Evil Emperor Zun

Chapter 2037 Sworn Brotherhood
The next day, Jiang Xiaoli brought Mo Liangcheng to the no-faction area. She was close to Fei Yu and came specifically to visit them.

When the two arrived, Felicia was working with her companions to handle matters unrelated to any faction.

While urgently seeking Qin Jia, collaborating with other factions to explore the mysteries of the Heavenly Lotus and find a way back to reality is also crucial. Uesugi Felicia is one of the most capable individuals here; without her, the overall progress will be delayed. Therefore, out of a sense of responsibility to the team, Felicia naturally takes on a portion of any new intelligence that arrives, processing them one by one always taking up a significant amount of her time.

Shigure Kamui is still learning about medical care and purification techniques. She knows that with her abilities, she can't be of much help in other areas, so she can only contribute more in logistical matters. However, precisely because of this, she can focus more on investigating Kotoka's whereabouts.

The task Saran entrusted to her was like a thread tethering her in turbulent waters, preventing her from being overwhelmed by endless self-doubt. Nevertheless, after repeated setbacks and futile efforts, she was nearing her limit.

"Rain Girl!" Upon hearing Jiang Xiaoli's familiar voice, Shigure immediately dropped what she was doing and ran over to hug Jiang Xiaoli. "Sister Xiaoli! Brother Liangcheng!" Having not seen her close friend for some time, Shigure burst into tears.

So much had happened lately, and her heart was in turmoil. Fortunately, Sasaki Ikeya's vow from her dream and Uesugi Felicia's handwritten marriage certificate brought her some peace. Jiang Xiaoli's arrival pulled her back to the familiar days of the Wind Realm. Almost gratefully, she led them to the room, poured tea, and sat down to reminisce.

"Where's Feifei?" Usually, the two sisters are inseparable. Now that she's been here for so long and hasn't seen Feilika, Jiang Xiaoli couldn't help but ask impatiently.

“My sister is still helping Tang Xuan with some things. She’s been getting busier and busier lately.” With her sister spending less time with her, Shigure couldn’t help but feel a little lonely, which also intensified her anxiety about being separated from Chi Ye and Qin Jia. Facing Jiang Xiaoli now allowed her to release some of her emotions.

"Are you guys that busy? I miss you guys so much! I only saw her once when she and Elodie came to the Cloud Realm last time!" Jiang Xiaoli's tone was a little frantic. "Why are there so many trivial things to deal with? Can't you take a break?"

Jiang Xiaoli wasn't really complaining; she just didn't understand why Felicia, who was even younger than Mo Qianlong, was making herself work so hard. Shouldn't girls have an easier life? There are plenty of guys ahead of them when it comes to taking on big responsibilities! Speaking of guys, how come Mo Liangcheng is so free? If you ask him to spend time with her, he'll find the time. Why doesn't he ever seem to have any official business to attend to?

"Little Orange, go see what Feifei is busy with? She's always so busy, you never see her." Jiang Xiaoli turned around and ordered Mo Liangcheng. As the saying goes, she forgets her boyfriend when she sees her best friend; Jiang Xiaoli only remembers to talk to him when she needs him.

Mo Liangcheng obediently agreed, but was stopped by Shen Nei Shiyu: "Brother Liangcheng, don't bother Sister. I've already sent her a message. She'll come over when she's done with her work. She wants to help Brother Tang Xuan more, so let her finish her work first."

Felicia hadn't told many people about her past, and Jiang Xiaoli simply assumed she was being too hard on herself. But reality wasn't just her responsibility; was it really necessary for her to work so hard all by herself? What if she ruined her health?

Jiang Xiaoli's somewhat forceful concern stirred up a sore spot in Shiyu's heart. She also longed for her sister not to carry such a heavy burden, but from the day her sister was born, her path was already predetermined.

“My sister is the crown princess of our magical world. From childhood to adulthood, she has had to learn many things and juggle the courses and affairs of two worlds. She’s used to it. She’s always very busy here. It’s not that she doesn’t rest, but she will adjust. Sister Xiaoli, please trust her.”

