Chapter 68
The disciple sitting next to Xia Yi turned his head again, noticing his heavy breathing and asked with concern, “Xia Shidi, are you still feeling unwell from the potatoes?”
Xia Yi had just endured another wave of pain and smiled at him. “It’s nothing. I’m just about to give birth.”
The disciple nodded and turned away, saying “Oh”—then slowly turned back, his face filled with shock.
Moments later, the Winter Melon house echoed with the disciple’s startled cry, loud enough to drown out the thunder outside.
“Xia Shidi is about to have a baby!”
In the ensuing chaos, Xia Yi raised a barrier within the Winter Melon house, isolating himself in a separate space. Through the barrier, he could see everyone outside in a panic.
“Has anyone delivered a baby before? Speak up if you have!” someone shouted.
“Senior Brother Liu, take a good look around. Do you think any of us here would know how to deliver a baby?”
“Has anyone at least assisted in a birth before? Say something!” Senior Brother Liu kept shouting.
“Who around here would need to deliver a baby? We don’t even have a cow.”
“What about the female disciples? Aren’t they girls?”
“Ha! What are you thinking? It’s rare enough to catch a glimpse of them practicing at Tengxiu Peak!”
Gritting his teeth, Xia Yi called out from inside, “All of you, stay out! I can handle this myself.”
“Host, don’t worry,” 179 reassured Xia Yi, who was lying on a long fur rug. “Didn’t you receive that painless and safe childbirth reward last time? Don’t worry, I’ll activate it for you in a bit. You’ll give birth pain-free and with no complications.”
“But why do I have to wait for a bit?” Xia Yi asked, panting heavily.
179 let out a sneaky laugh. “Because Gu Wenzhu has already arrived and is fighting Cheng Yuwan outside. You should wait until he’s done, so he can see how hard childbirth is and cherish you even more afterward. When he comes in, I’ll activate the reward.”
“What? Brother Zhu is here?” Xia Yi was too shocked by the news to even scold 179, almost forgetting about the labor pains.
“Yes, Host, he’s awakened all his powers and is fighting fiercely outside,” 179 said excitedly. “Didn’t you notice the lightning has stopped?”
Xia Yi struggled to sit up and created a small gap in the barrier. He shouted outside, “Shifu, my brother Zhu is here and fighting outside! Go help him!”
Seeing Tian Xuan rushing out, Xia Yi collapsed back down heavily.
“Host, don’t worry, Gu Wenzhu is completely overpowering that ‘generator’. Just focus on giving birth,” 179 urged as Xia Yi still tried to peek outside. “Come on, let’s breathe together—inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.”
“Activate the reward already! Do you want me to die from the pain?” Xia Yi gritted his teeth as another wave of pain hit, sweat pouring down his face.
“Alright, alright! I was only trying to help you, but clearly you can’t handle even a little pain,” 179 said, feeling a bit flustered by Xia Yi’s agony.
A little pain? You try it!
Suddenly, all the pain vanished as if it had been swept away. The dull pressure in his back and belly disappeared, and he felt no discomfort at all.
Relief washed over him, and he collapsed onto the rug, breathing heavily, muttering in shock.
“Giving birth is really hard… so difficult.”
“Host, you may not feel pain anymore, but you still need to finish delivering the baby,” 179 reminded him. “You can’t just lie there and do nothing.”
“Let’s go by the window so I can watch brother Zhu beat people up while I give birth.”
Outside the Winter Melon house, Gu Wenzhu wielded a silver spear, locked in combat with Cheng Yuwan.
Cheng Yuwan swiftly raised a barrier with his iron staff, barely managing to block Gu Wenzhu’s earth-shattering strike. But the force still hit him in the chest, sending him staggering back.
“Zeyuan, long time no see. Seems I don’t need to look for you—you’ve come to me. Fine, let’s settle our old scores now.”
Cheng Yuwan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gave a sinister smile.
