At the moment when Rody's mother embraced her son, the hearts of countless people around the world moistened.
In contrast, Rody had the most heartless father in the world but also the kindest, most loving, and most tolerant mother. It was indeed her presence that had sustained the miracle boy until today. However, her appearance here was puzzling. Logically, the people from Rody City, to protect Rody’s image in his mother’s eyes, should not have informed her to come here. Moreover, this mother, without any means of self-protection, would be the first target of the enemy, and Rody City’s people would not have allowed her to take this risk...
Who informed her to come to Saint Song?
"It's that bitch, that shameless woman, who gave birth to the bastard Rody, who gave birth to a devil that deceives the world. Let's burn her too, send her to the stake!" the Demon Slayer Sword Lot jumped out, yelling.
"Mom, no, you shouldn't have come here!" Rody, hearing his mother insulted, was in pain and rage, overwhelmed with grief and anger.
"A mad dog's barking, that's all, darling, don't mind it." His mother just smiled faintly, holding Rody tightly.
"It's time, Warren," the Pope stood up and called out gently.
"Yes, yes, Your Holiness, kill that bitch, kill the scum Rody, kill that bastard!" the Demon Slayer Sword Lot, seeing the usually low-key Pope speak up, was overjoyed and immediately echoed loudly.
"Shut up!" Lord Warren, expressionless, suddenly punched his son Lot, sending him flying.
He drew his sword from his waist and walked step by step towards Rody and his mother. People were stunned again. Had Lord Warren gone mad? Was he going to kill his wife in front of everyone? Was he planning to kill Rody and his mother in front of the whole world? But why did he punch Lot just now?
People were confused by Lord Warren's actions.
However, from his face, people could not see any emotion, completely like a stagnant pool.
Rather than saying Lord Warren was a heartless and venomous father, it seemed more like he was a puppet without any thought. People began to look behind Lord Warren at the Pope, feeling that Lord Warren's transformation must be related to the Pope, perhaps manipulated by him. Otherwise, how could there be anyone in the world so heartless as to kill his own son and wife?
Lord Warren, holding his sword, stepped closer to Rody's mother.
Rody's mother, holding her son in her arms, showed no sadness on her face. She was as calm as the surface of a lake under the moonlight.
Seeing this, Tommy and others wanted to rush out to stop Lord Warren, but Chris, with tears streaming down her face, screamed shrilly, telling everyone to stand still and not move. Rody tried to stand up to protect his mother, but she just smiled faintly, standing in front of her son. No matter how weak she was, in front of her beloved son, she was the strongest mother in the world.
Everyone's tears couldn't help but flow. Even the most heartless person felt their heart melting.
"Lord Warren, if you are not insane, then stop immediately. Do you know what you are doing?" King Norn finally couldn't bear it any longer, standing up and shouting loudly: "In front of you is your wife and your own flesh and blood, no matter what, you can't do this..."
"I'm telling you, Lord Warren, if you dare take one more step towards this mother, don't blame me for taking action!" the Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather also angrily shouted, ready to draw his sword.
"Man-eater, go to hell!"
"The real devil is you, Warren, you're the devil, you child-eating demon!"
Tens of thousands of neutral people boiled over, shouting loudly.
Although they had previously maintained a neutral stance, at this point, they couldn't stand Lord Warren's behavior of killing his own son and wife, each rising in anger.
However, Lord Warren ignored all of this, still advancing step by step towards Rody's mother. People's disgust towards this devil-like lord reached its peak. Not just the powerful, even ordinary people roared in fury, wanting to tear this man apart, wondering if his heart was made of stone.
Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather and King Norn flew out, seeing Lord Warren still approaching Rody's mother with a sword in hand, their anger boiling over.
"You must be insane!" King Norn was so angry that his hair and beard stood on end.
"Lord Warren, a man like you is the most despicable person I've ever met in my life. Want to get past? Ask my sword!" Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather drew his long sword, a mere rusty iron sword of a common soldier, but in his hands, it was like a divine weapon. With a casual swing, he cleaved a deep fissure in the ground. "Stop, or die!" he growled.
"..." Lord Warren didn't respond or even glance at Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather. His gaze was emotionless.
Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather swung his sword, and the sword qi surged towards Lord Warren like raging waves.
