Chapter 297 - “I Am Not Human”
This Wushi Continent was home to powerful factions, and many of them held grudges against one another. Many would be formed due to disagreements among their ancestors and their opinions on one another would have been passed down throughout the eras, but while the factions disagreements could be part of their heritage, the clear dislike between the races was much more serious.
The beasts and the humans were equally powerful, but they would usually end up in conflict due to their identities. Many humans felt superior to beasts, as it was possible to contract them as a partner or even slave to follow the will of the human.
Due to this, they felt that even those beasts that had taken on human shape were nothing more than that. Even though the most powerful factions on the Wushi Continent contained a few beast clans, they were still not seen as important to the humans, and thus, a child that was of mixed breed was clearly an insult to any human.
When looking at the beautiful Jiaojiao, it was clear that one of her parents were from the dragonclan, and although the dragons were among the most talented on the entire continent, both they and the humans would feel disgusted when seeing their bloodline mixed with a species they hated.
Bai Rouyun did not know what background the little girl had, and she was not going to ask. No matter what she had experienced before, it was likely to have left a scar in her heart as she was now alone and fearful of the world.
As a person who knew how deep such scars could hurt, she was not willing to bring out any unhappy memories, so Bai Rouyun simply enjoyed the sunrise while absentmindedly rubbing the coral-like horns.
These horns were a constant reminder for Jiaojiao that she was an unwanted creature, that she was neither human nor beast and that no one would ever like her, but she could feel how fond Bai Rouyun were of touching them.
Although she had said nothing, the shining eyes and the casual glance gave away her eagerness to touch her horns, and there was no signs of dislike or disgust at all, in fact, it was clear that she was eager to get closer, which made Jiaojiao feel as if she had met an angel that brought her a few warm feelings.
However this warmth also made her fearful. Before, she knew that the world was cold and cynical. No one were willing to show her kindness and even her own parents had willingly abandoned her.
She had not always depended on herself. When she was an infant, her mother had kept her, but from the very first memory she had, she remembered the disgust and hatred that filled her biological mother's eyes whenever she looked at her.
By the time she turned two or three years old, she had been taken out for a leisurely journey, but everyone was aware that this was merely an excuse. The main purpose was to get rid of her.
At that time, Jiaojiao still held a slight expectation and hope that her mother would not be so ruthless as to kill and abandon her own child, but reality was cruel.
She had been living in this abandoned area for three years, and while she was supposed to grow up as an innocent child, the greedy and selfish nature of humans had long since made her realize that she was hated and only appreciated as a tool or pet.
However, now she had encountered Bai Rouyun who looked at her with such obvious pampering. There was no kinship between the two, and Bai Rouyun was also not aware of her past or personality.
Even so, this strange young woman had never shown any traces of disgust when looking at her, instead she seemed to like the horns that others hated. Such emotions, when experienced for the first time, were frightening, as Jiaojiao was afraid of getting addicted to it.
She knew well that while Bai Rouyun was treating her well now, she was not in a position to request for this continuous pampering or care. The thought alone made her heartbroken.
"Jiaojiao, do you want to come with me in the future? I have a husband and a group of adorable children. Although none of them are biologically related to me, they are my family and someone I will protect for the rest of my life.
"If you want to, you can be my child as well. If you follow me, you will have three brothers and two sisters. You will also have a mother and a father, but one of your brothers and your father are not by our side for now, so we have to wait a bit before you get to know them.
"There is also an uncle, but he got lost when we ascended to this realm."
Bai Rouyun was smiling happily as she told Jiaojiao about the family she could become a part of, but the little girl was stunned and had a hard time to recognize the words after hearing her inviting her to be a part of her family.
"I... I am not a pure human."
Jiaojiao was aware that her identity was questionable, and she was worried that although Bai Rouyun knew of this, she did not know what consequences it would have to acknowledge someone like her as a child.
"That is not really a problem." Bai Rouyun smiled sweetly as she rubbed the little girl's head.
"To be completely frank, although I have three sons and one daughter so far, only me, my husband, and my cousin are humans. None of my children are humans, but who said that you can't accept other races as family members?"