Floating mid-air in his Qishan Sect robes, Gu Wenzhu looked as imposing as a war god descending to earth, his expression grim, his eyes sharp as blades. Despite the fierce wind, his figure stood unmoved, radiating power.
“Previously, you revealed Wang Lan’s whereabouts to Wu Qianyuan, leading to his death. Now, you’ve kidnapped him again, intending to harm him once more. Very well, Cheng Yuwan. Since you want to settle scores, let’s settle both the old and the new grudges together.”
Gu Wenzhu’s face was filled with malice as he glared at Cheng Yuwan, each word squeezed through clenched teeth.
At the bay window, Xia Yi sat half-reclined on a cushion, legs apart, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before him.
Outside the barrier, Qing Xiu paced anxiously, rubbing his hands as he worried about the battle outside and Xia Yi’s condition. Every now and then, he would call out loudly through the barrier, “Junior Brother Xia, how’s it going? Do you need me to come in?”
Xia Yi snapped out of his daze and quickly replied, “No need, I’m fine.”
He then shifted his gaze back out the window.
Gu Wenzhu before him seemed both familiar and strange. Gradually, his figure overlapped and merged with someone else in Xia Yi’s mind.
In a daze, countless images flashed before Xia Yi in an instant. Overwhelmed by the flood of memories, he suddenly recalled everything from the past.
“Zeyuan… Brother,” Xia Yi murmured softly, gripping the window frame, tears welling up in his eyes as emotions surged within him.
“Host, you still need to push! Don’t forget you’re giving birth just because there’s no pain,” 179 reminded anxiously.
Outside the winter melon-shaped house, Gu Wenzhu’s relentless attacks left Cheng Yuwan struggling to catch his breath. His two phantoms were also engaged in a fierce battle with Tianxuan and several disciples.
Though Gu Wenzhu’s face remained impassive, his heart was in turmoil. He knew Xia Yi was inside the massive, solid winter melon house, but had no idea if he was injured.
Unconsciously, Gu Wenzhu’s movements sped up, his spiritual energy pouring out endlessly as he launched wave after wave of attacks at Cheng Yuwan.
Tianxuan, catching a glimpse of Gu Wenzhu’s increasing impatience, forced one of the phantoms back with a sword strike and called out loudly to him, “Don’t worry! Don’t rush! Xia Yi is fine and is in the middle of giving birth!”
Giving birth?
Gu Wenzhu’s pupils suddenly contracted, and his jaw clenched tightly.
But instead of calming him down, Tianxuan’s words only seemed to intensify Gu Wenzhu’s attacks. His spear whipped through the air with deadly force, every thrust a lethal blow, and his spiritual energy surged like it was endless.
As Gu Wenzhu pressed forward, images from that day kept flooding his mind.
He and Cang Yi flew down to the medicinal field at the foot of Qishan and from afar, they saw the jade coffin among the purple flowers.
His Wang Lan, the lively boy with deer-like eyes, was now lying silently in the coffin.
Zeyuan’s heart was torn with grief, his vision blurred, and he nearly fell from his spear. He swallowed the bitter taste rising in his throat and quickened his pace.
When he finally stumbled off the spear and rushed over, Xiao Hei pounced on him, biting the hem of his robe, trying to drag him toward the coffin.
The flower spirits stood nearby, supporting each other, their tear-filled eyes looking up at him.
Zeyuan stopped a few steps from the coffin, staring blankly inside.
Wang Lan lay there quietly. His eyes, once sparkling like black onyx, were now hollow and empty.
His once rosy lips had lost all color, and he would never again call out sweetly to his brother with that sugar-coated voice.
Underneath the clean clothes they had changed him into, Zeyuan knew all too well how his once porcelain skin was now marred with unbearable scars.
Xiao Hei whimpered atop the coffin, glancing between the lifeless body inside and Zeyuan.
Even though Zeyuan had personally carried Wang Lan’s body, washed the blood away, and carefully placed him in the coffin, seeing him lying there lifeless still felt like a crushing pain, so intense that his vision darkened and he couldn’t breathe.
It was as if someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart mercilessly.