“My sister always says that things are different here than at home. At home, there are adults, and in the Imperial City, there is Her Majesty the Queen. But here, no one helps her with so many things. She has to do many things herself so that she won’t let down the Uesugi family and the Imperial family for raising her… Sometimes I want to persuade her to rest more, but I can never convince her…”

She lowered her eyes, her gaze dim, and her voice grew softer and softer. The more outstanding her sister was, the more guilty she felt. Why couldn't she help her? She didn't know where to begin expressing this feeling, and tears streamed down her face.

Jiang Xiaoli became Shigure's only confidante at the moment, and upon hearing these words, she felt extremely distressed: "What are all the others doing? There are so many people here, isn't there anyone who can help share the burden? Just because Feifei is responsible doesn't mean you can take advantage of her alone! Elodie is the same, she's always busy doing nothing, I don't know where all that pressure comes from!"

"No, Xiaoli, you and Elodie are already very capable. They know how to divide the work and find people to help... Don't worry..." Shigure Shinnai wiped away her tears while grabbing Jiang Xiaoli's hand, telling her not to let her concern cloud her judgment.

Crown Prince? Mo Liangcheng, on the other side, was startled. He choked on his saliva upon hearing the word "Crown Prince," and only after a short while did he recover, forgetting most of what Shen Nei Shigure had said. Philica is the Crown Prince? A Crown Prince without any allegiance? Is this place going to become a country? If I join them sooner, can I be made a king?
After chatting for a while, Uesugi Filica finally put down her work for the time being and came over with some snacks with Feng Zhijing.

Feng Zhijing was thoughtful and meticulous, so she naturally became one of Felicia's capable partners in their daily work.

This time, it was Elodie who heard about Rabbit Orange's arrival and took the initiative to hand over the duties to Felicia so that she could have more time to spend with them.

"Xiao Li, Liangcheng-ge! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Uesugi Felicia smiled and fed Jiang Xiaoli a snack as an apology to make up for it.

"Philica is a workaholic. If you guys hadn't come, she probably would have been working day and night again," Feng Zhijing said with a smile. She's been working so hard lately, dealing with so many things and worrying about Qin Jia. Even Feng Zhijing couldn't help but advise her to take a break. It's rare for her good friends to come over, so she should relax.

"Feifei, Zhijing, why are you taking so long to get here? I've already drunk several pots of tea here!" Jiang Xiaoli pulled the two of them over, her tone somewhat domineering.

Meanwhile, Mo Liangcheng, standing to the side, bowed respectfully to Felicia, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

This action made Jiang Xiaoli burst into laughter. Uesugi Filica, not knowing what Shigure had said to them earlier, was both amused and exasperated: "Brother Liangcheng, what are you doing?"

Mo Liangcheng looked around blankly: "Felica, didn't Xiaoyu say that you are a neutral... crown prince?"

I see… Uesugi Filica shook her head with a helpless smile: “Brother Ryosuke, this isn’t the capital, and Father Xuan didn’t say he wanted to establish a country!”

Jiang Xiaoli mocked Mo Liangcheng loudly from the side: "Stupid Cheng, you can't even understand what she's saying! Yu Yatou is talking about the crown prince of their home magic world, what does that have to do with this plane?"

Feng Zhijing didn't speak, but she couldn't help but chuckle. She tugged at Felica's sleeve and gave her a knowing look. Felica's comment, "Liangcheng-ge is so cute," left Mo Liangcheng completely bewildered.

At the same time, Uesugi Felicia patted Shinouchi Shigure's head. Judging from her sister's expression just now, she might have encountered something sad again, which was why she talked so much with Jiang Xiaoli and the others. It wasn't appropriate to ask about private matters in front of everyone; she could only wait until later to discuss what had happened.

Seeing that Mo Liangcheng was confused, Uesugi Felicia explained again. She rarely talked about these experiences and identities with others. In Tian Tan, apart from names, factions, and stances, no one cared who you were in reality. Things from the original plane didn't count in Tian Tan.

"Feifei, forget about Cheng! I have to protect you, you workaholic! Here's the deal: let's become sworn sisters, and we sisters will supervise Feifei's meals and rest every day! Little Cheng, you come over here too, from now on they'll be our little sisters!"

“I’m the older sister. You three have to call me sister and Little Orange Brother.”

"But I'm older than you..." Feng Zhijing's words were cut off before she could finish.

"That's not important. I'm going to be the eldest sister and protect you all! Little Orange, don't you agree?"