Lord Warren didn't dodge, walking through the sword qi, which cut him all over in an instant, soaking him in blood. Yet, there was still not a trace of pain in his eyes. He kept approaching Rody's mother, as if determined to kill her.
Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather was furious, his golden crescent moon swirling. This time, he was not going to hold back.
King Norn pulled Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather back, signaling that Lord Warren was just a puppet being controlled by someone else. With Rody there, he would never let anyone hurt his mother. Now, the real person to defeat was the Pope, who had always remained low-key, hidden in others' shadows.
This guy was the real manipulator, the root cause of the whole incident.
"Your Holiness, please come out, we need to talk," King Norn said, suppressing his anger.
"It’s time for me to speak as well," said the Pope, expression unchanging. In a flash, he appeared in front of King Norn and Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather.
Lord Warren, covered in blood, walked past Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather. Just as Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather was about to attack, the Pope extended his hand, pressing in the air. Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather's sword qi burst out, forming a golden sphere, but not a bit of it could leak outside. Despite his strength, Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather could only watch helplessly as Lord Warren walked by.
People watched, drenched in cold sweat.
The Pope, usually low-key, possessed such immense power that he could immobilize Great Sword Emperor Toward Feather with just one hand, a true powerhouse among the holy ranks.
...
Seeing the Pope intervene, Rody was filled with rage.
He felt he had found the mastermind behind everything - this low-key, deeply hidden Pope, who forced Father Cedo to feed him the ‘Martial Arts Forbidden’ potion, turned Lord Warren heartless and ruthless. It was he who turned Rody's life gray, the mastermind Rody had been searching for.
"Chris, take Mom away!" Rody shouted, his purple-golden fighting spirit rapidly condensing into a tangible crescent moon halberd.
Facing Lord Warren, he hesitated no more. If he dared to swing his sword at his mother, Rody swore he would kill this man, even if he was his biological father.
Rody's mother slowly extended her hand, gently stroking her son's face, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Darling, leave the matters of adults to them. Just watch, Mommy is here," his mother stopped Rody from attacking Lord Warren.
"It wasn’t me, Mom, I didn’t bring this on..." Chris flew to Rody's side, crying and explaining. By then, Lord Warren had already approached Rody's mother, covered in blood, holding a sharp sword, his eyes devoid of emotion, like a living puppet.
People witnessed it, feeling their hearts wrench.
Lord Warren had reached this point entirely due to the manipulation of the Pope. In Rody's childhood, people could see how much he loved Rody. Even in the just-played magical recording, intended to reveal Rody's startling childhood, one could see behind Rody the figure of Lord Warren, a father radiating pride and love. The affectionate father of the past and the corpse-like figure he was now were completely different people.
Could he break free from the Pope's mental control because of Rody’s beautiful and kind mother?
Or would he, deluded, kill his own wife?
Rody, holding the crescent moon halberd, tears streaming down his face, looked at his biological father. If Lord Warren dared to swing his sword at his mother, Rody would not hesitate to skewer him on the halberd.
Lord Warren raised his sword high above his head, in front of him, his wife, Rody's mother.
The mother smiled faintly, her eyes shining with tolerance. She seemed not to notice the sword in her husband's hand. She even reached out her hand to Lord Warren, as if welcoming her husband as before. Maybe she would be killed in the next second, but she was still smiling, radiating the glow of motherhood, bravely standing in front of her son, protecting her beloved child with a mother's strength.
"Kill her, kill that bitch! Kill!" the Demon Slayer Sword Lot, his face bloodied, struggled to stand up, hysterically shouting.
"No…" Mothers around the world cried out involuntarily.
"That devil, damn it, I'm going to kill him!" Fathers around the world were enraged by Lord Warren, gritting their teeth.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Surprisingly, Lord Warren, who had raised his sword high, did not swing it down. Instead, he slowly knelt down, holding the sword above his head, deeply bowing in front of Rody's mother. Now, he looked like a penitent believer, kneeling devoutly before a deity.
Everyone was stunned by his actions, whether it was people from Rody City, the Saint Song Temple, or neutral observers.
Even Rody, confused, stared at this familiar yet strange man.
With his wisdom, he couldn't figure out what Lord Warren was trying to do.
