Chapter 169
“Lie Lie, you’re back!”
As soon as the Crimson Flame Tiger stepped into the nursery, 4586 rushed over, brimming with enthusiasm.
Hearing the nickname “Lie Lie” again, Ran Lie took a deep breath and decided not to argue about it—arguing never helped anyway.
“What happened to little Xiang Yang?” 4583 also approached, extending its mechanical arms to gently lift Rong Heng off the tiger’s back.
If the lion siblings could make peace with Ran Lie, there was no reason a caretaker robot like 4583 couldn’t do the same.
Since returning to the nursery, 4583 seemed to have entirely forgotten how Ran Lie had once hurled it against a wall, breaking it into pieces. It treated all the cubs in the nursery with equal care.
Over time, it became the “toy” of the little tinkerers in the nursery.
After undergoing numerous modifications and experiments, 4583’s appearance hadn’t changed much, but its functionality and computational abilities far exceeded those of standard caretaker robots.
Now, it was even smarter and more personable than 4586.
“Bloodline berserk. He fainted,” Ran Lie explained flatly. Seeing that Rong Heng was now being taken care of, he turned and headed toward the green space. However, he returned shortly after.
4586 was conducting a check-up on Rong Heng while Li Sinian stood nearby, looking worried.
Ran Lie asked, “Where’s Su Su?”
“Su Su and the little ones went up to the rooftop,” 4583 replied. “Do you need something from them, Lie Lie?”
Li Sinian had already learned that Yan Ya, Wen Yan, and Lai Qiqi had all safely arrived at the nursery.
Although he didn’t know what they were doing on the rooftop, after contacting Yan Ya via communicator and confirming she was fine, his attention returned to his son.
At that moment, with 4586 administering emergency care—including spraying garlic spray—the previously unconscious Rong Heng slowly regained consciousness.
Despite his dislike for garlic, Li Sinian found the aroma oddly refreshing as he inhaled the air.
The negative emotions he had been suppressing completely dissipated, leaving him feeling much lighter.
It seems essential to carry one of these sprays while traveling on this planet…
Imagining himself walking around reeking of garlic, Li Sinian paused in silence before refocusing on his son.
For now, his children were his top priority.
“Yangyang…”
The moment Rong Heng opened his eyes, he heard that voice again. Instinctively, he rolled to the side and assumed a defensive posture, only to realize he was back in the nursery.
The man he had mistaken for a monster was crouching beside him, looking at him with a helpless expression.
If he’s able to enter the nursery, he can’t be a monster… Rong Heng blinked and, realizing this, lowered his guard.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
Recalling what had happened before he lost consciousness, Rong Heng glanced at Ran Lie. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “Thanks.”
Ran Lie snorted lightly, turning his head away. Just as he was about to walk toward the nursery building, he seemed to remember something. His tiger tail reached into his spirit pouch, pulling out Rong Heng’s small sword, which he tossed back to him.
“Keep it safe and don’t lose it again,” he said coolly before striding into the nursery building without looking back.
Rong Heng took his small sword back, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He carefully sheathed it and was about to follow Ran Lie when the unfamiliar man called out again, “Yangyang…”
The young boy frowned and looked at Li Sinian, scrutinizing his upright and proper features. There was something vaguely familiar about him.
“Please call me Rong Heng,” he said coolly.
Xiang Yang was a nickname, something only close people could use, let alone “Yangyang.”
Li Sinian: “…”
Just as he was about to speak again, Rong Heng interrupted, “Are you looking for the caretaker? He’s busy right now. You should wait here; he’ll come out soon.”
Then, without waiting for a response, Rong Heng instructed the caretaker robot to bring out a chair and prepare some fruit. After everything was set, he quickly followed Ran Lie into the nursery building.
Li Sinian found himself unsure of whether to follow or stay put.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided not to pursue his son, instead watching as Rong Heng disappeared into the building.
Given the situation, it was better not to reveal his identity too abruptly. He didn’t want to frighten the boy. Besides, now that they were in the nursery, there was no risk of losing him again.
And the fact that Rong Heng had asked the robot to prepare a chair and fruit for him… perhaps that meant he didn’t have a bad impression of him?
Settling into the chair, Li Sinian imagined the moment he would reunite with his two children. The thought filled him with joy, bringing a smile to his face.
Slowly, his eyes turned a little red again…
Meanwhile, Su Ci and A-Yan, accompanied by two cubs, landed on the grassland. They took out several spirit pouches, ready to continue their work.
With a wave of his hand, the spirit pouches floated into the air.