Cang Yi had already hurried to the coffin. Seeing the boy’s tragic state, he closed his eyes in sorrow before extending his right hand to Wang Lan’s head.
“What is he doing?” The flower spirits, seeing Cang Yi’s actions, instinctively wanted to stop him. But since he had come with Zeyuan, they looked toward Zeyuan in confusion, their tear-swollen eyes questioning him.
“He’s my father,” Zeyuan said softly, not wanting to give them false hope by saying Cang Yi might have a way to save him, only to crush that hope later.
Better for him to bear any bad news alone.
A faint glow rose from Cang Yi’s hand as it hovered over Wang Lan’s head, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
The flower spirits, seeing this, stopped crying and held their breath, watching intently.
“His spirit and soul have almost completely dissipated. Only a few wisps remain, and even those cannot take root.” After a long pause, Cang Yi shook his head.
The flower spirits, hearing this, collapsed in despair, wailing uncontrollably. Zeyuan stood frozen in place, feeling as though he had been plunged into the deepest depths of hell, his heart as cold as ice.
His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, his bloodshot eyes staring blankly as he muttered, “So be it. I’ll go with him. With his timid nature, he’ll be frightened down there if he can’t see me. He might even be bullied…”
“What are you planning to do?” Cang Yi demanded sternly, his voice rising in anger. “Do you think dying for love is something noble?”
Zeyuan trembled, covering his face with his hands as tears quickly seeped through his fingers.
Suddenly, he let out a howl of anguish, his voice raw and bloodied with despair.
“Zeyuan, wake up! Pull yourself together!” Cang Yi shouted, veins bulging on his forehead.
But Zeyuan seemed deaf to his words, his howls continuing, like the mournful cries of a lone wolf that had lost its mate.
He collapsed heavily onto the ground, his fingers digging into the soil spasmodically.
Then, he suddenly lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with frenzied determination. “Xiao Lan was so afraid of the dark. He couldn’t even sleep without a candle. If he can’t see anything down there, he’ll be terrified and come looking for me. How can I leave him alone? I have to go find him, to protect him…”
Cang Yi looked down at Ze Yuan, his expression shifting, struggling deeply.
When he saw Ze Yuan reaching for his long spear, he sighed helplessly, as if finally making a decision. He gritted his teeth and said, “Ze Yuan, there is still a way.”
“I can save Wang Lan.”
————————————-
Ze Yuan sat cross-legged in front of the jade coffin, with the flower spirits nervously watching him.
Cang Yi stood before him, looking at his son with a complex expression and asked one last time, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Ze Yuan, who now seemed to be reborn and full of renewed vitality, looked at Cang Yi with a determined gaze and nodded firmly, “I’m sure.”
“Alright then, I will extract half of your spiritual body and soul to use as a vessel, nurturing Wang Lan’s remaining soul fragments within it,” Cang Yi closed his eyes briefly before continuing, “From now on, you will be like Wang Lan, and it will take over twenty years for the incomplete soul to fully grow.”
“During this time, I will send you into another space where you will lose all your memories and start life anew. Perhaps your life will only last these twenty-some years, or perhaps you will never see Wang Lan again in this lifetime. Are you still sure?”
Cang Yi’s voice trembled slightly.
Ze Yuan gave him a deep look, “Father, I am sure.”
Hearing this “father,” Cang Yi’s body trembled slightly, and his expression softened.
After that, Ze Yuan’s memory became hazy. In a daze, he felt himself floating, a swirling light vortex appearing before his eyes, seemingly possessing an infinite pull, drawing him toward it.
Just as he was fully drawn into the light vortex, a dark shadow flashed by. It seemed like Xiao Hei (Little Black) also pounced toward him, whimpering.
In the final moment before losing consciousness, only one name echoed in his heart—Wang Lan.
————————————-
Gu Wenzhu channeled his overwhelming spiritual energy into a powerful attack. Cheng Yuwan saw danger and quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the spear.
