"Brother Ren!" he swam swiftly over to him.
Ren worriedly looked at him. "Hachin, what's wrong? Is wren okay? Is everyone okay at home?"
"No, no, there is an unconscious guy near that reef." he pointed to the huge coral he was hiding before. "Can you send someone to help me take him to the healer?"
Ren swiftly informed one of the soldiers.
"Wait, Brother Ren, can your friend here help me out," he pointed to the white-haired middle age man next to him.
Ren frowned slightly. Sighing his lieutenant for such a simple task was overkill, but if Hachin wants to.... "Bunri, please help my little brother out and make sure to escort him home on as well,"
Hachin nodded and happily swam over to the man he had previously kicked. "Brother, help me out a bit." he helped lift the man.
But the unconscious person woke up halfway. "Please spare me. Spare me. I want to have children!!" he literally swam away from him.
Seeing his plan fall apart, Hachin wordily looked at the warrior next to him. "He must have been in good health haha..." he awkwardly laughed it off.
"Hmm, then let me escort you home," the man whispered and swam next to him.
'This is my chance,' Hachin eagerly glanced at him. "Mister, can we speak privately?"
The warrior stopped and glanced at him with a frown. "If it doesn't take long, yes,"
Hachin led him over to an inconspicuous corner and hesitantly glanced at him. "Mister... if I don't mind me asking, I want to know about your late wife,"
Lieutenant Bunri's body stiffened. He did not utter a word but intently looked at Hachin. "why.... why do you want to know?"
"Please keep this a secret but my friend has conceived a child just like your wife did...."
Before he could finish his sentence, the man gripped his shoulders and pulled him close. "What did you say!! Kill that child!! Abort it as soon as possible!! Or else.... or else you might lose your friend."
Hachin whined a little from his tight grip. "Mister... he doesn't want to abort the child. Can you share with me the detail how you prolonged your wife's life please,"
"It's useless!!! All useless! Nothing works!!" he shouted suddenly and pushed Hachin away. He gripped his head and started sobbing loudly. "It's all useless. Death is the only end if you chose to keep the child."
Hachin massaged his aching shoulders and glanced at him. "Please, what did you do to prolong her life?"
The lieutenant calmed down a little by now. He wiped away his white tears and calmly gazed at him. "Only spiritual energy can."
'A lead!' Hachin swam closer and desperately held his hand. "What spiritual energy? Is it through cultivation? Will this work?"
Bunri nodded. "Only spiritual energy works for the child. But it should be only through cultivation or from the other parent. My wife... she was not that talented on cultivation. The child ate through her quickly. I seek all the elders to help me out. But their spiritual energy got rejected by the baby. It will only accept the parent's spiritual energy. But my Qi cultivation realm.... it wasn't even enough of a month's time."
All the hope Hachin had broken completely.
"My friend does not know..... Who the father is....." he whispered blankly.
The warrior chuckled suddenly. "Act quickly. It's not too late to get rid of that child or only a dried up corpse of your friend will be left behind."
Hachin's hands started trembling violently. "oh... oh.... thank you." he blankly swam back. He did not even know how he got back or how he got to his bed. His heart was completely blank.
There was no hope for wren's child.
'What shall I do? If I tell him that he would... be heartbroken again.' He rolled to his side and bit his nails. 'Why does he seem to be so attached to the child? He didn't even know he was pregnant two days ago, yet he is so in love with the child.'
He sat up and decided to go over to Wren's.
Brother Diago opened the door. His eyes bloodshot and there were even black circles around his eyes.
"Brother, have you been sleeping?"
Diago just caressed his head with a small smile. "It's okay. But that silly kid..... Hachin, talk sense into him. Please, I can't lose my brother like this. Did you see him today, he looks thinner than before." He cried silently.
Hachin hugged him tightly. "I will try. I'll try my best brother." He let go of him and patted his trembling shoulders. "We shall pass this adversity too. Stay strong,"
"Hmmm. Go, he must be waiting for you." he ushered him in.
Hachin entered Wren's room to find him eating a whole pack of dried octopus.
His cheeks were puffed slightly like a puffer fish as he stuffed another piece of the dried treat.
"Hachin!" he happily jumped over to him. "Did you find anything?"
Hachin wiped the crust from the side of his mouth. "First learn to eat properly." He gently caressed his cheeks. Unlike brother, Diago explained Wren was not thin at all. Rather, he had grown slightly chubby. His oval-shaped face had slightly become rounder with his chubby cheeks filling in.
Wren glanced at him and frowned. "Why are thinner than yesterday? Did you not eat anything? Come here." he handed him a piece of his snack.
Just the smell alone made Hachin retch. But he swallowed back the bile and kindly refused it.
"Aw, I even saved some for you."
Hachin subtly moved the dried octopus parcel away from himself. "Wren, I have to ask you something. Can you answer truthfully?"
"Hmm, what is it?"
"Wren, have you always wanted to have a child? Is that why you are so keen to keep this child?" Hachin tightly clutched his pant legs, holding back his tears.
Wren casually whispered, "No special reason. I am just fond of children and I want to coddle them all I want to. Since I am the youngest in my family, I'm the person who gets coddles a lot." wren leaned his head onto Hachin's shoulders. Besides, I wanted to pop a child out like a sea horse,"
Hachin glanced at him in disbelief. "It doesn't work that way!!! You don't have the pouch that sea horses have!! The healers will cut a small place of your tummy and pulled the child out."
"What!!"