anguish now pushed aside his concerns about the rule. He urgently pushed the door open, revealing a scene that left him astonished.

"What... What's going on with you two?"

Song Jue saw Cha Eun Xiao and Bing-Er locked in a tight embrace, both in tears. Cha Eun Xiao wept silently, while Bing-Er cried so loudly it seemed as though death were about to claim her. The sight left Song Jue utterly perplexed.

[What could have possibly caused this?

I don't see anything unusual here. Why are they both crying so intensely?

Well, it's somewhat understandable that Bing-Er is crying, but nothing serious seems to have happened. Maybe Cha Eun Xiao did something to upset her? Though, even if nothing happened, she's prone to crying. But why is Cha Eun Xiao crying too?]

Song Jue believed one thing about Cha Eun Xiao as he thought he knew his nephew very well. There might be a lot of people that were capable of killing him, but if there was anybody that could make him cry… Song Jue believed there was surely none!

However, the fact was against what he believed apparently, even though Song Jue would rather chop his head off rather than believing it.

Cha Eun Xiao's countenance bore the unmistakable marks of his emotional upheaval. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks, and his breathing came in labored, uneven gasps. It was evident that his tears were born out of profound sorrow.

In the face of this unexpected display of intense emotions, Song Jue found himself momentarily struck dumb. An overwhelming sense of bewilderment washed over him, prompting him to question whether something truly grave had occurred.

Cha Eun Xiao's tears showed no sign of abating, and as he watched Song Jue enter the room, a profound sense of embarrassment enveloped him. He couldn't help but think how disgraceful this situation was.

After a brief interval, Song Jue managed to grasp the truth behind Cha Eun Xiao's tearful outburst. However, understanding the circumstances was one thing, comprehending them entirely was another matter. He appeared to be perplexed by the revelation.

"You cry because of a mere martial art," Song Jue muttered under his breath, a tinge of disbelief coloring his words. "I have never witnessed or heard of any martial art capable of eliciting such a reaction. Who do you think you can deceive, you little scoundrel? What is truly happening here?"

With those words, Song Jue made a decision. He chose to exit the room, leaving it entirely to the two individuals who were deeply engrossed in their crying.

Song Jue's inner turmoil manifested in a sigh, his thoughts in a state of disarray. He lamented his lack of understanding regarding the various perplexing events that had transpired recently.

He decided to leave the entire room for the two crying people…

[Ah. I am truly lost now. I don't understand so many things these days…]

Song Jue sighed.

Song Jue left after murmuring about "girls", "guys" and stuff. Song Jue regretted so much that he hoped he could just hit on the wall and kill himself.

[What… What the heck is that?]

Since that day, Cha Eun Xiao hadn't stopped tearing at all.

Tears fell down in daytime, and also at night. Tears fell down when he was sitting, also when he was walking. He ate, tears would fall down. He slept, tears would down. Anyways, tears kept coming!

It was like there was a huge river inside his body, and his eyes was the way out.

The river was a river of tears, and it was inexhaustible…

Before that river was dried out, the tears wouldn't stop.

Luckily, Bing-Er didn't cry. It was eventually fine when she understood it. She might lose her memory, but she was clever. After Song Jue left, she knew that her Brother Xiao wasn't sad, so she stopped.

For the days to come, she just stared at Cha Eun Xiao's eyes with curiosity, like she was looking at some rare animal. [Wow, weird. A man has more tears than a woman…]