When Chilin arrived at Jiuyou Hall and didn’t see Dong Tianyun, she slowly walked to the terrace of the rear hall and looked around in all directions. Jiuyou Palace wasn’t at the highest point of Jiuyou Mountain, but rather halfway up the mountainside. A broad and magnificent stone staircase stretched straight from the palace gates to the foot of the mountain—a spectacular sight.

Compared to the sunny side of the mountain, on the shady side a black jade walkway had been built from the rear garden of the main hall, leading directly to the cool pavilion constructed at the mountain peak. The surroundings were filled with Jiuyou flowers, appearing elegantly refined and unworldly.

Though tonight wasn’t a full moon, the moonlight was unexpectedly good. The rippling reflections of light on the Abyss River water plated Jiuyou Mountain with a layer of ethereal and fantastical haziness. Jiuyou flowers were unique blooms created by Dong Tianyun using the Biyu Basin. At night, their stamens emitted a glimmering starlight, dazzlingly magnificent. Especially when they stretched in continuous patches—being among them was like wandering through the Milky Way.

Chilin walked up the mountain peak via the walkway. Sure enough, Dong Tianyun was on the Gazing at Darkness Platform built on the protruding rocks. He leaned against the stone railing, gazing out at the border where the Abyss River met the heavens. The moon there appeared large and lonely. Chilin had grown accustomed to his indifference to her arrival. Compared to before, she was already satisfied that he didn’t tell her to leave.

After several decades, she had gradually mastered the techniques of manipulating hearts. All her past failures could be attributed to impatience and directness. In the past, she could never figure out his joys and sorrows. Now she only needed to understand one thing—that he still couldn’t let go of Xiang Su, who had already married.

She clearly felt that Dong Tianyun was somewhat more fragile than in the past, probably because of the fifty years of torment, or because of Xiang Su’s departure. He didn’t like her, but he also didn’t resist her companionship. When the moon rose and people grew quiet, looking at his slightly lonely profile, she seemed able to understand his feelings—yes, she had also once been tormented by such emotions. The person she liked… didn’t like her. Precisely because she understood, she never tried to console him. No words could release the pain and injustice in one’s heart.

Dong Tianyun finally turned to look at her, not expecting that the hot-tempered Chilin could quietly accompany him standing here for so long. Actually, he understood her feelings. In the past, countless female immortals had devoted their affections to him, so he had grown indifferent to it, thinking Chilin was no different from them. Combined with her youthful arrogance, he scorned her even more.

But fifty years had passed, and the one waiting for him, accompanying him, was only her. If there were still words that would hurt her heart, he couldn’t bear to say them right now. Being rejected by one’s beloved—he had experienced it and now knew how unbearable it was.

“This place… is truly beautiful.” Being looked at by him, Chilin’s cheeks couldn’t help but flush. She stammered as she spoke, randomly finding something to say.

Dong Tianyun smiled. When he had initially chosen the Abyss River as his sword-forging location, it was because the spiritual energy here was unique. He hadn’t expected that he and the Abyss River would have such a profound connection. The smooth-sailing Dong Tianyun had tasted the full flavor of failure here. Fifty years ago he was betrayed by friends; fifty years later here… Xiang Su had also left with another man.

The thousand years at Jiujue Mountain had given him life, but the fifty years at the Abyss River had allowed him to see through fate. He was not some deity looking down upon all things. He also had moments of helplessness and inability. The Solitary Question sword at his waist was said to be invincible throughout the Three Realms. It could help him destroy everything, but it couldn’t help him obtain everything.

“Do you have some connection with Yuanhou?” Chilin suddenly spoke. She couldn’t bear to see Dong Tianyun show such a dejected expression.

Dong Tianyun didn’t find her speaking at this moment annoying. On the contrary, he also wanted to talk about other things. Since he had left Qiuyan Mountain alone, he needed to begin forgetting.

“He… could be considered the first immortal spirit I met.” After bickering for several hundred years, he still wouldn’t admit that Yuanhou was his friend. He always remembered how foolish the little pangolin had been back then at the foot of Tianlan Mountain, unable even to successfully cast a spell to dig a hole. But he never recalled that when Dong Tianyun had just come down from Jiujue Mountain, he wasn’t clever either.

When he became the Celestial Lord Shenghuan, Yuanhou was still just a somewhat famous high-level earth spirit—not even a Xiangjun yet. He always mocked the Shenghuan Palace that Yuanhou had built for him for having many shortcomings. He hadn’t expected there would actually be another opportunity for Yuanhou to build him another residence.

That day when Jiuyou Mountain rose from the ground, Yuanhou had exhausted all his strength constructing the palace layout. With a pale face, he asked him, “Is it perfect and flawless this time?”

When Dong Tianyun nodded, his chest was filled entirely with bitterness. This fellow who had bickered and quarreled with him for several hundred years actually understood everything. He had built him such a palace hall that was the envy of the Three Realms, only wanting to console his desolate wandering.