Although they were only palm-sized, they unleashed a powerful suction force, drawing in scattered grass seeds from the plain like a whirlwind, all without damaging the tender green wild grasses.
Little Li Hua’s eyes widened in amazement at the magical sight. Clapping her hands, she said, “Su Su, I want to learn this too!”
With this ability, she could gather lots and lots of seeds, plant countless flowers, and even collect pollen to make fragrant sachets!
“I’ll teach you when we get back,” Su Ci replied calmly.
Under the curious gazes of Little Li Hua and Lu Li, Su Ci retrieved the now-full spirit pouches and handed one to each of them.
When they reached the mountain range where the demon flowers grew, Su Ci cast protective spirit shields over them before sending them off to scatter the grass seeds.
“W-we’re going by ourselves?”
Lu Li, who had been brimming with excitement, was now dumbfounded. He stared at the blood mist-shrouded mountains, remembering the terrifying monsters they had encountered the first time they followed Su Su here. Swallowing nervously, he couldn’t help but hesitate.
“With the spirit shields, those monsters can’t see you,” Su Ci reassured him.
“Liu Liu, don’t be scared! I’ll protect you!” Little Li Hua declared, patting her chest. She then grabbed Lu Li’s hand and confidently led him into the denser parts of the blood mist, as Su Ci had instructed.
As they walked, they pulled grass seeds from their spirit pouches and scattered them along the way.
Facing the blood mist, Little Li Hua showed no fear, and her boldness rubbed off on Lu Li, who gradually grew braver.
After all, he noticed that the eerie howling monsters seemed nowhere to be found.
Standing beside Su Ci, A-Yan tilted his head slightly and remarked, “Isn’t this a bit too much for them?”
“They seem to be having fun,” Su Ci shrugged.
Once the two cubs realized there was no immediate danger, they truly began to enjoy themselves. They weren’t ordinary human children; even Little Li Hua, with her Red-Tailed Lion bloodline, had a physique and agility far superior to her peers.
And Lu Li, who had trained in body techniques, was no slouch either.
Together, they scattered seeds along their path.
The seeds, upon touching the soil and blood mist, immediately began to sprout. Watching the tender shoots emerge, the children were ecstatic.
The mountain range, occupied by the water demon, didn’t lack water sources. After the river channels were cleared, humidity levels had risen significantly.
However, the thick blood mist that blocked sunlight year-round prevented most plants, even those on patches of purified soil, from growing well.
Ordinary plants wouldn’t thrive until the blood mist was completely eradicated.
But this limitation didn’t apply to the spiritual grass seeds. With their minimal environmental requirements, they thrived even under these conditions, making the children’s carefree scattering efforts both effective and harmless.
Little Li Hua had completely forgotten her earlier worries. She hopped and skipped along the way. When she got tired, she negotiated with Lu Li to carry her in exchange for fruit.
When they finished scattering the grass seeds from the two spirit pouches, Su Ci and A-Yan reappeared beside them.
“Are we going back now?” Little Li Hua asked reluctantly.
Su Ci shook his head. “One more place.”
In the next instant, they found themselves at the entrance to Demon Flower Valley. As they looked into the valley, they saw that the once-densest area of blood mist had now cleared, revealing the sky above.
Under the effects of the purification barrier, the valley had become bright and clear.
The vast sea of Demon Flowers that once filled the valley had significantly diminished. Many of the tightly packed Demon Flowers had withered, leaving room for new buds to emerge.
Nourished by spiritual energy, the Demon Flowers—once sustained by resentment—were undergoing a transformation.
Given time, this Demon Flower Valley might fully evolve into a Spiritual Flower Valley.
Upon seeing the flower-filled valley, Little Li Hua couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!” Her wide almond-shaped eyes sparkled with happiness and joy.
“So many flowers!” she said, then scratched her head in puzzlement. “I feel like I’ve seen this place before.”
Su Ci led them into the valley.
This time, in addition to the enormous butterflies, they also heard a buzzing sound.
When a palm-sized hornet flew out from the flowers, Little Li Hua immediately hid behind Su Ci in fear, while Lu Li adopted a combat stance.
Though he was afraid of the blood mist monsters, he didn’t feel as intimidated by the mutated insects.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to test his recently honed combat skills.
Before the hornet could approach them, a vine shot out diagonally, slapping the hornet and sending it crashing to the ground.
Though the hornet wasn’t entirely incapacitated, it no longer dared to approach. With a few frantic flaps of its wings, it retreated into the distance.