"Everyone listen to me!" The King of Mesdutania suddenly flew out, standing between the two armies, tears streaming down his face, shouting: "You all misunderstood, Warren is the best husband, the most qualified father, the most devout knight, the greatest man! You all misunderstood, he is an incredible man, an incredible father!"
"..." People listened, unable to believe their ears.
Everyone, dumbfounded, watched the scene unfold. How had Lord Warren, who was just a child-eating demon, suddenly become the world's best husband and most qualified father? If exposing one's own son as an evil necromancer is what makes a qualified father, are there any unqualified fathers in the world?
What on earth was happening?
People suddenly realized that the whole affair was very chaotic. The more they watched, the less they understood, and the more they felt that more secrets were yet to be revealed.
"I, Warren Rein, want to declare something to all the people in the world. I am not Rody's father, nor the husband of Rody's mother," Lord Warren stood up and made a shocking statement to the world, stunning Rody.
Was this man, who once loved him, so heartless in abandoning him because he discovered this secret?
People suddenly became angry, roaring.
Was Lord Warren going to put Rody to death just because Rody was not his biological son? Maybe he said this to cover up the ugliness of his previous revelation. No, this might be another one of his conspiracies.
Everyone was enraged by the cunning Lord Warren, shouting and cursing at him, their cries resounding.
"People must want to know who this woman is, whom I, Warren, devoutly kneel before. Not only is she Rody's mother, but she is also the woman whom I and other knights have protected all our lives. She is the previous generation's 'Saint of Wisdom'!" When Lord Warren uttered these words, everyone was completely stunned. Rody's mother was the previous generation's Saint? How could that be?
"Mom..." Rody exclaimed in disbelief.
"My dear, don't be afraid, I am your mom. Whatever my identity, that's all in the past!" Rody's mother held him tightly, but she did not deny the truth, affirming Lord Warren's words.
"This earth-shattering secret, we've kept it for more than twenty years, and today, it can finally be spoken," Lord Warren pointed at the King of Mesdutania, Helsinki, who was walking over tearfully, and said: "Back then, Helsinki, Cedo, and I were the Saint's devoted knights and also disciples of Pope Fredrick. Apart from the four of us, only the Sage of the Winds and her disciple, the Sage Joanne, knew the truth of this matter."
"Twenty-three years ago, the Sage of the Winds came to me. She said that the millennial prayers of the successive Saints had finally succeeded, and the deity was about to descend from heaven, reborn into our world, using a human body to save our world," the Pope released his hand and stood proudly, his voice deep and thunderous, resonating through the heavens: "This is the world's biggest secret, absolutely not to be known by the so-called 'heaven' who stole the name of the God of Light. For thousands of years, the faith in the God of Light has been stolen by the heavens. Now, our Lord God is not the God of Light, but the Lord of Heaven, the Eight-Winged Seraph, Lihuado."
"Wow!" The crowd erupted.
It was unbelievable that it was the Pope himself who said that the faith in the God of Light was stolen by heaven.
If he were not the Pope, people would have thought he was insane.
"The power of the deity is immense. Once it leaves the divine realm and appears in the human world, it would cause spacetime to collapse, and both the earth and sky would turn to dust. Therefore, although the deities knew of heaven's actions, considering the well-being of humanity and the earth, they preferred to be falsely named rather than descend to earth and cause immeasurable harm to life on earth. The deities couldn't descend directly, but we hoped for their blessing and didn’t want our faith to be stolen. Thus, generation after generation of Saints and devout people prayed for the day when the deity would descend, hoping they would save people's faith and change the terrifying fact of our faith being stolen by heaven," the Pope's voice roared like thunder, shaking heaven and earth: "Every generation of Saint voluntarily offered her life to the deity, praying for their mercy to save us. Therefore, each Saint's lifespan was very short; for a thousand years, almost none could serve more than ten years. Each generation of Saints silently called to the deity with their lives."
"Twenty-three years ago, the deity finally responded," Lord Warren said: "A thousand years ago, a great deity gave up his divine body and power, exiled himself from the divine realm, drifting outside the world, consuming all his divine power and might in a place where it would not harm our world, and only then responded to our prayers, which was twenty-three years ago..."