The current Yuanhou was already the Earth-Governing Celestial Lord upon whom the Heavenly Emperor relied. Yet he had become half-immortal, half-demon—embarrassing to both the immortal realm and the demon world. Yuanhou hadn’t said any words to him, but through his actions had shown that nothing between them had changed.

Perhaps the time he spent together with Xiang Su was truly too short, and Xiang Su was indeed too young… Many things worth holding onto—he hadn’t let her experience them before he left.

Chilin turned her face away. He was showing that heartbreaking expression again. Even Dong Tianyun’s dejection was bewitchingly beautiful, but she knew clearly for whom it was. She couldn’t be hasty. She had risked becoming enemies with him to set up this sky-covering deception. She had no way back and couldn’t make mistakes. She only had one chance. Compared to burning Xiang Su to death, waiting wasn’t difficult to endure.

The moment the child’s crying rose from the foot of the mountain, it could be faintly heard even at the Gazing at Darkness Platform at the very peak. Dong Tianyun immediately felt the blood vessels at his temples throb. Jiuyou Palace was truly too quiet, so that child’s crying seemed especially powerful.

Chilin also frowned. The wonderful atmosphere was completely destroyed. What Abyss River moonlight—with that unlucky child’s wailing, all sense of beauty was gone.

Jin Zhan held the child while Yanji carried various bottles and jars. They rode clouds up to the Gazing at Darkness Platform in a great rush. Chilin had been somewhat angry, but seeing them, she suddenly burst out laughing.

Dong Tianyun had originally harbored resentment that his ethereal palace was being poisoned by crying. But seeing the behavior of the Wood Spirit Xiangjun and the reincarnated Water Lord, he felt balanced.

“Dong Tianyun, the baby won’t drink milk!” Yanji said coldly in a low voice. Jin Zhan coordinated with him seamlessly. Before Yanji’s words had even finished, Jin Zhan stuffed the child into Dong Tianyun’s arms.

Dong Tianyun’s face froze. What did this child not drinking milk have to do with him? How would stuffing her in his arms solve anything?

“Human milk, cow milk, goat milk… we’ve tried everything. She just won’t drink.” Jin Zhan also spoke anxiously.

Originally feeling a sense of satisfaction curled up in Dong Tianyun’s arms, upon hearing the words “goat milk,” Xiang Su made a gurgling sound and spat out a mouthful of sour fluid. That fishy smell made her secretly hate Jin Zhan for ten thousand years! She had clearly indicated she wouldn’t drink, wouldn’t drink, yet he and Yanji had force-fed her like stuffing a duck, pouring it into her mouth. If Yanji didn’t understand, that was one thing, but wasn’t Jin Zhan obviously taking revenge on her? What milk did wood spirits drink?

Dong Tianyun’s sleeve was soiled by the vomit. He almost threw the infant on the ground, but barely restrained himself. Looking at Yanji and Jin Zhan’s appearance, he also very much wanted to laugh. Weren’t they clearly a young couple who had just become parents? “Your child—you solve it yourselves!” Dong Tianyun also threw out harsh words, tossing the child back to Jin Zhan.

Jin Zhan also got angry. He flipped his hand and used Wood Forest Qi to push the infant. “You used spirit blood to create her, so you should take care of her!”

These words hit a painful spot in Dong Tianyun’s heart. The girl he had created back then didn’t want him to take care of her at all now. In just that moment of hesitation, the child was pushed flying by the spiritual energy and no one caught her. Jin Zhan was greatly alarmed and quickly changed the direction of his spiritual energy to support her. Though he reduced the force, Xiang Su still fell into the cluster of Jiuyou flowers.

She cried out sharply in anger. Was this how to treat an infant? What were they doing? She was practically knocked apart!

These people who had never been parents were all somewhat frightened by such a turn of events. Only now did Xiang Su feel that the anger crying could express was truly limited. No matter who it was—would someone come pick her up?!

Suddenly she smelled an extremely sweet fragrance. Being ravenously hungry, she couldn’t bear such a rich aroma. She kicked her plump legs vigorously, kicking apart the swaddling that Jin Zhan had wrapped haphazardly. She kicked against a flower stalk at her feet. A Jiuyou flower petal drifted down and landed by her mouth. Xiang Su impatiently took a bite… She immediately cried again. It was too delicious, but she had no teeth! The juice she could squeeze out with her gums was too little, making her more anxious and hungrier.

Though Jin Zhan was also quite unreliable, at a time like this, he was still the only one with a horrified expression pushing apart the flowers to find her. Xiang Su vigorously made eye signals at him—Jiuyou flowers, Jiuyou flowers! This was the food she wanted! Xiang Su now had a pair of very beautiful infant eyes, large and round, with especially big black pupils. Partly because her expression wasn’t well executed and partly because she was too anxious, to Jin Zhan watching, it clearly looked like she was just constantly rolling her eyes. Seeing the flower petal in her mouth, he said in great alarm, “Is she poisoned?!”