Lu Li scratched his head and turned to look at Su Ci, who had already begun collecting nectar. He couldn’t help but think: No matter how these flowers change, one thing that hasn’t changed is how much they like Su Su.
After collecting materials for crafting spirit pouches and gathering nectar, Su Ci also hunted a giant spider from its lair before preparing to return with the two children.
It was worth noting that, thanks to Ran Lie’s relentless “efforts,” the large spiders in the lair were nearly wiped out, leaving only smaller ones.
At this rate, the term “giant” in “giant spider” might soon become obsolete.
Moreover, if they wanted spider meat in the future, they might need to search for new sources of protein.
Meanwhile, Yan Ya anxiously waited by the riverbank.
She had just watched Su Ci vanish with Little Li Hua and A-Yan, and it had triggered memories of the darkest day of her life ten years ago.
On the verge of breaking down, Xue Wei had explained things to her, helping her regain some composure.
But as time dragged on, her unease grew once again.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the teleportation array on the riverbank began to glow. The figures of the Crimson Flame Tiger and a young boy appeared atop the array.
“Lie Lie, Xiang Yang!” Xue Wei greeted them cheerfully. “You’re back!”
As the two cubs with the fastest progress in cultivation, Ran Lie and Rong Heng were the only ones among the younglings who had mastered the use of the teleportation array. Su Ci also allowed them to freely travel between the riverbank and the nursery, provided they ensured their safety.
The other cubs didn’t enjoy this privilege.
The Crimson Flame Tiger was about to respond but froze momentarily upon noticing the “madam” standing beside Xue Wei. It then let out a cold snort, stepped off the teleportation array, and headed off to play with the other cubs.
Rong Heng also spotted Yan Ya. Compared to his cold demeanor toward Li Sinian, his reaction was different.
He looked at the woman standing on the green field, and a blurry memory from his childhood suddenly resurfaced. A hazy figure in his mind became clear in that instant—and it overlapped perfectly with this beautiful woman.
“Yangyang…” Yan Ya called out to him, her eyes brimming with tears.
At that moment, Rong Heng finally understood.
Why did the stranger in the blood mist seem familiar? Why did he feel a strange sense of closeness to him? And why had the man greeted him so affectionately?
Because…
They were the pair who had abandoned him and his sister. And now, they had come looking for him.
The realization turned Rong Heng’s previously calm expression icy. His lips tightened as Yan Ya moved toward him, and he instinctively stepped back.
Yan Ya’s hands froze midair.
Seeing the boy’s clear resistance and rejection, her chest felt tight, as if she could barely breathe. But she had learned from her earlier encounter with Little Li Hua, and this time she worked hard to keep her emotions in check.
She crouched down in front of him and forced a smile before asking gently, “Xiang Yang, can I call you that?”
Rong Heng frowned deeply.
He looked at the woman before him, who seemed on the verge of tears, but he felt no sympathy. Instead, he said coldly, “Please call me Rong Heng.”
The boy had built a thick wall of ice between himself and his biological mother, firmly shutting her out.
Yan Ya felt the rejection but had anticipated it after her earlier interaction with Little Li Hua. Even though her heart ached as if it were bleeding, she kept her smile steady, though tears welled up in her eyes.
“Rong Heng, you remember me, don’t you?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Over the years, she had met all sorts of people in her search for her children and could tell from Rong Heng’s expression that he remembered her.
The realization filled her with joy.
After ten years, her son, who had been just over three years old when they were separated, still recognized her! That he had identified her immediately brought her immense comfort and delight.
Rong Heng, however, stared at her with hostile eyes, remaining silent.
As Yan Ya struggled to find the words to say, the teleportation array lit up again.
But this time, it wasn’t Su Ci and the others who appeared.
Instead, a round, bouncing water blob emerged.
The little water blob duang duang duang hopped out, surveyed the area, and then headed straight for Lang Ze, Lu Jiao, and Zheng Xing, who had wandered the furthest.
“Plop!”
A jet of water shot out, landing squarely on Lang Ze’s face, instantly sobering up the playful little wolf cub.
“Plop!”
“Plop!”
Two more water jets hit Lu Jiao and Zheng Xing in the face.
The three quickly wiped their faces. Seeing the water demon preparing to spray more, Lang Ze hurriedly hoisted Zheng Xing onto his back, grabbed Lu Jiao’s hand, and made a run for it.
While running, he pleaded, “Alright, alright, we’ll go back! Stop spraying us! It hurts!”
The water demon didn’t care and chased after them, spraying water chaotically.
“Plop plop!”