"This deity chose to be born into this world through a human fetus, but it would take three years, during which time it was easy for heaven's thieves to discover. We couldn't find a trustworthy mother to birth the divine child. Finally, the Saint of Wisdom stepped forward, volunteering to be the mother of the deity." The King of Mesdutania, Helsinki, pointed at Rody's mother, tears streaming down his face, shouting to the world: "She is the greatest woman in the world, the greatest mother!"
...
"You're lying, Rody is not a reincarnation of a deity, he is a devil, an evil necromancer!" the Demon Slayer Sword Lot roared crazily.
"It must be this bitch having an affair with you, getting pregnant, so you made up this lie!" Cardinal Saint Duri also stood up and shouted loudly: "What Saint, she's just a whore. Without a man's seed, how could she possibly have a son, Warren, you adulterer, who could be fooled by such an obvious lie?"
"The Saint is always pure and untouched! Your thoughts are utterly filthy!" the Pope thundered in a deep voice.
"I will show the world that the warriors of the Rein family are not adulterers who defile the Saint!" Lord Warren tore off his clothes with both hands, revealing his nearly perfect body under a steel-hard chest. But now, people understood that Lord Warren was not lying.
Below his chest and abdomen, Lord Warren had a mechanical body made of steel, not a human body.
"During the battle with the demon race years ago, Warren was bisected at the waist by the Demon King, but he endured the pain and survived. Moreover, to protect the Saint and the Godchild, he accepted such suspicion and scorn, willingly enduring the world's curses to fulfill his duty of protecting the Saint. The Saint of Wisdom sealed her powers and hid in Coro, becoming Lord Warren's maid. That's the story everyone knows, about the meteor and various miracles. It's not for other reasons but because a deity was born to earth. We did everything to cover this up, including Warren heartlessly abandoning Rody, to divert heaven's attention, making the world think Rody became useless!" Helsinki knelt before Rody's mother, revealing this secret unknown to the world.
Rody was astonished; he never imagined the truth would be like this.
The man who heartlessly abandoned him was so great, willing to tarnish his own reputation and endure the world's spitting for his safety.
At that moment, Rody's world was turned upside down.
From the Star Goddess's words, and his own memories, he knew he was the reincarnation of the God of Underworld, but he didn't know so many sacrifices had been made for him before his birth.
"You're lying, you're lying! If father was bisected by the Demon King early, then who fathered me and my older brother? You're definitely covering up for that damned bastard. It must have been recent! This is impossible, Rody is a bastard, he can't be the Godchild, you're all lying!" The Demon Slayer Sword Lot screamed hysterically.
"He's not lying!" Aes punched Lot in the face, sending him flying. Aes pursued and smashed Lot into the ground.
Aes gently floated down, kneeling before Lord Warren.
Lord Warren looked at Aes and nodded, saying, "Everyone, this is my son. As for Mary's two sons, Gri and Lot, who their father is, she herself would know. She married me only under the orders of the Temple and heaven, to infiltrate us. And I used her for that purpose, to divert heaven's attention from the Saint and Godchild. Her children have nothing to do with me."
"No, you loved me the most, no, this can't be!" The Demon Slayer Sword Lot howled in despair.
"Lot, honestly, I never liked you. Your behavior disgusted me, especially your torment of the Saint and Godchild. I wish I could tear you to pieces. But for the sake of the secret, to avoid heaven's suspicion, I've been indulging you until today," Lord Warren snorted.
"We want to know more of the truth..." King Norn excitedly said.
"No, they're lying, Rody's mother can't be the Saint, what's the proof? Saints can't get pregnant, the Goddess of Fertility forbids pure Saints from intimate relations with men. Once she loses her virginity, she's punished by the deity, turning into a crow or a bitch. Rody's mother can't be the Saint, even if not Warren's seed, maybe someone else's. It's all lies, a conspiracy planned long ago!" Cardinal Saint Duri roared.
"Rody's mother is the Saint, carrying a divine fetus, pure and untouched, and would not be punished by the Goddess of Fertility. Instead, she would receive her protection. My teacher, the Sage of the Winds, personally took Rody from her womb. This great miracle is completely recorded in the memory crystal," Sage Joanne came out, holding a memory crystal: "Besides the Saint herself, no one else has used the method of cesarean birth."