Seeing Gu Wenzhu attacking like a madman, as if throwing his life away, with his eyes bloodshot and his expression a mix of fervor and sorrow, Cheng Yuwan felt a chill of fear rise from deep within.
He glanced around. One of his phantoms had already been taken down by Tian Xuan, and the other was cornered by the disciples, sustaining numerous hits and was clearly on the verge of defeat.
Gu Wenzhu, having regained all his memories of the past, felt like his heart was burning in a fiery inferno.
Seeing Cheng Yuwan kicked down and rolling on the ground, attempting to escape with his serpent-headed iron staff, Gu Wenzhu leapt high into the air, his silver spear raised high like a majestic war god. The light from the spear dazzled Cheng Yuwan, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.
Fear gripped Cheng Yuwan’s heart as he watched the approaching figure. His pupils contracted to the limit.
As the spear was about to pierce his chest, Cheng Yuwan rolled to the ground, scrambling to his feet and rushing away in panic.
However, after only two steps, a flash of silver light appeared, and Gu Wenzhu darted in front of him like a ghost. With a flick of his spear, a thin line of blood appeared on Cheng Yuwan’s neck.
His eyes widened in disbelief, hands grasping at his throat, gasping for breath as crimson blood spurted through his fingers, staining the ground before him.
He reached out, still trying to grab Gu Wenzhu, but a swift kick sent him tumbling. He struggled briefly before finally collapsing to the ground, unwilling and defeated.
The clouds dispersed, the wind calmed, and Gu Wenzhu slowly turned around, gazing at the towering house bathed in sunlight. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, “Xiao Lan.”
Meanwhile, Xia Yi, having finished processing the flood of information in his mind, forced himself to calm down and stop paying attention to the events outside.
He gripped the window frame and bit down with determination.
“Just like that, Host! You’re doing great! I can see the baby’s head!” exclaimed 179 excitedly.
Xia Yi took a deep breath and pushed again.
In his mind, images flashed repeatedly.
“Xiao Lan, I’ve already told my father about us. He wants me to take you to the demon realm to meet him soon,” Ze Yuan said, hugging Wang Lan from behind, inhaling the orchid scent from his neck.
“I know, but I’m still a little scared,” Wang Lan murmured.
Ze Yuan chuckled, his warm breath tickling Wang Lan’s neck. “You’re only fierce in front of me. You’ve really got me wrapped around your finger, huh?”
“I’ll come get you at noon tomorrow, alright? Let’s meet at that rock in Xiyue Valley.”
Wang Lan nodded slightly, then smiled shyly.
As Xia Yi pushed, tears streamed down his face.
Ze Yuan, who would have thought that the next day, you would never see me again?
“Host, you’re amazing! The head is out!” 179’s voice was almost breaking with excitement.
Ze Yuan, Ze Yuan, Brother Zhu, Brother…
With a baby’s sharp cry, the barrier around the house was blown away by a powerful hand, and a tall figure rushed in.
Gu Wenzhu stood still, his chest heaving with emotion as he looked at Xia Yi, his eyes filled with excitement.
Amid the baby’s cries, Xia Yi, drenched in sweat, looked at him, tears in his eyes, smiling as he said, “Brother, the baby is born.”
“It’s a boy. He looks like you.”
————————————-
“So, you’ve remembered everything too?”
In the bamboo courtyard, Xia Yi sat by the bed, gently watching the sleeping baby as he softly asked.
Gu Wenzhu leaned back against him, twirling a strand of Xia Yi’s hair between his fingers, “Yes, I remember everything.”
“Then tell me, when my soul dissipated and the Immortal Lord sent me to another realm, why did you lose half of your soul and have to be sent away to recuperate?” Xia Yi leaned back into Gu Wenzhu’s embrace.
Gu Wenzhu lowered his head and kissed the top of Xia Yi’s head but remained silent.
“Brother Zhu, Brother, Ze Yuan…” Xia Yi started to plead, “Tell me, or I’ll always have this question in my heart, and I’ll never be at peace.”