“What? Poisoned?” Yanji strode over. Though the Jiuyou flowers were beautiful with purple petals and starry stamens, they did indeed look like poisonous flowers. He was very anxious. He scooped up Xiang Su in one move and with a thump, slapped her on the back. Xiang Su was jolted so hard she spat out a mouthful of sour fluid and cried without making a sound. Did he have the ability to slap harder—might as well slap her to death?!

Chilin had been laughing quietly on the side the whole time without any sympathy, as if watching some great entertainment.

It was still Dong Tianyun who slowly walked over and said, not very certainly, “Should she be eating flower petals and tree sap?”

Baby Xiang Su’s neck was too short and soft to exert any strength, otherwise she would definitely nod vigorously. Junshang was still reliable!

Yanji and Jin Zhan also lowered their heads to study Xiang Su. Jin Zhan plucked a flower petal and placed it in Xiang Su’s mouth. Xiang Su with obvious theatrical quality sucked hard a few times and smiled.

“Looks like she wants to eat flower petals.” Having been tormented by Xiang Su all day, Yanji’s head had long gone numb. Finally this little ancestor had something she could eat. Overjoyed, he grabbed a handful of petals and efficiently stuffed them all into Xiang Su’s mouth at once.

Xiang Su hiccupped and really did roll her eyes. Fortunately Jin Zhan quickly took all the petals away, and she could finally catch this breath. She protested and continued crying in grief and indignation. If only she could speak—she would curse that bastard Yanji to death!

“She’s still small, with no teeth.” Jin Zhan also blamed Yanji for being reckless and glared at him.

“Then just squeeze out the juice for her to drink.” Yanji was exhausted. After all, he was the Water Lord reincarnated. He grabbed a handful of petals and with a squeeze, light purple-red flower juice dripped down in abundant streams. Xiang Su felt her mouth, nose, and eyes were all flooded, choking so badly her crying became intermittent.

Jin Zhan also panicked and quickly held Xiang Su upright. “She’s choking! Use a bottle.”

Dong Tianyun and Chilin watched with smiling interest. They had to admit that Jin Zhan and Yanji were a well-matched pair.

With only half her life remaining, Xiang Su finally had a full meal. Her spirits recovered somewhat. She kicked vigorously in Jin Zhan’s arms, and Jin Zhan understood completely. “Dong Tianyun, the child is yours.” So saying, he placed her on the ground, pulled Yanji along, and rode off on clouds in a hasty escape.

Dong Tianyun’s face was full of displeasure. He didn’t pick her up for a long time. Xiang Su had originally wanted to give him a sweet smile, but now could only shriek in protest. The ground was cold and hard—she was about to die of discomfort!

“Brother Yun, this child is a wood spirit and eats Jiuyou flowers for food. Leaving her here, she can absorb the essence of heaven and earth without going hungry. Just leave her in the flower cluster.” Chilin came up with a terrible idea.

Xiang Su quickly cried one sob after another. Enemy, truly an enemy!

Dong Tianyun hesitated for a moment, but still walked over, bent down, and picked her up. Xiang Su immediately stopped crying and rubbed her tender face against his lapel.

Though Chilin was dissatisfied that this child specifically recognized Dong Tianyun, when Dong Tianyun carried the child back to his sleeping quarters, she couldn’t make a sound. Could she really be jealous of a child?

Xiang Su was perfectly content being placed by Dong Tianyun on his bed. She giggled to herself for a while with her baby voice, finding herself adorable even to her own ears. Unfortunately, Dong Tianyun didn’t notice. As soon as he returned to his sleeping chamber, he quickly bathed and changed clothes, throwing aside the garment she had soiled.

The bed was very large. Xiang Su was placed at the very inside against the wall. Dong Tianyun pulled over a pillow and, far from her, half-reclined and half-lay at the edge of the bed, not knowing what he was thinking about.

Xiang Su missed him terribly. After fifty years of waiting, who would have thought the first night after their reunion would be such a scene. Her hands and feet were too useless—she couldn’t even crawl, only able to roll toward Dong Tianyun by turning over. Dong Tianyun noticed her movements. His eyes and brows showed a hint of amusement, as if he found it very entertaining. He extended a finger and pressed it against her back, preventing her from turning over or getting any closer.

Xiang Su didn’t want to cry, afraid he’d be annoyed and throw her to Jin Zhan and Yanji again. She could only smack her lips, babbling, her hands and feet flailing about.

Dong Tianyun laughed softly, probably finding her quite adorable. With both hands he scooped her up and placed her on his firm and solid stomach. This time Xiang Su was truly complete. Her little hands grasped his clothes. Having been tormented by Jin Zhan and Yanji all day with barely half her life left, only upon returning to Junshang’s side did she feel safe. As drowsiness struck, she sucked on her finger and fell beautifully asleep.