"I can also confirm, she indeed was the previous generation's Saint," said the current Saint, who appeared out of nowhere.
As the Saint stepped forward under the gaze of countless eyes, holding the Saint's scepter, she paid her respects to Rody's mother. She softly chanted, and a rainbow light slowly rose above her head, forming a beautiful and huge image of the Holy Mother. The compassionate Saint bent down from the sky, placing a beautiful rainbow crown on the Saint's head, then embraced her, gently kissing her before fading into a rainbow. This unique mark belonged only to the Saint.
Simultaneously, above Rody's mother's head, an even more colorful and magnificent rainbow light arose. A Saint's image, ten times larger than that of the current Saint, appeared. She chanted softly, her voice light yet echoing through the heavens, causing the whole world to tremble. She bent down, not only crowning Rody's mother but also embracing and kissing her forehead for a long time.
No one doubted Rody's mother was a Saint anymore; it was an undeniable fact.
Now, people only wanted to know one thing: why had Lord Warren previously accused Rody of being an evil necromancer? Why did he produce that magic video, accusing Rody of learning necromancy and killing the servants Marcus and Emma? Why did he do this?
The people couldn't understand. If they could solve this puzzle, they would rejoice.
Because the Magical Child Rody was indeed humanity's hope, a deity reincarnated to save people's faith, humanity's hope!
Now it was clear why Rody was so unique, so caring for humanity, so tolerant. Despite being maligned by humanity, he still believed in them because he was a compassionate deity, come to save the people...
"Everyone must be wondering why I accused Rody. Now, I'll play the whole process again, and everyone will understand why I did this," Lord Warren solemnly said. "The real truth will be clear to all upon watching."
"Don't watch, the angels will soon teleport here and destroy all the betrayers of God..." Cardinal Saint Duri screamed frantically.
"I've already destroyed the portal. I believe we have enough time to see their vile other side before the angels arrive," the Pope signaled Sage Joanne to play the magic video. Saint Duri and others tried to stop it, but they were blocked by the Great Sword King Xiang Yu and other powerful figures from the world. Many soldiers from Saint's camp, seeing the Pope's betrayal and the dire situation, shrank back in silence.
Some soldiers broke away from the conservative faction amidst the chaos, standing with the Pope and Lord Warren.
They wanted to know the truth, not to remain ignorant.
The magic video started again.
Rody also wanted to know the truth, feeling deceived.
Lord Warren and the others had been protecting him, but their act was too convincing, too thorough. Not only did they deceive heaven, but even Rody himself. He had always misjudged Lord Warren and mistakenly thought the Pope was the mastermind behind his troubles. In reality, these people had made countless sacrifices to protect him, going to great lengths, the magnitude of their sacrifice unimaginable.
The video started twenty-three years ago, and from the recorded time, it was evident that Rody's mother was not pregnant yet and even unaware of this event until she discovered the prayer ceremony prepared by the Sage of the Winds and the Pope.
Rody's mother conducted the prayer, divine light descended from the stars, and she became Rody's mother.
Following that, she completely sealed the Saint's power, disguised herself as Lord Warren's maid, and went to Coral to serve Lady Mary, who was sent by Heaven to monitor Lord Warren. For three years, she endured Lady Mary's harsh treatment and was frequently poisoned by Mary's children, Gerry and Lotte. Thankfully, Lord Warren and the secretly protective Sage of the Wind and Father Sido managed to neutralize the threats, otherwise Rody would not have survived even before birth.
During childbirth, people saw the Sage of the Wind use holy light to form a small knife and cut open Rody's mother's swollen belly to take out a bloody infant – Rody. At that time, a meteor streaked across Coral's sky, flowers in the garden bloomed, and the dry well gushed magical spring water.
Beautiful singing emanated from the forest cottage, as if elves were singing. To hide all this, Lord Warren trampled all the flowers, shattered the fountain's statue, filled the well with mud and sand, and had his guards hunt and shout in the forest, particularly around the cottage where Rody's mother hid for childbirth. The Sage of the Wind even created a tornado to sweep away the blooming flowers, gushing springs, and falling birds.
Lady Mary, intoxicated by Lord Warren, still informed Heaven of these events.