“Because I was injured at the time as well, so Father had no choice but to send me away for recovery,” Gu Wenzhu said with a smile, lightly touching the baby’s cheek.
As for the truth, there was no need for Xia Yi to know.
Xia Yi didn’t ask any further, instead leaning into Gu Wenzhu’s embrace, quietly watching the baby.
The baby was sound asleep, with both tiny fists raised beside his head as if in surrender. His chubby cheeks were flushed, and he occasionally smacked his plump little lips.
His tiny clothes and blanket were made from the softest, most luxurious silk that Cheng Ming had searched high and low to find, supposedly woven from jade silkworm threads by a weaver on some peak.
Yet, Xia Yi still felt regret. In this world, the small clothes, tiger-head shoes, and the big pack of diapers that Gu Wenzhu had carefully sewn stitch by stitch were all left behind.
Compared to these luxurious silks, Xia Yi would much rather have dressed the baby in clothes made by his father’s own hands.
What bothered Xia Yi the most was the baby’s feeding issue.
Just like Gu Wenzhu had mentioned before, young men like Xia Yi could produce a little milk, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Everything had been too rushed, and nothing was properly prepared. In desperation, Xia Yi had already mustered the courage to lift his shirt and offer what little he could.
But the baby, despite sucking with all his might, turned red in the face, still hungry. Eventually, he waved his little hands and feet in frustration, closing his eyes and wailing in protest.
“Host, host, have another bowl of carp soup,” 179 urged again.
“I just had one not ten minutes ago! It’s been nothing but soups all day, and I’ve already been to the bathroom four times in the last hour,” Xia Yi grumbled, the thought of more soup making him feel nauseous.
“My alveoli is only so big! Will drinking soup really turn me into a dairy cow?” Listening to the baby’s cries, Xia Yi began to lose his patience.
He missed the two milk goats they had prepared at home. Sigh.
Several disciples had already left the mountain on magical artifacts to search for goats milk, while Gu Wenzhu was in the kitchen, brewing a soup of soybeans and pig trotters.
As Xia Yi gently patted the baby, he cooed softly, “Be good, baby. The uncles will bring food for you soon, okay? Don’t cry.”
The baby looked up at Xia Yi with wide eyes, his small pink lips still quivering with grievance.
His eyes were large and round, just like Xia Yi’s, but their color was pure and black like Gu Wenzhu’s, as clear as obsidian.
Seeing the tears welling up in those dark eyes, Xia Yi’s heart ached. He picked up the bowl of carp soup from the table and downed another bowl.
“Carp soup, carp soup, please let there be a miracle, for the sake of my love for my child.”
Just then, a “baa” echoed from the courtyard.
Overjoyed, Xia Yi hurried out with the baby in his arms, “Sweetheart, the uncles have brought your food!”
Pushing open the door, the first thing Xia Yi saw were two large white goats in the yard.
But instead of the disciples he had imagined, there stood Jie Shang, holding one goat in each hand and three baby goats cradled in his arms.
The two large goats were struggling to nibble on the chili plants growing by the yard, while the three baby goats bleated softly in Jie Shang’s arms. Trying to maintain his balance and his composure, he looked quite awkward.
Cang Yi stood nearby, holding a large bundle. The blue-and-white floral fabric was familiar to Xia Yi—his own.
One corner of the bundle revealed a small pair of light blue baby pants, which Xia Yi recognized as having been sewn by Gu Wenzhu.
“Father, you brought them back?” Xia Yi was both surprised and delighted to see them.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Wenzhu also came out from the kitchen. Seeing the situation, he quickly moved to take the goats and bundle, rescuing the flustered Cang Yi and Jie Shang.
“Baby, baby, Grandpa’s little treasure,” Jie Shang eagerly stepped forward and carefully took the baby from Xia Yi, both he and Cang Yi beaming as they studied the child.
“Look at those sturdy little hands and feet, just like Ze Yuan when he was a baby.”
“And such fair skin, like Xiao Lan.”