"Ah... um!" Mo Liangcheng was pulled over in a daze. Adopting a younger sister? It didn't seem so bad. His father had often talked about wanting a daughter, and he had imagined countless times what the family would be like with a sister. Would the older brother not leave home and could protect his sister together? If this wish could come true, having a sister seemed pretty good. "Okay, okay, Sister Li! Brother Liangcheng!" Uesugi Felicia smiled and gently pushed Feng Zhijing and Shinouchi Shigure forward.

Feng Zhijing understood what Felicia meant; it would be good to have more of these loyal brothers and sisters.

Back in the Sun Realm, Sheng Zeqi had said that Fei Yuchi's love for the four of them didn't necessarily mean she considered Zhi Jing a companion, and that she couldn't fit in. But there was no question of her not fitting in; they all cared about her, including Xiao Li. In her heart, this sisterly bond held far more weight than Mu Yongye's feelings for her.

Uesugi Felicia knew that Feng Zhijing was very rational about love, so she simply told her to let things take their course with Mu Yongye and figure out what was more important to her. She also always dragged Feng Zhijing along to learn more about work and practice physical skills together. Feng Zhijing always felt that Felicia was the best friend in the world who understood her best.

She called out "Brother" and "Sister," then called Shigure Kamui "Little Sister." The feeling of being surrounded by her older brothers and sisters calmed Shigure's heart considerably—her Kotomi and Ikeya would surely be safe and sound.

Uesugi Filica walked to the desk, took out the letter she always carried, and wrote down the oath of brotherhood:

"On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year in the Weitian calendar, Jiang Xiaoli, Mo Liangcheng, Uesugi Felicia, Shinnai Shigure, and Feng Zhijing became sworn brothers."

I have heard it said that all men are brothers within the four seas, and all men are kindred spirits among the five lakes. Although we are now in different worlds and have different origins, our meeting is a matter of fate, and we should cherish our friendship even more.

I now swear an oath to Heaven:
We wish to support each other, share both good and bad fortune, and not grow distant because of distance, nor forget each other because of the passage of time;

My second wish is that each of us can give full play to our strengths, help each other, offer honest advice when things happen, and stand up for each other in times of trouble.
My third wish is to see you every year, and to live up to the bond we formed today as sworn brothers.

From then on, they addressed each other as brothers and sisters, regardless of background or age, their relationship based solely on their hearts.

After writing it down, Uesugi Felicia carefully copied it several times, solemnly affixed her personal seal, and signed each person's name on a copy.

Mo Liangcheng took the sworn brotherhood letter and read it through. He couldn't help but think that Felicia's writing was truly excellent. Now he had a steady and gentle talented younger sister, a thoughtful, calm, and loyal younger sister named Zhijing, and a considerate and obedient younger sister named Xiaoyu—how wonderful! He really wanted to let his brother and father know that he had added these three new members to the family!

When Mo Zhongshan saw this scene in real life, he praised Jiang Xiaoli repeatedly and was very satisfied with his future daughter-in-law.

He had always longed for a sweet and caring daughter, and he had already set his sights on Fei Yu from a previous episode. Both girls are beautiful, well-behaved, and considerate—exactly his ideal daughter. Especially since, once Fei Yu and her husband have children, he'll have a particularly adorable granddaughter, Qin Jia.

But the more he learned about Felicia, the more his resolve to acknowledge her as his daughter began to waver.

This wasn't to say his impression of Felicia had diminished; on the contrary, her character, abilities, and talents earned him genuine respect. However, respect often breeds apprehension. He couldn't help but worry: if he rashly proposed adopting her as his daughter, would she see it as an insult? Would she suspect him of harboring ill intentions?
Put yourself in her shoes. She already has her own family, and suddenly a strange older man appears and wants to claim kinship with her. It's easy for her to be seen as a creepy old man... He'd rather not recognize his daughter than have Felicia dislike him.

Now that her son and daughter-in-law have recognized the two sisters as their younger sisters, they can be considered family. It won't be awkward for her to propose recognizing her as a daughter now.

"Liangcheng, look at you, really! You've known them for so long, why didn't you think of recognizing them as your sisters sooner? Xiao Li had to remind you." Mo Chongshan was in a better mood, and his true feelings started to come out: "If you had recognized them sooner, wouldn't your father have been worried for so long?"