Father Sido, following Heaven's command, fed Rody the forbidden magic during his baptism.
What happened afterward is known, but if combined with the previous events, the whole picture changes. Father Sido was great. In feeding Rody the forbidden magic, he sacrificed his life to the Holy Mother, infusing Rody with the 'Life Protection Hymn'.
Rody now understood why Father Sido died early and how he survived the Black Dragon's blood.
It was all exchanged for by Father Sido's life.
Rody, remembering Father Sido's smiling face and gentle touch, couldn't help but tear up.
To divert Heaven's suspicion, Lord Warren no longer spoke to Rody and instead doted on Lotte, donating substantial amounts to the Temple. The Pope also promoted Lotte to the knight's group, abandoning Rody, who was initially a major focus. At that time, Rody felt immense pain, as if the whole world was mocking him.
Now, looking back, Rody realized he overlooked something - not everyone around him was mocking him, and there were always people protecting him from the darkest corners.
Rody thought his fall into the hole to obtain necromancy and his escape from Coral were unnoticed.
In reality, as soon as he fell, Sage Joanne and Lord Warren rushed to the spot.
Even when Rody was learning necromancy, Sage Joanne was secretly watching over him. When Marcus tried to kill him, his protector, Ais, was about to intervene. Rody killed Marcus without noticing Ais hiding behind a tree.
People saw that Rody did kill the servants Marcus and Emma, but they were evil servants assigned by Lady Mary to murder Rody; he was merely defending himself. Sage Joanne repeatedly restrained Ais from intervening, even when Rody ate poisoned bread and convulsed on the ground until he fainted before administering an antidote.
For a child without fighting spirit or magic protection, surviving amidst numerous assassination attempts was incredibly difficult.
Rody initially thought he could handle everything, but in reality, he wasn't doing enough. Without everyone's protection, anyone else might have perished long ago.
When fleeing Coral, Rody also thought he was undetected.
But in fact, before Rody even started his journey, Lord Warren and Helsinki were already discussing whether to let Rody leave. Eventually, they all saw Rody off to sea. Moreover, when Rody and his mother were adrift at sea, suspicious angels caught up to inspect them, but the Sage of the Wind deliberately summoned a prolonged storm, misleading the angels into believing Rody and his mother perished at sea, thus allowing Rody to escape successfully.
As Lord Warren, Helsinki, and Joanne bade farewell to Rody, people were moved both by these silent guardians and by Rody's sacrifice of his own blood to quench his mother's thirst. Their journey was anything but easy, filled with hardships and sacrifices.
But such difficult life experiences and loyal guardianship shaped this magical boy, Rody. He isn't just the product of his mother's contribution; Lord Warren and other protectors played significant roles. Without their silent sacrifices, humanity wouldn't have its future hope, the proud and magical boy, the Rody of today.
"Mom…" Rody watched, tears streaming down his face. He never imagined that everything he once resented now turned out to be misunderstandings. What he once considered his sorrow was actually his fortune, his pride. His entire life perspective shifted at that moment.
He once thought his childhood was unfortunate, dark, and filled with others' disdain and mockery. But in reality, his childhood was fortunate, bright, and full of care and protection. Rody didn't know how to express his feelings towards Lord Warren, feeling ashamed that this man he hated and sought revenge against was so great, leaving him feeling unworthy.
He always thought he was alone, fighting a solitary battle. But he didn't know that behind him, many people, including those who gave their lives, were silently contributing. These protectors never let Rody know, remaining in the dark and unseen. If Lord Warren hadn't released this magical recording to the public, Rody and everyone else would have never known the truth.
"Don't cry, my son, wipe away your tears. You've grown up now, and there's much awaiting you. You don't need to cry or be sad. Everyone will always be by your side supporting you. Even if they have left, they will silently guard you from the heavens! Mom, Dad, Brother Ais, Uncle Helsinki, the Pope, Sage Joanne, the Sage of the Wind, Father Sido... and many more protectors have always been there, and will always support you! Remember, you are everyone's hope. Don't cry, don't be sad. Your smile is our greatest gift!" Rody's mother embraced her precious son, her face blooming with a smile like a rainbow after the rain.
"Don't cry, Rody, we will always support you..." Millions of people shouted in unison, their faces streaming with tears.