The baby, cradled in Jie Shang’s arms, didn’t cry or fuss, instead staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. He even blew a little spit bubble.
Jie Shang, who was clearly experienced with babies, supported the child’s soft neck with one hand. His practiced handling made him look like a seasoned father, which made Cang Yi feel a pang of jealousy. The gaze he directed at Jie Shang grew softer.
Sensing Cang Yi’s eyes on him, Jie Shang thought he wanted to hold the baby, so he offered, “Would you like to hold him?”
“Can I?” Cang Yi’s eyes lit up with both excitement and nervousness as he looked at the baby.
Jie Shang chuckled, “Why wouldn’t you? You’re his grandma.”
At those words, Cang Yi’s expression became awkward, and a blush crept onto his face, adding a rare touch of color to his normally cold demeanor.
Jie Shang, amused by this, leaned in and whispered, “How about having another one?”
Cang Yi shot him a puzzled look, “Xiao Yi hasn’t even finished his confinement yet, and you want him to have another one?”
Realizing what Jie Shang meant from the teasing glint in his peach blossom eyes, Cang Yi’s face flushed even more. He glared at Jie Shang but didn’t voice any objection.
Knowing Cang Yi’s temperament, Jie Shang didn’t push further. Before handing the baby over, he gently kissed the child’s soft cheek, “In the future, you can grow up and play with your little aunt or uncle, okay?”
When Xia Yi and Gu Wenzhu returned after securing the goats and putting things away, they were greeted by the sight of Cang Yi, standing stiffly and holding the baby with all the tension of someone facing a formidable foe.
Not far away, Jie Shang leaned against a ginkgo tree, arms crossed, watching the scene with a smile.
“Xiao Yi, come take the baby,” Cang Yi called out, looking for help, “Jie Shang won’t take him.”
Gu Wenzhu cast a helpless glance at his father, who was enjoying the show, and gently took the soft baby from Cang Yi’s arms.”
Cang Yi shook his stiff hands, casting a half-angry, half-resentful glance at Jie Shang before walking over to Xia Yi.
Seeing Cang Yi standing before him, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitating, Xia Yi couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Immortal Lord?”
“Didn’t I mention before that I erased your parents’ memories with a spell?” Cang Yi said.
Xia Yi’s heart instantly jumped, pounding wildly.
Sure enough, Cang Yi continued, “At the time, I feared your soul would completely disappear, so I cast the spell. Now that you’ve fully recovered, I can restore their memories.”
“Re-really?” Xia Yi stammered.
Cang Yi gave an almost imperceptible smile, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as his gaze softened. “Of course.”
Gu Wenzhu, holding the baby, also walked over and gave Xia Yi an encouraging smile. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring Father-in-law and Mother-in-law here, and Father will undo the spell.”
“Mhm.” Xia Yi’s throat tightened, and he nodded heavily.
At that moment, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Cheng Ming poked his head in sneakily. Seeing everyone gathered, he grinned, “Brother Tianji has already prepared food and wine in the front hall. All the disciples are waiting. Immortal Lord, Demon Lord, please follow me.”
They remembered that today’s feast was not only to celebrate Cang Yi’s return from seclusion but also to mark the baby’s one-month birthday.
The group followed Cheng Ming out, with Gu Wenzhu holding the baby, walking at the back.
“Little Ming, where are we going?” Xia Yi grew more confused as they walked, realizing this wasn’t the path to the back mountain.
Cheng Ming called out loudly from the front, “To the hall near the square!”
Was this really the way to the square? Xia Yi felt too tired to even complain.
In the end, it was Cang Yi who led the way, and the group finally turned in the right direction.
As they walked, Xia Yi suddenly felt his hand being gently held by a large, warm, and dry palm.
Gu Wenzhu, carrying the baby in one arm, had grasped his hand with the other, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
A soft breeze rustled by, carrying the scent of bamboo.
Holding onto the hand of the person beside him, listening to the baby’s soft coos, Xia Yi felt a deep peace in his heart.
[The end.]