After a long silence, Mo Liangcheng, who was sitting next to him, slowly turned his serious face.

"Um... Dad? I'm thinking about something." He seemed to be seriously troubled. "What kind of relationship do you think I have with my sisters' parents? If I have the chance to meet them, should I call them Uncle and Aunt as usual, or Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Fourth Uncle? Would calling them Uncle and Aunt seem too distant? But if I call them Dad and Mom directly, wouldn't it seem shameless if they don't plan to have another son?"

No wonder they're father and son; even their inexplicable concerns are similar. Jiang Xiaoli, listening from the side, grew impatient: "Why do you always think so much? Our sworn brotherhood is between us. If their families treat us well, we'll treat them well too. If their families don't like us, who cares who they are!"

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Mo Chongshan's heart skipped a beat, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

Yes, the children's sworn brotherhood is a matter between the children themselves. It's a bond forged through shared hardships in a unique environment, but it doesn't mean that several families have become one. If the parents in other families don't want another son, Felicia might not want another father either! Although she's gentle, she's very opinionated. If she doesn't want something, she won't leave it ambiguous; she'll refuse it decisively, right?

She also said that the Uesugi family members were not delicate flowers in a greenhouse, and that the family precepts she wrote herself made him feel a lot of pressure.

A family that could pass down such family precepts must be a very noble and principled family. Philica was taught to be so mature at such a young age, and her education must have been very strict. Would such a family accept their child recognizing an outsider as her father? Wouldn't they think it was a joke at the expense of their ancestors? He even imagined a dignified old man with a white beard, looking furious at his suggestion.

Also, we don't know the size of the country she's in. This is really difficult.

Even though they are both crown princes, there is still a big difference between the crown prince of Yixi Kingdom and the crown prince of Tiansheng Kingdom.

If it were a small and poor country like Yixi, then not to mention the crown prince, even the king would have to treat an internationally renowned wealthy merchant like himself with utmost respect.

However, even at the level of the Heavenly Saint Kingdom, not to mention the crown prince, one would only have the respect and deference to a mere eunuch delivering an imperial decree. This is the difference in national power.

There's no answer to this question right now; we can only wait and see. In short, Mo Chongshan's fundamental belief is that a father absolutely cannot be inferior to his daughter; otherwise, if he can't give her anything, why should she acknowledge him?
If all else fails, I'll just acknowledge Xiaoyu. It might not be that difficult. Besides, for the sake of the lovely Qinjia, I have to acknowledge her! But speaking of Xiaoyu, she's also from the Leia world. They say their society is matriarchal, which seems very different from the patriarchal society on the Spirit Realm Continent. Could there be some unforeseen changes?

"Xiao Li, what exactly is a matriarchal society like?" Just thinking about the saintess in that female-dominated world gave him a bad feeling. "Could it be that women are in charge and men have no status there?"

Take Xiaoyu's boyfriend, Sasaki Ikeya, for example. Rather than a stalwart head of the family, he seems more like a stay-at-home dad. And then there's Kuroba Ryoichi getting beaten up by Felicia all the time—at this moment, Mo Chongshan, with his rich imagination, had sketched a portrait of the male population in the Rayark world, and was terrified by his own conjecture. Even the dignified old man of the Uesugi family in his mind just a moment ago had transformed into a dignified old woman.

"I don't think so." Jiang Xiaoli had no idea that Mo Chongshan's inner monologue could fill a thesis. She still analyzed it with her usual optimistic attitude, "I've never seen what that so-called matriarchal society is like, but if it's a society where women are superior to men, how could it raise a girl like Feifei?"

"Her way of speaking and acting is quite different from ours, but what she wants to do is connect everyone, not suppress anyone else. When I watched the part about the Sun Realm before, I also thought that many of her ideas were quite idealistic, but seeing it now, she is indeed doing things in a down-to-earth manner, not just talking. And you also saw Elodie and Saran, one helped to take the lead, and the other assisted, and the hearts of people without factions were united. So if you ask me, their plane is not that scary. If we have the opportunity to meet, we will definitely be able to get along well. Father, don't worry."

Despite Jiang Xiaoli's confident assurances, Mo Zhongshan still harbored doubts. However, he refrained from saying anything more for the time being. He didn't want Xiaoli to think he was being too demanding, and that might scare away his daughter-in-law.